Mike G wrote:Oh my God yes! Someone has finally revealed that Jesteinf's 1000 posts about everywhere from L20 on down were just cover for his ultimate plan to shill for a modest neighborhood Asian joint!

Damn you Mike G!!!!

Ok, Ok I get it. Boy, this is a tough crowd. I didn't notice that jesteinf was so prolific.
Mike G. I remember the first time you ate at Great Lake. "Tarte Flambe." No, the pizza you ordered was inspired by flamen kuchen.

But now we are off topic again on Asian food and TAC quick in general. Sorry.

miesplz wrote: I remember the first time you ate at Great Lake. "Tarte Flambe." No, the pizza you ordered was inspired by flamen kuchen.

I'm hoping the means this is a joke, because tarte flambe and flammenkuchen are the exact same dish

"Most of them wouldn't know a Bordeaux from a claret!"
"But Bordeaux is claret."
"Ah! Right. But most of them wouldn't know that." —Fawlty Towers

In all seriousness, Miesplz, your point that pan-Asian is usually synonymous with mediocrity is a perfectly reasonable one, but when someone insists otherwise in a specific case, there are a number of ways one can judge whether they have a clue what they're talking about generally, such as number and scope of past posts, which will spare you making a serious, but pretty easily refuted, accusation.

Best of all, go try it, and report back yourself; but insisting that someone who has tasted something is wrong and you, who hasn't, must be right is a losing game, no matter how valiantly carried on (and there have been master practitioners of the form here).

Thank you Mike G. I want to try the food there. "but insisting that someone who has tasted something is wrong and you, who hasn't, must be right is a losing game,." No, No i wasn't insisting that at all. Once again I am looking for answers on what to try there. Please re-read my recent posts. Thanks.

miesplz wrote:Once again I am looking for answers on what to try there. Please re-read my recent posts. Thanks.

Please re-read my recent post

Anyway, some of my favorites there include the lumpia (from the Filipino menu), the grilled mackerel (from the Korean menu), and the cherry duck (from the Chinese menu).

Thank you "noted shill for neighborhood Asian restaurant." I'll try your suggestions next time I am on Diversey.

Mhays wrote:I should point out, in case it isn't clear in my above post, I don't think posts about disappointing service are irrelevant, please continue posting them. They probably won't stop me from visiting a given spot, but they do help to make my expectations clear.

I agree, and I'd add, to some posters who've referred to "all" of us when describing LTH culture and perspectives, actual or perceived, please keep in mind that not everyone's opinions are necessarily expressed by the most opinionated members.

I suppose it is only human nature to be inclined to protect the cows that you yourselves have labelled as sacred, i.e., some LTH members being -- or perhaps only seeming -- defensive about criticism of GNR award winners. But if you want to make people really mad, that's nothing compared to calling a city dweller a suburbanite!

Maybe we should add a new forum called "Stir the Pot"? Then we'd have a place to move threads such as this one to when they go rampantly off-track.

I second your "stir the pot" motion Katie. And you are spot on about some of the most "opinionated" members of this forum. "Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one." Some people just like to hear themselves speak....or write. But isn't that why we all are here? Maybe someday I too will become one of those vaunted LTH mega posters. Time for a new thread.

miesplz wrote:yummy

That is right jeffb, and I stand by my "yummy" critique. Let's "stir the pot."

miesplz wrote:one of those vaunted LTH mega posters.

That's "effete snooty-pants dilettantes" to you, thank you very much. The nerve.

hehehehehe Thank you Santander. I appreciate your humor. Now tell me your fave restaurant and why so I don't have to search through all the posts. j/k

Had lunch at TAC last week -- was absolutely craving it -- and the food was sensational, as was the friendly service . . .


Som Tum Thai
I was asked if I wanted this medium or spicy. I emphatically chose the latter and the kitchen emphatically made it that way. As had been discussed upthread, this was one fiery dish and it was at the very edge of my heat tolerance. I had to eat it very slowly and sweated profusely as I did. My wife just sat and watched me. I felt alive eating this awesome dish.



Larb Kai
I love the balanced combination of flavors in TAC's version, which is my all-time favorite (I say that about most of their dishes). It too was really spicy, as ordered, but after the Som Tum, it was relatively manageable.



Fish Maw Salad
I just love everything about this salad. It's hot, sweet (but well-balanced) and filled with wonderful flavors and textures.



Prik-Khing Crispy Pork
This was on the specials board and it was very satisfying. The pork was very crispy but stil had a pleasant chew. The green beans were cooked just enough to be slightly tender without being mushy and the chili paste-based sauce was deeply flavorful.



Tom Yum Thai
Even though I've ordered this many times at TAC, tasting it always blows me away. I was struck by the explosive flavors, the way they worked together and the tenderness of the pork. Really sensational.

I'm still loving TAC. I think it's as great as ever (on every level) and it's one of my very favorite places to eat in the entire Chicagoland area.

=R=

Oh man, ya beat me to it. I and another food journalist had the crispy pork thing on the otherwise somewhat sparse specials board last Friday, and it was excellent. You have to want pork you're going to chew like gum, crispy in Thai food seems to mean chewy, but the flavor was excellent and it's not an overly heavy dish, at least as dishes with half a package of bacon in them go....

After reading this, it's gonna be awfully hard to resist the lure of TAC when I get off the red line in a while. I'll probably be failing to resist at about 5:20, in case anyone else needs their fix at that time.

(edited to note that this may or may not really happen, so - knowing that the lure of dining with me is very enticing - I don't want to set anyone up for a crushing disappointment. )

Go to TAC at your own risk.

Mike G wrote:crispy in Thai food seems to mean chewy....

Exactly but there's a light -- and brief -- crispiness on the exterior, which you get right before the 'chew' begins. Really nice dish.

=R=

OK, Ronnie_s
This is at LEAST the 2nd time I've been blown away by your photos. Camera make/model, please?
I use an el cheapo - probably cost 170.00 (with a big mem card, and a case...ok, hell. I bought it at costco, it was in a plastic package) I just wonder if I have any chance at taking pics like yours. I've never made a decent effort at TRYING to take good piks, but I'm wondering if I gotta shell out some decent bux to get close.

Kennyz wrote:After reading this, it's gonna be awfully hard to resist the lure of TAC when I get off the red line in a while. I'll probably be failing to resist at about 5:20, in case anyone else needs their fix at that time.

(edited to note that this may or may not really happen, so - knowing that the lure of dining with me is very enticing - I don't want to set anyone up for a crushing disappointment. )

Go to TAC at your own risk.

Kenny-

Since it's Tuesday, TAC is closed. You will have to fail to resist another evening.

The GP wrote:Kenny-

Since it's Tuesday, TAC is closed. You will have to fail to resist another evening.

Guess I'll need to start an "Open on Tuesdays" thread.

seebee wrote:OK, Ronnie_s
This is at LEAST the 2nd time I've been blown away by your photos. Camera make/model, please?
I use an el cheapo - probably cost 170.00 (with a big mem card, and a case...ok, hell. I bought it at costco, it was in a plastic package) I just wonder if I have any chance at taking pics like yours. I've never made a decent effort at TRYING to take good piks, but I'm wondering if I gotta shell out some decent bux to get close.

Thanks, seebee, for the kind words. PM sent (as to not derail the thread).

Sorry about posting these shots on a Tuesday, when TAC is closed. It was unintentional, though Dr. Freud might have categorized it as a hostile act.

=R=

tapler wrote:

The GP wrote:Kenny-

Since it's Tuesday, TAC is closed. You will have to fail to resist another evening.

Guess I'll need to start an "Open on Tuesdays" thread.

I deserve that

Breakfast of Champions: Leftover Crispy On Choy. Not quite as good and crispy as the night before, but still delicious. Only problem is, I rarely have any left over when I order it (must have been too full of pork neck to finish).

RAB and I took my mom for her first visit to TAC Quick on Saturday. The highlight of the evening was the crispy on choy, followed closely by the excellent service - - the best we've had there. I had no problem at 5:30pm calling and making a reservation for 8pm. We were seated quickly, questions about specials were answered, orders were taken quickly, beers were iced quickly, food was delivered hot, water glasses were full, servers with smiles, etc.

In addition to the wonderful crispy on choy, we ordered the crispy pork special, the pad thai in an omelet, and the fried chicken. The thai menu looks different, but we're not sure what's missing or was added. This is the first time we didn't over order at TAC Quick.

I was the only fan of the crispy pork. The lemongrass was extremely assertive. If you like heat, chewy pork belly, and lemongrass, you'd like this. I did.

The pad thai, which we hadn't had before and ordered because mom is a fan, was really solid, perhaps the best pad thai I've had in years. It was sweet without being cloying and not a bit greasy. With a bit of sambal and a squeeze of lime, we were all happy. Even with all the more exciting TAC Quick options, I'd happily order this again, especially as a satisfying counter to the more assertively flavored dishes.

The fried chicken was good, but not perhaps as good as in the past. RAB and mom liked it, though, so it may just be that I lucked out and grabbed a bit of drier breast meat.

All-in-all, another solid TAC Quick meal.

Ronna

Had a great meal at TAC Quick last weekend, paired with a variety of sour beers (mostly Gueuze and Flemish sours) - a combination I highly recommend. All of the standbys were really good, though a couple of items I had never had before were, unfortunately, worth noting.

Kuay Teaw Yen Ta Fo, described as "Steamed flat noodle, shrimp, squid, fish ball, fried tofu, wonton, bean sprout and On Choy in spicy tomato broth," showed no signs of tomatoes (color or flavor) but possessed an eerie, almost glowing, reddish hue. Not good. I can't actually describe the flavor, but I can say that the four of us consumed no more than 6-7 bites combined.

Grilled snails, listed on the specials chalkboard, were very large and had been grilled in the shell. We pried them out with the supplied skewers, dunked them in the accompanying green sauce, and chewed... and chewed... and chewed. The sauce itself was quite good, but the tough, chewy texture left much to be desired. At least 2-3 of the snails went back to the kitchen still seized up inside their shells.

I'm a huge TAC fan and don't mean to discourage anyone from going, I just wouldn't want anyone to order either of these dishes. Crispy on choy, grilled pork neck, papaya salad with salted crab, and a pork rib soup special were all outstanding.

-Dan

I should have posted about the snails when we had them. These are the best case of when the waitress tells you "No no, you won't like them", listen to her.

FWIW, yen ta fo is a pretty standard "real Thai" dish and is typically day-glo pink with an unusual sweet-sour flavor that comes from a day-glo sauce specific to the dish.

http://grocerythai.com/yen-ta-fo-sauce-p-280.html

It's on the permanent slate at some other Thai places around town, Sticky Rice e.g. Many people love it.

We've had those snails and really liked them, but they are a lot to handle for two people.

dansch wrote:Had a great meal at TAC Quick last weekend, paired with a variety of sour beers (mostly Gueuze and Flemish sours) - a combination I highly recommend.

Seconded. Thanks to dv43 who brought Gueze to a group dinner, I learned that this is a terrific pairing. If you haven't tried it, this is another great reason to head back to Tac Quik.