Tanta Chicago

Earlier today, Eater Chicago gave Tanta the 2013 Eater So Hot Right now award…but yet it cannot possibly be hot enough, as there seems to be no dedicated thread on lthforum. It certainly deserves one.

Tanta is the Chicago outpost of Chef Gaston Acurio. I have been lucky enough to eat at Acurio's La Mar cebicherias in San Francisco and Santiago… I guess it doesn't make sense to do a "La Mar" inland, perhaps, so Chicago gets a mix of Peruvian land, sea, and Asian influences at Tanta. The interior is modern, airy, and with the Chef expediting outside of the kitchen. I liked the room, it's not too big, yet you aren't up in anyone else's business. The lower level (toilets) is decorated with a fair bit of whimsy.

The menu features Peruvian classics like ceviche, causes, antecuchos, and leche de tigre. There is a section of meat as well, and quinoa and potatoes are common ingredients. There is a selection of Peruvian street food - empenadas, pan con chicharon, etc. I think the restaurant would be best served with a group of 4-6, but alas, we didn't know.

Mrs EdB60035 and I had a chance to check out Tanta last night. She started with the de rigueur pisco sour, and I chose the pisco tasting - three different styles served neat.



They have a couple of cocktails on tap, one is pisco, lime, and ginger beer - I'll try that next time.

Fried plantains were brought to the table with a spicy dipping sauce.



For our first course, we started with the nikei ceviche, tuna and avocado. The server recommended using a spoon to eat it with the juice, this was a good tip. We also had the asparagus skewers (antecuchos), in a hollonadaise-type sauce that was not too rich or overpowering. We then had the "best thing I've eaten (lately)", the "pobre niguri" - seared (torched) skirt steak over sushi rice with Peruvian spices. Wow. What a great combo. We watched the "sushi" chef torch a few of these. So good we ordered another set.



For a second course, we had two dishes: the carapulcra, a pork rib stew, and the criolla causita. The carapulcra was interesting, the stew looked like beans but was actually dehydrated potato. I'm not sure I've ever been served pork belly with the rib still attached, it was a little dry but when paired with the stew was rather tasty.



The criolla causita was a sort of playful rendition of this Peruvian standard whipped potato dish, but was tasty enough as a side.



We were enjoying dinner immensely at this point and jealous of some of the other diners. Neither of us have a strong sweet tooth these days, so we decided to order a third course - the 1/2 roasted chicken (pollo a la brasa). It was a tough call between that and the fried rice, which almost every table seemed to get. Next time. But the roasted chicken - billed as an Amish chicken, super flavorful and not needing any of the accompanying sauces at all - was a great choice.



The salad was an unexpected little bonus, and the dressing was nice - I'm not remembering the ingredients but it was corn based, not egg/mayo/yogurt as I expected. The pozole/rice bowl went well with the chicken, and the fries were tasty and not oily at all. But oh the chicken, it's no Publican chicken but definitely up there for consideration.

I thought the prices reasonable for downtown hip, and the service was enthusiastic - both waiter and runner were conversational, not rushed, clearly enjoying the restaurant and their work. Hard to find anything to criticize. Strong recommendation and we will be back.

Tanta Chicago
118 W Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL
312-222-9700
http://www.tantachicago.com/
Dinner only - 5 PM+

I really liked Tanta (and love La Mar). I don't think that opening Tanta here has anything to do with coastal/inland because the other Tanta is in Barcelona. I suspect he's just fine-tuning the new chain.

I'm eager to go. Question for those of you who know the history of the chef--is this the same chef who opened a restaurant in the old Tabla space, only to meet with yawns and recently closed? I just know a Peruvian restaurant with a famous chef had this recent history in NYC.

DutchMuse wrote:Question for those of you who know the history of the chef--is this the same chef who opened a restaurant in the old Tabla space, only to meet with yawns and recently closed?

Yes, it's the same chef as La Mar in the old Tabla space.

I went for dinner Sunday night with my stepdad, since it is close to his home and I've wanted to try it since it opened 3 months ago. I've heard good things here and from local press, and was not disappointed.

I made a reservation on opentable.com, and was surprised that for 2 people it was 5:15pm or 7:45pm or later...on a Sunday! Sure enough, there were already 40-50 or so customers when we arrived at 5:15, and the room was full when we left just before 7pm.

We were warmly greeted, sat immediately in one of the center banquets and got comfy. The room is vibrant and warm, with lots of energy and color. The mural running down the room opposite the bar is colorfully done with Peruvian style art. As Ed mentioned, the overall room is high-ceilinged and open, yet doesn't feel overly spacious...I like that.

Our server (Carolina) was great, she was very helpful with recommendations and explanations of the different traditional dishes and sections of the menu, and gave us enough time to talk and decide without us feeling rushed. We started off with the cebiche "tasting" which was 3 of the 6 offerings, and all were delicious - made to order so flavorful, tender and bright.





We also ordered the beef heart anticucho, since my stepdad remembered this traditional dish from when he was in Peru decades ago. It was also well done, charred yet tender, with crispy potato and Peruvian corn kernels and a flavorful chimichurri sauce and huacatay pepper spice. We wanted to try one of the "causitas" and chose the Criolla - crispy sautéed fresh fish, pickled escabeche and a little sweet potato...sorry no photo of that one, but Ed has one upthread.



For an "entree" we shared the "adobo de ternera" - veal cheek slow-cooked and served in adobo sauce, over corn "pepian" which is a Peruvian version of polenta. Outstanding, and I highly recommend this dish if you're a fan of old-school pot roast.



There is a full wine list, a nice selection of beers, and house cocktails to choose from...but we had to see how they do the classic Pisco Sour. They are made to order from scratch, and an excellent balance of booze, tart lime juice and a hint of sweetness, and the egg white and bitters greets your nose with a lovely bouquet (we had two).

I am looking forward to going back and trying some "Niguiris Nikei" and the pork fried rice that was recommended - this is a place that should be enjoyed by friends who like to share - that's the best way to try all the dishes without getting overly full

I just want to discourage people from eating here. I love Peruvian food, but Tanta does not bring the flavor at all.

I can't believe how bland their chupe and fried rice were. The chupe should have been jam packed with prawn flavor and instead it was seriously not much different than water with cream in it. Fried rice has a bit of a smoky element and is a bit on the greasy side, but has really no other flavor elements to speak of. Their beef nigiri was flaccid and served on mushy rice creating a very unappealing texture in the mouth. The veal cheek adobo is similarly bland, saved only by the rocking corn pepian under it. They make a good ceviche, but ceviches are one of those things that are never bad, but also never dizzingly good. By far the best conceived offering is the free tostones you get as an appetizer. Both times I had to stop myself from filling up on those.

Combine this with River North pricing and I really see no reason to come here.

I really enjoyed my one meal at Tanta. I thought the food was tasty, well-seasoned and boldly flavored. The assertive use of acid in many of the dishes I had really distinguished them. The only thing I didn't like was a pretty foul-smelling cocktail that contained egg whites.

I never looked at Tanta as true Peruvian food, more as just being Peruvian-influenced. I also have to disagree with that premise "ceviches are one of those things that are never bad, but also never dizzingly good." I've had more lousy ones than I care to remember and some great ones that have stayed in my memories for years.

=R=

botd wrote:ceviches are one of those things that are never bad, but also never dizzingly good

botd wrote:I just want to discourage people from eating here.

Luckily, I have a reservation there next month so I'll be able to judge for myself.

ronnie_suburban wrote:I really enjoyed my one meal at Tanta. I thought the food was tasty, well-seasoned and boldly flavored. The assertive use of acid in many of the dishes I had really distinguished them. The only thing I didn't like was a pretty foul-smelling cocktail that contained egg whites.

I never looked at Tanta as true Peruvian food, more as just being Peruvian-influenced. I also have to disagree with that premise "ceviches are one of those things that are never bad, but also never dizzingly good." I've had more lousy ones than I care to remember and some great ones that have stayed in my memories for years.

=R=

It's really the other way around. Tanta is intended to reflect the street-food influences in Peru, so it's not purely Peruvian as much as Peruvian that has been influenced by immigrant communities there.

spinynorman99 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:I really enjoyed my one meal at Tanta. I thought the food was tasty, well-seasoned and boldly flavored. The assertive use of acid in many of the dishes I had really distinguished them. The only thing I didn't like was a pretty foul-smelling cocktail that contained egg whites.

I never looked at Tanta as true Peruvian food, more as just being Peruvian-influenced. I also have to disagree with that premise "ceviches are one of those things that are never bad, but also never dizzingly good." I've had more lousy ones than I care to remember and some great ones that have stayed in my memories for years.

=R=

It's really the other way around. Tanta is intended to reflect the street-food influences in Peru, so it's not purely Peruvian as much as Peruvian that has been influenced by immigrant communities there.

Yes, I think it goes without saying. The external influences on Peruvian food are fairly well-known (at least around here) and also they're touted on Tanta's website. I think they delivered on the aesthetic quite well. What did you think?

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Yes, I think it goes without saying. The external influences on Peruvian food are fairly well-known (at least around here) and also they're touted on Tanta's website. I think they delivered on the aesthetic quite well. What did you think?

=R=

I've long been a fan of LaMar in San Francisco and stop there nearly every time I'm in town. Tanta did not disappoint, and the whole snapper that we had on one visit was a standout. All in all it's a nice addition to our town and I hope it stays.

spinynorman99 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:Yes, I think it goes without saying. The external influences on Peruvian food are fairly well-known (at least around here) and also they're touted on Tanta's website. I think they delivered on the aesthetic quite well. What did you think?

=R=

I've long been a fan of LaMar in San Francisco and stop there nearly every time I'm in town. Tanta did not disappoint, and the whole snapper that we had on one visit was a standout. All in all it's a nice addition to our town and I hope it stays.

I need to go back because I've only been once but I really enjoyed the manner in which the outside influences were represented on the menu. I can't say I was surprised by it because I done a bit of reading about Gaston Acurio, and Tanta's menu before I went. Still, I was surprised when I read it and happy with the way it was handled on the plates.

=R=

We ate at Tanta a week after they opened and had one of the best meals we've had in a long time. Not sure why I didn't write about it sooner.
We had the fried rice, chupe, causitas clasica, pulpo, and los picarones for dessert. Everything was wonderfully flavorful and well executed.
The niguiris nikei pobre was so delicious!


oops... picture is upside down

We really enjoyed our dinner at Tanta last night. For some reason, I was imagining a more glitzy, River North scene. But it was not so big, probably explaining why it took me 5 or so weeks to get an 8pm weekend reservation, nor was it very glitzy or loud. So perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised that we were seated promptly at 8pm - nice (and sadly but somewhat unexpected these days).

The evening started with cocktails and plantain chips - thin, brittle and addictive. And I could have lapped up the brightly, but slightly fiery aji amarillo dipping sauce. But try to avoid a second basket - the food servings are not for the dieter.

Though I enjoyed both of my cocktails, the El Chingon - jalapeno tequila, mezcal, lime, cilantro and the fuschia-colored rocoto pepper ice ball - impressed me the most, not only with its appearance but most importantly with its smoky, spicy, sour and herbal notes. But the pisco sour did not disappoint either, with the perfectly frothed egg white and just enough sour.

When I mentioned that the portions aren't for dieters, I should have largely limited my comment to the main courses. Starters were perfect for exploring the menu - a couple of bites each for the four of us. Of these, my overwhelming favorite was the Octopus skewer. While the menu promised chimichurri, garlic and olives, I also thought I detected paprika. Bold flavors, nicely charred yet tender tentacles, and fantastic beyond words.

Causitas with crab was another standout. Dense, whipped potatoes, egg and avocado, and brightened by fresh, briny crab meat and aji. You really couldn't ask for a better marriage of flavors.

Raw fish was a little less successful than I expected. In the tasty Ahi tiradito, passion fruit, honey and an Asian chifa sauce mingled very well together, but slightly overwhelmed the beautiful slices of ahi. Yet I would still highly recommend the ahi tiradito over the fluke cebiche, where promised flavors of ginger and sesame were in hiding, and the diced fluke seemed to have spent too much time in the acid and was rapidly breaking down.

Before I shuffle to main courses, one warning: ignore the "From the Earth" portion of the menu at your own risk. The Peruvian corn cake with mushrooms and studded with choclo (like hominy) was the best cornbread (really, spoonbread) I have ever tasted, wonderfully dense and moist. I feel restrained to declare something like cornbread the best item on such a unique menu, but let me at least urge you to order it for the table.

There are two rice-based dishes on the menu, one akin to a seafood paella, the other a relative of the Korean bibimbap. We opted for the bibimbap-like chaufa aeropuerto - pork fried rice, egg tortilla and spicy garlic and split it. This was a very respectable dish that will satisfy almost any fried rice fan. But while deliciously savory, I would have preferred more crispy rice bits and either some more spice or acid. At the same time, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the plump, delicious shrimp and the comforting flavors.

Dining with one pescatarian, we agreed to limit meat to the rice dish, and then we shared a couple of seafood entrees. I didn't realize when we ordered that both of the fish items we ordered were fried (the market whole fish and the Peruvian-style fried fish). While both were very good, I would recommend against ordering both (note for pescatarians: in addition to the paella-like dish, there's also a grilled salmon and seafood stew), only for sake of variety. But both featured very different sauces. And both featured perfectly fried fish - crisp yet delicate, moist and tender meat and neither was the least bit greasy. Rarely is fish fried so well. Both sauces delivered a little heat, a little acid and a whole lot of flavor. The market fish last night was a red snapper, served whole, but filleted for ease.

One dessert was enough, perhaps unnecessary, but it was fantastic. I love tropical flavors so the Pineapple sorbet, pineapple compote, coconut tapioca and some crispy vanilla crumble pieces for added texture, did not disappoint. In fact, it was one of the best desserts I've had in recent memory.

Service was fine, perhaps unremarkable, but there's nothing wrong with that. And the flavors and ingredients were more unique then I found in many of Chicago's finer dining spots, meaning that a return visit is pretty much guaranteed.

BR wrote:Before I shuffle to main courses, one warning: ignore the "From the Earth" portion of the menu at your own risk. The Peruvian corn cake with mushrooms and studded with choclo (like hominy) was the best cornbread (really, spoonbread) I have ever tasted, wonderfully dense and moist. I feel restrained to declare something like cornbread the best item on such a unique menu, but let me at least urge you to order it for the table.

Though I was very impressed with Tanta, my feelings about the pastel de choclo were mixed. I was expecting something different. Based on versions I've had in Chile (http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food/7290864-423/food-detective-the-power-of-pastel-de-choclo.html) and Rapa Nui in Chicago, I was expecting something with meat (chicken and beef), caramelized crust, etc. It's quite possible Peruvian versions of this dish are just like the ones served at Tanta, and I'm not criticizing this dish based on any standards of authenticity but rather my own (perhaps misguided) expectations. This could have been, however, the best spoonbread I've ever tasted, too.

David Hammond wrote:

BR wrote:Before I shuffle to main courses, one warning: ignore the "From the Earth" portion of the menu at your own risk. The Peruvian corn cake with mushrooms and studded with choclo (like hominy) was the best cornbread (really, spoonbread) I have ever tasted, wonderfully dense and moist. I feel restrained to declare something like cornbread the best item on such a unique menu, but let me at least urge you to order it for the table.

Though I was very impressed with Tanta, my feelings about the pastel de choclo were mixed. I was expecting something different. Based on versions I've had in Chile (http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food/7290864-423/food-detective-the-power-of-pastel-de-choclo.html) and Rapa Nui in Chicago, I was expecting something with meat (chicken and beef), caramelized crust, etc. It's quite possible Peruvian versions of this dish are just like the ones served at Tanta, and I'm not criticizing this dish based on any standards of authenticity but rather my own (perhaps misguided) expectations. This could have been, however, the best spoonbread I've ever tasted, too.

Having never even traveled to Peru (or even South America), I can't proclaim to have any knowledge on the subject, but wow that picture and description in your article sound fantastic. And isn't that (past experience) what really shapes our eating experiences? That's kind of how I felt eating the pork/shrimp rice dish - having had great bibimbap before and having the waiter use that as a comparison, I was perhaps slightly let down when there was only a little bit of crispy rice with the dish.

Perhaps they just wanted a simple side dish on the menu, and one that could please vegetarians. So yes, I loved the corn cake, but you've certainly left me curious and wanting to try the version you describe, especially for the caramelized crust which was definitely absent in this version.

I too am biased by my experience living in Chile: for me, pastel de choclo should include dark chicken meat and ground beef and should have a sugar-glazed crust. (Although I also think you can make better pastel de choclo here in the US because the sweet corn is of much better quality here than in Chile). There is, of course, some overlap (and some competition: see pisco sour) in the cuisines. There are some very good Peruvian restaurants in Santiago. If I went to one of them there, or if I went to Tanta, which I am hoping to do sometime soon, I think I'd concentrate on the seafood choices, which, in, my opinion, is where Peruvian cuisine really shines.

Three of us ate at Tanta last night. I thought the food was thoroughly and consistently outstanding, with tastes both unusual and delicious. But...

We tried a little of everything on the menu. I'm not fond of ceviche, sashimi, that sort of thing, but my companions enjoyed what they ordered. I had the "pulpo anticucho" (octopus skewer) and it was excellent; I enjoy octopus and this is one of the best in Chicago, moist and tender. Our server told us they braise it and then briefly "torch" it. We also enjoyed the complimentary basket of plantain chips and sauce.

My companions had the obligatory pisco sour. I asked about non-alcoholic offerings and they have an interesting one, a chicha morada, sort of sweet and tart fruity with some cinnamon in it, served cold; I liked it a lot.

Our mains were also excellent. I had the "adobo de res - braised boneless short ribs in adobo sauce, cilantro & corn pepian, braised onions" and loved it. It was a generous, boneless piece of short ribs, not overly fatty, very moist and tender, and the cilantro/corn pepian surrounding it was really good too. I tried the "churrasco tanta - grilled beef tenderloin, roasted farm potatoes, adobo jus, huacatay cream" and thought it was great, loved the beef. I liked my taste of the "estofado de cordero - braised lamb hind, aji panca & red wine reduction, quinoa polenta, wild mushrooms, organic kale", including my taste of not only the lamb but also the polenta and crispy kale; however, my companion said she wished she had gotten the beef instead. <shrug> We also had the side order of "pastel de choclo - peruvian corn cake, mushrooms, choclo sauté", which was a very nice corn pudding that I enjoyed. (I can't speak to its authenticity; believe it or not, some of us have never been to Peru - imagine that! But it was sure tasty.)

The only dessert we got was the "duo de alfajores - vanilla & chocolate shortbread cookies, dulce de leche center, lucuma ice cream". They were good, albeit not that unusual, not as impressive as the rest of the meal.

Our server, Brian S, was extremely helpful in informing us about the menu.

So, what's the "but"? The noise. It wasn't too bad when we were first seated at 6:00, when the seating was maybe a third full, but shortly after that, it filled up and IT WAS LOUD. Loud enough to make conversation difficult. And the music didn't help, although it wasn't the main source of noise. On a scale of 1 (when a restaurant first opens its doors) to 10 (oppressive, a la Publican, Avec, Cooper's Hawk) the noise level was maybe a 9, and that's not good. The food was absolutely terrific, but the noise level will make us think twice before wanting to return any time soon.

Maybe I just have gotten lucky with ceviche (to be honest, I don't order it very often), but I still think you have to be pretty terrible to mess up a dish that is essentially pieces of raw fish cured in acid for a few minutes. By the way we went twice, I only described our second outing, the first was better, but not outstanding. I think the biggest barrier for me is the River North prices aren't justified by the food.

Wow - these two posts are from 2015!

Four of us went for dinner this weekend and did not leave in awe.

We began with appetizers to share - a potato dish and a Ceviche. They were the highlight of the meal, both were delicious, especially the Ahi Tuna Ceviche.

The mains did not serve us as well. My pork shoulder came just looking "brown". In the dim light I couldn't tell what was the pork and what was the other stuff in the bowl. Following a general trend of the night, this dish was under seasoned to the point of being bland. It just tasted brown. There was not salt/pepper on the table, and I could have asked for some, but I really don't like the taste of salt added after cooking. One at the table had a seafood entree and also found it bland. The chicken got better marks, crispy, flavorful and the chips were on point.

If I go again I think I'll stick with a selection of apps.

The noise level is overwhelming, not helped by a very loud table right next to us - not really Tanta's fault. Service was the real issue - all over the place, server disappearing for long periods of time, just not at the level it needs to be at this price point.