Laughing Bird - upscale Filipino in Lincoln Square

Long-time Lincoln Square resident Tank Sushi has moved on, a major design overhaul has taken place, and mediocre maki has been replaced with upscale presentations of Filipino food (though the menu is not exclusively Filipino). And perhaps through chefs known more for where they cooked before they cooked Filipino food professionally, a Filipino cuisine surge might just take place in Chicago. First, there was Kristine Subido leaving Wave and opening Pecking Order. Now, former Top Chef contestant and Bar Pastoral chef Chrissy Camba is at the helm of Laughing Bird.

And having had some time to reflect upon my first dinner at Laughing Bird about a week ago, the very least I can say is that it's a strong addition to Lincoln Square and that it shows quite a bit of promise. The interior is largely unrecognizable from its Tank days, but it certainly remains upscale, perhaps even more than before. And though very new, service was terrific and the meal well paced.

As for the food, we started off with Lumpia Shanghai, and while I wouldn't say there was anything particularly unique about these lumpia, they were everything you'd want them to be - crisp, delicious and served with a tangy sweet and sour dipping sauce. BBQ pork meat sticks were simple skewers of pork (guessing shoulder) bathed in a Filipino bbq sauce which I would describe as a richer, deeper flavored sauce than a teriyaki. These were delicious, in large part due to the marriage of high heat and fatty bits of pork.

For an entree, I had the Crispy Pork Loin a la Nadim - a crispy, breaded pork loin, served in a very shallow bowl featuring braised fennel and pork shoulder, manila clams and a spicy pork-shrimp broth. While I enjoyed the dish, there is room for improvement that would no doubt elevate this dish to greatness. The crispy pork was perfectly fried to a beautiful crispness, but I really wish Laughing Bird would choose a fattier piece of pork here. One of the highlights of eating tonkatsu in Japan was the flavor from the well marbled pork, and that was just missing here. But every other component of this dish was delicious, including the broth which delivered a rather aggressive spice kick. Laughing Bird did a nice job of ensuring that the crisp loin had some separation from the broth, but I would also like to see more broth (there was very little).

My friend had the Singapore Noodles - egg noodles stir-fried with various spring vegetables, bean sprouts and egg. My friend found the dish to be a little monotonous, and I could see that. It might be better suited for sharing as a large side to other main courses. That complaint aside, I thought the flavors were very nice, and I particularly appreciated the noticeable wok char to the noodles I tasted, making it a very well thought out and composed dish.

The meal started with a Rhubarb Rickey, and while the rhubarb might have gotten slightly lost, I still enjoyed the cocktail. For dessert, a very respectable (and delicious) version of the ubiquitous Filipino dessert Halo Halo. And there's a lot more of the menu I look forward to trying (I was kicking myself for not having also ordered the chicken liver fried rice). Of course, Camba also does her take on Chicken Adobo.

The only question in my mind is whether Lincoln Square and the surrounding area is ready for Laughing Bird. When I visited, the crowd was light, although it was rather late (one of the things I appreciate about the place). It's a different beast than Isla Pilipina on Lawrence and some of the more casual Asian restaurants in the area. But as for me, I think this is a unique and very welcome addition to Lincoln Square and I look forward to returning.

Laughing Bird
4514 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago
773.506.2473

Tuesday-Thursday, 5:00pm - 10:30pm
Friday-Saturday, 5:00pm - 11:30pm
Sunday, 5:00pm - 9:30pm
Monday - closed

Reservations on OpenTable

BR wrote:.... bathed in a Filipino bbq sauce which I would describe as a richer, deeper flavored sauce than a teriyaki. These were delicious, in large part due to the marriage of high heat and fatty bits of pork.

I'm guessing that the marinade may be or is at least something akin to Mama Sita's BBQ marinade (see: http://www.msita.com/sauces_marinade_seasoning.htm )

Everytime I've marinated chicken thighs in this marinade & served it, folks rave.

Sweet Willie wrote:

BR wrote:.... bathed in a Filipino bbq sauce which I would describe as a richer, deeper flavored sauce than a teriyaki. These were delicious, in large part due to the marriage of high heat and fatty bits of pork.

I'm guessing that the marinade may be or is at least something akin to Mama Sita's BBQ marinade (see: http://www.msita.com/sauces_marinade_seasoning.htm )

Everytime I've marinated chicken thighs in this marinade & served it, folks rave.

Akin makes sense - pretty sure they're not using bottled sauces, particularly given that I believe they stated a desire to use local and sustainable foods.

We went last week too and were really happy with our meal. It's an interesting concept--high end American meets Filipino. For example, there was a (very good) burratta appetizer that had accompaniments like a sweet coconut sauce and fresh salted bread. The flavors worked well together--a great balance of sweet, salt and fat, with some charred green onion to give darker notes.

We split several dishes--the burratta, deviled eggs (excellent--the whites were marinated a bit and there was a lot of flavor, but not as much wasabi as I expected), clams (very good--I kept trying to find more ways to eat the sauce) and then the noodles. The noodles were tasty, but not a highlight, but were full of interesting fresh vegetables, including pea tendrils. The menu was focused on fresh seasonal vegetables which was great. There was a very nice rhubarb crumble for dessert.

The wine menu is focused on Rieslings--and entire page split between dry and sweet, which I would like to explore at some point. We had the Beaujolais, which was on the medium side for that kind of wine and paired well with the food.

Our waiter was great and knew the food and knew the menu. There seems to be a decision to leave silverware on the table between courses instead of replacing it. Not a huge deal, but sort of out of line with the price point and image they seem to be trying to convey. It seems like an area where they are still smoothing things out.

I think that this is a great addition to Lincoln Square. I'm really excited about this place and hope it takes off.

Laughing Bird is closed! From their Facebook page:

"Hi friends!
After 5 wonderful months in Lincoln Square, the owners of Laughing Bird have received a generous offer on the business and location...and, have decided to take it! Thank you all for your support and business!
Chef Chrissy will be moving on to pursue an exciting new concept of her own. Expect to see pop-up previews in the coming months. She will also be spending time working with some of the farmers and artisans that she has been building relationships with for the last few years and volunteering at the Red Door Animal Shelter.
Thank you again!"

And under comments, in response to a question if the restaurant is closed, Laughing Bird wrote, "Yes, Saturday was our last day."