Foodie Chat (10): Ruxbin

Business travel has pros and cons. You've got the chance of visiting new places and trying new restaurants, but the unpredictable delay may leave you with nothing but frustration. After a delayed flight on my recent trip to Chicago, I pulled out all my left-over optimism and declared war against fatigue and frustration. My weapon was eating a nice dinner. No more Gibson's or Capital Grille. Dying from boredom, I wanted something innovative and funky. I wanted to be pleasantly surprised.... After a quick search on Yelp, I called Ruxbin and made a reservation the minute the plane hit the ground. All right, Edward Kim: born in US as a Korean descendant and trained in Thomas Keller's Per Se, you chose to be a chef rather than a lawyer. I assume you must have passion and talent in the culinary world. Surprise me, please!

Apparently Ruxbin is a popular dating place. Upon arrival, I saw the neat tiny place packed with hipsters and just the right amount of hustle bustle. The ambiance couldn't be better. Cozy, rustic and intimate. Even with a reservation, I had to wait for about 20 mins before getting seated. I would have been annoyed by then in any other places. But the hostess, Jenny Kim,  the chef's sister, had the most beaming smile in the world that could light up the darkest sky. If I were a man, I would have fallen in love with her.

I ordered two appetizers and one entree when I was finally seated. No, three appetizers actually, as the waitress went into a rambling speech of how extraordinary their fries were. I rarely eat fries, but her enthusiasm amused me, and I decided to give it a try. -- Yes, I ordered a lot, and that's usually what people do when they are really hungry and tired. If you are on a weight losing program, starvation and stress are your enemies. Keep that in mind!

I have to say, their garlic fries were awesome! If you crave fries, get high quality ones like these. They were made of real potatoes, cut into skinny sticks, flavored with aromatic garlic and herbs, and cooked to perfection -- crispy and tender. Hands down the best fries I've ever had.

Octopus was also a perfect Asian fusion appetizer. Octopus slices were juicy and tender. The black bean sauce with ginger and scallion was definitely taken from a page of Asian cooking book, but the presentation and the texture demonstrated technique and thoughts usually came from western fine dining.

Pork belly surprised me by its texture and flavor. Typical Asian take on pork belly, as you see in most Chinese and Japanese restaurants, is usually on the tender and juicy side. Ruxbin has decided to go dry instead. The outside of the pork belly were probably seared or grilled. The meat was crispy outside, firm but not overly chewy inside. The meat itself also seemed leaner than what I usually have. Different, but still very good. The citrus flavor was very refreshing on a hot summer evening, another deviation from traditional hearty Asian treatment with pork belly.  

Lamb saddle and belly was also very tender and flavorful. It melted in my mouth. I was just too full by the time it arrived to fully appreciate it.

From my one and only dining experience in Ruxbin, I was more impressed by its appetizers than entree. But it may be because I started too hungry and ordered too much.

This is a BYO place. Ruxbin does not sell alcohol and charges $6 to open your bottle. I had their passionfruit basil soda instead. It was very refreshing and had just the right amount of sweetness. Delightful.

Did I say I loved loved loved the decor and ambiance??? This place was just charming!!!

It was an outstanding dining experience in Ruxbin. I came in with depression, and left in high spirit. The food, the ambiance, and the service was absolutely therapeutical. I will be back.

Address: 851 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
Telephone: 312 624 8509