Asian Fusion Food

Old "Footloose" with Kevin Bacon or reinvented "Footloose" with Julianne Hough? Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" or the Dixie Chick's "Landslide"? "The Lord of the Rings" books or movies? Authentic Korean BBQ or fusion Korean tacos?

I'm sure you have some definitive opinions on the first few comparisons (feel free to share in the comments section below!). And as much as I love an old classic... and I usually choose the classic...I am newly enamored with the modern twist being executed on Korean food. Today, I'm taking you to La Tacorea in Lakeview, Del Seoul in Lincoln Park, and Belly Shack  in Bucktown/Logan Square. If you like Korean food, you're in for a treat. If you've never had Korean food before, you're in for a bigger treat because you've been missing out, my friend.

Korean BBQ Beef at Belly Shack 

Generally speaking, if you like beef or steak, you will like Korean. And since we all live in the Midwest, it's safe to say that you do. Put aside your fears about this lesser known asian cuisine and get thyself to Belly Shack, which is located underneath the Western Blue line el stop. This fast casual restaurant is a fusion of mainly Korean and Puerto Rican cuisines. The Korean BBQ Beef is the ticket though. You stuff the flat bread with the succulent, marinated beef and top it with traditional kimchi. The flavors are intensely satisfying. The rest of the menu is incredibly interesting and fusion-oriented so bring some friends and make your taste buds dance! BTW BYOB!

Sesame Chili Shrimp Taco at Del Seoul

If you don't think you're ready for the real kimchi at Bellyshack, then dip your toe (ahem, not literally, gross!) into Del Seoul on Clark Street, just south of Diversey. Here you will find delicious asian proteins (Kalbi, Spicy BBQ Pork, Sesame Chili Shrimp) combined with a secret slaw. As an aside, if anyone comes away with this recipe, please share with me asap! The Sesame Chili Shrimp Taco is their bestseller, however I daydream about the Kalbi Taco (grilled beef short rib, tastes like steak) to the point that I've had a weekly date with myself here for the past 3 weeks. If you're looking to up your flavor profile, add the Seasoned Gamja Fries, or for a lot of adventure, go bold with the Kimchi Fries.

Spicy Sweet BBQ Pork Burrito at La Tacorea

La Tacorea in Lakeview is like the Asian Chipotle. You choose a taco or burrito and top it with your preference of white rice, protein, lettuce, diced red onions, cilantro, grilled peppers & onions, sweet sauce and/or spicy sauce. The owner convinced me to try the Spicy Sweet BBQ Pork Burrito which I requested to be mounded with all the fixins. Seriously, do not pass on the sauces! The yellow bottle is a MUST - sweet & mildly spicy. I think the red bottle is a spicy sauce but seemed only medium to me. This burrito did not disappoint, and I would have it again in an instant. My companions, two of which were elementary kids, loved on the Kalbi Tacos so much that it elicited a happy food dance from one...high praise coming from a 6 year old.

So the next time you're about to grab fast casual, check out these cool asian flavor profiles instead.

By the way, unequivocally Kevin Bacon "Footloose"and Fleetwood Mac "Landslide." However, I concede equal appreciation for the masterpieces that are "The Lord of the Rings" books and movies; J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson are geniuses in their own right. It's a toss up for old and new Korean as well. Let's be honest. I plain enjoy good food - therefore all its iterations. 

Waxing Poetry on Floriole

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Espresso is really what inspired the development of this blog. I was in Spain recently where I had a cafe con leche every day...in a real cup...sitting down...at a table...for a minimum of 10 minutes. This was a ritual that I saw everyone doing every morning; they seemed so....well...relaxed. There wasn't anyone racing down the street with their Starbucks to-go cups in tow. Ah-ha! This is the right way to start off a day, slowly and serenely. So upon my return stateside, I decided to put this morning routine into motion by frequenting area cafes. A friend encouraged, "Why don't you start a blog?" I replied matter-of-factly that I wasn't a coffee connoisseur and couldn't possibly have a respectable point of view. To which my other friend challenged me, "You don't have to be an expert to write a blog." Good point. This became my jumping off point.



My first stop was a cafe that I had passed a handful of times while traversing down Webster Avenue in Lincoln Park. Floriole Cafe & Bakery is a gem and waxing poetry on it is about as hard as eating a Sweet Mandy B's cupcake. Upon entering, you cannot ignore the glass case filled with an endless array of croissants, sweet and savory galettes, tarts, clafoutis, quiche, tea cakes, yogurt, pizzettas, shortbread, salad, fresh bread and more. If some of these names are intriguing you then we are probably compatible food friends, so call me and we can explore more of them together :) My eyes glimmered brightly and my tummy knew it was in for a treat. After I drank it all in, with my eyes of course, I ordered a macchiato, the closest thing I could find to a Spanish cafe con leche, and a croissant. The employee proudly stated that the croissants were hand-rolled and hand-formed. Having watched Martha Bake's TV show on Hallmark, I knew what he meant by this: a LOAD of work! I wouldn't be surprised if Martha rolled that croissant dough more than 10-15 different times over who knows how many hours. It surely made me not want to tackle making the croissant at home. I digress. This croissant was flaky and downright delicious to the point of licking every last crumb off the plate. How remiss of me, also, the baristas here are the genuine article and my macchiato, replete with fun coffee art in the foam, was solid.

Fresh bread, homemade yogurt, tarts

Pizzettas and galettes

Other things I love about this place. Free wifi. Virtually everything is homemade on premise. The food is organic and sourced from local farms as much as possible. They have a small sign that displays what foods and farms they are featuring that week. The quality and freshness of the food is readily apparent. They offer 4 alfresco tables for outside dining which is what I prefer, and there's an upstairs area that is periodically open and a little quieter than the downstairs.

Have I mentioned the quiche? Just do it. You will be happy. I promise. The breakfast sandwiches aren't too shabby either.

Spinach quiche

Flakiest Croissant

If you like good coffee, french pastries and savories, or if you are looking for a solid breakfast or brunch place that you will not have to wait in an hour line for, you won't be disappointed if you come here. You may be so happy that you will want to return, again and again, until you've enjoyed every last morsel they have to offer...like me!

Cuing Katie

This is a blog about the things I am keen on...food/restaurants, cooking, crafts, photography, travel, fashion, dance, books, movies, home design, gluten free (sometimes), health and the list goes on. I wish I could focus on one thing but alas that is simply not me!

For a while now, I have been tossing around the idea of a blog. I have always loved reading others' opinions about "this and that" from blogs, websites, yelp, and magazine reviews, and I have always thought that I would like to do that too. However, several obstacles have prevented this idea from ever coming to fruition, namely TIME, that little thing called WORK (or as my friend calls it, "the 9 hour inconvenience") and insidious SELF-DOUBT. The last obstacle I tackled with this Voltaire quote, "The perfect is the enemy of good."  A wise mentor introduced me to this concept when she said, "Don't let great be the enemy of good." In other words, just because you can't do something perfectly, doesn't mean that you shouldn't try it at all. I hope that quote hits the same cord inside you as it does for me. I challenge you to write it on a sticky note and post it somewhere (I like the bathroom. Can't ignore it there!) to remind you regularly not to limit yourself.

So, here I am with no proper blog training behind me, no writing background or witty euphemisms, no hmtl coding...just a heart for sharing. My hope is that some of my curiosity rubs off on you, whether you live in Chicago or elsewhere, and inspires you to go out and explore, try something new and/or follow your bliss.