Nadirah’s Perspective:
Upon the recommendation of a friend, hubby and I ventured to
the restaurant, “Slurping Turtle.” Located on 116 W. Hubbard in Chicago, the restaurant
has made its reputation by serving Japanese comfort food. First off, don’t be
fooled by the almost sunken in black door. Once you enter, head to the far back
of the corridor and turn left and you would have arrived. We got there by 6:30 pm and it was a bit
crowded. It’s not a huge space but they
make the most of it by having booths on the outer perimeter with two large
communal tables in the middle and a small bar on the side. Hubby and I decided to sit at the bar versus
the communal tables for more privacy. Our
bartender/server, Victor was so awesome by being attentive to our needs and
helping us with descriptions or suggestions about every aspect of our drinks
and meal.
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| Troy and I are at it again |
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| The entrance so don't walk past it |
We first started with the Sake Flight #2 because it had
included sake that was champagne-like in taste. For appetizers, we ordered Chilled Edamame
with Yuzu Sea Salt, Beef Short Ribs that were grilled, marinated short ribs
over Harusame (Cellophane/Vermicelli)
noodles, but we were also given Miso Soup. I enjoyed both dishes but the Beef Short Ribs were my favorite. Tender and tasty, my only complaint is that
the serving potion needs to be bigger. Between Troy and I, we only ate two
pieces each, which was a major tease.
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| Miso Soup |
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| Chilled Edamame |
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Beef Short Ribs (View 1)
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| Beef Short Ribs (View 2) |
For my entrée, I ordered Tan Tan Men Ramen, which is a Spicy
Ramen noodles dish consisting of Pork Meatballs, Pork Miso, Pork Chashu
(braised pork belly), Bok Choy, and Bean Sprouts. This soupy dish is reminiscent of under the
weather comfort food. Hot and spicy,
this meat-filled flavorful soup was delicious. I usually don’t go for spicy
meals, but this dish was on point. I had been fighting a sinus problem and this
dish opened everything in my head and nose.
The ramen was firm, meatballs were tasty, and the entrée portions were
plentiful. I enjoyed every bite and even
had a little left over to take home for later.
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| Tan Tan Men Ramen (View 1) |
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| Tan Tan Men Ramen (View 2) |
The finale was the Hot Shochu Apple Cider, which was a
mixture of Sugar Cane Shochu (distilled spirit similar to vodka) and mulled
Michigan Apple Cider. Sweet and spiced with a hint of citrus, due to the orange
rind floating in this hot concoction, I immediately fell in love with this
drink.
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| Hot Shochu Apple Cider |
I really enjoyed myself here and would definitely recommend
this place. Great prices, delicious comfort food options and an awesome
bartender made this visit worth it. My only advice would be if you decide to go
on the weekday, you get there before heavy dining hours to have an option to sit
in a booth. Otherwise, you will be sharing elbowroom with complete strangers at
the communal tables.
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| Communal Table Dining |
Troy’s Perspective:
The experience of Slurping Turtle Restaurant was definitely
an adventure. Chartering new territory, trying innovative things and meeting different
people sums up our exploration. We started the night at Slurping Turtle with
communal dining. This is a great way to meet others that you may not have any
interest to know, but for the sake of this review and taking advantage of the
time with my wife, we quickly moved to the bar for more privacy. Victor, the
bartender, was fantastic. Along with explaining the entire wine menu, he gave
us fantastic suggestions to start off the night. We began our nights adventure
with the sake trio starting with a bold, sour to sweet flavors. The sake with the
boldest flavor was for me the most favorable, only because Tequila is usually my
preferred drink.
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| Victor (Our Awesome Bartender) |
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| Sake Flight #2 |
We started of our meal with Beef Short Ribs that were savory,
pleasing to the pallet and leaves you wanting more. The ribs were marinated in
a teriyaki/barbecue sauce that is sweet and tangy and really plays well with the
tender meat of the ribs. The Chahan Stir-Fry that was recommended for me was
comprised of Japanese fried rice with egg, vegetables medley, and choice of
protein. I chose the shrimp and chicken. It was well seasoned, aromatic, and
embellishes a true essence of the Asian culture. I simply loved it.
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| Chahan Stir -Fry with Shrimp & Chicken (View 1) |
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| Chahan Stir Fry with Shrimp & Chicken (View 2) |
I encourage
everyone to be adventurous and explore the fresh taste that Slurping Turtle has
to offer. It is absolutely “Lugg
Approved.”
