CHSO June 2012 : Page 168
… TASTE TEST You’ve Been Served Some say Dairy Queen invented it; others Carvel. No matter whose side you’re on, we all can agree: soft-serve ice cream is a tasty frozen treat that’s even better in the hands of a chef. were introduced through a mutual friend. From his regular visits to Turkey, Girav, a professional photographer, has gotten to know plenty of premier spice suppliers. e duo’s ability to get the spices directly from the source —ranging from the shores of the Black Sea and the Himalayas to the island of Cyprus—is largely responsible for the products’ pristine avor and purity, says Bunde. Need more proof? Check out two of their top sellers: isot pepper, with its signature mellow heat and subtle sweetness; and black lava salt, perfect for margaritas and grilled sh. “Once people try them they realize there’s a big di erence,” says Bunde. “ ey come running back for more.” lezzetspices.com Yusho Matthias Merges likes to add Asian touches to everything at his Avondale restaurant. at goes for his soft-serve, too. His latest avor pairs green cardamom soft-serve with stewed rhubarb, crystalized ginger and nori (pictured above). “ e seaweed ties it in with what we are doing here, bringing it all together,” says Merges. 2853 N. Kedzie Ave., 773.904.8558 Belly Shack Bill Kim’s not a dessert lover, but he makes an exception for soft-serve. e secret to the popularity of the varieties at his Logan Square Asian-Latin hot spot, including Vietnamese cinnamon caramel and bacon chocolate chip? Fresh coconut water, he says. “It adds a little bit of saltiness that makes all the di erence.” 1912 N. Western Ave., 773.252.1414 e Purple Pig Being creative with their avors— think everything from Parmesan and olive oil to salted caramel and chocolate hazelnut—and always getting that perfect velvety texture are the priorities when it comes to the soft-serve here, says chef/ partner Jimmy Bannos Jr. “Being unique gives us some headaches, but the end result is well worth it,” he says. 500 N. Michigan Ave., 312.464.1744 INGREDIENT UPGRADE Turkish Delight From early on, business partners Nils Bunde and Akin Girav knew their curated selection of imported spices, seasonings and salts were special. But when they put them in the hands of some of New York’s and Chicago’s top chefs, they got the response they were hoping for. “ ey all said they loved the spices so much they were going to take them home to cook with,” says Bunde, who is also the president and owner of branding agency Brainforest. at seal of approval helped launch Chicago-based Lezzet Spices late last year. Lezzet, the Turkish word for “taste”—a nod to both “tasting good” and “good taste,” says Bunde—came about through their love of cooking after the two NEW RESTO ALERT Foul Play You might assume Pecking Order , the new Uptown restaurant from former Wave Executive Chef Kristine Subido, got its name solely from its featured menu item: roasted, grilled and fried chicken marinated overnight in a garlicky Filipino sauce. But the moniker has just as much to do with Subido’s partnership with her mom, Melinda, who provides the marinade recipe and the counter-service spot’s desserts, as it does the poultry-centric plates. “This is something my mom and I have been talking about for the past fi ve years,” says Subido. In addition to chicken, Subido’s creating some fun sides, like a riff on Scotch egg, which subs in Filipino sausage, as well as adobo rice puffs (similar to arancini but made with jasmine rice). Bottled Asian beers are available, as well as halo halo , a Filipino snow-cone-like dessert, which will change seasonally. One thing that won’t change? The pecking order. “At the end of the day, no matter where I’ve been in the culinary world, my mom is still the boss,” says Subido. 4416 N. Clark St., 773.907.9900 FINGER LICKIN’ GOOD Kristine Subido of Pecking Order with her Filipino-style marinated chicken 168 | | June 2012 LEZZET SPICES PHOTO BY AKIN GIRAV; PECKING ORDER PHOTO BY NEIL BURGER/STRONGHOLD PHOTOGRAPHY
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