1 Lb. King Crab
Minghin

Minghin

340 East Randolph Street, Chicago, 60601, United States Of America

Tea • Pub • Chicken


"I came here for dinner one night while in Chicago. I was with a party of four and we decided to walk here from our hotel and enjoy the evening air. After quite a few twists and turns, staircases and a few elevators we arrived at the restaurant which is tucked away in a small alcove between buildings. I'm an explorer, so the roundabout way of getting there was right up my alley. Looking at the restaurant from the entrance it almost looked like it was closed at first. Upon walking in, there was a bar and some seating available in a small dining area. It seemed so empty and I wondered if it was closing soon, as it looked so neat and quiet with no staff to be seen other than one person behind the bar. I was in for another twist and turn as the person behind the bar greeted us and took us around a corner into a dining area that was packed with people and very vibrant. I caught a glimpse of the skyline through some windows across the dining room. Unfortunately, we were seated on the opposite end of the restaurant. We were brought complimentary tea, which was really good. Instead of a hard copy menu, we were brought a tablet to order off of a digital menu. It's an interesting concept but between multiple people trying to order off of one tablet, it felt a bit cumbersome. Unfortunately, the party I was with, was not in the mood for dim sum or a family style dinner, so we ordered separate plates. We did order some egg rolls for the table which came out quickly and tasted freshly made. I opted for the Beef Brisket with Eggplant and an Avocado Smoothie. The Avocado Smoothie had a good flavor and was not too thick or too runny. It wasn't overly sweet either. The Beef Brisket with Eggplant was also good. The brisket was tender and the eggplant was juicy. The sauce was thick and had a strong but good flavor. It was a large portion, so it was a challenge to finish by myself. After the main meal, we ordered some Baked Creamy Egg Yolk Buns, which were delicious. The service is very minimalist which is not an issue. The waitstaff did not come to the table very often unless called over. The food was good, service quick and the ambiance was vibrant and family friendly. When I'm in Chicago again I'll have to stop by again and sample their dim sum menu."

On The Hook

On The Hook

2445 E Imperial Hwy, 92821-6125, Brea, United States

Creole • Cheese • Seafood • Ice Cream


"I was telling my colleague about my New Orleans trip and the joys of crawfish and they told me they never had crawfish before. What?!?! They thought it was like a shrimp. I'm like no no no it's more like a baby lobster. Let's go! On the Hook was a convenient halfway spot for us to meet for a lunch meeting. Service was quick and friendly. I enjoyed the seasonal halloween decor, super cute. We shared their Fried Calamari $13.99) as an appetizer. It was battered and crispy, but the batter would easily fall apart so at some point we gave up and just picked it up like finger food. It was nice and crunchy but the batter definitely struggled to stay on. For our glorious meal, my colleague had 1 lb Crawfish $19.99/lb) 1 lb Shrimp Peeled $20.99) with Red Potatoes $2.99) garlic butter mild and I had 1 lb Crawfish $19.99/lb) 1 lb Shrimp $18.99) with Corn $2.25) garlic butter mild. I was surprised when the food arrived because the crawfish and the shrimp were in separate bags. I actually like them together. The sauce here was very chunky and thick. The crawfish was pretty good considering they aren't in season, but a little overpriced compared to other places. The shrimp was decent, and according to my graveyard a good pound, but some pieces were less fresh and the skin was soggy to peel. I preferred the crawfish over the shrimp, but the shrimp was there to be filling. Corn was skinny and definitely overpriced. At the end of the meal they had a special fizzy water bubble thing for us to wash our hands. I had already washed my hands with limes, sanitizing wipes and the soaps and water but it was nice to get an additional cleanse, especially with seafood. Service was definitely above and beyond. Pricing is just a tad above similar business types."