PRICE:
Frommer's Highly Recommended

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Vong concept was a huge hit in New York and London, so hopes were high when the trendy Thai/French restaurant hit Chicago a few years ago. But it didn't take long for the buzz to die down. Both the decor and menu were eventually overhauled; the result is a new name and more Chicago-friendly atmosphere -- with most entrees priced less than $20. Though it bills itself as a Thai kitchen, the menu offers a broad range of Asian and fusion dishes (tuna wasabi pizza, anyone?). There are a few holdovers from the original Vong menu, including the signature Black Plate of appetizers (shrimp satay, tuna sashimi roll, chicken-scallion satay, Peking duck roll, and crab roll). Traditional Thai curry dishes get a kick from nontraditional ingredients (halibut and duck), and there's always at least one seafood dish that's been wok-seared for extra flavor and texture. The wine list is adequate, but the emphasis is on specialty cocktails, including the best-selling Red Passion (raspberry-flavored vodka, cranberry, champagne, and pineapple). The lunch menu offers an appealing selection of Asian-inspired salads and noodle dishes, as well as various combination plates that let you sample two or three different dishes. There's also a kids' menu -- besides the usual fish sticks and chicken fingers, Junior can order his or her very own "Pink Elephant" cocktail (Sprite, grenadine, and pineapple juice).

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Chicago 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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