Summer Restaurant Feature: Oysy Sushi for dinner (River North/Depaul & Columbia)

Hey Chicago & Co.

I’m back bringing you a review of the latest taste that has me saying “yum.” If you’re downtown in the River North area and looking for something tasty but that won’t completely obliterate your bank account, Oysy Sushi may be the answer to your food prayers. Chicago’s River North area boasts sultry steak and seafood restaurants, creamy Italian ristorantes, and the typical chain dining establishments; however, if you are looking for a lighter meal, but want that trendy ambiance, the Sushi and Japanese fare that Oysy delivers is near perfect. Georgetowners, if you like Chopsticks, you’ll love Oysy; and DePaul people, if you’re looking for a good date place, this is it.

I went to Oysy with a couple of friends last week and we were all impressed. We were looking for an upscale eatery with entrees options under $12, and we weren’t disappointed. Oysy offers a plethora of sushi options, from Maki rolls (the poster child of sushi in America), to typical Sashimi (piece of nicely cut fish atop rice), and of course Nigiri (for the raw-food junkies). Along with sushi, Oysy provides noodle, tempura, and teriyaki options for those who are looking for a plate of food rather than a roll. The restaurant’s appetizers were pretty reasonably priced too. My friend and I opted to split an order of edamame, which were lightly salted and simply presented in a bowl, tasted amazing fresh.

For my entrée, I ordered the rainbow roll from the regular Maki menu. The presentation was simple and delicate, with the roll nicely placed and the accompanying sauce lightly drizzled on the pristine white plate. Of course I managed to eat my roll and then realized I forgot to take a picture, so I nabbed a photo of a neighbor’s Rainbow Dragon Roll. The overall roll was delicious; the fish tasted fresh and the roll was properly assembled so that it did not fall apart once submerged in the soy sauce/wasabi mixture. Compared to other restaurants, for the price, Oysy’s sushi is a great choice. Along with their Special Maki Rolls, the restaurant offers the popular California Rolls ($4), Futo Maki ($4), Spicy Tuna Maki ($5), etc. Oysy Sushi is a good choice for a night out with the girls, an impromptu dinner downtown, and according to one of the friends who enjoyed Oysy’s with me, good enough for a two-year anniversary dinner with her boyfriend! (Congrats Nat & Krys :P)

Oysy literally means “delicious” in Japanese, so prepare to say it!

Name: Oysy Sushi
Meal: Lunch/Dinner
Location: River North (Downtown), Chicago

Address: 50 E. Grand Avenue, Chicago IL
Price: $7-$16 depending on the rolls
Ordered: Rainbow Maki Roll ($12) +Edamame ($3)

Best Option: Lunch Box Special ($12) Mon-Fri 11:30-5pm

Summer Restaurant Feature: m.henry, brunch! (Chicago/Loyola University)

Hey Chicagoans, Summer visitors, and Loyola Students,
If you haven’t heard already, the Windy City has been taken over by Tranformers and Decepticons. For the past two weeks our downtown area has been the proud home to parachuters, car-flipping explosions, and some major sighting of Transformers 3 cast including Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese, Josh Duhamel, Michael Bay, and that new mystery girl, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Since I’ve been downtown for the past week peeking through the Corner Bakery windows to catch the action of one of my favorite action movies, I thought I’d let you in on some of the action while highlighting one of the best Breakfast/Brunch places in Chicago: m.henry.

*Cast/Crew of TF3, if you’re reading, we know you’re in the city until mid-August, so make your way to m.henry if you’re looking for some of the tastiest pancakes, French toast, and omelets on the northside of Chicago!

Located in Andersonville, m.henry is a cute breakfast/lunch restaurant boasting some of the best griddle selections in town. Always filled with people, m.henry’s daily specials and ever-changing seasonal menu draw a crowd from every corner of the city. Although I’ve eaten at m.henry at least 3 times, m.henry is still my “go-to” place for brunch with friends, family, and whomever I can convince to go. When grazing, I can never seem to bring myself to order anything but the Blackberry Bliss Cakes. These 1-inch thick pancakes seem to be specifically made to melt in your mouth and the warm blackberries, creamy mascarpone, and crunchy oat crust are enough to send you straight to brunch food bliss. As you make your way through each bite of bliss, the fresh blackberries bleed into the fluffy pancakes soaking up the sweet and tart berry flavors, and the warm oat crust mixes with the mascarpone, creating a plate of pure scrumptiousness. Definitely make an effort to get bites that include each of the components that make these pancakes irresistible.

Sweet:
m.henry’s menu goes far beyond pancakes too. This restaurant’s dishes always incorporate the freshest, most flavorful ingredients. Other Sweet options range from Dulce Banana Rumba French Toast (made with thick-cut brioche bead, layered bananas, and drizzled caramel/pecan topping), to Mango-Sour Cherry Bliss Cakes (same blissfulness as its Blackberry-based companion, but with a sweet/sour component).


Savory:
Although I’ve not had the willpower to order anything but the Bliss Cakes, I’ve tasted the one of their “Special Omelets,” which included 3 fluffy eggs mixed with smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado, and onions; and I know from experience that their daily quiche packs a flavorful punch also if you’re looking for a more savory option.


Misc.
While orgasmic pancakes and moan-worthy omelets may make your morning meal ten times better, sometimes a nice bowl of oatmeal or a simple plate of eggs with toast is all you need. m.henry provides diners with fresh eggs and homemade bread, and their oatmeal is available with a variety of fresh fruit and grain toppings.
Furthermore, if you’re just looking for a quick bite, stop by the café counter in the front and pick up a freshly made blueberry muffin, or slice of focaccia paired with a cup of coffee or espresso-based drink.


Well readers, after all that describing, I’m headed there for brunch tomorrow, but if you decide to drop in for the deliciousness, make sure to let me know what you think!

As m.henry would say, Chow for Now!

Name: m.henry
Meal: Breakfast/Lunch (Brunch)
Location: Andersonville, Chicago
Favorite Sweet (so far): Blackberry Bliss Cakes w/ Mascarpone, oat crust, & blackberry compote
Favorite Savory (so far): Rustic Peasant Quiche and Mixed Field Greens
Location: 5707 N. Clark Chicago IL 60660
Price: $7-$14 for a really good meal + coffee

Rating: Five Noms!

Summer Feature-University of Illinois: Champaign-Urbana

As a college student, living life on the cheap is just one of our many talents. However, living life on the cheap while maintaining a balanced diet is another story; but then again, what’s life without a little grease? I spent this past weekend down at University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) with a friend. After being home for Georgetown for over a month, I had already forgotten what a typical college diet looked like, and what I encountered at UofI was ten times crazier since I was staying in an apartment full of gymnasts. Chicken fingers for lunch, pepperoni pizza for dinner, and for a snack? How about a few handfuls of Costco size Pub Mix! Well, it was no wonder so many people get the freshmen fifteen if their eating like that! I lived on a freshmen floor that tried to eat somewhat healthful… except for the Nightly Noms baking, and the random late-night pizza and ice cream binges, we were pretty tame.

So, on my second day, I decided to venture out onto Green St. (for all you Gtowners, it’s the equivalent of M. Street, and to my readers, just imagine a packed street with little restaurants, shops, etc). I’d decided if I was going to eat like a college student for the weekend, I might as well do it right, meaning sans frozen food. Of course UoI has the typical Chipotle, Noodles & Co., and greasy pizza joints, but I was looking for something “original.” So, I bring you two reviews of restaurants in the heart of the UofI campus: Mia’za’s and Cravings!

Mia’za’s: Italian, pizza, pasta, Panini, soups, and salads!

Like Flattop Grill or Chopt, Mia’za’s attempts to take “DIY” to a whole new level. They offer a basic menu for the above categories, but then also offer a “make your own.” So whether you’re feeling a pepperoni pizza with mac’n’cheese, bacon, and hamburger meat, or you want a salad with tomatoes, chicken, mushrooms, and peppers, Mia’za’s has you covered, and generally for $8 or less.

I decided to order of the regular menu this time around, doing a Salad+Panini combo (another great thing about the place is you can mix and match almost anything!). Ordering a Buffalo Chicken Panani (Buffalo Chicken, ranch, and mozzarella) and Mia'za's garden salad, I was prepared to sit down to consume a somewhat well-balanced a meal. The salad was subpar, your typical romaine, iceberg, tomato, pepper mix, but the Panini was a winner. Although the Panini was more of an open-face sandwich or flatbread on half of a hoagie, the creaminess of the ranch had soaked into the bread and the chicken had just enough spice! The toaster-oven seemed to know exactly how to make the bread crispy, but soft. The soups looked delicious too and same with the make your own pizzas.

3 Noms: if you’re with a crowd and have no idea what you want, go to Mia’za’s, chances are you’ll be able to create something delicious with their wide-range of offerings.

Miaza's

Cravings: Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, Japanese… basically something from each country in East Asia.

This place was amazing. I have to say for small town Chinese food, Cravings knew what they were doing, which was especially apparent after seeing the amount of native Chinese eating their fare. I was a bit skeptical when my friend said we had to eat at this Chinese restaurant, but as soon as I walked in I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be disappointed. Honestly, I’m sad to say that Cravings was better than any Chinese food I’ve had in DC, and while Chicago has some great places, I wish there were more like Cravings. The menu board boasted too many dishes to decide from, ranging from curries to udon noodles, to mixed vegetable dishes. As a result, I decided to order what my friend suggested: Indonesian Fried Rice. Best decision ever! The native Chinese owners brought me a steaming plate of moist, freshly fried rice mixed with onions, chilies, tender chicken, shrimp, and a lovely fried egg to top it off. As soon as I took my first bite I was hooked. The dish had just the right amount of spiciness for the average eater, and the portions were huge! I definitely have leftovers for lunch, which for less than $7 is a great deal. The dish lacked vegetables, but that’s generally how fried rice goes, and the flavors made up for the amount of calories I was consuming. My friend’s Sesame Chicken was very tasty also, and luckily not smothered in bread like most dishes of the same name.

4 Noms: Cravings is the place to go if you’re looking for a wide range of traditional “Asian” food for a good price. The menu is made of up American favorites like Sesame Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork, but the offerings also include more traditional dishes such as Chinese Broccoli with brown sauce, Indonesian Fried Rice, and Scallions with Chicken.

Cravings