Immm Rice & Beyond Review - Uptown - Chicago - The Infatuation
"You’ve probably been to a few restaurants where you wanted to order pretty much everything on the menu. But unless you were really hungry, rich, or both, that likely wasn’t a feasible option. At Immm Rice & Beyond, it basically is - which is one reason we like this place so much. This is a casual BYOB spot in Uptown that specializes in Thai street food, and the menu is so extensive that it takes up a huge chalkboard wall. That’s probably the first thing you’ll notice when you walk in - and the second thing you’ll notice is the steam table full of stews and curries, which smell like they’ve been developing flavor all day long (because, well, they have). photo credit: Sandy Noto You’re going to want to try as many of those as possible, and the good news is that you can (especially if you bring a few friends with you). Just go for the “Thai Dinner Table” option, which allows you to order lots of different dishes in small, tasting-size portions for $6 each. Like the fantastic pangang mhoo (thinly sliced pork in a rich and spicy curry), the moo whan (caramelized pork belly in a fish sauce that’s the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and fatty), and the fried hard-boiled eggs that we wish we could have for lunch every day. Beyond the Thai Dinner Table options, be sure to get a few full-sized things, like the pad prik khing in a spicy lime curry, and the khao mung gai (poached chicken, broth, rice, and a ginger chili sauce) that’s one of the best things on the menu. Just skip the pad thai, the overly sweet pad see eiw, and the thin green curry with chicken - you have a whole chalkboard full of better options here. Wanting more of something is really only a problem when it no longer exists (like your favorite discontinued moisturizer), you probably shouldn’t have it (it was made from dolphin tears), or it’s way too expensive. But Immm Rice’s food is something you really don’t have to worry about liking too much - since you can try a lot of things here without needing to take out a small bank loan, or hire a U-Haul for all the leftovers. So go for dinner, and order some of just about everything. Food Rundown photo credit: Sandy Noto Som Tum There are a bunch of papaya salads on the menu (six, to be exact), and they’re all both refreshing and extremely spicy. You can get the regular one with peanuts and dried shrimp, or, if you like some funk, get the version that comes with preserved crab and fish. Pangang Mhoo If for some terrible reason you can only have one curry here, this should be it. It’s spicy and rich, not too thick, and lightly sweet, with thin strips of perfectly cooked pork. You can choose to have it with noodles or rice - we like it with the jasmine rice. Mhoo Whan This is tender caramelized pork belly, served in a soy and fish sauce. It’s sweet, salty, and delicious. photo credit: Sandy Noto Kai Loog Kuey These fried hard-boiled eggs come with crispy shallots, and a tamarind sauce you pour tableside. They’re kind of like scotch eggs without the sausage, and you want them. photo credit: Sandy Noto Khao Mung Gai This is poached chicken, rendered chicken fat rice, and a side of chicken broth. Then you throw in the ginger-chili-soy sauce, and it takes everything into another stratosphere with heat. This is one of our favorite things here. photo credit: Sandy Noto Pad Prik Khing You can pick either chicken, beef, pork, or tofu, and it comes in a lime curry sauce with green beans. The sauce is light and acidic, with a lot of flavor and spice. We like this with sticky rice. Tiger Cry This is a tasty dish of marinated beef served with a jaew sauce, made from lemongrass and dried chili. The beef is a little tough, but the sauce makes that easy to forgive. Kao Tom Madt A tasty, not-too-sweet dessert involving coconut sticky rice with banana and black beans, wrapped in a banana leaf. Pad Thai If you order pad thai at every Thai restaurant you go to, by all means order this one. But it’s not going to blow your mind. It has a lot of fish sauce, and requires about four limes to brighten it up. Pad See Eiw This is an extremely sweet noodle dish. As with the pad thai, if you love pad see eiw, this one won’t make you mad - but you have a lot of better options on the menu. photo credit: Sandy Noto Gaeng Kiew Whan Gai This green curry doesn’t have a ton of flavor, and is pretty thin. Again, you have plenty of better options, so skip it." - Adrian Kane
