Monthly Archives: March 2019

The Bamboo Room at Three Dots and a Dash

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Main entry to Three Dots and a Dash

Back of the bar

The bar

My rum tasting plus The Black Tot

A “modern style” tiki cocktail

An experiment concocted just for me

Zombie

***** (5 stars)

I’ve been to many tiki bars over the years, including originals back in the ’70s and many new ones created during the current Tiki revival. But I’ve never been to one as spectacularly wonderful as the Bamboo Room at Three Dots and a Dash.

If you’ve been to Three Dots and A Dash, you know it has some of the greatest Tiki decor anywhere, and some very good cocktails. My problem with it has always been the cacophonic noise level, the result of its great popularity and high seating capacity. So even though I only live two blocks away, I only visit at off hours (which there aren’t many of!)

The Bamboo Room solves all of that. It has nice decor, and the perfect Tiki bar ambiance, with appropriate surf music and other interesting selections and an intimate volume level conducive to conversation and learning.

And learning is really what it’s all about. I can’t urge you strongly enough to opt for the $50 guided tasting at the bar. You will experience cocktails assembled at a level seen almost nowhere, and you will be guided through a sampling of different styles of rum.

Your visit will be tailored to your tastes, interests, and level of experience. Mine began with a complimentary daiquiri, then a spectacular zombie, a rum tasting, and then several other wonderful cocktails that I’m glad my camera remembers! I was also able to taste (at extra charge) a small sample of the famous “Black Tot”. If you’re a true Tiki aficionado, you know how special that is.

At the Three Dots and a Dash main room there is a somewhat limited selection of cocktails, and by necessity, they can’t all be prepared from scratch. Here every component is lovingly assembled. My bartender described himself as part bartender, part florist! I really appreciated the way the component rum bottles were displayed with each cocktail, so I could understand where the flavors were coming from. And there are plenty of non-rum experiments as well.

The food is the same as in the main room, and is not a highlight. If you want a Tiki bar with interesting food, check out Lost Lake. But here it is all about the art of the perfect Tiki cocktail.

You will definitely get your money’s worth in the Bamboo Room, and if you can keep your head about you, it will come away with a new understanding of the whole tiki experience.

The Bamboo Room at Three Dots and a
435 N Clark St
Chicago, IL
60654
(312) 610-4220
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-bamboo-room-at-three-dots-and-a-dash-chicago

Lao Sze Chuan

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Exterior

Interior

Chef’s Special Stir Fry Three Delight (shrimp, squid, scallop)

Mega menu (there’s another side, too!)

Northern style pancake

Elevator

Salt and Pepper Three Delight (shrimp, squid, scallop)

Lamb with Pure Cumin Powder

*** (3 stars)

This restaurant, part of a small local chain, is popular with American and Chinese tourists. The menu is enormous, so there is room for some selections you don’t see at most American Chinese restaurants. But for truly authentic and great Chinese food I still think it’s best to head to Chinatown.

I started with a northern style pancake, which is crisper than a typical pancake, and more like a bakery item than an omelet.

Unfortunately, although it was ordered long before my entrees, and the restaurant was almost empty on a Friday afternoon, everything showed up at once.

This is a Szechuan restaurant, so anything with a pepper next to it on the menu is going to be hot, as was the case with the Lamb with pure cumin powder. The heat was from the Szechuan peppers, raw jalapenos, and chili oil, not the cumin. I can only imagine what the two pepper dishes on the menu must be like!

I ordered the Salt and Pepper Three Delight, a combination of shrimp, squid, and scallops, but I got the Chef’s Special Stir Fried Three Delight. The mistake was corrected, but I actually would have preferred the Chef’s Special, as it was light and nicely sauced, whereas the salt and pepper dish was heavily breaded and fried, and had no sauce, and not much evidence of salt or pepper.

I ordered jasmine tea, but they were out, so I had green tea, which was nicely served in a pot with whole leaves, but it seems odd for a Chinese restaurant to be out of jasmine tea.

You can access the restaurant from Michigan Avenue via a fairly seedy elevator, or from the mall on the fourth level. The space is, frankly, looking a little tired, and could probably use a bit of polish.

Lao Sze
520 N Michigan AveSte 420
Chicago, IL
60611
(312) 595-0888
https://www.yelp.com/biz/lao-sze-chuan-chicago-5

Kumiko

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Entry

Interior

Bar

Interior and bar

Patrick at the bar

Prawns

Eggplant dip

Loup de Mer

< Bitter Trade[/caption]

Seamless

p>***** (5 stars)

This brilliant new cocktail bar combines drinks from creative director Julia Momose (GreenRiver, Aviary, Oriole) and food from chef de cuisine Mariya Russell (Oriole). Also involved, of course, are Noah and Cara Sandoval from Oriole, which is almost around the corner.

Oriole earned its Michelin stars in a flash, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some impressive awards coming to Kumiko soon, too.

As at Oriole, your first challenge is to find the place! The unmarked door is at the corner. Your experience begins with a warm greeting and a welcoming beverage (herbal tea the night I was there) at the host stand. Then you are ushered into the intimate dining room with its limited table seating and eight spots at the bar.

The atmosphere is welcoming, refined, and calming, with Japanese influenced simplicity that immediately puts you at ease.

The focus is definitely on cocktails and spirits, with an emphasis on sochu and Japanese whisky. There are also some very interesting rums, and a whole world of aperitifs and exotica.

Patrick, my bartender, was a charming host, and it was a delight watching his meticulous preparation of each drink. The main cocktail list offers a wide range of styles, so I had no trouble finding the bitter and complex flavors I favor. Patrick also helped me choose selections to match the food I ordered.

Speaking of food, the offerings are currently limited to three types of small bites (oysters, prawns, and steam buns), an eggplant dip, and two entrees (loup de mer and short rib).

I started with two of the tempura prawns, which seemed pricey at $8 each, but when they were served I realized we were in Michelin territory. They looked like something you’d find at Oriole, perfectly coated in a delicate tempura and artfully graced with yuzu, mint and edible flowers. Fabulous.

I also had the eggplant dip, which was nothing like I was expecting, but was also excellent. It was served in warm miso, and the primary flavor was of the fresh herbs–especially mint–topping it. The accompanying rice crackers were also wonderful.

My entree was the loup de mer, a delicate fish served with its crispy skin in place, and already sliced into manageable bites perfect for combining with the accompanying ponzu and bok choi. A crunchy mix of furikake (a mixture of dried fish, sesame seeds, and salt) added a great texture.

For dessert I had Japanese milk bread, which is essentially a caramelized French toast served with truffle flakes and ice cream. It was delicious.

The night I was there the omakase tasting was not available, so I wasn’t able to try that, but I’m just as glad I had a chance to explore on my own.

Because there are so many interesting spirits on offer, it’s an ideal place for people who like their drinks neat. I particularly suggest you try the El Dorado 15 year rum aged in dry Madeira casks; it’s a very complex treat.

The combination of great ambiance, perfect service, divine food, and meticulous mixology make Kumiko a winner, for sure.

630 W Lake St
Chicago, IL
60661
(312) 285-2912
https://www.yelp.com/biz/kumiko-chicago

Lost Lake

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cabbage slaw with chicken

drink menu 3

sipping rums

A photo at Lost Lake

A photo at Lost Lake

exterior

drink menu 2

drink menu 1

back room lighting

interior booths

bar

***** (5 stars)

The three most important characteristics of tiki bars, in no particular order, are drinks, food, and ambiance.

Lost Lake scores particularly high in the drinks category, with some of the most complex, subtle, varied and interesting cocktails I’ve encountered. Also, be sure to request the rum list. Although it has not been kept up to date, there are hundreds of interesting rums to choose from. About half are available, and there are many more that haven’t been added to the list. If you’re a true tiki fan, then rare rums are a particular delight.

Most tiki bars offer the same pseudo-Polynesian fare, so it was interesting to see the menu at Lost Lake, which avoids all of that, and has some truly nice offerings. I hear from regulars that the food has improved over the years, and we certainly liked everything we tried. The Orange Sesame Cabbage was a particularly good slaw, and didn’t even need the chicken we added. Pork dumplings and chicken wings were also both good. Our favorite was the green chili dip, which had just the right spice level. It was served with crispy wontons, radishes, and sweet potato slices. It was so good we had two orders.

The weakest aspect of Lost Lake is the decor, which is okay, but not at the spectacular level of Three Dots and a Dash or the Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale. The bar area theming is little more than banana leaf wallpaper, but the farther you go back the more interesting it gets. The back room has rock walls and puffer fish light fixtures.

For tiki mug collectors note that they offer unbranded tiki mugs; only the glassware carries the Lost Lake branding.

Service was friendly and attentive. If you’re a tiki drink fan, Lost Lake is definitely a place that should be on your list to visit.

Lost
3154 W Diversey
Chicago, IL
60647
(773) 293-6048
https://www.yelp.com/biz/lost-lake-chicago