Oriole
Rose Tea Cocktail
Sourdough Bread, Cultured Butter, Truffle, Caraway
Golden Osetra Caviar, Cured Hamachi, Dill, Saffron
Madai, Shiro Kombu, Okinawan Sea Salt / Hokkaido Uni, Nigiri with Yuzu Kosho, Genmai, Barrel Aged Soy
Malpeque Oyster, Mangalica Consomme, Finger Lime, Borage / Jamon Mangalica, Black Walnut, Egg Yolk, Quince
Langoustine, Avgolemono, Calamansi, Bitter Greens
Loup de Mer, Spring Pea, Brown Butter, Fennel
Capellini, Australian Winter Truffle, Puffed Wheat, Yeast Beurre Monte
Japanese A5 Wagyu, Grilled Little Gem, Shiso, Puffed Rice
Sidecar, Cognac, Orange, Preserved Honey
Delice de Bourgogne, Souffle with Sesame, Lemon
Double Espresso on Ice
Pavlova, Blackberry, Gianduja, Sherry
Pineapple Cream Puff, Chinotto Bon Bon, Buckleberry Doughnut, Coffee Tart
Smoked Black Pepper Butter, Nasturtium Seeds, Sparrow Coffee
Always culinary-minded when traveling, even if the impetus for a trip is otherwise, it was prior to seeing Radiohead at The United Center that a table was booked at Oriole, the Michelin 2* assuring guests that a ninety-minute Tasting Menu would be fast-paced but manageable and not a burden on the kitchen.
Opened by former Senza Chef Noah Sandoval in Winter 2016 and quickly ascending the ranks of Chicago’s best Restaurants following the closures of 42 Grams, Tru and Grace Oriole resides in a West Loop building minimally labeled at 661 W. Walnut Street, entry through the door immediately followed by greeting and confirmation of reservations available Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 5:30pm.
Working alongside Wife Cara, her duties involving front of house details such as reaching out to guests personally to confirm allergies and dislikes a few days before arrival, it is shortly after being greeted by a subtle Cocktail that each diner is led through garage doors to a space elegant yet cozy, the kitchen fully visible and decor kept to a minimum save for the poster of a Bunny which holds an interesting story.
Served as twelve courses plus a single slice of Bread, Mignardises and take-home gifts, Sandoval’s time at Green Zebra and schwa creating a unique style of cooking that features plenty of Vegetables but occasionally unexpected Herbs or garnishes to push Proteins in unanticipated directions, it was with not quite enough Sourdough for all the creamy Butter that dinner got underway, Sandoval himself on the line alongside Chef de Cuisine Mariya Russell who stepped up after the departure of Tim Flores and partner Genie Kwon in March.
Taking a very different approach to upscale dining than Smyth, the similar price-points and semi-casual ambiance notwithstanding, it was henceforth that Sandoval’s Menu focused on precise plating and the best ingredients available, a symmetrical disc of top-flight Fish Eggs flecked in Chives and Dill Flowers exuding elegance atop silky slices of Amberjack before a 2-in-1 dish of Madai topped in Seaweed and Hokkaido Uni that was fine but in no way as exciting as Shields’ version at Smyth with Funnel Cake and Maple.
Growing bolder with another two-part dish, a freshly shucked Oyster with Ham Broth and Finger Lime tied together by Borage preceding Pork Grissini decorated in contrasting flavors as well as textures, it was exciting to learn that the next dish was making its World Premier in this very moment, arguably the best of the night as it placed Langoustine in a thick broth of Eggs and Calamansi with Citrus finding its foil in a tangle of Greens.
Carefully plating a small filet of skin-on Sea Bass next amidst Peas, Brown Butter and Fennel, the stack unfortunately falling sideways when set down by staff, it was regrettable that Fennel overwhelmed more subtle flavors as it is prone to do though the follow-up of housemade Pasta was no less heavy-handed in the case of shockingly fragrant Truffles out of Australia.
Intrigued by the back-to-back use of puffed Grains to add texture, that of Wheat amidst the Capellini not as prominent as Rice on cooked Lettuce next to a beautiful bite of Wagyu, it was here turning the evening over to Pastry Chef Courtney Kenyon that the Sidecar Cocktail was reinterpreted as Sorbet, leaves lining the bowl not particularly necessary but the flavors nonetheless doing their job to refresh the palate.
Offered Coffee at this point and opting to partake given a late night ahead it was as the Double Espresso on Ice was being prepared that another highlight was served, French Cow’s Milk Cheese puffed high as a Soufflé and given a complex finish thanks to the addition of Sesame plus Lemon rich but light as a cloud while the recently-debuted Pavlova seemed misnamed despite tasting great, no real Meringue to speak of and the bottom technically flawed as it proved difficult to cut with just a spoon.
Finishing up with four more mouthfuls, all pleasant but none in particular adding to the narrative, it was alongside the check that a thank you and three gifts arrived, a nice touch though enough Coffee Beans for one cup is probably lost on the vast majority who aren’t running home to burr grinders while the Seeds were better-off spread nearby than in the desert they’d have traveled to in the case of this guest.
www.oriolechicago.com
