Tasty Noodle House - I did not have noodles

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Date visited: December 4, 2012

Time: 9:45 pm

Party Size: 1

Price: $7.99 plus and tax tips (less 10% off for grand opening)

Type of restaurant: HK Style cafe

Food consumed: Baked cheese with chicken steak in tomato sauce served with hot lemon tea

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on images to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:
Despite not eating their tasty noodles, the food was very safe for my stomach. After a busy day at work, there is nothing better than chowing down on anything edible.

York Region Inspection Report

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Source: http://www.york.ca/Services/Public+Health+and+Safety/Food+Safety/yorksafedisclosure.htm

Some infractions that were corrected during inspection. Hopefully they did not have more infractions.

VERDICT: Diarrhea free! Jer Jai's Seal of Approval!

Pho Vietnam - Jer Jai's "Pho" Sure Approval

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Date visited: December 2, 2012

Time: 1:30 pm

Party Size: 5

Price: $8.50 plus tax and tips

Website: http://phovietnamfamilyrestaurant.com/
(Lots of funny typos on the website. "Tivi" Check out the FAQ section. They list the languages spoken by servers.)

Food consumed: Steamed rice with bean curds with minced shrimp and grilled chicken

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on image to enlarge)

Second Documented Trip

Date visited: January 27, 2013

Time: 1:30 pm

Party Size: 4

Price: $8.50 plus tax and tips

Food consumed: Rare beef and meat balls in rice noodle soup with fresh noodles

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on images to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:
No diarrhea times two. Simple review.

On to the goodies:

City of Toronto Inspection Report

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Source: http://www.toronto.ca/health/dinesafe/index.htm?show=detail&id=106475

Wow, no infraction. Really surprised. The restaurant is really open with the high ceilings and lots of windows. With just those two factors, my stomach felt really relaxed.

The broth for the noodle soup was really bland, therefore did not make me feel as thirsty because it tasted more natural (I assumed MSG was not added)

The seating did feel a bit crammed though. The condiment tray took up like 1/3 of my table. The server also kept brushing against my jacket which annoyed me.

VERDICT: Open and bright environment combined with natural broth makes my stomach feel like it was lying on the beach in the Caribbeans. WONDER"PHO" EXPERIENCE!! There is an actual restaurant called WonderPho. Although the correct pronunciation is "F-err", but it's a clever name for locals.

Chicago, IL - Jan 4-8, 2013

Another US trip using my frequent flyer miles. I stayed within the downtown core, which is safer than the other areas in Chicago.

In Chicago, there were 513 murders in 2012 (compared to 448 in 2011) as reported by RedEye (part of Chicago Tribune). According to Statistics Canada, based on the most recent information released on December 4, 2012, the number of murder in Canada was 598 in 2011. This shows how safe Chicago is.

On a brighter note, here are pictures of places I visited and survived to talk about it:

I pulled out my map to see if I was walking in the correct direction. A homeless man approached me and asked where I was heading. He walked with me to my destination. Along the way, he kept saying that he believed in karma. After showing the place, he asked for $20. He said it would last him the whole month, in the end I gave him $5. Lesson learned: if a homeless man approaches you, just tell him you are fine and don't need help.

Panoramic view of Chicago from the Museum Campus

City Pass Destination #1: Shedd Aquarium

A cute frog found in the aquarium

City Pass Destination #2: Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower)

View from the Willis Tower at night

Ninth McDonald's opened in the world

 

City Pass Destination #3: The Field Museum

Sue, the largest and most complete T-rex

City Pass Destination #4: John Hancock Observatory

View of the Navy Pier from the John Hancock Observatory

City Pass Destination #5: Adler Planterium

January 4, 2013
Lunch - Kim and Carlo's Chicago Hot Dog Store (Seal of Approval)

Dinner - Portillo's Hot Dogs (Seal of Approval)

January 5, 2013
Lunch - Big Bowl Chinese and Thai (Seal of Approval)

Dessert - Superdawg (Seal of Approval)

January 6, 2013
Lunch - Garrett Popcorn Shops (Seal of Approval)
            - Panozzo's Italian Market (Seal of Approval)

Dinner - Lou Malnati's Pizzeria (Seal of Approval)

January 7, 2013
Lunch - Foodlife (Seal of Approval)

Dinner - Five Guys Burgers and Fries (Seal of Approval)

Theme Song

Don't forget to listen to this song while reading the blog entries on the restaurants in Chicago.

Chicago Restaurants - January 7, 2013

Foodlife

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Location: 835 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611

Time: 1:00 pm

Party Size: 1

Price: $7.89, before tax

Food consumed: 
- Barbecue brisket sandwich with mashed potatoes

Website: http://www.foodlifechicago.com/

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on image to enlarge)

 

Review of Restaurant:
My cousin told me to try this place. I did and this is the best barbecue brisket I ever had in my life. The meat simply melts in your mouth. Wished I could eat this everyday.

VERDICT: Another safe day for my stomach. Jer Jai's seal of approval.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

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Location: 1146 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605

Time: 5:00 pm

Party Size: 1

Price: $10.28, before tax

Food consumed: 
- Bacon cheeseburger (double) - $7.29
- Cajun fries, regular - $2.99

Website: http://www.fiveguys.com/

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on images to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:
I know, there are Five Guys in Toronto. Why did I bother coming to the one in Chicago? I thought it would be different as it originated from US. I read the reviews on yelp.ca, and there was no difference in terms of the service and the food quality.

The service was impeccable. The guy making my burger asked how I was doing. Staff was smiling and talkative.

I forgot that they served peanuts while you waited for your burger. The whole time, I was standing at the counter and waited.

I had no idea the burger I ordered was a double bacon cheeseburger. I expected one patty. For the fries, they give you two heaps. They filled a container with fries and placed it in my bag. Then he took another scoop and dumped it in my bag. I was like, "What did I do to get two servings of fries? Was it because I looked like a tourist?"

After finishing my meal, I couldn't move. It was so heavy and I felt bloated. I can feel the grease in my blood vessels, that was how bad it was. Well worth it though. Would definitely return but order a single patty.

Check this review. I had the same experience as him but can't express as well as he does.


VERDICT: JerJai's Seal of Approval

Chicago Restaurants - January 6, 2013

Garrett Popcorn Shops

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Location:  600 East Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611

Time: 2:00 pm

Party Size: 1

Price: $5.05, before tax

Food consumed: 
- Chicago Mix Popcorn, small bag - $5.05

Webiste: http://www.garrettpopcorn.com

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on images to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:
This popcorn shop became famous because Oprah said it was good. Luckily I went on a Sunday afternoon and there was no line-up.

For one person, a small bag is more than enough. The Chicago Mix is a mix between cheese and caramel popcorn. It was alright, nothing spectacular.

VERDICT: Jer Jai's seal of approval.

Panozzo's Italian Market

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Location: 1303 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605

Time: 4:00 pm

Party Size: 1

Price: $10.00, before tax

Food consumed: 
- Porchetta, pickled fennel, calabrian chili aioli greens

Website: http://www.panozzos.com/

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on image to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:
This restaurant was featured on Food Network by Guy Fieri. So coming in, I had high expectations.

The staff was very friendly and explained the menu to me. After placing my order, I waited a long time for my sandwich. I never had a porchetta before so I didn't have a benchmark to compare this to and have no clue what a porchetta is. But based on my expectations of other food, I was disappointed. If I tried porchetta at other places then this may have been as good as what others are saying.

This is why I am not a food critic. I don't know my food well. I just tell you if I get diarrhea or not.

VERDICT: JerJai's Seal of Approval

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

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Location: 85 South Buffalo Grove Road, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089

Time: 8:00 pm

Party Size: 6

Price: Paid by my cousin

Food consumed: 
- Calamari Fritti - $7.45 (shared)
- Malnati Salad (romaine lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms, crumbled Volpi salami and gorgonzola cheese with Sweet Vinaigrette and romano cheese) - $11.25 (shared)
- The Malnati's Chicago Classic (made with Lou's lean sausage, some extra cheese and vine-ripened tomato sauce on Buttercrust), large - $16.75 (shared)
- Cheese Thin Crust, medium - $9.95 (shared)

Website: http://www.loumalnatis.com/

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on images to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:
Chicago is known for it's deep dish pizza. I couldn't leave without trying it.

It was either eating lunch at 4 pm or the fact that the pizza was very heavy, thick and cheesy that I was only able to eat one deep dish pizza. I can normally finish one large pizza by myself.

The waitress was helping us cut the pizza and asked me which pizza I wanted. I saw all three (the third one was not included in the food consumed because I couldn't consume it). She gave me a "You got to be joking, you scrawny Asian boy" look. I just said, "Give me the Malnati's Chicago Classic." She was right, one pizza was sufficient. We pretty much packed away 2 pizzas home.

Despite the fact that the pizza was cheesy. I just had a minor heartburn but no diarrhea.

VERDICT: JerJai's Seal of Approval

Chicago Restaurants - January 5, 2013

Big Bowl Chinese and Thai

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Location: 1950 E Higgins Rd, Schaumburg, IL 60173

Time: 3:00 pm

Party Size: 5

Price: $12.95, before tax and tips

Type of restaurant: Chinese and Thai (Westernized)

Food consumed: 
- Panang Curry Chicken (all natural chicken in peanut-coconut curry sauce, fresnos, snow peas)

Webiste: http://www.bigbowl.com

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on image to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:
This place was beside Legoland, so we decided to hit up this restaurant. The waitress was very nice and helpful. She described the menu from front to back to us. Basically, according to her, everything tastes good.

The portion is an adequate size for me. I don't think Thai cuisine uses snow peas or that much peanut sauce. It was delicious though.

VERDICT: Another safe day for my stomach. Jer Jai's seal of approval.



 
There are no pictures of dinner. It was very informal and consisted of a store-bought sandwich and pita dips. For desserts, we had Superdawg brownies and cookies.

Superdawg

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Location: 333 S Milwaukee Ave Wheeling, IL 60090

Time: 9:00 pm

Party Size: 5

Price: $2.50, before tax

Type of restaurant: Drive-in restaurant (very old school)

Food consumed: 
- Superbrownie - $1.25
- Superchunk Cookie - $1.25

Website: http://www.superdawg.com/index.cfm

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on images to enlarge)

Review of Restaurant:
This is one of the last few drive-in, not to be confused with drive-through, restaurants left in US. It is very modernized and has lots of memorabilia featured on display in the restaurant. My cousin drove me to this place on January 4, 2013. After eating 4 hot dogs that day, I did not want to eat another one. We just bought some desserts and brought it back home. It was consumed the following day.

VERDICT: JerJai's Seal of Approval

Chicago Restaurants - January 4, 2013

Kim and Carlo's Chicago Hot Dog Store

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Location: 1400 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605

Time: 12:30 pm

Party Size: 1

Price: $7.50

Type of restaurant: Hot Dog Stand

Food consumed: 
- Polish Sausage - $4.00
- Chicago Style Hot Dog - $3.50

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on images to enlarge)

Chicago Style Hot Dog are like Japanese hot dogs. They are served with a bunch of toppings like onions, tomatoes, sport pepper, celery salt and pickle spear.

Polish Sausage

Review of Restaurant:
I choose this place because of the Yelp reviews. It is different from the other hot dogs in Toronto. I enjoyed it, although the pepper almost killed me, it was spicy. No bad washroom experience.

There is no inspection report in Chicago, what a shame.

VERDICT: JerJai's Seal of Approval

Portillo's Hot Dogs

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Location: 8832 Dempster St, Niles, IL 60714

Time: 9:30 pm

Party Size: 5

Price: $5.88, before tax

Type of restaurant: Hot Dog Stand

Food consumed: 
- Jumbo Hot Dog - $2.89
- Chili Cheese Dog - $2.99

Website: http://www.portillos.com/

Pictures of food consumed: (Click on images to enlarge)

Jumbo Hot Dog (Chicago Style)

Chili Cheese Dog

Review of Restaurant:

I don't think that eating 4 hot dogs in a day is healthy. I did walk for like 4 hours earlier that day so I have some quota to fill.

This is cheaper than Kim and Carlo's Hot Dog Stand. The place was packed and is the McDonald's of hot dogs. I would definitely recommend this place.

VERDICT: No washroom mishap so it has my seal of approval.