Top 5 Must-Eat Dishes at Mott Street

in Eating Out, Eats & Drinks • January 21, 2015

With Chef Eddy and Jenny Kim

Partners Chef Edward Kim, Jennifer Kim, Vicki Kim and Nate Chung of Ruxbin Restaurant have done it again. Their latest creation, Mott Street, delivers with remarkable food, and an unparalleled customer service experience. Since opening in 2013, it has received multiple accolades, including a recent nomination for Bon Appetit Magazine’s 2014 Best New Restaurants in America. While Ruxbin primarily focuses on French and American dishes with bits and pieces of Asian ingredients; this hip new eatery serves-up Asian street cuisine on casual small plates for the Western palate.

The inside of Mott St is simply mind-blowing with it’s rustic, industrial look. Everything has clean lines, warm tones and soft lighting. They paid very close attention to every detail, including the inlaid wood patterns on the bar that were built by the team by going to Home Depot.

While just about everything I had was delicious, there were some remarkable moments. Here are my top five favorite dishes you need to order:

Berkshire Pork
I am sure by now, you know I love a good piece of meat. Berkshire Pork, often compared to Kobe Beef, is renowned for it’s exceptional beautiful consistency, deep coloring and a generous serving of fat which melts away and gives the meat it’s rich flavor and fine marbling. Their dish is sake braised, deep fried then served with Japanese curry, brown rice, and pickled pearl onion.

Steamed Buns
No makes steamed buns like my grandmother, but Mott St comes darn close. It was stuffed with pork, ginger and green onion with a side homemade soy souce. The buns were full of tender, flavored meat and a fluffy, light bun.

Shrimp and Kohlrabi Salad
The shrimp is deep fried; while the kohlrabi is julienned, giving it a nice crisp texture. The salad is balanced to perfection with small with scattered peanuts and a splash of citrus.

Everything Wings
The “Everything Wings” are marinated in a deep soy-glaze with a dash of chili flake to add just a bit of kick to the dish while the supporting tzatziki sauce was a nice touch.

Crab Brain Fried Rice
Don’t let its name scare you because this crab brains had the most perfect creamy, custard-like texture with a little bit of sweetness and a hint of caviar flavor. The rice has the right amount of seasoning with the flavors blended well together and were right on point.

All in all, Mott St is another solid restaurant by the Ruxbin Team and the perfect addition to the Chicago food scene. Now, stop whatever you are doing and head over to Ashland Avenue, between Beach Avenue and Blackhawk Street in Wicker Park. Seriously, stop reading and go. I promise, you won’t be disappointed!

(FYI, Mott St is animal friendly – my teacup morkie, Panda is excited to head back there!)