Chicago: Ruxbin

Ruxbin is a new restaurant with American, Korean, and Mexican flair opening in Noble Square. It isn't quite ready for the public yet, but Ruxbin is currently working through some kinks by having a series of soft openings for friends and family. Luckily for me, my roommate is good friends with the owners Edward (the chef), Vicky (his sister), and Jenny (their friend). Eddy has quite an impressive background, having worked under Thomas Keller at Per Se in New York prior to moving back to Chicago:



I have been periodically checking in on Ruxbin's progress through their blog, so it was very exciting to be able to see the near-finished product of all their hard work and love. Everything in the decor is made from salvaged materials, from the booths (old church pews), to the walls (old apple juice shipping crates and tiles from the former mayor's mansion), to the backs of the seats (old seat belts!). Even the ceiling is decoupage with recipe books from the chef's personal library. The overall effect is a small, cozy space with plenty of visual stimulation:



Because it's the soft opening, we were given a special treat: a $20 fixed prixe menu. We could choose between a salad or an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert. Between the 5 of us, we were able to sample quite a few things off the menu.

For my appetizer, I chose the K-town empanadas:



I could smell the awesomeness of the kimchi before I even took a bite. The masa shell was warm and crunchy, the cheese nice and gooey. I think all empanadas should be filled with kimchi and oaxaca cheese and topped with chimichurri creme fraiche.

My friend got the crispy eggplant:



Though fried, the eggplants were light without a trace of oil. The cucumber strips were cool, crisp, and refreshing along with the roasted beets and honey-cardamon yogurt. Very impressive.

The avocado toast, however, had to be my favorite appetizer of the night:



The heirloom baby tomatoes, pickled onions, anchovies, grilled asparagus, and feta all came together for a party of flavors in my mouth. I wish I'd gotten more than a bite.

Then came the entrees. My roommate wisely picked the garlic white wine mussels:



I've never had mussels so well prepared before. The meat was almost melt in your mouth soft and nothing like the tough, chewy mussels that I'm used to eating. The fries were so delicious from being soaked in the mussel juice and white wine sauce.

Unsurprisingly, I went with the hanger steak:



The steak was perfectly rare, resting on a bed of the most amazing, creamy cauliflower puree you'll ever have. The kale was a savory balance to the sweetness of the sauce. For someone who doesn't like vegetables, I ate up all the greens with relish.

My friend chose the pan seared trout:



The trout wasn't the most memorable dish of the night. The bulgur wheat tabbouleh was a little lacking in flavor and the trout didn't really stand out.

Now comes the best part...dessert. Just about everyone around the table decided on the panna cotta:



Lychee and coconut, how could I resist? The toasted coconut was just brilliant. You can tell that they used fresh coconut instead of the shredded stuff you can buy off the shelf. The lychee flavor was subtle at first, but it slowly emerged with every bite I took. The hint of lime also went a long way. The panna cotta was so good that I can easily eat a pot of it in one sitting.

Before we left, we were given a bonus dish, compliments of the chef. I couldn't quite catch what it was, but it was basically something like tiny yummy apple turnovers:



I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Ruxbin and I can tell that it will be a wild success once it actually opens. All the right ingredients are there: fun decor, good location, friendly staff, and of course, fantastic food.

The most interesting part of the restaurant, in my opinion, has to be the restroom:



You'll have to visit yourself to see what's inside!


Ruxbin
851 N Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
(312)624-8509
http://www.ruxbinchicago.com