Sticky Rice, Sticky Rice - where for art thou??!!

In an effort to be a good LTH citizen, I've been combing the GNR awards and visiting as many on the list as possible. Night before last, with my wife's visiting niece in tow, we headed to Sticky Rice for dinner. I'm not an entrail kind of guy, and I generally don't order anything ending with "ae," but we were able to find lots we liked, and lots more for future visits. Sorry, no pics, but here's what we ordered:

Mee Grob
Thai Fried Chicken
Northern Thai Sausage
Chicken and Spinach Curry
Ground Chicken with Green Beans
Pineapple Fried Rice
Thai Sticky Rice

Our server steered us toward medium heat, which was probably best for the company, but next time, I'll have them set it on stun. Everything was superb. Service was attentive and for $46 plus tip, we had leftovers for another complete meal. Definitely a keeper.

Sticky Rice
4018 N. Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618
773-588-0133

I have to go try it. In my experience, I haven't found a thai place that I am too happy with. Did you try their thai ice cream? I love those!

This week Sticky Rice has a booth set up in Daley Plaza for the weeklong celebration of Thai culture in Chicago.

Thai style sausage and sticky rice for $5. Mmmmmmm

Several other restaurants there too, i just havent had much of a chance to investigate.

Today we attempted to eat at Aree Thai (closed until mid-August...wish we had known that before driving half an hour out of our way, sigh) and when that fell through we ended up at Sticky Rice.

Where...there was something severely wrong with the sticky rice. The papaya salad was good, the tom kha tops, but the rice arrived on the table smelling like it had been doused with gasoline. Something wrong with the pot, they said, and whisked it away, and replaced it with steamed rice.

That's nice and all, but I basically go there for the sticky rice, so I was left saddened and actually near tears. Crap night for Thai food, I guess.

There is a very fine dessert there, can't even begin to recall the name, but it is the one with the inscrutable name and the equally inscrutable description, and I believe it may only be served in the summer. We asked our waitress what it was, and she was at a loss for words. So of course we had to order it. It turned out to be -- warning, this description will be totally inadequate-- shaved ice with sweet cream over it, with pearls of tapioca, kidney beans, and large kernels of corn, and I think a few other things I have forgotten. Unique, to say the least, and mighty tasty.

Sounds like Halo-Halo(pics elsewhere on LTH), which is Filipino, but whatevs

They do the halo-halo style desserts all over South East Asia. In Cambodia now and its all over the place and its delicious!

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:Where...there was something severely wrong with the sticky rice...but the rice arrived on the table smelling like it had been doused with gasoline. Something wrong with the pot, they said, and whisked it away, and replaced it with steamed rice.

This seems to be an issue with new canisters - I think they seal them (in Thailand) with pitch, and they're supposed to be seasoned a bunch of times (throwing the rice out) before actually using for serving.

At Bodhi Thai, which is in the same family as Sticky Rice, they started out putting liners within the cansiters, but now are going straight up.

I was greatly impressed by a meal at Sticky Rice earlier this week - calm and quick service, even over the general din and a slight language barrier, and delightfully sour, salty, grill-charred cuisine. The northern sausage was less funky but decidedly more citric than Bodhi and Yum Thai, and I really liked it. The pork larb and pork neck salad had a similar tang and a very fresh herbal bouquet that I miss even when the cilantro and spices are visibly present at other places. Crying Tiger beef had the chaw of a slow-smoked jerky, and the sauce was surprisingly complex and refreshing, as was the inocuous-looking sweet-and-sour that accompanied the Thai fried chicken, which similarly had a more Tandoori-like resilience instead of simple lax moisture inside. The one slight disappointment was the chive dumpling / pancake, which I think is handled much better at Bodhi. Sticky Rice's was slightly funky and flabby, and the sauce added little. The $11 per person tab, including tax and tip, seemed like an act of generosity from the kitchen given the quality of the ingredients, and I'll try to return the favor with more frequent visits.

OK- not that I'm counting (but I am!)
but, its now 28 days since they had a answering machine stating theyd be closed for the Holiday- back before Memorial Day Weekend.
Now- I'm no accounting major- but thats a boat load of Revenue the owners are missing out on-
not to mention their expense in making everything up to code.

Figure they turn their tables a minimum of twice times 30 tables times average check of say $30.00= $1,800.00 per night.
Throw in revenue from Carryout/Delivery, say at 1/4 of that @ $450.00..
and for the time they've been shut- that's 63K...

and I'm sayin' -
Isn't THAT incentive to fix that reach in cooler any quicker?

Anyone have any updates? The phone just rings.
No machine.
Haven't seen any workers inside lately.
Anyone.....??

I saw someone working in the foyer a week or so ago. I agree, though, normally getting that big green sticker off your door is a motivator for speedier work.

I drove by last night to find it still closed, although I noticed a couple of people working inside behind the papered windows . . . ended up at Dawali instead for my favorite classic falafel sandwich.

Tried to stop in on Monday - there was a city sign authorizing construction, and a handwritten note stating they were remodeling. So, I guess that's a good thing? Wanted to get down with some Thai al fresco, so did Kan Pao instead (it was okay).

When I drove by this morning, the paper that's been on the windows was gone. Maybe that's a good sign?

I tell ya-
like reading Tea Leaves.

The "good Sign"-
is when the Green License Suspended Sign is down....
That'll be a real good sign.

peeked in the window, and the place looks absolutely immaculate. There is a new sign in the window that says "Thank you for coming to Sticky Rice. We will be opening soon with a brand new look!"

Well, I won't mind if they go to something less garish than their current Mister Dog'n'Tater Hut red and yellow.

Could someone explain to me what's so good about this place? Maybe with a specific recommendation on what to order? I went there last year based on the LTHForum awards and was sorely dissapointed. Tasted like any old Thai place to me, and Chicago has hundreds of them.

yoyoniner wrote:Could someone explain to me what's so good about this place? Maybe with a specific recommendation on what to order? I went there last year based on the LTHForum awards and was sorely dissapointed. Tasted like any old Thai place to me, and Chicago has hundreds of them.

you've asked the exact same question before. Look at the response you got that time.

Kennyz wrote:

yoyoniner wrote:Could someone explain to me what's so good about this place? Maybe with a specific recommendation on what to order? I went there last year based on the LTHForum awards and was sorely dissapointed. Tasted like any old Thai place to me, and Chicago has hundreds of them.

you've asked the exact same question before. Look at the response you got that time.

There was no specific answer or recommendation.

yoyoniner wrote:There was no specific answer or recommendation.

Yes, there was, Green Curry Coconut Shrimp
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=260496#p260496


But if you read other threads on Sticky Rice, people talk about what they like there. As Kennyz noted,

"Perhaps the best use of LTHForum is to figure out what to order at the multitude of ethnic restaurants with gigantic, overwhelming menus."

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=259541#p259541


So go read other threads on Sticky Rice, like this one
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=8842

leek wrote:

yoyoniner wrote:There was no specific answer or recommendation.

Yes, there was, Green Curry Coconut Shrimp
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=260496#p260496


But if you read other threads on Sticky Rice, people talk about what they like there. As Kennyz noted,

"Perhaps the best use of LTHForum is to figure out what to order at the multitude of ethnic restaurants with gigantic, overwhelming menus."

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=259541#p259541


So go read other threads on Sticky Rice, like this one
http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=8842

Thanks for that last link.

Dear yoyoininer-
When Sticky Rice reopens.....
Please make sure to order (in no particular order) ::

Spare Ribs w/ Garlic Sauce (actually more like Rib Tips, sauteed in Garlic and and another secret ingredient- more of a dry dish FULL of flavor)
LemonGrass Chicken I ask for Cashew Nuts as an "Upgrade".
Oxtail Soup (full of so many notes- a sweet-ness from the Star Anise,a sour note- a spicy note, and the savoriness of the OxTail!)
Northern Style Thai Sausage
Gang Hung Lay- a rich and flavorful "curry"- with chunks of Pork (the menu calls em "churn") in a Garlicky ,velvety rich brown sauce!
Chinese Broccoli w/ Garlic Sauce-Dry!- an "off menu item that rocks!
Tom Yum with Shrimp- a soup you may have enjoyed before- but their version is very good
Basil Fried Rice with BBQ Pork and Fried Egg on Top- so many flavors at once-you'll never look at regular Fried Rice again
Mee Grob- not too many Thai restaurants prepare this dish- it takes too long to do it right- yet, they do! (make sure to order w/a side of Nam Pla Prik- a spicy Fish Sauce condiment to "kick-it-up-a-notch")
Nam Sod- a perfect summer "salad"- cooling & soothing

OH- and if (IF) you can handle the heat- key word phrase that Pays- ask for each dish- "Thai Spicy",
That my dear- is what makes my lovely S. Indian honey happy as she pulls in col air over her tounge!

these are a few of my favorite things that I'm missing (and salivating over now) until they reopen!

They're BACK!!!

Drove by today- sidewalk tables and umbrellas are outside-
sign in window says "OPEN"-
and then, called to ask when they re-opened-
and was told "Last Night"!!
Yippe- Yahoo!!!

Hombre de Acero wrote:Dear yoyoininer-
When Sticky Rice reopens.....
Please make sure to order (in no particular order) ::

Spare Ribs w/ Garlic Sauce (actually more like Rib Tips, sauteed in Garlic and and another secret ingredient- more of a dry dish FULL of flavor)
LemonGrass Chicken I ask for Cashew Nuts as an "Upgrade".
Oxtail Soup (full of so many notes- a sweet-ness from the Star Anise,a sour note- a spicy note, and the savoriness of the OxTail!)
Northern Style Thai Sausage
Gang Hung Lay- a rich and flavorful "curry"- with chunks of Pork (the menu calls em "churn") in a Garlicky ,velvety rich brown sauce!
Chinese Broccoli w/ Garlic Sauce-Dry!- an "off menu item that rocks!
Tom Yum with Shrimp- a soup you may have enjoyed before- but their version is very good
Basil Fried Rice with BBQ Pork and Fried Egg on Top- so many flavors at once-you'll never look at regular Fried Rice again
Mee Grob- not too many Thai restaurants prepare this dish- it takes too long to do it right- yet, they do! (make sure to order w/a side of Nam Pla Prik- a spicy Fish Sauce condiment to "kick-it-up-a-notch")
Nam Sod- a perfect summer "salad"- cooling & soothing

A good list. However, I would recommend visiting with a couple of LTHers, and accordingly add the following dishes:

Shrimp with chili jam
Duck with holy basil
Fish maw salad
Durian with sticky rice

Throw in a few young coconut drinks, and you might have enough food

Is there a working link to the translated Thai menu for Sticky Rice? All that I've found have been broken...

Spoon Thai has copies of their translated menu. I don't know about Sticky Rice, but you might call to ask.

Thanks, but I'm looking specifically for an online version, if possible. I'll only be in town visiting family for a few days, and I need to plan accordingly.

They do not. I tried to get them to lend me a copy before I left town so I could take it and scan it but it was busy and I think my plan was lost in translation. Someone that can scan it needs to stop by during lunch and borrow a menu...

Thanks. I'd volunteer to scan it, but my family lives in the south suburbs, so the round trip would be less-than-fun.

LTH,

A group of LTHers organized by Happy_Stomach enjoyed a lovely meal and conversation at the sparkling clean newly reopened Sticky Rice. Outdoor dining was buzzing and there was a wait for inside tables when we left. Plenty of friendly staff to handle the crowd with owner Kritsana overseeing the action.

Ten of us enjoyed an array of dishes, my favorites being Nam Prik Ong, mildly spicy pork and tomato dip served with vegetables, crunchy mussel fritter and funky offal laden Northern Thai Larb.

Nam Prik Ong



Mussel Fritter



Northern Thai Larb



Crisp punchy Papaya Salad interlaced with salted blue crab bits, both kinds of Thai sausage, an ok version of Thai Fried Chicken, though even an ok version is pretty damn good, mildly disappointing 'Spicy' Jungle curry with Duck, a seeming communication problem with Chili and ginger stir fry with crispy pork that yielded a dish which no chili punch, and a good if not great Pad Prik Catfish. I liked the Shrimp w/Chili Jam, RAB not so much, and was nonplussed by Green Coconut Curry Shrimp, though I did like the Trader Vic's presentation.

Papaya Salad w/blue crab



Thai Fried Chicken



Isaan Sausage



Northern Thai Sausage



Shrimp w/Chili Jam



Chinese Brocli w/Salty fish



Thai Larb



Pad Prik Catfish



Green Coconut Curry Shrimp



The only disappointing dish of the evening was Pork Neck, better versions abound in Chicagoland.

Pork Neck



Sticky Rice w/Durian



Subtle changes in the physical space, no more glass encased display w/tilapia wallets and purses and possibly new menu items in the offing. Kritsana brought out an okra/shrimp dish for us to try that may soon be on the menu.

All in all a very enjoyable evening enhanced by a guest appearance by Josephine and capped by ok pastry in a lovely outdoor setting at Beograd Cafe on Irving.

Good idea Sharron, thanks.

Enjoy,
Gary

Beograd Meat Market
2937 W Irving
Chicago, IL 60618
773-478-7575