The Mark Patel


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As much as we love to make food, we also like eating out. Here are some of our favorite places, close to home and around the world. And we'll be updating this page regularly as we find new places.

Chicago Area

Jin Ju - $$

A trendy spot for Korean food with some really unique soju cocktails.

Koya - $$

This small Japanese restuarant in Highland Park has incredibly good sushi and very friendly service.

La Fonda - $$

This great Columbian restaurant serves up some amazing food that's similar to Cuban food. I'm a big fan of their Carne Asada, and we always get one of their fabulous Mora-ritas (raspberry margarita).

Le Bouchon - $$$

This small French bistro in Bucktown never disappoints, and their mussels are some of the best I've ever had. You'll need to make a reservation several weeks in advance, especially for Friday or Saturday night.

NoMI- $$$$

A very upscale restuarant in the Park Hyatt with great views of Michigan Avenue and the Water Tower. A great option for a special occasion.

New York City

Casa Mono - $$$

Mario Batali's amazingly good Spanish tapas restaurant. The lamb chops and pumpkin croquettas with goat cheese were astonishingly good. You'll definitely need a reservation for this one...

Silicon Valley

Darda Seafood - $$

Located in a Chinatown-esque strip mall in Milpitas, Darda serves a wide range of great Chinese dishes; go with a large group and order family style.

Glasgow

Stravaigin - $$$

A unique blend of traditional Scottish food with fusion influences, Stravaigin serves the best mussels I've ever had.

Tokyo

Din Tai Fung - $$$

Amazing dim-sum of the highest quality. We ate dinner at their Shinjuku location in the Takashiyama department store, and it was so good that we returned a day later for lunch. In case you can't make it to Tokyo for dim sum or otherwise, they have locations all over Asia and one in Los Angeles.