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ATK - Andy's Thai Kitchen

ATK - Andy's Thai Kitchen
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  • Post #61 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:06 am
    Post #61 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:06 am Post #61 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:06 am
    I eat at ATK everytime I'm in Chicago because of its proximity to my parents' apartment. While I've never had any of the dishes Laikom describes above, I can say with confidence that they do excellent versions of Khao Soi, raw shrimp w/ chili and garlic, papaya salad with salted crab (fire), fried garlic pork ribs (perfect pair with papaya salad) and most anything I've had from the specials board (most recently perfectly fresh mussels in a wine/chili/basil sauce). These are my go-to's there (as they were at TAC Quick) and they won't fail you. Especially that Khao Soi: a rich and aromatic broth cut with fresh lettuce and pickled mustard greens bathing a combo of fried and fresh egg noodles. I order it every time.

    Maybe part of the problem is the neighborhood? That spot is gringo city, and while they regularly attract Thai (and more informed American) diners, I've overheard a few patrons express concern about heat, funk, etc. when ordering. But that shouldn't affect the quality of the sausage or the execution of the naem khai tod. So I dunno. Hit and miss I guess.
    "By the fig, the olive..." Surat Al-Teen, Mecca 95:1"
  • Post #62 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:28 am
    Post #62 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:28 am Post #62 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:28 am
    Habibi wrote:Maybe part of the problem is the neighborhood? That spot is gringo city...


    Here in Gringo City, where I live, I'm thrilled to have ATK in the neighborhood. I'm not educated in the more exotic Thai dishes, but have been pretty adventurous in my ordering with happy results (I never imagined I'd have mudskipper soup, for instance, but I really liked it). And when I go by, I'm always heartened to see that business seems good. Long may ATK thrive in this outpost!
    Pithy quote here.
  • Post #63 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:39 am
    Post #63 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:39 am Post #63 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:39 am
    riddlemay wrote:
    Habibi wrote:Maybe part of the problem is the neighborhood? That spot is gringo city...


    Here in Gringo City, where I live, I'm thrilled to have ATK in the neighborhood. I'm not educated in the more exotic Thai dishes, but have been pretty adventurous in my ordering with happy results (I never imagined I'd have mudskipper soup, for instance, but I really liked it). And when I go by, I'm always heartened to see that business seems good. Long may ATK thrive in this outpost!


    Indeed. Btw Didn't mean no offense by "gringo city"; sorry if it sounds offensive.
    "By the fig, the olive..." Surat Al-Teen, Mecca 95:1"
  • Post #64 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:48 am
    Post #64 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:48 am Post #64 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:48 am
    I always notice people around me at ATK ordering spring rolls and other of what I'd term pedestrian items. Yet I've never found that they dumb down any of the dishes that tend to be ordered more by Thais, even when being served to non-Thais, like me. I'm not recommending against asking for more spice or requesting food phet phet. I'm merely saying that I tend to find the more traditional Thai dishes have at least an adequate level of heat.
  • Post #65 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:52 am
    Post #65 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:52 am Post #65 - July 22nd, 2014, 7:52 am
    Habibi wrote:
    riddlemay wrote:
    Habibi wrote:Maybe part of the problem is the neighborhood? That spot is gringo city...


    Here in Gringo City, where I live, I'm thrilled to have ATK in the neighborhood. I'm not educated in the more exotic Thai dishes, but have been pretty adventurous in my ordering with happy results (I never imagined I'd have mudskipper soup, for instance, but I really liked it). And when I go by, I'm always heartened to see that business seems good. Long may ATK thrive in this outpost!


    Indeed. Btw Didn't mean no offense by "gringo city"; sorry if it sounds offensive.


    No worries. I took only a smidgen of offense.:) Just sticking up for the principle that gringos are people too.
    Pithy quote here.
  • Post #66 - July 22nd, 2014, 9:45 am
    Post #66 - July 22nd, 2014, 9:45 am Post #66 - July 22nd, 2014, 9:45 am
    gringos are people too.[/quote][/quote]

    I believe Up With People had a hit with that back in the eighties...
    "Living well is the best revenge"
  • Post #67 - August 7th, 2014, 11:27 pm
    Post #67 - August 7th, 2014, 11:27 pm Post #67 - August 7th, 2014, 11:27 pm
    While drier than my current fave Sala Bua, ATK's rendition of larb kai is just about ideally flavored. They are very generous with high quality herbs and peppers and treat their proteins beautifully - the grind on the chicken and the slight smoke it picks up in cooking are dandy. The pork neck appetizer is succulent, charred just right, with a funk-forward dipping sauce I appreciate.

    The 4-5 PM break I've run into a few times now is still loosely managed, as if they haven't decided what to do with it (when to stop seating people, when to stop taking orders). They are also now firmly cash only, as may have been mentioned upthread. I'm impressed by the stock of stuff they're keeping fresh and ready to go at the drop of a hat and hope they keep it up.
  • Post #68 - August 8th, 2014, 9:38 pm
    Post #68 - August 8th, 2014, 9:38 pm Post #68 - August 8th, 2014, 9:38 pm
    Habibi wrote:
    riddlemay wrote:
    Habibi wrote:Maybe part of the problem is the neighborhood? That spot is gringo city...


    Here in Gringo City, where I live, I'm thrilled to have ATK in the neighborhood. I'm not educated in the more exotic Thai dishes, but have been pretty adventurous in my ordering with happy results (I never imagined I'd have mudskipper soup, for instance, but I really liked it). And when I go by, I'm always heartened to see that business seems good. Long may ATK thrive in this outpost!


    Indeed. Btw Didn't mean no offense by "gringo city"; sorry if it sounds offensive.



    While you might be (smidgenly-offensively?) accurate in your overall description of the neighborhood demographic, you are probably unaware that Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, next door to ATK, has a handful of just-relocated Thai residents on staff each year. The majority of the hospital's residents live in a 20-story apartment building on Nelson Street, steps away from ATK, and given their long work hours and lack of familiarity with Chicago, they often don't stray far from the neighborhood. I have stopped in to pick up dinner and recognized residents chatting up staff at the counter. They have developed strong relationships with the ATK staff, and I have no doubt that ATK the restaurant, and Andy himself, have made them feel very welcome and closer to home. While the numbers probably aren't huge, I hope they make a difference to ATK's bottom line, and I know ATK makes a difference in these professionals' personal lives.
  • Post #69 - August 29th, 2014, 2:28 pm
    Post #69 - August 29th, 2014, 2:28 pm Post #69 - August 29th, 2014, 2:28 pm
    We hit ATK last night for the first time in a long while and overall we were pretty happy, with only two disappointments.

    First the good: the grilled pork neck appetizer was tender and marinated enough to be tasty without the accompanying sauce (though of course the sauce was tasty, if not as fiery as I remember from previous visits). The Yen Ta Fo noodle soup was spicy and bright, full of large bits of tofu, squid, fish balls and slippery noodles. The heat seamed to come from a hot sauce instead of from fresh peppers, but that worked with the overall flavor profile in this case (and I could be totally wrong about the hot sauce). Service was pleasant, and the food came out quickly.

    The disappointments: they don't make Ka Nom Jeen Nam Ya any more! Our server said it's too complicated to make so they've permanently taken it off the menu. Alas. This was the dish that once appeared on both the regular menu (under the name "Thai Pasta") and the thai secret menu at TAC, and was available up until recently at ATK. Obviously there are still many delicious things at ATK, but that was almost a comfort food dish for me, so I'm sad to see it gone. The other let down was the Crispy On Choy. While it was a huge portion, we discovered that part of the reason it was so towering on the plate was that the watercress was pretty much encased in an architectural, thick batter, more like a heavy shell than the crisp, delicate goodness of days past. This may have also contributed to what we both thought was a lack of well-integrated flavors. It wasn't awful, but it was a bit dull (and it hurt the roof of my mouth!) and I wouldn't order it again.

    However, the other two dishes were wonderful, and we plan to return soon with more people so that I can order everything.
    Anthony Bourdain on Barack Obama: "He's from Chicago, so he knows what good food is."
  • Post #70 - November 10th, 2014, 8:59 am
    Post #70 - November 10th, 2014, 8:59 am Post #70 - November 10th, 2014, 8:59 am
    We wanted to try Au Cheval's burger yesterday. A 2 hour wait which put them into their mid afternoon siesta killed that plan so we hit ATK instead on our way back North.

    Thank you Au Cheval!!!

    Pork neck appetizer was as great as ever, tender with little charred edges and a funky spicy sauce.

    I had the Nam Kao Tod which is my new favorite version. Perfect balance of flavors, and thcrispiness of the broken rice was just incredible.

    Fifille had the Pad Mee Kati. I only had a couple bites but this was a winner too.

    It's been far too long since we have been to Andy's but our next visit will be much sooner I promise.

    NB Andy's Thai Kitchen is now cash only. It may have been this way for a while but be forwarned.
  • Post #71 - November 12th, 2014, 8:20 am
    Post #71 - November 12th, 2014, 8:20 am Post #71 - November 12th, 2014, 8:20 am
    Went up to Rainbow, but even 30 minutes after posted opening time they didn't open so we took the brown line down to ATK. We were determined to try some new things so we ordered the lab kai, pad mee kati and garlic pork ribs. The Lab Kai is tasty, but I much prefer the nam tok or the ong choy for my fish sauce dressed salads. The pad mee kati is purple! This is basically char siu with noodles, really good but not even close to top 5 at ATK. The garlic pork ribs are delicious, covered in fish sauce, garlic caramel, though the amount of sugar caramelized can be a bit overwhelming. Also I found the ribs a little short of meat.

    Trying completely new things and still having a great meal is a testament to how good ATK is.
  • Post #72 - November 12th, 2014, 8:24 am
    Post #72 - November 12th, 2014, 8:24 am Post #72 - November 12th, 2014, 8:24 am
    If you went to Rainbow on Monday, I think they're closed that day.
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #73 - November 12th, 2014, 11:46 am
    Post #73 - November 12th, 2014, 11:46 am Post #73 - November 12th, 2014, 11:46 am
    Just like the most intense cravings for Sun Wah occur on Thursday.
  • Post #74 - December 28th, 2014, 11:54 am
    Post #74 - December 28th, 2014, 11:54 am Post #74 - December 28th, 2014, 11:54 am
    First time last Monday evening with two of our daughters prior to seeing Patricia Barber at the Green Mill. We used to go frequently to TAC Quick, but haven't been since Andy left.

    Most of my choices were limited by my wife and daughters less adventurous palates, many items I want to go back for, but we still had a great meal. Egg rolls, lab kai, som tum thai, pad mee kati, spaghetti pad khe mao chicken, pad prik khing chicken, and pad per chicken.

    Excellent food and atmosphere, will return soon.
  • Post #75 - March 7th, 2015, 8:52 pm
    Post #75 - March 7th, 2015, 8:52 pm Post #75 - March 7th, 2015, 8:52 pm
    First trip there last night pre a show at the Vic.
    Sunshine Beef is a dish I've been wanting to try since I saw a similar dish in David Thomson's book. Delicious and chewy in a nice way.
    Crispy papaya salad was the most un-salad-like salad I've ever had: tempura green papaya, with all the other components of som tom (jumbo subbing for dried shrimp). Tasty, but not the bright fresh salad I expected.
    Crispy basil pork belly is a gem: sweet and spicy, but richer and meatier than similar sir fried basil dishes. This is a must order.
    The wild boar curry was a mixed bag: probably the best red curry I've ever had, but the fatty, gristly meat was a turn-off.

    Service was pretty good: not speedy, but quite fine for a crowded Friday evening.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #76 - December 7th, 2015, 8:54 am
    Post #76 - December 7th, 2015, 8:54 am Post #76 - December 7th, 2015, 8:54 am
    Somehow my longer post got lost. Let's just say we had the ong choy and a fried fish maw salad. Despite differing descriptions both tasted very similar and both were one-dimensional in their sweetness. After the complex and well-rounded dressings at In-On-Thai, this was disappointing.

    The boat noodles were still good, though a bit less beefy and a bit too sweet. However, maybe that was residual sweetness from the salads.

    I wonder if the place finally succumbed to its particularly complacent clientele. Every time I have been here I have been surrounded by people ordering cashew chicken and udon pad thai... Or maybe Andy's was always on the sweet side and my tastes have just changed.
  • Post #77 - December 15th, 2015, 2:36 pm
    Post #77 - December 15th, 2015, 2:36 pm Post #77 - December 15th, 2015, 2:36 pm
    I feel the same way, I like ATK's food but lots of their dishes are on the sweet-side.
  • Post #78 - December 15th, 2015, 2:53 pm
    Post #78 - December 15th, 2015, 2:53 pm Post #78 - December 15th, 2015, 2:53 pm
    I've never had a problem with sweetness at ATK, but I'm also always very clear about what I want. That many other tables are ordering sweet or Americanized food shouldn't matter. I've seen that at every one of my favorite Thai joints.
  • Post #79 - December 15th, 2015, 4:20 pm
    Post #79 - December 15th, 2015, 4:20 pm Post #79 - December 15th, 2015, 4:20 pm
    hmmmm....I'm ordering what are supposed to be their "thai menu" dishes, and/or things that I know I enjoy at other places and ATK definitely skews a bit sweeter.
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #80 - September 28th, 2016, 6:10 am
    Post #80 - September 28th, 2016, 6:10 am Post #80 - September 28th, 2016, 6:10 am
    The "vibrant true flavors of Chachoengsao Thailand" are soon to hit Edgewater with a new Andy's Thai Kitchen set to open next month along North Broadway. Currently in Lakeview, the eatery will takeover a former restaurant at 6230 N. Broadway in early October, said Travis Sutton, who runs the business with chef Andy Aroonrasameruang.

    https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016092 ... ening-soon
    Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard
  • Post #81 - September 28th, 2016, 7:37 am
    Post #81 - September 28th, 2016, 7:37 am Post #81 - September 28th, 2016, 7:37 am
    can't complain about that
  • Post #82 - September 29th, 2016, 8:12 am
    Post #82 - September 29th, 2016, 8:12 am Post #82 - September 29th, 2016, 8:12 am
    Hi,

    I took Nancy McDermott, who lived in Thailand and has written Thai cookbooks, along with a regular to dinner at ATK.

    Nancy was very happy with the meal from the Thai menu. My friend, whose a regular was unaware of the Thai menu, was surprised at the meal we had. Fortunately, he loved it.

    You can go there regularly and not realize the restaurant within the restaurant.

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #83 - October 25th, 2017, 5:18 pm
    Post #83 - October 25th, 2017, 5:18 pm Post #83 - October 25th, 2017, 5:18 pm
    Dave148 wrote:
    The "vibrant true flavors of Chachoengsao Thailand" are soon to hit Edgewater with a new Andy's Thai Kitchen set to open next month along North Broadway. Currently in Lakeview, the eatery will takeover a former restaurant at 6230 N. Broadway in early October, said Travis Sutton, who runs the business with chef Andy Aroonrasameruang.

    https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016092 ... ening-soon


    ATK Edgewater has been totally credible for me when I'm singing in parts north and need some Tom Yum or Kha steam. They recently curtailed lunch hour on weekdays but still have it weekends - their hours are not current online as of this moment, so call ahead. Pork neck here, with homemade sauce, is every bit the star it was in other incarnations.
  • Post #84 - November 6th, 2017, 8:13 pm
    Post #84 - November 6th, 2017, 8:13 pm Post #84 - November 6th, 2017, 8:13 pm
    First time at ATK Edgewater tonight and everything I tasted was as fantastic as what I've had at the Wellington/Sheffield location. That being said, they win the award for the least comfortable chairs I've ever sat in. So even if they plan on giving their food away for free to those dining in, I will either get take out, delivery or eat at the Wellington location. I can't imagine I'm alone here as the other two in my party felt similarly. On the plus side, I'm guessing that if it ever gets crowded, you won't find the crowd lingering for long.
  • Post #85 - November 14th, 2017, 3:42 pm
    Post #85 - November 14th, 2017, 3:42 pm Post #85 - November 14th, 2017, 3:42 pm
    Suffering from a bad cold, I needed something warming so I ordered delivery from ATK Edgewater. Tom Sab (hot and spicy lime broth, with shrimp) and Green Curry with chicken (tropical curry, eggplant, peapod, bamboo shoot, pepper, jalapeno, basil leaf, coconut milk). The Tom Sab has hit the spot for two meals. If the spice got to be too much, I dipped into the cucumber salad. I'll have the rest of the curry for dinner. This was my first foray with ATK as Mr. X is a reluctant Thai food eater. It didn't disappoint.
    -Mary
  • Post #86 - June 20th, 2018, 5:38 pm
    Post #86 - June 20th, 2018, 5:38 pm Post #86 - June 20th, 2018, 5:38 pm
    No issues with getting sufficient heat levels at a recent meal. The waiter claimed dishes marked “Thai spicy” are served that way by default, but it doesn’t hurt to ask anyway. This was at the original location.

    Holy guacamole is the crispy ong choy a ginormous portion now.
  • Post #87 - September 4th, 2018, 7:59 pm
    Post #87 - September 4th, 2018, 7:59 pm Post #87 - September 4th, 2018, 7:59 pm
    I'll state up front that my preference in Thai food is for the dishes commonly found in Thai restaurants in this country (USA), rather than more unusual dishes using more esoteric ingredients (many of which I've tried). Tonight was the first time I tried Andy's, with a carryout order (which may or may not suffer from transportation) from the Edgewater location (whose food may or may not be similar to the Lakeview one). Here's what I had:

    Chicken satay - meat was way, way too chewy; sauce was too thin for dipping and had insufficient peanut flavor
    Tom kha chicken - not bad, although the flavor profile leaned heavily towards tangy (lemongrass) with very little creamy (coconut), and chicken was a bit too chewy
    Panang chicken - versions I prefer lean towards predominant coconut and peanut flavors; this version leans towards hot green Thai peppers, and the dish was a bit too hot as a result - I like hot, but this was overkill
    Pad thai shrimp - this was an extremely bland, almost tasteless version of this relatively mild dish

    I realize that people who like ATK like it because of its more unusual dishes, none of which I tried. But these are the dishes I like to try, and this is what I thought. Shrug.

    EDITED TO ADD: I also like to try larb gai, but didn't want to overorder, and khao neeo mamuang for dessert, but it wasn't available last night.

    Today I ate the leftovers. The panang was quite good, and less redolent of those hot peppers; it was still very very hot, which I actually prefer. The pad thai was still bland, but benefited with a drizzle of lemon juice for serving.
    Last edited by nsxtasy on September 5th, 2018, 4:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
  • Post #88 - September 4th, 2018, 8:32 pm
    Post #88 - September 4th, 2018, 8:32 pm Post #88 - September 4th, 2018, 8:32 pm
    nsxtasy wrote:I'll state up front that my preference in Thai food is for the dishes commonly found in Thai restaurants in this country (USA), rather than more unusual dishes using more esoteric ingredients (many of which I've tried). Tonight was the first time I tried Andy's, with a carryout order (which may or may not suffer from transportation) from the Edgewater location (whose food may or may not be similar to the Lakeview one). Here's what I had:

    Chicken satay - meat was way, way too chewy; sauce was too thin for dipping and had insufficient peanut flavor
    Tom kha chicken - not bad, although the flavor profile leaned heavily towards tangy (lemongrass) with very little creamy (coconut), and chicken was a bit too chewy
    Panang chicken - versions I prefer lean towards predominant coconut and peanut flavors; this version leans towards hot green Thai peppers, and the dish was a bit too hot as a result - I like hot, but this was overkill
    Pad thai shrimp - this was an extremely bland, almost tasteless version of this relatively mild dish

    I realize that people who like ATK like it because of its more unusual dishes, none of which I tried. But these are the dishes I like to try, and this is what I thought. Shrug.

    it feels like you already know that your visit was representative of nothing significant
  • Post #89 - September 5th, 2018, 4:22 am
    Post #89 - September 5th, 2018, 4:22 am Post #89 - September 5th, 2018, 4:22 am
    Clarence Beeks wrote:it feels like you already know that your visit was representative of nothing significant

    Last week in a fit of self-loathing I went to Panda Express. Empty calories is a term I see used, Panda Express takes it a step further and serves empty food. It was as if I had not eaten, so entirely forgettable if not for the intense sense of ennui experienced Panda Express lunch would not exist.
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #90 - September 5th, 2018, 7:58 am
    Post #90 - September 5th, 2018, 7:58 am Post #90 - September 5th, 2018, 7:58 am
    Clarence Beeks wrote:it feels like you already know that your visit was representative of nothing significant

    Not true. It was representative of a restaurant that I had not tried, that I found out does not do a very good job with those dishes. It's extremely significant for anyone who likes those dishes when they're well prepared, or find themselves dining with those who do. Maybe not significant for you, but isn't that what LTH is for, to share all opinions so that each of us can decide what is and isn't relevant to our own tastes and preferences? The two snarky replies only diminish and debase the level of discourse, and add nothing to the knowledge base about this restaurant.

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