IMMM Thai Street food.

It's not open yet, but I know it is going to need its own thread. I spotted this place yesterday while on my way to grab a bowl of Pho on Argyle. I was lucky enough to catch someone working on the remodel and was able to snap a picture of the menu on the chalkboard wall. I inquired when they open, and while not set in stone, they hope to open by this Sunday! I will be out of town for the holidays, and all I want for Christmas is to come home to some reports on the food!





I asked Wanpen and Pramote about it, assuming the gossip has already made the rounds in the Thai community. They told me it was being opened either by the owners of Spoon Thai with a sister and/or brother running it. Here is a snippet from their own website.

At Immm, we serve food found at food stalls and carts in the streets of Thailand: Khao rad gang (cooked food in steam table served over rice), Som tum (papaya salad), Arhaan Tam Sung (food made to order), Kuay Tiew (soup noodles), and Thai style breakfast rice plates.

Because we aim to make food as authentic as we can, some dishes may be very spicy or pungent. Others may contain bones or spices (seeds and leaves). We also may not be vegetarian friendly due to above reason but we will try our best to accommodate. If you get past these, we are sure you will enjoy the food!

4949 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640

Yep, one of Spoon Thai's owners . . . posted in the Openings & Closing threads here: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=41583&start=810&sp=505278

Here are 3 more links:
Immm Rice & Beyond Website:
http://www.immmchicago.com/

Immm Rice & Beyond Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/Immm-Rice-Beyo ... e_internal

Eater article:
http://chicago.eater.com/2015/12/3/9845 ... ptown-thai

Immm Rice & Beyond, the unique Thai street food spot in Uptown from the co-owner of Spoon Thai, opened on Sunday.

http://chicago.eater.com/2015/12/21/106 ... ening-thai

stoked, looking to stop by after work this evening

We stopped for lunch today and I'm very glad we did. The food was excellent and the people couldn't be nicer. Ordered one dish off the Khao Rad Gaeng menu (multiple choices prepared ahead and served from a steam table: pick your entree and rice or noodles, plus you can add various "extras" to your plate; very quick meal), Gaeng Tae Poe, sour curry with pork belly and Chinese morning glory. The curry was sweet, slightly hot, and had the perfect balance of sour for my taste: a very nice dish. From the Arhaan Tam Sang (cooked to order) menu, we had Khao Soi, chicken and egg noodles in northern style curry served with pickles, basil, shallots, and a terrific hot sauce. Definitely reminded me of eating in Chiang Mai and that's a very good thing.

They are still working out the kitchen and could easily get swamped by a rush, but today we had no wait along side maybe another dozen or so diners just before noon. No question I will head back soon hoping for some Larb Kua. You should go.

Had a really nice lunch today, i'm not one to remember Thai dish names but ground pork in curry paste and crispy fried catfish with thai eggplant and crispy basil both hit the right notes. They definitely don't shy away from the funk and as someone who does most of his Thai dining solo, it's nice to be able to sample a few things without ordering $40 worth of take out.

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Sensory overload, overwhelmed, love at first bite, first visit a blur, suffice to say if I was not heading out the door I'd be slipping into Hyperbole Overdrive.

I sense obsession lurking in the shadows.

Noon, Dew, co-owners IMMM Lunch companion Marc E bottom left of frame



IMMM, Count Me a Fan!

Going for lunch today. Nice to see Marc E is part of the crew after all those times at Barn.

I wasn't blown away by my first visit, but I chalk that up to poor ordering on my part and going to a steam table place several hours after lunchtime (and also to having recently come back from LA). I'm eager to return at a more standard time to try other selections. (Pro tip: if you don't look Thai, you may want to politely ignore the cheerful staff's recommendations).

Of note, the portions are enormous -- it doesn't seem to matter how many entrees you order, as the price differential apparently only accounts for the greater variety, not the quantity (which is rather a lot).

Also of note: CASH ONLY, at least so far.

Great lunch with different flavors than other northern Thai places in town. Khao soy curry noodles were rich, sour bamboo and chicken, pork belly and morning glory, and good old som rum papaya salad were all very enjoyable. Tge iced coffee and cha yen were fresh-tasting and not overly sweetened. The rotating menu items mean that each visit could be different, which is attractive. Even the pad Thai looked better than average, so you can take less adventurous eaters with confidence.

Try something you've never had before, or at least get a tiny taste first. Avoid the standard Americanized dishes (not many of those though) and you'll be better off.

Rrecommended for the food and casual atmosphere. We let them know we were "friends of Gary" and I believe they appreciated the support.

swingbossa wrote:Try something you've never had before

Fantastic advice.

Had lunch with Steve Z and Jazzfood at IMMM a couple of days ago, we seriously over ordered, just about cleared the table anyway.

Here are a few highlights, I've been twice and will put up an in-depth post after a few more visits.

Southern style curry with fermented fish guts
Funky fermented flavor, powerful. Should have George Clinton playing in the background



Grilled Pork Neck
Best version I've had in a couple of years



Pork stuffed napa cabbage soup order came with three, this is my serving
Clear clean flavor. Delicate



IMMM Thai, Count me a Fan!

An excellent first impression. Lots of new food I hadn't had that was delicious (and funky). For my taste though, as good as the pork neck was, and it was great, I prefer Andy's- 1st @ TAC Quick, but currently @ ATK. This is right up there though. There were some fantastic flavors jumping off the plates and out of the bowls, and service couldn't have been nicer. Add this to the other 1/2 dozen or so wonderful (in their own right) Thai restaurants Chicago is blessed to have.

Pix from a recent meal for 3 (not the 8 it looks like it could be for) even better than the last. Fast becoming one of my favorite go to's in a town blessed with an embarrassing richness of great Thai food.

We were a bit disappointed in our visit here after being excited at good Thai at Argyle (where we shop consistently).

Som tum with salted egg was solid, but it was not tenderized enough (at all?) and they didn't do more than roughly crumble the egg over the top. I now have the idea of using the salty white and emulsifying it with the dressing for a creamy texture, ala a shan noodle salad.

Boat noodles with pork were good, a steal at the current price point, but has a medicinal note to the broth that detracted a bit. Also I think I like a beef version better.

Grilled pork neck appetizer was also good with an excellent dipping sauce, but I couldn't see that it really held up to the many better versions around town.

The biggest disappointment was our steam table plate. The shrimp paste pork had no discernible shrimp paste flavor and was pale with no caramelization. If you had told me they just boiled some pork belly and sliced it up I would only have been slightly skeptical. This pork just got dipped into leftover sauce from pork neck appetizer to add some sort of flavor. The crispy fish with pineapple we ordered thinking I was getting something akin to the ethereal fried fish at In-on-Thai and instead got a tough batter and overcooked fish in really bad takeout style sweet and sour sauce. After eating the wonderful sweet and sour squirrel fish, this was just a pale mockery. The wife is a duck fiend so we got the red curry duck. It was actually quite good, better than the overly sweet version I had last time I was at Rainbow.

They also let us taste the fermented fish guy curry. It seemed like a tasty sauce, but I don't think it compared to In-on-Thai's.

Finally, I have to comment on the whole setup. Every person that comes in has to be personally tutored on the ordering system. I just don't see what the confusion adds since it is decidedly not a cafeteria style setup and the prices are not any cheaper than other Thai joints. The 3 entree plate is the only way to go or you are just ordering an incredible amount of rice. The food also took a surprisingly long time to come out considering the concept and poor execution.

I really wanted to like it more because the idea of getting three distinct dishes without ordering full size portions is great. I will definitely give it one more shot, before writing it off.

My family of 4 had an incredible dinner here a couple of weeks ago. It was so intensely flavorful that I had a spice head rush when we left (btw, has anyone here ever experienced that? I have it sometimes with amazing Indian and had it once in Thailand.) We ordered from the counter after being graciously offered a taste of everything available--so hard to choose as everything was divine--rich is flavor, unusual, and completely authentic--like no Thai I have ever had in the U.S. We also ordered pork neck, khao soy and pad thai for my pickier youngest child--it was funky but good. The
owner spent a lot of time talking with us about his life and his hopes for the
restaurant--he told me his cook came over from the old Thai market that was in the Bale spot--interesting. I am excited to go back--I would love to have a party here. Delicious!

Interesting point about the cook. I've noted that the food seems like the steam table stuff from the old Thai Grocery. That's a compliment. It was a one of a kind place. I appreciate it now more than ever. Tiny but packed with a compete selection. The owner imported tremendous stuff. The closest comparison would be some of the more old school Italian and German delis - in terms of the owner's work to get really top stuff from back home into a smallish store and also to have great fresh food true to the old country.

had dinner there the other day with a couple of folks and while I was waiting they were happy to let me taste pretty much everything in the steam table.

The closest comparison for me is probably the filipino turo turos, but my experience at IMMM was better than most of those experiences

I was impressed by how hard the cook was trying to approximate the flavors found in Thailand (even those that weren't as appealing to me, such as the sweetness of the par lo). For example for the fermented fish gut curry, he couldn't find a good purveyor of the guts locally and would order a jarred product from LA which he then cooked with fresh turmeric and other spices for quite some time to use in the sauce. That curry, he mentioned was a particular favorite of the thai customers and is almost always available.

It surprises me also that the isaan sausage hasn't been mentioned as much (available as a side), unlike most versions around town, the balls of sausage are not uniform in size and shape and they are clearly hand-formed with a pretty great loose texture.

I'll definitely be back to try some of the other offerings that weren't available on the day I went, such as the morning glory stir fry

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I really appreciate the fact that while Immm Rice & Beyond has an incredible array of wonderfully interesting aggressively flavored offerings on-hand they constantly experiment "try this, we're thinking of putting it on the menu"

Grilled intestine with dipping sauce/Jaew


Lest people get the impression IMMM is all about flash and funk one of more delicious dishes we had Friday lunch was Gang Jued Nor Mai, Fresh bamboo shoots in delicate pork riblets soup. Tender pork in mild clean flavored broth with a hint of textural counterpoint from bamboo shoot.

Gang Jued Nor Mai, Fresh bamboo shoots in delicate pork riblets soup


IMMM Thai, Count me a Fan!

zim wrote:It surprises me also that the isaan sausage hasn't been mentioned as much (available as a side), unlike most versions around town, the balls of sausage are not uniform in size and shape and they are clearly hand-formed with a pretty great loose texture.

Cheeku, I noticed that too, and although I prefer firmer isaan sausage, I liked the flavor a lot.

Had interesting conversation with Dew Suriyawan (Chef originally from Chiang Mai) about using a food processor rather than a mortar and pestle to make nam prik. Dew, though he seems accepting of so much, is really not in favor (not surprisingly) of using a food processor as he feels (and I agree) the finely chopped food particles don't "meld" as well as they would if you beat the hell of them with a pestle. We greatly enjoyed the nam prik with mackerel (which is becoming my favorite fish):

Had lunch here yesterday- still firing on all burners. Part of what I enjoy most, and makes them unique is the steam table, a Thai Manny's if you will. Chatting during lunch, they told me they're considering a more ala carte approach via table service. Not removing the steam table, but taking some of the emphasis off it. I get needing to adapt, but when asked I told them to play to their strengths of being different and that it's too early (2 mos) to change up concept wise. I know it's hard to explain their version of meat and 3 to everyone that walks in, so suggested some pictures might help etc... I love perusing the options w/their guidance. Here's hoping they continue to deliver some of the most interesting Thai food in town, in the same way they set out to do.

Jazzfood wrote:Had lunch here yesterday- still firing on all burners. Part of what I enjoy most, and makes them unique is the steam table, a Thai Manny's if you will. Chatting during lunch, they told me they're considering a more ala carte approach via table service. Not removing the steam table, but taking some of the emphasis off it. I get needing to adapt, but when asked I told them to play to their strengths of being different and that it's too early (2 mos) to change up concept wise. I know it's hard to explain their version of meat and 3 to everyone that walks in, so suggested some pictures might help etc... I love perusing the options w/their guidance. Here's hoping they continue to deliver some of the most interesting Thai food in town, in the same way they set out to do.

Week ago when we visited on Saturday night, it was all table service. Perhaps they're just experimenting with table service in the evenings. At lunch, ordering at the counter seems to make more sense.

Here for lunch and love the place. I had the Penang curry. Great! Issan sausage was good but could have been a bit more sour. Other dishes were hits. I'll be back soon.

David - that's namprik pla tu (various English spellings). One of my favorites. It is widely available around town if you ask, though this one ultra-funky dip with a scaly, salty, wide-eyed companion doesn't even make the official translations on the erstwhile secret menus unlocked by Erik so long ago. In fact, namprik pla tun was on the first Spoon "underground" translation, I believe.

Hey Jeff,

The ways of nam prik are twisty and turn-y.

David Thompson called nam prik the "most ancient" form of Thai food preparation, so names and ingredients have no doubt evolved significantly over the past half-millennium or so. Regarding this dish at Immm, Dew has checked out this thread and sent me an email saying, "I saw someone said that the Numprik in your photo is 'Numprik Pla tu" ..."Pla tu' means Mackerel and it is always on the side at Spoon, my other restaurant, with 'Num Prik Ka Pi.' Currently we offer that version, but what you got was 'Num Prik Ma Karm,' a variation of Num Prik which contain young tamarind and ground pork."

It's complicated.

David Hammond wrote:It's complicated.

Nomenclature may be complicated, deliciousness not so much.

Monday lunch (2.22.16), Nam Prik Kapi-Plah Tu (I think) IMMM Thai

Interesting. Complicated for sure, which is why I'm glad to get the details on just what namprik is being offered. They are as different as mustard, ketchup and Alfredo. Every time I've had a composed plate of dip with a side of short mackerel (which is many but never from Immm) the namprik appeared to have pla tu flakes in the dip. To complicate matters, pla tu is often mis-translated as "tuna" based on the false cognate. Namprik (dip) obviously varies wildly from the effluvia of kapi (shrimp paste) to sticky sweet chicken nugget sauce (pao) to the mellow meat "ragu'" (ong). I've never been served pork dip with a mackerel on the side. And I can't say I've seen the variety called "karm" in Chicago, either. Looking forward to it.

I had a great experience at IMMM with the pick-three plus sticky rice system, getting tastes of a number of dishes before making my choices. I ended up with the sour curry soup with chicken legs, the spicy basil garlic ground chicken, and the simple sliced pork belly. Rather than focusing on the comparative regional provenance or effectiveness of these dishes versus other spots in town, I will offer simply that the food was delicious in the way the best home cooking or soul foods are. I'm thrilled they are here and hope they can make this service model sustainable.

Jazzfood wrote:Lots of new food I hadn't had that was delicious (and funky)

G Wiv wrote:Funky fermented flavor, powerful. Should have George Clinton playing in the background

I get the sense you guys might be using the term funky too much in front of the owners, as funky was used no less than 5 times in describing some of the dishes we had Sun evening.

botd wrote:We were a bit disappointed in our visit here after being excited at good Thai at Argyle (where we shop consistently). I really wanted to like it more because the idea of getting three distinct dishes without ordering full size portions is great. I will definitely give it one more shot, before writing it off.

our group overall was not wowed by IMMM either and for those of us that had been to In-On & Rainbow, both of those venues were by far our preference. I too will give IMMM a couple more visits.

I really want to love this place with its affable ownership, unique business model, and unapologetic approach to authentic seasoning and ingredient sourcing + I like supporting a younger generation of business owners.

But in two tries, none of the food has particularly stood out to me. And perhaps its due to my issue with the three dish format. Since these dishes all lean on the saucy side, they kind of run together on the plate (and no, I'm not one of those freaky food separators). With dishes this complexly seasoned, I like to savor them on their own, a bite at a time. And indeed there are a lot of intense flavors going on, which I appreciate. I have seen images of the dishes, elsewhere online, served individually in bowls, but I have yet to crack that ordering code.

And speaking of the ordering method, it seems like they are still waffling on the issue. We were handed menus (which included the dishes available on the steam table) and a waitress took our order as we stood there. I then found it odd that I witnessed other diners ordering directly off the line & being handed their plates right away. We ordered a few things cooked-to-order which were served before our steam table fare, which then took a good 30 minutes to arrive at the table.

Back to the food. Highlights have been the funky bamboo preps and fish balls. The sauces are definitely complex and deep. Oddly though, a few of the curries I ordered on this last trip were under-sauced (while still blurring together on the plate). The plates seem to arrive hastily composed– I know I just said I dig the bamboo dishes, but the last round of sour shoots and chicken in red curry had a ratio of about 8:1 bamboo to chicken and same was true of a real oddball (dayglo green!) veg dish of bamboo, 3 kinds of mushroom, ya-nang, & cha-om. It was like 80% bamboo, had a few tiny mushrooms, and barely any of the exotic veg. And the noodles– cold and overcooked on both trips. I should have warned my dining companion, he barely touched them.

Made-to-order dishes have fared better. Chunky nugs of Isaan sausage, charred pork collar, and the best dish on the table, deep fried chicken skin, which was really not very sophisticated, served simply with Shark brand sriracha.

And finally, it really pains me to admit this, but some of their dishes actually push the limits of my Western palate. The funk starts to turn a corner towards the rank. My buddy orderd Jiew Pak Pang (Northern Thai soup with vine spinach and naem). He asked me to take a bite and tell him what it reminded me of. Pond scum, it was like accidentally getting a mouthful of water from a less-than-pristine swimming hole. I know that there is a whole spectrum of fermented-to-rotten flavors that us gringos are not accustomed to and its not the fish guts curry I'm talking about, I like that. I also dig nam prik kapi. But that soup, in particular, just really tasted gross to me. I guess I met my match on that one.

I'm not ready to give up on this place. Maybe once they iron out a more transparent ordering process, I'll find it easier to piece together a meal to my liking.