Aria, Chicago, Illinois Restaurant Details

Food:

Just off the beaten path in the Loop's Fairmont Hotel, this upscale sushi specialist stands on its own with consistently delicious, Asian-inspired plates set down by attentive servers in a quiet, pretty space; despite a few complaints that it's a little overpriced, many rank it worth the side trip from downtown traffic, especially for a business lunch.

Food:

I had one of the best experiences in my life in here! I am never going to go here again!!!! Ever!!!!

Food:

Decent hotel restaurant, ate at the bar. Bartender was very nice and efficient. I was very happy with my steak frites and my brother was happy with his burger. Starter salads were very good as well. Only minus is very pricey wine list for an average selection. Could do much better at those price points.

Food:

I have to give fair warning for the next stop for restaurant week. It is really good food. The Google directions to get there are horrid. I parked to eat at Aria about 30 minutes before my reservation and was 15 minutes late. Aria is in the Fairmont hotel, and it was pretty much dumb luck that I ended up finding the place. Once I got there, they were closing up from the lunch service but seated me anyway. The place is very flashy yet elegant. The first thing you'd probably notice would be the marble tables with peach accents. The person who designed this place wasn't afraid of color and shows it with the vibrant black and red carpet up to the red overhead lights contrasting from the dark brown curtains. The decor definitely fits with that Asian mindset and I must say I was reminded of my travels to Hong Kong by the warm and inviting atmosphere.

The Thai Ginger Kitana, immediately jumped out at me from the cocktail menu. The drink was one of those dangerous types where the presence of alcohol goes completely undetected. All you get is the tangy taste of sweetness combining with fresh lime juice and a little spice from the ginger. Think of it as a limeade with a little bit of a kick. The naan, is the bread offering there. The naan is some of the best I've had and a welcomed change from the normal bread and butter that you normally get before a meal. The naan stands up on it's own but it would be foolish to pass on the four tasty accompaniments. The spicy spicy tomato chutney was my favorite, followed by the curry lentil. The spinach and yogurt sauces were also good but not as memorable.

The beet salad scored extra points for presentation, displaying the bright colors of the beet are easily noticeable The sweet beets go well with the spicy arugula. The candied walnuts at sweetness and crunch and the tangy vinaigrette. Next up was the short ribs. In this dish the star of the show was the greens. They were tender but not cooked to death, had a porky taste to them that reminds me of the greens I enjoyed in my childhood (and still do today). The subtle soy flavor in the background added something that made these greens probably some of the best that I've ever tasted. For me, the greens stole the show, which is a pretty tough feat to accomplish considering how good the perfectly cooked and shaped little spheres of potato were. Not to mention how aggressively seasoned, yet tender the short ribs were.

For desert, I was served a platter of truffles. One garnished with sesame that was made with dark chocolate that was so decadent that you could feel the richness of it before it hit your palate. The other dark chocolate truffle had a rich fruit flavor to it. My favorite had notes of coffee cinnamon and you guessed it caramel with milk chocolate. The only truffle I didn't care for was the white chocolate which was overwhelmingly sweet and tasted like a Hershey's cookies and cream bar minus the cookies. It was the only thing of the day that completely failed for me.

Food:

I ate here with friends for restaurant week. I had the pre-fix menu, which is 33 dollars during restaurant week (an excellent deal). Service was excellent and the ambiance was distinctly high-class (I was out of place in a t-shirt and jeans). The fusion dishes were interesting, though many of them fell a bit short of perfect. Presentation was exquisite. It would be outside of my price range when not during restaurant week.

Food:

Don't be put off by the fact that it's in a hotel, this place is superb! I went here for Chicago Restaurant Week in 2011. Most of the dishes are light, modern takes on your favorite classic Asian dishes. And the service was flawless, to boot.