Tag Archives: chicago asian food

So we tried out Urban Belly, this hipster spot in  the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago and although I appreciated what these young creative types were trying to do – to offer affordable innovative Asian food in a minimalist setting – the taste of the food just wasn’t all that good. Otherwise, the concept and atmospherics were okay – It’s a small storefront next to a laundromat in an unlikely little strip mall in an old neighborhood that seemed to now be primarily Hispanic and young creative (read penniless) class types. There were a few long wooden tables with square blocks of wood as seat. You order at the counter and then stake out a spot at a communal table. All fine. The food- we had chicken and mushroom dumplings, a cold marinated eggplant, short ribs (supposedly) atop rice, and udon noodles with fishballs and shrimp – was dominated by a sweet seasoning which didn’t do much for me. I prefer salty or savory or short of that, variety.