Both my mom and I played hooky and too the day off of work so we could go out to lunch. She’s wanted to go to Big Bowl for a while, and I wanted to go because I’m always looking for new places to eat. We started off with the spicy peanut noodles because it was recommended to me by a co-worker. It was very good, and I was surprised how much they gave you.

The waiter also brought out a complimentary appetizer because it was our first time there. I’m not going to lie, it looked really gross and I was hoping the waiter would say there was meat in it. It looked like calamari but it was just eggplant, mushrooms, and peppers. I was a big girl and tried it though. It was just ok, and I don’t think I would ever want it again.

My love for stir fries has grown over the last few months, so I decided to try the “make your own.” This was an awesome choice because I could add all the pineapple I wanted! I was also excited for some tofu because I hadn’t been able to make it in the last week. This was where everything fell apart. Their tofu was AWFUL. Yes, it earned every one of those capital letters. It tasted like it wasn’t pressed at all, and that it was silken tofu, not the water packed variety that’s best used in stir fries. It’s almost like they had no tofu knowledge. I was so disappointed, and my poor mom felt awful for me. Not a good experience. If I ever go back, I’d have to go with just a plain veggie stir fry.

I got together with some friends this past week and we all went to Revolution Brewing Co. in Logan Square. It was a pretty cool place. They don’t take reservations, so we waited for a good hour and a half, but that doesn’t bother me. I was so excited to eat here because they have vegan friendly options and we’re not talking anything like what the burbs has. Chicago is in a whole different league. They had seitan here! I ordered the Italian Seitan pizza, which was topped with cremini mushrooms, seitan, red onions, and smoked tomato sauce. I can’t tell you how excited I was. Oh, and it was DELICIOUS! I wish that place was closer so I could pick up some every now and then. I guess I’ll just have to try and make my own… or drag my friends back there.

The restaurant was WAY to dark to take a picture, so you guys get to check out my leftovers. Still looks great.

I’ve always been a person of routine, even when it came down to my food. No matter where I’d go, I’d rarely stray from my usual. Well, today I was going to try something different. Not a bad time to do so, since I’m really not hooked into any particular dish at any place (unless I have no other options). I’ve had the Japanese pan noodles from Noodles & Co. a couple times, and liked for the most part, but today I was going to try the Bangkok Curry. I was excited to try something new!

To my disappointment, it tasted just like the Japanese pan noodles, just with different spices. Such a bummer. It felt like all they changed was the kind of noodle in the dish. It was still good, but just not what I had expected. I think next time I’ll try the Indonesian Peanut Sautee and hope for the best.

I have a love/hate relationship with one of my favorite restaurants, Alt Thai. On one hand, their food is amazing, the atmosphere is delightful, and presentation is beautiful. On the other, the kind of service you will be getting is a total toss up. I used to go with my mom for lunch and the last time we were there, we didn’t get our food until 50 minutes after we sat down, and I got mine before my mom got hers. She had to take hers to go because I couldn’t be gone longer than an hour. It was awful. Anyway, many months has passed and I decided to go back there and it was not disappointing.

I got a cashew rice dish with tofu. This was the first time I had any of there dishes with vegetables. Before I stopped eating meat, I would always get the chicken tempura, rice and chicken pot stickers. I was addicted to chicken and very anti veggies. So after so long of being there, anything on the menu sounded appetizing so I tried the vegetable pot stickers, along with my meal and it was heavenly.

I also would like to thank the restaurant for responding to my email. When it comes to local places, I like to email them first to find out what I am able to eat. They gave a very helpful response and I really appreciate it.