Eats
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It’s well known that in any big city, some of the best restaurants are those dinky hole-in-the-walls with a dry cleaner on one side and a convenience store on the other. They have the most authentic, the most ethnically accurate and the most delicious food, even compared to some of the most elegant of restaurants. Chicago is no exception to this rule. The best hole-in-the-wall I’ve found recently? Garlic and Chili. And yes, there is a dry cleaners right next door.
Although Thai food is not my favorite, I was willing to give this place a try when a friend of mine could not stop raving about the food. The restaurant (if it can even be called that) is tiny, with barely enough seating for 10 people. But seating is not needed when they have their same delicious food available for takeout and delivery daily.
The menu is huge and its name Garlic and Chili is ridiculously apropos as the two ingredients seem to appear in almost every dish. I decided to go with a classic for my first G & C experience, ordering the Pad See Ew with shrimp. The dish was delicious, with fantastic Thai flavors and chock full of shrimp (as opposed to many Thai places that skimp on the protein). And the portions are huge, easily big enough to share. Other favorites among the group I was dining with? The Pad Thai and the Glass Noodles, a fried noodle dish with egg, mushrooms, green onions and bell peppers.
You really can’t go wrong with the menu. Their list of appetizers is extensive, including Crispy Thai Rolls filled with cabbage, garlic, carrots and tofu, and Shrimp Dumplings served with homemade sweet and sour sauce. Everything is classically prepared and can even be made-to-order depending on likes, dislikes or allergies. They even have plentiful dessert options, including coconut ice cream and fried bananas.
Yes, the restaurant is basically the world’s biggest (or smallest) hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant, but it also happens to have some of the best Thai food in the city. So go against your instincts and instead of choosing the fancy, white tablecloth Asian restaurant, go for Garlic and Chili.
