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Gaijin – Chicago

written by Parita Leave a Comment

Gaijin is Chicago’s first okonomiyaki restaurant, offering both Hiroshima and Osaka styles of the savory Japanese pancake. 

My Inner Shakti goes out to eat

Ambiance

Gaijin has a cool, hip vibe like so many restaurants in the West Loop. The restaurant itself can seat about 60 people, so it still feels private and intimate, and there’s some outdoor dining space available too. Personally, I loved how each table came with it’s own grill to ensure your food stays hot as it comes out.

As someone who tried to grab a reservation twice before finally snagging one, I’d say not to wait when doing so.

Service

The service at Gaijin was perfect. I felt like we were waited on without it being too much. Our waitress made some great recommendations, and overall, different people checked in on us throughout the evening.

Food

In terms of food, we really enjoyed everything we tried. The menu itself is broken down by starters, shared plates, sides, pancakes, dessert, and the tasting menu.

Because we couldn’t exactly choose what we wanted, we decided to go for the $39/person tasting menu. It included pickled veggies, noodles, a pancake, and dessert. Lots of food (happy hubby’s who go to finish off what we couldn’t…haha)!

The picked veggies were good. Not something I’d order on their own, but as a light starter, they worked.

Next came the noodles! These were simple yet tasty. My favorite part of this dish was the veggies. They were sautéed to perfection!

Next came the pancakes! I ordered the tofu and my sister went with the shrimp. These beauties – with cabbage, veggies, mayo sauce, and protein – were delish! I would come back to Gaijin just to eat my pancake again! The grill kept them super hot which was nice because you’ll definitely want to savor each bite.

And finally came dessert. Not my favorite course. My mochi donut came with a chocolate topping and my sister’s with a macha one. The thing that bothered me was that the donut itself wasn’t sweet AT ALL! I don’t love super sugary desserts but I need a little bit of sweet, especially after all that savory!

All in all, we really loved our meal at Gaijin! My sister and I both agreed that if we came back, we would order a couple of shared plates and the pancakes. That would make for a very satisfying meal!

Written on June 16, 2021 Related:Chicago, Restaurant review

Last Full Weekend in Chicago

written by Parita Leave a Comment

I took a big exhale as I typed out the title of this post! I can’t believe the less than one week countdown is on. So bittersweet in so many ways, but also just so very sweet.

I wanted this weekend to be full of family time. While Kaiden and I leave next weekend, Vishnu doesn’t come until 12 days later when his fellowship ends.

Friday

Friday was a good day overall. I worked, ran some errands, and baked mini cheesecakes (because I wanted to!). We had a simple dinner, not so simple bedtime routine (because Mr. K didn’t want to go to bed!), and a night of television hopping. We started with an HBO show called Starstruck, moved on to the a docuseries called The Windsors, and ended the night with some Jason Statham movie. Well, Vishnu did anyways. I fell asleep about 25 minutes into The Windsors!

Saturday

Saturday ended up starting later than I expected. Closer to 7:30! Kaiden decided to sleep in a little!

As soon as he woke up, he reminded me that we forgot to wrap daddy’s presents, so that’s what we did first thing. Then we delivered the presents to daddy in bed, ate breakfast, got ready, and went to brunch.

Y’all! M Henry is a must try little place in Andersonville. The food was fantastic! Vishnu and I couldn’t get enough of the Blackberry Bliss Pancakes we ordered for our table.

We then headed to my sister’s place for the next few hours where we sat and talked and caved to Kaiden’s demands! Her SIL graduated from undergrad, so her in-laws were in town. We hadn’t seen them in a long time, and it was fun to catch-up…and I think they enjoyed Kaiden’s shenanigans!

We now had a tired boy on our hands who skipped his nap, which meant a quick dinner, no bath, and an intended early bedtime. Bedtime didn’t happen any earlier than normal, but he fell asleep right away, so there’s that!

I spent the next few hours reading on the couch and starting this blog post while Vishnu watched some Angelina Jolie movie.

Sunday

Sunday started off with pancakes and fruit. We then got ready and headed to the park to launch rockets and swing. I’m pretty sure Kaiden was a little disappointed because none of his friends could make it. He kept asking me who he should play with, and when I would say, me or daddy, he would reply with, “But I want to play with my friends!”

We eventually convinced him to come home, and then it was lunch, nap, workout for mama, wake up, and more park time. We launched rockets with K’s friend Roger, and they also chased each other around with Roger’s bubble guns.

We ended the day/weekend with dinner, bath time (much much needed), and little bedtime drama per the usual!

Overall, our last full weekend in Chicago was a great one! Lots of time outside and with family.

Hope y’all had a good one too!

Written on June 14, 2021 Related:Chicago, Uncategorized, Weekend

A Winter Staycation in Chicago

written by Parita Leave a Comment

When I used to think about staycations, I’d think of staying in your own home and doing nothing. This never sounded fun to me because I’m someone who can always find something to do – dishes, laundry, organizing, etc. I can’t just sit in my own home and do nothing.

When my sister suggested Vishnu and I go on a short trip in February (she even sent me dates that her and my BIL could watch K), I hesitated at first because who wants to travel in February in the Midwest…? Not me!

But then Vishnu suggested we do a staycation in Chicago, but instead of staying home, we stay at a hotel in the city for a couple of nights. Now that was something I could get on board with.

I messaged my sister to double check that the weekend we were thinking would work for her and Adarsh, and then I told Vishnu to pick a hotel.

He choose the Langham Chicago. A little pricey (but still 1/2 the price of what it would be), but his logic (which I agreed with) was that if we were going on an actual vacation, we’d be paying a lot more. Given that we’re not going on an actual vacation for a while, this felt like the perfect little splurge.

So here’s the thing about doing a staycation during Covid…it’s super relaxing because you can’t do much anyways.

On Friday, we got to the hotel around 4 pm. We checked in and then literally watched TV and talked until it was time to figure out dinner. I have a ton of Lettuce Entertain You dollars, so we ordered in from RPM (also my fav restaurant in the city). We watched Crazy Rich Asians before passing out for the night.

Saturday morning started later than it ever has. I didn’t sleep well the night before, so I stayed in bed until 11 am! UNHEARD OF! We then ordered breakfast from Wildberry (Vishnu’s fav). Next up, a lonnnnng walk around the city. Thankfully, the weather was great, so we ended up covering close to 6 miles. We walked mostly along the lake, which was literally a white winter wonderland. We can home, legs aching, and opted to watch TV and chill. When hunger hit again, we ordered in from Small Cheval (I got a delish lettuce wrapped veggie burger!). We ended the night with the Netflix movie The White Tiger.

Sunday…time to go home. I woke up early, squeezed in a quick workout, and showered, while Vishnu ran and got us coffee. We then hung out for a bit in our room before picking up lunch for the gang back home.

In some ways, it feels like we literally did nothing. In my eyes, that was the best part. Vishnu and I haven’t had time like this together in a very long time (like so many couples), and we’re so lucky to have my sister and BIL closeby and the resources to do something like this.

If at all possible, I highly recommend it, even if for one night. Although, we did spend a lot of our time watching videos of Kaiden, and then FaceTiming with them back at home! Ha! That’s just how it goes I suppose.

As for K, he had a blast with his masa and masi. I was a little worried because when I talked to him about the weekend and what he could expect, he told me that he didn’t want them to come over and that he wanted to go with mama and dada. But of course, like with everything else, he had so much fun. In fact, he was super sad when Aekta and Adarsh left our place on Sunday. Breaking my heart all over the place!

Overall thoughts on the Langham – We said we give it a 4/5. It’s a beautiful hotel, in a great part of town, but I’m sure we could’ve found a comparable property for much less than what we even paid. I will say though, if you’re going to use all the facilities and eat at the restaurants, this could be a worthwhile investment.

Written on February 22, 2021 Related:Chicago, Relationships, Travel

Edwards Apple Orchard

written by Parita 2 Comments

It’s been a minute since I’ve checked in on here. Honestly, this space is taking the back seat right now, but I’m staying true to my word and checking in when I can.

I wanted to share about our day trip to Edwards Apple Orchard because it exceeded all of our expectations. And most importantly, Mr. Kaiden had an amazing time!

Vishnu and I decided that we wanted to visit an orchard, but we were a little (lot!) late to the game. A lot of the nearby orchards are closed for the season. Vishnu did a bit more research and came across Edwards Apple Orchard. The website looked great and there were three varieties of apples still available for picking.

The only con was that Edwards is 86 miles from where we live in the city. But we decided to go for it. We brought our own lunch since the restaurants are closed, and headed out fairly early.

We got there around 10:45 and headed straight to the area where the tractors meet you to go picking. The first thing I noticed was how everyone was wearing a mask. Phew! One worry off the list. The second thing I noticed was just how beautiful this orchard was, and how well organized the place seemed. The process to get our tickets, get on a tractor, and go to the orchard was super quick and easy. Everyone was social distancing, and it just seemed so seamless.

The orchards themselves still had plenty of delicious apples to pick from, and we definitely went to all three. We got a basket for $48 (up to 6 people) and filled it 3/4 of the way. Kaiden had the best time being on Vishnu’s shoulders to pick the highest apples!

After were were done picking apples, we headed back to the main area where the big store/barn is. Again, there was a line to get in with markers on the ground, and everyone was still wearing their masks. The barn itself was spacious and smelled like heaven (fresh donuts!). We got a few goodies – spicy strawberry jam, salad dressings, popcorn, etc. And of course, we couldn’t leave without getting a few donuts, which in my opinion were the highlight of the trip. So warm with a crispy sugar +cinnamon exterior and a soft pillowy interior. YUMMMMMMM!

We debated going to the huge pumpkin patch on site but decided to eat lunch and head home. We were hoping Kaiden would nap a bit on our way back, but he didn’t! Of course!

I can only imagine how magical this place is during non-Covid times, but because we had such a great experience, I wanted to share in case any of you are local readers and are looking for a new orchard to visit!

Thanks for a great experience, Edwards Apple Orchard!

Written on October 13, 2020 Related:Chicago, Family, Weekend

Weekend Rehash – Family Time

written by Parita 3 Comments

What an awesome weekend! Like I mentioned in Friday’s post, Niel and Neelam, my BIL and his girlfriend, visited, and we had a blast.

Let’s start from the beginning…

FRIDAY

Friday started off with the usual routine – drop K off at school, work out, Trader Joe’s run.

But then for 1.5 hours, I deviated from the norm and met up a blog reader and new friend, Mira. We met up for a coffee and probably could’ve chatted for another hour. We talked about everything from new motherhood to mom guilt to making mom friends to everything in between. It was such a refreshing meet-up because we were on the same wave length about so much. I’m so happy we made the time to meet. Here’s to next time and more authentic friendships.

I spent the rest of my afternoon cleaning and prepping dinner (lasagna!). Vishnu got home a little earlier than normal, so we hung out before it was time to get Kaiden and before N&N arrived.

The rest of the evening was spent eating, playing, and talking. Even I went to bed a lot later than usual!

SATURDAY

Saturday morning started with made from scratch pancakes (sharing the recipe soon).

We then got ready and headed to the post office to submit an application for K’s passport. He’s doing some international travel later this year!

After finishing up there, we got some coffee, walked around the River Walk, and then headed to Sienna Tavern for brunch (so yum!).

Kaiden fell asleep on the walk home for like five minutes which obviously means he didn’t have to nap at all the rest of the day. Grrrr…

It all worked out because we rented a boat for the afternoon with Niel, Neelam, my sister and my BIL, so while K was tired, he still rallied. If you’re ever in Chicago, I highly recommend renting a pontoon boat and heading out on the river. And guess who captained our boat?! ME! My sister took over towards the end because my back hurt, but it was a ton of fun!

We planned on playing some games after K went to bed, but our Door Dash order never showed after 1.5 hours, so the evening went a little south in terms of that. Still a fun day overall!

SUNDAY

Vishnu and N&N took Kaiden to the park in the morning so I could clean, cook, and have some alone time.

Luckily, Kaiden took a 2.5 hour nap which means the rest of us did as well. This mama was tired!

We then scratched our afternoon plans to visit the beach and headed out to get some gelato instead. Perfect idea on a hot Chicago day!

And now we start a new week with new adventures! Happy Monday, y’all.

Written on August 5, 2019 Related:Chicago, Family, Weekend

Weekend Rehash – Beautifully Simple

written by Parita Leave a Comment

I love simple weekends. Ones where we have a few things scheduled but not too much that it feels overwhelming. This was definitely one of those weekends. It was beautifully simple!

FRIDAY

You guys know my usual Friday routine. This one was no different…just a little toned down.

I worked out after dropping K off at daycare, I then made a quick Trader Joe’s Trip. After putting everything away and cleaning up a bit, I headed to my sister’s place for a fun afternoon sister-sister date! We went to a new cafe in her neighborhood and then sat on her couch and talked for two hours. I love my sissy!

I came home and made Ministry of Curry’s Chana Saag and then went and got my little boo!

He was in a great mood after school, so we played and danced until dinnertime. I let him go after it with a cup of Greek yogurt and khichdi, which he did as evidenced by his yogurt face!

Vishnu had a work dinner, so I just relaxed on the couch and a glass of wine. Perfecto! Also, should add that I was asleep on the couch by 9:00 pm. Ha!

SATURDAY

Saturday started off with a cycling class at the gym. So sweaty, so fun!

I then got ready to head out to our friend Ashley’s birthday brunch. Because the timing of this overlapped with K’s nap time, Vishnu and I decided to divide and conquer. I would go to brunch, and he would hang out with the gang afterwards (drinks, etc.).

This worked well, although I wish Vishnu could’ve made it to brunch. This is what happens when you only have one babysitter in rotation. Need to work on that!

The rest of the day was fun and uneventful. I was pretty tired though, so I fell asleep on the couch at 7:45. Vishnu claims I was snoring, but there’s no proof so I don’t believe him!

SUNDAY

Sunday was a really fun day because we got up, got ready, and headed out to the museum campus area near the lake. While it was incredibly hot out, we loved walking along Lake Michigan, around Millennium Park, and down Michigan Avenue.

Kaiden even got to kick his soccer ball around!

The rest of the day followed suit. K took a 2 hour (to the tee) nap, I took an hour nap, and we hung out and chilled at home. Our night ended with episode 6 of Big Little Lies

*This is not to say we didn’t have moments of frustration during the weekend because trust me we did. But I’m choosing to focus on the good because overall it was a really good weekend!

Written on July 15, 2019 Related:Chicago, Uncategorized, Weekend

Girl and the Goat - Chicago

Date Night at Girl and the Goat | Chicago

written by Parita 4 Comments

Girl and the Goat has been on Vishnu’s ‘to try’ list of Chicago restaurants for a very long time.  In fact, whenever I’d suggest a date night out, his first question would be, “Does Girl and the Goat have any open reservations?”  To which I’d reply, “Yes.  10/11 pm on a random Wednesday three months from now.”

Well, my determined husband happened to be looking at Open Table one day and found a more reasonable reservation for us – (a random) Tuesday at 6:45 pm.  With my sister free to baby sit (i.e. watch Kaiden sleep!), we decided to go with it!

Girl and the Goat - Chicago

To be totally honest, I wasn’t expecting to love the vegetarian food at Girl and the Goat.  Why?  Mainly because they are known for the meat dishes.  But let me tell you – I was blown away by how fresh, well-balanced, and truly delicious every element of our meal tasted.  A feast to remember!

Vishnu and I started with drinks (sparkling rose for me and an old fashioned for him) and an order of the sourdough bread with a side of whipped feta and red onion mostarda (a creamy dipping sauce).  My rose was on point, Vishnu loved his drink as well, but let’s talk about this whipped feta for a second.  I need a tub of this by my side at all times.  It was so creamy and tangy and the perfect spread for the crusty sourdough bread…and I’m sure anything else you can find that’s dippable.

Girl and the Goat - Chicago

Girl and the Goat - Chicago

Vishnu and I decided to share one more vegetarian item before digging into our entrees.  Based on a recommendation my friend Jigna shared with me, we ordered the roasted cauliflower.  OH-EM-GEE!  I’m totally ordering this as my main entree the next time we eat here.  If you’re not a cauliflower fiend, you may be wondering what the hype is all about.  You guys!  The char on this cauliflower…the tenderness…the pine nuts…and the pickled veggies and jalapenos.  It all came together to form the perfect bites.  I could not get over how tasty this little dish was!  A must order in my humble opinion.

Girl and the Goat - Chicago

For my main entree, I decided on the green garlic pierogies that came with a sour cream and scallion + tomato relish on the side.  The portion size was definitely on the smaller side (4 pierogies per order), but it was the perfect amount for me given we ordered a couple of things to share.  My favorite part of this dish was the sour cream sauce and the relish.  They paired so well together and when eaten with the tender pierogie and creamy filling, it was pure magic!

Girl and the Goat - Chicago

For his main dish, Vishnu ordered the crisp braised pork shank.  In his own words, this was the most tender pork he’s ever had.  Super juicy too.  I was able to try the dipping sauces and loved them both – the kimchi one was incredible…so unique!  And the naan was the softest and fluffiest I’ve ever tried.  I don’t think Vishnu regretted his choice by any means!

Girl and the Goat - Chicago

Any finally, no meal out would be complete without a little something sweet!  Vishnu put me in charge of picking our final course, and of course, I went for the one with all the chocolate.  Our waiter even confirmed that it was the best one on the menu!  You guys, this chocolate pavlova with sesame whip cream, brittle, and ice cream was out of this world and SO unique.  The actual pavlova was essentially one huge macaroon, and the crispy edges were everything!  My favorite part (no surprise!) was the creamy chocolate caramel sauce.  It wasn’t too sweet or even too chocolaty, but it really brought the whole dessert together.

Girl and the Goat - Chicago

While the food was clearly fantastic, I should also mention the wonderful service we experienced.  Our waiter was incredibly helpful and very timely with everything, and I personally loved how he checked in at all the right moments to make sure we were ‘loving our dishes.’

Girl and the Goat, we shall meet again…when Vishnu finds another random weekday reservation!  But seriously, every Chicagoan/visitor needs to try this restaurant.  AMAZING all around!

Written on April 26, 2018 Related:Chicago, Restaurant review, Uncategorized

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