5/5 Eugenio Padilla (. 2 years ago on Google
Here
is
my
one-sentence
review:
Oriole
is
one
of,
if
not
the
top,
culinary
experiences
money
can
buy
in
Chicago.
I
recommend
going
in
fresh
and
enjoying
the
sensory
spectacle!
For
the
rest
that
want
more
details,
I
will
try
my
best
to
convey
my
experience,
however
impossible.
You
need
to
experience
yourself.
When
first
escorted
into
the
dining
space
by
our
waiter,
we
saw
the
magnificent
kitchen,
designed
by
chef
Noah
Sandoval
himself
(we
learned
that
from
our
knowledgeable
and
excellent
waiter).
The
ceiling
immediately
caught
my
eye,
a
colorful
collage
of
print
media.
It
was
a
tribute
to
the
history
of
the
building
(it
once
was
a
printing
press,
another
fact
we
learned).
After
we
finally
finished
gazing
at
everything
and
settled
in,
the
first
few
bites
arrived.
The
first
bite,
a
Miyazaki
Tartare,
played
on
duality:
it
was
crispy
and
chewy,
fatty
and
fresh.
It
was
a
tiny
view
of
things
to
come,
earning
the
gold
medal
from
me
of
the
three
initial
bites.
The
other
two
were
great
also,
but
that
first
bite
lingers
on
my
mind.
After
the
small
bites
came
one
of
my
favorite
dishes
of
the
night:
the
Hudson
Valley
Foie
Gras.
It
was
almost
too
mesmerizing
to
eat.
Edible
gold
artfully
decorated
the
leaf
garnish
with
confidence.
The
richness
and
sweetness
of
the
dish
lit
up
my
entire
tongue
with
flavor,
and
the
freshness
of
the
greens
was
cooling,
cleansing
my
palette
and
prepping
me
for
the
next
plate.
It
was
perfect.
We
resumed
our
journey
through
several
delightful
dishes,
each
highlighting
a
myriad
of
flavors,
aromas,
and
techniques.
And
then
we
arrived
at
the
squab.
I
have
had
okay
experiences
with
squab,
and
it
is
not
a
highlight
of
mine
from
previous
tasting
menus.
My
wife's
mood,
inversely,
went
even
higher,
as
she
loves
it.
Despite
my
hesitance,
I
took
my
first
bite,
and
to
my
gleeful
surprise,
it
was
good!
It
was
a
BBQ-lite
dish,
getting
that
flavor
from
the
squab
as
it
hit
my
tongue,
with
a
side
of
black-eyed
peas
further
cementing
the
theme.
I
can't
say
I'm
a
squab
convert,
but
given
I
enjoyed
the
flavors
earns
Oriole
even
more
kudos
from
me.
The
last
of
the
hearty
dishes
was
a
mic
drop.
It
was
a
flawless
Miyazaki
Wagyu
garnished
with
freshly
grated
wasabi,
morel
mushrooms,
and
white
asparagus.
It
delivered
an
explosion
of
flavor.
The
fattiness
of
the
steak
was
uniquely
balanced
by
the
spicy
punch
of
the
wasabi,
while
the
mushrooms
and
asparagus
complemented
the
two-punch
combo
with
a
left
hook
of
earthiness
that
knocked
me
to
another
dimension.
This
was
a
fine
dining
twist
on
steak
with
sides
of
vegetables,
but
it
is
the
most
elevated
version
of
this
pairing
that
I
have
had.
The
worst
part
was
when
I
took
my
last
bite,
knowing
what
was
coming:
the
finale.
I
wished
I
could
prolong
my
indulgence
in
this
gastronomic
masterpiece.
Alas,
all
good
things
must
come
to
an
end,
and
the
first
of
the
desserts
signaled
the
beginning
of
the
end.
Of
the
dessert
trilogy
closing
the
night,
the
lemon
and
sesame
souffle
was
particularly
brilliant.
The
bright
citrus
of
the
lemon
cut
through
the
cheesiness.
Sesame
seeds
within
the
souffle
provided
a
crunch
to
what
could
have
been
a
minimalistic
texture.
Do
I
even
need
to
mention
the
bake
on
the
souffle?
It
came
straight
out
of
the
oven,
piping
hot,
but
once
cooled,
was
a
mouthful
of
clouds.
Light,
fluffy,
cheesy,
citrusy,
slightly
crunchy,
we
were
in
a
dream.
The
very
last
dessert
concluded
our
meal
intimately,
with
“Happy
Anniversary!”
inscribed
with
chocolate
on
the
plate.
Oriole
went
above
my
expectations
to
celebrate
us,
for
which
I
am
super
thankful
and
appreciative!
In
closing,
thank
you
to
the
Oriole
staff
for
the
exciting
evening
made
even
more
special
with
the
recognition
of
our
anniversary!
The
food
was
creative,
outstanding,
and
downright
delicious.
The
wine
pairings
were
thoughtful.
The
service
was
exemplary.
Oriole
has
set
the
bar
for
me
of
what
fine
dining
can
be
and
should
be.
I
cannot
recommend
them
enough
to
anyone
looking
to
celebrate
a
special
occasion
or
an
amazing
adventure
in
food.
1 person found this review helpful 👍