Because I am stubborn and am hell-bent on adding to my (short) list of favorite Chicago steakhouses, my wife and I returned for our anniversary to give Asador one more shot. And because I was planning to shell out $600+ on a tasting menu at a local favorite (Kasama), I decided to approach this experience differently, like a lavish tasting menu, not a meat and potatoes experience. With that slight tweak, my perspective on Asador changed immensely.
One could argue that I shouldn't approach it similar to an evening at Kasama (phenomenal), Ever (ehh), or Next (solid), but given how broad and interesting Asador's menu is, and how quaint it is - perhaps 40% the size of Bavettes - I believe it is fair, considering our experience read and was served like a tasting menu:
- Pan Con Tomate
- 5J Ibérico De Bell
- Cecina of Beef Y Queso Azul
- Grilled Caviar
- Black Truffle Beef Tartare
- Cured Sardines & Salsa Verde
- Socarrat
- Carabinero
- The Charolais with Iberico Fried Rice on the side
- Raspberry Mil Hojas
There are plenty of reviews out there on individual plates, so I won't get into details, but I will highlight a few standouts from the evening, as only the Pan Con Tomate and Raspberry Mil Hojas were carryovers (because they are amazing) from our first experience. Our server, Nikita (more on him later), shared a pro tip of combining the caviar and beef tartare atop the grilled brioche (I think?) for a single bite. This was perhaps the best "one-and-done" bites of food I've ever had. Despite each on its own being very simple (which is a compliment), the combined textures, flavors, and seasoning turned this into (pardon my childish description) an explosion of flavor unto my cakehole that is forever seared into my hippocampus. The socarrat - imagine an uni paella taco - was exceptional as well. Reading and seeing videos of this I feared it was just hype, that the socarrat was just a clever way to mask some average uni. Nope, I totally get the hype now. The uni was firm enough to not shoot out the ends of the socarrat vessel, yet remained creamy. The humble paella grounded the decadent uni so well, a ying and yang pairing that shouldn't work but does like Brad Pitt and George Clooney, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, and Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman!
And what's a review of a steakhouse without a mention of the steak. Where the Holstein and Galciana failed to impress during our last visit, the Charolais hit the spot. The aging provided great flavor and just a kiss of that blue-cheese funk without overpowering it. If I may offer one suggestion: consider providing diners with a side of some fancy salt so folks can add additional seasoning if they'd like. I truly appreciate Asador not backing a salt truck up onto each steak so the beef may speak for itself (despite technically already being dead), but I found the steak in all three instances to be slightly underseasoned, and this from a guy who orders fries sans salt. Lastly, the tomatoes. I'm not sure where they source their tomatoes, maybe from the Land of Oz, but Nikita mentioned they were coming to the end of the season and wow, they great with the Pan Con Tomate and with the sardines (served partially dehydrated). I know, who remembers accoutrement with such vividry, but they were that good.
Finally, Nikita. Nikita made our experience truly memorable. We left the selections in his capable hands, telling him what we had last time and that we'd like to explore more of what makes Asador special, and he delivered. From walking us through the evening's steak and fresh seafood offerings, to sharing his story of how he entered the industry and experiences prior to joining Asador, we were thankful for his time and attention to detail. His ability to make guests feel wholly welcomed, while reading his audience and knowing when to geek out on food and when to subtly step away (whether to allow guests to actually enjoy their meals or to make sure the adjacent table was not being ignored) is a skill he has mastered. Good luck to you, sir, as you approach your sommelier certification!
In closing, yes, you're going to drop quite a bit while spending an evening at Asador, but if you approach it in the right frame of mind, it will make for a magnificent experience. Afterall, not many steakhouses can pull off a legit tasting menu experience. All that said, I'm updating my review from 3 to 4.5 stars, but since Yelp doesn't allow halves, we'll round up. Thank you to Nikita, Judy, and Luis for a memorable anniversary dinner. read more