Mott St. is nothing short of amazing. We had 6 or 7 tapas and there wasn't one thing I wouldn't order again. Very unique flavor combinations and a good variety of small, medium and large plates. The cocktail menu is really fun and they have a great selection of Sakes that we dove into as well. I would highly suggest the Brussel Sprouts, Wings, Pork Chop and Pork Jowl! Absolutely delicious. Fantastic wait staff as well. You can't go wrong at Mott St. Give it a try for yourself! read more

Mott St was awesome! We made a reservation for a party of three and ordered a bunch of dishes to share. The favorite was the burger- it is very well-balanced and lived up to the hype! Definitely don't pass on the wings- so good! The sesame soda was so cool, too! read more

Update: came back for the empanadas and they were very mediocre. It tasted like the kimchi I can buy from hmart with no development of flavors. read more

I live just down the street, so I've been watching this restaurant for the last few months transition from a tired Vietnamese joint into this cool, new bright red building with a cute patio. I'm a very big fan of Mott St.'s sister restaurant, Ruxbin, so I had pretty high hopes for Mott St. Walked in on a Saturday, and there was a 30 minute wait - no biggie. However, even with 2 doors open, the little restaurant was hot and stuffy - so I was happy to wait on the patio and order a drink. By the time my party arrived, I was notified that the patio was now going to be used for food and beverage service, so we just stayed put instead of sweating inside. I had a Stormy Summer cocktail, and it was like a Moscow Mule with tapioca balls and it was kind of bitter. So I opted for some sparkling wine for my next choice, which was fine. Our table of four tried 6 dishes: Kimchi and Oaxaca Spring Rolls, Steamed Dumplings, Harry's Butter Thighs, Pork Neck, Crab Brain Fried Rice, Calamari Bokum. Kimchi and Oaxaca Spring Rolls: 2 small rolls, cut in half - just a little better than you'd get a chinese take out place. About 2 bites for each person, so $1 per bite. Not worth it. Steamed Dumplings: 3 small dumplings (not easy to split between 4 people). Noodle seemed fresh, a little slimy though. The inside was hardly full of anything except a little piece of sausage that tasted like it came out of a bag of Jimmy Dean's precooked sausage crumbles. $2+ per dumpling, definitely not worth it. Harry's Butter Thighs: this was the highlight of the night. 3-4 pieces of chicken, 2 legs and 1-2 thighs (very small though). Covered in what seemed like a curry gravy. Very tasty, chicken was very tender. $3-4 a piece - definitely worth it. Pork Neck: 8-10 small chunks of pork. I think it was a little over done (medium well), but I could handle that. However, the outsides were chard so much all you could taste was burnt pork. It was marinated in whiskey, but that was completely lost in the dish. $13 total, not worth it. Probably the worst dish of the night. Crab Brain Fried Rice: about a cup worth of rice. Pretty bland, but could have been worse. With a name like "crab brain", I was expecting something more exciting. $10, kind of worth it because it seemed to fill me up. Calamari Bokum: probably the most interesting dish, but the calamari was very chewy. There were potatoes mixed in which were good, but the whole dish seemed a little disjointed. $12 total, good amount of food with decent flavor. Service: better than most places I've been, especially for being a new restaurant, but not enough to compensate for the food. All in all, its nice that a cool new restaurant is nearby, but I don't think I'll be a regular. I might stop in to enjoy the patio and a beer, but if I need food, I'd grab a $2 taco at the convenient store across the street. read more

The food was just OK, which almost earned this place a 2-star review, but the service was some of the worst I've had and will ensure I never come back. I would recommend you don't go either. I was visiting Chicago for the first time this past summer, and only had a few days to check things out... After a day spent walking all around the city I ended up in the Wicker Park area at around 6pm, and yelped what was nearby to get some ideas for dinner. Mott St. popped up and seemed like a good choice (I was coming from NYC, and Mott Street is the name of a street in Chinatown, so I figured these were probably some new york transplants who started a restaurant. What a great place to go and feel at home, right? Nope.) The service problems started from the second I walked in. I approached the host, a barely post-pubescent pseudo-hipster (for what it's worth) and told him I was there for dinner. He asked if it was just me (it was) and if I had a reservation (I didn't) looked panicked with my responses and then said he'd have to go check on availability. Meanwhile, there were literally fivr open tables visible from where I was standing (and more outside), and when I looked down at the reservation book saw that there were huge blocks of open time until much later that evening. When he came back he let me know that there was something available. (Gee, thanks). After placing my order it was clear that the waiter was trying to upsell me with cocktails and additional courses to make up for what he perceived as a solo guy taking up the space for what could be a larger bill... When I ordered I thought a large Sapporo, two starters and an entree was plenty. He told me that it "wasn't enough food" (what criteria was he judging that off of exactly?) and, after catching all kinds of further attitude, I asked him to just leave the menu and I'll consider ordering more as the meal continued. As the food came out I ordered two other dishes almost out of spite (I was actually prepared to drop a lot of money on this meal, but did not appreciate the rude forcefulness), along with another Sapporo, which after the meal I nursed as long as I damn pleased... I have eaten at a lot of places by myself, and actually in NYC I get welcomed and treated very well when I do this... but I have never felt more unwelcome in a restaurant than the staff made me feel here. Certainly the quality of the cuisine did not merit such a shitty attitude, not that it ever would, but if you think treating customers like they don't belong is something they'd do on the real "Mott Street" you are mistaken. read more

I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt since we have just reopened the city recently. There seemed to be a lot of confusion once we were seated. No one seemed to know who was responsible for our table. We did receive water, but it took another 15 minutes before anyone approached our table. We had followed directions and marked up our menu with the items we wanted, a separate menu also marked with our drink choices. The young lady was polite, apologetic, yet surprised that we had everything filled out. Like I said, we had 15 minutes to figure it out. And then the food started coming out. Very quickly. Too quickly. Way too quickly for the small table where we were seated. The first three dishes came out before our drinks. Empanadas, Chilled Green Beans, and a bread with spicy butter. The green beans were good. Chilled, crisp, and fresh. The sauce light with just a little bit of sweetness. Pickled onions as a garnish. The cheese filled empanadas were bland. The bread was the biggest disappointment. Way to hard to cut even with the serrated knives. And yet somehow the inside seemed raw. Our next dish was the XO Scallops. They were way too salty. Luckily we had our drinks by then. The meal was saved by our last dish. The Mott Burger. Two patties that certainly looked fresh made on a pretzel style bun with american cheese. Juicy and full of flavor. Do not ask them to hold the pickled jalapeños. They are a very important addition to this burger. Putting all the other flaws in the meal aside, the burger was worth the trip, and is what will bring us back for another try. read more

This is a detailed review of the burger. My older review is regarding other menu items. I read somewhere that this burger (available only at the bar) was the best in Chicago. Having tried Au Cheval's (twice) a year or so back, I decided to take on the challenge. First impression came (as it often does) before the food even arrived. The sever/bartender noted that the burger does not come with fries and that they do not have fries on the menu "so you should get an appetizer" ... in my mind I'm already taking points off the burger for that... you don't have to give me fries with my burger but at least let me get some... It's just plain WEIRD eating egg and garlic fried rice with/before your burger. Burger itself was pretty fantastic though. I personally would have liked more pickles on it (or more spears on the side) because the richness of the meat made me feel like I needed a sweeter, acidic pickle to kind of balance it - if you're going for a balanced burger (but let's face it, it's a fatty fatty burger we are ordering, not a salad.) There's a sweat spread on the burger which almost makes up for the lack of bacon (but not really b/c there is no substitute for bacon, honestly.) There's also a pile of fried onions (i think?) on it which I would gladly trade for a nice piece of caramelized pork... And there were like 2 or 3 slices of jalapeno on it. Which makes me feel like this burger has a little bit of an identity crisis. Delicious still though and worth a try. This is why I have to admit that I think Au Cheval's burger is better. Even if it is fat overload because of the bacon (which is so thick it reminds me of pork belly) and cheese and fried egg and fries AND garlic aioli... it's seriously not a balanced burger... doesn't even come with ketchup to offer acid. Still, when you're eating it, it's like you've spiraled down a fatty, fatty food rabbit hole and the lack of acid or crunch is for some reason totally fine. (Not to endorse it, just giving you context.) My edits to the Mott Street burger would be: no fried onion thingies, keep the sauce, add some bacon that's essentially crispy pork belly, add cilantro, add pickled jalapeno and pickled red onions (or pickle jicama), serve with sweet potato fries (or some kind of fancy starchy root) and a funky "ketchup", keep the egg as an option and I'm on the fence about the cheese... As always, drinks are outstanding and service is top shelf. ;) read more

Interesting place, pretty sure the bad review from the one dude is trying to jack my style, but dude is obv a hater deluxe, straight up. Prob a restaurant troll tryin to sully this jam. This is a jam my brothers and sisters. Dont get it twisted, stuff is mad off the grid, but that is nice sometimes. Precursor: Don't dig Ruxbin, but I this place I can get behind. Like your mom. Wrecked it on the chicken wing front. Straight up murder. Love these jams. They put every kind of spice on it and that is alright by me. They are meaty and big, pretty full after 3 mega wings. Bomb. Drinks were a little strange. Sour beer with a artichoke liqueur chaser? I will try it. It was not for me. Beer was good though, with ice? Kinda weird also. Had a roll that was fried and delish. Well rounded menu. Bench style seating is annoying cuz they have cute stuff on the wall but it leaves little room for the waitress to go back and forth so she ends up bumping my back every time she walks behind me. Its a new space though. I do enjoy this place and it is the closest restaurant to my house so I will be back. Seems like a great date spot, saw young couples in love. read more

THANK GOD! It's a restaurant only a mere 3 blocks from my place that is fabulously, spectacularly, awesomesauce on a stick! Chyeah! It's gggggrrrrrrrrrrreat! Seriously though the place definitely impressed the heck outta me on my first go there. Since I literally drive and run by it everyday I knew of it's existence since it opened but for some reason never stopped to give it a look. I think I wasn't taking it seriously since the last place there failed pretty hard. So yea. My bad. My friend goes, loves it, and tells me I have to especially since I live so close. At the time she told me they "do not take reservations AT ALL on Sat's after 6:30pm". So I'm like WHOA.. the wait for this place is going to be miserable. We get there at 7pm and are informed they just recently starting taking reservations. (Lawl.) Even though we didn't have one they were kind enough to seat us anyway. The rest my friends, is bliss. Very trendy look, casual dress - but don't be in fear of getting dressed up as you won't stick out, communal seating, energetic noise level and overall fun ambiance. My fav dishes thus far: Appetizers: Steamed Dumplings. Amazaballz. Ballz of amazing. Get them. But word to the wise: only 3 little guys come in one order. Even if you're only a party of 2 order two orders minimum! You will not be disappointed. Kimchi and Oaxaca Spring Rolls - These are not the 'clear white soft film' kinda deals you tend to think of. The rolls were fried crispy deliciousness with a bangin' sauce. Entrees: Stuffed Cabbage - This. Was. Wow. Really no other way to describe it. Cooked perfectly and so many flavors! I'm a super fan of stuffed cabbage so it's hard to get it wrong with me on this one. Definitely something I'll order every time I come. What I'll get next time: Crab Brain Fried Rice - I know. You're thinking CRAB BRAINS? WHY? But my friend who went here, who is seriously easily weirded out by food and more than a bit picky LOVED it. Said it's a must-try! What I'll pass on in the future: Their Half Chicken special fried with Ramen powder and potatoes - The chicken was cooked PERFECTLY but the taste of the red-brown sauce stuff they put on it is funky monkey weird. I don't even know how to describe it except it reminded me of when I drink too much and get sick. o.O I know that's awful but that's what it tasted like to me. My bf was not a fan either and we ended up hardly eating it so that was a bummer. Potatoes were good though! :D Tres leches - Here's the thing: in general I don't like this dessert. My bf is a fan though and said it was awesome to Tres leches fan standards. GIVE ME CHOCOLATE GOODNESS OPTIONS MOTT ST! Comeon! :) Final Verdict. Yes. And yes. Servers are fun, intelligent, and on par with the best of the best. Trendy spot, communal seating, with a fun and energetic atmosphere. Food is delicious, decently priced, and overall the place is fabulous inside and out! read more

Mott St. is the more casual small plates concept from the Edward Kim and the Ruxbin team with the intention of highlighted Asian street food. For those of you who haven't been, I'm not sure you can get more bang for your buck at Ruxbin - one of the better meals you'll get in the city, especially for the price (plus it's BYOB). While Ruxbin focuses more on introducing hints of Asian ingredients and flavors into mostly French and American dishes, Mott St. turns the tables, stressing the stronger Asian flavors, toned down just a bit for the Western palate. The menu here is divided into a veggies/salad, a fish/seafood, and a meat section, with a smaller rolls/dumpling section, and a few soups/stews. Add in a good beer selection, and an intriguing mix of cocktails, and you've got some tough decisions to make. Thankfully, as usual, we came hungry, and were able to get a pretty good sample of the menu. For a drink, I started with "A Snowball's Chance", a refreshing cocktail that combines two sweet drinks, a rum and sake, adds a splash of lemon, with the kicker - tapioca balls and an oversized straw, bubble tea style. Not quite what I was expecting, but the drink was particularly refreshing, and I can see it being a hit in the summer, despite the name. Against the recommendations of our waiter, we started with the shrimp and kohlrabi salad. Immediately, we knew Ed Kim wasn't holding back any punches when he devised this menu. The kohlrabi was julienned, giving a nice watery, crisp texture to the salad, but the candied shrimp had a deep dried fishy taste that was intense and augmented by a touch of fish sauce - the flavor profile was balanced a bit by scattered peanuts and a bit of citrus. In the end, still a very strong taste, and while it probably isn't for everyone, it is exactly what we were looking for. Our second dish, the kimchi and oaxaca spring rolls, were essentially kimchi empanadas. A nice thick, fried dumpling crust surrounded a filling of kimchi that was well textured, but just a bit muted on spice. The oaxaca cheese stuck to the sides and almost melded to the dough to add some excellent texture. The chimichurri creme-fraiche sauce on the side was a bit bland, and probably not needed. The wings were one of the highlights of the night. These were full-size wings with both wing and drumette attached, marinated in a deep soy-glaze with a great sweetness and a perfect dash of chili flake to add just a bit of kick to the dish. The wings were perfectly fried - a crispy, flavorful skin to bite into with a piping hot, tender meaty cooked inside. Like the dumpling, the supporting tzatziki sauce was overkill, not really adding anything to the dish. Next up was the second star of the night - the crab brain fried rice. Now the "brains" aren't exactly the brains, but call them what you will - brains, guts, tomalley (not tamale!) - they are the innards of the crab and when you mix them with rice, it gives an awesome creamy texture to the rice, while adding a deep umami taste. This version takes that a step further, frying the rice and other ingredients, giving the dish a fantastic textural complexity. The chinese sausage adds a bit of flavor, and a dash of lime provides a nice finishing touch. Served in a bowl that is deceptively large, the fried rice is almost a must-order if you make the trek to Mott St. For the final dish of the evening, we ordered the pork jowl, a spicy, near spot on version of dwaejibulgogi, a spicy pork Korean BBQ dish. Served with a crispy tofu, the pork had a pretty decent slow kick, but was a bit overcooked and in the end, a small smudge on what was otherwise a stellar meal. So, as stuffed as we were, Sara is apparently a sucker for tres leches cake, so we *had* to order dessert. The cake itself had a pretty good texture for tres leches, and a nice sweetness emparted by the coconut milk. The sweetness however, was counteracted by an underlying saltiness that provided a nice balance. In the end, a nice bonus as we by no means needed anything more after our dinner. In summary, Mott St. is another solid venture by the Ruxbin team. Because of the atmosphere, the type of food, and the lack of BYOB, you don't feel like your'e getting the steal of a deal I often do when I eat at Ruxbin, but it's not overly expensive either. The strong Asian flavors are not for everyone - if you're not used to or not expecting these, they can overwhelm you, but if you have a pretty easy palate, then more than likely you'll be pleased with Mott Street. Pics up on my blog: http://eatinginchicago2014.wordpress.com/ read more

Things I liked and was impressed by: Great service! Friendly, attentive, etc. Delicious dumpling. Pretty cool atmosphere inside, dressy/casual Chill-looking patio~ would still like to go back and try the s'mores! Tasty craft drinks :) Things that may dissuade us from returning: Like I said, the service here was very attentive~ the exception being when we were told it was an hour and a half wait for the patio (get more tables perhaps?) even though no one else appeared to be waiting, and it was a little weird that we had to wait for a table inside, because ALL OF THE TABLES INSIDE WERE OPEN. Literally all but two. And immediately after we were seated, another couple was seated at the end of the long table in the middle of the room (which was completely void of life until they arrived). They apologized for this, but it was nonsensical and awkward. The food was just okay~ the "buttery thighs" (yep) looked amazing, but just tasted like unseasoned chicken, and a tiiiiiiiny little chicken at that. The pickle plate was tiny, too~ there were three different "pickles" and one of them was perhaps 3/4 of a single brussel sprout in some sort of oil... TINY, and none were very tasty. The only tasty part of the meal was the appetizer dumplings, of which there were 3 TINY dumplings. Delicious. Tiny. $9. For a two-person $60 experience, I've definitely had better. We didn't even stay for dessert. :X read more

Food: Candied Shrimp & Kohlrabi Salad--This was very tasty overall with the citrus and fish sauce flavors brining some interesting dynamic, and I liked the added element of mint. One thing to note is that I feel like "Candied Shrimp" is a bit misleading since it's just the very tiny dried shrimps you find in various Asian dishes, which is more like a seasoning than a meat. Pork Jowl--I was honestly expecting a noodle dish but it was actually a variation on lettuce wraps. The "puffed" sweet potato noodles are just like little pieces of fried rice noodles. Instead of flimsy lettuce cups, it was served with thicker cabbage leaves that were cut into a perfect shape. Flavor was good but nothing to write home about. Service: Struck out over here. After sitting down I had to ask to get a menu. One of my pet peeves is people taking orders without writing anything down; I really don't understand why anyone does this. Sure enough, the one dish I was most looking forward to, the Oyster Mushrooms with miso butter, was not entered. Food began to come and after sitting around for a while, I had to get up to get my own roll-up to start eating. A nice gal noticed at the end what happened and brought me a wonderful after dinner/dessert drink, so at least I tipped well. read more

I was visiting chicago from SF and this restaurant was suggested to me by my friends in the area so we all went together. The food was DELICIOUS, the ambiance was great, drinks were flavorful. We got the bread, brussel sprouts, and skewers as starters then the noodles and mussels as well. The mussels were absolutely my favorite part of the meal. Nice and flavorful and just great textures and flavors. Make sure to make a reservation as it does get crowded, especially on the weekend and need to turnover their tables in a timely manner as well. The menu is tapas style so they ask you to order all up front and they bring it out in sessions to create more of a flow for the chef and kitchen staff. I deducted one star for the service because our waiter was a little rude and detracted from my first time experience. My friend who is a regular also said to me that that was strange for Mott's, but he just dimmed our experience and was not very friendly. All in all, great experience and i'd love to come again to give a 5 star rating! read more

We really enjoyed dining in their outdoor patio space a few weeks back when the weather was still warm. The seating outside is communal style, so somewhat tight, but we had the end and they even had a high chair which they placed at the head of the table for our daughter. There was also enough room at the end for her to walk around in close vicinity to the table. Service was great, from the nice hostess that seated us to our server and waitstaff. Our server took the time to help us navigate the menu and gave us an idea of portion sizes and how much to order, especially since many of the dishes run on the smaller portion size. Things came out as they were ready. Hubby and I split an order of the Oyster Mushrooms (which ended up coming way last), Boat Noodles, Bone Marrow, Fried Rice, and the Szechuan & Pepper Shrimp. Beautiful presentation for each plate. I really wish they served more of that fried rice, it was fantastic, a nice balance of garlic with fluffy piece of egg - the highlight of the meal. The shrimp had a nice smoky flavor; again I wish there were more than just three pieces. The Bone Marrow was delicious with the black rice. The Boat Noodle was a larger portion and the broth was pretty flavorful. I was surprisingly full by the end of the meal. read more

See all

I came here with a friend for dinner, and overall, we enjoyed ourselves. This is a super neat spot, with cool decor and friendly staff. We were a bit confused, though--we had a 6:30 reservation and arrived a few minutes after 6. The restaurant opened at 6, so we figured we could probably grab our table then. It wasn't ready(?), so we ended up at the bar, and then I got an email from OpenTable stating that I missed my reservation. It all ended up fine, but the whole situation was a little strange. Anyway, once we sat down and started eating and drinking, we were pretty pleased with our experience. Despite the restaurant being very crowded on a Friday night, the service at the bar was kind and efficient. If I remember correctly, we had the Steamed Dumplings, Bread, Szechuan & Pepper Shrimp, and Everything Wings, and we also each enjoyed a cocktail. The highlights for me were the dumplings and shrimp, but everything was tasty. read more

Very unassuming from the outside (similar to Ruxbin) but it's actually a great space, and not surprisingly, great food! Like pretty much all new "foodie" restaurant, this is a shared plates place. I would liken it to a more asian inspired version of Girl & the Goat. The good news? They are now accepting reservations! Therefore now you don't have to worry about crazy long wait times. The standouts for us were the imperial rolls, the everything wings (we ended up getting another order at the end), and the stuffed cabbage (don't be turned off by the cabbage- it is mostly rice and pork). My only complaint is that many of the dishes serve 3 (the everything wings and the steamed dumplings), which is just annoying because there are so many tables of 4. read more

This place has been on my list of must go to's for a very long time. I was fairly disappointed. Cute atmosphere and good service are the pros. Cons were the actual food. We enjoyed the oyster mushrooms and Brussel sprouts ( both will likely be forgettable). The califlour and kimchi empanadas were odd and tolerable but weird combination of flavors/ ingredients. We also had the short rib which was way too fatty. I did enjoy the yogurt sauce that accompanied it. Good drinks. Overall, not impressed and likely won't return. read more

I was seated pretty quickly by a very nice gentleman, I was helped by numerous people. My waitress was kind. I ordered the basic egg brunch. The eggs, potatoes, and toast were PERFECT and delicious. I ordered the sausage with peppercorns and it was not good at all. It was left on the plate. I love the ambience and the music was really good too. I just had water so I cannot comment on the coffee. Overall was great except for the sausage. read more

Mott St - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Under flavored for the price. Sorry peeps this is a legit post! In all honestly I was really stoked about checking this joint out. Good reviews and affiliated with Ruxbin I was expecting mad flavors. The apps were weak and were NOT impressive at all. The kimchi empanadas with chimmichurri (far from it, appeared to be chopped herbs) in creme fraiche. Imperial roll was a boring tasteless egg roll that you put in a lettuce wrap and a bland dipping sauce. The dumplings were the best app out of three but for literally $7 you get three mini steamed dumplings. I could go down to the hole in the wall Chinese restaurant ina 3 min walk and find better. Total disappointment to say the very least! I'm not trying to hate on this place by any means. I ordered the beef shank noodles for an entree and that was an average noodle soup. I was glad to see the two sides to add flavor how I wished, it gave flavor amd depth that I was missing the whole time. This dish wasn't great but I was able to see where the chef was going with the dish. All in all dissapointed with food, was expecting better than what our table received. read more

Excellent new restaurant! We had no trouble getting a table at 7ish last night, but I'm sure this place will blow up soon. Breakout of the meal from best to worst: The Resurrected - my new favorite drink. I love good gin and have gotten really tired of martinis and tonic lately. The citrus /celery combo is divine. Since it's seasonal I'll be back as much as possible before the weather turns. Stuffed Cabbage - YUM! The pork was perfectly cooked and seasoned and the kimchi broth was delicious. Harry's Butter Thighs - chicken & tomato curry. Calamari - wok fried with the right amount of chili for a nice kick. How Bazaar - similar to a Manhattan. Simple and nicely presented with the one large ice cube. Spicy Egg Drop soup - the mussel I had was icky and the whole thing was unappetizing. The beef was the only good component of this dish. Pickled watermelon cocktail - Ug, why didn't I go with another Resurrected?! The Pike Mackerel was bony, small and slimy. We sent this back. I'll admit that we ordered a few other things (everything on the menu looked so good and we couldn't stop eating) but since I polished off three cocktails I can't really recall what those other dishes were... Also to note: We sat next to a group who had ordered the $200 fish head (this feeds 6 peeps & comes with plenty of sides) and they said they liked it. Their one compliant was it was difficult to get around all of the bones. Since you have to order this ahead of time it's a good work around to their no reservation policy. read more

I'm really surprised to be writing a 3-star review for Mott St. I went here this past Saturday night with pretty high expectations after hearing rave reviews and reading so many great things on Yelp. Taking a peek at the menu prior to getting there, I was so excited at all the unique offerings. To start, I got the Watermelon Punch, the drink special of the day. I did not enjoy that. The watermelon flavor was lost in all the different types of booze. Imagine a long island watermelon drink. My boyfriend and I ordered five plates total, ranging from small to large. Five was definitely a good amount, as we struggled to finish the last one. The first plate that came out were the Everything Wings. I was most excited for these since they seemed to be most hyped up on Yelp. Eh, you can get better wings at Crisp. The second plate were the Imperial Rolls. They were definitely just okay. I was left wanting more. Third came the Pork Jowl. This was probably the best thing we ordered. I'd recommend it. Next came the Mussel Hot Pot with a side of the Bread. The mussels were good, but not $22 good. The bread was also good, but I wasn't a huge fan of the potato texture within the dough. Service by everyone was great, so I can't complain on that. Ambiance on the patio was also lovely, but I wasn't a huge fan of the communal seating. I don't think I'll be back, but I'm glad I gave it a shot! read more

I'm bookmarking this place as a very unique dining experience to take my very special guests. We came for the 3rd installment of their sunday night family dinner a couple months ago, and it was a very fun and unique dining experience! A meal is shared with your friends and 20+ other strangers sitting at a long bench, breaking bread, serving each other mussels from hotpots on the table, carving out huge chunks of pork roast from the shank itself. What took it over the top was the impeccable service and friendliness of the entire staff. The owner and chef at one point said: if you don't like what's on the table (a tall statement indeed!), i can whip up something for you in the kitchen. Amazing service, great food, fantastic drinks, and a dining experience to remember--I can't wait to come back for their regular menu! read more

See all

Meh. To quote Juan Pablo (come on Bachelor fans, you know who I'm talking about!) "s'ok." A group of 5 of us came here on May 3rd- the night of the Kentucky Derby. I remember this detail because as soon as our cute butts hit the chairs, we were told that in honor of the derby, the special drink of the day was a Mint Julep! Awesome! As soon as it was time to order our drinks my husband ordered a Mint Julep. They were all out. What? Out of your daily special that we were just encouraged to order not 3 minutes ago!? Hmmm... Our friend ordered a dirty martini... a pretty basic cocktail. They were out of martinis. Huh? How do you run out of a martini? All the ingredients in a Martini can be purchased across the street at the Jewel grocery store, FYI. Why didn't they send someone across the street to buy some ingredients? We ordered the red snapper- it's what they are known for, supposedly. Guess what? They were out. We were told that if we wanted red snapper we should have reserved one when we called to make a dinner reservation. Well gee, why didn't they ASK us when we called if we'd like to reserve one? I'm not accustomed to booking a table reservation and also putting menu items on hold. So heads up- if you think a red snapper might be good- be sure to reserve one in advance. And also the mint julep and dirty martini. There was actually 1 more thing we ordered that they were out of, but I honestly can't recall what that item was. It was either a bottle of wine we had selected or food. Either way- not good to run out of so much stuff! The service was good. Our waitress was training a newbie and both were sweet and good at their jobs. The food was actually really delish (small plates- small portions for the most part) but all very tasty. The wings were the hit of the night. I was licking (off my finger, not off the plate itself) the sauce on the service platter they came to the table on. They were FANTASTIC! I would have been happy with 3 orders of those bad boys and some wine! I'd definitely return for those wings, or just get them as carry out sometime. The only other thing I can say is where we sat (a long table running down the middle of the room- sort of a community table) was fine, but I disliked that we were sitting on bar stools with no backs. I know it's picky and whiny but it's not a cheap place, the meal was many many courses (as it's small plates) and I personally prefer to relax and lean up against the back of my chair when I'm out to eat. I had nowhere to drape my coat or purse- it was just slightly uncomfortable sitting on my coat and looping my purse strap over my thigh so it wouldn't sit on the floor). Anyway- I thought the place was ok. I won't trip over my tongue to return, but I also wouldn't say I'll never be back. I'd return for those wings, that's for sure!!!! read more

So this is tough because the food was good, BUT IT NEVER F*&$%*N GOT TO US! We got there, waited a couple minutes for our table. Sat down. Ordered a drink, and the waiting began. Drink comes. WAITING. First of 4 small plates arrives. WAIIIIIIITTTTTTIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG. We see a party of 3 seated at least 20 minutes after us get 3 dishes. (mind you they had drinks as well). and at this point we've been there for an hour plus. I get up, go find our bearded server. His line is: THE KITCHEN IS REALLY BACKED UP. Funny, if that's the case, WHY THE F did that other party already have their food. We get our next 2 dishes. And this jagsack, after clearing our table says can I get you guys anything else????? YEAH, HOW ABOUT OUR LAST GOD D&%$#@ DISH! Over 2 hours. And they wanted to give us free donuts for the delay. Let me tell you jokers how it works when you have twins. You get a date night every so often, you sure as shit don't want to spend it all at a restaurant unless your going to NEXT or ALINEA. So sorry, not going to return, and will let everyone I know in on the shite service. SNORE. read more

I had my hopes up, but the bottom line is it is overrated and overpriced for what you get. There are so many far better options in Chicago. Reminds me of a pretentious art gallery that only has ok art but somehow they hyped up the "new" upcoming art to convince someone to buy it and rave about it to their trendy friends. Then their friends also over pay and tell 2 more friends. Then somehow a news reporter reports that it's the next new hot art gallery. But it isn't. You can buy better art at Target. You can buy better food and cheaper elsewhere. Don't be bamboozled. read more

I'll admit that I might have felt underwhelmed by this place because of my lofty expectations given the quality of their sister restaurant down the street. On the whole I would have to say this place is just average at best and that is somewhat generous. The space is nice and open but extremely loud, even on a slow weeknight when half the tables were empty, it was pretty noisy. Probably not the best spot to take a date if you want to get to know them better, unless you opt to sit at the bar. It does seem like a great spot to hit up for a light meal before going out or after going out. There is a large outdoor area too but that was not set up while we were there. Probably not as loud out there. There was a bit of Wu-Tang playing while we were there though, not common but enjoyable. To the food. The menu consists of several smaller options and entrees are split between Seafood and Meat. Note that all items, including entrees, are pretty small. If you are starving you will end up eating half the menu. My frustration is that some items are overpriced for the quality and quantity that you receive. For example, the dumplings are $7 for three. That makes it expensive, even if you were planning on sharing several dishes. It's over $20 for a part of four to each get two dumplings, that's just crazy. We also got the daily pickle special, which was tasty but again a fairly small portion. My biggest disappointment was the Brussels Sprouts we ordered. They had so much potential but were sort of drowned out by parsley and inconsistent seasoning. Some bites were lemony and flavorful and others were just bland and boring. This is one of the few dishes I felt was portioned correctly for the price as well. We finished main meal up with the cold noodle soup and Crab Brain Fried Rice. The noodle soup was great and full of flavor. The Fried Rice had lots of coconut flavor but nothing else that really stuck out. One of the better things we had during the meal was the Tres Leches cake. The berries were fresh and flavorful. The cake was good but the entire dish felt more like a Coconut Cream Cake than an actual Tres Leches. That was totally fine with me. Good dessert is good dessert, I don't really care what you call it. If you really have a hankering for Tres Leches though you might be disappointed or maybe not. The other desserts looked tasty too. The drink menu seemed adventurous but we didn't partake this time. Maybe next time. Service was sort of a downer. It was a bit slow, so I understand it's possible to fall into a lull but our server seemed to have forgotten two of our items. Not a huge deal and he caught his own mistake but it did make the meal take longer than necessary. I doubt I would have even noticed had it not been for the drunkie next to us shouting in ear trying to talk to her friend and husband. Definitely worth trying. I will be back to try a few other items on the menu for sure. I hope they tighten things up by then because the items we had seemed a bit raw. Not uncooked but just not as refined as I was expecting. Could have had to do with us not ordering the right items, so we will see if that changes next time. read more

Picked this place for my friends birthday for a party of 10, great choice! The staff was very accommodating and prior to the event helped us pick a menu. It ended up being $45 per person without tax/tip/drinks. Totally reasonable for the amount of food we received: 3 orders of kimchi empanadas, 3 orders of Imperial Rolls, 2 orders of the candied shrimp kohlrabi salad, 3 orders of the brussel sprouts, 3 orders of the oyster mushrooms, 2 whole fish feast (came with dirty rice), 3 orders of the udon noodles, 2 orders of the mantu desert, and 2 orders of tres leches cake. This was a lot of food and everyone left fully satisfied. As for the taste of the food: - kimchi empanadas were the perfect empanadas, cheesy goodness. It came with a really really good chimichurri creme fraice that I wanted to eat by the spoons. - imperial rolls, were served with lettuce wraps to make sort of like sandwiches. I personally really liked the imperial rolls without the lettuce better. Definitely a much better version of fried rolls at chinese restaurants. - candied shrimp kohlrabi salad, it was a very light and refreshing salad but left me wanting more.. the shrimps were tiny baby ones, the size of your fingertip and very very fried. The salad sounds better than what it is, I would skip this. - brussel sprouts, served with pancetta. The brussels sprouts were a bit underseasoned but the pancetta saved it by being super salty. Still probably the better brussel sprout dish I've had in Chicago. - oyster mushrooms, probably the most disappointing dish of the night. The mushrooms were a bit overcooked and definitely under seasoned. But the butter sauce it came with I was eating it by a spoon. - the whole fish feast, very large portion that feeds about 5-6 people. Beautifully presented, stuffed with aromatics, fried in coconut fat, sake tamarind broth, house sambal. It came with dirty rice & plantains. I think the rice was overly cripsy and chewy but tasted good with a very strong basil flavor. The fish itself was just a tiny bit overcooked but we all very much enjoyed the experience of eating it. - the udon noodles, probably the most favorite dish of the night. Not even sure how to describe the taste other than being awesome! The dessert was the most disappointing.. the mantou, yeasted doughnuts served with chocolate ganache and earl grey marmalade, were completely flavorless and the texture was unappetizing. Between ten people and 6 mantou it was not even finished. The tres leches cake was better than the mantou donuts but still a very mediocre dessert. Overall, this was a great spot for a 10-12 people group. Everything was promptly served with no delays. Took about three hours total. Definitely recommend this place! read more

See all

Came here last night with two friends and we were lucky to snag seats on the patio. The environment is exactly what you'd want on a warm Chicago summer night. Twinkly lights and all. Service: amazing Cocktails: super fresh and delicious. Pricy Food -boat noodles- literally salivating still thinking of this. The meat was perfectly tender, broth so Flavorful and noodles complementing it all. One friend said it was too salty tho. -mushroom- OMG. The star of the night for me. The literally spooned the rest of the sauce in my mouth. The miso butter is addicting!!! Dip the bread in the sauce! -bread- not going to lie it reminded me of auntie Annie's pretzels from the mall. Nothing wrong with that because I live for soft pretzels. The soft boiled egg was a delicious addition. The chipotle butter was eh...bread is sort of plain without any big pops of flavor on its own...so I wouldn't order unless ordering the mushrooms so that you can dip the bread in the sauce. -dumplings - pretty standard dumplings. Probably will skip next time. -wings-these were sooooo good. The sauce is addicting. Another item I loved. The yogurt sauce was an interesting side to this. -kimchi empanadas- probably the worst dish of the night. Super oily and pretty flavorless. The white sauce it came with didn't go well with it at all. A skip for me. Will return to try the short ribs, mussels and those mushrooms again! read more

Another great spot for Korean fusion. One of the more veteran Korean fusion places and definitely worth a visit. So if you're a fan or or looking for a korean fusion spot, then definitely check this place out. read more

Amazing....favorites of the night were the stuffed cabbage and imperial rolls. The dolce de leche dessert was also pretty delicious and light and not overly sweet. They also have a pretty respectable beverage program going on there unlike their big sister restaurant, Ruxbin which is BYOB. We really enjoyed the boba cocktail as well as the refreshing citrusy celery bitters cocktail. My absolute favorite was the "bazaar" something Manhattany cocktail with malort. (On my next visit I'll be be sure to remember and post the actual names of the cocktails). It being located down the street from me they will definitely see me more than they would probably like to. read more

See all

Mott St. Lovely, lovely Mott St. :) I dined twice here recently and absolutely loved each trip. This was my first experience with the Ruxbin/Mott team and so I came in the first time with zero expectations, just a curious and open mind that was intrigued by the delicious-sounding vibe and cuisine they were going for. Let's start at the beginning, shall we? The restaurant itself is just down right lovely, chicken wire and all (yup that's what I said... CHICKEN WIRE). I loved the outdoor seating, the random "Mott St." graffiti on the back of the building (the only sign they have btw), as well as the mood lighting and wooden decor both inside and out of the restaurant. Yup, if I had a bucket load of time and energy I know that's how I would want my house to feel and look, so walking in to an environment that homey/rustic yet sleek and well done was a treat in and of itself. The staff is very friendly and straightforward, attentive and laid back. I can certainly tell it's a new restaurant and they have some kinks to work out, but they really did go above and beyond for the (very small) mistakes that were made, and that really spoke to me concerning their overall gracious-ness as a staff. Mott leaves pretension at the door and wears quiet dignified humility on their sleeves when serving their guests, which in this city is pretty hard to come by, and thus leaves me no choice but to give them props rating-wise. Ok so the main event- the food (and drinks :) I'm not really sure what else to say besides, WOW, it really was such a different experience to anything that I have tried in this city. I haven't made it out to many "fusion" restaurants, so to me the food was totally out of the box and I LOVED every second of it. The flavors for just about every dish were such an adventure, in particular the Kimchi and Oaxaca Spring Rolls (yes I see that I am not the only one who gives that bad boy a mad vote of "YES YUMMY PLEASE"!!), Pork Jowl, Calamari, and Stuffed Cabbage were all just simply delicious and "SCARFABLE" as my brother who dined with me put it. And the drinks... ya uh again like the food the drinks (cocktails in particular) are just so unique and quite the adventure... but seriously... in a good way. To me they are the perfect compliment to the menu, and I give mad props to the bartenders as I can imagine coming up with unique-ly crafted drinks to fit such a menu would be quite the task!! Between my 2 visits I must have tried at least 5-6 different cocktails and out of all of them the ones that stood out the most were The Resurrected, and yes that Summer Storms Cocktail... I don't care what anyone says, in my book, that crazy inventive combo WORKS, and I beg that you NEVER get rid of it... SO FLIPPING GOOD. Alright, I'll now bring my high-praise rant to a close and just say that I hope you people out there in Yelp-y land will head to Mott and let them treat you to a night of relaxed, upbeat, charming, out of the ordinary fun as they did me. I'll be returning many more times in the future, demanding Oaxaca Spring Rolls, stuffed Cabbage, and any other seemingly absurd drink they want to throw my way! read more

OOOoooopppssss they did it again!!! The Ruxbin Family just had a baby and let me tell you: it's a winner!!! Went to Mott St. yesterday with a friend and my expectations were met to the extreme. We set outside even though was quite warm. The Place is so cute, simple and the patio is spacious. It felt like home. DRINKS: there's something for everyone!! We had 4 different cocktails, gorgeous white port, some cava and they were all delicious and quite refreshing! SERVICE: Staff was sooooo friendly, and spot on the game. Lilly was our server and she made it very special for us! A lot of familiar faces from Ruxbin, which was also a lovely treat!!! Kudos to the Food runners and Servers assistants, they were very professional and smiley!!! we loved it! oh and they were also very cute!!!! wink wink! FOOD: We order 1 to 2 items of every section on the menu! My friend and I loved everything!! Udon pasta is soo yummmyyyy ( craving it, right now!!) !!! The Pork Jowl , the oyster mushroom , fried rice and 3 leches dessert are also a MUST!!! Cheers to CHEF! #Obvioooo !!!!! The energy, passion and sincerity of the staff and the food was very clear. I loved the approach on the menu and how they made it simple and unique! FANTASTIC!!! Congratulations on this new venture!!! So Excited to return and enjoy not just another great meal but an overall fabulous experience! read more

Second experience at Mott Street! We loved all the dishes at Mott Street. The empanadas were SO delicious. The dough or masa was so flavorful and it was so crispy. And the filling- kimchi & cheese? They tasted perfect together. The cheese was so gooey! The oyster mushrooms were meaty and tasty swimming in their buttery sauce. I actually took my spoon and ate the sauce like a soup because it was so rich and decadent. The wings were so crispy and flavorful from the everything seasoning. The black rice underneath the bone marrow had such a great flavor. Maybe it came from the drippings of the bone marrow? Doesn't really matter, I just know it was yummy. Last of all, we had the mentaiko udon!!! I LOVED this dish and wish I could eat it every day. The noodles are plump and come in this rich orange mentaiko sauce with bonito flakes dancing on top of it. Yum! Yum! Yum! There are many other things on the menu that we wanted to try, but since there were only two of us, that was all we could fit in our bellies. We will definitely be back for more soon! P.S. we tried two cocktails and two wines and they were also unique and delicious! read more

See all

So - there's a thing called bias... When you've been directly introduced to the management (whom are charming and engaging and energetic) and seated quickly and personally by those very same folk - it adds a level of intimacy and sense of the moment that can only colour one's experience positively... very positively. In fact, very, very positively. Teasing out bias from the straight-out enjoyment that might come from a blind visit is no mean task, but I'll try to do just that and evaluate it separately. Ambiance - The industrial vibe that invests much of Chicago's restaurant scene is in full force here; the high ceilings and structural surfaces covered with mere paint, the tasteful point lighting, the just slightly worn, workman-like tables and furniture; it bespeaks a pragmatic, artful attitude towards the accoutrements, leaving the vast majority of attention towards the highlight - the food! Food - Our party of four had the grilled leeks, Brussel Sprouts, Mussel Hot pot, Kimchi Stew, Sweetbreads, pork jowl, garlic rice, bone in rib eye, calamari bokum, mentaiko udon and we paired with the Musashino Ten to Chi (Heaven and Earth) Junmai Diaginjo. A number of Dashi Martinis and two glasses of the Awamori Shimauta Shochu topped off the drinks, and we had Milk and Cookies and Bread Pudding to truly finish off our palates. As a comment about fusion foods; many fusion ideas look good on paper, and fail to deliver. Put Edward Kim and company's version in the group that succeeds. The team has come up with many flavour combinations that highlight the synergies that come from the sweet, savory, sour and spicy bits from both east and west, putting tensions in the flavours that lend a zestful complexity that tickles the palate refreshingly. The twists on traditional Korean dishes add layers that do not distract nor dilute, but rather enhance and make more full the flavour profiles of the original dishes. The mixology team brings to bear a similar flair, something reminds me of couture mixology venues in HK and Singapore. Their sake/shochu/soju menu is tight but effective, giving a good sampling of styles and flavour profiles. At the end, we tottered out of Mott St all smiles and love, satisfied with not only the food, but with the warm, personal interactions we had with the staff. Intimacy makes food so much sweeter. Yes, there's bias here... but it's the best kind of bias; food coloured with love is the right kind of rose tint, (araso)? :) read more

After Hubby's birthday dinner at Mott St, I went on to the website. We had picked Mott St. as fans of Ruxbin where we had a very successful birthday dinner for hubby a couple of years ago. "About" Mott St describes the inspiration for the menu as "the post-service cravings of a hungry Ruxbin team." And it all made sense why most of what we ate at Mott St seamed like left overs. It just wasn't our jam. The one dish that we loved and would order over and over again were the dumplings. There was something off about every other dish that we had. On the candied shrimp and kohlrabi salad, it was the shrimp. With the everything wings, it was the tzatziki. We expected to get hit with a lot of spice and flavor and felt let down. Same with the udon noodle dish. The stuffed cabbage was bland over all and lacked any kind of texture. On our dessert--tres leches cake--it was the mango. How do you screw up tres leches cake?? Anyway, our server made a solid effort and we like the ambiance of the place but, unless it's to have 5 orders of dumplings, we probably won't be going back. read more

Pull back the red velvet shower curtain and step in to a dark minimalist underworld of Asian fusion. Welcome to Mott Street. We came in last evening to meet birthday reservations. Here is what we ordered: Brussels Sprouts (wok fried with lamb pancetta and maple brown butter), Steamed Dumplings (stuffed w pork, ginger, and green onion), Mentaiko Kimchi Udon (self explanatory), Stuffed Cabbage (pan seared napa kimchi with pork butt and sticky rice), Pork Jowl (with perilla leaves and fried tofu), Everything Wings (crispy fins glazed over with soy, jaggery sugar, fried shallots, and served with a cup of Tzatziki sauce) The dishes came evenly spaced, shared among four of us. As a sweet surprise, our kind waitress brought out a slice of birthday cake along with the dessert we ordered--how thoughtful! I definitely appreciated this Ruxbin-inspired twist on what I was previously used to, and will have to be back to try more of their cocktails and evolving menu. read more

I feel guilty giving Mott St only 2 stars, because it does have so much potential! Unfortunately, my experience was lackluster to say the least. Hopefully this was more of a singular incident than the norm. Our server was very nice, but flustered. We didn't have a drink menu until after he came by to take our orders. Their wine selection was slim and not worth the price. Also, if the server isn't sure about an answer to your wine questions, it is my opinion that they should offer a taste when the glass is in the price range they have. The server did not know what he was talking about in this case, and I was stuck with a wine I didn't like at all. The cocktails are definitely the way to go here. When it came time to order, we were specifically looking for any type of shellfish dish, but didn't see anything on the menu, so we decided on the brussel sprouts (small and dry), stuffed cabbage (this was actually really good), and buttery chicken thighs in a curry sauce (very small portion). As we were just being served our last plate, we noticed the 3 tables around us getting these amazing dishes of mussels and clams. We were so confused, double checked the menu, and then finally had to ask another server. Apparently that dish was the special, which our server forgot to mention to us!! Really not cool, and just disappointing. I will say my favorite part of the dinner was the $3 chocolate covered banana- so good! Unfortunately that did not make up for the rest. I'd like to give Mott St another chance, but I'm not sure I'll be back after this experience. read more

This restaurant was recommended by a friend and it was wonderful. Our waiter was extremely knowledgeable and gave us lots of information on all the dishes to help us decide what to order. The food was all amazing with lots of unusual flavor combinations. I would definitely recommend leaving room for dessert so you can experience their take on mango sticky rice! read more

I loved my experience here! Food was excellent, service was perfect and the ambiance was unique and enjoyable. We had a little bit of everything. The Brussels sprouts, grilled cauliflower were both great, the kimchi empanadas were unique and my favorite thing on the menu. The everything wings came in a close second for favorite dish, and on my list of the best in the city. Short rib was good, the catfish claypot was an unsuspecting winner and favorite with many of my friends, and the drinks were well made and enjoyable. Overall I can't say enough good things about this place, and can't wait to come back the next time I am in town. read more

Most of the dishes we got were great. The calamari was spicy and an interesting take on the traditional Korean spicy octopus dish. We also got the kimchi udon, black cod, and stuffed cabbage. Our favorite was the udon--it was buttery and the kimchi flavor really came through. The black cod was also really good but it was like four bites of fish for $28 which I didn't think was worth it. The stuffed cabbage was also really good but I'm biased because I love kimchi. The only thing I didn't get were the plastic green chopsticks. What's with the pho chopsticks? Didn't jive with the rest of the restaurant's ambiance. read more