Winter Comforts at the Slurping Turtle

As I've noted in a recent blog post ("Falling Back"), one of the best things about winter is taking comfort in hearty and soothing food. Nowhere is this more apparent than at the Slurping Turtle, a new Japanese comfort food restaurant in River North specializing in dumplings, sashimi, bincho grill and noodle soups.

Take comfort in this bowl during
Chicago's deep freeze. 

Given its proximity to Hubbard Street "to be seen" type places like EPIC (and my natural aversion to these places), I was skeptical at first. However, this all changed upon walking into the warm, inviting and casual restaurant.

The large communal table anchored the dining room and despite the 20 foot-plus lofted space, it wasn't overly noisy. The staff was laid back but attentive, and the wine and sake list was affordable and varied.  

I order shumai at most Japanese restaurants (they are a favorite), and the steamed pork and shrimp shumai at The Slurping Turtle were among the best I've had in the city, especially with a dash of spicy dipping sauce.

The bincho grill plates were small, leaving ample room to sample several types of meat and fish over the course of the meal. We had seared tuna and scallops, both of which were cooked perfectly and enhanced further with the lingering flavor of the charcoal and wood bincho grill. (Interested in learning more about the bincho grill? Check out this great video from Grub Street in which The Slurping Turtle's Chef Takashi Yagihashi explains this traditional japanese cooking method.)

The noodles, although difficult to share, are a must. We tried the Slurping Noodle with tiger shrimp, napa cabbage, fish cake and cilantro. Sharing soup is always a messy endeavor but certainly well worth the effort in this case.

I'm looking forward to going back to the Slurping Turtle in the dead of winter when I can settle in with a fragrant saki flight and a steaming bowl of noodles. While many Chicagoans tout the greatness of deep dish pizza during the winter, I'd argue that the type of meal served at The Slurping Turtle is just satisfying and warming (if not more so). With many vegetarian, seafood and grilled options, it's also lighter comfort food for the post-holiday winter months. Unfortunately, this does not include the Slurping Turtle's duck fat fried chicken dish, which I've heard is as decadent and addicting as it sounds.