Restaurant Review: Le Colonial

Before I even moved to Chicago, my sister, Melissa, would always talk about this little French/Vietnamese restaurant on N. Rush street called Le Colonial. Since Melissa has very high standards when it comes to food, I knew I had to to check this one out for myself. Honestly, I didn’t really understand the concept of a restaurant that fuses two very different styles of cooking together, but I’m always into trying something new.

Thank god I did.

Le Colonial is a shining star among Chicago’s overwhelming culinary scene. It’s a must for any avid foodie and is perfect for a romantic night with your significant other.

I spent my experience at Le Colonial on a double date with my boyfriend, Dan, and my co-worker Jacob and his boyfriend, Paul. After waiting about 45-minutes to be seated (we had a reservation, but they were behind), they sat us upstairs in a beautiful, dim lit table in the corner. Since the food I’m about to describe is so incredible, I will forgive the long wait time and hope it was just a one-time fluke.

Here is what we had and my thoughts on each course:

1) Ca Song ($12): We started off our meal with this amazing tuna tartare appetizer that was chopped up with tomatoes and cucumbers. They lightly toss it in a delicious ginger soy dressing and serve it with house-made wonton chips. This tuna melted in my mouth and was the perfect starter to prepare for our meal. The dish also comes with cilantro, but due to my intense hatred of the herb, they were able to omit it with no problem.

2) Bahn Cuon ($11): This was the other appetizer we ordered. It was a classic homemade ravioli (super thin), stuffed with chicken and mushrooms. It was steamed and served in a chili lime garlic sauce. Overall, I thought this appetizer was wonderful (despite not liking mushrooms). It was light and surprisingly refreshing for a pasta dish. It was so good, I only got one bite before the whole dish was gone!

3) Pho ($7.50): This was the absolute highlight of my meal. This classic vietnamese pho (noodle soup) is served with the most tender slices of beef I have ever tasted in my life. If Le Colonial does in fact allow takeout (I have yet to confirm this), I will surely order this on a weekly basis. This aromatic soup is so good, that when Jacob went to order another soup on the menu, our waitress interjected and said “So you want the Pho?” (implying that he absolutely HAD to try that soup). I know he’s glad he the waitress changed his mind…

4) Tau Hu Cari ($20): For all the vegetarian readers out there, this is your dish! It’s a mix of firm tofu, eggplant, asparagus, mango, yams and the biggest cashews I’ve ever seen all tossed in an amazing coconut curry sauce. Order this dish, I promise you won’t miss the meat.

5) Bahn Pho Xao ($21): You simply can’t go wrong with noodles in a garlic chili sauce. These wide (yet surprisingly thin) noodles are unbelievable and a must get if coming to Le Colonial. This dish is packed with lots of vegetables and served with your choice of chicken, steak or tofu. Since Dan is a vegetarian, we went tofu. Perfection.

6) Com Chien ($8): This is basically just a chicken fried rice. It was nothing extraordinary (if I’m being honest), but a great accompaniment to all the delicious dishes we had. Next time, I’ll probably skip this and just opt for the plain rice that comes with the meals. The dishes have so much flavor, you really only need the rice to sop up the incredible sauces.

7) Banana Wonton: I can’t remember how much this dish actually costs (it’s totally less than $10), but who cares? It’s so good, I’d pay $100 for it. Not only is the presentation absolutely stunning, the fried banana is paired beautifully with the chocolate sauce. We got ours with ice cream (you have to ask for it) and it just completely rounded out the dish.

So that about sums up my dinner at Le Colonial. I don’t care if your an adventurous eater or not, when you go to this place, just eat and don’t ask questions. I promise, it will be a culinary experience you will never forget.

Love always,
Erica