Several of us from SOBCon08 went in search of a restaurant on Saturday evening. What we got was an experience.
Wow! That’s the first word that comes to mind about Vong’s. To the left you’ll see my dinner, Panang Chicken. But that’s not where it starts, nor ends. Let me tell you more.
After a short wait, we were lead back to a table with plenty of room for the eight of us, and Dawud is no small guy. Menus were handed out and water served but then we all kind of sat there.
Oh, we were doing the normal pre-dinner chatter you’d expect of bloggers, but none of us could really decide what to get. Thai food has differing tastes at each restaurant, and no one was quite sure what to order. That’s when the real experience began.
Then he showed up, Jose, the best waiter in Chicago. Jose began with a simple introduction and a hearty welcome to Vong’s. He then told us with obvious pride of the unique food style of the restaurant, and even some history. While doing that, Jose began describing some of the food choices, starting with the seafood curry. As he continued, he not only told us that they had seafood, but what type of crabs, and how wonderfully fresh and tasty they were. That was when it got better.
Jose gave us a tour of items on the menu from appetizers to main dishes, and house speciality. With each dish, he had us more rapt. Our eyes followed along in our menus as he went through them, and our mouths began to water. He talked of curries and spices, of dinners and drinks, and we sat in silence, our whole attention focused on him.
Soon enough he was done and we were all ready to chow, even Dawud and Adam, both of whom weren’t really hungry when we came in. Jose finished up by not walking off and letting us stew but visited with some of us one on one to help us choose something just right for us each.
As if my mouth wasn’t watering already, the Jose told me about the Panang Chicken. He described in earnest the peanut curry, it’s taste, texture, and spice. It is the house curry, and he was obviously quite proud of that. I was sold in a minute.
Jose didn’t leave us too long at any point during the dinner, which came very quickly. Each meal was hot and they were all served together. Our drinks were never empty and the conversation over dining flowed wonderfully. It was already one of my best dining experiences in ages. And then it was over.
Not quite really. Only one of us, Tom, had ordered dessert. So we sat back and relaxed, chatting. But then it came. Oh, not just Tom’s dessert but four more. Jose had arranged to comp us one of each of four desserts for the table. Talk about wow factor!
There were beignets, fried bananas, creme brulee trio, and warm Valrhona chocolate cake. At this point, all I could mumble were ‘wow’, ‘oh my’, and lots of ‘ah’s. My mouth is watering just imagining those again. Each dessert was rich and flavorful. Even with 8 of us, there was plenty to go around to sample. It made the meal perfect.
The food was fantastic, the waiter the best, and even the manager stopped by. She welcomed us with a smile, and graciously accepted our compliments of Jose and the whole experience.
Too soon it was time to rise and head out, but our stomachs were full as well as our minds with the heady experience. Needless to say, Jose got an incredible tip. Cheers Jose!!
If you visit Vong’s Thai Kitchen in Chicago, may you find Jose waiting your table.
Did you have any memorable food experiences in Chicago, especially at SOBCon08?