Jin Thai Cuisine - Edgewater, Chicago

Yelp review from Evan Thoreau H.

"Tasty addition to the 'hood. Jin takes the best of good Thai food (spice, freshness, depth of flavor) and takes it to the next level. Not only is the corner remodel a great looking storefront on a block that was needing a shiny new gem, but Jin isn't just 'another BYOB Thai place'.

The difference starts with the location and style, but ends - as all truly great restaurants should - with the food. I disagree with Steve, in that this is NOT your usual thai menu. Sure they have the standard American-Thai fare (spring rolls, Pad See Ewe, Lad Nar, Penang Curry, etc.) but it's the dishes you won't find at other neighborhood Thai joints that really stand out.

After a deeper dive into the menu, my girlfriend and I decided to scratch our standard faves in order for something new. We still had to stick to the crab rangoons (four plump morsels thankfully not over wontony) and the standard Tom Yum (spicy, red as a lobster delicious) and Tom Kha (think rich coconut and savory Galunga) but on top of that we got the specialty of the house, the Angel Wing, something I've never seen before - basically two large chicken wings somehow stuffed with glass noodles, ground chicken and seasoning and then fried. Holy Bangkok, it was amazing.

From there we went onto the soups, a delicious Green Papaya salad and an entree of Kao Soy, a uber spicy curry noodle dish that kept me sweating for an hour after. Awesome. Amazing value too. Maybe an extra dollar on top of what you'd expect from most Thai places - maybe - but with ingredients that are out of this world, an impeccable eye for quality and portions that I would say top out more places.

Truly an amazing joint. If you love Thai, but you're growing weary of the standard Pad Thai and spring roll joints that are a dime a dozen, come on up to my 'hood and take a smooth, spicy, sexy shot of Jin."