I have read a lot of reviews for Michelin starred restaurants in Chicago so I thought I’d start with TRU. By the sounds of it, I seemed like a perfect place for special occasions- not only for it’s food but also the outstanding service/deco.
As soon as we entered the restaurant, we found the decor to be simple, spacious and elegant. The design is very clean cut and modern. The atmosphere was very romantic and therefore allowed for quiet intimacy- not at all vibrant or noisy. Defo had that high end restaurant feel. The dinning room was dim with spot lights over each table. Please note that there is a dress code at this restaurants- Jackets are required.
We were greeted by personable staff. “Personable” is a tag for the service at Tru. When we walked in, the hostess gave us a warm welcome, took our jackets and then lead us to our table. Like other fine restaurants, they gave us an intro dish before we eat… a beautiful start to this *experience*, compliments from the chef! We were well attended to- each table had 3-4 servers throughout the meal. Classy!
Food
This is a Contemporary French tasting- menu restaurant. Everything is delightfully artistically presented, creative, exquisite and oh-so-delicious. The presentation would surely get a 10/10- very dreamy. It can be compared to nature out in places high up on a mountain with lush greenery, mist and obviously dreamy. Think a fairly tale like Narnia or Alice in Wonderland with it’s beautiful natural and dreamy ‘secret-garden’ set.
We went for “THE EXPERIENCE” tasting menu. The menu played around with unusual ways in which dishes were served.
Here’s a review of my favourite:
The caviar
Needless to say, Tru has the BEST caviar in town. Apparently people come to TRU only for it’s caviar. We tried 3 different kinds of caviar on the tasting menu. One of the best that I highly recommend is the one with cream… it quickly melts in your mouth and not as fatty as foie gras. However, you really do want to make this moment last forever, so savour every moment. Literally!
Kobe beef
We were well aware that the beef is super organic. So the cows are raised in Japan, fed with organic food and listen to music! Yes, music. Ha! There are studies that prove that this kind of treatment to the cows makes the beef different to all the rest including regular Kobe elsewhere. Anyway, the Kobe was prepared in two different but special methods with a delicious homemade sauce. I can’t recall the exact details of the sauce but I do remember that it wasn’t something you’ll find anywhere else.
Peeky toe crab, lemon vanilla gelée, frosted parsley
Need I say more? A gorgeous delight- the King crab was made with mint, which makes the dish refreshing- a fresh take on crab meat with a hint of sweetness to it. Beautiful layout and presentation, like a blooming flower, in a ball shaped glass bowl (see below).
Duck consomme, foie gras ravioli and truffle
This is was an elegant dish. After the introduction, we watched the consommé prepared in front of us- infused with truffle, celery and other elements that made this not just a delight to taste but also to watch prepare. The Foie gras was a taste of heaven, it melted in our mouth too quickly, delicately and slowly with just the right amount of fatty taste combined with incredible yumminess. The Truffles tasted like real truffles, you can tell that the quality was the best of it’s kind.
Desserts
Dessert tasting was served on a three-tier curate stand, like a serious English afternoon tea. Super cute macaroons & chocolate. The macaroon was not too bad in taste but it was super tiny & cute.
Price & Budget
Tru is one of the BEST (1 starred) Michelin restaurants in Chicago which can easily be compared to Alinea from the quality of food, experience and price. The tasting menu is $158 with $125 wine pairing. For 2, it’s about 500$ in total without wine pairing and $900 with wine pairings.
If you are looking for a romantic dinner in Chicago with entertainment and fine delicacies surely to remember then try TRU. It’s TRU-ly worth it 😉
