Boon Boon Cafe

It's early and I haven't finished my coffee, so sorry for the unoriginal title.

Anyway, it doesn't need anything fancy because this place is GOOD. Jen and I couldn't come up with any remotely interesting dinner ideas the other night when neither of us felt like cooking after too many vodka sodas at the Tallac Lounge, so we decided to try the Boon Boon. I drive by it every day on my to and from work and it's also super close to Jen's house in TP.

What a great, pleasant surprise! The food was so incredibly good and the service was fantastic. Our server/owner (we're not sure, but making an assumption because she kept calling the restaurant "hers" so she either owns it or takes incredible ownership of it, both of which are a good thing) was incredibly knowledgeable about the food. She gave us the picture menu, which I always think is a funny thing about Asian restaurants, but also incredibly appreciated when you can't decide. Jen and I ordered the Chicken Satay appetizer, Chicken Green Curry and Spicy Shrimp. The Chicken Satay was perfectly grilled, the peanut sauce tasting homemade and not at all like peanut butter, the green curry perfectly light and just the right amount of heat, and the spicy shrimp perfectly cooked with all the vegetables. Our ginger tea was delicious and the perfect accompaniment.

I went back for lunch last week when I couldn't think of anything better to eat. I had the Tom Kha Gai (coconut milk soup) and the Yakitori appetizer. I wasn't as impressed by the Yakitori as the Chicken Satay. The chicken tasted a bit like it was on the grill for too long, but the teriyaki sauce was excellent. I usually stay away from teriyaki because I don't like the sticky sweetness of it, but this was a perfect balance of everything. The soup, however, was FABULOUS. I think I've talked about it every day since. It was a perfect balance of spicy and sweet, creamy without being heavy, with perfect little mushrooms, tender strips of chicken, and crunchy onion strips. YUM. I could eat this every day of my life.

The ambiance could use some warming up, but I think that's more because it's been relatively empty every time I've eaten here. The music is always interesting (when I was there for lunch it was some rockin' random jazz that was pretty cool). They're applying for a liquor license, which will probably help with the crowd, but honestly (and I can't believe I'm going to say this) they don't need it. They also have free delivery within 4 miles--hurray for those of us in TP, LP and Midtown!

One thing--there's a lot of talk on the Yelp reviews about it being in the "heart" of Oak Park. Anybody from the center city neighborhoods knows Stockton and Broadway is NOT the heart of Oak Park. It's not the greatest neighborhood, but hardly the worst ghetto either. And the location should not keep you away from the Boon Boon, the food is way too good for that.

Oh--and I almost forgot--it's cheap!! Jen and I spent $25 on dinner and I spent $10 on lunch with tip.

You can find Boon Boon on the south west corner of the Stockton and Broadway intersection, behind the Subway, or on the web at www.boonbooncafe.com. I highly recommend you try it.