Thai Urban Kitchen

Train stations don’t normally bring to mind melt-in-your-mouth sushi or flavorful Thai cuisine served in an elegantly stark atmosphere, but that’s exactly what you get with Thai Urban Kitchen.

TUK recently opened in the southeast corner of Ogilvie Station. Owned by the same people behind Sura on Broadway (and some NYC eateries), the menu offers chicken, beef, tofu, or shrimp with various preparations, and you get to choose a complimentary appetizer with each lunch entree.

I visited over the weekend with my son. He’s a good companion when I’m checking out a new spot because, as a teenage boy, he can eat more in one sitting than I’ll eat in a week so I get to try lots of dishes. He’s also quite the foodie. I gave him sushi when he was two and the kid tried to give me a heart attack by sticking a huge ball of wasabi in his mouth. I knew I was in trouble when he actually liked it. Instead of nachos or pizza rolls, he asks for sushi as a “snack”.

That being said, of course we had to start with sushi. TUK has an extensive list of maki (rolls) and pieces, but we took the easy way out and ordered the Sushi Set: a piece each of tuna, salmon, super white tuna, ebi (shrimp), white fish, and unagi. They were presented beautifully in a rectangular white dish. It really was melt-in-your-mouth good and seemed to disappear from the plate.

For appetizers our server recommended the Semolina Fritters (also available at Sura), made with chicken and shrimp and served with a chili-plum sauce. Even though they’re fried, they weren’t too greasy. He also recommended the calamari salad, which was loaded with fried rings and was a nice twist on the traditional appetizer.

My son loves chicken teriyaki, so he tried that even if he’s not a fan of the accompanying enoki and portabello mushrooms. It was a little sweeter than I’m used to, but quite tasty (and I got his mushrooms). Our server recommended the Tamarind Dish and I requested shrimp. It’s so easy to overcook shrimp, but theirs was tender and I loved the blend of red peppers, broccoli, cashews, mushrooms, and lotus root.

Silly me, I thought we’d get away without having dessert, since they don’t have a list, until my son heard “molten chocolate cake.” I think he’s on a mission to try every chocolate cake in the city. His only complaint? It was too small! The accompanying raspberry sorbet was smooth and wonderful and I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing.

TUK also serves breakfast, perfect for morning commuters, and offers brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Thai Urban Kitchen
500 W Madison St (Ogilvie Transportation Center)
(312)575-0266
Breakfast Mon – Fri 6:30am to 10am, Lunch 11am to 3pm
Brunch Sat & Sun American breakfast 9:30am to 3pm; Thai & Japanese 11am to 3pm

UPDATED HOURS: Lunch Daily 11am to 3pm, Dinner Sun – Fri 5 to 10pm, Sat 5 to 11pm
Brunch Sat & Sun 9:30 to 11am