LF Says: ★★★★★
Upon entering Michael Jordan Restaurant, I was impressed by the greetings I received. I walked into what looked like the epitome of a sports bar, with over 100 photos of Michael Jordan collaged strategically along the 90-seat bar and restaurant walls. The wooden floors, brown leather panels, warm lighting with a touch of natural lighting from the tall windows and cozy seating made me feel like I was walking into the most luxurious of luxe box seats at a Chicago Bulls game. Flat screen TVs lined the restaurant so that from any booth, bar stool or table, the big game could be in view. All these things make the restaurant a family friendly, sporty, chic and aesthetically pleasing place to dine. The real question is whether or not the food could match up to the perfect aesthetic.
The short answer: YES
I started with the French Onion Soup. True to its name, the sweet onion was very strong and caramelized with madeira wine. The top had baked gruyere and raclette cheeses that were perfectly crusted along the edges and added the softest and light, yet necessary texture, to the soup. It’s a dish perfect for any onion lover.
Adding to my appetizer list were Chicken Spring Rolls which were the most delicate spring rolls I’ve ever had with a meat filling. The wrap was crisp, yet still held its soft form. The pulled Slagel Farm’s chicken was tender and moist. My particularly favorite part of the dish was the cucumber yogurt and Indonesian sweet soy. The sweet soy drizzled around the rim of the plate and the cucumber yogurt separated in a small sauce bowl made for a beautiful presentation along with other edible garnishments. The cucumber yogurt was fresh, quite light and a perfect combination with the fresh delicacy of the rolls.
The Signature Garlic Bread. What a treat! Stacked crispy ciabatta bread, topped with a rich and creamy roth käse blue cheese fondue is how it is described in the menu and in no way deviates from the truth. The bread was crispy and flavorful. The blue cheese fondue was slightly heavier but created a perfect balance along with the fresh bread.
The Cedar-Planked Salmon was the freshest salmon I’ve ever experienced. The fat to meat proportion was perfectly balanced, the salmon was beautiful with incredible marbling and practically melted in your mouth. The maple gave the salmon a sweetness that made my taste buds sing. What came with the Salmon was even better. The bacon laced cream corn was my favorite part of this dish. The corn was rich and creamy with a smooth texture and bacon added flavor to the corn in a way I’ve never imagined.
Now for the good part, the steak. Their signature steak, Prime Delmonico, tastes just as good as it looks. At a tender medium, it was crisp around the edges, juicy, flavorful, perfectly seasoned and the balsamic ginger jus was a nice hint of flavor. With every bite I could taste the ginger which filled my mouth and blended with the tender steak and its juices perfectly. The 45 day dry aged Delmonico was definitely the center of attention for the night. In addition to the steak, the lobster add-on was flavorful and fresh, but I preferred the steak.
Finishing with a flourish was the Nutella Crème Brûlèe dessert, which was a completely unexpected relish. The crème brûlèe was delicate and soft. The top was perfectly crusted while the middle held the most beautiful fluffy consistency. It melted in my mouth with every bite and definitely left me wanting more. The flavors were so rich and the banana with hazelnut sprinkled across it was a great touch of flavor.
Overall, the service and the restaurant was elite, yet welcoming and warm, while the food was top of the line. I would recommend this luxe find to anyone.
LF Says: ★★★★★
Coordinates: 1225 W 22nd St, Oak Brook, IL 60523
