Conscious Choice: Wholesome Balance at Aigre Doux

February 2008 | Conscious Dining

Wholesome Balance at Aigre Doux

By Tanya Fritz

Sensing the balance between sweet and sour at Aigre Doux is immediate upon walking into this River North restaurant. The dark wood themed décor balances the flickering candlelight throughout the restaurant, while the comfortably muted conversation levels counter-balance the high ceilings and the peek-through kitchen window is just large enough to see the culinary action, without having to hear what really goes on behind the scenes in most kitchens. However, I’m confident the conversation in the Aigre Doux kitchen is cordial, quiet and deeply focused under Chef/co-owner Mohammad Islam.

Chef Islam is known for his quiet leadership, his dedication to the culinary craft and his zeal for fresh ingredients. His on-the-job culinary education has given him access to to some of the best chefs in the world (Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris), and under a short tutelage he has helped run some of the most renown kitchens (Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles; Ritz-Carlton, Chicago; and Mercer Ktichen, New York). The balance he brings to his kitchen as well as his culinary leadership are exemplified in in the path he followed to achieve his current level of gastronomic stardom. Islam began his career as a computer engineer but then found his calling in cooking. Thankfully, he followed his intuition and also found his life and business partner, Chef/co-owner Maleeka Ameen, who runs the bakery at Aigre Doux. Together they offer a menu with indulgent ingredients, prepared in a simple manner, elevating each flavor.

The first night we dined, we tried the Roasted Beet Salad with black walnut, ricotta salata and candied lemon vinaigrette, as well as the Hamachi and Avocado with brulèed yuzu, and yuzu vinaigrette. Needless to say, yuzu is not a commonly found ingredient, but the brightness it brings to a dish is not easily forgotten. We also tried the Pan Seared Black cod with sushi rice, asparagus, nameko mushroom broth as well as the Seared Diver Scallops with lemon sweet pea risotto and butter lettuce. While the dishes may at first-read seem complex, and even heavy, they interact beautifully on the plate and easily move the diner to quiet culinary appreciation. The night we arrived, we were lucky enough to be seated at Rich Dyer’s table (no, they didn’t know we were there to review the restaurant). We didn’t know prior to our visit that he was named “A Great Waiter” by Penny Pollack in Chicago magazine (May 2007). To the humble chagrin of Dyer, we were informed of the accolade after gushing about his warmth, knowledge and general conviviality to the general manager. I’d love to keep him our little secret, but since the word is out anyway, ask to be seated at his table when you make your reservation. It will make a fantastic experience near perfect.

The entire evening was rounded out well with the pastry selection we sampled from Chef Ameen, including, the Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta with Blackberry Compote, Pineapple Lime Granité; an interesting combination of ice creams, including, Roasted Banana Oreo Crumb, Honeycomb Honey and an out of this world Salted Butter Pecan. The Aigre Doux Cookie Plate came with an imaginative assortment of Walnut Tea, Passion Fruit Lavender, Chocolate Truffle and Marshmallow; it’s not to be missed. Although we didn’t try it, I swore the next time I would try the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Devonshire Cream Sorbet, Cara Cara Orange and Orange Dust. Now that’s an impressive sounding dish!

Aigre Doux, 230 W. Kinzie St., Chicago; 312-329-9400; aigredouxchicago.com.

Tanya Fritz is a professionally trained chef, oenophile, slow-food fanatic and yoga enthusiast.

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