Bonsoiree Cafe & Delicacies: User Reviews
Last Saturday, I enjoyed another fabulous meal at BonSoiree. This is the third time I’ve experienced this restaurant and I can’t stop raving about the food and service. The meal was delightful. I understand that Chef Shin Thompson is in Japan. You should know that Shin has trained his chef well - we didn’t realize he was there until we asked to see him. A perfect combination of flavors and the ambiance is always a compliment. Kudos!
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Had the 7 course. Between a small plate and a degustation. Food is almost everything. Very creative. Expect offerings one would not find elsewhere. My favs were the sea scallop and the desert bread pudding.
The portion sizes are smaller, no bread offerings, and with the price of the wine (BYOB) being right, one has to use prudence with the quantity of wine consumption during dinner and as an intermezzo between courses.
Reminded us as a refined (ambiance) version of Schwa.
If I wasn't a foodie, I may not care for it.
Parking is difficult.
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I was with five other women last night, and being the only vegan of the group, the chefs were more than willing to accommodate me, even though the menu is fixed (I did call ahead to give them the heads-up). I arrived early; one of the chefs was kind enough to discuss my menu with me - no one has EVER done anything like that before. My friends were flying high with their selections - the dishes are small but rich and very flavorful, and the prices are incredibly reasonable. Since it's BYOB, the bill is dramatically lessened, and our bill for six people (with tax) was $364. You can't get much better than that. Our waiter, Ryan, was just as outstanding as the food; two of our chefs came out to describe the deserts we were presented - honestly...this place is GREAT, and all of us were in agreement we want to come back, and soon.
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Outstanding everything. A real jewel of a restaurant. The food is fantastic, beautifully presented. They obviously care about what they're doing.
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Bonsoiree was our restaurant/culinary highlight in Chicago. The have a 5 or 7 prix-fixe dinner option. It is BYOB, a cost saver.
Shin and Luke present a wonderful, creative, extremely tasty dinner. Nuances, flavors, yin and yang tastes. Everything we had, we loved. I would go back to Chicago just for the scallop dish.
Service is excellent. Paul is a wonderful host. Tuesdays are reduced rates, $40 fir the 5 course prix- fixe dinner. This is a serious restaurant, requires a serious wine and an adventuresome attitude.
Enjoy it while it is there!
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outstanding food, escolar the best ever, veal outstanding also. everything about this tiny BYO is terrific.
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This was a great experience! We had gone to Blackbird the week before and just wasn't satisfied with the experience after hearing all the hype about the restaurant.
Bonsoiree however, was exactly what we had been looking for in a fine dining experience! The setting (outside) was relaxed and romantic as we sat amongst the trees and garden flowers. Our server was very attentive and helpful when presenting our plates, NOT overpowering or stuffy, which you'll find in many fine dining restaurants.
THE FOOD! We had the 5-course meal with a cheese plate a la carte. The flavors of the plates were well balanced and thoughtfully progressed in intensity through the courses.
The beautiful thing about this restaurant is that it's BYOB. So there's no inflated wine costs to worry about when the bill comes...it's all about the food! Great night out!
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We had a reservation for 9pm and they sat us almost 70 minutes later. Food was fair, but not worth the price.
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Lovelly evening...but could have been better.
By Holly J from North Shore, April 24, 2008
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Ok...we had a lovely evening here, made so as much by the fun friends and great wine that we brought as by the food. Generally the food was good, with a few caveats. First of all our group of 8 had some wine on the lovely patio out back. The amuse was a spoon with 3 edaname beans and a tortilla chip...inspired? We were seated at the "best table in the house" in the front window. A lovely table for 6, but we were 8. Two of us had to hang off the end corners. I don't know why another 2 top couldn't have been added on for our comfort. We had a multi course tasting menu. On several occasions our group of eight were given 4 servings of one dish and 4 of another. These portions were tiny and awkward to share. I made an arrangement with my dinner partner to take a bite and then switch plates. My husband, who had just met the people on his left and right felt uncomfortable doing this. So he ate his tiny fish appetizer and other courses, wondering what the one on either side of him tasted like. Several courses were presented and just when we thought it was time for dessert, the main entree came. The third meat course. I liked the food, but felt the dishes were randomly selected, rather than building off of each other to make a whole cohesive meal. I will go back, but will not order the tasting menu. The space is lovely and intimate.
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I've been twice in the past two weeks and I'm so pleased that the food is consistent amongst and between dishes. Each time, I let them serve me (this is SOP on "menu-less Sunday" which we attended last week and the option we chose for my friend's b-day the previous Thursday). They can do fish and game and dessert without disappointment. Both raw and cooked fish are executed beautifully. Lamb and venison (each with a fruit sauce or salsa) are flavorful, natural and not gamey. The BYO aspect is a major-league plus. I can see how the server you have (and there is one which may be a mistake--it starts out OK when the restaurant is emptier but as it nears it's limited capacity, the pacing gets a bit erratic/slow) can influence your overall experience. I'm really glad our first one was a dynamo. This is a great place and I recommend you make a reservation and go. Kika, it may have looked empty when you arrived but dinner takes 2+ hours if you go with the 7 course (only $55 on Sunday!) so it makes sense they can't accommodate walk-ins. Parking is easy so if you think this is out of your way, make an effort to go!
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Review Summary
The following scores represent the average rating submitted by 71 users:
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