Tin Fish

Buffalo Shrimp

We went to dinner at Tin Fish in Tinley Park after seeing it featured on Check Please in October.  Since it is a south suburban location (kind of near where we work), we wanted to check it out.

We tried the following:
Buffalo shrimp appetizer - we got a 1/2 lb of shrimp but it is also comes as a full pound.  The shrimp were super tasty in a unique creamy buffalo sauce.  It had a good tang and heat to it but wasn't too overpowering so you could still taste the fresh shrimp.  The shrimp also came with blue cheese dressing and celery.  We should have gotten the pound of shrimp but then we wouldn't have had room for our entrees.

Cornmeal crusted scallops

Tin Fish features fresh caught fish daily which can be prepared in a variety of styles and sides.  We chose the Red Snapper which was a catch of the day.  We had it cooked with a garlic char glaze and it was served with smashed potatoes. The fish was firm and flaky and held the garlic flavor well.

Red Snapper

We also chose Georges bank scallops which are a regular item on the menu.  We had them prepared with a cornmeal crust and they came with a side of brussel sprouts.  The scallops tasted good.  We chose the cornmeal encrusted style of preparation to try it out, but maybe the scallops may have been more well suited to a different preparation (blackened, grilled, sauteed or garlic char glazed). They were still tasty and unique, but sometimes it is better when the knowledgeable chefs pick the preparation method for dishes.

Final thoughts on Tin Fish:
Food - nice fresh fish, with the choose your own fish/preparation/complement there are many variations that can be tried so you can have a unique experience each time - even with the same type of seafood. We loved the buffalo shrimp.
Service - we went early on a Friday night so it wasn't too busy and we got a lot of attention from our waiter (maybe almost too much attention).
Atmosphere - hip seafood place, but it is located in a strip mall.  From the outside it doesn't look as nice as it does inside.  This restaurant could be good for either a casual or a fancy meal.

Siam Marina

Chicken Satay

We went to dinner at Siam Marina in Calumet City.  It is halfway between where both of us work so it was a good place to meet.  We have seen it featured both on Check Please and Chicago's Best.  Also Natalie had been there for lunch a couple of years ago. Right now the restaurant is located in Calumet City by the River Oaks Mall but will be closing this location at the end of February 2013 and moving to Tinley Park in the future.  Another interesting fact is that the owner formerly worked at Arun's Thai - the super fancy Thai restaurant we went to last summer and loved.

Tom kha kai shrimp soup

We purposefully ordered a lot of food knowing we would take a lot home and knowing how much we had loved the food at Aruns.

Chicken Satay - chicken marinated in coconut milk and curry, served with peanut sauce and cucumber salad.  This is one of Nick's favorites -  nice large strips of chicken draped in warm sweet peanut sauce.  The sauce was a little creamier than peanut butter but not as sweet.

Tom kha kai shrimp soup - spicy savory broth of coconut milk, galanga, lemongrass, bell peppers and mushrooms. One of Nick's sisters' favorite dishes from when she was in Thailand so she told Nick to order it whenever he found it on a menu. This was a very large portion, much bigger than we thought.  The coconut and lemongrass was great, sweet and tangy.

Ceramic duck for duck curry

Thai banana curry duck - red curry duck thickened in coconut milk, tomatoes, Thai greenery and basil.  We heard about this dish from the bit on Check Please and it looked fun. The presentation is amazing - it is served at the table in a ceramic duck.  The curry was a bit spicier than we anticipated but this was cut by the sweet components and the slices of banana.  

Thai banana curry duck

Chicken pad thai - stir fried rice noodles with bean sprouts, scrambled eggs, cabbage, and peanuts in a light sweet and sour tamarind sauce.  We had to try the Thai food main stay.  It was presented almost like a cobb salad would be with all the components in their own little sections. It was our least favorite dish of the night - but that was only because everything else was so exceptional.

Mussaman curry with beef, potatoes, red onions, pineapple and roasted nuts.  This was Natalie's favorite - not too much spice and all of the flavors worked very nicely together.

Now this was a lot of food we ordered.  We hadn't had Thai food in a while and wanted to sample a bunch of different things.  Don't worry we took a lot home to be consumed over several more meals


Mussaman Curry with beef

Final thoughts on Siam Marina:
Food - great Thai food. We ordered the Tom kha kai soup because it is not found on all Thai restaurant menus.  We are sad that we it won't be at this location very much longer because we would totally go back to meet after work again.

Chicken Pad Thai

Service - well we both met each other here right after work so the dinner rush really hadn't started yet.  They were friendly and the food came out very quickly.

Atmosphere - definitely a bit more refined than a neighborhood Thai restaurant.  Nice decore and tablecloths on all of the tables.