Shanghai Club - Chicago

[Sweet Willie]

Arun Sampanthavivat of Arun’s restaurant fame is working w/Jordan Mozer on design of Shanghai Club, an upscale Chinese restaurant opening in the old Biggs mansion (1150 N Dearborn St) in early summer.

[ronnie_suburban]

Yes, this was mentioned in Chicago Magazine's Dish back in December:

Early Warning

Jordan Mozer will be working with Arun Sampanthavivat on the design of Shanghai Club, the upscale Chinese restaurant moving into the old Biggs mansion (1150 N. Dearborn St.) under the entrepreneurial wands of Sampanthavivat, Howard Davis, and Fred Lasko. According to spokesperson John McCartney, the look they are after is “a modern vision of the glamorous drinking and dining club in 1930s Shanghai.” ETA: Late spring, early summer.

Are there any Chicago restaurants in which Arun doesn't have his hand?

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[gmi3804]

Yes, this was mentioned in Chicago Magazine's

Are there any Chicago restaurants in which Arun doesn't have his hand?

::trying, and failing, to resist the urge::

Um, Wendy's?!?

[jonlmac]

Are there any Chicago restaurants in which Arun doesn't have his hand?

Um, Wendy's?!?

George...alway so flippant.... and Ronnie ....I expect more from the moderator!!

Actually Arun....is an owner or part owner in two restaurants...Arun's and Le Lan....he was a consultant with two other restaurants....Opera and Red Light........I do not think he has anything to do with those restaurants as of right now..and unlike many of the more famous chefs he is exec. chef at only Arun's.

Shawn is actually running the kitchen in at Spring, Green Zebra, and the new steak place at the old Prarie location....he is a part owner in all three.

Penny also wrote that the Shaghai Club was put on hold just for further clarification....

[ronnie_suburban]

Are there any Chicago restaurants in which Arun doesn't have his hand?

Um, Wendy's?!? 

George...alway so flippant.... and Ronnie ....I expect more from the moderator!!

Actually Arun....is an owner or part owner in two restaurants...Arun's and Le Lan....he was a  consultant with two other restaurants....Opera and Red Light........I do not think he has anything to do with those restaurants as of right now..and unlike many of the more famous chefs he is exec. chef at only Arun's.

Shawn is actually running the kitchen in at Spring, Green Zebra, and the new steak place at the old Prarie location....he is a part owner in all three.

Penny also wrote that the Shaghai Club was put on hold just for further clarification....

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FYI, the new McClain restaurant is called Custom House. But from what I read in Dish a few weeks back, McClain's no longer in the kitchen at Spring or Green Zebra:

Shawn McClain’s foamin’ empire is getting a shakeup. McClain is replacing himself as chef de cuisine at Spring (2039 W. North Ave.; 773-395-7100), his Wicker Park baby, with Darin Biek, his old sous at Trio back in the nineties. At Green Zebra (1460 W. Chicago Ave.; 312-243-7100), McClain’s veggie paradise, chef Michael Bulkowski has been replaced with Christine Kim, a former tournant at Spring. (Bulkowski went home to Ohio.) And Richard Camarota, over from Cafe Spiaggia (980 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-280-2750), will be the chef de cuisine at McClain’s summer project, Custom House (Hotel Blake; 500 S. Dearborn St.). . .

Is this information no longer current?

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[jonlmac]

FYI, the new McClain restaurant is called Custom House. But from what I read in Dish a few weeks back, McClain's no longer in the kitchen at Spring or Green Zebra:

Shawn McClain’s foamin’ empire is getting a shakeup. McClain is replacing himself as chef de cuisine at Spring (2039 W. North Ave.; 773-395-7100), his Wicker Park baby, with Darin Biek, his old sous at Trio back in the nineties. At Green Zebra (1460 W. Chicago Ave.; 312-243-7100), McClain’s veggie paradise, chef Michael Bulkowski has been replaced with Christine Kim, a former tournant at Spring. (Bulkowski went home to Ohio.) And Richard Camarota, over from Cafe Spiaggia (980 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-280-2750), will be the chef de cuisine at McClain’s summer project, Custom House (Hotel Blake; 500 S. Dearborn St.). . .

Is this information no longer current?

Ronnie....he is no longer Chef de Cuisine...that does not mean that it is not his kitchen...he was never Chef de Cuisine at Green Zebra....but he has always been and is still listed as Chef/Owner of Green Zebra...check the website......all three of the restaurants...the kitchen is his!!!.....If you were talking apple to apple on the Arun comparison...Le Lan's Chef de Cuisine is listed as Andy Motto and Exec. Chef is Roland Liccioni......

...all three of those kitchens are his kitchens and that is how it should be...

If you look at Michael Kornick he is involved in more restaurants than Arun or Shawn...

I found your comment to be factually wrong and insulting(more so George with his Wendys comment)...In close to 20 years of being a famous chef in Chicago...Arun has owned two restaurants and consulted (past tense) on two others...while guys like Kornick and McClain have both owned more restaurants..in a much shorter period of time....

[ronnie_suburban]

I found your comment to be factually wrong and insulting(more so George with his Wendys comment)...In close to 20 years of being a famous chef in Chicago...Arun has owned two restaurants and consulted (past tense) on two others...while guys like Kornick and McClain have both owned more restaurants..in a much shorter period of time....

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It was meant as a light-hearted compliment to a man with a great reputation who works very hard and has tremendous influence around town (that's why it was followed the "raz" emote). I feel fairly certain that I can speak for George too and say that his post was intended with the same tone. I find it hard to believe you (or anyone else) would be insulted by that. I am a fan of Arun.

Do you honestly believe that Arun himself would be insulted by that comment? I don't.

Furthermore, the exclusion of Mr. Kornick (who I have also praised on this forum in the past) does not, by default, make my statement insulting toward him and from what I have read and heard about his new venture, A Milano grill in Northfield -- and the repeatedly lousy experiences I had at MK North before it crashed and burned -- I wouldn't begin put him in the same league with Arun.

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edited to add comment about MK North

[jonlmac]

Do you honestly believe that Arun himself would be insulted by that comment? I don't.

Furthermore, the exclusion of Mr. Kornick (who I have also praised on this forum in the past) does not, by default, make my statement insulting toward him and from what I have read and heard about his new venture, A Milano grill in Northfield, I wouldn't begin put him in the same league with Arun.

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[ronnie_suburban]

. . . To be honest...your comment alone would not have drawn out the reaction from me but when George posted his reply...the two together were insulting to great chef who is very careful about his name..which is his brand,,,,

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As stated above, no offense was intended. Please keep an eye on those emotes. They'll usually help to reveal a poster's intended tone; especially when that's all we have other than a given poster's words.

Ok, I'd like to move the focus of this thread back to Shanghai Club -- and it's my own doing that it has drifted. I'm eagerly awaiting the early reviews. jonlmac, you seem to be a big fan of Arun (or possibly even connected to him in some way), do you have any idea when exactly it will open?

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[jonlmac]

Ok, I'd like to move the focus of this thread back to Shanghai Club -- and it's my own doing that it has drifted. I'm eagerly awaiting the early reviews. jonlmac, you seem to be a big fan of Arun (or possibly even connected to him in some way), do you have any idea when exactly it will open?

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From everything I know, this project has been put on hold...possibly looking for a new location....what I can tell you is that Arun cooks Chinese food better than he does Thai...as hard as that is to believe.... I would not expect this to happen in the near future though....

[ronnie_suburban]

From everything I know, this project has been put on hold...possibly looking for a new location....what I can tell you is that Arun cooks Chinese food better than he does Thai...as hard as that is to believe....  I would not expect this to happen in the near future though....

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Thanks for the update. What you say about Arun and Chinese cooking only surprises me mildy...case in point, Opera's menu -- and food -- which is fantastic.

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[gmi3804]

Yikes - didn't mean it to imply that Arun is spread too thin and would be involved with a fast food concern. It was a slight (very slight, it turns out) attempt at humor about the recent finger-in-the-chili-at-Wendy's controversy. Hand/finger - get it?

I won't be quitting my day job to play the Catskills any time soon.

Aplogies to those who were offended.

[VeryApe77]

....His current project is the Taste of Thailand which will be downtown this month.......

associated with Arun on Metromix....

Does anyone know anything about this event? I've done some research and found nothing

[ronnie_suburban]

....His current project is the Taste of Thailand which will be downtown this month.......

associated with Arun on Metromix....

Does anyone know anything about this event? I've done some research and found nothing

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From Chicago Magazine's Marquee (received today via email):

• A Taste of Thailand, a three day festival begun by star chef Arun Sampanthavivat (Arun’s, Le Lan), featuring food, cultural events, and a market, opens in Daley Plaza (100 N. Dearborn St.) on June 20th. This year, the festival also includes a free performance by Silpakorn, a 50-member Thai dance troupe, at the Pritzker Pavillion in Millennium Park on June 20th at 6:30 p.m. and a gala for tsunami relief at the Merchandise Mart (222 Merchandise Mart Plaza) on June 22nd. The benefit features an auction conducted by Leslie Hindman; a fashion show of Thai-influenced designs by Maria Pinto; and cuisine by a coterie of Arun’s star colleagues, including Charlie Trotter and Roland Liccioni. Tickets begin at $350. For information, call 773-752-7062 or visit http://www.chicagotasteofthailand.org/

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[VeryApe77]

....His current project is the Taste of Thailand which will be downtown this month.......

associated with Arun on Metromix....

Does anyone know anything about this event? I've done some research and found nothing

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From Chicago Magazine's Marquee (received today via email):

• A Taste of Thailand, a three day festival begun by star chef Arun Sampanthavivat (Arun’s, Le Lan), featuring food, cultural events, and a market, opens in Daley Plaza (100 N. Dearborn St.) on June 20th. This year, the festival also includes a free performance by Silpakorn, a 50-member Thai dance troupe, at the Pritzker Pavillion in Millennium Park on June 20th at 6:30 p.m. and a gala for tsunami relief at the Merchandise Mart (222 Merchandise Mart Plaza) on June 22nd. The benefit features an auction conducted by Leslie Hindman; a fashion show of Thai-influenced designs by Maria Pinto; and cuisine by a coterie of Arun’s star colleagues, including Charlie Trotter and Roland Liccioni. Tickets begin at $350. For information, call 773-752-7062 or visit http://www.chicagotasteofthailand.org/

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Thanks Ronnie.

I'd be interested to check this out - but I work in Evanston and therefore a daytime event runs from Monday and Wednesday downtown is not really feasible.

I'm sure there is a good reason that this is not happening on a weekend, but even so - pretty annoying.

[ronnie_suburban]

In case anyone missed this last week, Chicago Magazine's Dish reported that The Shanghai Club is dead; at least in its recently-planned space at the former Biggs mansion:

Wheelin’ and dealin’ Chicago real-estate mogul Fred Latsko has inked a deal to bring a branch of the classic Italian spot Il Mulino New York to the old Biggs mansion (1150 N. Dearborn St.) in December. (“Shanghai Club is officially dead,” Latsko says of his previous notion for the space.)

I wonder if the project is completely dead or just dead in that space.

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