It’s December in Chicago, which means temperatures are dipping lower than Patrick Swayze’s white blood cell count. Time to get out your soups spoons, gluttons. Roy already pushed matzo ball. I’m gonna talk tom yum koong. Specifically, the tom yum at Opart Thai on Western, where they make soup so good I’d eat it if they served it out of Moises Alou’s cupped hands.
The soup, served in a sterno-heated, donut-shaped cauldron, is a drool-inducing flavor bomb. Snappy shrimp and big ass straw mushrooms float with lemon grass, cilantro, and thai peppers in a broth that’s more addictive than black tar heroin. Slightly oily, slightly gingery, freshly spicy, a bit of citrus acid, this broth is a combination on par with the great French sauces of the culinary world. All other Thai joints are rendered useless once this soup is consumed. Put this soup in a lineup with the city’s other tom yums and it’ll look like a Smurf farted on an Ansel Adams photo. Opart’s tom yum is the Crayola 64 Pack w/ sharpener. Everyone else’s is hand-me-down colored pencils. I’ve never met a soup I liked better.
Tom yum koong--you better ask somebody!
Opart does not fuck around. Order this soup extra spicy and expect to shit your pants the next day. Chicago Gluttons has proof of this. One of ours asked the waiter to “bring the pain,” an order which the kitchen gladly obliged. The soup, typically a beautiful yellow-orange hue, came out looking like Satan washed his hands in it. Shit was deeeep red. To avoid being overly graphic, let’s just say that someone jettisoned a pair of underpants the next day. It was a very spicy soup.
Next time someone orders the tom yum this way, I want to see this ticket hanging in the kitchen.
8 Comments
Man that soup is hotter than the Fires of Mordor! If anyone has a precious they want to dispose of, Opart is the joint.
I met Tom Yum Goong back when I live in Tacoma WA. It was served the very same way and Opart’s consistently takes me back there.
And when you take Tom Yum to the spicy extreme it’s like BDSM flavorfuckery. Only it’s the Dom and your tongue is the Gimp being lashed over the barrel.
Oddly enough though, I’ve never had it pull a burnout on the “O” ring.
Mad Jack:
I’m pretty sure when I asked for them to “bring the pain” they threw a scoop of metamucil in there as well just to fuck with me. Don’t challenge Thailand! They’ll fuck up your boxers.
Love this place. I would recommend the shrimp shumai, peanut sauce spring rolls, wonton soup, and Naem Sod which the menu describes as
“Steamed ground chicken or pork blended with fresh ginger, roasted peanuts, hot pepper and lime juice”. It’s a salad, served cold, and its amazing.
Oh, and yes, I ordered the Pad Kra Praow one time, which is described as
“Sauteed basil and hot peppers with choice of ground chicken, ground pork, ground beef or *shrimp.” Of course, what this doesn’t say is that it is so hot you won’t have any feeling in your mouth for a week. Which is great if you have any upcoming dental work.
You should also try the Spicy Fried Tofu, as well. Opart manages to get the tofu lightly crispy on the outside and hot soft and creamy within.
And the sauce is sticky sweet and fiery as hell. Great way to start a meal!
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[…] me over with their review of Opart Thai House, 4658 N. Western Ave. and 1906 S. State St., in which the tom yum was described as being "so good I’d eat it if they served it out of Moises Alou’s cupped hands." (I was a […]