Shonos in City
5 Market Square
544-5800
by Connie Seuer
New businesses on Market Square garner quick attention from downtowners, especially if they're new dining establishments. The 9-to-5 work-a-day crowd is almost always thrilled
to have another option for lunch in the city center. Urbanite residents are excited about an additional dinner choice that's an easy walk from their loft or condo. But with the core of Market Square turned into a ground zero by construction, only a blind optimist on Prozac would consider now an ideal time to start up a new restaurant on the block.
But sometimes a new venture needs a little blind faith.
Shonos in City popped up about a month ago on the south end of the square. It's a quick-eat Asian restaurant that keeps to the basics. The menu is succinct and devoid of gimmick or marketing ploy. Shonos' chef prepares each meal to order but in a reserved, I've-got-work-to-do, fashion that keeps things casually humming. The décor is simple and pristinely clean. For seating, diners have the option of sitting at two different bar areas (no alcohol permit yet) or at individual tables. Shonos inhabits a restaurant shell that's short on windows and would benefit from some diffused lighting. But overall, it's an accommodating place.
The need for a speedy lunch (and curiosity about the new spot on the square) was what first drove us to Shonos. It was near the end of the week, later in the lunch hour, and the place was packed. There were only two tables available when we arrived and we were quickly pointed in their direction. The straightforward menu needed only a glance for us to formulate our order. Heinrich made the quick request of an egg roll ($1.50) and we both gravitated toward the Eddie Special ($6.95).
The egg roll, your average fried bundle of cabbage, pork, and carrots, was on our table in a jot, followed immediately by comes-with salads of iceberg shards and ginger dressing. Such small and simple salads can be cool and refreshing, perfect for starting a hot, Asian meal. Shonos' version is close, but would be bettered by a touch less dressing and smaller shreds of lettuce.
The Eddie Special promised a spicy kick of stir-fried chicken and steak along with bean sprouts, white onions and our choice of fried or steamed rice. Still juicy with flavorful exteriors, the steak and chicken combo was a satisfying lunch—spicy enough to be interesting with a tinge of sweet lingering in the thin brown sauce. My steamed rice was plentiful and plain. Heinrich's fried rice was also abundant but not as well matched with the Eddie Special. The fried rice couldn't showcase the flavors of the spicy and sweet as well as the modest white rice. As for time, which can be a deciding factor for those taking a lunch hour, Shonos was sho-fast.
Our second visit took place in the evening. It was an after-work, Monday night desperation dinner and (geographically speaking) Shonos fit in with our errands. We arrived around 7ish and found a handful of other diners who had the same plan of action.
Although I was tempted to do a rerun with the Eddie Special (it's a dish to which one could easily become devoted) I ventured to the miso soup ($1.50) and the ribeye steak stir fry ($8.95) with steamed rice. Heinrich decided on the gyoza ($2.95) and scallop stir-fry ($7.95) with fried rice. Why he ordered fried rice again was beyond me, but it turned out to be a win. The scallops, sliced into discs half their normal height, were deliciously cooked. The scallops also made a more gracious companion to the fried rice.
Bean sprouts, zucchini dice, sliced button mushrooms, and white onions accompanied the scallops to complete the dish. I had been skeptical, but the scallop dish was a delight, as were the gyoza that proceeded it. Served with a thin sesame and rice wine vinegar dipping sauce, the gyoza (dumplings stuffed with cabbage, carrots, and shrimp) were well executed. With six to a serving, they can be a meal in themselves for a light eater or a nice appetizer to share.
My dish, the ribeye steak, was a hearty mound of food. Stir fried in the same fashion as the scallops and accompanied by the same blend of vegetables as featured in Heinrich's meal, it became evident that Shonos is sticking to a formula of low variety/consistent quality. And there's room for such a place. The ribeye was cooked just right and was reminiscent of the Eddie Special minus the liberal use of spice. The miso was your basic miso of seaweed, soy paste broth, and a garnish of green onions. Do the math and a light, $3 lunch could be had of a small bowl of miso and an egg roll.
Hmm....
As I mentioned before, Shonos does not yet have a beer or liquor license. Consequently, Heinrich went for the green tea ($1.75). He loves the stuff with Asian food, and the Shonos meal was no exception. With speed on its side, and simplicity, I'm banking on several more lunches and dinners at Shonos in City. And who knows, if speed and simplicity are contagious then I might soon be able to enjoy my Shonos out-of-doors on the colonnade of a completed Market Square.
April 24, 2003 * Vol. 13, No. 17
© 2003 Metro Pulse
| 
