112059 Mon Jan 13 07:40:40 -0800 2003 4 7 Chicago Area 0 608056 Had a quick dinner with friends last night at Sunshine Cafe (5449 N. Clark Street--across from the large Thybony paint store and next to the White Hen). Very downmarket in the best possible way. Family-owned, apparently, with very friendly, very helpful staff. The menu is not particularly large and does have some typically "American-friendly" dishes, but it also has a number of much less frequently encountered items as well. We were served a generous bowl of miso soup (hot and delicious and included with our dinners) to begin. We also shared two appetizers, gyoza (deep-fried dumplings with a pork filling) served with a wonderful dipping sauce (including shoyu and a red chili paste, I think) and pickled vegetables. Both cheap and excellent. I had musubi (a nori-wrapped rice ball, stuffed with ume) and oyako donburi (a rice dish with a sauce akin to teriyaki sauce, chicken, onion, spinach, and egg). It was wonderful, brought back fond memories, and was all of $5.50. My companions were similarly impressed with their dinners and for the three of us the entire tab came to $31. You will not get the best Japanese cuisine Chicago has to offer here. But you will be in a very comfortable small place (careful, I think it closes at 9 pm), with friendly people, and real down-home cooking. For what it is and aspires to be, top-rated! Mon Jan 13 07:40:40 -0800 2003 0 Gypsy Boy 1 608075 Agree with nearly everything you say. Sunshine Cafe has been positively reviewed here before, but no place like this can be touted enough, to me. One of my favorite affordable places in town. The kind of joint you wish Cheap Eats would focus on more often. One wonders (frets, really) if they will stay open/stay the same as gentrification pushes in on that block of Clark. Take care. Mon Jan 13 16:25:37 -0800 2003 608056 0 Jason M 2 608083 Sunshine is wonderful and I always caution people to get there early: they close at 9:00 p.m. Mon Jan 13 19:19:25 -0800 2003 608075 0 Paul Tyksins 3 608171 Yes, I agree, Sunshine Cafe is wonderful. I had just about forgotten about Sunshine Cafe before reading this thread, the last time we were there was 3-4 years ago, but, thanks to Chowhound, we went for dinner tonight. Sunshine had a nightly special appetizer salad of julienned burdock and carrot with a light dressing, which was not only flavorful, but extremely healthy. Sunshine also had a dinner special of broiled eel with rice and miso soup, which I had. The eel was just about perfect, rich tasting, with a light teriyaki sauce. Ellen went with sukiyaki, she loves the Japanese standards, chock full of beef, bean thread noodles and tofu. Her very minor criticism was that the broth was a touch salty, but she finished most of the dish. I did notice that the simple, though very Japanese, things at Sunshine are a cut above most places, for example, miso soup and rice. I can't wait to further explore the reasonably priced menu. Thanks to Gypsy Boy for posting about Sunshine Café. Enjoy, Gary Sunshine Café, 5449 N Clark Street Chicago, IL. 60646 773-3346214 12pm-9pm Closed Monday Thu Jan 16 21:38:37 -0800 2003 608083 0 G Wiv 4 608196 Spurred by this thread, I had a wonderful lunch there yesterday: gobo (the burdock salad--understated and wonderful), beef terriyaki don (a big bowlful of beef over rice), and haru maki (fried spring roll--quite nice at $1.00). I got out of there with $15.00 tip included. What I noticed again were three things: 1) the price; 2) the quality; and 3) the friendliness. First, prices there are fair if not cheap! Miso soup came with the beef terriyaki don ($8) but it's only $1.00 as an extra! (How restaurants get away with charging $3 for miso soup is beyond me.) Only the eel dinner tipped the charts coming in at $15.00. But I defy anybody to find an eel dinner for less. Second, everything is just downright good and made with care. Third, Paul, my waiter, could not have been friendlier. He refilled my green tea no less than 5 times. I mistakenly thought I remembered him from my last visit, a couple of years back. But, no! He worked at the old Star Market on Clark St. (next to Aiko's Art Supplies). We reminisced about the old days but Sunshine's lucky to have him now. Sat Jan 18 17:57:53 -0800 2003 608171 0 Paul Tyksins