Ila’s Chicago Review

Alexis Hu

Photography by Ella Somaiya

Something unique I’ve noticed about Chicago's restaurant scene is the popularity of fusion food. With its blending of flavors from all sorts of cultures, fusion is a cuisine I’ve only just started exploring more since coming to Chicago. I’ve seen some surprising combinations, but they’re usually only two cuisines (e.g., Korean-Mexican, Chinese-Japanese, etc.). However, Ila’s Chicago goes beyond that, offering everything from Kalbi Chilaquiles to Lumpia Egg Rolls to Birria Pieroggi! The menu is a feast for the eyes with dishes that take you all over the world, all on one page.

My friends and I visited Ila’s on a sunny, but chilly morning for Easter brunch after church. We were immediately kindly welcomed and seated at our table with both brunch and Easter special menus at our disposal. We got lucky because it was Easter, so their specials were some of their popular items that are usually only reserved for dinner!

To start, we ordered the Lumpia Egg Rolls, which are filled with a shredded confit pork cheek and a side of pickled cabbage. The egg rolls are fairly large and come with a sweet, somewhat citrusy dipping sauce rather than the sweet chili sauce typically served with lumpia. Although I really loved the texture of the wrapper and the flavor of the pork inside, I’m not really sure why they call it lumpia, because the wrap reminded me much more of an egg roll than of lumpia, and the shredded pork didn’t have any carrot or onion mix-ins (standard lumpia fillings). My friends and I still enjoyed the dish, though I don’t think it’s a must-order.

For my main, I asked the waiter for his recommendation between two options, and he suggested the pappardelle, so I went with that. Before ordering, the owner himself came by and mentioned that all of their pastas are handmade and that they are willing to adjust any of the flavors to our liking. I haven’t experienced that kind of dedication at a restaurant in a long time, so I really appreciated how much he cared about the quality of our experience. The pappardelle is typically a dinner menu item and comes with a slow-braised oxtail ragu topped with pecorino. I really enjoyed the chewy texture of the noodles, perfectly al dente! Handmade pasta is always such a treat, and I can confidently say Ila’s will not disappoint you!

I didn’t try any of the other menu items, so I don’t think it’s fair for me to review them, but I will say that all of my friends enjoyed their dishes. One of my friends ordered the Sweet Corn Agnolotti, a fan favorite that consists of house-made pillow pasta filled with sweet corn and cornbread foam. It’s such a unique combo that I haven’t seen anywhere else!

Another friend ordered the Stuffed French Toast, a brunch favorite recommended by the owner, which is toast covered in a cinnamon cereal crust and filled with ricotta and apple butter. The presentation was incredibly creative and is a must-get if you love French toast.

Lastly, one friend ordered the Ora King Salmon, which I believe was only available as an Easter special because I couldn’t find it on any of the other menus. My friend is gluten-free, so it was nice that they had gluten-free entree options available.

Before we finished our meal, Ila, the owner’s mother, who the restaurant is named after, approached us in a bright pink coat and introduced herself. She was incredibly sweet and asked if we enjoyed our meal, to which we responded “yes” without hesitation. Seeing firsthand the familial roots of Ila moved me because I could tell that everyone working here was both so passionate and proud of this establishment. The brunch was lovely, but something tells me the dinner is the star of the show. I, myself, would love to come back one day and try more of their dinnertime creative fusion dishes!