Mushroom Clay Pot Rice at an American Restaurant 🍄‍🟫

🍽️ Chicago's Gorgeous Meal ~ Finally checked out Maxwells Trading (Michelin Recommended!) and every single dish was absolutely delicious—my restaurant-picking skills are on point lately! 💯 Here's the mouthwatering breakdown: 🦀 Soft Shell Crab - Served with a Singaporean chili crab curry sauce that instantly transported me to Jumbo Seafood! Would've been perfect with a side of rice. 🧀 Whipped Ricotta - Topped with honey and berry compote. Hard to go wrong with this combo, though I've had similar elsewhere. 🍆 Japanese Eggplant - Tangy pickled cherry tomatoes made this chilled dish super refreshing and perfect with drinks. 🫓 Complimentary Scallion Pancake - Surprisingly no strong scallion flavor, but freshly fried and deliciously greasy (free refills too!). 🥖 "Loaf" Dish - Thought it was meatloaf... but nope, more carbs! 😂 Turned out to be the #2 best dish—sourdough rye topped with plums and a mountain of burrata, drizzled with a savory soy-based sauce (not sweet!). Pre-cut into quarters for sharing. 🐽 Heritage Pork Belly - Sweet-glazed and cooked perfectly (seared after braising). My friend wanted fattier cuts, but I loved the leaner texture—5 stars! 🍄‍🟫 CLAY POT MUSHROOM RICE (⭐ STAR DISH ⭐) - Made the pork belly taste twice as good and was the BEST thing we ate. Five types of mushrooms, scallions, and wok hei aroma—we kept refilling our bowls! 99/100 (only missing crispy rice crust). 🥭 Dessert: Forbidden Rice Pudding (no pic, oops!) - Coconut-mango mousse over crispy purple rice, lightly sweetened with condensed milk. Not cloying—my highest praise: "not too sweet!" 🍰 Basque Butter Cake - My personal favorite! Made with cornmeal, dense yet slightly crispy outside (like upscale cornbread). 💜🤍💙💛 Verdict: Would return again and again! With 2 drinks each (no steak), plus 20% auto-gratuity, it was ~$110pp—still great value. Minor flaws: slow service, no birthday treat... but still phenomenal. What’s your favorite "unexpectedly amazing" dish you’ve tried recently? 🤔 Share below! 👇 #ChicagoEats #ChicagoLife #ChicagoFoodie #MichelinEats #FoodieAdventures #ClayPotRice #MushroomLover #ChicagoRestaurants #DiningGoals #YummyInChicago