Dining Tidbits

For March 2008: New, Budget Beat, Sleeper, Discovery

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SLEEPER
Thai Urban Kitchen
Its location in the Ogilvie Transportation Center is odd, its cavernous dining room is uncozy, and even the name of the place—Thai Urban Kitchen—seems miscalculated, given the many Japanese offerings. But the biggest surprise of all is the sophisticated dinner fare. Chef Paul Chantharaviraooj's sashimi "trio carpaccio" is fresh and elegant; his fried calamari pair perfectly with ginger-avocado sauce. Entrées include sautéed halibut with chervil polenta, and a grilled hanger steak with truffled taro purée and tarragon curry sauce. Whoa! All this and more, just a short trot from a train-station food court. 500 W. Madison St.; 888-955-5885. –Joanne Trestrail