EWW!
Reasons for "EWW":
1. Â Hair in my sushi
2. Â Fish was horrible quality - the brown part of a white fish and skin was left on the white fish on my rainbow roll. Â In fact, it was almost all skin and brown flesh. Â Gross!
3. Tiny slivers of fish on top of rolls
4. Tuna was very pale pink an mealy
5. Smelled fishy
The sushi looked and tasted no better than what you would find on a Chinese buffett. I guess that's what you sign up for by ordering sushi from a place that sells Chinese food. I ordered a rainbow roll ($15) and a California roll ($6). Both were tiny, but it didn't matter, because I couldn't bring myself to eat the majority of it. Â Overpriced for the horrible quality. Â I could have found better at a grocery store, and there wouldn't be short black hair in my sushi!!
Worst sushi I've had in Chicago. Â Would not recommend.
NEVER AGAIN! Â Don't eat here.
Before ordering I asked if the shrimp in the tempura shrimp were deveined and the waitress assured me that they were. Â When I got my order, which was unappetizingly presented on a paper napkin, the shrimp were not deveined. When I complained about it, the waitress was NOT accommodating at all because we "already ate everything." Â My husband and I had each eaten half a shrimp and tasted a few of the vegetables. Â This was followed by mongolian beef that was quite bland and tough as nails. The brown rice was crunchy.
We were hoping for good Chinese in Streeterville, but, this was just gross. We'll be heading back to PF Chang's.
So ...i really wanted to like Bistro Pacific. Â Especially when i saw the Bi Bim Bop on the menu. Â My wife ordered Pad Thai and i orderted the Be Bim Bop. Â We were disappointed. Â The pad thai was not well done, noodles were soggy and greasy and there was no real flavor to the dish. Â Bi Bim Bop was a let down. Â The meat was oily, the rice was bad and the vegetables were sparse and lacked flavor. Â We will not return to this restaurant. Â I cannot comment on the sushi but there were several takeout orders for sushi while we were there.
Review Source:We ordered Peking Duck Soong as an appetizer and Chicken Pad Thai and Bi Bim Bop as entrees.
Holy gross. Â The food was so bad we went to Treasure Island market in the same building to get chocolate to get the taste out of our mouths.
The appetizer had that meat smell when you cook meat in the microwave, the pad thai had the right consistency texture wise but zero flavor, and the Bi Bim Bop was greasy.
My boyfriend and I were looking for a quick (less than 1 hour) place to grab dinner before heading back to work. I had tried the lunch special at Bistro Pacific at some point in the past and it didn't stand out in my memory; I assumed that my previous experience had been neither particularly good nor bad. But on my return visit for dinner, I was absolutely blown away by how terrible this restaurant is.
It took 20 minutes for our waitress to take our order, and this was only after flagging her down to the table. My boyfriend ordered the salmon teriyaki bento and I ordered the tofu basil fried rice and 2 pieces each of salmon and super white tuna nigiri. The nigiri came out first and was blameless but totally unremarkable. It took another 30 minutes for our entrees to arrive, and I almost wish we had left after the nigiri.
I don't often think "I could have made this" while eating at a restaurant, but at Bistro Pacific, I thought, "I could have made this much better." Note: I am no chef by any stretch of the imagination. The basil fried rice contained no basil. The rice was dry and flavorless; the green pepper and onions looked as if they'd been cut by a 4 year old in the kitchen, a unintentional mix of julienned, chopped, shredded, and otherwise mutilated vegetables.
The salmon bento box was just as pitiful: the piece of teriyaki salmon was easily the smallest piece of salmon I've ever seen served at a restaurant - maybe half the size of a hockey puck. After eating the salmon puck drenched in a straight-out-of-the-bottle teriyaki sauce, my boyfriend dug hopelessly through the salmon's cabbage bedding in search of more fish. No luck.
For our entertainment during the meal, a waitress serving a different section of the restaurant was miserably stomping around and complaining to her manager that one of her tables had sent food back to the kitchen because it was cold. She huffed and puffed and clodded her way throughout the restaurant, making sure that every patron knew just how miserable she was.
Throughout the meal, I almost felt like I was in on a big joke. This was easily the worst meal I've ever had. The food was awful, the service inattentive, and we had the pleasure of spending $50 for the experience. As we walked out, my boyfriend said, "We should have just eaten at Volare instead."
Indeed.
Ew, ew, ew, ew. I truly cannot understand the high ratings of this place. I'm thinking most of the people giving Bistro Pacific good reviews do not know what REAL Asian food should taste like. And yes, for the record, I am Asian and I can't even begin to count the number of Asian restaurants I've been to in the Chicagoland area alone, much less in my lifetime.
I've been here before for the sushi lunch special and I remember the sushi was disgusting. The fish was not fresh, quite flavorless, and looked like the saddest pieces of fish I had ever seen. Been here for the maki rolls prior to that, and was not impressed either. After the sushi incident, I swore this place off, vowing never to return. However, my friend wanted hot and sour soup today so against my better judgement I agreed to go here with her. I figured, ok I'll avoid the raw fish and try something cooked instead.
I ordered the teriyaki beef and my friend had the chicken basil fried rice. The teriyaki beef did not taste like teriyaki at all and it had a weird aftertaste to it. I seriously have a cast iron stomach (Week old leftovers? Not a problem, bring 'em on!) but midway through the meal I felt kind of nauseous. Good thing for the tea and fortune cookie, those managed to calm my stomach down. My friend tried the beef as well, and thought it tasted strange. As for her fried rice, it was flavorless and had absolutely no basil taste. My friend and I agreed that the best thing we had all meal was the fortune cookie.
Since I can't give zero stars, they get one star for being close to my work. That's about all that they have going for them. Oh, that and they buy the good brand of fortune cookies (Golden Dragon).
Never again...and I mean it this time!
It's great for lunch and I like the price. I usually stick to the Hoison green beans with pork and extra spicy...and it always turns out great. This is sort of "my" place to drop in for a nice afternoon lunch alone. I can read a book, eat in peace and have my water continually refilled.
The real reason I do like this place is because it's close to work. I can't honestly say I would travel down from far up north in Lincoln Park, but it's great for lunch. Make sure to bring cash if you are only looking to spend $10...they don't except less on a credit card. My lunch usually costs $8 with tax and then with a few dollars for tip...it rounds out to be a pretty decently priced (for the area!) lunch.
I recently had lunch here with a couple of coworkers and was pleasantly surprised. A block down from work, how had I not dined here before?
Atmosphere:
Very bright, clean and contemporary atmosphere. Don't miss the fish tank as you enter/exit! Nice bar and there is even a back room with additional seating (even though there is plenty of seating in the main room).
As for the crowd, I'd have to agree with the follow Yelper who describes this place as the "unofficial" faculty lunch room for the Northwestern University Chicago campus... lots of people wearing Wildcat IDs here! Fine by me.
Eats:
With lunch, you get a bowl of soup included & I ordered the hot & sour soup and it hit the spot - it had pork, tofu, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, mushroom and egg. Delicious.
For the entrée I went with my standard favorite - chicken fried rice and it too was fantastic.  It had onions, bean sprouts, carrots pea pods and just the right amount of egg. The chicken was plentiful and it was not salty and had excellent flavor. Be sure to ask for a size of chili sauce to kick it up a notch.
If you are indecisive about what to order, you'll love the bento options. You can choose from chicken teriyaki, beef teriyaki, salmon teriyaki, sushi or sashimi. With that you get a cucumber salad, California roll, miso soup and 2 shrimp & vegetables tempura.
Summary:
Overall, expansive menu of Asian cuisine in a very pleasant atmosphere with very friendly service. Prices are also very affordable; great place to go for lunch/dinner if you're in the Streeterville area.
Oh, and if you're lucky you might catch a glimpse of a Playmate (if that's your thing) as Bistro Pacific is located in the Playboy building.
I had been to Bistro Pacific for lunch several times over the past few years largely because it was convenient. Â On the positive side, the service is fast. Â The food had been OK ... until today. Â I ordered pad thai with shrimp and it was dreadful. Â Something was clearly wrong with the shrimp as well as the preparation of the dish. Â I think that our server saw me wince and she came over. Â I told her that something was wrong with the food. Â She brought the manager over. Â The manager's position was unapologetic and simple: you ordered it, you're stuck with it. Â I'm serious. Â She offered nothing and wouldn't entertain any sort of replacement. Â So I paid for the meal, tipped the waitress, and thought I'd let you know what to expect from Bistro Pacific in the 680 Building on Lake Shore Drive.
Review Source:We probably eat here at least 1-2x per month. It's our go to neighborhood sushi place. We used to eat at Kamahachi but their fish hasn't been so fresh recently. Bistro Pacific has great sushi, the platters are well worth the price, and they also have a full menu of chinese and thai food as well for people who want to bring friends who do not like sushi! Usually such "pan asian" restaurants leave a lot to be desired but this place really gets it right. Best appetizer: Peking Duck Soong
Review Source:Bistro Pacific can be described as: mediocre or average, and as serving standard Asian-fusion fare. But, for me, the most standout observation is that they are perpetually understaffed. Despite a steady stream of lunch diners from Northwestern and Playboy employees, food takes painfully long to arrive. With so many customers, I would hope they'd hire appropriate staff, but the dining experience never moves quickly. Despite that, I continue to occasionally frequent the restaurant. Why? Convenience. I would not recommend Bistro Pacific for great Asian food in Chicago, but if you work or live in the area...why not?
Review Source:This review is for lunch.
I have been on a mission to find a good Japanese restaurant in Chicago. This was particular visit was a fluke, as I had x-rays done at the Orthopedic Center in the building and was STARVING. I was pleasantly surprised. (Although I guess this place is more "fusion" than Japanese). Since we walked in at 2:24 and they close at 2:30 to set up for dinner we were yet again the only people in the restaurant.
The menu had a lot of options including noodle and meat dishes along with their sushi. I ordered the yakisoba lunch special and husband ordered the cashew stir-fry with chicken. The portions were great, I was able to take some home and have it for dinner. The price was definitely right, too.
I lived in the building that Bistro Pacific was in for 10 years, and have always enjoyed their food. Â Great variety, and basic, well-executed pan-Asian specialties... Â
My personal faves: Salmon Teriyaki and Unagi Don (grilled eel over rice). Â My wife liked their shrimp tempura.
Nice pleasant atmosphere - not fussy or rushed.
In-building parking is a tad expensive, but par for Streeterville... I think they validate :)
Went here the other night to satisfy a Bi Bim Bop craving. Â That's exactly what I got. Â For $8 it wasn't bad, really big portion. Â It was a little too oily though, the flavors weren't very special and there wasn't an egg on top, which made me sad.
Other stuff: Â really friendly staff, frequent water fills. Â We were the only diners in the place, which seemed weird since it was a Friday night. Â Maybe they mostly do a lunch crowd?
I'd go again, but I'm not in a rush.
Not bad...It's alright, nothing special, mostly reasonably priced, and a great location. I've been here several times and, for the most part, there service is alright. As with most Asian places, service will mostly be non-existent unless you spea up about something.
Ordered the veggie fried rice and that's what I got. Simple, not too much MSG flavor, and mostly satisfying. Portions are OK for 1 person but you might want to also order an appetizer to nomnom on in addition to a main entree.
The first time we were here it was pretty busy (on a weekday) but this time (Sunday afternoon) it was pretty empty. I don't really think that reflects the food/service, just maybe the time we were there.
If you can, get a seat/table by the South windows; you'll have some nice warm sunshine coming through and be able to view the passerbys.
I work in the building where this restaurant is located so I dine here for lunch quite frequently. Â They have pretty good lunch specials for around $8-12 bucks. Â Each entree comes with soup of your choice (miso or hot & sour). Â My all time favorite dish is the string beans w/ hoisin sauce with tofu. Â I order it very spicy and it's sooo delicious. Â You can also order it with chicken, beef or shrimp. Â Shrimp is $1 extra. Â The entrees are pretty large. Â One entree will actually last me lunch for 2 days.
One downside is that they have a credit card minimum of $10. Â My dish never exceeds $9 so I always have to get cash before heading to this place.
I moved away for a couple years and have recently returned. Â I had high hopes for Bistro Pacific and wanted to give them another chance - - but their cash only unless you spend at least $10.00 is annoying, and the extra fees for hot sauce or sweet & sour sauce for take-out has officially left me with no choice but to put Bistro Pacific on my "no" list.
Review Source:I LOOOVE BISTRO PACIFIC! I have a ritual of going here every week because it's that good. My favorite entry is the chicken udon soup (with vegetables to get your balanced diet), which isn't on the menu but they make it if you ask for it. This is the closest udon to what I eat at Cali, so that is saying ALOT. My boyfriend usually eats the curry rice, which is also delicious. I also love the cantaloupe they give you for dessert. Also, the atmosphere feels very nice with an aquarium and a mini rose garden to the side of the room. Plus, the dishes and silverware are always so clean! The food is a good price too. My only reservation is to not order the korean pancake if you like it traditional because although it is good, usually it's supposed to come with seafood, and the one they have here comes with green onions? But, definitely try out this place if you like japanese noodle dishes =).
Review Source:I usually get lunch specials from here. My regular order is usually the Stir Fried Vegetables & Cashew Nuts. I've had the Bie Bim Bop as well which is decent if you have a craving for it. The fried rice is pretty standard. The lunch specials will cost you just under $10 with tax. Like another reviewer mentioned, if your order is under $10, you can't use a credit card. There's an ATM at the Treasure Island.
You will always get seated quickly here. The service can be slooooow at times. Sometimes they surprise you and your food arrives quickly. Â I find that they're pretty bad at refilling your beverages and that you have to be proactive if you want more water or soda. Nonetheless, the staff is friendly & always look like they are in panic mode 'cuz they walk around so damn fast. Carrying out your order is great because they have it ready in 10 minutes if you're ordering for one.
I've had the sushi here once. I didn't find it spectacular; HOWEVER, it is better than buying it at Treasure Island or from Northwestern Hospital's cafeteria. The rolls are moderately priced but hey, you are eating downtown. What do you expect?
There aren't many Asian restaurants within walking distance around here so I find it's the best option if you're craving some Thai, Korean or Japanese Americanized foods. It isn't a place I'd recommend going out of you way to go to. It's more of a convenience thing if you happen to be around here.
It's casual so you don't need to put on your Sunday best to dine here. You'll see a lot of business people and pregnant women during the lunch hour. It's nice that you get a lot of outdoor light during the day time.
So glad to have discovered this little place! Â Really good sushi - summer roll is my favorite- and really good Chinese food! Â The appetizers were just ok-- I'd skip those and go straight for the sushi & entrees. Â The service is very good as well. Â And their prices were very reasonable.
Review Source:A really great find. Â Bistro Pacific is now my go-to place for Chinese. Â The best thing about BP is that while they serve pretty classic Chinese fare, the food is not overly oily and the vegetables are a lot fresher than other Chinese I've had. Â You might even be able to fool yourself into thinking it's healthy.
Review Source:I eat here all the time. Working at NU-FSM, it is close, the food is good, and the lunch menu is fantastically affordable.
Update 6/10/2010: Â I have eaten at Pacific Bistro many more times since my original review. And I need to up the rating. Their customer service went unmentioned, and it is excellent.
The sushi here is not only tasty it is also affordable. The caterpillar and the Arizona are my personal favorite. The pad thai is also very delicious. Â The decor is nice and we actually got some ideas for our place. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good moderately priced eatery.
Review Source:It's pan-Asian-American fare that's affordable and decently tasty. Your money is probably best spent on their sushi. Many a night, I speed-dialed Bistro Pacific to order some combination of Rainbow, Chicago Crazy, Arizona, Sunrise, Miami or Salmon Avocado rolls. Mmm, deliciousness. Yes, there are places that serve bigger and fresher, but they are usually more expensive too.
Review Source:The sushi is only alright; I don't know why people rave about it. Â That being said, it's significantly better than the sushi I saw in Treasure Island last night. Â TI, why bother?
I also tried the orange chicken lunch special one day.  It was a soggy mess.  I suggest that the owners travel up to Empire Restaurant up on Division near Clark (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/empire-restaurant-chicago">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>).  Those folks know how to make crispy orange chicken. Delish.
Bistro Pacific is a pan-asian restaurant tucked away in the Playboy building. You could easily walk by it without noticing it is there. You have to first enter the building to get into the restaurant. I have been twice so far. The first time I was not super impressed, I ordered yaki soba, I think..and it was just ok. The chicken egg roll was decent though, much better than other Chinese places I have been to in the area. The second time I went, I ordered the sweet and sour chicken. It was really good. I especially enjoy that they have yellow sweet and sour sauce, I can't stand the red kind; not sure why. If you want a place around this area, with no wait at dinner time, this is your spot. I can only hope they are doing a lot of takeout business because at 7 p.m. on a Saturday there was only one other table occupied in the restaurant. I am worried about them!
Review Source:Never thought that sushi in the Midwest could be so good! Â I'm admittedly not the biggest sushi person, but I actually enjoyed the rolls here. The Dynamite and Caterpillar were my personal faves. So flavorful and fresh!
I didn't try the other items, but there was a very large selection of food, and I'd be interested in trying the Korean soup next time.
The ambience was tranquil, and it was relaxing to step into this restaurant and step out of the busy city for a couple of moments to enjoy some good food. Â
It's a family owned restaurant and the wait staff made us feel welcome and comfortable. Â It almost felt like being home with my own Korean parents.
If you're in Chicago, definitely come check this place out!
I was really happy when I discovered this place because I've been looking for a good sushi place ever since I moved to Chicago. Having been raised in California for 20 years where we actually have fresh fish, it did not even cross my mind when I came here that there was no such thing as fresh fish out here.
So with that, let me tell you native Chicagoans, you're missing out no matter what --- but on that note, I've had some of the best sushi at this place and I've been all over Chicago searching...The rolls are delicious, well plated; and there is a great selection. Â Moreover, they are not over-priced at all, like most other places.
I bring my friends and classmates here all the time for both lunch and dinner all the time, and they are always suprised that they've never been before (the restaurant in within the Playboy building so not exactly a place in street view that you would regularly walk by.) My friends have especially enjoyed the lunch specials, which come with soup and sometimes ice cream mochi for dessert. The place also has nice decor and a good ambience that is ideal for pretty much everything ranging from a casual business lunch to a dinner date to a family gathering.
I was also very pleased with the service. The waiters were all very friendly, attentive, patient, and quick. They seemed happy and checked in on us periodically. The manager of the restaurant also goes around checking in on the customers, which is always fun and great.
I tried to avoid reviewing Bistro Pacific, because I eat there out of convenience and necessity. Â I don't think it's fair to give bad ratings to places I already know are not good. Â However, my experience there tonight showed me that Bistro Pacific is a place to avoid.
A friend wanted to grab a quick dinner there because of time constraints, so I went along. Â He ordered "seafood udon" (soup) and the lady who I think is the manager or owner brought out the yaki udon with seafood (stir fried udon). Â He told her he wanted the soup, and she claimed he ordered the yaki udon. Â I was there during the ordering--he didn't say "yaki". Â She tried to convince him to eat it first and said that it was good and he'd like it, so he tried it but didn't like it. Â He told her so. Â Then, instead of ordering the udon soup, she tried to get him to pay for the yaki udon. Â When he said he wasn't going to and that he wanted the udon soup, she said he should pay at least half, or else she wouldn't get the soup.
He ended up asking for the check. Â She grabbed the first $20 bill he took out (less than the entire amount) and then walked away from us, clearly telling us to leave right away. Â Her rude behavior was quite shocking.
I know it's a bad economy, but having a customer pay for your mistakes is something I've never seen a restaurant do. Â Bistro Pacific is neither high-quality nor cheap, so they should make it up with service. Â This was very likely the most disappointing dining experience I've had.
Convenient because it is located in the building where I used to work. Â Call in orders usually took no more than 10 minutes to process.
Selection is decent, especially at lunch. Â There are items that are more affordable than others, and if you do takeout - it's definitely not too big of a burden on the wallet. Â The lunch specials include a bowl of soup as well.
Service during dine in is consistent. Â It's not the fastest, but it's definitely not the slowest either. Â
Sushi seems to be a bit pricey for the portion sizes. Â Keep in mind that anything under 10 dollars cannot be charged.
Having worked for years in the same building as this place, you'd think it'd have become stale. Not so. The orange chicken dish is quite good, though a bit on the heavy side. Sushi choices are abundant, and the wait staff is attentive but not overbearing.
Definitely gets busy for lunch, so get there earlier or later than the typical noon rush. I've not seen it too busy for dinner since it's a bit out of the way and tucked into the building.
Pretty straightforward Japanese and Thai food w a lot of sushi choices. Â Service is as attentive, efficient and nice as other reviewers have noted.
Usually do lunch here and have done take out a few times. Â Great Miso soup and above ave egg roll. Â For entrees I can reco the mongolian beef, shrimp stir fry and szechuan shrimp. Â Hamachi and Tai rolls were excellent. Â If u live or work in the area it's your requisite asian spot.
It may be because I was spoiled in California, Bistro Pacific's food quality is passable. Â I had green salad, dragon rainbow roll, and white chocolate fried wonton dessert.
The salad was ok, not terribly fresh, but not old either. Â The ginger dressing is not really seasoned enough. Â The crispy noodles are a lit soft and saggy. Â
The sushi was reasonably priced, and probably reasonably quality by Chicago standards. Â But to take a bit more critical approach: the rice was not sufficiently treated by vinegar, tastes just simply plain rice directly from the ricecooker. Â The fish slices were a bit thin, and ok fresh. Â The execution was ok, tend to be a little bit loose than good sushi, and of course the proportion between rice/fish is a bit off, but that may be too much to ask for.
The dessert was not impressive. Â It ended up the dessert did not have white chocolate in it as advertised in the menu, and the ice cream was indeed quite icy. Â
The service was great, can't ask for more. Â The wait staff was very friendly and patient. Â The ambience was modern, but certainly not "upscale" as some of the previous posts say. Â It is probably a good spot for hangout, but is not a good choice if you want to impress your friend for your sophistication for food. Â
I was not impressed by it, but again, I may have too high an expectation.
"The Beast" is definitely an unknown place in this town, among those in the 'know'. The menu is large and includes an array of Asian dishes and an extensive amount of sushi offerings.
It is a great place to meet clients/colleagues for lunch. The lunch rush here is often massive (good lunch specials) but the service never lacks and the food is always hot, fresh and delicious. Â The chicken w/string beans is a favorite.
Also, a terrific place to come for a quiet, intimate dinner date too!
To be fair, I've only had one roll here and I got it take out about a half hour before it was closing. Â Maybe that's why it wasn't very good, but it was a veggie roll so kinda hard to mess up. Â Although I wasn't impressed with my one small experience here I'd be willing to try it again to see what else they have to offer. Â It's kind of out of the way which is nice.
Review Source:This place is pretty hidden, so if it wasn't for a date bringing me there, I wouldn't have known. The orange chicken is awesome. The sushi is also very tasty. The only bad thing I ever had there was the green tea ice cream. Normally, I'm nuts for it at other places but my cousin and I were practically forcing each other to eat it. It was that ick.
Review Source:This place is awesome, mainly because it's hidden away and has awesome food. I'm a big fan of the orange chicken made with Grand Marnier which literally melts in your mouth. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu here. This is a good place for a romantic date or with a lot of friends to have a good time out.
Review Source:I thought the food here was very tasty. It's kind of hidden away so it was a little hard to find. If you are going to eat here bring a bunch of people- I recommend getting a few different dishes and having a little bit of everything. I will definately go back at some point. It was also very romantic- a great place for a date.
Review Source:
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