Hy Life Bistro

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  It is a rare treat to be able to go into a restaurant and get a nice kosher steak. Outside of Shallots which is twice as expensive there really are no other good options. The service was fantastic. The waiter was extremely attentive and worked hard to make sure that everything we ordered was OK for my wife who needs things to be gluten free. We were with a large group so the service really helped.
  For appetizers we shared a whole group of different things. The Chinese hot dogs were tasty but on the other hand they were just hot dogs in a wonton wrapper. The bbq short ribs were extremely tasty but the bbq sauce tasted like it came out of a bottle. The chicken satay was delicious as were the egg rolls. For an entree I was feeling quite gluttoness and had the 32 oz. rib steak. It was OK but it is problematic when I know I can prepare it better. First off the meat did not seem to be that fresh. It was fresh enough to not be dangerous but it didn't have the pop of a truly fresh piece of meat. It was cooked to a nice medium rare as I asked but there was no crust on the outside and I am pretty sure they did not salt and pepper the meat before putting it on the grill. They also did not marinate the meat so there was little flavor and they did not put any sauce on to try and deal with this. My wife had the chimichurri steak which also had very little flavor.
  The portions were immense which is nice but it seems like they sacrifice quality for quantity. Overall I would go back, but for the money you would hope for more.

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  Posted on 01.01.13 David G.

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  We ordered catering from Hy Life Bistro for a family event.  The person doing the ordering told therm there would be 16 adults.  When the price for appetizers, fish and chicken plus side dishes came out to $35 per person we discussed ways of lowering the price.  Hy Life cut back on the fish and got the price down to $30 per person.  We talked to Hy Life about was this too much food and they assured us that while there would be some food life over.  But no, it would not be too much food.  
  
  I do not know what kind of people this caterer is used to feeding but there were 8.5 egg rolls left over, 4 FULL chickens, about a dozen Moroccan cigars and a dozen or more drumettes.  The left over potatoes filled the bottom of the tray.  The only food that was well estimated was the fish and salad.
  
  As for the quality of the food -- it was in general bland and tasteless.  The Moroccan cigars were about a half an inch in diameter and completely unspiced.   I believe they took plain hamburger meat and rolled it in a thin layer of dough.  The Caesar salad, was a large bowl of Romain lettuce with a side of croutons and dressing.  
  
  To their credit the spiced sweet potatoes were not sugared but again barely spiced.  The egg rolls were fine (nothing special but fine); the duck sauce, on the other hand, was tasteless.  It probably came from a jar.  I personally did not have any of the drummetts, but they are my daughter's favorite food and she did not like them.
  
  Hy Life Bistro reminds me of old style kosher restaurants were the quality of the food was lacking since the mere fact that you were kosher was enough to keep you in business.
  
  There are far better kosher places to eat in Chicago were a family dinner will not cost $30 per person for take out.

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  Posted on 08.22.11 Havah H.

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  *** Kosher CrC***
  
  Hy Life (meat) shares the building with Slice of Life (dairy) -same owners.
  
  I am a frequent visitor to Chicago and this is one of my Kosher stops
  
  When in Chicago for a conference, I was able to order from this place and they delivered to my hotel downtown. An advantage is that you could order from the dairy and meat places and have all delivered.
  
  I do have to admit, that the food was surprisingly delicious. The Menu was extensive, there were things such as honey mustard chicken, walnut chicken, roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables, all of which were really very good.
  
  The price for an average entry is ca 10 - 35 which includes soup and side dishes but you can get most things a-la-cart. The place looks very
  
  Altogether a very positive experience and suitable for a business meal.

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  Posted on 02.11.11 Sam L.

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  Hy Life is the meat (fleishig) side of the twin restaurants, Slice of Life and Hy Life Bistro, on Dempster Street just west of Crawford (Pulaski) Avenue in Skokie.  It is kosher-certified and only serves kosher meat; as a result its menu prices are slightly higher than non-kosher restaurants in its class.  It is definitely worth the trip to the nearby suburb and the additional expense.  I have never had a bad meal there.  The cocktails are excellent.  The fish, chicken and beef dishes are first-rate.  The Cajun curly fries are far superior to Arby's (!) and absolutely to die for.  Entrées come with hot fresh bread, soup or salad, and two side dishes.  Come hungry!
  
  Some notes:  due to Hy Life's dairy-free status, the frozen dessert served is not true ice cream but an imitation; and the 'cream" served with coffee is a non-dairy imitation.  This is one of the few full-service restaurants in or near Chicago that does NOT accept credit cards.  Bring your checkbook or a few twenties.  Also, watch out for a speed trap on Dempster Street just west of Slice.  Skokie's Finest lie in wait on a side street to catch motorists flying through the intersection at Crawford Avenue.
  There's a very cool Starbucks next door.

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  Posted on 12.09.08 Kenneth S.

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