Koi Fine Asian Cuisine and Lounge Shines as an Evanston StapleNishat Ahmedon September 23, 2020 at 6:26 pm

Perched comfortably in the heart of Evanston, Koi Fine Asian Cuisine is a restaurant that truly aims to serve ambiance and authenticity. With plenty of unique offerings from the 8 different regions of China and a solid spread of sushi choices, one might be baffled that such an array of options could be available right on Davis Street.

Owner of both Koi Fine Asian Cuisine and Le Sud (upscale, French-Mediterranean cuisine), Sandy Chen aims to highlight not one singular style of Chinese cuisine, but all of the distinct and signature styles of the Chinese culinary world. Recently, we had the honorable pleasure of sitting down and getting to explore a few of the offered regions!

While the weather is still nice out, one can enjoy sitting at some of the tables Koi has set up outside or enjoy the fresh air in their main dining room whilst the street-facing side opens up completely to provide a lovely breeze and open-air dining experience.

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We eat these during the Chinese New Year season! #SpringRolls

A post shared by Koi Evanston (@koievanston) on Feb 15, 2017 at 6:28pm PST

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To get things started, we dove into the spring rolls, the Truffle Tuna Nigiri (cooked with truffle oil and topped with truffle salt), and the Salmon Brulee Bundles (equipped with mango, caramelized cane sugar, and more!). The spring rolls were accompanied by two sauces, one sweet and tangy, and the other a spicy sauce with the same kind of kick as wasabi. If you’re looking for a ripe burn in the sinuses, give your roll a nice dip and get sent to a different headspace! Of the three options, the Truffle Tuna Nigiri shined with its rich blend of umami, salt, and creamy texture from the included avocado. While a bit pricey for two pieces, it’s a delectable choice to begin a meal with!

Our waiter had a thorough knowledge of both the dishes on the menu and the regions from which they originated, and after a wonderful verbal tour through the history of these foods, we settled on exploring Chuan and Hui cuisine. Chuan (coming from the Sichuan region) cuisine is known for the spice of chilis and peppercorn that both heat the mouth but also numb the tongue. Hui cuisine, highlighting the Anhui region, takes care to pay attention to the temperature at which dishes are cooked; the meats in these dishes are often braised or stewed.

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Basil Plate. Choose your own portion, we can substitute Tofu for Vegetarian Options. #vegetarianfood #koievanston #mondaymood #eatchinese #eatchinesefood #takeoutfood #takeoutmonday

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A post shared by Koi Evanston (@koievanston) on Aug 10, 2020 at 10:52am PDT

Our Chuan dish was the Hot Pepper Plate with delicious, tender beef. Though the menu warns that the Hot Pepper Plate is a three-chili spice dish (meaning, it’s hot!), we didn’t find the heat too bad. Perhaps it’s that we’re masochists and love spice so much that we’ve burned our tongues truly numb, but just know that for less experienced spice-lifers, this dish could prove some trouble! To offset the chili oil and heaviness of the Hot Petter Plate, our Hui dish took us on a foray into the herb world with the Basil Plate made with chicken. Sweet peppers and earthy basil were a delightful juxtaposition to the heaviness of the Hot Pepper Plate, with each bite working as a lovely palate cleanser. Though not a part of a specific regional cuisine, we also dipped into the vegetable Lo Mein just to get a taste of some noodles too; we were not disappointed. Crips vegetables accompanied by a firm, chewy bite is the only thing you should expect!

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Happy National Chocolate Mousse Day! Celebrate with a piece of our Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake.

A post shared by Koi Evanston (@koievanston) on Apr 3, 2018 at 10:07am PDT

Were we wildly full when it was time for dessert? Yes. Did we get it anyways? Uh, yeah! Their Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake isn’t actually made of cake but purely of mousse. How do they pull it off? We’re not quite sure because this cake is gluten-free but still chock full of body. Despite being stuffed to the brim from our meal, we polished off the whole plate. (Please pray for us.)

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Whether you’re looking for a casual bite or a full-bodied dining experience, Koi Fine Asian Cuisine & Lounge is absolutely an Evanston stop that cannot be mixed. Head to their website to get more information about their offerings or, if you’re sold, you can stop on by at 642 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201! (Note that currently, there are a reduced number of tables available given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic so a reservation is never a bad idea!)

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Featured Image Credit: Koi Evanston

In Hiring Billy Donovan, the Chicago Bulls Finally Have Their CoachBrian Lendinoon September 23, 2020 at 3:42 pm

If you have been waiting to hear news on a replacement coach for the Chicago Bulls, the team officially announced on Tuesday that Billy Donovan would become the 24th head coach in team history after firing Jim Boylen in August.

Billy Donovan, who has spent the past five seasons as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, is transitioning to the Chicago Bulls after leading his previous team to the playoffs in all five seasons. He has a reputation of knowing what he’s doing on a sideline, which prior to 2020 was not a prerequisite to becoming the head coach of the Chicago Bulls.

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Billy the Bull ❤️

A post shared by Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) on Sep 23, 2020 at 6:00am PDT

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The Chicago Bulls are in a precarious position. The winning percentage for the team throughout the last three years is second-worst in the NBA to only the New York Knicks. However, the latest news from experts in the NBA believe the team has built a roster that’s talented enough to snag a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. While much of that talent has either underwhelmed, been injured, or not meshed together, it’s a general consensus that the head coach and front office has been what has held the Chicago Bulls back.

Billy Donovan changes that. Well, Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley began that change, and now the entrance of Billy Donovan as the head coach solidifies it. Even if the Chicago Bulls roster construct isn’t built to work, at least they’re making a concerted effort to figure it out. And at minimum, the hiring of Billy Donovan signals to the entire NBA that the Chicago Bulls are willing to finally accept the modern-day NBA. Success or not, we can rest easy knowing the organization is embracing what’s been needed for a decade. These aren’t the same old Bulls.

Welcome our new head coach, Billy Donovan!

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— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) September 22, 2020

Since the Chicago Bulls tried and failed to lure both Dwyane Wade and LeBron James to Chicago in the summer of 2010 it’s almost as if they’ve accepted not being good enough. Every move they’ve made has been one of the status quo and there has been no push to operate as a prototypical flagship NBA organization. Billy Donovan may not be LeBron James but he is the prized free agent coach of this offseason. And that means something.

Because it goes deeper than that. Not only have the Chicago Bulls been allergic to luring big-name free agents to Chicago, but they have also bungled just about every in-house relationship with the stars they have on their own team. The Bulls’ well-documented splits with Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and Tom Thibodeau are three prime examples of the egomaniacal approach to basketball operations under the Gar Forman/John Paxson era, but also the Hoiberg and Boylen coaching tenures.

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Players of all roles openly criticized previous Chicago Bulls coaches mid-season for the better part of the past decade. Kiss those days goodbye. If there is anything that Billy Donovan is known for it is his reputation for cultivating great relationships with his players. You can count the number of players who respected Fred Hoiberg on one hand. There was a literal mutiny against Jim Boylen at one point. These situations won’t happen under the new Chicago Bulls Coach. It sounds silly but having an actual baseline of players and coaches that get along to build off of is something the Chicago Bulls finally have.

For better or worse, this all means the Chicago Bulls might actually go for something in the near future. And that’s something to find comfort in. Because in the modern NBA you cannot win unless you score, and you cannot score unless you shoot. The latest news from the Chicago Bulls is an indicator that they are willing to take risks. It might not go in. But finally, in what feels like forever, they’re taking their shot.

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Chicago Cubs clinch the playoffs after missing in 2019Ryan Fedrauon September 23, 2020 at 12:00 pm

Chicago Cubs (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)

The Chicago Cubs have clinched the playoffs after missing them in 2019. After a few frustrating years, can the Cubs do what they did in 2016?

The Chicago Cubs have clinched the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Yes, it has only been one-year, but that one-year missing cost Joe Maddon his job. They technically made the playoffs in 2018, but they lost the wildcard game to the Rockies.

The Cubs struggled a lot in 2019. Their struggles weren’t as much at-bat as they were in the bullpen. There were too many games where Chicago had a lead going into the last three-innings and they’d lose the game. They deserved to miss the playoffs last season.

In 2020, fans saw some of the same struggles, but, they weren’t as bad. This team was good enough to clinch a playoff spot. The Cubs also have a 3.5-game lead in the division going into the final six games of the season. It’s safe to say they’ll end up winning the division – but they’ve struggled against the White Sox this season, who they play their final three-games against.

Fans owe a big thanks to the Phillies for sweeping the Nationals on Tuesday’s doubleheader, giving Chicago a playoff berth. So, even though the Cubs lost 3-2 to the Pirates, they got a big win as the Phillies helped them clinch the playoffs.

In 2017, the Cubs went to the NLCS, losing to the World Series Losers, LA Dodgers. In 2018, the Cubs lost the wildcard game against the Rockies.

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They should have never been in a wildcard game. The Cubs lost the divisional tiebreaker game against the Brewers by a dumb rule in the MLB rulebook. The rule of the tiebreaker is just one-games if teams have the same record. It has nothing to do with a head-to-head record. If they went by head-to-head records, the Cubs would have won the division and not have to face the Rockies in a wildcard game.

In 2019, the Cubs missed the playoffs entirely. It’s been a rough few years for the Cubs after winning the World Series. Since their first World Series in 108-years, the Cubs are 1-4 in playoff series, (including the wildcard game).

In 2020, the team has a new manager in David Ross. They’ve played much better baseball than they did last season, where they missed the playoffs. It’ll be interesting to see what they can do after 60-games.

The biggest thing this team needs is their star players to play like star players when they’re up to bat. They’ve played well defensively this season, but they’ve struggled to hit the ball in too many games. They cannot do that going into the playoffs.

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Tonight, the Cubs play the Pirates again. With 6-games left in the season, they’re just a few wins away from clinching the division, as they have a 3.5-game lead on the Cardinals. It’ll be interesting to see what happens, but all I know is, we have playoff baseball in Chicago again (kinda)!

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Chicago Cubs clinch the playoffs after missing in 2019Ryan Fedrauon September 23, 2020 at 12:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bulls: 3 positives to the Billy Donovan hireJason Parinion September 23, 2020 at 11:22 am

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The Chicago Bulls hired Billy Donovan to be their next head coach on Tuesday. Here are three positives to the hire.

For the first time in decades, both of Jerry Reinsdorf’s teams are on the path to becoming championship contenders.

Though they’ve technically been rebuilding ever since Michael Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls for the final time in 1998 (with the exception of a few good years during the Derrick Rose era), the Bulls began a nearly total rebuild with the much-needed end to the GarPax era on the West Side.

For years, the Bulls were led by the same front office making the same absentminded, nepotism-driven decisions resulting in decades of insignificance and countless seasons of disappointment and bad draft picks. Really, you’ve had to be a bit of a masochist to be a Chicago Bulls fan in the 21st century.

But in April of this year, a new era began in Chicago with the hiring of former Denver Nuggets GM Arturas Karnisovas. It was a new day, a new approach and a brand new philosophy.

After being hired, Karnisovas declared that he would “get creative” with the team and that he was focused on hiring the best available head coach after finally firing Jim Boylen in mid-August.

He made true on that promise on Tuesday, hiring former Oklahoma City head coach Billy Donovan to be the team’s 21st head coach.

It was exactly the move that the Bulls needed, and one that puts the team that much closer to championship contention.

Let’s break down three positives to the Billy Donovan hire.

Next: Extensive experience

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Chicago Bulls: 3 positives to the Billy Donovan hireJason Parinion September 23, 2020 at 11:22 am Read More »

Chicago Bears to face a desperate Falcons teamPatrick Sheldonon September 23, 2020 at 11:00 am

Chicago Bears (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears face a tough task on Sunday.

The Chicago Bears are off to a 2-0 start, and despite some hiccups along the way, have a legitimate shot to start the season 3-0. Doing so would dramatically increase their chances of making the playoffs, especially with the expanded field. However, it will not be an easy task as the team travels to Atlanta to take on a desperate Falcons team on Sunday.

In the NFL, two of the most dangerous types of teams you can play are those with nothing to lose and those that are desperate. The Falcons certainly fall into the latter category as they sit at the opposite end of the spectrum at 0-2. While they are winless, it is certainly not for a lack of offensive effort, as they have put up a combined 64 points. Unfortunately for them, they have surrendered a combined 78 to the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.

While the Bears have had the opportunity to ease into the season with two below-average teams, the Falcons have had no such luxury. And now they enter Week 3 likely with a sense of desperation.

While they are 0-2, both the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are ahead of them in the NFC South, are 1-1. If they want to keep any playoff hopes alive, Sunday’s game is as close to a must-win as there can be this early in the season. Starting off 0-2 is a big enough hole to dig out of, but 0-3 is nearly impossible to overcome. Looking ahead on the Falcons’ schedule, they take on the 2-0 Green Bay Packers in Week 4.

So with that sense of desperation, they will get ready for a relatively untested Bears team who has looked good at times but clearly still working through the kinks. If the Falcons are going to save their season, it has to start with Chicago.

One thing that seems apparent is the Bears will need to put up some points. While the defense has been strong this year, it will be a challenge to hold the Falcons to anything close to the 13 points the Giants scored on Sunday. It will be incumbent on the offense to stay on the field as much as possible and limit Atlanta’s possessions. This is where Matt Nagy’s renewed commitment to the run will come in handy.

Next: Giants game doesn’t prove much

If the offense can do its part, and the defense continues to do their thing, there’s no reason the Bears shouldn’t be able to sneak out of Atlanta 3-0.

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Chicago Bears to face a desperate Falcons teamPatrick Sheldonon September 23, 2020 at 11:00 am Read More »

Chicago Bears: 5 staggering statistics through Week 2Ryan Heckmanon September 23, 2020 at 1:00 pm

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Two games into the 2020 season, the Chicago Bears are 2-0 and ready to prove they’re not a fluke.

Through two weeks, the Chicago Bears can be called a lot of things. One of the words that comes to mind is lucky, especially after what happened at the end of regulation in Detroit.

But, whether or not you believe the Bears have gotten lucky to escape with two victories in their first two games, one thing is clear: This is a different team.

Already, we have seen reason to believe this Bears team can achieve much more than the national media projected for them this season. We saw several analysts predict the Bears end up last in the NFC North, and some even had them winning just three games all year long.

Having started 2-0 with the chance to go up against two more poor defenses in the next two weeks, the Bears very well could be looking at a 4-0 record if they continue to improve. Mitchell Trubisky has been a bright spot so far, and getting to start his season against the Lions and Giants pass defenses has certainly boosted his confidence.

Speaking of a confidence boost, how good does the offensive line look? All offseason we speculated whether or not Ryan Pace did enough to address the line. The only real addition made was Germain Ifedi, along with new offensive line coach Juan Castillo.

So far, Trubisky has had time to throw and the running lanes have been aplenty. It’s been fantastic to watch.

Then, there’s the defense. Not a lot has changed. They’re still an elite group and still don’t give up many points.

Both sides of the ball have given fans reason for excitement through two games, but some areas have been more impressive than others. Some areas have been different than what we may have originally thought. Through two games, check out the following five staggering statistics from this year’s Bears campaign.

Next: 1: The rookie gets it

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Chicago Bears: 5 staggering statistics through Week 2Ryan Heckmanon September 23, 2020 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Cam Newton makes Chicago Bears look bad after week twoVincent Pariseon September 23, 2020 at 2:00 pm

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 20: Cam Newton #1 of the New England Patriots exits the field at halftime against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on September 20, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) — SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 20: Cam Newton #1 of the New England Patriots exits the field at halftime against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on September 20, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears should have really considered Cam Newton to come in and play QB.

For two weeks now, we have watched the Chicago Bears use Mitchell Trubisky as QB1. He has had good quarters and bad quarters but the team is 2-0. It feels like an average team that has gotten lucky twice against two below-average teams to get to this point but a lot of teams would like to be 2-0 right now no matter how they got there. With all of that said, it is hard to watch Cam Newton play so well for the New England Patriots and not get annoyed.

The Patriots are 1-1 and the only reason they are 1-1 is they couldn’t score on the goal line to beat a very good Seattle Seahawks team on Sunday night. Cam Newton has put up incredible numbers so far this season. If he keeps it up, there is a chance he puts himself in the MVP conversation as we move along.

He is doing it all for New England right now. He can create by using his arm and legs which is something the Bears could really use right now. If they had Newton instead of Trubisky right now, they would still be 2-0 but we would feel so much better about it than we do right now.

In the passing game, he has one touchdown and one interception on 552 yards. He is also completing 71.4 percent of his passes which is very good. In the running game, he has a remarkable four touchdowns for a total of five total scores. He has earned 122 yards on 26 carries for New England.

The reason this can all be annoying for Bears fans is the fact that instead of spending on Cam Newton, they traded a fourth-round pick for Nick Foles. Because of where they were in their careers, Newton wasn’t ever going to get that much money so it would have been a great investment for the Bears. Instead, they have Foles holding a clipboard and the unpredictable Trubisky starting. It was a bad decision to trade for Foles instead of adding Newton when it all first went down and it still feels like a mistake now.

Hopefully, the Bears are able to keep winning in spite of all this bad decision making. They need to be better as an organization but nobody should feel confident about it as long as this current team is in place. Are we going to keep watching Newton and continue getting mad at him playing well for the New England Patriots instead of the Bears? Maybe.

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Cam Newton makes Chicago Bears look bad after week twoVincent Pariseon September 23, 2020 at 2:00 pm Read More »

Chinese guitarist Li Jianhong takes spiritual psychedelic noise to EuropeNoah Berlatskyon September 23, 2020 at 1:00 pm

Guitarist Li Jianhong is fairly unknown in the U.S., but he’s one of the most important experimental musicians in China. Like Sonic Youth and Japanese rock collective Ghost, he straddles and/or blasts his way across the line between psychedelic rock and exploratory noise; he also frequently incorporates a spiritual component inspired by Buddhism and traditional Chinese art. The tracks on his latest album, Father, and a Wild Trail Zigzagging Down, were recorded in 2018 at various venues on his first European tour, and together they make for a lovely summation of his range and focus. The track “At Dusk, Man at the Stream” sounds like Li is slicing his guitar apart with pieces of scrap metal–it’s as though an unaccompanied rock musician wandered into an ambush and came out with an instrument stripped of its parts. “At Dusk, Daffodils at the Stream” spins its ominous ambience from feedback, drones, clicks, and warbles, and the 27-minute title track also starts out diffuse and quiet–before building into an ecstatic wah-wah drone. Its thick, harsh, sustained blast of grimy lyricism is equal parts Jimi Hendrix and Iannis Xenakis. Listeners won over by this excellent set of songs are advised to move on to Li’s 2008 magnum opus, the 51-minute, one-track San Sheng Shi–or, for something completely different, D!O!D!O!D!, his early, Ruins-esque punk duo with drummer Huang Jin. v

Chinese guitarist Li Jianhong takes spiritual psychedelic noise to EuropeNoah Berlatskyon September 23, 2020 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Teen rescued from Lisle house fireSun-Times Wireon September 23, 2020 at 7:03 am

(LISLE) A police officer pulled a teenage boy from a burning home Tuesday in west suburban Lisle.

The fire was first reported shortly before 10:15 p.m. at a multi-unit home in the 2700 block of Wayfaring Lane, according to a statement from the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District.

Before fire crews arrived, a Lisle police officer “broke through some barriers” to rescue the 14-year-old from one of the units, according to Lisle Trustee Sara Sadat.

Fire officials said the officer rescued the teen through a “small basement window.”

Lisle police said the boy and the officer were checked out for smoke inhalation at a hospital but are expected to recover.

The blaze was under control about 15 minutes after fire crews arrived at the scene, according to the fire department. No other injuries were reported, but the building was deemed uninhabitable by the Lisle Building Department.

The cause remains under investigation, fire officials said.

Teen rescued from Lisle house fireSun-Times Wireon September 23, 2020 at 7:03 am Read More »