What: Bua Hana Bacon Wrap
Ground chicken-shrimp wrapped in bacon, served with homemade honey mustard
$6.95
Where:
7330 Madison St.
Forest Park, IL 60130
How:
Julie Yu, a graduate of Oak Park River Forest High School, now manages the restaurant her parents started, and says the Bacon Wrap was inspired by a Malaysian bacon puff they all had once. After some trial and error, Yu crafted a perfectly balanced combination of flavors. The Bua Hana Bacon Wrap has now been on the menu for years, and you can even request a version made with cream cheese on the inside!
Why:
Chicken and shrimp is pureed, creating a consistently smooth texture. The filling is flavored with soy sauce, mushroom sauce, and a blend of spices Yu says they use in a lot of their dishes: garlic powder, sugar, salt and pepper. Each round ball then gets beautifully wrapped with one full strip of bacon. Bua Hana’s homemade honey mustard only has a small bit of tang, enhancing the sweetness from the shrimp and the bacon.
If you’re in the mood for an entrée, you have to try the Clay Pot. Listed under Specialties, it is a crystal noodle stir fry with yellow curry powder, crunchy celery and carrots, and of course bacon. The clay pot is actually used to cook the bacon, and then everything else gets added after. The clear glass noodles absorb delicious seasonings like cumin and the leftover bacon fat. There is also shrimp and shitake mushrooms and shrimp throughout, giving the dish even more contrast of textures.
Check out what else they have at: www.buahana.com
Bacon Quest is a search for unique, creative uses of America’s favorite cut of pork. See where else the Quest took us this year at forestparkreview.com/FallFood2015. Click here to read about Bacon Quest 2014.
