Ttowa in Arlington Heights

Today I'm going to share with you about a wonderful restaurant in downtown Arlington Heights.  Ttowa is a Korean restaurant located across the street from the Vail Street Jewel.  It's not a large restaurant, but oh my goodness is the food amazing.  :)

If you've never tried Korean food you're in for a treat.  It's wonderfully tasty and healthy too.  Everything I've had there is amazingly fresh and flavorful.  My sister actually turned me onto Korean food.  She had a Korean roommate in college and was exposed to it.  It's one of the few things we've yet to try to make at home, but its on the list of things to try.  Partly because Korean food is healthy in that they use a lot of vegetables.  We can always have more vegetables in our diet and the tastier the better.

I had lunch at Ttowa tuesday and when I mentioned I was going to write about them they brought me out this gorgeous appetizer.  It's called Dak Bun (Steamed Spicy Fire Chicken Bun) which has cucumber, beets and korean chili paste.  Besides how eye-catching they are these tasted so good.  Dak Buns have a definite spicy heat to them, but the combination of cucumbers, beets and spices make your mouth do the happy dance.

Ttowa has an awesome lunch menu.  I normally get a Bulgogi (marinated rib eye) rice bowl with a massive bowl of chicken noodle soup.  The bulgogi is incredibly fall apart tender.  The flavor is a typical Korean barbecue marinade.  It's tangy and a little sweet, but not spicy. The soup always comes out piping hot and I love that it has those super long noodles.  Another thing you get with lunch are these yummy orange yogurt drinks for dessert.  They taste just like an orange creamsicle!

The service at Ttowa is always very friendly and quick.  The atmosphere is nice too.  Tables are spaced well.  I also love the bottles they leave on the table for water.  If you go, then you should try some of their mandoo.  Mandoo are dumplings and come in a variety of flavors sort of like egg rolls with different fillings.  Mandoo are the first Korean food my sister shared with me.

All in all I just love everything they have there.  It's always a treat to stop in for a great lunch or dinner.  If you're looking to try a new restaurant in Arlington Heights, Ttowa should be at the top of your list.