Hub 51 is an upscale restaurant with a wide variety of foods on it’s menu. It’s located in downtown Chicago at 51 W. Hubbard street, hence the clever name Hub 51.

         My party and I arrived at 8 pm on a brisk autumn Sunday and were greeted by a full house. Almost every table as well as the entire bar had been occupied. A surprising sight for a Sunday night especially given the size of the restaurant. This large size is broken down into three separate dining areas, giving each room a more cozy feel perfect for relaxing over a plate of steamy edamame. The foremost area you find yourself in upon entering the restaurant is furnished with many pub tables and bar stools to match. In addition there also sits a long full liquor bar on the southern side of this room that separates the bar area from the main dining area. If bar seating is not preferred you can then walk into the main dining room, or past that to the more closed off back part of the restaurant featuring tons of tables and booths to ensure that this place always has the perfect seat available for you. The west wall of this restaurant is taken up by large garage style doors that can be opened on warmer days exposing a patio seating area. On colder nights these glass-paned garage doors also provide a great view of the historic courthouse building which sits right across Hubbard Street. It’s also worth noting that there is a basement level here that can be rented out for events like work parties or private edamame tastings.

        The atmosphere in all three areas has a modern decor, but still manages to remain cozy and inviting with dim lighting and low pop music playing to set a calming ambiance even among a restaurant brimming with patrons. There are two separate bars here, which means there is no shortage of drink selections including around 20 beers on tap, a tasteful wine selection of both whites and reds, and several cocktails to compliment your edamame dining experience. Upon exploring the menu further, you may notice several things, the first being that there is a wide variety of food types served here. Everything from burgers, to tacos, to sushi and salads make an appearance on this menu. Meaning no matter what food you are looking for, almost everyone will be satisfied. The second thing you may notice is that edamame is not specifically listed on the menu. Instead it is listed under an item called “Two Green Bites” Which includes Shishito and Edamame. Now, I know what you are all thinking here, “Kyle, I only care about the edamame, if I wanted to hear about Shishito I would visit Shishitalk, Chicago’s #1 shishito podcast!”. But worry not my avid readers, upon speaking with my server I was informed that the edamame can be ordered by itself, without any unnecessary east Asian green peppers sullying the dish.

         Now, Let’s take a look at the edamame, it comes on a round porcelain plate, garnished with a lemon, that can be utilized add even more flavor to an already delectable taste. The first thing you will notice here is that it is well cooked with toast marks lining the shell. The flavor is bursting with fruity aromas, a far cry from the traditional sea salt covered norm. This dish comes out swinging by hitting your palate hard with a fruity tang then leaving you with a mild edamame aftertaste that makes you crave more with each bite. These pods are cooked to perfection, being both tender to the bite and easy to break out of the shell.

         The oil it’s coated in has an extremely zesty taste to it making it among the most flavorful edamame I have ever tasted. The cooking style is highly unique shying away from the steamed option and going instead towards a bold pan fried style. This leaves the outer shell looking a bit singed, while some may mistake this as being burnt, it leaves no aftertaste of burned soybean on your palate and is done intentionally. This brings Hub 51’s edamame to a completely unique category of edamame. Overall with the daring pan-fried cooking style, coupled with the fruity robust flavor, this edamame stands in a league all of its own.

         Hub 51 is an absolute delight to dine at. From it’s modern inviting atmosphere, to it’s truly unique take on edamame. This restaurant is a must-visit for any Chicago native or visiting tourist. While the menu may make it a bit difficult to order, the edamame here is truly unlike any I have ever experienced, and therefore Hub 51 locks in a solid triple pod rating from this satisfied blogger!