Patio Party at Mora Asian Kitchen

Ever since we discovered Mora Asian Kitchen in Bolingbrook, it has been one of our favorite spots. We love the creative Asian dishes they serve. I used to be kind of ambivalent about sushi - could take it or leave it, but Mora made me LOVE it. For a long time I had been under the misconception that it was all made with raw fish - which, is completely wrong. I kind of was in a rut just getting California Rolls when I’d dine out, but the options at Mora are so good - and I have grown to even love the raw fish versions. My very favorite there is called the “Little Piggy” and made with bacon jam. They do stuff you don’t find anywhere else and it’s so fun and refreshing!

So they just remodeled their outdoor patio into a lovely little space in the Promenade in Bolingbrook and we were invited to a little media event to check it out. The other foodie sis, Becky, lives just a few minutes down the road and it’s been her go-to for Asian food in recent months. When she isn’t heading in to enjoy her favorites (often with little 2-year-old daughter, Ariana - who has a favorite waiter named Scott), she is ordering Uber Eats and having it delivered to her to enjoy at home. Really there isn’t anything we’ve tried there that we haven’t loved.

So, for the patio party we sampled a few of the regular menu items and cocktails and a couple things intended to be added on to a new happy hour menu that will introduced shortly - probably by the end of the month. It will feature versions of Asian street food. 

We started out with some grilled shishito peppers. They looked amazing, but I’m always suspicious of how spicy peppers will be. I was pleasantly surprised that these are not spicy in the least. They’re a delicious sweet pepper - even though they look decievingly like a jalapeño or other spicy variety. They were really amazing - sweeter than your standard bell pepppers and just the perfect size - although I could have easily polished off a plate myself. 

Next we tried out some mini versions of their Longanisa Burger. Our dining mate, John, commented that they were the best sliders he had ever eaten and both of us foodie sisters were in agreeemnt. 

The burger is made with a blend of Filipino pork breakfast sausage and beef and the flavor and consistency were off the charts. We had to have seconds on these. They are served with their house made “yum sauce” - a mix of Filipino ketchup and mayo, tomato and lettuce on a brioche bun. They were also talking about offering it with their signature Brussels sprouts salad as a topping and I can’t wait to try that. That salad is one of my very favorite items on their menu. It wowed me more than anything we tried at the patio party. Normally, if I was going to an Asian place, a burger would be the last thing I would think to order, but this is totally worth trying. 

We tried out three different rolls - all so good - a spicy tuna classic roll, the Hammer Roll and a crab/tuna roll. All were really good.

We also tried out the Sisig Tacos, a Filipino specialty that they  plan to add to the happy hour menu. We were told that these tacos appeared in an episode of the late Anthony Bordain’s show as he visited the Philippines and he raved about it and predicted it was a dish that would take over America.

We also tried out a caramel rice pudding for dessert and several cocktails, our favorite being the “Violet.” If you haven’t been to this gem yet, we highly recommend it. They also do a lot of fun events there, including their upcoming Luau Party on July 14 where you can partake in a fabulous feast and enjoy entertainment on a stage outside of the restaurant - they close down part of the street for the festivities. Check out their FB page for more info on tickets.