Dinner Date at PL8 in Barrington

While we love to return to our favorite restaurants for solid meals, we do like to venture out and try new venues. A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I checked out PL8 (plate) in Barrington. PL8 is a contemporary Asian restaurant with both Chinese and Japanese cuisine.

Upon entering the restaurant, we immediately picked up on its refined atmosphere--a good choice for a night out. However, we did notice that it was pretty loud in the restaurant. It seemed that the restaurant was not designed well for absorbing the loud conversations that often fill restaurants. We were glad that we did not bring our daughter on this occasion because the noise would have bothered her.

The service was impeccable-fast, friendly, and knowledgeable. We each ordered two items for our meals and we received each quickly.



I ordered the snow crab salad and California roll. I loved that they used snow crab instead of the imitation crab in their dishes. It really adds to the quality and freshness of the dish. I felt that my meal was good--not exciting--but good. The hubby tried the vegetable spring rolls and seven flavor chicken. He thought the spring rolls were good but didn't knock his socks off. The seven flavor chicken is listed as one of the spicy dishes on the menu. We felt that it was sweet with a little spice. The dish was good-just not as spicy as we guessed. Also, there really were not any vegetables with the dish. So, if you are looking for vegetation, you will need to order something else with this dish.

One thing to note--PL8 has a section of its menu dedicated to gluten free menu items. I love how easy they make it for those on a gluten free diet to find items that they can enjoy.This can often be a challenge.

Overall, we felt that PL8 served good food and was a definite option for a date night. While they do have a children's menu, we thought that the atmosphere at night was not particularly for children. Also, PL8 seemed to have a robust take out business, further attesting to the good food.

PL8 is located at 736 W Northwest Highway in Barrington. You can check PL8's website for current info on hours and the menu.