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26 | June 28, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger life & arts mokenamessenger.com Nature’s beauty Local earns honorable mention; plenty of photos taken at Hickory Creek for county contest New Lenox resident Chris Ward earned honorable mention for May’s portion of the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s monthly photo contest for this photo he took of a delicate white trout lily in full bloom at Hickory Creek. Photos submitted This red, white and blue was taken by Michael Fagan at Hickory Creek. This photo taken in New Lenox of a bird flying off a branch was taken by Michael Fagan. Michael Fagan submitted this photo of this colorful bird at Hickory Creek Junction. Another one of Josh Link’s submissions was of this large deer standing at Hickory Creek. Another entrant from Hickory Creek is this photo of a rodent standing on its hind legs
mokenamessenger.com life & Arts the Mokena Messenger | June 28, 2018 | 27 The Dish In kitchen, at bar, sisters draw creativity from late father Bill Jones, Managing Editor Quee Huynh’s creativity in the kitchen at her Orland Park restaurant, Q, is the stuff of local legend. Even when she tried to slow things down in the past, she somehow wound up with new items both on and off the menu. It is a creative culinary output quite possibly rivaled only by that of her sister, Ellie Huynh, who similarly cannot stop herself from whipping up new drinks for Q at such a frenetic pace that Quee has refused to place some on the menu for fear of overwhelming their customers with too many options. “She actually stops me a lot of times,” Ellie said,. But savvy customers can find her latest concoctions on the restaurant’s Facebook page and order them, on the menu or not. Lately, that means drinks like the High Society ($10), which features gin, bitter grapefruit, thyme and smoked paprika salt for a complexity that makes it more advanced than easy drinking. That one even gave Quee a moment of pause. “At first, she didn’t like this at all,” Ellie said, “But it grew on her.” Gin, in general, can give many customers cause to pause, according to Ellie, who noted many are “afraid” of the liquor. “But it brings out a whole different profile,” she said of gin’s role in cocktails. “It’s so fresh and clean. … You just have to break down the wall. You have to venture out of your comfort zone.” For the unwavering, Ellie’s new Dark Victory drink ($10) features a rye whiskey with a spicy blackberry compote, Campari and lavender bitters, and should hit the spot. But for the adventurous, Ellie also is willing to experiment a bit on the spot. “We appreciate that, for people to trust us and say, ‘You can do whatever you want,’” she said. For Ellie, inspiration comes from a lot of places. Some of it is as simple as going out drinking and coming across an idea from a talented bartender that inspires another idea. Sometimes it is getting her hands on new liquors. And sometimes it is her sister’s cuisine in an attempt to find unique pairings. “Every time I make a drink, I tell her I need an appetizer,” Ellie said. And the family connection at Q goes beyond the two sisters. Ellie said she also draws inspiration from her grandfather and her father, the latter the late Viet Quoc Huynh, who taught her how to drink properly once she started. While Viet Quoc remained in Vietnam after the girls left in their teens and until his recent death, customers have seen his influence on Orland Park’s Q both directly and indirectly. The miniature bicycles in many of the windowsills were made by him, and his knowledge and passion undoubtedly drive what his girls do in the kitchen and behind the bar. Quee said despite living in a communist country, her father was a “very knowledgeable man” who kept up on French and American music, including the likes of the Bee Gees, Deep Purple, The Beatles, The Carpenters, and Simon & Garfunkel, collecting CDs and vinyl of the popular artists. “He wanted us to know more about American culture, because he admired A High Society cocktail($10) at Q features gin, bitter grapefruit, thyme and smoked paprikasalt. Q Restaurant 11379 W. 159th St. in Orland Park Hours • 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.Monday-Thursday • 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m.Friday-Saturday • Noon-9 p.m. Sunday For more information … Web:facebook.com/ QRestaurantOrlandPark Phone: (708) 966-2179 them at such a young age,” Quee said. “The Boxer” proved to be his favorite song. “He said it reminded him of the story about the poor little boy who tried to make it in the big city, just like me and Ellie,” Quee said. Quee said she often discussed her menu with her father, and she shared last year a photo of her Q-King Duck, a special dish she made for the restaurant’s anniversary. “He said it looked so good; Ellie Huynh pours a drinkshe mixed at the bar of Q Restaurant in Orland Park. Photos by Bill Jones/22nd Century Media The Malaysian satay ($13 forgrilled lamb, $8 for chicken) at Q features cucumber, a corn saladand peanut sauce. ‘you did it,’” Quee recalled. “That was my last dish that my father and me [cooked] together.” But Quee said the inspiration they take from their father is about more than the food and drink; it is about being good human beings and not letting the world change what makes them who they are. “He always told us not to be afraid of anyone or anything,” Quee said. “Go out there and try your best every single day.” If what the sisters are doing at Q is any indication, there is no doubt Viet Quoc would be proud.
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