Chicago’s recently-opened restaurant, Feld, generated quite the buzz online before its opening. However, this customer is unsure if it’s worth the hype.
Gene (@getam) describes their visit to Feld in an almost two-minute TikTok. As of this writing, it has over 478,700 views and 1,500 comments.
“I hate leaving negative reviews, but we need to talk about Feld,” Gene says to start.
They say the restaurant serves a tasting menu of about 30 items and that most dishes focus on one ingredient. Gene also mentions that they were really excited to visit Feld since they had been following the chef’s journey to open the restaurant for a while on TikTok.
Feld’s founder, Chef Jake (@notyetachef), built quite an online fan base before opening the restaurant. He did so by sharing the journey of its creation, such as his travels around the world to get inspiration and shopping trips for materials like plates and marble countertops.
However, Gene says the experience didn’t match the expectations that social media set.
“The plate can be called minimalistic at best. Not too much going on with the plate,” Gene says. “As for the actual taste of the food, well, there was a couple highs, but honestly, it was mostly lows.”
What was wrong with the food?
For Gene, the issue lies with the seasoning.
“While you can see a lot of technique displayed in these dishes, the basics of just salt was an issue. A lot of our dishes were under-salted,” Gene says.
They also note that most of the dishes had a smoky flavor, evoking the feeling of eating at a Texas barbecue restaurant “that was trying to take on fine dining for the first time.”
Dessert was more of a disaster
As for dessert, Gene says it was the “weakest” part of the night. One dessert plate was simply cheese, and another was just frozen fruits. However, Gene adds that there were some “pretty good” dessert plates in between.
Still, Gene says they paid $200 for the meal and feel disappointed that it ended with frozen fruit, given the cost.
“I really do hope they turn it around. I think there’s potential here, but right now, I would avoid going to Feld,” Gene says.
What do other foodies say?
In an email to the Daily Dot, the “Feld Team” shared its response to the video. “Our only comment is that the negative voices always ring louder, which is a shame when the vast majority of our guests at Feld leave overwhelmingly happy,” it wrote.
Indeed, the restaurant has 4.8 stars on Yelp. Additionally, Eater Chicago wrote about the restaurant as something to look forward to this summer.
@genetam Dinner review of Feld in chicago. #chicagofood #foodreview #chicago ♬ original sound – Gene
Viewers are as unimpressed as Gene
Though Yelp reviewers rave about Feld, Gene’s viewers are unconvinced.
“We had to get pizza after dinner at Feld,” one commenter writes.
“Where is the FOOD,” a second viewer asks, mocking the portion sizes.
“Super disappointed,” another viewer says. “Been following Jake for years and it looks bad.”
However, at least one viewer has a bit of hope. “Give him and feld a second to get going,” they suggest.
The Daily Dot reached out to Gene and Chef Jake via TikTok direct message.
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