By and large, I enjoyed what I tasted at Oriole back in September. Two months later, where do things stand?
Wagyu
Does the present moment represent the greatest run of form in Kyōten’s seven-year history?
Since writing about Oriole “2.0” in February of 2022, I’ve visited the restaurant another 13 times…
With the arrival of the year’s hottest month, omakase starts to sound particularly enticing…
The arrival of summer marks one of the most interesting chapters in Kyōten’s yearly work…
Another month, another visit to Chicago’s idiosyncratic temple of omakase…
How does the menu here change month to month? How does the perception of quality and value, when one no longer approaches Phan’s work with the romanticism of a “special occasion” splurge, change with it?
Kumiko is another one of those places (like Obélix) that feels so familiar it can be hard to write about critically. At the same time, it is a place that remains so uncompromising in its vision it can sometimes perplex and polarize segments of its audience.
John’s Food and Wine took its time building a foundation that could reliably support a tasting menu rather than going all-in, from the start, in pursuit of glory. The slow, steady, and sustainable route has yielded something spectacular.
After some time spent plumbing the depths of more casual fare, it feels good to get back to the meat of the matter: a fine dining concept looking to offer something Chicagoans have never yet experienced with all the trappings of luxury you so love (to pick apart).