Just opened: ‘Cousin’ of Momotaro hitting Southport Corridor, plus 5 more new restaurants in Chicago
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After years of focusing much of its attention on the West Loop and the Fulton Market district, the Boka Restaurant Group is ready to open not one, but three concepts on the busy Southport Corridor in Lakeview.
You might already know about two of them: Stephanie Izard’s Little Goat Diner is relocating from the West Loop, while GG’s Chicken Shop, a fried chicken sandwich concept from chef Lee Wolen, will finally get a permanent home after launching virtually during the pandemic.
The third project is brand-new. Gene Kato, the chef at Momotaro, is behind Itoko, a sushi and robata restaurant set to open March 1.
“Itoko means cousin in Japanese,” Kato said. “It has a lot of the DNA of Momotaro in it, including the quality of the product and the high standards.”
But Kato is quick to add there will be big differences, with only about 20% of the dishes brought over from Momotaro. “Once we took the neighborhood into consideration, along with input from the chef team, the style of the restaurant became something very unique,” he said.
In particular, Kato hopes the restaurant connects with the people who call the neighborhood home.
“It’s such a young family neighborhood, with a lot of foot traffic,” Kato said. “The goal is to have an option that has a little bit of a Fulton Market vibe, but is just five to 10 minutes from where they live.”
To appeal to the kids, he’s also offering a few bento boxes. “Me being a parent, a lot of the time going out to restaurants, the options for the kids are generic,” Kato said. “I wanted the parents to feel good about the food that their kids are eating.”
Fans of Kato might also notice some intriguing connections to his now-closed Sumi Robata Grill in River North. In fact, it even has the same robata grill. When Sumi shut down in 2017, Kato sold the grill, which was custom-made in Japan, to Nick Kokonas for use at Next Restaurant. Fortunately, he was able to buy it back, and he’ll be putting it to good use with a menu full of precisely grilled meat, seafood and vegetables.
You’ll also find a lot of sushi. Kato explained that along with classic nigiri and maki options, he’s going to serve some “crazier” rolls that should appeal to the neighborhood. He’s most excited about serving hand rolls (temaki), a style where the fish is wrapped up in crisp seaweed and eaten as quickly as possible. “We can’t do that at Momotaro, because it’s such a large space,” Kato said. “The seaweed would be soft by the time it got to the table. Itoko is a much smaller space, so it allows us to offer that.”
The restaurant will also feature a full bar program. Kato described it as a “condensed” collection of sake, wine, spirits and cocktails that you’d find at Momotaro.
Unlike the boisterous and glitzy Momotaro, Itoko will be bright and cozy, with a design by Brand Bureau that draws inspiration from Japandi, a style that combines Scandinavian and Japanese design elements.
All three of Boka’s concepts will be housed in the space formerly occupied by Southport Lanes, a bowling alley that closed last year after operating for nearly 100 years. Though connected in the back, each will have its own entrance.
Along with the two other Boka projects in the same building, Kato said he’s thrilled to be close to all the other great restaurants along Southport Avenue, including Coda di Volpe across the street. “There’s a lot of exciting energy in this intersection,” Kato said.
Itoko will open Wednesday. 3325 N. Southport Ave., itokochicago.com
More notable new restaurants, listed in alphabetical order:
Atelier
Borrowing from the French term for an artist’s workshop, Atelier opened in the former Elizabeth restaurant space Feb. 22 with a $190 tasting menu focused on seasonal produce from Midwest farms, debuting with pastrami-spiced short rib with a root vegetable giardiniera, mushroom pierogi accented with tart cranberry, and an ice cream sandwich with toasted rice and ginger for dessert. Executive chef Christian Hunter comes to Chicago after his time helming Connecticut’s Community Table garnered him a James Beard nod as a semifinalist for best chef in the northeast. 4835 N. Western Ave., 773-681-0651, atelier-chicago.com
Boonie’s Filipino Restaurant
After making an impressive splash at Revival Food Hall amid a wave of Filipino restaurants in Chicago, chef Joseph Fontelera has expanded into his own North Center restaurant. Some Boonie Foods favorites have carried over into the new space, including bagnet, a crispy pork belly dish. You’ll also find tangy beef short rib bistek with citrusy calamansi onion, and sinigang soup with steelhead trout and burned tomato broth. 4337 N. Western Ave., 708-990-8886, booniefoods.com
Chkn-Box
Get your wings served in a shoe box at this electric-green fast-food stop in the Loop. From WGCI’s DJ Mike P, the shoe-box lunches at this fast-casual spot include chicken tenders drizzled with barbecue sauce, while diners can quench their thirst with a bottle of Peezy Limeade. Other classic wing flavors such as Chicago Mild, hot honey, buffalo, ranch and lemon pepper are available, as well as a flight where you can try each flavor with a side of fries and limeade included. And, with shoe boxes as the main vehicle for the food, it’s fitting the shop offers a monthly sneaker raffle for customers. 400 S. Financial Place, chknbox.com
Le Select
The French revolution charges on in Chicago with the latest addition, a brasserie in River North with a Chicago native running the show. Le Select opened at the end of January as a venture between Boka Restaurant Group (Girl & the Goat, GT Prime, Alla Vita) and chef Daniel Rose, who returns home after helming Michelin-starred and James Beard award recipient Le Coucou in New York City (not to mention his own restaurant in France, La Bourse et la Vie). Find all the classic French fare, from French onion soup to duck a l’Orange and steak au poivre, done to the exacting standards of a chef with Parisian credentials and Midwest heart. 504 N. Wells St., 312-896-4504, leselectchicago.com
Lost Reef Lounge
Embrace your inner mermaid at this Lakeview cocktail bar from CPG Restaurant Group, the owners behind Cheesie’s Pub. Enjoy aquatic-themed drinks and bites such as ahi tuna tartare and mezcal-cured salmon under the soft blue glow of eight saltwater fish tanks courtesy of Tank It Easy. The cocktail menu by mixologist Michael Abood also features zero-proof beverages and a bourbon-based drink served in a treasure chest — sales of which will benefit the Coral Restoration Foundation. 964 W. Belmont Ave., 773-360-1961, lostreef.com
