Just opened: Miru at St. Regis Chicago hotel, plus 7 more new and notable restaurant moves

Miru, the first restaurant by Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises in the new St. Regis Chicago hotel, where rooms start around $1,000 per night, just opened Monday.

The dining room can be found on the 11th floor of the St. Regis tower in the Lakeshore East neighborhood. Award-winning architect Jeanne Gang designed the undulating blue building, the world’s tallest woman-designed structure.

Chef and partner Hisanobu Osaka, previously at Japonais by Morimoto, has created a modern Japanese-inspired menu. His signature dishes include an early staff and diner favorite: a crispy whole snapper carefully deboned by the kitchen.

“That’s served with a beautiful herb salad and a ginger miso sauce poured tableside,” said Kiran Pinto, managing partner.

A king crab crispy rice dish and rock shrimp tempura have also emerged as early favorites.

Chef and partner Naoki Nakashima, last at his namesake sushi restaurant Naoki with Lettuce Entertain You, oversees the intimate 10-seat sushi bar.

Pastry chef Juan Gutierrez, winner of the Netflix reality competition series “School of Chocolate,” leads the teams behind Miru’s morning pastries and desserts.

His monochromatic black sesame mochi, made with charcoal vanilla ice cream with black sesame praline and tuile “plays on textures, temperatures and color,” Pinto said.

Beverage director Diane Corcoran (Three Dots and a Dash, RPM Italian) has created a menu with Japanese-inspired cocktails, as well as classic and nonalcoholic drinks.

“We’re trying to make a comeback in the Midori category,” said Pinto of the green melon liqueur once all the rage in the ‘70s disco era. “So we have a cocktail called Lady Luck, which has matcha-infused gin and Midori.”

Meanwhile, the bloody mary has been the signature cocktail of the St. Regis hotel brand. Corcoran, however, has devised a variation exclusive to the Chicago location. She calls her homage The 1871. Served in a smoking glass, rimmed with smoked salt, it’s meant to pay tribute to the Great Chicago Fire.

Miru offers breakfast, lunch and dinner daily in a long linear space with floor-to-ceiling windows and two expansive terraces overlooking the Chicago River and Navy Pier.

“In the mornings, we’ll have a beautiful coffee bar, where you can get the St. Regis blend that’s been created specifically for us,” said Pinto about the beans from Metropolis Coffee roasted in the Avondale neighborhood. “You can grab some fresh pastries, or come in for full-service dining.”

In addition to a full American breakfast with bacon and eggs, or a Midwestern omelet, the restaurant makes its take on a traditional Japanese morning meal. The Tokyo Breakfast includes grilled king salmon, a dashi infused onsen egg, ginger rice, miso soup and Japanese pickles.

At lunch there’s a St. Regis double cheeseburger, plus a midday meal set similar to breakfast. The Tokyo Lunch offers additional options of roasted chicken, flat iron steak or Japanese eggplant skewers, alongside a chopped salad.

Weekend brunch, afternoon tea, takeout and delivery will follow soon.

Overall, service hours run from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, until 10:30 p.m. on weekends, plus room service 24 hours in the hotel, where the John Jacob Astor suite goes for over $16,000 per night.

Miru is the first of two Lettuce Entertain You restaurants planned for the hotel. Tre Dita, an Italian-inspired establishment, is expected to open later this year.

Miru; 401 E. Wacker Drive, 11th floor; 312-725-7811; mirurestaurant.com

More new and notable restaurant openings, in alphabetical order:

Heaven’s Barbecue on Earth

Pitmaster Christopher Jordan celebrated the grand opening of his terrestrial restaurant Tuesday. The Black-owned Heaven’s Barbecue on Earth can be found in the northwest suburbs but was inspired by the South Side. Look for traditional smoked rib tips and hot links, plus brisket and scratch-made jalapeño cheese cornbread too. 1 Huntington Lane, Wheeling; 847-777-1018; heavensbarbecueonearth.com

Soul Vibez

Can’t Believe It’s Not Meat founder Laricia Chandler Baker, best known as Chef Fab, cut the ribbon at her transformed hybrid soul food location Saturday. Soul Vibez serves traditional dishes alongside CBINM vegan specialties, with a full bar in the southwest suburbs. So while you’ll find real fish in the Hot Honey Crispy Salmon and Waffles, you can still get vegan Hot Not Honey Chick’n and Waffles as well. 24 Orland Square Drive, Orland Park; 708-645-4031; soulvibezinc.com

The Bellevue

The former Tavern on Rush space, gutted and renovated by building owners and restaurant partners Jim Banks and Fred Barbara, reopened Monday. The Bellevue now overlooks the historic corner in the Gold Coast. A classic bar-inspired menu features wood-fired steak and lobster tail, but a curiously high-priced Shrimp De Jonghe at $65. 1031 N. Rush St., 312-888-8900, thebellevuechicago.com

In more restaurant and chef news:

Birrieria Zaragoza, the beloved family-owned Mexican birrieria specialists in Archer Heights, opened a second location on May 13, but do note you can only get your goat on weekends. 4800 N. Broadway, birrieriazaragoza.com

Bronzeville Winery, one of our 25 best new restaurants with a menu by opening chef Whitney McMorris, has snagged Lamar Moore as executive chef. Moore, previously at Eleven Eleven and a James Beard Foundation TasteTwenty chef, said his new menu will debut June 1. 4420 S. Cottage Grove Ave., 872-244-7065, bronzevillewinery.com

Le Select, the nouvelle French brasserie by the Boka Restaurant Group, said au revoir to opening chef and partner Daniel Rose, and bienvenue to new chef and partner Chris Pandel (Swift & Sons, Cira) who’s collaborating with consulting chef Lee Wolen (Boka, Alla Vita, GG’s Chicken Shop) and chef de cuisine Patrick Sheerin (previously at Trenchermen, The Signature Room at the 95th). 504 N. Wells St., 312-896-4504, leselectchicago.com

Nisos Prime, the restaurant formerly known as Nisos Mediterranean, will rebrand as a Mediterranean steakhouse in July, owner Brad Parker said this week. Chef Rick Tramonto, who was hired by the restaurant group, will help oversee the new food and beverage program, fellow Tribune food critic Nick Kindelsperger writes. The development comes just a few short weeks after the original Nisos shut down after less than a year in the West Loop. 802 W. Randolph St., instagram.com/nisosprime

Know of a Chicago-area restaurant or bar that’s new and notable? Email food critic Louisa Chu at lchu@chicagotribune.com.

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