This Lakeview izakaya, modeled after the kind of homey Japanese bar that serves its own brand of comfort food, does share some DNA with the gastropub. You spot this right away in the wood-heavy décor and prominent bar, where lots of sake bottles stand in for beer. But here the secret tasting menu for two (exclusively for BBE members) highlights an inventive Asian style that separates the two—brothers, perhaps, but with different mothers. A starter of steamed egg custard melts like fine silken tofu into a savory broth, while the paired grapefruit cocktail offers a cool tart zing to the umami. Chef/owner Harold Jurado saves the best for the last two courses, however, with hamachi foie gras—the splayed squares of mild, fresh sashimi glistening with umeboshi sauce and sprinkled with velvety foie gras nuggets and garlic—narrowly edging out pork ribs soaked in his mom’s secret, sweet and tangy sauce. A crisp sake accompaniment, as light and smooth as white wine, provides proper punctuation. Izakayas beckon you to stay, and you will want to linger.

first course
Pampelmuse cocktail
House seaweed salad
Ankimo (monkfish liver)
Chawanmushi (steamed egg custard)

second course
Himezen sake
Hamachi foie gras

third course
Kirin Ichiban beer
Mom's secret recipe ribs
Bacon, squid, and shrimp okonomiyaki

Puffed pig ears
Japanese sweet potato fries
Wagyu cheek skewers
Hamachi bone marrow
Honey toast with tres leches ice cream
view full menu here

The emphasis on drinking and hanging out is apparent by the range of seating options. For a quieter, more intimate night, settle in at the bar, where the comfy chairs are more akin to leather wingbacks than stools, or any of the smaller tables in the dimly lit front room. Or, gather a crowd at one of the two huge communal tables in the back room, which offers a bright view into the kitchen.

Chef/owner Jurado’s girlfriend, who also designed the restaurant’s owl logo, designed one of the front room’s colorful ceiling murals, while the UIC bookstore muralist painted the other.

lunch: Tue–Sat 11:30 AM–2:30 PM
dinner: Tue–Thu 5 PM–10:30 PM; Fri–Sat 5 PM–11:30 PM
closed Sunday and Monday

$2 (grilled skewers) to $14 (crab-crusted salmon)