Nordic Japanese Restaurant Atsumeru Is Headed to Chicago’s West Town | Eater Chicago

"A Nordic Japanese fine dining tasting-menu newcomer from chef Devin Denzer, set to open in September inside the fully rebuilt former Temporis space, promises a 10 to 12 course experience at $165 that applies Nordic techniques to Japanese ingredients. Inspired by Denzer’s time cooking under a former Noma chef and by Tokyo’s Inua (which earned two Michelin stars before closing), the menu will spotlight seafood and seasonal produce, including a rich sturgeon course with crispy puffed rice, ginger-scallion paste, and tom kha broth; guests from his Loon pop-ups may recognize chawanmushi and the palate-cleansing Milk and Pine (milk ice cream rolled in white chocolate with a broth of fermented pine needle juice and pine needle oil). With three nightly seatings of up to eight guests, the intimate, bi-level setting starts downstairs in a moody new lounge and chef’s counter for opening bites and pre- or post-meal drinks before moving upstairs, and Denzer hopes to eventually offer a simplified menu in the lounge. The space—reworked after a 2023 fire—has new HVAC and plumbing and an interior of earthy tones, gold accents, and subtle nods to Japanese aesthetics. Beverage lead Willow Waling is curating wine pairings and cocktails that lean Nordic and Japanese, including a barley soju martini with basil and an Old Fashioned layered with brown butter and Okinawan black sugar, plus vegetable-forward juice pairings and teas. The name translates to “collect,” a nod to bringing people together to share a meal and gather memories." - Jeffy Mai