New Izakaya Brings Fancy Wagyu Sandwiches With Giardiniera to West Loop | Eater Chicago

"An informal izakaya-style lounge converted from the restaurant’s former waiting area, designed as a casual, drop-in spot that also serves late-night restaurant workers and diners with varying budgets. The menu emphasizes approachable bar-style dishes—yakitori, chicken karaage, tempura, takoyaki, scallop or beef tartare and a Japanese-style bar mix—alongside daily specials that mirror the main restaurant’s creativity (including the tonkatsu ramen raviolo and the premium wagyu sando). Beverage director Olivia Noren (formerly of Le Bernardin) has built a drinks program focused on taste rather than spectacle, with cocktails around $15 using tea infusions, date‑infused Suntory whisky and demerara made from Okinawan black sugar, daily drink specials that echo the food program (for example, themed champagne pours), and an extensive selection of spirit-free options." - Ashok Selvam