Chicago's 12 Best New Restaurants Of 2022

"Wazwan’s Pinocchio-esque journey began several years ago. This South Asian spot began as a pop-up, moved into now-closed Politan Row, then was in a virtual kitchen, and finally became a real-deal restaurant in Wicker Park this year. Hopefully, this little BYOB counter-service spot is their forever home. The nihari momos are delicately wrapped packages of peppery beef, the mushroom korma is secretly vegan (well, we were shocked considering how rich and creamy it is), and the chettinad masala has the perfect amount of heat. Wazwan also feels like a dive bar, which is ironic because it doesn’t even have a liquor license, but also endearing because Chicago loves a dive. " - adrian kane, john ringor