"My best friend growing up in Detroit was a guy whose dad had been born and raised there, and whose mom is from Japan. We both had uneventful suburban childhoods. We TP’d houses in high school before drinking too many Natty Lights in college while rooting for mediocre Big 10 football teams. But then he studied abroad in Tokyo, got serious about his Japanese, and decided to move there after graduation to become a “salaryman” and spend time with his Japanese family. He still lives there today. And if you metaphorically turned him into a restaurant, Kitsune would be the result. Kitsune describes itself as a Midwestern restaurant and pub influenced by homestyle Japanese cuisine. It’s a little American, a little Japanese, and a little bit of a combination of the two. But they’re not shoving a Chicago-style hot dog ramen down your throat here - Kitsune mixes American ingredients into traditional Japanese dishes in a subtle way. Take the sashimi with rice and miso broth, where they use Carolina gold rice, rather than the Japanese white rice you’d most typically see with sashimi. It’s a small but noticeable difference that gives the whole dish a new texture, and these types of little wildcards will pop up throughout your meal. The Japanese-Midwestern thing is also part of the ambience at Kitsune. The restaurant is small with only about four bar seats and ten tables, all within earshot of an open kitchen. It all makes this a very welcoming place with a combination of North Center neighborhood pub meets traditional Japanese izakaya vibes. Overall, we’re into Kitsune - the food and atmosphere are both enjoyable, and even more importantly, there isn’t anything else in Chicago like it right now." - Sam Faye
