Aikana Chicago
Restaurant · West Loop
652 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661
Highlights
Tropical pan-American fare with creative cocktails and chic decor
Tropical pan-American fare with creative cocktails and chic decor
"Aikana is a buzzy Latin American restaurant opened in the space formerly occupied by Yugen and Grace. But the only holdover from those previous tenants appears to be a great sound system, which plays a mix of tropical and Euro house. The dark, windowless restaurant is filled with hanging basket lights and tropical plants, and the menu focuses on food from Central and South America. This place delivers more on the vibe than the food, though some dishes are pretty good: like lime-cured wagyu on top of a crispy rice cake, and mote and chorizo mixed with an incredible poblano salsa. It can work for a group, or anytime you want melon balls in your cocktails." - adrian kane
"Aikana is an upscale Latin American in The West Loop, located in the fancy space formerly occupied by Yugen and Grace. But the only holdover from those previous tenants appears to be a great sound system, which plays a mix of tropical and Euro house. The dark, windowless restaurant is filled with hanging basket lights and tropical plants, and the menu focuses on food from Central and South America. You’ll find dishes like lime-cured wagyu on top of a crispy rice cake, mote and chorizo mixed with a tasty poblano salsa, and the $148 bandeja, which includes pork, prawns, morcilla, and a whole bunch of other meats and sides that will inspire you to make new friends just so you can share it with a group." - Adrian Kane
"Dinner at Aikana in the West loop might make you forget that we live in a city that necessitates owning a floor-length puffer coat. This upscale Latin American restaurant is filled with hanging basket lights and tropical plants, and the menu focuses on food from Central and South America. You’ll find dishes like lime-cured wagyu on top of a crispy rice cake, mote and chorizo mixed with an incredible poblano salsa, and the churrascaria, which includes your choice of meat, tubers, arepas, and a few other sides that are perfect for two people to share. " - adrian kane
"The West Loop space formerly filled by Yugen and, before that, Grace has a new occupant. But Aikana Chicago, with food inspired by Latin America, from Mexico to Patagonia, will, its owners insist, be completely unlike its predecessors — or, in fact, anything else that’s ever been seen in Chicago before. The restaurant opens tonight. [...] The dining room will seat 98 people, with room for 25 more at the bar. Late at night, Aikana will transform into a cocktail lounge, open till 2 a.m. with an abbreviated menu of bar snacks." - aimee.levitt
"Aikana, a new South and Latin American restaurant, opens today in the space formerly occupied by Yugen and Grace. The kitchen is helmed by Alexander Quintero, a hotel veteran most recently sous chef of Trump Tower Chicago, and the bar is led by Benjamin Schiller, formerly of the Boka and Fifty/50 Restaurant Groups." - Naomi Waxman
