10/28/08

Serene decor and stylish cuisine come together at this sophisticated Bucktown restaurant situation on the quieter side of Damen.

by Valerie Moloney

In Short
Guests may mistaken this tiny restaurant for a residence--it certainly feels like one with its cottage-like dining room decorated with fresh flowers and a muted palette of white and grey. Upstairs, the mood is cozier, a space accented with fabric ceiling panels and bamboo bouquets. Bucktown locals congregate for seasonal, artfully showcased fare of small and large plates bursting with Asian flavors. For sweet: a local Asian pear salad merges candied almonds, gorgonzola, a quail egg with brioche and a creamy chive vinaigrette. For sour: A hot and sour soup with Shitake and Shimeji mushrooms.

09/09/08

Get the fish...any of the fish! And, take the waiter's wine recommendation!

by bd1234

I was here with a friend a week ago and we really liked it. We were seated right at our reservation time when we entered the door even though the place was packed and went upstairs. The tables weren't nearly as close together as I expected or as loud. I had read some reviews before going and was a bit worried but remembered the space from Scylla's so I was willing to risk it. I'm glad I did! The barramundi was fabulous and the halibut my friend ordered was really good, too. I asked the waiter to make a recommendation between a choice of two wines I narrowed the list to and he was spot on. The only "eh" factor was the dessert. We ate most of it but probably because we were having such a good time and didn't want to leave rather than the dessert being all that great. I can't even remember what they called it but it was essentially a rice crispy treat with jam and ice cream with some other little things thrown in. It was pretty but not the best dessert I'd ever had. The dessert list was pretty extensive so perhaps we ordered one of their weaker items.

• Pros: We weren't specifically going for seafood but that's the theme we ended up with and it was great!; Service was prompt & knowledgable.
• Cons: The dessert wasn't all that great.