Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/89744
T he Guide THE VERY MONTH THIS BEST OF devour: go underground family feasts imbibe: relax: heat activated acquire: city reads EAT, DRINK, SHOP, AND UNWIND serene cuisine A BLOCK FROM THE HUSTLE OF MICHIGAN AVENUE, MASAKI BECKONS WITH A SPA-LIKE ATMOSPHERE AND EXQUISITE JAPANESE FARE. BY J.P. ANDERSON C hicago fell for Japanese food in the late '90s, when chic restaurants like Sushi Wabi and Mirai made raw fish a huge trend in this meat- eating town. Sitting down for a meal at one of these restaurants was an event akin to going to a nightclub, complete with throbbing music and menus designed to appeal to Western palates. Dining at Masaki, the new jewel box of a restaurant from Pelago owners Mauro and Kimberly Mafrici, is Japanese dining of a decidedly different— and most welcome—sort. Tucked just steps from the Mag Mile, the room is hushed as a temple and 22-seat tiny. The décor is understated, warm, and surprisingly stylish (Kimberly's work); she mixed subtle Asian accents with sumptuous woods and a color scheme of ivory and whimsical royal purple. The revelation, though, is chef Jinwoo Han's inspired omakase tasting menu, which offers delectable, breathtakingly artful dishes such as jelly- fish salad in sesame dressing; flash-torched wagyu beef in citrus vinaigrette; and sashimi lobster and abalone. The loud music and night- club vibe may be missing, but one thing is certain: Thanks to Masaki, Japanese dining in Chicago is most definitely an event again. 990 N. Mies van der Rohe Way, 312-280-9100; masakisushi.com MA MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 135