What: Japonais, Chicago

Where: 600 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago; 312/822-9600; www.japonaischicago.com

Why Go: Located in the heart of Chicago’s hip River North neighborhood, where a surge of loft apartment and luxury condominium development in the past decade spawned retail and dining options previously unheard of in this part of town, north of the city’s ‘Loop’ business district. Japonais is located on the ground floor of an art deco building, but beyond its walls is an outdoor lounge that offers tranquil river views in spring and summer. The menu is a sushi connoisseur’s paradise, but there are other exceptional choices for the sushi averse. Japonais’ wine list is compact but will not disappoint, especially on the ultra-premium end of the spectrum (Chateau Palmer Margaux 2000, 96-RP, $520).

The Ambience: If you are 30-ish, gainfully employed, urban chic and appreciative of food and wine in a contemporary, high volume, high energy environment, you will live here on weekends. If you are gainfully employed, barely able to remember 30, and able to tolerate the crowds (and can admire young fashionistas without being caught drooling by your spouse), you will return often on those rare weekends when the babysitter is free. (Japonais also can be enjoyed in Las Vegas and New York).

The Cost: Moderately expensive and up, especially if you have a weakness for Kobe beef (ribeye, $65). Sans Kobe, about $200 per couple including one bottle of wine and shared sushi for the table.

What We Ate: The couple we dined with ordered their all-time favorite, Le Quack Japonais for two $24. The whimsical dish is smoked duck served with hoisin sauce and mango chutney. My spouse loved the lightly battered softshell crabs, a menu special, presented vertically on the plate. I was thoroughly delighted by my entree choice, Miso Zuke Barramundi, peach sansho glazed Australian bass. It was meaty, juicy and well seasoned. From the sushi menu, we nibbled on chef’s special rolls and maki mono salmon.

What We Sipped: A 2005 Sineann Schindler Vineyard Pinot Noir from Oregon’s acclaimed Willamette Valley ($106). It was decanted but the server did not let it open up long enough. Thus, it was not as lush as other Sineann Pinots I have tried, indeed a bit thin, underwhelming. The Schindler Vineyard has been a headline maker because noted Napa eatery The French Laundry received a private-label Pinot by Sineann using Schindler fruit. Next we welcomed another Pinot Noir, this an ’04 from Monterey County’s Santa Lucia Highlands in California. The Morgan Twelve Clones ($64) Pinot was the favorite of the table, much more complex in the mouth and pleasing on the finish. It was notably riper and fruitier than the Sineann. (We also highly recommend Morgan’s Double L Vineyard Pinot).

Next time, I’d … Lose the necktie and hit the tanning salon before entering this mecca for the shirttail-out, spray painted denim crowd.

– Steve Woodward

This entry was posted on Friday, June 22nd, 2007 at 2:35 pm and is filed under Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.