42 grams

I would highly recommend eating at 42 grams; it is worth a trip to the city just to dine here. It is the best restaurant experience and best food I have ever had!
Warm, intimate and welcoming… The husband and wife, chef and front of house duo, know your name and welcome you to their chefs table. It’s like you’re eating at the dinner table in their home!
Price should not detour you from the splurge; I feel as if I under paid after the gratifying feeling I was left with. Too many complex and unique dishes to describe; however, the triple seared highest grade sake marinated wagyu was and is a lasting memory.
I will come back anytime I am in Chicago. A third Michelin star is definitely on the horizon!

This review is LONG overdue. In short, the best high end meal I have enjoyed in Chicago. Each course was memorable, service was amazing and it was worth every penny (approx $ 210 pp).
Reservations
Reservations can be booked online which also requires payment. When booking, you have the option of selecting the chef’s table (counter top seats where the magic happens) or communal table (lower seating with a slightly larger group). You will note the chef table seating and communal table times differ. Meaning you will enjoy your meal with 8 – 10 ppl tops! Very intimate.
BYOB
You are provided sparkling or still water. All other beverages must be brought in. What distinguishes this place from other BYOB Michelin rated restaurants like it —– is that about 48 hours before the meal, an email was sent with wine pairing recommendations for each course to be prepared during our dining experience. It was three of us, so we opted to each bring one bottle from the list and share. I also picked up the Allgash Curieux a/​k/​a beer (yes BEER) suggestion for dessert. Ultimately, this was more than we could ever drink especially when planning to drink beverages paired with each course. Meaning we offered our drinks to the five others dining at our sitting and they ending up doing the same. … Our dining experience lasted about 2+ hours.
Location
The exterior of the building is less than flattering. There was no valet parking and no parking lot which is pretty on par with all the others too. What matters is the inside. Cute! Even the bathroom was cute — and had I brought my phone during my «visit», I would have taken a picture. 42 Grams is located near Demera Ethiopian Restaurant. … GPS brings you right too it and so will a taxi. Lol
Backdrop
If I recall correctly, the chef and his wife are the heart and soul of 42 Grams. Speaking of souls, I think the name selection is because a soul is 21 grams and times two — get it?! The chef is fond of Graham Elliott and prepared a course inspired by him and used plates from his restaurant to accompany the course tribute to GE. Dining at the chef counter allowed us to see each course being prepared and to ask questions in free form. I suspect the same could be done at the communal table but I think the counter is better suited for it.
While many look at the price of this type of meal and attempt to weigh its value by the quantity/​size, it does not consider this type of business is a true labor of love. The ingredients, creations and size makes this type of place unlikely to be a huge cash cow, especially when both husband and wife are it. That said, I doubt any chef in this type of setting does it strictly for the money. You have to dream about creations to succeed even at a hefty price point. Knowing this, leads me to appreciate the talent and gift all the more.
In sum, if you can afford the price tag, it is a great place, particularly for a special occasion. Highly recommend it.

There is a lot of good going on at 42 grams, and I’m lucky enough to be able to talk about it.
When you go to these high end restaurants, there are usually one or two traits that set them apart. For me, it was:
1) Alexa’s dish description: instead of just saying what the ingredients were, she also told us why they were there and how they’re integral to the dish’s composition. But the best part was how she told us to eat the dishes, i.e. «you’ll want to get a bit of everything on the spoon and dip it in the foam» or «just take this in one bite.» I have never experienced such detailed dining instruction like that before, and I truly appreciated it, especially since these aren’t huge portions (which is completely fine with me, by the way). In these settings, I typically want to minimize «screwing up» how I eat, and Alexa made sure I didn’t make any mistakes.
2) Call me a pauper, but when drinking wine by the bottle, I much prefer myself or a fellow diner at the table to pour instead of a waiter/​waitress stopping by every once in a while to do it. 42 grams’ «DIY» wine service was perfect — ice bucket, corkscrew and towel was exactly what I needed. No feeling like the waiter’s going to get all uppity if I pour the wine myself, and among those at our table we could decide who wanted more of what.
Chef Jake runs an respectably organized kitchen — perhaps the most organized I’ve ever seen. While you can watch him and Trent prepare the dishes, the reality is they’ve understandably done most of the real prep during the day, so watching the kitchen is mainly dish assembly (which is an art with the dishes that 42 grams puts out), but in terms of culinary theater, there aren’t lots of knives flying around or fish filleting, for example.
Now, onto the food.
The high end ingredients matched the high end price. Lots of caviar on dishes, A5 wagyu, and some game meats (which aren’t cheap). If a $ 200+/person restaurant should have value for money, I’d say this place gets close.
Let’s talk about caviar for a second. It was in two or three of the dishes. While I appreciated this greatly (I can sit down with a whole tin and spoon and eat caviar all day), I’m not sure its inclusion enhanced each dish (other than, of course, having caviar). In most cases, I took a bite with caviar, and I ended up enjoying the caviar and the dish separately.
The lighter, «white wine» dishes (if you will), tended to be heavy on salt, making it challenging at times to pick up individual flavor profiles. Since these were the first dishes, it kicked the meal off in an okay — but not amazing — way.
Fortunately, the bigger dishes like rabbit, the A5 wagyu, and jamon knocked it out of the park, so things got better as they moved along (which is good).
My favorite dish, though, was the aloe vera/​galangal dessert. Make no mistake, I loved the buttery A5 wagyu, but this dessert was the perfect combination of sweet, savory, saucy, and crunchy. When I think of my meal at 42 grams, I think of this dessert (and Alexa’s dish descriptions).
Will I be back? Not right away. There are too many restaurants in Chicago with top tier status like 42 grams I need to try before I repeat a meal here. I liked my meal and enjoyed the experience a lot, but it wasn’t my favorite high end restaurant experience in Chicago. And I don’t want anybody to take that to mean this place is «bad» — far from it. 42 grams has earned some great accolades in just a few short years, so they know what they’re doing, but Chicago offers a lot of options in this space, and the competition is fierce. As a diner, I want to try them all, and if you’re a diner who’s interested in experiencing Chicago’s top culinary skills, then you should try 42 grams, too.

Great food. Exotic taste.
It’s BYOB because they don’t have alcohol license!
Must BYOB

It was more of a 3.5 but whatevs.
Easy online reservations… especially compared to other high end places. Its nice that you can buy a «ticket» online and pay ahead. Like most, its non refundable after you make the jump.
The space is way up north on a very unassuming corner of Uptown. They allow you to come at 830P. Doors are locked before that. If you are sitting at the counter… the first to arrive get to choose their seats. We were the last, but we got the end… which is what I wanted. The space is very cozy and nice. It seats about 14 people total. While we were there, there was only 10 total guests.
Ive done the high end communal before and I am not a fan. I didnt realize that EVERYONE (table and counter) eat together. Yes, it makes sense for the smallness of the space, but personally I dont like it. Its a personal preference. And if you want to have an intimate dinner with someone… this is not the best place because you are almost forced to talk to your neighbors. And to be honest, the conversation I felt always led to «where have you ate?» «Do you like this as much as blah, blah, blah» I am not a fan of the pretentious where have you ate at conversation. We obviously all love food if you are dropping $ 285 for a BYOB restaurant in Uptown… ok?
The food was all pretty good, but nothing was really amazing, I do find myself comparing high end places with these up and coming restaurants and asking myself… was it worth it?
Here, I liked it but it is pricey for the area, food, and experience… so I am not sure.
Caviar pancake-good…menus looking interesting at the start from the first bite.
Uni and brioche-​good, but somewhat an odd combination. uni was good, but not fab-​o
Sturgeon-​delicious and the little crispy potato chips made the dish
Brassia-​The char on the greens was excellent and complimented the dish fantastically
Elk heart-​meh. This dish was a miss for me. It didnt go well together with the egg, the heart, the berry, etc.
Duck three ways-​personal preference… I am over duck. This was ok in comparison to some of the other duck I have had. It was very average. Dont get me wrong… it wasnt bad, just not excellent.
Wagyu– YES! Excellent… I just wish there was more of this! Perfectly cooked and some greens to cut the flavor
White Chocolate ball with liquid-​nothing special.
Bread pudding was one of my favorite dishes of the night. This dessert was heavenly for me. Caramel and sweet with a great mix of cake base. YUM
Solid coffee-meh…Im a huge coffee fan but this didnt really do anything for me. It was a cool concept just didnt hit any high notes for me.
Overall, a good dinner. Alexa and Chef Jake were extremely nice. She went through a good detailed explanation of each dish. At the end, we were giving our menu… which reminded me of a cheaper version of Alinea’s style of menu.

Absolutely delicious… the best meal so far for my 2015. From the taste, the presentation, the demonstration, to the atmosphere, everything was fantastic. I had a great time at the restaurant with my taste buds and stomach fully satisfied. Chef Jake has great taste and creativity in food. The meal was worth the price and the M stars. This will be my to go place if I come to Chicago again. :)

OMG. Just not sure it deserves the 5 stars. The reason is mainly the cost of the meal and the availability of seating which then limits me from visiting them on a weekly basis to enjoy stellar memories in my mouth.

Disappointing. Very rushed, for one thing. The food was very good, but not as good as I expected, given the high cost. I wish I’d brought sake instead of wines; I didn’t think their wine pairing suggestions matched the food they were serving as well as they should have. Finally… and this was the clincher: the chef (Jake) totally told off the main server/​assistant at one point. I mean, really laid into her in a condescending, extremely rude way, and we could all see and hear it. Totally inappropriate. You just don’t treat people that way, especially in front of guests. Would definitely not recommend the place, and we won’t be back.

Overall, I felt that 42 grams served the best food among all fine dining restaurants in Chicago. My boyfriend loved the salmon. Nothing was absolutely amazing, but everything was really good. At other fine dining restaurants, some dishes are wow and some are disappointing, but everything was generally good at 42 grams. Alexa seems a bit aggressive and comes on strong, but that was okay. Also, having one to two servers make things a bit slow.

Doesn’t get much better than this. 13 courses of unique and great tasting food as well as an awesome atmosphere. Very personal experience where you know you are getting the food exactly as the chef intends because he is preparing it right in front of you. Was there for about two hours but didn’t feel long at all because pacing was good and you could always be entertained by watching the chef at work.
Thanks for the great night Jake and Alexa!

I’m going to save you a lot of reading of my fellow Unilocalers’ super long reviews: if you can afford to eat at a place like this, you need to try 42 Grams. The food and presentation are truly exceptional, the space and atmosphere are unlike any other comparable restaurant, and Jake and Alexa are fantastic hosts.
Go if you can. That is all you need to know.

***42 grams is one of the country’s best restaurants (maybe even the best)***
Northern California fine dining combines talented chefs with great local produce, but Chicago fine dining always feels a step ahead (the chefs are more creative and have a more unique approach to food). That is the case with Jake Bickelhaupt’s 42 grams, which celebrates the ingredient like great California restaurants but also experiments with techniques and flavor combinations to present cuisine the guest could not have even imagined.
The first course of this excellent tasting menu utilized traditional caviar service elements (potato, cream and a herb – chervil instead of chives) to create a caviar presentation that was classic and luxurious as well as modern and fun. Potato chips provided a nostalgic flavor as well as the perfect crunch to the creamy vichyssoise, which had a silkiness I have only experienced at Coi.
The next course combined sea trout with an aromatic bacon dashi, savory kombu, pickled vegetables, and blood orange. Like many courses that followed, 42 grams leveraged Japanese ingredients to not only accent courses but to become a driving force behind them. What was amazing was how the chefs were able to bring out these ingredients’ true flavors much more than top California restaurants. An amazing salad followed – fresh, crisp lettuce, brioche with a crunchy exterior and a slightly soft interior, a creamy element and a punch from horseradish, bursts of tartness from finger lime caviar, and natural sweetness from minced prawns.
A Mexican inspired course followed – a ceviche-​like presentation of yellowtail, avocado, tequila, jicama, and tostada. What I loved about it was how the Mexican flavors really came across with the spiciness and the tequila as well as an intense masa flavor. Having this course showed what Topolobampo should be but is not. While I do like that restaurant, it is not re-​inventing Mexican flavors like what is being done here.
Next came salmon that was moist yet still flaked very easily as well as showcased a crispy crust. The salmon sat on top of miso toast and was topped with a fragrant mushroom dashi. Meat courses followed like venison tartare with an oozing egg yolk and crunchy grains and a crispy veal sweetbread that was topped with grated frozen foie gras, which reconstituted itself into a creamy mousse as it melted.
There was also porcelet loin that was very moist despite being lean. The porcelet was served with a brassica, which had the type of perfect texture and freshness that only a few restaurants in California like Saison can achieve. The brassica was coated very evenly with a butter sauce, which was rich and intense while also feeing surprisingly light.
The other great meat course was Wagyu beef, which had a flavorful, crispy sear as well as a rich and melted center. The beef was served with an umeboshi sauce. My mom used to eat umeboshi a lot when I was a kid and its strong flavor always reminds me of growing up and this sauce was the perfect accent to the beef – a classic sweet sauce but also a tartness and lasting finish.
Desserts were fun including a palate cleanser of refreshing green tea panna cotta that was well balanced by tart yuzu, a sweet, nutty and crispy sesame tuile and a white chocolate sphere filled with kabosu juice. What I loved about this bite was how what held the sphere in place (saffron honey) and the garnish it was topped with (bubblegum hyssop) added lasting sweet and fragrant notes. The main dessert was dulse gelato sitting on top of a rice porridge (both crispy and soft) and finished with a salty, sweet and intense miso caramel. The last course was coffee espuma – light and airy but also an intense coffee flavor that was bitter and sweet.
Service was exceptional as Jake’s wife Alexa (friendly and charismatic) presented each course with enthusiasm and knowledge. Prices are high, but the quality of ingredients and creativity cannot be beat and Jake and Alexa do everything they can to make the dining experience as memorable as possible.
While expensive, 42 grams provides an experience you could only have in a handful of restaurants across the country. And even restaurants providing this right-​in-​the-​kitchen approach such as minibar, Table 21, The Catbird Seat, Beast, or Atera do not deliver the flavors, quality and skill with preparing ingredients like you will experience at 42 grams. When you consider 42 grams’ unique position among other restaurants, dining here is a relative bargain compared to other luxury experiences such as staying at a top hotel. A dinner at 42 grams is a must visit for anyone who loves and appreciates fine cuisine and all the talent, hard work and attention to detail it takes to serve food that is delicious, nostalgic and unlike anything you have had before.
I believe metered street parking is available.

After three fantastic dining experiences at Sous Rising (the underground dining venue Chef Bickelhaupt operated out of his apartment before opening 42 Grams) I finally made it to 42 Grams. I had meant to make it here sooner (the restaurant has already been open a little over a year) and after my amazing meal the other day I am really regretting having missed some of the earlier menus.
The space at 42 Grams is very tastefully decorated; they really did an amazing job beautifully renovating the space. Elegant, intimate and comfortable. I strongly recommend dining at the Chef’s Counter as it is a lot of fun viewing the kitchen working their magic and being able to ask questions of the chefs. I wish more places in Chicago had this kitchen counter concept as it really enhances the dining experience.
42 Grams is BYOB and the menu is approximately 13 courses; the first half of the savories pairing with white wine, the second half with red and concluding with three sweet courses. Generally with extended tasting menus a couple of courses really wow me, a few more are excellent and a few fair-​to-​good. What was really impressive at 42 Grams was course-​after-​course was a home run; probably 10 of the 13 courses were utterly fantastic. The meal started on a high note and somehow just kept getting better and better. The food is interesting (rare ingredients, flavor combinations, textures and at times playfulness), top notch quality (A5 Wagyu, caviar, foie etc.), virtually everything made fresh in house, perfectly cooked and presented as works of art. This is truly some of the very best cuisine in the United States right now.
I also was pleasantly surprised with the portions; I had heard some people complain they left hungry, but as someone with a hearty appetite it was just the right amount of food; sure I could have eaten more, but I left very comfortable and happy. The food itself is modern, creative and very reminiscent of what was served at Sous Rising with one notable exception; at Sous Rising nearly every course seemed to combine sweet with savory (likely something Chef had carried over from his days as a sous at Schwa), but at 42 Grams the savories did not have dessert like components; I definitely liked this evolution of Chef’s cooking.
Chef’s wife Alexa leads the front-​of-​the-​house team and is very friendly and extremely efficient. The rest of the staff is quite personable and competent as well. Perhaps my only complaint of 42 Grams (and what keeps it from being among my very favorite all-​around restaurants — despite the food quality certainly being of that caliber) is that the meal operates too efficiently. Our thirteen course meal was under two hours in length; while some may actually enjoy such fast paced dining, when I splurge over $ 200 a head for dinner I generally expect the meal to be the evening’s entertainment and am seeking a relaxing, lengthy meal. Since the meal is a communal experience, one cannot request to slow down the pace — even if you slow down the courses keep coming rapid fire and I definitely did feel it was a bit of a rushed experience.
The only other possible negative (but an aspect I also respect) is 42 Grams’ my-​way-​or-​the-​highway attitude; nonrefundable pre-​paid tickets in lieu of reservations, no substitution policy, no catering to allergies — even additional rules sent via e-​mail a few days before your dinner such as how much wine you are permitted to bring and how early you are allowed to arrive. Since my wife often has to take business trips on very short notice this greatly deters her prospects of dining here as the risk of buying a ticket far in advance is significant (and 42 Grams is still often selling out most nights well in advance, so last minute availability is rare). On the one hand as a diner I feel that a restaurant should be more hospitable with their policies, but on the other hand as one who dines out frequently I have seen the other side of the coin — there are so many difficult and high maintenance customers, i.e. cancelling reservations last minutes (or worse, not even showing up), making crazy demands on the chef to accommodate questionable dietary restrictions etc., that part of me «gets» 42 Grams’ perspective and has to respect that they are able to fill the house night in and night out in a neighborhood not known for haute cuisine and with high (but fair) prices.
Nevertheless the good FAR outweighs the bad at 42 Grams and they are certainly deserving of all the accolades received during this past year (Two Michelin Stars, Rising Chef of the year in the Jean Banchet’s etc.). I definitely plan to dine here regularly going forward and Chicago is extremely fortunate to have this venue.

Wow. Totally blown away by our meal here. Definitely a top meal in my life!
The experience was very intimate and you definitely felt like you were a guest in Jake and Alexa’s home. They have two separate seatings and each is in a different area (chef’s counter vs. table). We chose the chef’s counter and loved it. You could watch the chef at work. There were only 8 of us and Alexa learned everyone’s name and we got to know the person next to us. Very cool experience.
The menu is always changing, but we loved every dish. Our favorites were the salmon and the pork… just wow! And we LOVED that it was BYOB. Alexa gave everyone suggestions, but you could bring what you like. Another great part was that even though it was a 13 course tasting, Jake and Alexa kept everything moving and on time. We were out of there by 8 pm (seated at 5:45).
We would definitely come back for a special occasion!

Tell us about the preparation of this dish, Chef Jake.
«It was really simple…»
No it wasn’t! At all! :D
42 grams is a very unique and wonderful dining experience. There is a maximum of 10 people in the restaurant at any given time, so the service you receive is very warm and personal, and the attention to detail in the food is impeccable. Alexa even learned everyone’s name on the way in and addressed us accordingly during the meal. You can get up and walk around, and you can even walk right up to the pass and ask Chef what’s going on.
There is almost nothing I can say about the food because everything was great. The biggest highlight for me was the sweetbreads. I order sweetbreads a lot, and these were the best I’ve ever had in my life. The unique and crunchy char was mind blowing. Also, the Salmon with spent grain bread and mushroom dashi was insane. Just, crazy. Get here while you still can! The man’s got talent.
The only minute detail I didn’t like was I wish there was a bit more direction with the wine. Customers are given suggested wine pairings to purchase and BYO, but since we don’t know the menu or the number of courses, it was difficult to pace how long the white was supposed to last and when the red should be opened. All I needed was «the red should be opened about 2 courses from now». Additionally, the overall pricing seemed slightly steep for no alcohol included, but besides the meal you are also paying for the extremely intimate and personal environment — only 90 people max eat here a week.
Overall, with my criticisms, I’m reaching. This was one of the coolest dining experiences I’ve ever had. The awards are well deserved and this is a restaurant that any food connoisseur should visit. I look forward to returning!

Wow. Just wow. Get there before you can’t. Only 18 seats per night, 4 nights a week.
So impeccably prepared — not just tthe aesthetics, but the flavors were just incredible. From the porky salt-​cured tuna loin packed with umami, to the elevated comfort food of crunchy cultured barley with pork jowls and pork heart over grapefruit, to the silky salmon on spent barley bread, and of course the wagyu filled with pockets of fat… all of it was amazing. I personally enjoyed the savories more than the sweets, but everything was outstanding.
Michelin stars well deserved!

I decided this was where I wanted to celebrate my birthday (two weeks from now)
The gal I spoke to on the phone was very sarcastic and rude when I asked if they could please ensure we were not seated with any candles on our table due to the fact that my mother was recovering from a serious illness and required oxygen. She hinted that maybe she should just stay home. I was appalled, are you kidding me? At this point I knew there was no way I was going to eat here.
I decided to check the reviews and I am *SO* glad I did. I find it helpful to read the worst reviews of a business to see if people are just whining or if they had a genuinely regrettable experience. That’s when I stumbled upon the review by Athanasios K. and in it, the comments and messages by the business owners made me sick. These people commented about his wife and how she was an amazing person. Wait, what? The business owner, Jake B. then went on to insult him regarding his opinions as «amateur». He goes on to tell him «…don’t come back. I don’t want to elaborate why. Just stay home.»
Well Jake, here’s a newsflash for you; I planned on dining here for my birthday and if it was as amazing as it should be, I was going to book your establishment for my firm’s holiday gala. Since your fine dining experience comes with a high price but low morals (and spelling, «your a cool hip hop star») I’ll go ahead and pass.
Happy holidays.
*******************UPDATE 12/​5/​14***************************
There is nothing fraudulent or made up about my review at all and the owner’s wife is just upset because despite their tactics, I have refused to remove my review. I’m sorry that you lack any human decency and it’s wonderful that you’ve tried (AND FAILED) to defend your awful business practices and worse customer service. It really is a shame that such talent accompanies such a business.
What kind of person lies about their mother having a serious illness? Worse, what kind of trash accuses someone of lying about it? Shall I post a photo of my mom? Will that make you feel better? Wow. Just wow.
My ailing mother has lung disease and had battled cancer. Twice.
Disgusting.
******Another update because Alexa is a freaking psycho****
Do you really think it’s appropriate to speak to someone that way where anyone could see it? Do you think that this is going to sway potential customers in your favor? What is wrong with you? Hurling insults at me as if you are a juvenile. I would expect this type of behavior from a teenager at Taco Bell but you, the MARVELOUS ALEXA, I’m appalled.
So back to my review… This «woman» (as if she behaves like an adult) expects you Unilocalers to believe that I would fabricate such an in depth story just because… I have nothing to gain by reviewing your restaurant negatively darling and if I did, I can assure you I have more class than to bring my mother into things. I’m sorry that you lack not only customer service skills but also any human decency. It really is a shame.
I have reached out to associates with the local news stations and the newspaper. I will not be bashed upon by some lunatic owner. «Calling me out»? Morals? Best joke I’ve heard all week.
I wish you all the best in your business ventures and truly hope that you learn from your mistakes in the way that you’ve handled my personal experience and review.
I did my «homework» on the establishment and that’s why I chose it over Alinea.
Again, shameful.

Occasionally I attend fine dining places because my wife likes to. I enjoy them but could live without them. And I usually don’t go back for a second visit. But 42 grams will be an exception.
Staff is awesome — communicating attentively prior to the visit about food limitations, and being very accommodating. Food was delicious and creative. Flavors were… flavorful. Portion sizes were bigger than I expected. Watching chefs work was very entertaining. Ambiance is great.
I also enjoyed the exchange between the owner and a Unilocaler who reviewed the restaurant poorly. I am a small business owner as well. And when someone attacks my business (my pride) with some garbage reasoning, I fire back with passionate, frequently combative words as well. This is a good thing for real customers. That kind of passion from a chef will sip through the radish reduction and right into your next course.

I had the best single dish I’ve ever had at this restaurant. I think everyone dining with me agreed, the kobe A5 course made its mark on everyone.
Few pointer/​tips:
Only a communal table is offered for seating. So I recommend you book with at least 4 people to have the best time and not sit with random people.
The environment is very casual, not stuffy at all. That being said, the service is casual as well. Leave your pretentiousness at the door. Some people may not enjoy this for the price they pay. Which is why I recommend going with a group and just enjoy. It did not bother me in the least bit. I’m rather laid back.
It is a very small restaurant with only 4 people staffing. 2 in the kitchen and 2 out. This is rather impressive when you consider how intricate every dish is and the prep work for each.
I love that it was BYOB. You can bring multiple different bottles, which I did.
They change the menu. I would definitely go again once the menu changes.
Multiple courses are remarkable. Out of all the tasting menus I’ve had this one is definently at the top of the list for taste and quality. Lower down for value.

Nice. Recommended — but no tap water please!
Solid ⁷⁄₁₀. But since I had given Elizabeth a 3 star, i do the same here (oh, my – taking myself a bit too seriously)
I went by myself testing the place to see if i wanted to take my family next time.
Also, let’s be honest — it’s cheaper for one than 4 people. So i came out ahead. literally and figuratively.
Pleasant people. In fact so nice, i had to wait two days to write this up.
Really clean place. The area is so so but I reckon this is the fashionable thing.
Street parking for two hours so you need to go back ²⁄₃ of your meal and re-​do the parking. There may be some larger parking spots around.
My water tasted too chemical… i asked the server if it were filtered. He said no. Luckily they had their perrier.
All dishes were done cleanly and beautifully. All the chefs seemed like they had just taken their shower. Despite me loving dives, i really enjoy the cleanliness.
The soup was delicious.
The greens in the salad were not impressive but all else including the beetroot beautifully done.
The fish was delicious.
Salmon nigiri. Nothing to write home about.
The Uni (and by the way Uni is probably my favorite order when i go to sushi bars and this is how i test them) was ok. The idea of brioche and all that was nice.
Veal sweetbread. Ok
Duck. I have had much better but again beautifully done. Somehow i think my piece was not as good as the other people’s.
Foie Gras. Excellent.
Dark choco. fine.
pecorino in three forms, nice idea.
Chicory, cardamom. nice.
Overall recommended. I go back but not with the family as i do not think my gorgeous son will have much to eat there.
Talking about much to eat. I felt a bit hungry when i left.
I am glad they are in Chicago and sincerely wish them the best.
Loved the music selection.
Not a first date type of place as everyone seemed to feel they had to talk to the (new) person next to them.
Value. about $ 200 all inclusive per person. I’d say a bit on the high side but considering all the staff there, they deserve every penny they make.
Now, i have to go back to Elizabeth again and compare. Fairness is a good excuse.
I really liked it that when i left the chef walked me to the door. Incredibly polite gesture. Higher class restaurants in japan normally do this and i have always liked it because despite my upbringing, i have a polite DNA.