Macku

Had dinner last night at Macku and it was delightful. For a restaurant that had just opened a week ago, I observed none of the growing pains new restaurants typically experience. The food, service, and overall experience were reminiscent of Kaze, but taken up a notch. The interior was very nicely done for such a small space; elegant sushi bar, exposed brick walls, and tall ceilings.

We ordered a bottle of 2009 Zolo Chardonnay (Argentina), which we loved. It was an unoaked Chardonnay, so none of the butter and oakiness abundantly found in California chardonnays, but it was delicious. Very nice fruit, soft acids, and well balanced. Hints of pear and apple make this a superb sushi paring wine. In fact at $35 it was a steal. By the way, the wine list is short, but contains some exceptionally well chosen wines including a nice Pinot Noir from Babcock (Santa Barbara, CA) that was awfully tempting.

We started with the Udon soup and tempura (our server recommended the carrot soup, which apparently is very popular although I can't see why if they've been open for just a week). The udon soup seemed to be the perfect way to start the meal on a cold, snowy Jan evening - hot and spicy! The spiciness of the soup definitely characterizes Chef Macku’s style, bold, daring, and complex. The udon broth seemed to have much more complexity that I’m accustomed to from typical American ramen-yas, you could see the green onions, vegetables, and herbs that had been used to construct the broth. Very nice job. The tempura was simply exceptional. It consisted of madai (a rather large portion by the way) lightly breaded and fried. The tempura was then served on a plate covered with parsley puree and chili oil. A unique mixture and a far departure from the typically bland, traditional tempura dipping sauce. Topped with inari mushrooms and a spoonful of rich cream, it was a sensational first course. I was initially shocked to see the cream atop the tempura, but after a bite I noticed that it was a thoughtful contrast to the spiciness of the chili oil.

Our next course was the kampachi sashimi plate, which consisted of kampachi in spicy soy sauce and topped with tiny slices of jalapeno. I really enjoyed this dish. Although it was simple, the quality of the kampachi definitely came into focus. The kampachi sashimi pieces were much larger than typical sashimi and had been lightly cooked with a blowtorch to bring out some of the oils in the fish. It was a dish that relied less on creative inspiration and more on skill. Also, the jalapeno was small enough, that it never interfered with the flavor of the kampachi.

We then moved to the chef special nigiri, which came highly recommended by our server. The first was the salmon topped with crushed inari mushrooms and truffle oil. The salmon was fresh, but I was unable to enjoy the flavor of the fish because the truffle oil overpowered the subtle, buttery quality of the salmon. And I thought the mushrooms didn't add much at all here. Next we had the hamachi topped with wasabi banana pepper paste. This was one of my favorites. The hamachi was wonderful and the mildly spicy paste provided a simple and unique perspective on nigiri sushi. This seemed like it could make for an excellent maki roll, but I feel like the absence of nori here was definitely not minus.

Overall, we had a delightful dinner. Our server was very friendly and offered some great recommendations. I found the food quality to be exceptional, and the dishes seemed well designed, well presented, and exuding with creative inspiration. I will definitely be heading back to Macku soon.

For the curious:

Macku Sushi
2239 N Clybourn
Chicago
773-880-8012
Open for dinner only, 7 days.

Happy to be back in my favorite place--sitting at the sushi bar with Kaze and Hari and awaiting the best sushi and creative asian cuisine in Chicago (ok, I am a HUGE fan!!) For Kaze afficionados, the menu at Macku is similar with the addition of some offerings that used to be specials in the old place. Iit doesn't feel like a "new" restaurant because, essentially, it isn't, but they have used some restraint in getting open with only one menu and a couple of specials. The decor is simple, warm, inviting and elegant--the perfect backdrop for enjoying beautifully presented food!

Started the meal with Kaze's signature amuse--cubes of tuna, salmon and hamachi with cucumber in a delicious light mirin marinade and a glass of cold sake (nice choice of stemware).

Wasn't up for a big feast so kept it simple with Macku's soup special and a selection of the signature nigiri. The soup was white asparagus with fois gras and a crabmeat dumpling--ridiculously delicious, and possibly missing an ingredient or two from my description because once I started eating it, my mind emptied--I do love Macku's soups. A lot.

Followed that with the nigiri: Kani--crab, fried avocado and sea urchin; Mebachi--big eye tuna, shitake mushrooms and black pepper sauce; Hirame--flounder, foie gras, ohba and spicy ponzu; Nama Sake--salmon, enoki mushrooms, truffle oil and chives and a perfect, juicy, sweet piece of unadorned Uni. Some folks may not be fans of the dressed up nigiri (those unfamiliar may think they're actually reading the descripton of a maki!!) but to me, each piece is a mini meal of sorts--layers of flavor that enhance, rather than disguise the fish (and the fact that the fish is so fresh--both the texture and flavor stand up.)

I almost ordered the Sawa Gani (crispy river crabs, shichimi torogashi and japanese curry) for dessert (they are my favorite app there) but decided to wait until next week

So good to have you back guys (and Tanya!)

Ok, I'm a bit of a sushi snob, so take what you will of the following:

I chose to take my fiance here on his birthday - we were looking for a new place and because I had previously enjoyed Kaze, I was excited.

Upon arrival, my fiance asked if we could sit at the sushi bar - he was told that our reservation was for a table, meaning no - when taking a reservation, the hostess should ask if there is a preference for a table or the sushi bar so it is clear to all parties involved.

Our server, at first seemed hesitant and a little gun-shy. She was pleasant and cordial but not "present" - her mind seemed elsewhere.

Our drink orders were taken and it was rather strange to be told that they were out of Sapporo - on a Friday night? Then, the server brings out a glass of beer, half of which is head and says that that's how it's supposed to be poured? A little later, she stated that the Sapporo had not yet been chilled but was in the process.

The menu offerings are quite varied and interesting - quite creative and innovative.

The Sea Bream Sashimi was wonderful. Spicy Tuna & Uni Handrolls were fresh and bountiful, filled with lots of flavor. The Aspargus Soup with gyoza and foie gras was out of this world incredible.

So we would definitely come back; however, there were a few turn-offs:

1) We asked for soy paper with our handrolls. The server came back to us and informed us that the sushi chef did not want to waste the soy paper so we would have to order either another hand roll or a makimono roll. We've been to sushi restaurants all over the world and have never heard such a strange and snotty request. What does this mean "waste any soy paper"?

2) The server did not immediately apologize for forgetting to bring us 3 of the 4 hand rolls that we ordered. She waited until I left the table to apologize solely to my fiance. It was strange, she brought us 1, while the other 3 sat on the sushi bar for 20 minutes. When we asked them to re-make them since they were no longer fresh, we were told that they would be ready right away and then another 20 minutes later, the hostess said that there was some confusion and it did not get done. There should be a food runner or somebody keeping track of plates sitting on the bar. While the slow, relaxed pace of service was nice at first, it became annoying as the evening progressed, since it seemed that our server was overwhelmed and just too busy to keep up. Service was inconsistent when bringing items to the table - it was erratic.

3) Tables are quite close together - I might opt to come during the week when it might not be so crowded? Luckily, we had a couple of nice ladies sitting next to us! I will say though, it was still a comfortable conversation level with good energy!

4) When our check arrived, I was checking the charges and I thought it was very efficient and hospitable of the hostess to approach us to ask if we had any questions. The bill indicated a 10% discount for our troubles but when the adjusted bill was later brought back, the 10% discout was no longer there and I didn't feel the need to argue it back.

5) The day after our dinner, I received TWO calls from Macku regarding a phone message I had left the day before to reconfirm my reservation, as per their request. They were confused and thought I was talking about the following night.

In summary, I would give it another shot during a less busy time. Sushi is fresh and unique. The hostess and server were cordial and pleasant. Having been in the restaurant industry for 20 years, I am surprised that this place would still have some logistics to work out since they would have technically already worked these out with Kaze in Roscoe Village? And I find it strange that the hostess would not have looked at the previous day's or the next day's reservations to verify when my message might have applied - I believe there is usually a time-and-date stamp on the messages left?