In the best week for yakitori in Chicago history, right on the heels of Slurping Turtle’s opening downtown came the opening Saturday night of Yusho, the yakitori-inspired Japanese spot in Logan Square owned by Matthias Merges, former chef de cuisine for Charlie Trotter. Compared to Slurping Turtle, which like most things downtown, was packed with officeworkers desperate for something new the moment it opened, Yusho is off to a more low-key start in its location a block or two over from Longman & Eagle, not least because they don’t have their liquor license yet and it’s BYO for now. (Though their Facebook page indicates that they must have had a good time after service, given the size of the bottle of wine that Grant Achatz sent over to welcome them.) In any case, the menu looks promising and so does the picture of the white-hot grill things are cooked over, so here’s what to eat at Yusho, open now.
DINNER
GRILLED BIRDS
QUAIL EGGS 4.25
CHARRED KOMBU, BROCCOLI RABE, CORIANDER
CHICKEN WINGS 6.00
BONITO SALT, LIME, THAI CHILI
DUCK CONFIT 6.50
TAKOYAKI, CHILI, BONITO, SCALLIONS
CHICKEN LIVER 6.00
BLACK SESAME, YUZU, PICKLED SHALLOTS
CHICKEN SKIN 4.50
JAPANESE MUSTARD, PICKLED GARLIC
CHICKEN THIGH 5.50
NAPA CABBAGE, ANAHEIM PEPPERS, BASIL
CHICKEN BREAST 5.25
GOBO ROOT, QUINCE, FIVE SPICE
DUCK LEG 7.50
WASABI, SWEET ONION
WHOLE QUAIL 12.00
BARLEY, LAVER SEAWEED, WINTER CHESTNUTS
LAND & SEA
SCALLOP 9.00
COCONUT, HEARTS OF PALM, CUCUMBER
TUNA 12.50
TARO ROOT, PINE NUTS, BREAKFAST RADISH
LEEKS 5.25
TART MISO SAUCE, CRISPY SHALLOTS, MARCONA ALMONDS
SEA URCHIN 8.00
NORI, SHISO, BUDDHA’S HAND
SQUID 6.25
ELEPHANT GARLIC, WATERCRESS, JALAPEÑOS
SALMON 12.50
ORANGE TERIYAKI, ARUGULA, CEDAR
EEL 7.50
BRANDADE, HOMINY, WASABI MUSTARD
MAITAKE MUSHROOM 8.50
EGG VINAIGRETTE, DASHI GELÉE
2X FRIED CHICKEN 11.00
KANZURI, MATCHA, LIME
LAMB’S TONGUE 9.00
GARLIC, SOMBAL, DAIKON
PORK BELLY 9.00
KIMCHI, BLACK GARLIC, CROSNES
SWEETBREADS 9.50
UME BOSHI BBQ SAUCE, FRISÉE, TOASTED SOY BEANS
FOIE GRAS 14.00
CHICKEN SKIN, FERMENTED YUZU
STEAM BUN 6.50
KOBE SHORT RIBS, BOK CHOY KIMCHI, PEANUTS
THE LOGAN “POSER” RAMEN 11.00
CRISPY PIG’S TAIL, DUCK EGG, CUCUMBER, THAI CHILI
STRIPLOIN 18.00
YUSHO SAUCE
SWEET
YUSHO POKY 5.50
TOGARASHI CARAMEL, GINGER CHOCOLATE
GRILLED MOCHI 3.00
HAZELNUT, MILK CHOCOLATE
SOFT SERVE 4.00
BUCKWHEAT
LATE NIGHT
CHICKEN WINGS 6.00
BONITO SALT, YUZU STUFFED, SPICY FARCE
MAITAKE MUSHROOM 8.50
EGG YOLK VINAIGRETTE, CHERVIL, DASHI GELÉE
EEL 7.50
BRANDADE, HOMINY, WASABI MUSTARD
CHICKEN SKIN 4.50
JAPANESE MUSTARD, PICKLED GARLIC, SCALLIONS
GYOZA 5.00
SWEET POTATO, DUCK CONFIT AND GINGER
2X FRIED CHICKEN 11.00
KANZURI, MATCHA
CHICKEN THIGH 5.50
SAVOY CABBAGE, ANAHEIM PEPPERS, MISO
FOIE GRAS 18.00
CHICKEN SKIN
DUCK CONFIT 6.50
TAKOYAKI, CHILI, BONITO, SCALLIONS
THE LOGAN “POSER” RAMEN 11.00
CRISPY PIG’S TAIL, DUCK EGG, CUCUMBER, THAI CHILI
SWEETBREADS 9.50
UME BOSHI BBQ SAUCE, AND FRISÉE
STEAM BUN 6.50
KOBE SHORT RIBS, BOK CHOY KIMCHI, PEANUTS
SOFT SERVE 4.00
FLAVOR OF THE DAY
MOCHI 3.00
HAZELNUT, MILK CHOCOLATE
Yusho, 2853 N. Kedzie, Chicago, IL 60618, 773-904-8558.
