110 W. Illinois St., River North
Billy Dec, Brad Young and Arturo Gomez, the trio behind hotspots Rockit Bar & Grill and The Underground are also behind this River North new Asian spot where Rodelio Aglibot, a.k.a. the "Food Buddha" (and former executive chef at L.A.'s Koi) is in the kitchen. The restaurant's name is a nod to the Sunda Shelf, a Southest Asian landmass, and incorporates modern takes on dishes from throughout the region. A large chunk of the lineup is devoted to China and Japan, but fare from other countries, including Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand, makes an appearance too. Expect new Asian dishes such as Malay-style Chilean sea bass, crab-crusted ahi tuna with Japanese hot mustard-soy glaze, pork shank confit with garlic-foie gras gravy and watercress salad, and a couple of Asian-inspired noodle dishes. There's also a full sushi bar. READ MORE
2020 W. Chicago Ave., Ukrainian Village
This veggie-friendly sushi and Thai restaurant will open in the former Barbari Cafe space this summer.READ MORE
1400 W. Randolph St., West Town
Focused on the unique flavors of "Asian BBQ," this West Loop fine dining spot has some powerful backers: Cornerstone Restaurant Group, Chef Bill Kim and the one and only Michael Jordan. Kim is the same mind behind Avondale's Urban Belly and Logan Square's Belly Shack. Expect bold flavors at Belly Q, with dishes such as Korean pancakes (made in a pizza oven left by the previous tenant, One Sixtyblue), edamame with crispy fried shallots, tea-smoked duck breast and beef short ribs (pictured). Grill tables are available and there's a chef's table for larger groups. Visit the adjacent to-go counter to order custom salads or rice paper wraps from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Read RedEye's Belly Q review.READ MORE
Mt. Prospect Commons, Mt. Prospect
Antonio Sebastian Alfano, chef/proprietor at this large northwest suburban Italian, attended culinary school in Como, Italy, and also clocked kitchen time in Rome and locally at the Italian Village and Carlucci. The decor here is Italian piazza-meets-Italian village. The menu offers both Northern and Southern Italian choices plus daily chalkboard specials. Pasta is a best bet, with over 25 choices. Signature entrees include the four-cheese- and sun-dried tomato-stuffed chicken with prosciutto and cream sauce and a roulade of swordfish skewered and stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, then topped with sun-dried raisins, pine nuts, artichokes and fontina and Romano cheeses.READ MORE
