By Rick Karlin

Contributing writer

Shochu
3313 N. Clark
(773) 348-3313
shochuchicago.com
  
When a restaurant has a pedigree like that of Shochu (pronounced show-chew), it can be hard to live up to expectations. The newish Lakeview lounge/restaurant is owned by the husband and wife duo of Lynne Wallack and John Handler and the executive chef is Josh Hansen, all from the Deleece.

Shochu is a popular Japanese distilled spirit typically made from rice, barley and sweet potatoes or black sugar. The vodka-like drink has surpassed sake as the largest selling liquor in Japan and has become the “in vogue” alcoholic beverage in New York and Los Angeles. 

“Our restaurant is the first American shochu lounge,” says owner Lynne Wallack. “We discovered what the Japanese and Koreans have been craving for years, and decided to introduce it to Chicago. It’s fashionable, yet healthy. Or perhaps it’s fashionable because it’s healthy. Either way, we think that Chicagoans are going to love it.”

Shochu is the primary feature on the restaurant’s cocktail list, combining the liquor with fruit juices and exotic flavorings. Among some of the offerings are Toyo-tama-a, combination of raspberries, lime juice, lemon and soda; O Goncho, with guava juice, fresh ginger and ginger syrup; and the Black Dragon, with muddled blackberries and simple syrup. The cocktails pack quite a kick, but taste more like soft drinks. The combination can be dangerous as was evidenced during our visit when an impromptu floor show was provided by two older women who got wasted at the bar.

This is another of those small-plate menu places. You can thank the Bush administration for this concept. With the economy the way it is, many people balk at spending $40-$50 for a meal. Small-plate menus allow the restaurant to present a variety of small plates, usually priced under $10. Usually three or four plates equal a standard entrée. If you do the math, you’ll see that it is quite easy to run up a higher bill than you expected.

That’s not to say that the food isn’t worth the price charged. Many of the dishes at Shochu are very reasonably priced, but there are a few that aren’t and the only way you’re going to discover which is which is by trial and error. For example, the menu offers three variations of curry served on jasmine rice. All three dishes present about a cup of rice topped with an equal amount of the curry combination. The yellow curry includes lobster and fennel for $12; the red curry with shrimp and Fuji apple, peanuts and a scallion and pea shoot salad is $6; and a green curry with duck breast, with mizuna salad goes for $8. The shrimp curry is a much better buy given the ingredients in each dish.

The menu also offers a section called “Chef’s Combination,” including such winners as grilled skirt steak wrapped inside butter lettuce with a side of spicy miso garlic puree for $9 (a bargain offering up enough for two very generous portions), adobo-glazed spareribs ($8) and grilled octopus and edamame salad for $4. Less successful in this section is the miso broth with a poached quail egg.

A variety of sushi is offered including several specialty maki (sushi rolls.) Most rolls are in the $7 range for regular maki, $5 for vegetarian offerings. If you’re in the mood for something more exotic, check out the lobster and mizuna with truffle mayonnaise, tempura shrimp, bacon and avocado or the crab with smoked duck pate. The raw menu offers variations on tar-tar featuring Kobe beef, kampachi, ono, tuna and oysters. 

Yakitori, the Japanese version of shish kabob, provides a number of options for those who preferred their food grilled. The offerings range from the exotic (squid and matsutake, eel, and Japanese eggplant with zucchini) to more recognizable fare such as bacon-wrapped cherry tomatoes, shrimp and Asian pear, chicken and scallions, pork tenderloin, lamb, pork sausage and short ribs. Most of these dishes come with a small salad or other side and are priced less than $10 for two or three small skewers.

Another small plate feature is the katsu, or fried plates, featuring tempura-coated Shitake mushrooms, crab or shrimp, bacon-wrapped dates and gyoza (dumplings), all priced less than $5 a serving. One must-have item is the sesame fries. This $4 dish is the best deal in town. A very large portion of thinly sliced potatoes fried in sesame oil offers enough for four people. That is four people who have great restraint. I could have easily finished this dish on my own.

The chicken wings are another twist on an American bar food classic. The sauce variations include Togarashi (similar to buffalo wings), sweet sambal-brown sugar, ginger shochu-glazed and habanero curry. The same flavorings are offered with fried tofu for vegetarians. The dishes are priced quite reasonably at $3 for 5 pieces of tofu or $6 for wings. The wings and tofu, yakitori and katsu are all served with Shochu’s signature Seven Sauces plate. These dipping portions include wasabi-avocado mayo, blueberry teriyaki, dark and tangy sansho bokujou, sweet Thai chili sauce, persimmon-infused hoisin, miso-lychee aioli and soy-Dijon vinaigrette.

Desserts offer very small tastes (4-6 bites at most) of such unusual but tasty dishes as adzuki bean flan with persimmon molasses, chocolate truffle cake, purple rice pudding and our favorite—green tea cheesecake.

The 70-seat dining room and 14-seat bar are a study in Asian simplicity. The 60-seat patio at the back of the eatery is a bit drab compared to the Zen-like quality of the dining room. Service is uneven. We were attended by a variety of servers. The main person taking care of us was a little too interested in chatting with other employees at the bar, but others stepped in and provided excellent service.

Shochu also serves brunch and we plan to stop in and try some of the more unusual offerings, including scrambled egg maki rolls, lobster mizuki benedict and ginger and Asian pear French toast.

The Bottom Line: Four small dishes per person and a cocktail runs about $50 a person, tax and tip included, but judicious ordering can cut that amount by 25-50 percent.

Have a suggestion or comment? Drop me a line at karlin@chicagofreepress.com. Please put “dining” in the subject area.