Kumiko

Kumiko is “an expression of my Japanese heritage in a formal cocktail-bar setting,” says Julia Momose, the co-owner of the West Loop spot. Momose creates drinks seasonally with Japanese ingredients and techniques, like an old-fashioned with Japanese whiskey, shochu and bitters, which pair well with co-owner and executive chef Noah Sandoval’s steamed buns with pork belly, or Japanese milk bread with fermented honey ice cream and truffle. Momose designed a companion menu of spirit-free drinks with equal care, in part because her parents don’t drink alcohol. The beverages span the spectrum from bitter aperitifs to fresh, tropical flavors. In May, they moved the omakase tasting dinner and beverage pairing to an eight-seat space in the basement, and gave it its own name, Kikko. —Merrill Fabry