Ordinarily, I don’t review restaurants that have been open for only a month; I think the most fair and accurate assessment is best reached by giving a restaurant time to settle in before reaching for my fork and pen.
But Kevin, which opened in mid-December, has been a project in the works for so long that it seems much older to me, and I couldn’t wait to try it out.
Kevin refers to chef and owner Kevin Shikami, who first gained attention 15 years ago as the chef at another restaurant bearing a first name, the late, great Jimmy’s Place. Then followed several ill-fated attempts to open his own place; though several deals fell apart, Shikami cooked to good purpose in the meantime, as opening chef at con fusion and, briefly, as chef at The Outpost.
Opening Kevin was no easy task, either. Shikami and his brother Alan (who is partner and general manager) settled on the 9 W. Hubbard St. site two years ago. But while it took longer than they expected to bring Kevin to life, “We’re here now,” Shikami says, with more than a trace of relief in his voice.
And so they are, in a stunning, 98-seat space designed by Nancy Warren. Visual treats include a cedar-accented bar with dramatic steel “wine hammocks” suspending bottles overhead, and bamboo plants made of glued corrugated paper that are attached to the walls in a bas-relief effect.
Shikami’s food is grounded in classic French but incorporates plenty of Asian accents. This was challenging stuff when Shikami started 15 years ago, but Asian-accented French is commonplace these days. Even so, few merge these cooking idioms as seamlessly as Shikami does.
Appetizers begin with Shikami’s tuna tartare, a favorite from his days at Jimmy’s Place. Some versions of tuna tartare consist merely of diced raw tuna and a splash of olive oil, but Shikami’s version is more fully dressed. The tuna glistens in a complex dressing that includes an aggressive amount of wasabi; those who love sushi but use wasabi only sparingly should approach this dish with caution. Alongside the tuna is a hamachi salad, essentially yellowtail sashimi accented with lime, chilies, green papaya and sesame.
One of the best appetizers consists of sea scallops layered with foie gras; alongside that is a chawan mushi (a cream-free Japanese custard), infused with foie gras and topped with some crunchy pine nuts. It’s rather like a very savory, very luxurious creme brulee, and the dish as a whole provides a range of soft textures — in which the scallops represent, improbably, the firm end of the spectrum.
Tiny slices of balsamic-glazed grilled ostrich are prettily arrayed on a persimmon, papaya and strawberry coulis that has a gentle whiff of ginger; this is accented with rice crisps, aged balsamic vinegar and, to counteract all that acidity, a small triangle of sheep’s-milk camembert.
White truffle oil adds heady aroma to grilled asparagus and hedgehog mushrooms, alongside a butter-rich polenta; the mushrooms were a watery and flavorless disappointment, but the concept seemed fine.
The most intriguing entree presents sauteed sea scallops with licorice broth; the scallops actually sit above the broth, atop fingerling potatoes; supporting the broth are accents of red pepper, basil, pancetta and green olives, the latter flavor a better match than I would have guessed.
Shikami also manages an inventive presentation for the classic duck breast/leg confit composition; the thin breast slices sit in a tart pomegranate sauce, the leg/thigh confit is marinated in five-spice and star anise, and between the two are three thumb-size pear-chestnut spring rolls, stood on end and topped with a smidgen of foie gras. There’s a lot going on in this dish, but it pulls together very nicely.
More straightforward are grilled mustard-glaze pork loin with pureed potatoes and orange sauce, and excellent-quality lamb chops with red potatoes, green onions and bok choy in a spicy bean glaze.
Lunch menu items are similar to the evening offerings, but there is relatively little repetition, apart from the dessert list. Here duck breast is presented as an entree salad, alongside greens dressed in red wine and pepper vinaigrette, tea-smoked mushooms and a crispy celery-root pancake. There’s also a trio of pot stickers with wild mushrooms, goat cheese and truffle oil, and chile-mango-glazed shrimp against a colorful background of red pepper, pineapple and bok choy.
I’d recommend a lunch visit just for the braised short ribs, a terrific wintertime entree of well-seasoned, slow-cooked meat with aromatic vegetables and adzuki beans, whose firmness plays against the pull-apart meat.
You must save room for the desserts by Cindy Schuman, previously pastry chef at Carlos’ and Aubriot. Hits include a delectable passion fruit mousse torte enveloped in white chocolate; a disk of flourless chocolate cake topped with light lemon mousse and bordered by a tempered-chocolate ribbon; crispy pirouettes piped with pistachio cream over citrus sauce; and frozen coconut parfait on a crunchy almond base with chocolate sauce.
The must-try dessert is the chocolate trio, an artful composition that includes flourless chocolate cake, chocolate creme brulee infused with black pepper and chocolate mousse with creme fraiche sorbet.
The wine list is impressive for so young a restaurant; the reds go fairly deep and there are plenty of food-friendly choices. Prices are fair. The by-the-glass offerings are sufficient and may expand when Shikami rolls out his tasting-menu options in a few weeks.
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Kevin
(star)(star)(star)
9 W. Hubbard St.
312-595-0055
Open: Dinner Mon.-Sat., lunch Mon.-Fri.
Entree prices: $23-$28
Credit cards: A, DC, M, V
Reservations: Recommended
Noise level: Conversation-friendly
Other: No smoking; wheelchair accessible; valet parking
OUTSTANDING (star)(star)(star)(star)
EXCELLENT (star)(star)(star)
VERY GOOD (star)(star)
GOOD (star)
Reviews are based on no fewer than two visits. The reviewe makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
