Proxi, the Michelin Bib Gourmand global street food-inspired restaurant open in the West Loop since 2017, has evolved with a new coastal Asian focus.
The sibling to Sepia, the Michelin-starred restaurant next door, debuted the new menu April 16.
Chef Andrew Zimmerman owns both award-winning restaurants with managing partner Emmanuel Nony. The evolution is a culmination of the journeys of Zimmerman, Nony and chef de cuisine Jennifer Kim. Kim was the chef and owner of the creative Korean American restaurant Passerotto and seafood deli Snaggletooth before joining Proxi in 2023.
“When I started here two years ago, I was just so enthralled by what they were doing here,” said Kim, who uses the pronoun they. “I’ve always looked up to chef Andrew.”
Focusing the restaurant’s menu on the things that interest the trio, they added, gives more clarification to guests on exactly what they’re doing.
What’s the Korean American chef de cuisine’s favorite part of the new menu?
“I’m always just gonna go to the raw section,” said Kim, laughing. “Because I love making raw, like, hwe.” Hwe is a Korean raw seafood dish similar to Japanese sashimi.
Proxi has expanded its raw and chilled section, now featuring the chef’s sliced hiramasa crudo with coconut milk, grapefruit and Vietnamese cilantro, or rau ram.
But the menu kept a couple of fan favorite dishes, Kim said, that already fit within the framework of coastal Asian, including the wagyu beef cheek in panang curry with coconut sticky rice and peanuts.
“If there’s a little bit left in the pot at the end of the night, that’s what everyone wants,” they said. “‘Oh, I just want that last spoonful.’”
Proxi has gradually introduced changes but waited to unveil its most dramatic dish when it launched the new menu: a seafood platter with oysters, a scallop tartare and poached blue prawn. You can also add an uni shooter and king crab legs.
But half the hot line at Proxi is all live fire, said the chef, with a wood fire grill and a Josper charcoal oven.
“If we look at some of the coastal Asian countries, like, how do they utilize live fire? What is their practice with it? And what’s the significance?” Kim said. “Those are things that we want to be able to incorporate into the menu.”
They noted the wood-fired 14-ounce wagyu New York strip steak as a favorite, served with a signature sauce (ssamjang butter, soy-black garlic jus, miso hollandaise, Sichuan “salsa verde”) plus the option to order more, including a Thai jumbo lump crab “Oscar” topping.
The Josper oven also will cook the coal-roasted scallops served with a Thai yellow curry and an herb salad, as well as smoked mushrooms, grown by Four Star Mushrooms in West Town.
“The edges are crispitized nicely,” Kim said of the mushroom dish.
Desserts were created by Erin Kobler, who’s also the executive pastry chef for Sepia. But the popular green curry banana split, which will stay on the menu, was created by Zimmerman.
One new sweet they’re especially excited about is Kobler’s baba au soju, said Kim, a riff on baba au rhum, the classic airy cake traditionally soaked with rum syrup.
Look for barley soju, and a tableside flaming waterfall presentation.
The bar team has expanded non-alcoholic drink options and added new cocktails, including their Oribu No Eda, aka freezer olive martini.
“It does not taste like a martini at all,” Kim said. Their cocktail uses clarified umeboshi liquid from the Japanese salted and fermented plums. The drink is refreshing and well-balanced, said the chef, something they would want to start their meal with.
When Kim closed Passerotto in October 2020, in part because of the pandemic, the chef didn’t think they would ever return to restaurants.
“It would just really have to be a very specific type of environment,” Kim said. “And I feel very fortunate that I’m able to work here with Andrew.”
Zimmerman is a chef and owner, they added, who treats people with respect and kindness.
“And tons and tons of room for collaboration,” said the chef de cuisine. “I think there’s no recipe for success, other than just being a good person, which sounds silly, and just being a really good chef.”
565 W. Randolph St., 312-466-1950, proxichicago.com
More new openings, in alphabetical order:
3LP & Seoul Taco
Asian restaurant entrepreneurs and friends Henry Cai aka Fat Head Henry and David Choi have collaborated on a new location, bringing their creative Chinese American and Korean American food together. 3LP (formerly 3 Little Pigs Chi) & Seoul Taco dropped April 4 in Hyde Park. Get 3LP’s Italian beef-inspired original hot pot beef sandwich, Seoul Taco’s namesake favorite with bulgogi and the collab K.F.C. sandwich with crispy fried chicken dipped in gochujang honey sauce plus kimchi slaw.
1321 E. 57th St.; 773-891-2266; eat3lp.com, seoultaco.com
Deere Park
Chef and partner Todd Stein (Sophia Steak, Pomeroy) has transformed a North Shore restaurant into an American comfort food brasserie with restaurateur and business partner Josh Kaplan. Deere Park kicked off April 8 in suburban Highwood. Look for roasted chicken with a fennel crust; a Samoa sundae with caramel hot fudge and toasted coconut; plus Todd’s martini served with potato chips.
200 Green Bay Road, Highwood; 847-926-7319; deerepark.com
Nadu
Michelin-starred chef Sujan Sarkar (Indienne, Sifr) has opened a regional Indian restaurant. Nadu launched April 3 in Lincoln Park. The menu recommends pre-ordering one dish, “The Special One,” a crab milagu fry from Kerala with a whole Dungeness crab cooked with Tellicherry peppercorns, tomato, shallots, garlic and spices, served with nei choru, or ghee rice. For dessert, you’ll find the apricot delight from Hyderabad with vanilla sponge cake soaked in condensed milk, layered with poached apricot and whipped cream, then topped with apricot jelly and almonds; drinks feature a cocktail with clarified masala chai and whiskey.
2518 N. Lincoln Ave., 872-315-2158, naduchicago.com
Rendang Republic
Chef John Avila (Minahasa) has brought an Indonesian restaurant back to Chicago with co-founder Rizal Hamdallah. Rendang Republic began service April 5 in Wrigleyville. Start with the rendang plate (featuring classic beef, chicken or jackfruit), then their Duck Inn-do hot dog with a duck hot dog by The Duck Inn, topped Indonesian Chicago style with sambal aioli, acar relish, fried shallot, cilantro, green onion and tomato, all in a poppy seed bun.
3355 N. Clark St., rendangrepublic.com
In reopening news:
Doughboy’s Chicago, home of the world-famous Spaghedough, its signature saucy and hearty spaghetti, just celebrated its reopening at a new location in the South Loop Food Company cloud kitchen on April 28.
2537 S. Wabash Ave., 773-970-6666, doughboyschicago.com
In closing news:
Taylor’s Tacos, specializing in fusion Mexican street-style and Black tacos, will close its taco shop in Little Italy on May 6, but the catering and events side of the company will remain in business, so you’ll still be able to treat yourself and friends to chef and owner Taylor Mason’s award-winning Sexy Crispy Shrimp tacos and more.
1512 W. Taylor St., 312-526-3903, taylorstacoschicago.com
Do you have notable restaurant news in the Chicago area? Email food critic Louisa Kung Liu Chu at lchu@chicagotribune.com.
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