clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

New Casual Wicker Park Asian Grill to Give Diners a Beyond Meat Option

Yuzuya Asian Grill, from the owner of Yuzu in West Town, has plans for multiple locations

A hand tossing a wok filled with veggies and meat on a hot stove.
Yuzukya Asian Grill is a fast-casual restaurant in Wicker Park from the owners of Yuzu Sushi & Robata Grill.
Getty Images/Eater
Ashok Selvam is the editor of Eater Chicago and a native Chicagoan armed with more than two decades of award-winning journalism. Now covering the world of restaurants and food, his nut graphs are super nutty.

The owner of one of West Town’s most revered Japanese restaurants plans to open a new fast-casual spot inside the former Halal Guys/FireFin Poke Shop space along Milwaukee Avenue. The ownership behind Yuzu Sushi & Robata Grill wants to open Yuzuya Asian Grill in January at 1415 N. Milwaukee Avenue. If successful in Wicker Park, owner Yut Vong wants to open additional Yuzuyas downtown and in the West Loop.

While Yuzu — a full-service restaurant — focuses on Japan, Yuzuya will be a Pan Asian and assembly line-style restaurant with rice bowls, said Yuzu social media manager Paracha Vongphattarakul. The goal is to give customers a quick and healthy lunch using the same quality ingredients as Yuzu including hormone- and antibiotics-free beef, chicken, and salmon. Meat-free options will include tofu and a selection from Beyond Meat. Ownership is still considering which Beyond option they will use. Customers will also be able to add a variety of veggies and three sauces: teriyaki, curry, and Thai-style yum yum. The offerings will come on either white or brown rice. No noodles.

Ownership wants to keep the costs down to grab repeat customers who will visit a few times a week. The bowls should cost between $8 to $10, Vongphattarakul said. They’ve remodeled the space and there’s seating for 20. They’ll partner with all the major delivery companies, Vongphattarakul added.

Yuzu opened eight years ago along Chicago Avenue, before developers and real estate agents began describing the West Town strip to would-be restaurant owners as an alternative to pricey Randolph Restaurant Row in the West Loop. This part of West Town now includes very popular restaurants Arami, Roots Handmade Pizza, Funkenhausen, Soulé, Forbidden Root, and the newly opened Porto. It serves sushi, skewers, and noodles, and its bento box lunch specials are among the best in town.

As Chicago restaurant owners battle through tough financial times, the news of a family-owned restaurant pivoting into the world of fast-casual restaurants is a new narrative. Stay tuned for updates.

Yuzuya Asian Grill, 1415 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Scheduled to open the second week of January.

roots handmade pizza

2200 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60625 (773) 433-5959

Soulé

3615 West Roosevelt Road, , IL 60624 (312) 526-3825 Visit Website

Arami

1829 West Chicago Avenue, , IL 60622 (312) 243-1535 Visit Website

Yuzu Sushi & Robata Grill

1751 West Chicago Avenue, , IL 60622 (312) 666-4100 Visit Website