Steamed Pork Buns anyone?

In Chicago there are about 1000 restaurants to love. In Detroit, for many years, there were about 5. One of the top spots on the D's hit parade was a great spot called Tribute. But in true Detroit fashion (despite great food and service), some genius opened this place right next door to an Amaco station in the burbs. Really? Who is the wizard who dreamed that up?

Well, the helm at Tribute was originally run by a talented young chef named Takashi Yagihashi. Born in Japan and French trained, this once James Beard Award winner for "Best Chef - Midwest" stopped in Detroit for a few years to give us a treat. When he tired of the traffic at Orchard Lake and 12 Mile, he came to Chicago to open his namesake restaurant. He has since opened another outpost at the Wynn in Las Vegas. Fancy.

Takashi is located in a charming old house in Bucktown, which seems contradictory to the trendy neighborhood surrounding it (the house was once home to Chicago Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard's former restaurant Scylla). With only a handful of seats, this place screams 'cozy". Ask for the corner table upstairs if you go...adorable.

I could give you a list of what I ate for dinner, but that is unnecessary. There is one thing you MUST eat if you go there. Steamed Pork Buns. Un. Freaking. Real. As I previously mentioned, pork belly is on every menu in Chicago right now (who can blame?) but these morsels were, hands-down, the best pig I've had in a decade. I mean it. The delicate buns were the perfect texture, the pork belly sweet and flavorful, and the lovely little sandwiches were served with the most amazing spicy japanese mustard. I could have eaten 15 of them. No, really.

Then I found out that I COULD eat 15 of them, should I choose. On Sunday afternoons, Takashi opens his kitchen for a "noodle" lunch. Not only does he offer a bevy of homemade japanese noodle dishes, he also serves up small plates of other treats, like the pork buns, for something ridiculous like $5. Go. Now.

Not only is this place quaint, but the food is good, the bartender is inventive, and Takashi prides himself on being in the kitchen all the time. If you want a first class meal, head to Bucktown. And bring me back some of that mustard. Wow.