Between Boutique Cafe & Lounge opened in 2007 offering creative Indian fusion small plates by Radhika Desai, who appeared on Top Chef before leaving the restaurant in May. Now, after a short stint by Noah Sandoval, the restaurant is focusing on a different but equally creative fusion: Peruvian-Asian dishes dreamed up by consulting chef Jose Victorio. When we visited, the menu was still in transition, but what we tried showed real promise.
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The Asian influence comes out more strongly in plates like an ahi tuna flatbread with mango, scallion, chopped tomato, and wasabi aioli or the “mantou burgers,” two spicy minipatties on Chinese steamed buns, served with fries and adobo. Victorio has also included some more traditional Peruvian dishes, like fried rice mariscos, cooked in wine and beer with shrimp, octopus, scallops, and squid. The sleeper on our visit was a twist on the coastal Peruvian dish causa: lime-infused mashed potato balls topped with smoked salmon, avocado confit, onion, tomato, and a sprig of Chinese parsley and served with jalapeño aioli—kind of like a bagel with lox with an ethereal potato dumpling in place of the bagel.
Between Boutique Cafe & Lounge1324 N. Milwaukee, 773-292-0585, betweenchicago.com
The Grocery Bistro 804 W. Washington, 312-850-9291, thegrocerybistro.com
