“I always wanted to move to the U.S. and open a restaurant,” says Marita Tantivirasut, who took care of the first half in 2004 and the second half in November, when she and Asana Nakornchai launched the pan-Asian small-plate restaurant Bites Asian Tapas (3313 N. Clark St., Lake View, 773-270-5972).

Tantivirasut and Nakornchai met waiting tables at Tank Sushi. Now, Nakornchai runs the front of the house while Tantivirasut serves as chef, making dishes such as tonkotsu ramen (pork broth, noodles, pickled ginger, poached egg, et al.).

Many of Bites’ bites have a fusiony flair. Korean sliders incorporate pork shoulder marinated in a Korean sauce. Crying Amigo tacos repurpose the spicy Thai steak called Crying Tiger with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and avocado in corn tortillas. Oriental Paella resembles crab fried rice with scallions, cherry tomatoes, white onions, carrot, and daikon. And the Cookie Dough Chopstick wraps chocolate-chip cookie dough in wonton skin, deep-fries it, and serves it with chocolate-raspberry sauce.

Nice to see someone accomplish a dream—not everyone gets there. Sometimes reality bites, and sometimes you make Bites reality.