Maxwells says out loud what just about every fine-dining tasting menu in town whispers: Chicago loves Asian flavors. We love the heat, rawness, bright acidity, and savory umami so fundamental to the cooking of Thailand, Japan, and every country in between. Chef and co-owner Erling Wu-Bower and executive chef Chris Jung (pictured above) take those elements and root them in fertile Midwestern ground, creating chameleon dishes akin to Schrödinger’s cat. Depending on your perspective, their walleye katsu, a fried fish plank served with shredded cabbage, is either contemporary Japanese or a Friday in Wisconsin. Their clay pot rice has the steam and scorch you want from a Malaysian street vendor along with the wild mushrooms you savor in a farm-to-table restaurant. The spice-edged broth of the soup dumpling tortellini should enter the Maxwells pantheon alongside the coconut-lemongrass suzuki tartare and the French onion dip with hot griddle bread. The expansive dining room is easy on the eyes and filled with natural light, if a bit too loud at peak service. Rounding all this out is Olivia Duncan-Williams’s beverage program, which is one of the best in town because it answers to a menu that loves cocktails as much as wine.

Price: $$$
Address: 1516 W. Carroll Ave.
Website: maxwellstrading.com