Author: Olivia Shanler

Upon entering Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar, I felt that the eclectic decor matched the unique premise of the restaurant. Barbeque and sushi together? Those are two of my favorite food categories, and I hoped that Union would be able to deliver the best of both worlds. The executive chef Mike Ham, who, after leaving his position as an accountant, opened his first restaurant in 2004 and is now at Union, aims to bring a twist to the menu and cultivate an Asian-inspired fusion experience unlike any other. After my meal at Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar, I can safely say I will be returning there, and I would recommend visiting Union for dinner and drinks with friends, or for a fun experience for out-of-towners that shows them one of River North’s most engaging restaurants.

Drinks

After being kindly welcomed by the staff to our table, we began dinner with drinks. Aside from the wide sake selection, most of the cocktails featured a Japanese twist on classic drinks. The lychee martini, for example, was delightfully sweet and refreshing. The Zakuro, which was a riff on the classic Moscow mule, featured a hibiscus juice and tequila instead of vodka for a floral and gingery flair. The light and fresh flavors of the drinks paired well with the sushi and small plates we ordered next.

Appetizers

We began with the sour cream and onion edamame, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the classic sour cream and onion flavored Lays. I could not get enough of the savory, salty flavor, and each bite was more delightful than the last. Next, we had the truffled tuna, which had avocado mousse, black truffle ponzu, serrano, balsamic pearl, and micro cilantro. This was served with a side of house-made chips which made for a crunchy and unconventional bite. The salty flavor of the chips provided a nice complement to the truffle, and the dish overall was indulgent and decadent.

Our next appetizer was a set of crispy rice. I have sampled many versions of tuna crispy rice, both at Nobu and other restaurants (the dish has recently seen a spike in popularity), but what intrigued me about Union’s version was the scallop variation of the dish. The creamy Hokkaido scallop crispy rice with masago and scallion was simple, yet delicious. The softness of the scallop contrasted nicely with the crunchy rice, and the scallion added a freshness that cut through the rich flavor. The scallop crispy rice was one of my favorite dishes of the evening.

Sushi

Moving on to the sushi rolls, I felt excited. Throughout the night, I had experienced a masterful combination of flavors, textures, and ingredients. We started with a simple variation of a shrimp tempura maki, which was elevated by fried shallot, avocado, masago, eel sauce, and wasabi mayo. We then amped up our sushi game with the intense-sounding black rice godzilla, which featured black rice, shrimp tempura, masago, cream cheese, scallion, tempura flakes, avocado, and wasabi mayo. I never order rolls with cream cheese because I feel it has a tendency to overwhelm the other flavors and make the overall roll taste bland, but the amount of cream cheese in this roll was perfectly appropriate and complemented the other flavors. This was a fun and unique roll, and although I only ordered it because of the interesting name, I was happy I did.

The final sushi roll I ordered was my favorite roll of the evening, which was the Hotate Volcano Roll. This featured spicy scallop, shrimp, masago, scallion, spicy mayo, cucumber, unagi sauce, and tempura flakes. This was another roll that used black rice instead of sushi rice, and each roll had a pyramid of torched spicy scallop mixture. Every bite I consumed was savory and creamy, and the combination of the hot “volcano” with the cold roll beneath was engaging and enjoyable. I thought this roll was especially unique and I could not get enough of it.

Mains

Moving on to the barbeque component of the meal, I ordered 3 dishes: the short rib skewer, gojuchang pork ribs, and soy butter chicken thigh. I also ordered karaage chicken, which is a Japanese fried chicken. The chicken thigh and karaage were not my favorite meat dishes of the evening, and while I found the chicken thigh to be juicy and cooked well, it was not as flavorful as the other barbeque selections. The karaage was crispy and tender, but again, not as flavorful, even with the addition of a smoked paprika sauce served on the side. However, the short rib skewer and pork ribs were the highlight of the barbeque selections, and I am not ashamed to admit that I went back for seconds on both dishes. The cubes of short rib on the skewer were glazed, tender, and meaty. Each bite melted in my mouth and the meat was deliciously fragrant. The pork ribs were tender enough to fall right off the bone, and the gojuchang flavor paired well with the salty and rich pork ribs. The chef garnished the ribs with crispy shallot, so each bite also had a crunch offsetting the tender meat. I even ordered a second round of these ribs, and I am still thinking about them.

Desserts

We finished off the meal with two desserts, and of the two, one stood out the most. Honestly, the skillet cookie was forgettable and oddly cakey for a dish I expected to be rich, tender, and melty, but the matcha shortcake with pistachio sponge, matcha white chocolate mousse, macerated strawberry, and pistachio crumble was the absolute star of the show. I love desserts that are not too sweet, and this dessert felt light and fresh. The matcha white chocolate mousse was addictive, and the perfect pairing with the nutty pistachio sponge. The strawberry added brightness and acidity to the dish, and each bite was fragrant and perfectly balanced. This dish was a great end to the meal.

Conclusions

I know there are many sushi restaurants, both in Chicago and in other cities, that also claim to bring an eclectic twist to a sushi menu. However, I think Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar is doing it like no one else, and while the menu may appear to be cultivated around obtaining a trendy Instagram shot, each “flashy” dish stands on its own. Each fun dish demonstrated a masterful combination of simple ingredients and comforting and familiar flavors, yet every dish was unique and well-executed. Union brings the visual wow factor along with substantial textures and flavors. It can be difficult to find a restaurant that cultivates a fun atmosphere and makes genuinely good food, but Union accomplishes that difficult task. It would be a mistake to write off Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar as another restaurant that stuns visually, but lacks substance.