Sometimes to move forward in life, you need to look back. That’s a concept not lost on NORIKO in Chicago co-chefs Billy Lim and Rhan Whang. They found inspiration for their intimate handroll restaurant in a childhood snack.
“When we were young, both our moms would take a piece of seasoned nori and put a little fresh steamed rice into it and roll it up,” Lim says. “Those handrolls were something that immediately hit for both of us. The idea for NORIKO comes from a place of love.”
There are a lot of lovely surprises at the River West restaurant beyond its hidden location underneath big sister PERILLA fare. Head towards the rear of PERILLA fare and walk down the short staircase. The 21 seats at the triangle-shaped NORIKO offer a front-row view to the handroll-making action of Lim and Whang and their small team.
The restaurant marks a homecoming for the Korean American chefs after years at top Chicago restaurants (Whang spent 12 years at Girl & the Goat). “We’ve come full circle because we both started out in the sushi game and now we are back in it,” Whang says. “With the handroll concept you are getting a direct chef-to-guest experience.” And the handrolls are just the start of the fun the chefs are having with the menu.
Read on for the must-order dishes at NORIKO in Chicago, and book your spot on OpenTable to try them all.
Not your typical chips and dip
Whang created this zippy take on hummus as a nod to his former boss and mentor Stephanie Izard. “This appetizer is very personal to me,” he says. “It hits the palate with different flavors and textures yet is pleasantly balanced, something I learned to do well from Stephanie over the years.” The chefs swap chickpeas with edamame and top the creamy dip with a housemade shio kombu chile crunch. Dip into it with the crispy umami-forward crackers on the side made with broken up nori pieces and rice paper.
You won’t find this edamame at other Japanese restaurants
“Why just do what everyone else is doing?” Whang says. “We wanted to do something different and special.” This is not your typical steamed version with flaky salt on top. NORIKO’s version has a soy-infused butter and housemade furikake for added crunch.
A bagel staple goes Japanese
The iconic lox and cream cheese bagel at NYC’s Russ & Daughters meets Philly roll sushi in this epic mash-up crudo at NORIKO. Lightly cured salmon and smoked trout roe are dotted with a blend of sour cream and cream cheese and topped with pickled red onions and a dusting of housemade everything bagel seasoning.
Don’t leave without this handroll
The rich bluefin toro handroll has a mix of fatty tuna belly and mashed toro on top of crispy nori and rice. Pickled kizami wasabi, a popular Japanese condiment, cuts through all the richness of the dish. “We didn’t shy away from high-end ingredients even if we’re doing simple handrolls,” Lim says.
Lisa Shames is a writer focused on travel and food culture in Chicago, IL. She has covered Chicago’s restaurant scene for publications including Eater Chicago, CS, Chicago Tribune, and Time Out and is the US contributor for Sogoodmag.
