To say Chicago chef Zubair Mohajir has been busy of late is an understatement. The James Beard nominee heads up tasting-menu restaurant Coach House along with neighboring casual spot Lilac Tiger. He and chef Rishi Kumar also recently opened Mirra, a charming Bucktown restaurant that beautifully blends Mexican and Indian flavors. (Fun fact: The two connected via an Instagram DM.)
Then there’s a little thing called Top Chef: Destination Canada. Mohajir and two other Chicago chefs—North Pond’s César Murillo and Monteverde chef de cuisine Bailey Sullivan—are competing on the current season of the show.
Not bad for someone who switched from a finance career to a culinary one in 2008 after he got laid off during the financial crisis. “I essentially made this decision to jump into the restaurant industry because I love cooking so much,” says Mohajir, whose resume includes stints at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon as well as Gaggan in Bangkok.
While he must stay tight-lipped on his Top Chef experience, Mohajir says “it was great to meet all the amazing chefs from all over the US who have now become great friends. It’s the top of the mountain when it comes to food competition shows, and they do an amazing job of giving us the platform to tell our stories.”
Fortunately, Mohajir is less reticent when talking about some of his favorite restaurants in Chicago.
Read on for the Chicago restaurants Zubair Mohajir loves returning to, and book them on OpenTable.
Brasero (West Town)
Deeply flavorful wood-fired South American food from chef John Manion (El Che Steakhouse & Bar) shines at this West Town restaurant along with festive cocktails and charming interiors.
Why Zubair loves it: “John Manion is the father of chef dad jokes in Chicago. An inspiration, he always carries the most lethal micro fan to start a fire wherever he may be. His chef de cuisine Adam Meyer is an amazing chef as well, although he needs to work on his dad jokes.”
Frontier (Noble Square)
Its lodge-like interior design is a tip-off to the rustic meat-centric food featured here from chef Brian Jupiter, a New Orleans native to whom Southern hospitality comes naturally.
Why Zubair loves it: “Chef [Brian] Jupiter and chef Azazi [Morsi] are my brothers. They provide amazing hospitality and food, whether it’s a whole animal feast at Frontier or halal eats at sister spot Migos Fine Foods.”
Noriko (West Loop)
This newcomer located below Korean American restaurant PERILLA Fare and from the same team specializes in creative sushi handrolls served at a U-shaped bar in an intimate basement-level space.
Why Zubair loves it: “The best people and foundations of the AAPI community in Chicago. They’ve led the way always. Thomas [Oh] and Andrew [Lim] are amazing people and they, of course, cook some amazing food.”
SUSHI-SAN (River North)
Pairing top-notch sushi and binchotan-roasted meats with creative cocktails and old-school hip-hop, Sushi-San is the party we didn’t know we needed.
Why Zubair loves it: “Solid every time and a great team. Enough said.”
Thattu (Avondale)
Born from a beloved pop-up by wife-and-husband team Margaret Pak and Vinod Kalathil, this neighborhood gem—a New York Times Restaurant List pick—features the hard-to-find cuisine of Kerala from India’s southwest coast.
Why Zubair loves it: “We grew up together as pop-ups in the scene in 2018. I’m proud to see where we both are today. Thattu offers amazing food from amazing people.”
Tandoor Char House (Lincoln Park)
The classic Pakistani and North Indian dishes at this cozy restaurant are inspired by the cooking of brothers Fahim and Faraz Sardharia’s Pakistani mother and Indian father.
Why Zubair loves it: “It’s a long time OG of Pakistani and Indian Cuisine.”
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.
