Restaurant Review: For a James Beard Award Winner, Ukrainian Village’s Kasama is tops
On Monday, June 5,the 2023 James Beard Awards named husband and wife chefs Tim Flores and Genie Kwon of Michelin-starred Kasama Best Chef(s) for the Great Lakes Region.
Last year, Kasama earned the distinction of being the world’s first Michelin-starred Filipino restaurant, as well as a 2022 James Beard Foundation finalist for best new restaurant. (via Eater.com)
Kasama is a Korean bakery and modern Filipino restaurant that was recently featured on ‘Good Morning America’ for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) Month.
Opened in 2020 just before the pandemic, Flores explained the concept. “We want to do a casual Filipino concept with Genie’s specialty, which is French-American pastries,” Flores told “Good Morning America.” “Kasama means ‘together’ in Tagalog. So it’s both of our concepts in one restaurant.”
During the day, Kasama offers reasonably priced, delectable pastries and specialty breakfast items, including a Filipino Breakfast of garlic rice, fried egg, and a choice of longanisa sausage or tocino. Lumpia Shanghai is a fried pork spring roll served with sweet chilis. Mushroom Adobo has soy-braised mushrooms, fried egg, and garlic rice. Chicken Thigh Adobo hasboneless chicken thighs marinated in adobo sauce and then grilled and served with garlic rice and pickled green papaya.
Pair any one of these with a Coconut Cortadito, an Iced Black Sesame Latte, ortheirspecial Oh, hot yam! which pairs an ube latte with coconut sap.
Reviewers urge you to get there early for Kwon’s French-inspired pastries, which includes such listings as Salmon Danish (yes, you read that right. Just trust the Michelin star,)a Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treat with orange coffee and chocolate, or an Ube and Huckleberry Basque Cake. Coconut Black Sesame Macaroon. Not to be missed are the Citrus Poppy Poundcake with Rhubarb and Creme Fraiche.
“Kasama is a very different experience at night than during the day,” said one Google reviewer. “During the day it’s all about Genie’s amazing pastries and Tim’s small plates and sandwiches, much of it served to go. At night it transforms into an intimate fine dining restaurant that is pretty much perfection….Each dish seems to top the one before it, so it would be impossible to pick a favorite. If you are unfamiliar with Filipino cuisine it doesn’t matter, because each dish has a creative twist that has turned it into something completely unique anyway.”
“No other restaurant matches the offering of Kasama!” wrote another. “If you get there before noon, you can enjoy their breakfast sandwich, which is insanely amazing! Otherwise, they offer additional options for breakfast and amazingly unique pastries as well as great coffee choices. Run don’t walk!”
Kasama is located at 1001 N. Winchester Avenue. They are open Wednesday–Sunday from 9am–3pm. (Kitchen closes at 2pm) Pastries and drinks are available for carryout 2pm- 3pm. Dinner service is Thursday-Sunday, by reservation only, for their fine dining, Filipino-inspired tasting menu. For reservations, click here.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
