The sexual energy runs rampant the moment you walk in the door. The narrow foyer leading into Japonais spills out into a hot zone of smartly-dressed men and seductive women-the latter decked out in tight leather skirts, halter tops and heels. If you bang a left turn you enter a high-energy, colorful dining room that's packed every night; if you walk down the stairs it's party time at the best upscale bar scene in Chicago.

Japonais, located along the banks of the scenic (I'm not kidding!) Chicago River, has enough buzz to float a cow down the Ganges; it is without a doubt the most exciting culinary-cum-social sensation to hit Chicago in many years.

BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE KOBE DOLLS Chicago is generally noted for its Midwest conservatism. That being said, Japonais is hipper and more "cutting edge" than any contemporary Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles, San Francisco or New York City. The menu, prepared under the supervision of executive chefs Jun Ichikawa and Gene Kato, is innovative, creative and brilliant. Ichikawa and Kato know how to blend the divergent tastes and styles of Modern Japanese cooking.

Start with the Yose Nabe ($12), a sweet miso soup with chunks of fresh shrimp, octopus, salmon, napa cabbage and enoki mushrooms. This version of miso is far superior to the mundane miso that comes as a matter of course in most Japanese restaurants.

The standard Japanese salads-Kaiso ($6), for instance, with marinated sweet vinegar seaweed salad with toasted sesame and fresh cucumbers-are expertly prepared. But I recommend the more off-the-wall items such as Bin Cho ($12), marinated sashimi baby tuna with arugula and shaved daikon in a citrus sake vinaigrette. No French or Italian chef could match the delicacy of ingredients and the elegance of presentation.

SUMO READY Japanese gastronomy is noted for its affinity for meat, fresh fish and complex sauces. Sumo wrestlers-the heartiest of eaters-favor large portions of raw fish, fat, roast pork and fatty beef floating in a clear broth. Not exactly what Dr. Atkins had in mind; but the fondness for a high-protein diet is evident in the Japanese culinary consciousness. At Japonais, the most interesting dishes tend to focus on either beef or lobster. "The Rock" ($12) is just what it sounds like-a large rock that's cooked in a brick oven and served with thin slices of New York strip steak. You simply place the strips of lean beef on the molten rock and quick-cook each strip to taste. "The Rock" is not unlike the fare served in traditional Yakitori bars-the precursor to sushi bars-where each diner receives his or her individual charcoal grill and gets going on a personal indoor barbeque pigout.

Kobe Osso Buco ($45), not on the nightly menu but generally available, is a large portion of Kobe beef, marinated in soy and served with fried bamboo shoots and grilled plums. Kobe beef is noted for its richness, high-fat content and exquisite flavor and texture. One of the great arguments in finesse cooking is whether Kobe beef is superior to a Porterhouse (one-half sirloin and one-half filet) produced from one of the better cattle ranches in the U.S. Quite frankly, this is one of those idiotic arguments with no correct answer. Kobe beef is too rich for many, but it has as much flavor as any cut of meat you'll ever find in a Morton's-the best mass-marketed steak chain of restaurants in the world.

For those of you who would rather skip the beef, go with the Lobster Teriyaki (market price), spiced glazed tempura lobster with fresh asparagus and rice porridge; the chestnut chicken ($19), a half roasted chicken encrusted with cashews, filled with shiitake rice stuffing and served in a ginger lemon sauce that's light as air; and the classic best-of-both-worlds option of the Surf & Turf (Market Price), pairing a saki and mirin grilled lobster with a grilled Filet Mignon.

Put these off-the-hook dishes together with an excellent wine list and "intriguing" ambience and the plain truth is that you are left with perhaps the best dining experience in Chicago-arguably the best restaurant city in the USA today.

Japonais
600 West Chicago Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60610
312-822-9600
http://japonaischicago.com

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