Louisa Kung Liu Chu

🥷🏻 Behind the scenes of my review at Indus Progressive Indian in Highland Park north of Chicago

🇮🇳 Owners / spouses Ajit Kalra and Sukhu Kalra honor family recipes from North India while transcending traditions with smoky masala beef brisket and fiery pork belly vindaloo on the North Shore

🙏 Photos by Terrence Antonio James. Edited by Kayla Samoy. Photo edited by Steven Rosenberg. Copy edited by Robert Loerzel. Print design in today’s paper by Alyson Morris.

📰 Full review at Chicago Tribune Food at link in my profile @louisachu1

🎁 And free here!
chicagotribune.com/2026/09/15/restaurant-review-indus-progressive-indian/?share=dpdtirui65nsuuss2rni

1) masala brisket
2) smoked daal
3) butter naan
4) daal and naan
5) kurkuri bhindi aka crispy okra
6) cucumber converter nonalcoholic drink
7) kokum mezcal cocktail
8) Mamma’s cholle
8) crispy poori bread 🔊 sound on for cromch!
10) duck kebabs
11) Bhoomi lamb burger with fresh cut fries
12) dark chocolate torte with blood orange granita
13) masala chai
14) my dog Kōl on the sidewalk patio on a perfect summer moonlit night 🌝🐺✨ Less

🥷🏻 Behind the scenes of my review at Maplewood Brewery & Distillery in Chicago and beyond

🇵🇱 Chef Joanna Janczurewicz makes her takes on modern Polish American comfort food in the city and suburbs — from lazy dumplings (kluski leniwe) and pork butter (smalec) to mushroom baguette pizza with ketchup (zapiekanka)

🙏 Photos by John J. Kim. Edited by Kayla Samoy. Photo edited by Steven Rosenberg. Copy edited by Nancy Stuermer. Print design by Alyson Morris.

📰 Full review at Chicago Tribune Food at link in my profile @louisachu1

🎁 And free here!
chicagotribune.com/2026/09/01/restaurant-review-maplewood-brewery-chicago/?share=sgeaw1606oeroi6traws

1 & 2) mushroom baguette pizza with ketchup aka zapiekanka at Maplewood Lounge in Logan Square
3 & 4) pork butter aka lard aka smalec
5 & 6) potato babka aka babka ziemniaczana
7 & 8) Polish meatballs aka klopsiki
9 & 10) strawberry rhubarb parfait
11 & 12) Pink is Punk spiritfree drink at the new Maplewood Public House in Glen Ellyn
13 & 14) kielbasa plate
15 & 16) chicken Kyiv aka devolaj
17 & 18) Fat Pug brownie sundae
19) My dog Kōl after dinner on the covered patio at the Public House
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🥷🏻 Behind the scenes of my review at Mister Tiger, a Korean restaurant that opened as an ode to a grandmother’s home cooking in West Town

🐅 But structural engineer turned chef Min Lee is not making your grandma’s galbi

🙏 Photos by Chris Sweda. Edited by Kayla Samoy. Photo edited by Marianne Mather. Copy edited by Robert Loerzel. Print design by Aly Morris.

📰 Link to the full review at Chicago Tribune Food at link in my profile @louisachu1

🎁 And free here!
chicagotribune.com/2026/08/18/restaurant-review-mister-tiger/?share=gstweraitirior2ggggt

1 ) sizzling uni albap
2 ) kimchi/jeon
3 ) boiling sundubu-jjigae
4 ) Home Remedy NA drink
5 ) banchan
6 ) kimchi fried rice
7 ) woodae galbi 8 oz
8 ) bibim-naengmyeon
9 ) sundubu-jjigae
10 ) banana milk chocolate cannoli
11 ) Kōl Chu and I arriving for our patio reservation
12 ) bubbling cheese deung galbi
13 ) Faithful Sue cocktail
14 ) cheese deung galbi
15 ) Korean fried chicken with tteokbokki
16 ) dolsot bibimbap with tofu
17 ) woodae galbi 14 oz with dino rib
18 ) yuja tiramisu
19 ) sweet corn ice cream
20) Kōl side eyes delivery robot after dinner 🐺😒🤖 Less

🥷🏻 Behind the scenes of my review of Longman & Eagle in Chicago

✨ The Logan Square restaurant celebrated its sweet sixteen this year

🤘 New executive chef Alex Swieton revels in vegetables with serious hardcore style

🎁 Full review at Chicago Tribune Food at link in my profile @louisachu1 and free gift link here!
chicagotribune.com/2026/08/04/restaurant-review-longman-eagle-logan-square-chicago/?share=eh8mia8iml4iliashciw

🙏 Trib photos by E. Jason Wambsgans. Edited by Kayla Samoy Young. Photo edited by Todd Panagopoulos. Copy edited by Jamie Zega. Print design by Alyson Morris.

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🍅

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🥜

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🪵 “woodwork”

✨ Behind the scenes of my review at Kumiko, the Japanese dining bar aka ダイニングバー in Chicago

🥚 Chawanmushi course from the shunbun, or spring equinox, tasting menu

🥂 Verve spiritfree drink pairing

🎣 Madai and Arajiru courses

🌱 Fields of Green pairing

🌸 Pastel cocktail seasonal special with rhubarb

🍔 Kumiko cheeseburger Sunday special with housemade shokupan bun

🥢 Choose your chopstick rest

🍱 Kareraisu with tofu teishoku

🖤 Black sesame and coconut swirl ice cream dessert special (sound on for cromch)

🇯🇵 Chef, partner, and creative director Julia Momosé reclaims her culture with comfort and conviction

📰 My latest review at @chitribfood , at the link in my profile @louisachu1 , and free here!
chicagotribune.com/2026/05/05/restaurant-review-kumiko-chicago/?share=ncnhriirohcrvh6m50re

🙏 Photos by Terrence Antonio James. Edited by Kayla Samoy Young. Photo edited by Steven Rosenberg. Copy edited by Robert Loerzel. Print design by Alyson Morris. Less

🐷 “Dead Piglet”

✨ Behind the scenes of my review at Cerdito Muerto in Pilsen, a Mexican American restaurant and cocktail bar, reincarnating a father’s pool hall, a mother’s taqueria, and a childhood home

🌮 Mamá Coco’s al pastor taco

🐐 birria taco (by chef Becky Carson inspired by Consuelo Oceguera’s recipe)

🕊️ Guillermo’s Paloma (from beverage consultant / Wednesday bartender Guillermo Martinez)

🍓 sin piquete

☕️ café de olla ice cream

🐓 Al’s tinga tostada (sound on for cromch)

🍍 piña colada güera

🍔 hamburguesa aplastada

🇵🇸 Owner Emidio Oceguera transformed the historic building that survived the Great Chicago Fire (and real estate development) into an elegant and emotional experience

📰 My latest review at @chitribfood, at the link in my profile @louisachu1, and free here!
chicagotribune.com/2026/04/28/restaurant-review-cerdito-chicago/?share=o2aora40whbcieo2otrc

🙏 Photos by Terrence Antonio James. Edited by Kayla Samoy. Photo edited by Steven Rosenberg. Copy edited by Nancy Stuermer. Print design by Alyson Morris.

🎁 ¡Y traducción al español de José Luis Sánchez Pando gratis aquí!
chicagotribune.com/2026/04/30/resena-de-restaurante-cerdito-muerto/?share=rr3mbgi2c0mnwsttorae Less

👀 Behind the scenes of my review at Creepies in Chicago

🥪 “Croque madame”

🥗 Niçoise sandwich

🔪 Haricots verts cross section

🍸 Celery Calvados Negroni

🥖 Baguette soft serve

🍒 Meringue cake with seasonal salted cherry sherbet and stone fruit confectionery layers

🇫🇷 It’s a French inspired bistro with Midwestern basement vibes by chefs / spouses Anna Posey and David Posey of Michelin starred Elske with chef de cuisine Tayler Ploshehanski in the West Loop

🙏 Photos by Terrence Antonio James. Edited by Kayla Samoy Young. Photo edited by Marianne Mather. Copy edited by Jamie Zega. Print design by Alyson Morris.

🎁 My latest review at Chicago Tribune Food at link in my profile @louisachu1 and free here:
chicagotribune.com/2026/03/24/restaurant-review-creepies-chicago/?share=erihraivbg6hheicrwst Less

🍳 Shakshuka with malawach, the crispy, buttery, flaky Jewish Yemenite flatbread that’s woodfired at Cafe Yaya in Chicago

✨ I reviewed the Mediterranean and French little sister to Michelin-starred Galit next door, by James Beard award winning chef Zach Engel and pastry chef Mary Eder-McClure

🥐 The ephemeral bakery and neighborhood bistro exceeded my high expectations

🙏 Photos by Terrence Antonio James. Edited by Kayla Samoy. Photo edited by Steven Rosenberg. Copy edited by Jeffrey Carlson. Print design by Aly Morris in today’s paper.

🎁 At Chicago Tribune Food at link in my profile @louisachu1 and free here:
chicagotribune.com/2026/01/27/restaurant-review-cafe-yaya-chicago/?share=gaawagn2a2efcwco2rcu Less

Summer patio memories on a winter below zero windchill day of Maxwells Trading off the Kinzie Industrial Corridor in the West Loop

1 / Suzuki tartare

2 / Japanese sweet potato

3 / Chicken a la brasa

My pick for our story on Chicago Restaurant Week this year

At link in my profile @louisachu1 or free here:
chicagotribune.com/2026/01/19/chicago-restaurant-week-2026/?share=ichn1c9noh26a1eon1ou Less

It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new year

Happy 2026!

Thicc Sando by chefs Zubair Mohajir and Jacob Dela Cruz at Sarima Cafe, their ambitious Filipino Indian coffeeshop in Chicago

It’s a dupe of Kasama’s coveted breakfast sandwich, but with housemade halal sausage, hot and sour achar aioli, soft egg soufflé, and a crispy hash brown, all on a pillowy potato roll Less