Latest news with #Gaijin
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Gaijin brings Japan to Mumbai with vinyl, truffle and a little rebellion
In Japan, the word gaijin (short for gaikokujin) literally means 'outside person'. While technically a neutral term for foreigners, gaijin carries a sharper edge. It is not just about being from elsewhere; it is about not quite belonging. 'You can live in Tokyo for 20 years, speak fluent Japanese, cook your miso from scratch — and still be a gaijin. The boundary isn't just geographical; it's cultural, emotional, and often invisible,' says Anand Morwani, chef-partner at Gaijin, the new Japanese restaurant in Mumbai's Khar. When it comes to food, this outsider status can be both liberating and fraught. The gaijin gaze is wide-eyed, reverent, sometimes clumsy. And while Anand spent a few months travelling across Japan to learn more about the cuisine, he often asked himself: 'Can I bring this home? Can I make it my own? But what does it mean to cook something that was never really yours to begin with?' Gaijin reimagines Japanese food through an Indian lens — bold flavours, sharp technique, and zero clichés. The space Gaijin draws you in slowly with its deep burgundy Enji-iro walls and a certain stillness that cuts through the chaos of the Mumbai junction it overlooks. Light filters in through fluted panels, bouncing off stone, wood, and brushed brass that nods to temple gongs. The space feel considered: Aizome blue wraps the space in quiet, a seven-tonne Suiseki stone sits like a monk in the middle of the room, and the Ishi-doro lanterns above add a celestial softness. There is a bar that bridges robata fire and cocktail fluidity, a vinyl-listening corner that feels lifted from a Tokyo back alley, and a graffiti alleyway (which is everywhere on Instagram) that lets you slip away for a moment. Designed by Keith Menon of Spiro Spero, it is not trying to be Japan. It is trying to be honest about how we see it, from the outside. The food The menu invites free form grazing: cold plates, small plates (vegetarian and non-vegetarian), nigiri, gunkan, maki, mains, and desserts, each dish a reimagination of something familiar. Some of the highlights from the small plates section includes the pork and clam tostada, which is messy, moody, and moreish. The pork is slow-braised and tender, while the briny clams bring contrast and chew. What sets it apart is the peach kimchi hot sauce and the black garlic and water chestnut emulsion, which tastes like soil and silk. Add the crunch of the tostada and the puffed bubu arare, and you have got something that dances between surf, turf, and surprise. The crispy kataifi scallop is textural goodness. The kataifi — comprising fried vermicelli — crackles dramatically before giving way to a plump, perfectly-seared scallop. The roasted bell pepper adds sweetness, while the rayu beurre blanc and truffle corn purée form a slick, luxurious sauce that edges just short of overkill. If anything, the dish borders on dramatic excess. The bone marrow arrives glistening, its fatty richness cut by a piquant ginger-scallion slaw and pickled radish. Shemiji mushrooms echo the marrow's umami, while the black garlic glaze lends molasses-like depth. Cashew miso adds a nutty, slightly sweet counterpoint that brings it all together. Best enjoyed spooned onto charred bread or straight from the bone. As far as the cold plates go, the Not Beef Carpaccio stands out for its soft and umami-rich flavour, lifted by zingy pickled celery and a punchy ginger-scallion slaw. The bone marrow adds decadence, and the parmesan shiso balsamic glaze takes it somewhere unexpected. The gyoza shell gives that much-needed crunch. The tuna akami versus the chutoro temaki is a playful face-off: the lean, clean Akami brings freshness layered over creamy avocado, tucked into a crisp nori taco that crackles on bite. But it is the chutoro that lingers — rich, buttery, and elevated by a delicate wasabi foam that kicks in just enough heat. Round things off with the crab udon noodles. It soaks up every bit of the buttery crab-laced broth, which lands somewhere between umami-rich and gently sweet. The crab meat is generous, soft, and folded through with restraint — no gimmicks, just good seafood. The desserts here feel more theatrical than necessary. The banoffee, layered with coffee namelaka, lime panna cotta, and miso white chocolate, leans overly rich, despite the clever pecan crunch. The brie cheesecake is an acquired taste. Think cheese on a cracker with a drizzle of truffle-laced honey — clever, but not craveable. The mandarin is the prettiest of the lot, shaped like the real fruit and dotted with edible dew drops, but it prioritises visuals over balance. Impressive on paper, but honestly, I would skip the sweets. The cocktails The cocktail menu reads like a storybook: equal parts illustrated dreamscape and tactile guide, with a distinct outsider's lens. There is a sense of play throughout, each drink layered and thoughtful without ever feeling overworked. The Kombu Breeze is a standout: briny, balanced, and lifted by a spearmint foam that dissolves like sea air. The Sakura Sunset brings tropical ease, while Mt. Fuji offers a more structured sip — floral, clean, and accompanied by a bit of theatre, with ice chipped tableside to reveal a hidden bottle. It also comes with a second refill for the price of one. Some may find the presentation teetering on excess. Still, it is a menu that rewards curiosity, where even the more experimental pours feel grounded in good taste. A meal for two costs ₹4,500 plus taxes.
Mint
13-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
World Cocktail Day: Mixology goes high-tech with fancy bar equipment
Razvan Zamfirescu, the beverage head of All In Hospitality that launched HyLo in Mumbai recently, excitedly leads guests to the bar to show off the homogeniser machine, the pièce de résistance and the only one being used in India according to him. The machine is used to pulverise ingredients, and extract flavours from fruits and lemons without cutting into them. 'The machine creates pressure and releases sucrose and oils from lemons instead of breaking the skin to just release acids. My sours are on a whole different level with the lemon juice from the machine, be it pisco sours, whisky sours or mezcal sours," Zamfirescu says. Whether it is to cater to modern innovations or to stay ahead of the curve, mixologists today ensure that their creations are uber cool, on point and flavourful with tools such as rotovap, homogeniser, ultrasonic sous vide, cryofiltration and custom ice blocks. These high-end equipment can be huge investment for bars; the rotovap—short for rotary evaporator—costs between ₹6 lakh and ₹13 lakh depending on its size and country it's sourced from. This is in sharp contrast to just a few thousand rupees spent on regular bar equipment such as shakers and pans that can make most cocktails. Santanu Chanda, beverage lead of Delhi's Home Restaurant & Bar and Bartender Of The Year 2024 at Diageo World Class India cocktail competition, says that most new-age equipment is suited for smaller and more experiential bars. 'Rotovap is best used for smaller 20-25 cover bars, where you can do a tasting menu of the distillates or batch cocktails. Centrifuge makes sense if cost and time are no barriers, but otherwise you can clarify cocktails using milk, cream and agar agar just the same. Sometimes bar owners want to play with these fancy gadgets, but bartenders must know whether it's really required or not," he says. Also read: Pisco: The fascinating story of Peru's national drink At Bumipura in Mumbai's Lower Parel, founder MingYang Chai casually lights up a glass chiller to instantly freeze a cocktail glass before serving the drink in it. A few steps away, Late Checkout* uses a 45-inch Yama Cold Drip Tower used in Slow Roast, a signature cocktail that mixes clarified 16-hour Vietnamese cold brew coffee made using the machine alongside vodka. HyLo also uses an ultrasound sous vide machine that identifies the ingredients inside the bag, and uses sound waves to step up the infusion process. 'Something that takes two to three hours can be done in 30 minutes with the machine. It is also used to clean expensive jewellery," Zamfirescu adds. Take the newly-opened Japanese restaurant Gaijin in Mumbai, where the showstopper is the Mount Fuji cocktail. The cocktail arrives ensconced in a block of ice that is broken to reveal the bottle that pours two drinks. The ice has been specially curated and 3D printed for the cocktail. The vermouth in the cocktail goes through a cryofiltration process at minus 40 degrees celsius in which the liquid is removed and replaced with chrysanthemum hydrosol. The hydrosol itself is made with a special water distiller that is used to extract flavours from various ingredients. 'It took us almost four months and a lot of investment to research and get this cocktail done between the 3D ice moulds, cryofiltration and the hydrosol," says Nischal Suman, beverage head at Gaijin. Bar manager Manoj Singh Rawat's lab at Mehico in Kolkata includes a Brix scale to measure sugar content in cocktails, centrifuge to clarify fruit juices, rotovap for distilling perfume essence to spray over the glass, and ingredients such as hibiscus, muskmelon and tamarind to use in non-alcoholic drinks. For Izamel Sunset, the rotovap is used to infuse and create jasmine and strawberry waters that are mixed with Bacardi white rum, Aperol, and balanced with citric and malic acids. Rawat's latest bar programme in Delhi called Latoya features the Inca cocktail. This drink features three types of bell peppers that are pureed and clarified using the centrifuge, whereas the rotovap is used to blend jalapenos with water, and the sous vide is used to pair pisco and tomatillo that is further balanced with acids and mezcal. 'Depending on the theme, whether you want to do modern cocktails or twists on classics, you can figure out what new-age equipment you need. I wanted customers to know more about pisco so I am using techniques to add flavour to the spirit and make it more accessible," he says. Chanda acknowledges that bartenders must know how to utilise modern equipment, saying that Home was the first bar in Delhi with its own dedicated lab with rotovap and other modern tools. 'Asian bars, especially in Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong are ahead of us because almost every bar has their own lab. If we have to raise our profile in the international bar community, we must know how to use them at our disposal." Along with Pass Code Hospitality and beverage education platform Tulleeho, he launched a bar academy called Klarify in December to teach bartenders how to master advanced cocktail techniques and equipment. On the other hand, Zamfirescu says that the new machines are the best example of proof of consistency.'Once you add the right ingredients, the drink will always be the same, even if a junior bartender makes it. These machines maximise our time and the different textures allow us to further improve quality and consistency." Chanda says that he used to believe in tech a lot, but has changed his mind recently. 'I am still curious about new technology, but fancy machines don't make great bars. That comes from giving guests great service and cocktails made with a human touch." Also read: How cocktails are named Priyanko Sarkar is a Mumbai-based writer covering the F&B industry.
NDTV
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Looking For New Restaurants In Mumbai? Don't Miss These Spots In May-June 2025
As summer sets in, Mumbai comes alive with a different kind of energy, and its restaurant scene is no exception. The past few months have brought a wave of exciting new openings that offer not just great food, but also a welcome escape from the worst of this season. Whether you're looking to unwind after a hot day or discover the city's latest dining gems, Mumbai's new restaurants promise great settings for summertime fun. Here are some of the must-visit establishments where great taste meets refreshing ambience - because there's no better way to beat the heat than with good food, cool drinks, and a fascinating place to explore: Visit These New Cafes, Bars And Restaurants In Mumbai In May And June 2025: Gaijin, Khar Gaijin in Mumbai presents a daring and delightful reinterpretation of Japanese cuisine, crafted by an Indian chef who embraces the "outsider" spirit (The name means "outsider" in Japanese). Gaijin is founded by Karan Gaba, Rohan Mangalorkar and chef-partner Anand Morwani. The food menu is an invitation to explore refined yet fiercely original dishes, including cold plates, small plates (veg and non-veg), nigiri, gunkan, maki, mains, and desserts. Each offering has echoes of something familiar while providing a unique perspective. The beverage program at Gaijin is equally adventurous, with cocktails that weave Japanese ingredients with global spirits. The zero-proof drinks menu also offers imaginative concoctions that match the creativity of its alcoholic counterparts. The ambience is a striking blend of natural and artistic influences, spread across two floors with distinct vibes. Downstairs, a vibrant dining room features greenery and a vinyl-led music station, while upstairs offers a more intimate space. The alleyway is a surreal and playful recreation of Tokyo street life, complete with graffiti, neon signs, and whimsical cultural mashups. Where: Lotia Palace, Linking Rd, Opp. Citi Bank, Khar West, Mumbai Blondie Bastian Hospitality recently launched Blondie in Khar, a new cafe centred around specialty coffee and an all-day dining experience. It is led by Natasha Hemani and Chef Shreya Aggarwal. Blondie has a meticulously curated coffee program that extends beyond standard offerings to include innovative monthly specials and a dedicated Slow Bar featuring hand-brewed options with beans sourced from Chikmagalur and international single origins. Blondie also has a dedicated matcha bar, serving ceremonial-grade matcha in both traditional lattes and creative concoctions. Blondie's food menu has unique dishes like gluten-free Benne Dosas, reimagined breakfast classics and a pastry selection showcasing modern French techniques. The cafe's design emphasises natural light and warm tones, creating a versatile space that transitions from a tranquil morning spot to a vibrant evening gathering place. Where: Blondie, Ground Floor, Sant Kutir Building, Khar West, Opp. Los Cavos, Mumbai. Za'atar W Zeit (Multiple outlets) Mumbai recently welcomed Zaatar W Zeit, a Lebanese fast-casual dining brand making its Indian debut. This international brand, established in 1999, offers a refreshing take on Lebanese cuisine beyond the familiar. Brought to India by Passion Cuisine (the group behind acclaimed restaurants like Tresind, Avatara, etc.), Zaatar W Zeit has simultaneously opened outlets in Bandra West, Andheri East and NESCO Goregaon. The Bandra location provides a cosy setting ideal for a quick yet satisfying meal, with a menu, portion sizes, and flavours designed to appeal to officegoers seeking wholesome options that travel well. The selection highlights dishes beyond hummus and falafel, though these favourites are also available. Complementing the savoury treats are simple coffee-based drinks, cold-pressed juices and indulgent desserts. Zaatar W Zeit Mumbai Outlets' Addresses: Bandra: Pali Naka, Bandra, Shop no 2, opp Jai Hind Lunch Home, Pali Naka Bandra (West). Andheri: Gala no 1 & 2, JB Metal Building, Arjandas Metal Industries, opp. Hotel Quaint Suites, Ansa Industrial Estate, Compound, Andheri (East). Goregaon: 5V23+MXR, NESCO, Goregaon. Otoki, Colaba Colaba has a new Japanese restaurant - Otoki - which promises to elevate the classic Izakaya with a touch of sophistication. Established by experienced restaurateurs Pranav M. Rungta and Anurag Katriar and helmed by Chef Mohit Singh, Otoki allows diners to undertake a refined exploration of Japanese flavours. The menu features Kozara (small plates), delicate Sashimi and Nigiri, comforting Ramen, fresh Hand Rolls, expertly grilled Robata dishes, and more. Otoki also has an extensive Sake program curated by the esteemed Sake Sommelier and Brewer Maia Laifungbam, showcasing a remarkable array of sakes, including sparkling and sweet selections. Otoki's ambience radiates both elegance and warmth, harmoniously merging traditional elements with modern innovation. Late Checkout, Lower Parel Late Checkout, a new venture by Chrome Hospitality, offers a unique dining experience that masterfully blends the raw industrial charm of a former textile mill with modern sophistication. The restaurant's design features striking 21-foot ceilings and exposed brick walls, juxtaposed with plush seating, elegant chandeliers, and curated decor sourced from across India. The culinary offerings at Late Checkout are a creative fusion of global flavours and personal reinterpretations, guided by Chef Amit Dhoundiyal. The dishes range from comforting to inventive, while refined techniques take centre stage. Complementing the food is an innovative cocktail program by Prithvi Agarwal, which reimagines familiar flavours using techniques like clarification and sous vide, alongside unique coffee and whisky concoctions. Where: Mathuradas Mill Compound, 126, Sitaram Jadhav Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai Pause, Bandra Bandra West has a cosy new plant-based cafe called Pause. Founded by Rohit Dadlani and Mohit Menghrajani, the establishment celebrates fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients. Diners can indulge in a variety of flavourful dishes, from innovative breakfast options like Kale Kala Channa Toast to vibrant small plates such as Rainbow Salad Rolls and satisfying mains like Jackfruit Makhni. The cafe also boasts a unique beverage program featuring signature coffee brews and refreshing drinks sweetened with natural khandsari sugar. Guests are even welcomed with a seasonal wellness shot, highlighting the cafe's commitment to wholesome offerings. The ambience at Pause is designed to create a serene escape from the bustling city. Natural light floods the intimate 32-seater space, which features a mix of comfy couches, Japanese-style seating, and high tables. The decor and serveware reflect a strong commitment to sustainability. Where: Shop No. 27, Vora House, A/B, Pali Mala Road, Bandra West, Mumbai. Chowman, Andheri Kolkata's celebrated Chinese restaurant chain, Chowman, has unveiled its inaugural Mumbai dine-in location in Andheri West. Following a successful introduction via its Powai cloud kitchen, Chowman has debuted this new venture spanning 1000 sq. ft. Consistent with its philosophy of accessible fine dining, the Andheri West outlet provides a welcoming ambience inspired by classic Chinese design and warm interior accents. Mumbai's food enthusiasts can now savour a diverse and delectable Asian menu, including popular dishes like Chilli Prawns and Double Cooked Crispy Chilli Fish, alongside mains such as Kung Pao and signature rice and noodle options like Seafood Fried Rice and Chilli Garlic Noodles.
Chicago Tribune
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Restaurant review: Petite Vie by chef Paul Virant brings buttery French market priced potatoes near Chicago
Petite Vie, the newest restaurant by award-winning chef Paul Virant, who's made Western Springs a culinary destination for 21 years, dares to offer market priced potatoes on a simple yet inventive menu that explores France by way of the Midwest. Virant, also the chef and owner of Gaijin okonomiyaki shop in the West Loop and Vistro Prime steakhouse in suburban Hinsdale, describes his latest establishment as a brasserie. 'It's a gathering place that's got good energy, and food that's well prepared,' he said. 'Not super complicated, a lot of which is based on traditional French food.' Petite Vie opened last May around the corner from his former flagship, Vie, which closed after 19 years due to a landlord dispute in 2023. The brasserie is not quite a descendant of its namesake, but a return to the chef's French professional roots. Petite Vie is more casual with classic references. Its predecessor Vie was a contemporary American restaurant that won a Michelin star when the guide actually traveled as originally intended. 'The bestselling dish at dinner is for sure the steak frites,' Virant said when I asked about Petite Vie. 'But depending on the plat du jour, those sell really well.' Boeuf bourguignon, the current plat du jour, or dish of the day, is more le plat du mois, or dish of the month, with good reason. The tender beef stew, braised traditionally in red wine with carrots, takes a detour from Burgundy when it's served over a silky celeriac puree, and under a tangle of grated celeriac dressed in a bright remoulade. It's a Midwestern declaration on the dish, but I do wish there was far more of that defining and delicious red wine sauce. 'I gotta give Vinny credit for that,' Virant said about head chef Vinny Gerace, previously chef de cuisine at The Publican. 'I was more like, let's just do it right, and send it out with some sourdough.' They source the sourdough bread from Publican Quality Bread, but pastry chef Angelyne Canicosa bakes everything else in-house. 'But he had this whole idea with celery root,' added Virant about Gerace, and the remoulade with a little bit of horseradish, which is not traditional at all, but clearly a great flavor with beef. That skilled culinary curiosity is why I would order the plat du jour at Petite Vie every single time, whatever it is. 'The plat du jour, and stuff like that, is what I really enjoy,' Virant said. 'Because that's kind of my thing.' That's definitely my thing too. Some other wonderful stuff can be found in the blackboard specials, including a small, but significant side: a steak butter. It's currently au poivre, a compound butter with brandy, shallots, reduced beef stock and lots of black pepper. And then there are those market priced potatoes! They're on the board as pommes de terre inspirée d'Escoffier, or potatoes inspired by Escoffier, as in Auguste Escoffier, who codified French cuisine in his cookbook 'Le Guide Culinaire,' published in 1903. At Petite Vie, the current market priced potato dish is aligot, the legendary mash with an epic cheese pull. 'So that's a lot of fun,' Virant said about the potato series. 'I tell my crew, 'You all know the book. Now take a look at the potato chapter, what do you want to do?'' It's another modest Midwestern affirmation, since market-priced items are usually steaks or seafood, not our most common root vegetable. At Petite Vie their aligot is about a third Gruyère cheese, suspended in soft clouds of russet potato, which needed a touch more salt, always a challenge when seasoning potatoes. But why are they market priced? Because what some might consider the lowliest root vegetable has historically been taken to culinary heights. Rather than simply reprinting the menu every time, Virant took each dish as an educational moment. 'We did the tartiflette,' he added about the iconic baked potato casserole, which they made with Alsatian wine, bacon and creme fraiche. 'That was a higher-cost item than the aligot, so I knew the prices would change.' The pithivier aux légumes de saison, a puff pastry pie with vegetables of the season, also changes. And the current variation is breathtaking. Luxurious ribbons of marinated butternut squash, crisp fried parsnips and green pea shoots curl over buttery golden pastry, filled with velvety squash puree, bejeweled with toasted pumpkin seeds and white wine-braised shallots. It's so stunning, and complex yet comforting. 'We wanted to have a vegetable entree that could again work with the seasons,' Virant said. 'And we've had a handful of variations, ratatouille, and the first one was spring peas with cauliflower and French curry.' Theirs is not the traditional pithivier, which is like a pot pie that can be savory or sweet. 'But it is sort of,' added the chef. 'I think being in the Midwest, you can do pot pie with so many different things, and it's great.' That includes their next interpretation of the pithivier already in the works, with black truffles, chestnuts and charred cabbage. The quiche de saison has not changed yet, available only at brunch, served on weekends since last June, and Fridays since January. When I asked about the brunch bestsellers, Virant said people love the savory buckwheat crepe and the classic American breakfast, as well as a duck confit poutine. But the quiche is a big one — literally. A colossal, quivering wedge somehow holds so much spinach, Gruyère cheese and mushrooms cooked in a garlic confit oil. That quiche is worth whatever the price of eggs will be. A pâté maison, a platter really, with hearty slabs of perfect house-made country pâté, studded with pistachios and drizzled with a bracing black currant gastrique, comes with a generous quenelle of chicken rillettes, grilled sourdough bread and coveted house pickles. Virant wrote the book on pickles, ' The Preservation Kitchen: The Craft of Making and Cooking With Pickles, Preserves, and Aigre-doux,' with award-winning author Kate Leahy. The vegetables of the season, also market priced, are radiant curry roasted sunchokes with an almond aillade, the nutty garlic condiment that you will want to eat by the spoonful. A nougat glacé dessert, which Virant said is inspired by a recipe from the Le Bec-Fin French restaurant in Philadelphia, is exquisitely reimagined by pastry chef Canicosa. It presents a frozen honey parfait topped with candied cherry and orange, embedded with crushed hazelnuts and pistachios, and finished with an ethereal honeycomb tuile. Bar manager Patrick Swanson suggested a Pomme de Vie spritz when I visited at brunch, a beautifully balanced cocktail mixed with a pommeau de Normandie, an apple aperitif. At dinner, when I asked for a low or no-alcohol drink, he recommended his Tigre en Papier, probably the best spirit-free cocktail I've ever had, so lovely and layered, made with aromatic herbal nonalcoholic Lucano amaro liqueur. Back at brunch, the crêpes Suzette were so light and infused with orange and brandy, but I do wish they had been flambeed tableside. The viennoiserie (kouign-amann, pain au chocolat and almond croissant) seemed so promising with flaky puffs, but had lost their elemental crispness. At dinner, the chocolate soufflé, finished with a tableside pour of creme anglaise, was a touch too soft and runny. Demi baguettes are baked in-house and served all day two ways, both with salted butter, and either cute cornichons and Dijon mustard, or house-made jam. They were priced at a surprising $9 each. I will emphatically reiterate that good food costs money, and great bread and butter cannot be free. But the crumb was dense and close. The dough recipe was originally a boule from Vie, Virant said, which was served sliced. It's ambitious to bake any bread in-house at a restaurant, no matter the fiction of 'The Bear.' Even Michelin three-starred restaurants in Paris have dedicated bread bakers. And the demi baguettes at Petite Vie are popular with regulars. But the house style was unusual for the two I had, and missing an elusive crackling crusty chewiness that's a fundamental foundation of French food. Canicosa makes an impeccable financier, however, and it's only available as a free side with coffee. The tiny cake-like cookie tells a love story between beurre noisette and blondies. It rivals Éric Kayser's famous financier, and took me back to his first and only Maison Kayser in the fifth arrondissement. The petits fours at Petite Vie, a seasonal selection of three French pastries offer Canicosa's artful study in butter, with three pairs of teeny crumbly sable cookies, airy madeleine cakes and caramelized canelé pastries. They're served on some of the prettiest plateware with delicate floral toile, chosen by designer Jody Tate, said Virant, and his wife, Jennifer Virant, a physician. 'They are the dream team on the interior,' he added. The chef bought the building directly across from the charming village Metra station, near the historic town water tower. 'It was a breakfast lunch joint,' he said. A bar in front, near windows that fully open when weather permits, leads to a chef's counter. Banquette tables are lit with tall taper candles in the main dining room, and the quieter back room where an antique table from Provence has found a new home on handsome tile floors. The Virants' personal collections hang on exposed brick walls throughout for an organic immersive feel. And they're open seven days a week, increasingly a rarity even in the city. The restaurant has superb service and such a sense of place, a neighborhood French restaurant by way of Western Springs. Petite Vie Brasserie 909 Burlington Ave., Western Springs 708-260-7017 Open: Open daily, dinner from 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday to 9:30 p.m., Sunday to 8 p.m.; brunch Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Prices: $15 (aligot), $23 (pithivier), $38 (beef bourguignon), $16 (nougat), $18 (quiche), $14 (Tigre en Papier non-alcoholic drink), $6 (drip coffee with financier cookie) Noise: OK (65 to 70 dB) Tribune rating: Excellent, 3 of 4 stars Ratings key: Four stars, outstanding; three stars, excellent; two stars, very good; one star, good; no stars, unsatisfactory. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
