Ai Sushi Lounge
Adventurous eaters will be happy to know that fugu (blowfish) – a Japanese delicacy requiring surgical precision and special training to prepare because certain parts of it are poisonous – will make a seasonal appearance on the menus at sushi siblings Ai Sushi and Tsuki. The only Midwest restaurants serving fugu, both are members of the FDA-approved “Tora Fugu Buyer Association” and feature a Japanese-licensed chef.
Fridays and Saturdays until the end of February, offerings will include paper thin fugu sashimi and cooked fugu skin gelatin, $35; blowfish-monkfish casserole with Japanese vegetables and tofu, mixed with rice to make a porridge dish ($30 per table; 24 hours notice required); and dried fugu skin served in hot sake, torched to bring out the fish flavor, $15 (guests are encouraged to call for daily availability; Ai Sushi, 312-335-9888; Tsuki, 773-883-8722).