Deeply flavorful wood-fired South American food from chef John Manion (El Che Steakhouse & Bar) shines at this West Town restaurant along with festive cocktails and charming interiors. Why Zubair loves it: “John Manion is the father of chef dad jokes in Chicago. An inspiration, he always carries the most lethal micro fan to start a fire wherever he may be. His chef de cuisine Adam Meyer is an amazing chef as well, although he needs to work on his dad jokes.”

Its lodge-like interior design is a tip-off to the rustic meat-centric food featured here from chef Brian Jupiter, a New Orleans native to whom Southern hospitality comes naturally. Why Zubair loves it: “Chef [Brian] Jupiter and chef Azazi [Morsi] are my brothers. They provide amazing hospitality and food, whether it’s a whole animal feast at Frontier or halal eats at sister spot Migos Fine Foods.”

This newcomer located below Korean American restaurant PERILLA Fare and from the same team specializes in creative sushi handrolls served at a U-shaped bar in an intimate basement-level space. Why Zubair loves it: “The best people and foundations of the AAPI community in Chicago. They’ve led the way always. Thomas [Oh] and Andrew [Lim] are amazing people and they, of course, cook some amazing food.”

Pairing top-notch sushi and binchotan-roasted meats with creative cocktails and old-school hip-hop, Sushi-San is the party we didn’t know we needed. Why Zubair loves it: “Solid every time and a great team. Enough said.”

Born from a beloved pop-up by wife-and-husband team Margaret Pak and Vinod Kalathil, this neighborhood gem—a New York Times Restaurant List pick—features the hard-to-find cuisine of Kerala from India’s southwest coast. Why Zubair loves it: “We grew up together as pop-ups in the scene in 2018. I’m proud to see where we both are today. Thattu offers amazing food from amazing people.”

The classic Pakistani and North Indian dishes at this cozy restaurant are inspired by the cooking of brothers Fahim and Faraz Sardharia’s Pakistani mother and Indian father. Why Zubair loves it: “It’s a long time OG of Pakistani and Indian Cuisine.”