Chef William Kim heads up this Logan Square restaurant which, surprisingly, is housed in a forgettable strip mall between a cleaners and a laundromat on an otherwise barren strip of California Avenue. It seems an unlikely space for an Asian joint that serves up $6–$8 dumplings, ranging from chicken and mushroom to Asian squash; rices like short rib and scallion, and phat rice; $12 soba noodles covered in bay scallops, king oyster mushrooms and blue crab broth; and sides like traditional kimchi.

Two thick chunks of wood are cautiously propped against the walls of this gray-painted, narrow restaurant, and that's pretty much the extent of the minimalist decor. A range of patrons - some of whom emerge from fancy cars dressed to the nines - sit at communal tables or take their food to go.

Average cost: $10-$20

Centerstage Reviewer: Alicia Eler