The Izakaya at Momotaro

Occupying the basement of the acclaimed Momotaro restaurant on West Lake Street, The Izakaya is the more casual and convivial side of chef Gene Kato's Japanese culinary vision. Kato, who grew up in a Japanese household and has spent his career infusing Japanese heritage into Chicago's fine-dining scene, oversees a menu of yakitori-style skewers, snappy small plates, and bar snacks designed for sharing over rounds of sake and Japanese highballs. The space earned a place in the Michelin Guide Chicago in 2023, recognising the quality and authenticity that Kato has built into every corner of the Momotaro complex. The basement setting—lower ceilings, warmer lighting, livelier energy—provides one of the city's most convincing approximations of a Tokyo izakaya underground.