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Last we heard from Eric Aubriot, he was filling in at Custom House after Aaron Deal was let go. The menu he finally devised featured simplified tavern fare, with a slight French twist. So it’s a little surprising when Chicago Magazine reported that he had moved on and opened Lure Izakaya Pub in the Chinatown Mall. Talk about a change of direction. We have the full menu below, but what we found most interesting is that Chicago also published a mini review, writing a “friend of Dish checked out Lure on its opening weekend and gave us this early report.” So, what did this “friend” think?

Well, all was not perfect. The space “felt as awkward as a deserted dance club,” and only a couple of the dishes were “better than just good.” One of the dishes, the rock shrimp yamamo, was given a verdict of “I don’t think I can swallow this.” Still, it seems just a tad unfair to judge a place so close to opening. Take a look at the menu below and see what you think.

Eric Aubriot Opens Lure in Chinatown [Chicago Magazine]

Lure Izakaya Pub, 2017 S. Wells. St., 1st Floor, Chicago ll 60616; 312-225-8989

Lure Izakaya Pub Menu

SMALL PLATES from the KITCHEN

Black Mussels 8
sautéed with tomato in miso-coconut broth and butter

Ika Geso Karaage 4
fried squid head with sea salt

Asari Sakamushi 8
little neck clams steamed in sweet bonito-sake broth

Potato Croquette 4
mashed potato, corn, carrot and pea, breaded in panko and fried

Rankon 3
fried lotus root chips with sea salt

Tempura Avocado 3
served with lime

Zuke Salmon 5
marinated seared salmon with daikon oroshi

Smoked Bacon Wrapped Scallop 5
with tea-honey-citrus marmalade

Pink Sea Salt Edamame 3

Wasabi Wakame Salad 4

Braised Pork Belly 6
with golden beet and pickled bok choy

Duck Breast 6
pan-seared and marinated in japapeno sweet mirin-soy sauce

King Crab Motoyaki 8
broiled with shiitake-spinach mayonnaise

Asparagus Motoyaki 5
broiled with shiitake-spinach mayonnaise

Yellon Fin Tuna 8
sashimi with avocado and blue cheese-citrus vinaigrette

Beef Sashimi 5
served raw with truffle mayonnaise and chive

Lure Chicken Karaage 5
sake marinated and fried

Sugar Snap 5 t
opped with sesame-miso sauce

Gobo Saba 4
mackerel with daikon, poached in burdock root broth

Spicy Tofu 4
fried and served with peanut and pickled cabbage

German Style Potato Salad 5
served warm with sautéed smoked bacon and onion

Shrimp or Bacon Omurice 6
tomato fried rice wrapped in fried egg with tonkatsu sauce

Rock Shrimp Yamaimo 5
creamy japanese mountain potato purée with organic raw egg over rice

Lobster Spaghetti 6
garlic marscapone sauce

Yaki Soba -(Shrimp or Sausage) 6
Japanese pan-fried noodles with bonito and scallion

SMALL PLATES from the GRILL
(brushed with olive oil, citrus, and sea salt)

Shishito 2
apple wood-grilled Japanese sweet pepper

Japanese Beef Tongue 5
cherry wood grilled with sautéed Tokyo scallion

Baby Squid 4
apple wood-grilled

Iwashi 6
oak wood-grilled whole sardine with pickled Japanese ginger root

Madai Himono 10
overnight air-dried whole Japanese snapper, cherry wood grilled‭ ‬

Aji Himono 8
overnight air-dried whole Japanese horse mackerel, cherry wood grilled

Ika 7
apple wood-grilled whole squid

Lamb Chops 6
oak wood grilled, yuzu miso citrus

Japanese Smoked Sausage 4
oak wood grilled with togarashi spicy mayonnaise

Shishamo Himono 5
overnight air-dried whole capelin with roe, cherry wood-grilled

Baby Spinach 6
brown butter-sake sauce cooked in foil over grill

Ayu 5
whole Japanese river fish, apple wood-grilled

HOME MADE DESSERTS
Yuzu Crème Brulée 5
Dark Chocolate Mousse 5
White Chocolate Matcha Mousse 5