Openings

Shin Thompson’s New Place Will Be… Kabocha

Having blasted through the two names and an ampersand barrier with Table, Donkey and Stick, it was hard to say where Shin Thompson’s West Loop spot might go. In the end, it goes with a single word ending with an A (like Embeya or Vera), nostalgia, color… and squash. It’s going to be Kabocha, reports Time Out Chicago, who say the name comes from a favorite food Thompson’s mother used to make for him, a color which will be used in the design, and a flavor that’s emblematic of the Asian fusion cuisine Thompson has become known for. Other things the piece reveals— the origin of Thompson and partner Ryan O’Donnell’s friendship in a bucket of goose fat, why they both see the West Loop as Chicago restauranting’s manifest destiny, and a few menu and cocktail items to be featured in the restaurant, due this spring. [TOC]

Shin Thompson’s New Place Will Be… Kabocha