union sushi + barbeque bar.

every so often, date night rolls around. and no, i don't mean date night w/ josh. i mean date night w/ my girlfriends. so when this happened, we know just the spot to hit :  union sushi + barbeque bar in river north.

"union combines the tempered art of japanese dining with a fresh, colorful & urban vibe. embracing an american warmth & personality, this playful juxtaposition reveals a restaurant that is welcoming, accommodating & stylish ... a true riff on what is expected or traditional - east or west."

union is kind of a small plates / sharing / you know the drill type of place ... which of course i love, since i get to try so many different things. and per the usual, my gal pal & dining partner (hi, jessie!) is super cool and was willing to eat some vegan things! woop!

here's what i had ...

edamame :

sea salt + red curry powder. (complimentary!)
everything's better when it's free, amirite? plus, the red curry powder was a nice twist from your basic edamame. something i certainly plan to replicate at home.

agedashi tofu :

daikon, ginger, green onion in a vegetable broth. 

yum. so good. delicious. amazing. want to eat a big bowl of this everyday. 

roasted cauliflower salad :

fennel, balsamic carmelized onion, orange zest, red pepper & orange sesame vinaigrette. 

also quite tasty. the red pepper gave this salad the perfect amount of kick. 

sonoma roll :

lettuce, red & yellow bell peppers, green & red onion, toasted pine nuts & miso-balsamic. 

weird, but so good. the miso-balsamic on top was awesome. 

cucumber roll :

lettuce, cilantro, avocado. red onion, jalapeño, fried ginger, green onion, black sesame & sesame paste wrapped in cucumber. 
also great. i think i preferred this over the sonoma, just because the flavors were more on track with what you normally eat at an asian place.

union sushi + barbeque bar is pretty top notch. lots of tasty vegan options = a+.

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union sushi + barbeque bar
230 w. erie street
chicago, il 60654