Palatine weighing proposals for five new Asian restaurants
Five new restaurants featuring Asian cuisine are in the works in Palatine.
On village's east side, the Dream Place would fill the space of the shuttered India Bhawan eatery in a plaza at 1280 E. Dundee Road. India Bhawan closed in late 2017 amid village accusations it did not take precautions to prevent illegal drug sales on the premises and allowed another restaurant to operate in its building without a license.
Takumi Japanese Homemade Curry, Vegiita USA and Tonkotsu Ramen Benkei Japan are proposed for Palatine Centre on Northwest Highway, between Smith and Benton streets. Just to the west, Fortune Noodles would open in the Century Plaza Center on Northwest Highway.
Palatine zoning board of appeals members Tuesday night recommended granting special-use permits for the restaurants to operate. The Palatine village council, which has final say on issues, is scheduled to consider the five proposals Sept. 17.
Dream Place plans to serve traditional and modern Chinese food in the 10,000 square feet previously occupied by India Bhawan. In addition to a dining room, the space has a bar area and private party section.
Potential menu items include a scallion pancake roll and shell-on, steamed edamame sprinkled with a light salt mixture. There also might be diced bigeye tuna and fresh avocado with a sake miso sauce, topped with sesame seeds and daikon sprouts.
“If you've gone through the menu, it's quite an interesting menu,” zoning board of appeals member Cindy Roth-Wurster said to her colleagues at Tuesday's meeting.
At Palatine Centre, Takumi would have curries such as chicken, pork, beef and seafood. In the same space, Vegiita USA would feature sutadon, which is billed as a filling and energizing meal with thin pork belly slices, a “secret garlic soy sauce” and served on about 12 ounces of rice.
Tonkotsu Ramen Benkei Japan plans to have a menu including creamy pork and vegetable soups.
Manny Rafidia, who owns Century Plaza Center and Portofino's Woodfire Pizza and Pasta there, would launch Fortune Noodles space last occupied by True Woods Cabinetry. Touted as “Chinese gourmet,” the lengthy proposed Fortune Noodles menu would include egg rolls, Hunan spicy chicken, Mongolian beef, pork chop suey and sesame shrimp.