RIVER NORTH — The owners of Indian-inspired establishments Roop and Bar Goa are branching westward with their latest Mediterranean restaurant, Yasemi.
Located on the street level of The Godfrey Hotel, 127 W. Huron St., Yasemi is headed up by Chicago-based Greek chef George Zervakis.
Rina Mallick, who owns Yasemi alongside her husband Manish, said the couple wanted to diverge from South Asian flavors with this restaurant. They’ve traveled to Athens and Mykonos several times and fell in love with the cuisine, Mallick said.
“We wanted to do something different that would attract a different audience,” she said. “Mediterranean cuisine also being very healthy was something that we wanted to lean into. We found an amazing Greek chef, so the rest is history.”
Mediterranean restaurant Yasemi opened at The Godfrey Hotel on Dec. 12, 2024 and has a “spa-like” ambiance, says owner Rina Mallick. Credit: Soirée Hospitality Group
Leaning into Zervakis’ heritage, the restaurant starts its menu off with a Greek base. It then builds itself out with flavors and ingredients from across the Mediterranean, like a Middle Eastern-inspired whipped harissa feta ($14) and crispy potatoes with an Italian pecorino crema ($13).
Some of the most popular menu items are the braised lamb shank ($30) and chicken kebabs ($20), Mallick said. Her personal favorite dish is the half deboned chicken ($24), which has a “phenomenal” rosemary marinade and crispy skin.
The restaurant also offers appetizers — like hummus ($13) and charred eggplant ($13) — and wines from across the region, including Italy, Greece, Lebanon and Spain, Mallick said.
Alcoholic and spirit-free cocktails are served up with various twists and kicks, like olive oil martinis ($18), jasmine-infused gin and tonics ($14) and Greek espresso martinis with ouzo, an anise-flavored spirit ($15).
A variety of kebabs, including chicken, shrimp, mushroom and pork, served at Yasemi, a new Mediterranean restaurant at The Godfrey Hotel. Credit: Soirée Hospitality Group
Yasemi diners have described the restaurant as “spa-like,” Mallick said — with plenty of greenery, warm tones, natural materials and rustic plating.
“We just want to create this really comfortable, relaxing environment,” Mallick said. “You can come in, share dinner. The whole concept is around sharing plates and just enjoying that vibe.”
Yasemi opened its doors on Dec. 12, anticipating slow service ahead of the holidays “so we could get everybody trained and have a nice, soft opening,” Mallick said. The restaurant started off with dinner service and has since added a lunch menu, which will be offered next week for Chicago Restaurant Week. There’s also a special Restaurant Week Dinner menu.
There are also plans to create a breakfast menu, offer room service to Godfrey Hotel guests and open a sidewalk patio come summer.
“People are really loving everything from the food service to the vibe. It’s been phenomenal,” Mallick said. “There’s a lot more to come.”
Mallick and her husband have “always loved The Godfrey,” making it the ideal spot to open, she said. The hotel is “trendy” — and perhaps guests will want to have a Mediterranean bite before or after grabbing drinks on the rooftop, she said.
“We thought it would be a great location, kind of being connected to [the hotel] and getting the traffic both ways,” Mallick said. “The audience that they have I think really matches the audience we’re trying to reach.”
The spot has been occupied by other restaurants in past years, including Italian eatery Super Franc.
Heirloom tomato salad (left) and lamb shanks (right) served at Yasemi, a new Mediterranean restaurant at The Godfrey Hotel. Credit: Soirée Hospitality Group
Under the umbrella of Soirée Hospitality Group, the Mallicks also own Monarch and Lion, a British-style pub with Indian influences. That makes Yasemi the couple’s fourth Chicago establishment since Roop’s opening in May 2019.
They also have a Bar Goa booth at Timeout Market in West Loop.
Before venturing into the culinary world, Mallick worked as a creative director in advertising and her husband was a consultant. The two loved to travel and “were always foodies,” Mallick said.
They were inspired to open Roop, one of Chicago’s first fine dining Indian restaurants, after noticing Indian cuisine was “progressing” around the world while mainly popular in America in casual establishments, she said.
“The other three [Soirée Hospitality Group] concepts all have their roots in Indian cuisine, and this is our first one that is completely different,” Mallick said. “As far as ambience and service, I hope that it’s similar to the experience [guests] are getting at all our restaurants.”
Yasemi is open 4-9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 4-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Find more information, the full menu and make reservations here.
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