BOYSTOWN — Just before celebrated chef Yoshi Kastumura died in August, he asked his wife to "please keep my legacy going."
So as Yoshi's Cafe celebrates its 33rd anniversary, Nobuko Katsumura has pledged to do just that with a five-course anniversary dinner Nov. 22.
"Yoshi loved this business. His heart is still with us, and we will carry on in his honor," she said.
She and new head chef Miguel Carchi planned a "spectacular" menu for the special day. Carchi, 40, worked under Katsumura for 22 years.
"Miguel is a first-rate chef who intimately knows Yoshi's unique food creations," Nobuko Katsumura said. "He will uphold the highest standards that Yoshi's has been known for, here and around the world."
The gourmet menu will feature Japanese fusion cuisine, starting with a Wagyu beef tataki appetizer with foie gras pate and stone crab. After salad and lobster bisque, diners will have their pick between Chilean sea bass, duck a l'orange or short rib.
The $100 dinner will start at 6:30 p.m., with cocktails offered starting at 6 p.m.
From Nov. 17-19, Yoshi's will also add a $33 three-course meal to its menu, with a smoked salmon salad and clam chowder accompanying Katsumura's signature Bouillabaisse and Coq au Vin.
The Katsumuras first opened Yoshi's Cafe in 1982 at 3527 N. Halsted St. The restaurant is celebrated for its "singular" fusion of Asian and French cuisine.
Before his death at 65 after a battle with cancer, Katsumura was named one of America's Outsanding Chefs and received a smattering of accolades.
His wife said she has been "so grateful for the overwhelming support" following Katsumura's death.
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