Xiquet Review: All I Remember Is the Lobster Risotto

Xiquet in Chicago is a rare Spanish-style omakase with a design-focused approach — each dish comes with a story related to the chef. Went in wanting to try something different… but honestly, it was an interesting experience I wouldn’t repeat. Ratings: Food: 2/5 Service: 3/5 (excluding the sommelier) Ambiance: 2/5 Overall: 2/5 Likelihood to return: 1/5 Dining Experience Recap: 🛎️ Greeting at the entrance was polite — service felt formal, not warm. The restaurant is on the third floor, accessible only by stairs — not ideal for heels or anyone with mobility issues. 🛎️ Third floor seating is arranged along the wall in a circle, with the sommelier’s station in the middle and an open kitchen for viewing. 🛎️ First course was a pleasant surprise — four one-bite starters with thoughtful details and varied flavors. Reminded me a bit of the smoked fish roll at Masa, and got my hopes up for what was next. 🛎️ 🦞 Lobster Risotto was my favorite of the night — each grain of rice soaked in rich lobster essence. As someone who loves comforting rice dishes, this one made me happy 😋. 🛎️ The final air-dried pork & beef platter tasted fine but felt like a strange, abrupt ending — more like an intermission than a finale. 🛎️ One fish main came with a black sculpted fish bone underneath. I thought it was a plastic decoration, but the server came over specifically to tell us it was edible… a bit startling 🐟🖤. 🛎️ Dessert had some ceremony: after the main meal, guests move to the second-floor dessert lounge — a relaxed space where you can order more drinks and enjoy small sweets from a box (like handmade chocolates). A unique way to end, I’ll give them that. 🛎️ Must vent about the wine pairing — possibly the most unenthusiastic sommelier I’ve ever encountered. No smile, no engagement, spoke in a flat monotone when introducing wines. Felt like we were keeping him from clocking out 🕔. All wines were pre-poured and lined up on the side — no tasting interaction or personal touch. The contrast with the warmth at Masa was stark. His energy really dragged down the experience… though I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw him finally smile as we were leaving 😅. 🛎️ Xiquet offers a non-Japanese, Western-style omakase — worth a try just for the experience, but don’t expect magic. 🛎️ The food itself was okay for an omakase format, but if you’re sensitive to fine dining details and service, you might leave feeling a bit underwhelmed, like I did. #LifeInTheUS #SpanishCuisine #FoodDiary #Chicago #ChicagoEats #OmakaseExperience