Celebrating incoming and outgoing restaurants in Wilmette

A first-time restaurant owner is bringing their “huge dream” to town.

Wilmette trustees during their Tuesday, April 8 meeting approved a special-use request for a new limited-service restaurant at 143 Skokie Blvd.

The new eatery, Mama Nam’s Kitchen, will operate out of the space that was previously home to 5B2F Akira Sushi, and Thali Bites prior to that. According to village documents, either carry-out or delivery restaurants have occupied the 848-square-foot space since 1996.

Mama Nam’s Kitchen will run as a catering and carry-out “fusion Korean restaurant,” co-owner Kun Hee Nam said in proposal documents submitted to the village.

The family-owned and -operated restaurant will be open daily from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. The space will not feature any seating and will not require additional parking, per project details.

Co-owner Annie Nam last month told Wilmette’s Zoning Board of Appeals that the inspiration behind opening the restaurant is that she “wants to introduce Korean food in the community and be a good member of the community.”

A sampling of the restaurant’s menu included in board materials shows Mama Nam’s Kitchen will feature Korean staples such as bibimbap (rice with vegetables and beef), galbi (grilled short ribs), pajeon (green onion pancakes), japchae (noodles with sauteed vegetables), bulgogi (soy sauce marinated beef) and more.

A precise timeline for Mama Nam’s opening was not given during its presentation to zoning commissioners last month and Wilmette trustees approved the request as a matter on their consent agenda.

Family behind Tsing Tao honored

Wilmette officials paid tribute to a local restaurant with a storied history in the community and an “unbelievable” legacy.

Village trustees delivered a proclamation on April 8 commemorating Tsing Tao Restaurant for its 40-plus-year run in Wilmette.

The Sun family, who has owned the restaurant since its opening in Wilmette in 1980, announced earlier this year that it has a deal in place to sell the business and building at 537 Green Bay Road, as first reported by The Record.

Tsing Tao will still operate under the same name and in the same location, but under different ownership.

The Sun family ran the restaurant for 44 years and became a staple of the community for its authentic Chinese cuisine and family-oriented philosophy.

According to village documents, Tsing Tao secured the Village’s first liquor license. Wilmette — like most North Shore communities — was a dry town for decades after prohibition ended. But back in 1980, the Sun family was granted liquor license No. 001 by the Village.

Richard Sun, whose parents Chih and Mei Sun opened Tsing Tao in 1980, addressed the community during the April 8 meeting and thanked “the good folks in Wilmette for the past 44 years.”

“We made not just a neighborhood restaurant, but a place of comfort and for many people a home away from home,” Sun said.

“Thank you for walking alongside us to make our American dream come true,” Sun later added.

Wilmette Village President Senta Plunkett presented the Sun family with a plaque commemorating the restaurant’s many contributions to the village over the past four decades.

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