An upscale 100% plant-based restaurant is opening in River North today. Planta Queen serves everything from sushi made from dehydrated watermelon, avocado lime tartare, cauliflower tots and so much more. Now available to try in River North, whether you go for the Singapore noodles or try out the truffle mushroom udon, there’s something for everyone on this expansive, vegan-friendly menu.
Serving a fusion menu founded on plant-based ingredients defines Planta Queen, founder and CEO Steven Salam isn’t looking to replace the steak and seafood restaurants but wants to introduce people to the delicious nature of plant-inspired options.
With already successful Planta Queen locations in Toronto and New York, Chicago residents can expect a similar menu with dishes that blend plant-based items with traditional servings like a ‘tuna roll’ made from watermelon. As for the decor, the space shows off floor-to-ceiling windows along with rick oak accents and velvet covered seating areas.
This Planta Queen location is catered toward the ‘sophisticated diner’, similar to their Manhattan location, bringing versatile upscale vegan options to customers. They want to focus on the environment by incorporating leftover ingredients from food prep, like the excess watermelon juice being used for a juice bar, or extra jalapeños used in a sauce also making their way into tequila.
As for the cocktail options, they follow a similar theme as the menu, with offerings blending ingredients like chili-infused tequila with pineapple or ginger mezcal with passion fruit.
While Chicago’s Planta Queen is brand new, it does fall under the umbrella of the larger Planta restaurants founded by Salm and executive chef David Lee. This isn’t their first foray into the food industry, as they are currently operating over 10 restaurants in New York, Toronto, and Bethesda, Maryland, and plan for more on the way.
Initially, they’re serving only lunch and dinner, but plan to launch a brunch menu on October 8th with decadent items like chai cinnamon buns or kimchi fried rice. Don’t miss out on the bottomless pear or apple sangria.
They are looking for local cold-press partners for a juicing program, which is considered central to the restaurant. Plans are tentative for a community garden, as many of their locations feature a rooftop oasis, which is not available in this towering location.
The restaurant will be open Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 10 PM, and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 PM. Make a reservation here.
Address: 413 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654