Shakou Japanese restaurant in St. Charles opens tonight

ST. CHARLES – Shakou, a modern Japanese restaurant and bar in downtown St. Charles, opens tonight.

The restaurant’s dinner-only “opening weekend” will run from Thursday, April 16, through Sunday, April 19.

The following week, Shakou will resume its regular hours, which are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays; 11 to 1 a.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11 to 2 a.m. Fridays; 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays; and 4 to 10 p.m. Sundays.

Shakou, at 312 Main St., St. Charles, follows the opening of Shakou Libertyville two years ago. The main floor at Shakou features a dining room with a sushi bar and a cocktail lounge with a bar. Upstairs, there’s a sake room for small groups and an upper mezzanine with a bar area for before-dinner drinks and cocktail celebrations, a news release states.

The dinner menu, created by executive chef Sang Choi, will include items such as hot and cold appetizers, soups, salads, by-the-piece nigiri/sashimi and maki ($3 to $7), signature maki rolls ($12 to $22) and beef, chicken, fish, noodle and seafood cooked entrees ($17 to $39).

Restaurant specialties will include signature maki, such as the Black Widow – black rice, lightly battered fresh water eel, avocado topped with tempura crunch, sauteed scallops, tobiko and unagi sauce – and the Golden Lobster – lobster tempura, avocado and masago, wrapped in soy paper and topped with seared garlic egg yolk sauce, unagi sauce and wasabi mayo.

Among the signature cocktails are The Dragon, made with dragon berry and lemon rum, white cranberry juice, passion fruit purée, a grenadine floater and cherry garnish; and the Blueberry Lemon Drop Martini, made with Stoli Blueberry Vodka, sour and citrus juice and lemon garnish.

A portion of the proceeds from the opening weekend will go to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association as part of the Shakou Cares program, designed by the restaurant’s owners to help local organizations raise funds, the release states.

On-street and valet parking are available. To make reservations, visit shakousushi.com.