Maijean
30 S. Prospect Ave., Clarendon Hills
630-794-8900
A confession: We were wrong about new restaurant Maijean. When we first got wind of this new spot, which opened June 1 in Clarendon Hills, we pegged it as French-Asian, a la Le Lan. The name and logo seemed Asian-tinged, and chef/owner Nadia Tilkian spent time as sous chef at French-Vietnamese spot L’Anne in Wheaton.
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But alas, first impressions can be misleading. Maijean (pronounced “may-zsheen”) is actually Tilkian’s part-French grandmother’s nickname, and the stately lady that appears on the restaurant’s logo is her as well. But there’s no overt Asian theme here — it’s upscale, French-inspired bistro fare, from the steak frites ($32) to the escargots ($8).
Tilkian has been masterminding her own restaurant since she left Barrington Country Bistro in ’04, and previous stints at Bistro 110 and now-shuttered Zinfandel prove she’s no stranger to the well-loved French bistro concept. At Maijean, Tilkian crosses her love for French-country fare with her penchant for Art Nouveau, and worked with an interior designer to give the space a 1920s feel. Martinis and wine (the list is 50 percent French) will be poured at a period bar embellished with antique mirrors and scrollwork. A separate room decorated in blues has a more traditional French-country look.
Maijean may be the only spot in the area where you can score sauteed calves’ liver; here it’s served with mashed potatoes, crispy onions and sherry sauce ($18). Other standouts include duck breast ($20) with an apple tatine and Calvados sauce (named for the French apple brandy it’s made with) and braised beef short ribs with red wine jus and Brussels-sprout slaw ($28).
Mysteriously, we still detect a hint of Asian flair in a couple of dishes, like the salmon baked in parchment with ginger and baby bok choy ($20), and the lemongrass ice cream that accompanies the champagne-poached peaches and anise angel food cake ($7). Coincidence? We’ll let you be the judge.
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