Step inside of a graphic novel and enjoy a cup of coffee and delicious doughnuts at 2d Restaurant in the Lakeview neighborhood in Chicago. Art and coffee are stirred up into one surreal experience that brings 2d, black-and-white visuals, to life.
Husband-and-wife co-owners chef Kevin Yu and designer Vanessa Thanh Vu are the the masterminds behind Chicago’s very first hand-drawn monochrome 2-dimensional illusionary restaurant. Even better, the restaurant is the very first of its kind in the United States. 2d Restaurant, located at 3155 N. Halsted Street, is having their grand opening on February 2, 2022. I was invited to explore the new restaurant during the soft opening when Kevin Yu introduced his one-of-a-kind space.
Co-owner, Vanessa YU, designed every piece of architecture inside the restaurant and Chicago artist, Mia Larson, brought the vision to life. Kevin Yu explained how the restaurant takes visitors on a day trip to Paris’ main attractions. On a visit one wakes up to coffee at a Parisian hotel with a balcony view of the Eiffel Tower. The visit includes time at Paris’ tops sights: Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre and Arc de Triomphe. After a long day of sightseeing, visitors return to a library room with a fire place and a hotel bathroom with a clawfoot bathtub.
Vanessa Yu took so much into consideration for her design of this incredibly Instagrammable restaurant. On top of the drawings being created to size, the lighting was done to produce perfect pictures. Yu created a selife-mirror where customers can set their phone and take a perfect picture of the Parisian bathroom.
Kevin Yu is excited to be the first Chicago restaurant to offer made-to-order Vietnamese Phin coffee and Pon De Ring pull-and-share donuts. After the opening, Yu plans to add Asian-fusion fried chicken to the menu. Both Yu and his wife are first-generation Asian-Americans, and he says it’s important to them to bring some of their favorite flavors to Chicago.
Kevin Yu stressed the importance of creating a space all could enjoy and wanted to bring smiles to faces especially after the difficulties people faced during Covid19. Visiting 2d allows visitors a fun and quick escape from reality. This restaurant is a must-see in Chicago.