An undesirable wintertime seat freezing by the window at Hayashi Japanese Restaurant in Gurnee is completely worth the discomfort. The food at this amber-lit and Asian-styled eatery is top notch.

When it comes to sushi ... Enter Hayashi Mayple. Launched in 2018, it occupies an unassuming strip-mall spot in the Marc’s Plaza in Chardon, at the location of the former Maple Leaf restaurant.

Yeom started the restaurant with her then-boyfriend, a sushi chef named Hayashi (hence the website address of ilovehayashi.com). He designed the menu and provided the sushi expertise. The Korean r ...