A Humboldt Park sushi restaurant from virtually unknown chefs (brothers Carlo and Melvin Vizconde) seemed unlikely to rise to hot-spot status. And it didn’t—it catapulted.

The twin toques sharpened their skills at various sushi gigs before opening this serene 22-seater. “Me and my brother used to have regulars,” Carlo says, “and most of them never ordered from the menu.”

At Kai Zan, the savviest diners follow suit, letting the Vizcondes guide their feast with one of the best deals in town: a $50 omakase menu showcasing their finesse with piquant oyster shooters, truffle-oil-soaked escolar pearls (delicate seared escolar atop rice spheres), ultrafresh madai (snapper) carpaccio, and maki cloaked in creamy avocado.