About Us
Physical strength is no substitute for perception. For perception is the key which unlocks the intangible powers of the spirit. You perceive nothing.
Executive Chef
Lina Suthamchai
Chef Lina Suthamchai brings over two decades of culinary mastery rooted in her upbringing in northern Thailand, where her family ran a small yakitori stand. Her journey began humbly, learning to balance flavors over open flames, before she trained formally in Kyoto and later Tokyo, where she discovered her deep love for sushi and the precision of Japanese technique. Known for blending vibrant Southeast Asian herbs with traditional Japanese preparations, she has developed a style that is uniquely hers—bold, elegant, and deeply personal.
Now head chef at Animushi, Lina leads the kitchen with quiet intensity and meticulous care. Her signature dishes feature seasonal nigiri with unexpected flavor pairings like yuzu kosho and galangal oil. Beyond the food, Chef Lina is passionate about mentorship, dedicating time each week to train young chefs in both knife skills and kitchen mindfulness. Her presence is the calm at the center of the restaurant’s electric energy—a steady hand, a sharp eye, and a soul grounded in both tradition and innovation.
Founder/Owner
Mack Ellison
Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Malcolm “Mack” Ellison spent his early years thumbing through well-worn volumes of Shonen Jump at his local library and staying up late watching subtitled anime on public access channels. While his friends dreamed of the NBA, Mack dreamed of opening a place where the energy, drama, and aesthetic of anime could meet the culinary traditions he grew up with—bold flavors, communal eating, and storytelling over shared meals. His passion for manga and Japanese culture ran deep, but so did his entrepreneurial instincts, which he honed through years of running pop-up shops and food stalls across the city.
Mack founded Animushi as a love letter to both his upbringing and the media that shaped his imagination. The restaurant is as much an experience as it is a place to eat—every detail, from the neon-drenched lighting to the anime-printed staff uniforms, is curated to immerse guests in a hybrid world of East-meets-Midwest creativity. More than a restaurant, Animushi is a cultural space where fandom, food, and identity intersect—just as Mack always envisioned.