Koko Sushi Bar - new spot in Logan Square/Humboldt Park

The GF and I went to this new spot just north of us for dinner last night. It is in a spot on W Armitage previously inhabited by a Mexican restaurant (the decor is an interesting blend of styles, to say the least). It's BYOB for now (the mgr said that they may apply at some date down the road).

Cool interior, very spacious, with the sushi bar placed in the center like an island, which divides the space into a more "formal" dining room and a more "casual" loungy side with a TV.

We sat in the front window, and only complaint we had was the ever-changing "mood light" on the top window sill. This cascaded blue/green/red tones on our table so our hue of our plates was constantly changing.

We started with miso soup, edamame, and the grilled Hamachi neck appetizer. The soup and soy beans were solid, but we were really impressed by the grilled fish. It was really Hamachi collar, grilled to impart a bit of smokiness. Very moist and tender, and I think about $7-8.



We ordered some Maki and Nigiri sushi for our main course.



Rock Roll (across in orange) was our favorite: tempura shrimp, tuna, spicy mayo and I think something else (it's not listed on the take-out/delivery menu we grabbed)

Mexican Maki: hamachi, avocado, cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeno chile sauce

Maguro & (super) white tuna nigiri - the white tuna was amazingly tender, like buttah!

The menu is a huge format, laminated, and reminded me of a Denny's menu due to the wide selection of items.

The service was warm and friendly, and outside of a long wait for the sushi platter (there was a big party that ordered before us) it was a very pleasant experience. Our total bill came to $61, plus tip. A solid deal, although the nigiri prices were a touch high ($3 and up per piece).

Koko Sushi Bar
2829 W. Armitage Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
773-235-2199
http://kokosushibar.com/

I live around the corner from this place, and tried it soon after it opened about a month or so ago. I don't remember what I had, but I thought the sushi was good. I am not at all a fan of Hachi's (Logan Square's other sushi option), so this place is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. I though the menu may have been a touch on the pricey side, but the fact that the restaurant is BYO made up for that somewhat. The service was rather slow on the night I was there as well. The room is very large. Probably too big for the business the place is likely to generate. I like the style of the room which I believe is leftover from a Mexican restaurant that never actually opened in that location, but still has a very modern feel.

All in all, I would recommend this place. I have consistently heard that service is slow from others who have been here. Hopefully they fix this as they work out the kinks. Otherwise, I think this place is a good addition to the neighborhood.

Koko Sushi Bar is our default sushi delivery source, and I've been very pleased. Yes, that hamachi neck/collar is really good, and consistently so over five or six orders. Nigiri and sashimi are generally good quality, and they also make a very good beef udon, which is $11 but a generous serving, enough for two. I also like their "ceviche dip exotic," which is served in tomato sauce like a coctel and includes a huge amount of high quality fish (menu says tuna, snapper and shrimp, but they've always also put some bivalves, and sometimes octopus, in it when I have ordered). They are a little expensive, but I've yet to find a competitive source in Logan Square.