Koya on Old Elm in Lake Forest

Has anyone ever tried this place? It is around the corner from my house, but I've never gone there. Curious as to any reviews.

Koya Japan
508 Old Elm Rd
Highland Park, IL 60035
847-266-0891

moderator edit-in of address

I have had lunch there a couple of times, and it is quite good. Sushi Kushi is still my favorite though.

-Will

Well, after living in Lake Forest for 12 years we finally made it to Koya for carry out this past Sunday. Yup, it was clearly a mistake to have been avoiding it all these years. Had sushi, no rolls, and the cucumber salad, both were excellent. Far better than the inexplicably popular Sushi Kushi. Went back on Monday.

I like Sushi Kushi in part because they are so busy that I am confident in the turnover. I am always a little nervous about smaller sushi places that dont seem to do a lot of business. SK has been closed for remodeling/expansion, which has been good for other restaurants in the area. Even Ferentinos was getting slammed today by people who had planned to go to SK.
My favorite though is now Niku Niku, not so much for the sushi, which is good but nothing special, but for the other things like the ramen and the meats you grill yourself.

-Will

WillG wrote:I like Sushi Kushi in part because they are so busy that I am confident in the turnover. I am always a little nervous about smaller sushi places that dont seem to do a lot of business. SK has been closed for remodeling/expansion, which has been good for other restaurants in the area. Even Ferentinos was getting slammed today by people who had planned to go to SK.
My favorite though is now Niku Niku, not so much for the sushi, which is good but nothing special, but for the other things like the ramen and the meats you grill yourself.

-Will

Ya, I get that which is why I tried to like SK and refused to go to Koya for a decade. Oddly, I gave up on SK because I didn't think it tasted super fresh. Where is NN?

Nike Niku, owned by the same guy as sushi kushi, is right across the street to the south of jimmy johns. I would not go there until sushi kushi reopens because they are really busy, and service can be slow when they are full.

-Will

Pursuit wrote:Far better than the inexplicably popular Sushi Kushi.

Fan of Koya here, in part because of the near-walking-distance and that they are super-friendly and prices are reasonable.

But I think the reason that Sushi Kushi is so popular is that the restaurant caters to Japanese ex-pats (like from Abbott Labs and the like) and a more "authentic" Japanese experience. The translated menu, the more-diverse types of food on the menu (yamakake anyone?), some aspects of the service, more aligned with what one might expect or envision on the side streets of Shinagawa/Tokyo.

We patronize both. On a Sunday night when we need a sushi fix, Koya is almost always the choice (because you can't even get through to sushi kushi). Ramen lunch with a friend? Sushi Kushi. Happy to have both in the neighborhood.