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I, for one, welcome our new sushi overlords.

/kent brockman

Naniwa: unimpressive. Boring....fish scale 6 out of 10

Itto: good value. Check the brown rice and the will mod rolls slightly...usally high quality fish fish scale 7.5 out of 10, good day 9 out of 10

Kamehachi : unimpressive. I would say this place is the empomy of flash over substance. Tiny overpriced rolls with mediocre fish 6 out 10, and I have the same setiment about Tsunami with the same rating. I actually think that Tsunami on a good day is better.

Starfish: Everything tends to blend together, but I think that they are pretty consistant. I would give them a 7 out of 10 on the fish scale. Try the black rice, it adds a whole new degree to the texture and flavor.

Sushi Wabi: good, nice decor, bit pricey. The last meal I had there was horrible, but overall they are very good. I would give them a 7 out of 10. It would be an 8 if it wasnt for the last meal I had there.

Mirai: Good. Great, if you sit at the sushi bar and let Chef Nobu do Omakase.

Ginza: havent been, but cant wait. decor a little sketchy

Oysy(Michigan Ave location): Some of the worst most overpriced sushi I have ever had anywhere. I have had better sushi at both Whole Foods and Jewel.Their ginger literally tasted like sewage. I am not being vindictive, I would stay far away from this restaurant, the only worse sushi I have had in this city is Matsu Yama on Belmont. (MY gets negative fish scales of -8)

Sushi Samba: Good food and decor, pricey. I went two weeks ago for the first time almost since they first opened, wow have they gotten their act together! The fish actually wasnt bad, correction the rolls werent bad, the piece of Sake (Salmon) was a joke, better anywhere. Rolls 8.5/10, crab entree 10/10, sushi pieces 4.5/10)


Katsu: Great, pricey. havent been in forever, love it though, I think age is catching up with the man himself a bit. Has been better, but is really good. 7.8/10

Sushi Kushi Toyo (Lake Forest) :Very consistant, good rolls, pretty good fish. Iw ould give it about a 6.8/10, they rely a bit too much on mayo and tempura for flavor.

Bob San:used to be the place to go, now not quite, they are arrogant with their fish. Very hit or miss, no dedication to consistant quality. Sometimes it would be the best salmon you ever had and other times dried out mess. The scallops (pounded cooked ones are always spectacular though, as is the people watching.) I would give the sushi a 5.5/10, the rolls a 7/10 and the scene if you are into that a 8.5/10)

Tanoshii: Another one with a bad meal the last time that I went. Overall though the freshest fish in the city with very creative rolls. The problem is the head chef is the only one that can make em there, they are just too slammed. If its one on one best sushi in the city, but try going there and being the only person in the restaurant! Sushi 7.5/10, rolls 8.5/10, service 2/10 atmosphere 3/10)

I am sure there are more, but if you are looking for a synopsis

Money no object (Mirai)
Not too mcuh money (Itto)
Quick for lunch (Green tea 6.8/10) and or Itto
Delivery Northside Itto
Every once in long long while (Heat)
Scene wise Sushi Wabi
No Scene Green Tea or Itto
Worth a Drive Katsu
Best Fish Katsu
Best Rolls Starfish

This is all just my opinion, I have been eating sushi for 25 years an average of 2-3 times a week. I love traditional and I love creative. Eaten it and lived on both costs and in Europe. Hope this helps you get the most out of your sushi meals in Chicago, I am always open to learning more and expanding my sushi horizons!

J

bibi rose wrote:Has anyone been to Sushi Ai in Palatine? It made it onto Chicago magazine's Best New list. I'm taking an evening course at nearby Haper College and thought I might stop in beforehand.

I used to go a sushi place in the same storefront when i worked in the area a couple of years ago. I have not tried it since I changed jobs and they changed hands. I have a friend who lives in Palatine who goes there two or three times a week and loves it.

As far as Sushi near downtown, how about Cafe Sushi (1342 N. Wells). i was there for lunch about a year ago and enjoyed it. The fish was fresh and the service was great. Has anyone been there recently?

There's also Izumi Sushi (731 W. Randolph). http://www.izumisushi.com/

I have been there for lunch two or three times and the fish was fresh and the rolls were creative. It is a little pricey, but not as bad as Sushi Wabi.

Someone earlier in the thread mentioned Sushi Station in Rolling Meadows. I love Sushi Station. The fish is always fresh and the selection is good. The chefs will make almost anything on request. If you like spicy, try the Mexican Roll (I think it has salmon, yellowtail avocado, cilantro and jalapeno peppers. I may have forgotten something.) It is incredible!

...ron

We had an outstanding dinner at Heat tonight. The fresh kill thing really isn't played up that much. We skipped it since the choices were either sea bass (not a fan of raw sea bass) or tilapia (snore). We went with the 9 course omakase. Based on the price, I now understand why a previous poster said "every once in a long while." I would definitely recommend this place, though, for a high-end Japanese experience.

One of Heat's two kill-to-order fish is now tilapia?

That's either very sad or brilliantly comical, depending on what the restaurant is going for. I really liked Heat the few times I went, but the live fish were impressive oddities (I had some sort of toadfish, eg) -- not two buck a pound pond chicken that could be kept alive indefinitely in a plastic kiddy pool. It might be time to drop the live option.

I flat out told our server that tilipia is just boring and that's why we didn't order it. He said that the sauce was made it special. Whatever. In any event, they don't really play up the fresh-kill thing that much. They are much more into emphasising how fresh and unique their ingredients are (tilapia not withstanding).

I agree with you though. The rest of the menu is strong enough to stand on its own, they don't need a gimmick.

HI there,

Ive been to T-Spot three times including my first visit just last week. I am a huge sushi snob and really picky. While they may not have the best fish out there, there rolls are creative interesting and delicious. It was really good. If you dont like spicy I would make sure that you let them know that, as most of their rolls tend to be spicy. I loved the hot spot, the t-spot, and they can custom make whatever else you want. I know this kind of sounds like an ad for them, but I am just really excited that there is a sushi restaurant near my house that is open for lunch and is really good. Hope you find it to your liking too!

J

Anyone care to add any recent sushi experiences?

J

Went to Tsuki last night. It was great as usual. But, they're now running a special on Wednesdays where if you are a table of up to 8 guys, all food is 50% off. Same deal applies for ladies on Mondays. I ate like a king last night for about $50 (tax and tip included).

My favorite is still Torajiro. I really liked Kaze but haven't been there too often. I go to Ginza for lunch a few times a week now and think it's great for lunch but just good for dinner. Sushi Samba I enjoyed for its South American flair.

But I still just really like the simple consistencey of Torajiro.

It's on Diversey just West of Sheridan. Weekends can be slow to get food but it's very nice reasonable and very tasty. Great wakame, rice and sesame seeds.

We took my father to Sushi Ai for a nice dinner back in April, and I put some pictures about it here.

Admittedly, I like the fancy sweet rolls (which is why I like Sushi X, my poor man's Sushi Wabi), but my husband likes real sushi, and he loved Sushi Ai's quality. I liked Sushi Ai's creativity with its rolls, and my father, who doesn't really enjoy Japanese food, loved his cooked salmon dish.

The service was also good (The first time my husband went, he got a few free pieces of some fish. When we went, the service was a little slow, but not unbearable. The waitress came out with an unsolicited slice of cheesecake--not very Japanese, but welcome--as compensation).

My husband's sushi:


My father's salmon:

Anymore "Secret" sushi places in the city? Feel like I have been to most places, but always love to find a place new to me with great fish.

Still under the theory yet, that sushi doesnt pay well in Chicago, the cost to get freshest fish versus what people will pay for it, just isnt worth it for a lot of restauratns...

I hope I am wrong!

Jack

Jstevens75 wrote:Anymore "Secret" sushi places in the city? Feel like I have been to most places, but always love to find a place new to me with great fish.

Jack,

Tell us more about some of the places that you've been and enjoyed? There's a decent amount of good sushi to be had here, but I wouldn't consider it to be one of Chicago's strong points.

Best,
Michael

This tiny sushi place, Wakamono, recently opened up around the corner from our apartment. It's run by the same folks who run Ping Pong, across the street, which is a tiny pan-Asian place.

The scene is just a little too hip for the likes of me (as is the scene at Ping Pong), but the fish is fresh and tasty enough that we've been back four times in three weeks.

Drawbacks: a bit pricey, pounding music, spotty service, indifferent (and pricey) non-sushi items.

What I mean about service: when my mother-in-law ordered a scallop handroll, it arrived with the scallops cooked. What's with that? Upon complaint, the waitron agreed, O yes, it's cooked. As if sushi places normally cook scallops for handrolls.

On another occasion, I ordered salmon, mackerel, and white tuna over the phone (for delivery). We got salmon, regular tuna, and white tuna. Upon complaint, Victor was told they thought I said maguro. I understand that "mackerel" and "maguro" could sound similar over the phone, but I made my order in English.

Regarding non-sushi items: we keep trying stuff from the "japas" (Japanese tapas—get it?) menu, too, but have found nothing worth getting again (nothing, really, worth getting the first time). So far we've tried wasabi noodles, jalapeno (!!) miso soup, and sunomono (normally a great favorite of ours). We will keep trying, because sibling Ping Pong does such a good job with its small plates, but we are losing hope.

Our repeat visits in spite of these minor but irritating drawbacks testify to the quality of the sushi. We will just be increasingly careful about how we order.

Wakamono
3317 N Broadway
773-296-6800
Open daily, 4 PM to midnight

Someone wanted to know the sushi places that I have been to in and around Chicago. Here is a list off the top of my head. I am a bit of an addict if the list cant tell you that....


Been to and liked...

1. Toro Sushi
2. Katsu
3. Mirai (only at sushi bar)
5. Sushi Kushi Toyo
6. T-Spot
7. Tanoshii (Not recently, and never when they are busy)
8. Tokyo Marina (for lunch)(believe it or not)
9. Tsuki
10. Green Tea


Dont like so much at all

1. Bob San
2. Naniwa
3. Kamehachi
4. Kaze
5. Matsu Yama
6. Kabuki/Sushi Mura (has been two years)
7. Matsuya (has been four years)
8. Meiji (despite all the hype)
9. Oysy (horrible tasting ginger)
10. Sai Cafe
11. Usagi Ya (Was there when they first opened)
12. Aki Sushi (Nicest people in the world, just really substandard fish)
13. Bistro Pacific



Indifferent

1. Benihana
2. Sushi Samba (But am liking better recently, dont miss their king crab leg)
3. Tank
4. Coast
5. Agami
6. Heat (but many many years ago)
7. Japonais (hit or miss)
8. Shine and Rise
9. Ringo
10. Ra Sushi
11. Torajiro Sushi
12. Itto Sushi

Used to be good and now are not

1. Sushi X
2. Sushi Wabi (Still can have a good night)
3. Starfish
4. Bluefin
5. Indie Cafe

As a fellow addict I would agree with the vast majority of your list (particulary Meiji, which is seriously overhyped).

I would urge you to get back to Heat. We went a few months ago and I was absolutely blown away (except for when they tried to sell me the fresh kill sashimi of...tilapia).

Happy to see I am not the only addict out there!

J

Jstevens75 wrote:Happy to see I am not the only addict out there!

J

Being a sushi addict in this town is like being a smack addict in El Paso, Texas.

In either circumstance, the addict is resigned to a hellish superfluity of low-rent highs.

E.M.

Went to Aki Sushi on Division last night. Nicest people in the world, couldnt have been more accomadating. However, we were the only people in the restaurant for the 2 hours we were there.

The problem, very substandard fish. Poorly constructed yet creative rolls. I know they are trying to be price concious compared to mirai, but 4 rolls and an app were still $85 before tip and drinks.

I give them six months max. Too bad, cause if they had done it right they could have been really successful, affordable sushi on that street could get a lot of run off from Mirai and Bob San.

J

Jstevens75 wrote:Went to Aki Sushi on Division last night. Nicest people in the world, couldnt have been more accomadating. However, we were the only people in the restaurant for the 2 hours we were there.

The problem, very substandard fish. Poorly constructed yet creative rolls. I know they are trying to be price concious compared to mirai, but 4 rolls and an app were still $85 before tip and drinks.
J

Heh, I was there from 8:30-10:00 last night. I was going to post the exact same comments, more or less. Service was mighty slow. One of our apps came out 15 after ordering and the other came out about 20 later. The waitress even remarked that the "Sake Volcano" was a very small app at 3 pieces for $8. When the sushi and makis finally came (qafter sitting on the bar for 10 or so min) they were subpar with sloppy knife work. Interestingly the waitress, just before we paid the tab asked if we wanted her phone number. My friend, for haha's, said sure. She replied, "1-800-anytime." /shrug
Perhapse that is why the tab was $75 for small portions of so-so food.

Hi, having started this thread, I forgot to check back & update you on our dinner - we ended up on Tsuki on Fullerton.

On a Thursday night at about 6:30 pm the place was pretty much deserted, which surprised us, but we had a good meal - excellent service, good, though not spectacular, sushi. Special maki were very good as was the gomae - one of the better versions I've had. Sorry no idea about the bill, friend picked up the tab. We picked the location in part because it was on the way to OHare, to drop my friend off at the airport - the main hang up was that we were in a rush to catch a flight - we were impressed enough that we'll be back to look more closely at the menu, but be warned they have a valet who has a tendency to disappear. I should have realized when it took me a long to time to drop off the car - Panicing over long it was taking to get my car back later did not put me in a good mood for the drive to OHare.

I've posted about Kohan, on the spanking new "Maxwell Street" here, so I thought this might be a good thread to bring this place up again.

They seem to have gone through at least three sushi chefs since they opened, which doesn't bode well. Jimmy, the guy from Heat, has moved on to greener pastures. I wasn't as impressed with the new guy, but I'll give it a few more shots before I find another place to support a weekly habit. I'm guessing the high turnover is due to the fact that once these guys figure out that, although the restaurant is great, the area doesn't otherwise cater to a raw fish eating clientele, they bail. I've heard from more than one retailer over there that Kohan is the only restaurant in the complex worth going to.

Any word on Agami Sushi? It opened a couple months ago. I'm looking for a sushi restaurant for this weekend. My haunts are Katsu and Tank (more for location, though quality is good).

Agami
4712 N. Broadway

I went to Agami abut 4 months ago or so. If you have been to starfish and or Oysy, that is abou the same level. It is not cheap, and the fish is nowhere as good as katsu. The rolls are probably just about on par with Tank. At this point, I have only been there once and would give it another shot. Not the best, not the worst....Worth trying....yes...

Have fun!

Jack

And how does Agami compare to T-Spot, and Sushi Wabi? I see that T-Spot is on your good list...I appreciate creative maki, though I'm probably more of a traditionalist.

I would say that Agami is about on par with T-Spot. Agami may be a bit more on the professional side. Better atmosphere for sure. I would say that Wabi now is worse than Agami. Wabi two years ago is better. My last visit to wabi, the fish was an emabarrasment.

If you live in the hood, and you want to eat somewhere creative, I would say to go to Agami and then T-Spot. Not by much, but the better more professinal restaurant is Agami. If you go to Agami make sure to get the Spicy Tuna on crispy rice....not sure exactly what it is called...

Jack

Anyone have any comments on Sushi Luxe on Clark/Foster?

Looking for any comments on Dee's on Armitage.

Thanks!

J

I took my own advice in another thread and went back to T-Spot for lunch today. Nothing new to say-- it's a nice, chichi but friendly mid-priced sushi spot, with rolls that sound out there but are pretty well balanced. But I got some nice pictures:


Chicago Fire roll.