mag mile sushi?

My wife and I are looking for something walking distance from Chicago/Michigan with good fish (neither of us is a big maki person).

With the hotels down here, there's gotta be a hidden gem... hopefully?

GNR winner Ginza is a good option.

Nomi?

I'll add - http://kamehachi.com/locations/location ... ville.html

NOMI's great, but seriously pricey.

If you're at Chicago & Michigan, I suggest Japonaise (its at Chicago & Orleans, half a dozen blocks west of Michigan).

http://www.japonaischicago.com/

Athena, how would you compare the quality of the food at Japonaise to Nomi? I haven't eaten at the former in a long time, but wasn't that impressed when I went.

Oysy on 50 E. Grand is a gem. Always fresh. Very chill atmosphere. Great service. The price is right.
I'm a sashimi kinda girl and usually steer clear of any maki with three or more ingredients, so you can trust me

Food at NOMI is def much better, but its also more than twice the price! We like lunch at Japonaise, its quieter (the evenings can be a bit of a zoo & I think that colors the experience) & I think the kitchen is a bit more careful then since its less rushed. Add in the river view, stick to the sushi basics & I think its a good option then.

Honestly, I don't think the sushi options downtown are that great (I can't speak for Ginza as I generally order grilled fish there). I haven't been recently but Naniwa used to be pretty solid, but may be a bit further away from Michigan Ave that the OP is after. Kamahachi is reliable but a bit boring.

BTW - Oysy on Grand closed a while back & is no longer listed on their website.

I should clarify, as usual.

The only fish in town I'm consistently impressed with is Mirai. That includes three trips to Katsu (somewhat detailed elsewhere here), where I was... underwhelmed.

Japonais is the same owner, but we're really hoping to walk. I think Kamehachi on Ontario is... bad, Naniwa was mediocre towards the end, etc.

Sorry, but I'm a self-confessed sushi snob. I do appreciate all the suggestions, though!

Hm, sounds like NoMI is the right call. Just how expensive are we talking?

Sushi runs about $6 - 10 a piece & rolls are around $25 at NOMI so go from there depending on your appetite. Fusion entrees are in the $40 - 50 range. I was hosted last time we were there, but I know the bill was significantly over $200 a person & we certainly didn't order a huge amount of food.

Ginza might be a good option - its certainly authentic & its popular here. I'm going to have to try the sushi next time I'm there. The grilled fish is always fab.

ETA - Japonaise is definitely walking distance from Michigan Ave - 10 mins max.

Athena wrote:Sushi runs about $6 - 10 a piece & rolls are around $25 at NOMI so go from there depending on your appetite. Fusion entrees are in the $40 - 50 range. I was hosted last time we were there, but I know the bill was significantly over $200 a person & we certainly didn't order a huge amount of food.

Prices continue to go up, I see. The last two times I ate in the restaurant proper I was quite disappointed with my meal. $45 entrees? Really? Even at Gamba's best (and it was quite good then) I think that's pushing it.

Athena wrote:Ginza might be a good option - its certainly authentic & its popular here. I'm going to have to try the sushi next time I'm there. The grilled fish is always fab.

I do so very much want a cheap-ish neighborhood spot. Might have to try this.

Athena wrote:ETA - Japonaise is definitely walking distance from Michigan Ave - 10 mins max.

You must walk a LOT faster than me. And everyone else.

I do so very much want a cheap-ish neighborhood spot. Might have to try this.

I'd def rec Ginza then.

Menu is http://chicago.menupages.com/restaurants/ginza/menu

I think the prices have gone up a little since this was posted, but it'll give you a feel for the menu. Its reasonably priced & remarkably neighbourhood-ish in feel given the near Michigan Ave location.

Athena wrote:I haven't been recently but Naniwa used to be pretty solid, but may be a bit further away from Michigan Ave that the OP is after.

Actually, Naniwa is closer than Japonais. Wells and Ohio vs Chicago and Larrabee... But I am sad to hear that Naniwa is not as good as it used to be!

Sushi Taiyo opened "recently" near the James Hotel, and Izakaya Hapa is right above it. Haven't been to either, but thought I would throw it out there!

But if it were me, I would go to Ginza...

Edited to correct cross streets for Japonais... Thx october271986

Athena wrote:BTW - Oysy on Grand closed a while back & is no longer listed on their website.

Oysy on Grand is open, I was there on Friday night. It's odd that the location is not listed on their website,

Neighborhood:
River North
50 E. Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
312-670-6750

Athena wrote:NOMI's great, but seriously pricey.

If you're at Chicago & Michigan, I suggest Japonaise (its at Chicago & Orleans, half a dozen blocks west of Michigan).

http://www.japonaischicago.com/

Japonais is located at Chicago and Larrabee (not Orleans). It is 0.8mi from Chicago and Michigan - a 19min wallk - according to Google Maps.

That's walkable but there are closer options. Also, I find Japonais to be pretty pricey.

Here is the dinner menu from Nomi: http://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/images/hotel ... Dinner.pdf

Individual pieces of sushi are around $4-6.

Anyone ever been to Friends on Rush?

Friends Sushi
710 N. Rush St.
Chicago, Il
312-787-8998

Individual pieces of sushi are around $4-6.

That's only for the always available menu basics of salmon, omelet, tuna. Anything else is market avail & higher priced.

Friends Sushi

Never even heard of it. Is this place new?

Anyone ever been to Friends on Rush?

Yes, a couple friends and I went here about two months ago. Not a bad experience. The maki rolls we had were great. We only had a few pieces of sashimi, which weren't too bad. My biggest complaint about that place is that they have this very "trendy" seating, and it's fairly uncomfortable; the seats sort of rock back and forth when you sit in them. My friend tried switching seats, but apparently, they all have this problem!

Overall, it was decent and much cheaper than going to NoMi, which was great on quality, but ridiculous on price. NoMi suffers from Park Hyatt pricing, IMO (and awful service, but I don't want to drag up bad memories.)

Another recommendation to throw into the hat is Niu at 332 E Illinois (two blocks E of Michigan). They're more of a fusion place than a straightforward sushi restaurant, but the fish I've had there has been good, and it's an open, comfortable space. Check out the dinner menu for a full list of available fish.

Niu Japanese Fusion Lounge
332 E Illinois St
Chicago, IL
312-527-2888

We went to Friends (thanks to the address-posting apparition above...). It was pretty good; certainly acceptable for "let's walk a block and a half for sushi". Good-sized, fresh cuts of fish, and a decent crowd on a Monday night. It's not the best we've ever had, but we'll definitely be back--$120 out the door was well worth it.

basis wrote:We went to Friends (thanks to the address-posting apparition above...). It was pretty good; certainly acceptable for "let's walk a block and a half for sushi". Good-sized, fresh cuts of fish, and a decent crowd on a Monday night. It's not the best we've ever had, but we'll definitely be back--$120 out the door was well worth it.

Basis - Coincidentally, I am going to Friends next week for lunch. I had completely forgotten!

One thing about Chicago sushi - nearly all sushi restaurants in Chicago get their fish from the same source: the Unification Church's True World Foods (Mirai and Katsu, included). So freshness and should not, in theory, vary too much among the top restaurants. Obviously, what the restaurant does once they get the fish matters, too.

october271986 wrote:One thing about Chicago sushi - nearly all sushi restaurants in Chicago get their fish from the same source: the Unification Church's True World Foods (Mirai and Katsu, included). So freshness and should not, in theory, vary too much among the top restaurants. Obviously, what the restaurant does once they get the fish matters, too.

Not to question your authority, but can anyone comment on / confirm this?

basis wrote:

october271986 wrote:One thing about Chicago sushi - nearly all sushi restaurants in Chicago get their fish from the same source: the Unification Church's True World Foods (Mirai and Katsu, included). So freshness and should not, in theory, vary too much among the top restaurants. Obviously, what the restaurant does once they get the fish matters, too.

Not to question your authority, but can anyone comment on / confirm this?

According to Monica Eng of the Chicago Tribune, Sushi and Rev. Moon, it mostly true, though, for example, Kastu by no means buys all their fish from True World. Its not just Chicago either, Portland to name one.

Yes, but keep in mind that they can choose the quality of the fish that they purchase as well; there are different levels of quality in what they get. I have a friend who owns a sushi restaurant (in the suburbs) who explained that to me. She used to purchase from True World but now uses another distributor.

At the sushi restaurant where I manage and cook, we use several suppliers weekly. We choose based on freshness, quality (grade) and availability. We buy from Nishimoto, Yamasho, True World and Supreme Lobster currently. I've also been very happy with the quality of Plitt at other restaurants I've worked at.

I don't mean to derail the thread; I just chimed in with my experience because I think most sushi restaurants like to have a handful of distributors to be able to get the freshest product and not have to 86 items too often

sweet neeny wrote:At the sushi restaurant where I manage and cook, we use several suppliers weekly. We choose based on freshness, quality (grade) and availability. We buy from Nishimoto, Yamasho, True World and Supreme Lobster currently. I've also been very happy with the quality of Plitt at other restaurants I've worked at.

I don't mean to derail the thread; I just chimed in with my experience because I think most sushi restaurants like to have a handful of distributors to be able to get the freshest product and not have to 86 items too often

Yeah, I guess we got a little derailed. That's my fault, sorry, but your point was helpful.

I missed the line in the Trib sidebar that pointed out that "most restaurants listed a number of fish purveyors." Still, I think that it is relevant that 14 out of 17 sushi restaurants in the city get some portion of their fish from the same company. I think there is less diversity in the supply than people think.

I'd love to hear more from anyone out there in the know about Chicago sushi sourcing (say it 3x fast).