Daruma (Schaumburg) for Homestyle Japanese

Daruma is the first spot that my Japanese wife and her family introduced me to. At first, I didn't realize it was special because I didn't know what Japanese food was. Then I didn't realize it was special because I didn't know what other Japanese restaurants were. Now I'm pretty sure it's special. The sushi is always fresh and thoughtfully prepared. But the real treasure is the food out of the kitchen. Even though I've ordered a multitude of deep-fried dishes, nothing has ever been undercooked on the inside or greasy on the outside. Salads and sumomo are perfectly and refreshingly seasoned. And the broiled fishes, with their crispy skin and juicy interiors, inspire you to suck the delicate bones clean.

One word of advice: ask for the daily specials. They're not listed anywhere; you have to ask. The servers may struggle to translate the components into English, but be patient, because it will be worth your time. The tofu, fried asparagus, and mackerel below were all specials on the night we visited.


Wakame, cucumber, rice vinegar


Tofu, grated mountain yam, shiso, ume, dashi


Asparagus wrapped in bacon


Beef croquette


Asparagus wrapped in beef


Assorted sushi


Dried horse makerel, broiled


Fried oysters


Napolitan spaghetti


DARUMA JAPANESE RESTAURANT
1823 West Golf Road
Poplar Creek Plaza
Schaumburg, IL 60194
(847) 882-9700

It all looks wonderful, but the Tofu, grated mountain yam, shiso, ume, dashi is calling me.

Daruma is high on my Must Try list, thanks.

Another great dinner tonight. Once again, items on the specials menu were fantastic.

Agadashi Kani Ankake (special) - Cubes of deep-fried tofu in a velvety dashi sauce with carrots, shiitake, konnyaku, bamboo shoots, green onion, and shredded crab. I had never had this before, and now I wish it was on the regular menu. A very meaty and satisfying dish.
Gyutan Negi Kimchee (special) - Thin slices of beef tongue topped with green onions and kimchee. Great combination of tenderness and chew in the meat, combined with the crunch in the onions and kimchee. But I do wish the kimchee had a bit more heat to it.
Kanpachi Sashimi (special) - 4 fresh, thick slices. I like the taste and texture of this "fishy" fish more than my wife does.
Karaage - These deep-fried chunks of dark meat chicken always come out perfectly crisp. The kewpie mayo on the side doesn't hurt, either.
Sansai Udon - Soup with mountain vegetables. As I mentioned above, I'm always impressed with the well-seasoned broths at Daruma.

Is this the same Daruma that used to be on Central in Evanston?

iblock9 wrote:Is this the same Daruma that used to be on Central in Evanston?

No, it's the second location.
The Schaumburg location opened in the late 80's. I did not go there as often -- I may have been wrong, but it always seemed more expensive and less friendly.
I miss the Evanston location, it's where I cut my teeth on sushi and bento boxes.

JoelF wrote:

iblock9 wrote:Is this the same Daruma that used to be on Central in Evanston?

I miss the Evanston location, it's where I cut my teeth on sushi and bento boxes.

+1
work took my parents to Japan and they "discovered" the food they missed at Daruma (prior to the expansion) and I really loved the food
and seeing all the Japanese businessmen reading Japanese papers while chowing down on a bowl of noodles. Could they have been open back in 1978 or 1979?

mhill95149 wrote:work took my parents to Japan and they "discovered" the food they missed at Daruma (prior to the expansion) and I really loved the food
and seeing all the Japanese businessmen reading Japanese papers while chowing down on a bowl of noodles. Could they have been open back in 1978 or 1979?

Probably; they were certainly there by '81 or '82 (not sure when I first found them -- it was a little far for a hike from the NU dorms).

I think my problem with the Schaumburg version is that it was too "traditional" Japanese: tea rooms, low lighting, big bar with tropical drinks. The original Daruma was more cafe-like, with formica tables and bright lighting, as seen at Akai Hana (Wilmette), Sakura (Mt Prospect - which does have tea rooms too), the late lamented Kitikata, and many others. They do have one room which is more casual, but you had to walk past the gloomy area to get there.

JoelF wrote:I think my problem with the Schaumburg version is that it was too "traditional" Japanese: tea rooms, low lighting, big bar with tropical drinks.

Interesting... it's true that Daruma does have tea rooms and a small bar area. But from my personal experience, I've never seen anybody partaking of tropical drinks. Mostly just sake and beer. And besides the tea rooms, there are 2 large spaces with normal seating, besides the seats along the sushi bar.

I do agree about how the low lighting can sometimes contribute to a subdued atmosphere, especially at night. But it kind of depends on the other patrons at that particular time. Sometimes there's plenty of young children in the restaurant running about, and sometimes a large group in a tea room can get plenty rowdy.

Anko wrote:Interesting... it's true that Daruma does have tea rooms and a small bar area. But from my personal experience, I've never seen anybody partaking of tropical drinks. Mostly just sake and beer. And besides the tea rooms, there are 2 large spaces with normal seating, besides the seats along the sushi bar.

I do agree about how the low lighting can sometimes contribute to a subdued atmosphere, especially at night. But it kind of depends on the other patrons at that particular time. Sometimes there's plenty of young children in the restaurant running about, and sometimes a large group in a tea room can get plenty rowdy.

I probably need to give them another shot -- it's been years since I've been there (I have friends who lived in Streamwood for a number of years, and we'd meet there on rare occasions).