Looking for a yakiniku restaurant in Chicago

I recently traveled to San Diego and ate at a delightful yakiniku restaurant out there called Tsuruhashi. I'm looking for a similar restaurant here in Chicago.

Yakiniku is very similar to korean bbq, except the meat is typically not marinated, and more emphasis is placed on bringing out the natural flavors of the different cuts of beef, pork, and sometimes chicken. Organ meat is also served on the menu to be grilled, and usually various types of seafoods and vegetables. You also get a light soy sauce to dip everything in.

Does anyone know of any yakiniku restaurants in the area?

Forest Hiro, on Waukegan rd in Lake Forest is half yakiniku and half teppenaki. It has been good the couple of times I have tried it.

Forest Hiro
840 S Waukegan rd.
Lake Forest, IL
847-234-8797

-Will

Hey Will,

Thanks for the response. I did a search on Forest Hiro, and did not bring up any hits on LTH or on Yelp as far as reviews or prices, and their website looks like a work in progress.

Would you comment on the selection of meats that are available (do they have wagyu?, what kind of cuts?) and their price range?

The Yakiniku menu is presented as daily specials, but the couple of times that I have been there they have always had several cuts of regular beef, usually strip, skirt, and tongue, as well as a couple of wagyu. There are usually a couple of pork choices, including Kurobota (sp?) the last time I was there. I cant really remember the prices....they seemed reasonable, maybe 8-10 for the regular and 14-16 for the wagyu/kurobota, but they were for fairly small portions.

-Will

You can also check out Chicago Kalbi. They offer Japanese-style Korean bbq. It's been a few years since my last visit, but I do remember enjoying the food there. There are a few mentions of the place in other threads, too.

Chicago Kalbi
3752 W Lawrence Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 604-8183
http://www.chicago-kalbi.com/index.html

I recommend Mizu for traditional yakiniku, specifically yakitori (grilled chicken). They also serve grilled beef, duck, pork, vegetables, and seafood.

The chicken has a nice char and smokiness with minimal seasonings, which as pacent mentioned, brings out the natural flavors of the meat. These are small portions sold by the stick (most are in the $2 to $3 range), so there's a lot of room for tasting many different kinds.

It is also worth mentioning that Chef Matsumoto works here, although he is usually behind the raw fish counter instead of a grill.

Menu:
http://www.mizurestaurant.com/Mizu_YakitoriSushiSake.pdf

Mizu
315 W North Ave
Chicago, IL 60610
312-951-8880

Thanks, I had absolutely no idea there were so many yakiniku options in Chicago. Searches on here and yelp came up blank. I'll have to give all these places a shot.

We're getting a branch of the Gyu-Kaku chain this fall, at 210 E. Ohio.

Kennyz wrote:We're getting a branch of the Gyu-Kaku chain this fall, at 210 E. Ohio.

It's apparently opening this Friday.

Hopefully they have the happy hour specials like the other locations...

Can anyone comment on the differences between yakiniku and robatayaki?

fenger wrote:

Kennyz wrote:We're getting a branch of the Gyu-Kaku chain this fall, at 210 E. Ohio.

It's apparently opening this Friday.

The link on the website to a page about how easy it is for anyone to own a franchise, and the impliations in the text about how little cooking knowledge one needs to do so, have me less then enthused about this place.

There is a Groupon for Gyu-Kaku today ($20 for $40). I am not saying that you should buy it or you have to buy it, but if you are planning on going to try it out anyways... http://t.co/v0hcZGU

Mods - If you want to remove this post, go ahead... My feelings will not be hurt!