Kitakata (Arlignton Heights)- Discuss

Hi all!

I'm new to this cool forum Anyway, I was wondering if anyone's ever been to Kitakata in the Arlington Heights area, near the Japanese grocer Mitsuwa. I've always passed it on my way to Mitsuwa but never stopped and tried it. Has anyone ever tried it and do they serve sushi?

Thanks!
m~

Kitakata
20 E. Golf Rd
Arlington Hts., IL 60005
847-364-7544

Welcome to LTHForum!

I've never been to Kitakata, but here's a thread that has some other people's experiences there.

We look forward to hearing about your experiences.

Best,
Michael / EC

I've been several times, including in recent months, and I'm in that other thread, but I never mentioned sushi.

Mainly because its unremarkable. Nothing bad, but nothing transcendent either. Ya got yer fish, ya got yer rice, ya got yer funny rolls with spicy sauce or avocado and other western-friendy ingredients. I'll usually order a piece or two with a noodle dinner, and some of their box combos include some sushi also (although I can't remember if it was just a california roll, or a few pieces of nigiri).

It certainly beats the premade sushi on the counter at Mitsuwa (which is some of the better premade stuff -- at least it's pretty fresh), but I don't think I can call it a sushi destination.

I have a feeling Kitakata will eventually become part of Arl Hts TIF which will be demolishing nearby International Plaza "mostly Korean owned business" to make way for the dreaded Super Target, which really sucks in my book.

Kitakata's still there -- we passed by there at 3PM and you couldn't tell if it even existed anymore: no cars, no lights, no furniture visible from Golf Road.

We returned at 6:30 for a very nice little meal. Their menu has a few new items (salads with tempura or teriyaki on them), and I don't recall them having a liquor license before, or if they did, their menu didn't make much of it.

We both ordered combo boxes: I had salmon, MrsF had chicken -- both teriyaki. They came with salad (just iceberg), miso soup (outstanding flavor and nice salt level), rice, and the box contained a good-sized portion of tempura (2 shrimp, and a slice each of eggplant, sweet potato, zucchini and MrsF's had a potato slice), an egg roll (somewhat greasy but tasty with a dab of hot mustard served on the edge of the box), a little goma ae (lots and lots of black sesame paste, earning a Rachel Ray "Yumm-O!"), two gyoza, carrots and broccoli and a slice each of canteloupe and orange. $13.95 and $12.95 respectively.

It's not up there with Katsu, but it's a nice casual meal.

There's still all kinds of debate going on about that entire corner and the proposed TIF district.

For the time being, it's status quo around Kitakata's location.

I've been there half a dozen times last few years when I wanted a change from Mitsuwa food court. They seemed to have changed ownership about a year ago, food quality has gone downhill a bit. It's somewhat of a diner style Japanese food, quite a few "homey" style entrees like Japanese curry, ramen, udon, etc., which they do an OK job with. They also tend to have specials that can get a bit more interesting at times. It's not a place I would go for sushi at all though.

I had dinner at KitaKata last Friday, and they were packed!

My husband and I had been going to KitaKata for years, but since we moved, we hadn't eaten there as often as we used to. So I was pleasantly surprized to see that they had what looked like a very simple wine list and also sake cocktails.

I ordered the "dirty mangotini" made with "nigori (unfiltered)" sake, and my husband ordered the Pinot Gris which was "wine of the month". The dirty mangotini was just YUMMY!!! Creamy and smooth with the right amount of sweetness. Pinot Gris was a little pricey ($8.75), but my husband loved it. All of the wines on the list were $6 and up, and when I asked about it, the server said that they chose wines that goes well with Japanese ingredients and also had good to great rating from respectable sources (the ratings were listed on the menu). She also said why serve inexpensive wines that were so-so that you can drink at home for $6 a bottle.

So with a good buzz going ( I get drunk very easily ), we had our usual combo boxes (excellent as usual!) and went home VERY happy!

www.kitakatarestaurant.com

After years of driving by -- and a few years of even wondering if it was still open -- I made it to Kitakata today. I think I knew I'd be going back even as I walked in. It is far more charming inside than I had expected from the outside appearance -- and it looked more Japanese. I was also surprised to see that, tiny though it is, they have a liquor license.

My friend and I ordered a jumbo spice spider roll to split, red curry pickles as a side, and we each got different mains. I got the tempura udon soup. Very nice. Reminded me of being in Japan. I'd gone planning on noodles (it says Noodle House on the sign), but there are lots of non-noodle options -- tonkatsu, a few donburi options, sushi, dumplings, and other things. Their website has more info (and a coupon) - http://kitakatarestaurant.com/default.aspx

My friend has spent even more time in Japan than I have (a couple of years to my couple of weeks), but we both had the same reaction—surprise at how delightful it was and how much it seemed to offer, and pleasure at how Japanese it felt. The food was not mind-blowing or exceptional, but it was like eating in Japan. The menu included all the stuff I've eaten in little cafes and stand-up noodle shops and at street stalls across Japan. So it was perfect. Service was friendly, too.

There is one area where they get a bit creative and non-traditional -- beverages. We were there for lunch, so we only looked over the mixed drinks. But we did order the lemonade of the day -- coconut lemonade -- which was delightful.

So a really nice experience. And prices close to and sometimes even better than at the food stalls at Mitsuwa, if you want to stop before shopping.

As I noted in the "Openings and Closings" thread, Kitakata has announced on their webpage:

"We will close our business as of Saturday, October 31st.

Thank you for the years of patronage!"

There is no indication why, nor if they plan to re-open elsewhere.

Le dernier repas...


grilled pike mackerel with eggplant

Very sad news...

Antonius

Bummer. I loved this place.