Gonzo70 wrote:I guess this was part of their act of trying to portray themselves as an established business rather than taking pride in being brand new and simply stating they do not have the full menu available yet.

Seriously, dude?

lodasi wrote:The donato is a chocolate filled doughnut served with the doughnut hole and a side of a green tea mousse. It was a delicious way to end the meal upstairs.

At the conclusion of my meal, I asked to see the downstairs Charcoal Bar and found the space to be more to my liking.

I remember the donato from the Japanois days. Do you know if they serve food in the Charcoal Bar?

stevez wrote: Do you know if they serve food in the Charcoal Bar?

They have the full dining menu of upstairs in the Charcoal Bar.

lodasi wrote:

stevez wrote: Do you know if they serve food in the Charcoal Bar?

They have the full dining menu of upstairs in the Charcoal Bar.

Sounds interesting. I think I'll give them a few weeks to get their footing and then check it out.

Happy to see Chicago get another typical and historically rather humble Japanese dining niche restaurant (again). Less happy that the first one (or among the first) is a trendy, high end concept version of that (again). Could be worse. I could be in a huge metropolis where the only artisanal tortilla or sausage makers are such.

I just got home from a thoroughly enjoyable dinner at Sumi.

I sat at the bar up front and had a really wonderful time. I found everyone, from the waiters to the cooks working behind the bar, to be warm, friendly, and engaging. Just about all of them took the time to talk to me about the food and what dishes I was enjoying the most. The seating at the bar is made up of basically Avec style stools with a little bit of cushioning. Dinner took about an hour and I never felt uncomfortable.

I wound up having:

Appetizers:
Cold - Gobo
Hot - Soft poached egg in dashi

Robata:
Shrimp
Skirt steak
Beef slider
Pork jowel
Chicken meatball
Duck breast

Dessert - Chocolate donuts

Everything I ate was fantastic. All of the robata items were served right off the grill, and were well seasoned and marinated. Hard to pick what was best, but the slider, the skirt steak, and the pork jowel were probably the highlights. This was a good amount of food. I left full, but not uncomfortably stuffed.

Check for all of the food listed above plus a beer came to $51 after tax but before tip, which I would consider reasonable given the area and the quality of the food.

I look forward to many more meals at Sumi. Great place.

Good afternoon Gonzo70,

Hope you are well. My name is Jessica Kato. I have read all the posts and blogs that have been written thus far on Sumi Robata Bar and I wanted to take the time to reach out to you and invite you back to Sumi Robata for dinner as our guest. We are sorry to hear that we did not meet your expectations. And hope you will give Sumi Robata Bar another opportunity.

I would enjoy giving you a tour of the entire space and talk to you about each and every detail that makes up Sumi Robata Bar - from the exterior of the building to charred wooden planks in the Charcoal Bar.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Jessica

Thank you to all for your support. We look foward to seeing you at Sumi.

All the best,

The Kato's

Pochis wrote:Good afternoon Gonzo70,

Hope you are well. My name is Jessica Kato. I have read all the posts and blogs that have been written thus far on Sumi Robata Bar and I wanted to take the time to reach out to you and invite you back to Sumi Robata for dinner as our guest. We are sorry to hear that we did not meet your expectations. And hope you will give Sumi Robata Bar another opportunity.

I would enjoy giving you a tour of the entire space and talk to you about each and every detail that makes up Sumi Robata Bar - from the exterior of the building to charred wooden planks in the Charcoal Bar.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,

Jessica

Hi Jessica,

Thanks for reaching out; I really appreciate your comments. While my experience was not what I was hoping for, I think my expectations may have been too high (with it being opening night) and overall it was by no means a negative experience - just not what I had been anticipating. The food itself was really good. I have been happy to see that since opening night Sumi Robata has generally been receiving excellent reviews, so likely the negatives I experienced were largely attributable to normal, opening day jitters. As such I do not feel that I am deserving of a dinner on-the-house, but would certainly like to return at some point and learn more about the venue.

Congratulations on your opening and I wish you and Sumi Robata much success!

Gonzo

Is there a menu for Sumi posted anywhere online?

Lerdawg wrote:Is there a menu for Sumi posted anywhere online?

Yes, on their Facebook page.

@Gonzo70

Your welcome and thank you. We look forward to seeing you.

All the best,

Jessica Kato

LTH Forum asks and Sumi Robata Bar delivers... I dined here last night and found the service to be both friendly and warm, albeit a bit nervous. We were served by 4-5 of the staff over the course of the meal, with one of the chef's delivering and describing the first course and the manager/owner checking in a few times throughout the meal. I also left pleasantly full, even having ordered less than recommended (I don't think I have a small appetite).

We started with appetiziers...
Maguro - A highlight, this was described as Bigeye Tuna with white soy, yuzu juice, and crispy shallot, and also came with a good amount of avocado. I found the tuna to be delicious and particularly enjoyed the texture combination of the tuna and the shallot.
Onsen Tamago (2) - Also a nice dish, with a poached egg, dashi soy broth, roe and small mushrooms - I forget the type. I thought the flavor combinations all mixed quite nicely. Small though - I'm glad that at the server's recommendation we ordered one for each of us.
Inaniwa Udon - This was the first dish for me that didn't work. It was comprised of udon noodles served on ice with a cup of broth for dipping and a side of garnishes (wasabi, nori, and one other). The expectation was that you grab some of the garnish with the noodles and dip into the broth. Don't get me wrong - it was fun, and quite messy - but I didn't think the flavors were there and frankly it was a bit too much work. There was a large portion of noodles, probably the reason we didn't leave hungry.

From there we moved on to Robata...
Asparagus - I wish they would have brought this after or with the meat, but they brought us the asparagus first and it was a bit of a disappointing start. I was intrigued by the charred flavor of the grill, but it was very plain and I didn't find them to be evenly cooked/seasoned.
Skirt - This I found to be tastier, the small skewered pieces were cooked well and I enjoyed the strong flavor of the grill. My dining companion was not as happy with the flavor though, so I think it is somewhat polarizing.
Beef Tsukune Slider (2) - Served with a miso mustard in a unique bun, the name of which escapes me. I thought this was flavorful and enjoyable, but not especially stand-out, and also not as good as the appetizers. As the focal point of the restaurant, I guess I was expecting more.
Duck Breast - Unfortunately the duck for me was a flop. The dish was two small but beautiful looking pieces of duck. By look alone it seemed perfectly cooked and I couldn't help but be excited to try it. Each of us had what would have (if we had a knife) been two bites but instead became an awkward one-bite of what was sadly not nearly as flavorful as I was hoping. Instead of melt-in-your-mouth, my dining companion found herself chewing the bite so much that she quipped that it was like duck chewing gum.

Overall, some highlights, some need work, but an enjoyable meal. Pre-tax and tip, we finished at about $70 for two. It was fairly quick, under an hour I think, but I never felt rushed. I was particularly pleased with the tea - we ordered the Emperor's Moonlight Litchi Blossom which was both beautiful and delicious. They brought the tea with a tasty (poppyseed?) mignardise - a nice touch I thought - and even though we split one tea for the two of us they thought to bring two of the mignardise.

Two quick notes in response to Gonzo's OP, I completely agree regarding "there was not even a single acknowledgement that they were a new venue"... why not acknowledge it? I think it would have been a better start to the experience. For their first month, I thought everything came together well, but I likely would have been more critical if I thought they were years in.
Regarding them being "surrounded by hodgepodge of restaurants...Ed Debevic's, Al's Beef...even a Hooters," you should add Graham Elliot to the list, as I parked directly in front of them less than half a block away from Sumi. I think it's a welcome addition to the neighborhood, and though they have a few things to work out, it's certainly worth a try.


Above: Maguro (Bigeye Tuna with white soy, yuzu juice, and crispy shallot)

I had a stunningly excellent meal at Sumi the other night. Just about everything the 5 of us ordered was sensational -- and we ordered a lot of items. For me, many of the stand-outs were from Meat section of the menu and included the beef tongue, pork jowl, chicken gizzard, chicken heart, chicken tail and duck breast. Each one of these items was grilled perfectly, seasoned aggressively (this is drinking food, after all) and served piping hot. The textures of each of these items was immensely satisfying. The hearts, tongue, jowl and duck possessed some initial chewiness that yielded quickly into flavorful tenderness. The gizzards -- normally a chewy item from beginning to end -- were perfectly tender from the get-go. The tails -- Pope's Noses cut into pieces -- were gloriously crispy nuggets of chicken skin and fat that just popped in the mouth. I was totally thrilled with all of these and would order any (or all) of them again in a heartbeat.

From the Hot Appetizer section, the Onsen Tamago, a soft poached egg marinated with dashi soy, was so delicious, I wish we'd ordered 5 of them because sharing it was somewhat sorrowful. The Jidori Karaage, crisp fried chicken with shisito pepper paste, was just astonishingly delectable. Again, it was nicely seasoned, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside and served piping hot. Gyoza were also solid. They had good flavor, had tender-crisp wrappers and were served immediately after they'd been cooked, so the temperature was perfect. Satsumaimo, fried Japanese sweet potatoes tossed with togarashi spice, were not quite at the level of the egg or the chicken but were still laudable. These were essentially thick-cut fries and they had good flavor but I wish they'd been a bit crispier. Still, they were served with a togarashi mayo that was so addictive, we asked for more of it. The Chicken Soup (served with grilled mochi, shiitakes and shishito pepper) was nicely composed and well made but it was subtle and kind of got lost in the crowd. Better to start with with it next time. Also lost in the shuffle a little bit were some very nicely prepared, ultra fresh-tasting raw fish selections from the Cold Appetizer section but again, they had a tough time competing with some of the more boldly seasoned items we had before them.

Vegetables were also remarkable. Romaine, asparagus (even out of season, this was in nice condition), shiitakes and shishitos were all tasty and worthy of ordering, and ordering next time, too.

We also polished off an 1800 ml bottle of Trendy sake, which was a great accompaniment for the food. There's an interesting selection of beer, wine and bottled cocktails, too but we didn't get to any of those on this night.

After dinner, we headed down to the basement bar, which seats only 11. It's helmed by Matthew Lipsky, who's put in time at several local spots, including The Southern, MorSo and Untitled. It's a fun perch -- intimate but not stuffy -- and the service is indescribably personal and notably friendly. "Choo," as he is called, broke down ice to order for a few of our cocktails, sculpting small blocks into perfect spheres for our Old Fashioneds. This took a bit of time but it was very fun seeing it happen before our eyes. I also tried my friend's drink, an Issa's Peony (bourbon, cold brewed coffee, almond, cassia cinnamon, wormwood bitters) and thought it was really delicious. Not necessarily my style drink but the ingredients really worked well togther. The back bar is not large but it's well curated, far from ordinary and offers some nice selections.

While at the bar we had dessert (as posted upthread, you can also order savories down there). Tofu (soy milk panna cotta and satsumaimo puree) and Donatsu (sansho-chocolate filled doughnuts with match mousse) were both stellar with richness, complex flavors and restrained sweetness. A "No Crust Apple Pie" (yuzu-ginger poached fuji apples served with Okinawa sugar caramel) didn't do it for me the way the other 2 desserts did but it was served with a tangy ice cream (sour cream, iirc) that was a major highlight.

Service was outstanding. Even though 5 of us were ordering in random blasts, nothing was skipped or forgotten. Dishes were consistently hitting our table piping hot, which is a testament to the runners and servers, as well as the coodination between the FOH and the kitchen. Not once was a dish put in front of us without a description. Everyone we encountered seemed very enthusiastic about the food they were serving. Robata, with its rapid fire small plates, is, by its nature, a somewhat harried environment but the service was wisely conceived and very well executed for the setting. It was more than a good match in that the service actually made the entire experience more accessible.

Based on this first visit, I'm certain I'll be back, hopefully soon. It's an exciting menu and I thought the execution was damn near flawless. Great stuff.

=R=

Very encouraged by your posts Josh & Ronnie and I'm excited to try Sumi out. I love this type of food, particularly at Raku in Vegas. Thanks for the reports!

Plans shifted throughout the weekend and I was lucky enough to end up visiting Sumi Robata Bar last night. For me, this is the most exciting addition to the Chicago restaurant scene in some time (based upon my experience last night), despite the fact that the nearby Boardinghouse is no doubt stealing much thunder. In fact, despite a December visit to Alinea, I have to say that my excitement last night might have been just a little bit higher given how delicious the food was and how well it was prepared (and the limited robata grill scene here in Chicago). No, maybe it's not quite Raku in Vegas, but it doesn't have to be (and certainly not after just one month).

There were two of us, and we ordered 5 items from the appetizer portion of the menu, 6 items from the robata portion of the menu, 2 desserts and a $40 bottle of sake. The bill came to $120 for 2 and we were both very full. Anyway, what we ordered:

Asparagus - This was the first item delivered (it's from the robata portion of the menu) and a real head shaker, and I'll echo Ronnie's comments. The asparagus was not only loaded with flavor, but perfectly grilled to retain its crispy texture, and seasoned solely with a delicate sprinkling of flaked sea salt. So simple, but so perfect. By the way, togarashi is available at the Robata bar and on the few tables, so you can always use some as desired for seasoning.

Gabo - Mirin braised burdock root with sesame seed. This was one of my favorite items of the evening - shredded strands of burdock root mixed with an intense yet not overwhelming sesame seed paste, and topped with several strands of what I believe were crispy, fried strands of burdock root.

Maguro - Bigeye tuna with white soy, yuzu juice, crispy shallot according to the menu, but there was also avocado as well as some leaf that added another dimension of flavor. Another favorite, and what I loved about this dish was that the flavor of the perfectly sliced tuna could stand on its own, but the other flavors (and textures) were gently applied and really elevated this dish to near perfection. I thought there were just enough tuna slices to make this a perfect item for two people to share.

Onsen tamago - Soft poached egg marinated with dashi soy (mushrooms too). I'm not sure what type of machine they use to prepare this egg, but this was a perfect preparation - pure silk. And once again, an absolutely perfect balance of flavors. A lesser restaurant could easily overwhelm the egg with the dashi soy.

Jidori Karaage - Crispy fried chicken, with shishito pepper paste. The Japanese do not get the credit they deserve when it comes to fried chicken, but I find that Japanese fried chicken often far exceeds anything you can find in America, even in the south. Raku in Vegas makes a simply stunning version that is so delicate. The only one that's ever let me down was at Kai Zan here in Chicago, a truly disappointing version. The version at Sumi is one of the excellent versions. As Ronnie noted, it was very crispy, incredibly moist and served very hot. I didn't love the accompanying shishito paste because it was slightly bitter (and unnecessary in my opinion), but the chicken was quite good. And I might prefer the skin to be more delicate, but that's a minor criticism.

Yakitori Don - Chicken yakitori over rice served with tare, tokyo negi soft poached and nori. This is not what I'd call a sexy dish at Sumi and not one that stands out to you when reading the menu. My friend picked this out and I would have ignored it. But what appears to be a home-style, comfort dish, turns out to be quite the elevated bowl of chicken and rice. Specifically the most perfectly cooked rice with each grain standing on its own, beautifully moist chicken in a teriyaki sauce, the silky poached egg to be mixed in the bowl and strands of nori. It still might be simple and merely comforting, but the skill with which it's prepared let you know that Sumi Robata is very serious about its food.

Shishito - I can't recall whether there were 5 or 6 small shishitos in the order. But as with the robata-grilled asparagus, perfectly grilled, dressed solely with flakes of sea salt, and naturally delicious.

Salmon - Grilled on the robata grill and glazed with a teriyaki sauce, this salmon was outstanding. The glaze did not at all overwhelm the fish, and the fish was so tender and could not have been cooked any more perfectly. Though not a large portion by any means, it's sufficient for two people to share.

Lamb - This was a single bone-in lamb chop with spicy miso. With just a single chop, not a dish easily shared. But you won't want to share this perfectly grilled, medium-rare chop anyway, The flavor is delicious (yes, it actually tastes like lamb which these days doesn't seem guaranteed), and the spicy miso accentuates the flavor without overwhelming. I found myself gnawing on the bone to extract every last bit of the delicious flavor.

Duck Breast - Served with "original tare sauce" (teriyaki I assume). The sauce itself is not remarkable, but the moistness and texture of the duck was perfect. I enjoyed the duck quite a bit, but not as much as my dining companion - this was my dining companion's favorite bite of the night.

Tontoro (supposed to be pork jowl] - served with black pepper. This might have been the only think that frustrated me with Sumi. I was looking forward to some fatty pork jowl, but without saying anything, they substituted pork loin and later admitted this when we questioned the dish, reasoning that they were out of pork jowl. I would not have ordered pork loin, but for $3 I was not going to make a big stink. In any event, the flavor was quite good and like every other item we ordered, perfectly cooked.

They were also out of a couple of other items (the chicken parts), but I suspect all of these issues relate to operating a restaurant that's only one month old.

For dessert, we shared two items:

Tofu - Soy milk panna cotta and satsumaima puree. This was delightful - ultra-silky tofu, delicately sweetened, and with just enough satsumaima (Japanese sweet potato) to know it's there.

Donatsu - Sansho-chocolate filled doughnuts with matcha mousse. I think they said this is similar (if not identical) to a dish served at Japonais. The doughnuts were perfectly fried and the oozing sansho-chocolate filling was delicious. But I found the flavor of matcha mousse (frozen) to be lost when paired with the bolder flavors.

Service was not always efficient and was sometimes confused, but again, this restaurant is only a month old. I will say that even if the staff is not always perfect, they are very friendly and approachable and that certainly makes for a great experience. The only think you might want to know going in is that the majority of the seats are around the robata bar (less privacy), so if that's something that you would care about, you might want to be specific when making a reservation. Personally, we enjoyed the interaction with some fellow diners (and seeing what others were eating) and particularly enjoyed watching the food preparation, and I would want to sit at the bar.

After dinner, we visited the downstairs bar and each enjoyed a cocktail. I had the gin-based Rhododendron which I thought was terrific. I tend to like cocktails with some sweetness (particularly after dinner), but I appreciated that the sweetness was restrained and the flavors in the cocktail complex.

Overall, an outstanding dinner and I can't wait to return. The extensive menu is one I look forward to exploring several times over. My only fear is that people will eventually realize this gem exists and it will be hard to get a seat. In the meantime, I'm simply pleased that I can get in, probably because there's not a smiling celebrity chef here that people crave to see in person.

Returned last night and loved it again. And I'm doing a hell of a job of making it through the menu. I won't bother discussing items I had last week, just items I tried for the first time last night.

Salmon Zuke - This was a nightly special. I can't recall all of the components of this raw, marinated salmon but it was quite delicious. My lone criticism is that it was probably marinated just a bit too long as the salmon was a little mushy.

Tofu - chilled and served with caviar and crispy ginger. This was delicious. Sumi makes the tofu in-house, and it's the same tofu used in the dessert. It is so silky smooth and amazingly light and the flavors excellent.

Smoked Kamo - tea smoked duck breast served with Japanese mustard and scallion. I only had one piece of duck (5 in the dish), and although I thought it was tasty, I can't recall sensing much of the smoke flavor. It was served in a bowl with greens, scallions and mustard. The mustard here is about as potent as any mustard I've ever tried. All together, a very nice dish but I'm not sure it's one of Sumi's standouts (but again, I only had one piece of the duck).

Romaine -a robata item, seasoned only with garlic and salt. It was very nice; the char added some additional flavor and elevated the rather mundane romaine. At the end of the day, this is only romaine, albeit probably the tastiest romaine dish I've ever had.

Skirt steak with sansho pepper - This was my favorite bite of the night. Tender, medium rare skirt steak that was one of the most flavorful skirt steaks I've ever tasted. Not sure I felt the sansho effect, but it didn't matter.

Tsukune - this was skewered, ground chicken and was delicious. The flavors reminded me of a potsticker filling, and I was very impressed that they managed to keep the chicken moist.

Chicken gizzard - Flavor-wise, it was delicious, and I'm not the offal fan many others are. The latter might explain why I personally did not enjoy the very chewy texture.

Gyutan - beef tongue with sea salt. Tender, simple, perfectly grilled and delicious.

Beef tsukune slider with miso mustard. Similar concept to the chicken tsukune, meaning ground beef. It was served on a soft bao (similar to what you'd find at Sun Wah for the duck) with a delicious miso mustard that accented and did not overwhelm the beef flavor. Overall, I thought it was fantastic and quite comforting. Yes, this is beer food (although Robata does some great cocktails), and I can see throwing down several or more of these sliders with beer.

No crust apple pie - I can't recall all of the components of this dish, but it's obviously changed since the opening minutes of the restaurant since it's not as Gonzo pictured or described. All of the components - crumble, apple, ice cream, etc. - were delicious. My only complaint is that the apple slices would be better off being cooked more because they were too crisp for the dish.

I'm already looking forward to my next visit, even though it might have to wait a couple of weeks.

Had an all-offal platter last night as a pre-party snack:



Chicken: tail, skin, gizzard, heart, head.

Loved it.

David Hammond wrote:Had an all-offal platter last night as a pre-party snack:



Chicken: tail, skin, gizzard, heart, head.

Loved it.

not gonna lie, that chicken head is freaky.

jfibro wrote:

David Hammond wrote:Had an all-offal platter last night as a pre-party snack:



Chicken: tail, skin, gizzard, heart, head.

Loved it.

not gonna lie, that chicken head is freaky.

Prehistoric-looking, is it not?

I want to have a love affair with Sumi Robata Bar. Since my meal last Friday with my wife and another couple, I haven't been able to get this place out of my mind. Since the close of my beloved Chizakaya (RIP), I had been searching in hopes of finding another great yakitori-like destination. I have found a worthy replacement and then some.

Menu (Click for larger version if you want a resource)


We arrived a few minutes after our friends so they ordered drinks - a Dragon's Milk, which is one of their bottled drinks, and an
EMPEROR'S MOONLIGHT Litchi Blossom

Lovely presentation even for tea. Price tag was a whopping 10 dollars, but waitstaff, being absolutely awesome, came by to refill water every time it got low.

After we got our drinks we placed our preliminary food order

TOFU Chilled served with caviar and crispy ginger

Creamy and sweet like a creme brulee.

SALMON

one of their cold appetizer specials of the night. If this fish was living 10 minutes prior to our serving, I wouldn't be surprised. No chew needed, the fish just melted away.

MAGURO Bluefin tuna with white soy, yuzu juice, and crispy shallot


ONSEN TAMAGO Soft poached egg marinated with dashi soy


Great flavors on this. My wife and I each ordered one because our dining companions assumed these were your typical sushi joint tamago preparations. Once they saw how this dish came out, it was passed around the table for everyone to enjoy.

ISHI YAKI Marinated NY Strip served on a hot stone



SHISHITO Sea salt


ASPARAGUS salt


CHICKEN GIZZARD

which came out the same time as the
CHICKEN HEART


GYUTAN (Beef tongue) Sea salt


DUCK BREAST Original tare sauce


CHICKEN THIGH Ohba marinade


SALMON Teriyaki

Outstanding. Salmon cooked with just a touch and perfectly flaky. Really great.

WAGYU RIBEYE Wasabi Ponzu

After consumption of this dish, we flagged down the waitress and immediately ordered a second serving.

BEEF TSUKUNE SLIDER Miso mustard


LAMB (Bone-In Chop) Spicy miso


TONTORO (Pork jowl) Black Pepper


Ooooooh so friggin' good. I believe one or two things didn't get photos because we were already a few hours (and drinks) in. After several bottled cocktails, we threw in a couple more beers


And called it a night. Total damage was about 330-ish between 4 people and I easily could have (and suggested) we stay until we hit 400 but alas my dining partners had reached their limit.

I will surely be back. Soon and frequently.

3 of us had a stellar meal at Sumi Robata Bar this past weekend. We were having a little bit of a celebration -- one we might normally have at Katsu -- but Sumi is every bit as appropriate a place to commemorate a special occasion. We sat at the bar, which I'd never done before. It was fun and the food was spectacular across the board. There really wasn't a single dish that I wouldn't order again. Every item we ate was cooked perfectly. Proteins were moist and juicy with great crusting. Vegetables were charred and crunchy, with a gentle amount of give to them. Broths and sauces were intensely flavored but never overly salty. We also had a couple of the bottled cocktails (Hana, Sad Flute) and sakes (Trendy, Water Flower) that just paired so incredibly well with the food . . .


Cucumber | salt-cured cucumber finished with togarashi spice



Madai Usuzukuri | Japanese farmed sea bream with ponzu and ginger



Sashimi Moriawase | Maguro, Madai, Botan Ebi



Tomato & Shrimp | chilled sweet shrimp and tomatoes tossed with ohba dressing



Maguro | Bluefin tuna with white soy, yuzu juice and crispy shallot



Croquette | crab, spicy mayo



Onsen Tomago | soft poached egg marinated with dashi soy



Jidori Karaage | crispy fried chicken with shishito pepper paste



Romaine | garlic



Asparagus | salt



Chicken Heart (front), Chicken Gizzard




Abalone | ohba butter



Shishito | sea salt



Tontoro (pork jowl) | black pepper



Gyutan (beef tongue) | sea salt



Tsukune (ground chicken)



Wagyu Ribeye | wasabi ponzu



King Crab | spicy mayo



Chicken Thigh | ohba marinade



Scallop | ohba butter



Wagyu Tataki | Tokyo negi, Fuji apple and garlic soy



Gyoza (pork) | pan fried dumpling with dipping sauce



Salmon | teriyaki



Skirt | sansho pepper



Lamb | spicy miso



Duck Breast | original tare sauce



Shrimp | salt



Donatsu | sansho-chocolate filled doughnuts with matcha semifreddo

With a wall of glass between us and the chefs, sitting at the bar right in front of the grills wasn't a particularly interactive experience but it was still an interesting one. We could see the items we ordered being fired. We also were able to get a sense of how long things took to cook, which could have aided us in making a plan . . . if we actually had one. We were just going with the flow.

The most notable thing was how remarkably uneventful it was watching chef Kato and his 2 cohorts working. And I mean that as a complete compliment. It was clear that a lot of work had gone into keeping things as steady as possible during service. Even on a busy Saturday night, there were moments when we looked up saw not one single item on the grills. Of course, not everything served at Sumi gets cooked on the grills -- and much of it gets prepped before it ever hits the grill -- but this was still a notable study in quiet, drama-less efficiency. It was a thing of beauty.

Just great stuff -- not inexpensive but given the quality of the ingredients, the masterful cooking and the friendly, helpful service, I'd still count Sumi Robata Bar as a solid value. It's a comfortably small place -- and often busy -- but I absolutely need to get back here more frequently, and not just for designated occasions.

=R=

Thanks for the reminder that I need to get back there . . . and soon!

Yet another reason to go to Sumi, Michael Simon is back in Chicago and tending Charcoal Bar which is fantastic news (if he sticks around).

incite wrote:Yet another reason to go to Sumi, Michael Simon is back in Chicago and tending Charcoal Bar which is fantastic news (if he sticks around).

Yes. Today is his first day back. The Sheriff of Boozetown has returned!

=R=

We had gone to Sumi last March and were kind of unimpressed, but seeing the last two batches of pictures and reports compelled me to give them another go. So glad we did! We went on Saturday and it was outstanding.

The Charcoal Bar has reopened with Michael Simon at the helm. Last night we walked into the pretty much empty restaurant and tried to go and we informed that though only four people were at the bar, another four had been waiting an hour plus, and though there would be two open seats when those people went down, they said it would take thirty minutes to "get those seats ready." The bar has a total of eleven seats. Sounded like BS to me, or that they are already having issues with it.

mgmcewen wrote:The Charcoal Bar has reopened with Michael Simon at the helm. Last night we walked into the pretty much empty restaurant and tried to go and we informed that though only four people were at the bar, another four had been waiting an hour plus, and though there would be two open seats when those people went down, they said it would take thirty minutes to "get those seats ready." The bar has a total of eleven seats. Sounded like BS to me, or that they are already having issues with it.

When Matthew Lipsky was at the helm at Charcoal Bar, he had an apprentice helping him out with things. Michael Simon is running the show solo. Although I did go shortly after they reopened and they seemed to have a steady stream of guests but never hit capacity. There is an issue that a group of four really needs to sit at the bar or in the tatami room.

lodasi wrote:

mgmcewen wrote:The Charcoal Bar has reopened with Michael Simon at the helm. Last night we walked into the pretty much empty restaurant and tried to go and we informed that though only four people were at the bar, another four had been waiting an hour plus, and though there would be two open seats when those people went down, they said it would take thirty minutes to "get those seats ready." The bar has a total of eleven seats. Sounded like BS to me, or that they are already having issues with it.

When Matthew Lipsky was at the helm at Charcoal Bar, he had an apprentice helping him out with things. Michael Simon is running the show solo. Although I did go shortly after they reopened and they seemed to have a steady stream of guests but never hit capacity. There is an issue that a group of four really needs to sit at the bar or in the tatami room.

Yeah, I'm guessing you are right and they just won't be able to run at full capacity. I wasn't sure if the groups of four were together or not. Either way, seems like a real challenge to get in here and I wouldn't expect to be able to get in if you are dining at Sumi, since they have even less capacity than The Office and other similarly hard-to-get into bars.

mgmcewen wrote:

lodasi wrote:

mgmcewen wrote:The Charcoal Bar has reopened with Michael Simon at the helm. Last night we walked into the pretty much empty restaurant and tried to go and we informed that though only four people were at the bar, another four had been waiting an hour plus, and though there would be two open seats when those people went down, they said it would take thirty minutes to "get those seats ready." The bar has a total of eleven seats. Sounded like BS to me, or that they are already having issues with it.

When Matthew Lipsky was at the helm at Charcoal Bar, he had an apprentice helping him out with things. Michael Simon is running the show solo. Although I did go shortly after they reopened and they seemed to have a steady stream of guests but never hit capacity. There is an issue that a group of four really needs to sit at the bar or in the tatami room.

Yeah, I'm guessing you are right and they just won't be able to run at full capacity. I wasn't sure if the groups of four were together or not. Either way, seems like a real challenge to get in here and I wouldn't expect to be able to get in if you are dining at Sumi, since they have even less capacity than The Office and other similarly hard-to-get into bars.

Yeah, if you really want to get into Charcoal Bar, your best bet is to go during happy hour. The way it is set up, there are 5 seats at the bar, one high two-top. A love seat with a coffee table and two weird half-egg chairs with another small table. If they are throttling the bar's capacity to only four at a time, that definitely means they need to make some changes.