I have never had the chance to try the "Ron of Japan" locations in the Chicago area. I have, however, had the pleasure of eating at the original RON restaurant in Osaka Japan several times.... Some of the best Steak I have had anywhere in the world.

I'll admit that I occasionally have a massive craving for Americanized teppanyaki places . . . but it's almost always the shrimp with egg sauce that I'm after. So in the least two weeks, I've visited both Sakura (on Diversey) and Ron of Japan (Chicago location). While I've been to Ron of Japan many times, this was my first visit to Sakura. I wasn't so impressed with Sakura, though I went armed with a Groupon so it wasn't that painful. And while they offered the shrimp with egg sauce, the egg was more hardened and not as enjoyable. And the meat I ordered was just not very flavorful.

Earlier this evening though, I satisfied my shrimp with egg sauce craving at Ron of Japan - appetizer portion followed by sirloin and more shrimp. In the words of Rod Blagojevich, this stuff is f'ing golden (almost literally). I just can't get enough of it. Sirloin, vegetables, fried rice . . . nothing is what I would recommend to someone seriously seeking Japanese food, but it all is really so comforting. And after all these years, it's nice to see that this place still draws a crowd - packed at 9pm on a Friday.

Benihana is opening a restaurant this month in the John Hancock Center, marking a return to the Mag Mile for the Japanese chain. The restaurant will open Aug. 23 next to the Cheesecake Factory at the base of the 100-story tower at 875 N. Michigan Ave.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017081 ... r-mag-mile

Dave148 wrote:

Benihana is opening a restaurant this month in the John Hancock Center, marking a return to the Mag Mile for the Japanese chain. The restaurant will open Aug. 23 next to the Cheesecake Factory at the base of the 100-story tower at 875 N. Michigan Ave.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017081 ... r-mag-mile

This makes some sense to me, especially taken with the hankering from a few years ago reported by BR above, which I share. Anecdotally, on two summer trips - Indianapolis/Lexington KY and Puerto Rico - teppanyaki options were packed. Stir-fry is back in.