Tanoshii sushi, and green tea

A wintry weekend evening found a few of us in Andersonville looking for sushi. We payed our first visit to Tanoshii the recent creation of the highly-regarded "Sushi Mike", formerly of Hama Matsu (a few blocks south). Mike carries with him a formidable reputation for skillful, creative sushi preparations. I have never dined there, but Mike's highly-regarded preparations at Hama Matsu quickly enabled him to branch out on his own.

I think it is important for me to interject that I am something of a sushi traditionalist. I am generally not excited by maki described as "creative", "interesting", or "fusion". I generally prefer traditional nigiri made from skillfully-sliced, fresh fish. When someone tells me how "interesting" someone's sushi is, I am skeptical of how much I will enjoy it.

We entered Tanoshii to find Sushi Mike entertaining and serving a large group of admirers at the bar. A hostess showed us to our table and was quick to inquire if we had experienced the work of "Sushi Mike" before. After hearing that we had not, she fawned a bit, handed over menus, and our waitress arrived.

We started with two hot appetizers: agedashi tofu (a favorite of mine) and crispy calamari (a last-minute replacement for the mussels which they did not have). The calamari was terrific: tiny, crispy rings served with mixed mushrooms in a garlic and citrus sauce. The agedashi (deep-fried tofu in broth) was enjoyable, but I've had better.

The rest of our meal consisted of only sushi. The featured maki chosen by Ms. EC and my sister did not bowl me over. They were good, but basically met my expectations of creative sushi. If you like tempura, vegetables, and a variety of fish and sauce in a roll, then this stuff is for you. I enjoyed my spicy tuna temaki (hand roll) and the nigiri was fresh, tasty and obviously cut by a carefully trained chef. Some extremely fresh ikura (salmon roe) drove home the point that Sushi Mike obviously focuses on quality seafood. My only complaint was the size of the nigiri slices. I am not someone who demands large portions, but our toro and hamachi were surprisingly "short" for the price. It took more money than I expected to satisfy me.

The surprise highlight of the meal was my cup of green tea. In the colder months, I drink green tea almost daily, and this had a robust, smoky flavor that was unlike any cup I have had before. I asked the waitress to find out more about it for me (hoping she would bring back a label for me). She tried to convey to me, in broken English, that they buy it from a Korean market near Lawrence and Kimball and that it has rice in it. That's all I was given to go on, so now begins my quest for Tanoshii's tea.

When we left, Sushi Mike was still entertaining the now drunk group at the bar (Tanoshii is BYOB). I had spent a little more money than I expected, but I was not disappointed in the quality. My indifference to Sushi Mike's reputation yielded an experience that has interested me enough to return again one day and dig a little deeper through what Tanoshii has to offer.

Check out Tanoshii
5547 N. Clark
(773) 878-6886
BYOB. Metered street parking.

Best,
Michael / EC

eatchicago wrote:She tried to convey to me, in broken English, that they buy it from a Korean market near Lawrence and Kimball and that it has rice in it. That's all I was given to go on, so now begins my quest for Tanoshii's tea

Michael,

I believe what you are referring to is Genmai Cha, Japanese green tea with toasted rice. I've had this drink in Japanese, Korean and, once, even Thai (Elephant Thai) restaurants. If I'm thinking of the correct tea occasionally there is even a popped kernel or two of popcorn in the tea.

When Ann, at Elephant Thai, served this to us she added it was healthy. (I'm assuming she meant the tea was good for our health, not the tea was in good health. )

Ganmai Cha is different, though with a somewhat similar taste, to Korean barley and rice tea.

You should be able to purchase Ganmai Cha at most Korean or Japanese groceries.

Ganmai Cha

Interesting review of Tanoshi, you and I are on the same page as far as ~interesting~ rolls go. Fish sounds quite nice, Sushi Mike a hoot, and byob is always good.

Enjoy,
Gary

I really wanted to like this place, as the room is quite nice and I remember Mike's work down the street fondly. But, alas, this imho is a try-it-only-once place. The servers were quite uniformed about the menu, the presentations were downright boring, and - the biggest downer for me - the fish was actually served still slightly frozen.

recommendation: take a pass.

G Wiv wrote:I believe what you are referring to is Genmai Cha, Japanese green tea with toasted rice. I've had this drink in Japanese, Korean and, once, even Thai (Elephant Thai) restaurants. If I'm thinking of the correct tea occasionally there is even a popped kernel or two of popcorn in the tea.

According to Bill Tood of Todd & Holland, this drink was developed during WWII, when everything was scarce in Japan. The green leaf tea was "extended" by adding the roasted rice kernals (not sure where the corn comes in, but that grain is also added to genmai these days). After the War, some Japanese still liked this grainy-flavored tea, so production continued. I think it's interesting that food developed to get through tough times can become favored in its own right (my dad was introduced to Spam during his glory days and the 5th Army invasion of Italy -- to this day, he fondly eats it regularly).

Hammond

G Wiv wrote:You should be able to purchase Ganmai Cha at most Korean or Japanese groceries.

Excenllent, Gary. Thanks. I'm sure you've shaved some time off of my search.

It is a bit discouraging that the staff couldn't come up with a name for me.

Best,
Michael / EC

David Hammond wrote:After the War, some Japanese still liked this grainy-flavored tea, so production continued. I think it's interesting that food developed to get through tough times can become favored in its own right (my dad was introduced to Spam during his glory days and the 5th Army invasion of Italy -- to this day, he fondly eats it regularly).

Kukicha - or "twig tea" as it is sometimes called - is similar in that it was born of privation. The stories I've heard of its origin vary slightly. This indicates the complexity of "origins" more than an inability to distinguish which is right and which is wrong. The stories go that either during poor tea harvests or due to the value of tea leaves for trade, those involved in the tea trade would toast the twigs and the damaged leaves and brew tea from them. Since most of the robust "stuff" is in the leaves, kukicha is naturally low in caffeine, milder, nuttier, and less astringent. To my tastes it is also similar to barley tea. Now that the tea is actually valued in its own right rather than as an extender it has of course been upscaled ... twigs from different harvests and different regions are blended to produce an improved kukicha.

Beyond the love for foods borne of necessity, I find these trends really interesting: the absence of "good" versions of items in areas where they should be abundant due to their trade value (coffee in Honduras, Columbia, etc, comes to mind); and "artisinal" versions of homely products.

rien

Mostly true about the coffee example. But is has more to do with the lack of a local coffee culture and the relative extreme value/expense of this cash crop. In Kenya/Tanzania, eg, you'll only be served instant, even if the shop is surrounded by coffee. But in other areas with tradional ties to the beverage (Zanzibar or Ethiopia, eg) coffee is a big deal.

I've had excellent local coffee in Central America, however. And friend from Tegucigalpa used to receive "care packages" of intense, delicious local coffee already mixed with cane sugar for brewing in a colador or press. So I guess I'd differ on that example.

JeffB wrote:And friend from Tegucigalpa used to receive "care packages" of intense, delicious local coffee already mixed with cane sugar for brewing in a colador or press. So I guess I'd differ on that example.

Good information. I didn't mean to convey that the absence of coffee in growing regions was an absolute, just that it was often the case. Ethiopia is a powerful counter example. I've often contemplated buying some green coffee at one of the Ethiopian markets on Broadway and trying to to pan roast them, in true Ethiopian style. Could grab some cassettes of Addis Ababa dance music to provide suitable ambiance.

rien

Apropos the restaurant feature on Tanoshii in this past week's The Reader, I thought I would share a couple photos from a meal that I had there, two weeks ago.


"Sushi Mike" in action -- slicing hamachi toro


Sashimi assortment feat. uni and hamachi toro sashimi, and one of Mike's signature maki-mono

While certainly acceptable--especially for the price vis-a-vis Chicago's marketplace--I felt that the quality of the sushi and sashimi prepared for me paled in comparison to that I have had recently at Bob San, Katsu, Kamehachi and Japonais. Mike's skill and adventurous spirit* were both readily apparent, and I do wonder if his loyal following would remain if he took a step up -- in both the quality of the fish that he has on offer and the pricing commensurate with said quality.

Regards,
Erik M.

* I was pleasantly surprised to see a copy of Tetsuya Wakuda's book tucked away behind Mike's prep area.

I finally made it to Tanoshii last week, not once, but twice. Not because the sushi was "blow my mind" good... but you'll see.

Walked across the street to Tanoshii after work on Wednesday, and saw the "Closed on Tuesday" sign. Turned around and almost drove off before realizing what a doofus I was, and that it was Wednesday.

Walked into an almost empty restaurant, and sat at the sushi bar next to 2 customers. Had uni, hamachi, ika, and unagi; my regular order to determine how good the stuff is. Also ordered one of the house special rolls (Red Caterpillar).

Uni was a generous portion, but Mike warned me that it was "baby uni" and that there will be a slightly bitter finish. That it had, but I found that wierdly interesting. He did say that if I did not like it, he will not charge me for it. But it was fine.

Hamachi was ok. Not as buttery as I would have liked it. The ika was ok too. Nothing to write home about.

The unagi was standard, but the true test is the sauce. This sauce was not as strongly flavored as I would have liked.

I agree with the other posters. The sizes were smaller than usual, and my pieces were not formed correctly. Some of the pieces came with the fish lopsided etc. Another thing I noticed was that the fish was presliced. I guess the younger chef has not master that skill yet.

Tanoshii's main attraction seems to be the rolls. They are inventive and Mike is very friendly and eager to let patrons sample his creations. He passed 2 rolls around the bar for us to try.

When he discovered that I have a fondness for uni, he suggested that I return on Friday, since he gets fresh uni that afternoon. That was what led me back for my second visit. The uni was good, but it was just about the same standard I would have gotten at Bob San. That did not stop us from placing a second order.

Then we asked him to serve us whatever he wanted, and he prepared the same 2 rolls he had done on Wednesday. In fact, every table in the restaurant had the same 2 rolls.. =) One of the rolls was a soy paper low-carb roll with lettuce and assorted fish served in a ponzu like sauce. The other I don't remember except it was served with an oil based italian herb dressing/seasoning. It was really wierd, and I did not care much for it.

Pricewise, my bill came up to $45 on Wednesday (dining solo, no alcohol) and $90 on Friday (dining with a companion).

I would return to Tanoshii for makis, but if I was looking for good traditional sushi, I would go somewhere else.

Thanks for the report, Crazy C.

We returned to Tanoshii a few weeks ago because of a restaurant.com certificate we had sitting around. We were unable to sit at the bar due to the fawning crowds around "Sushi Mike".

I ordered the chef's sashmi selection and petit pois ordered a few rolls. Overall, I was severely unimpressed by the sashimi, the service, and the general comfort level of the restaurant. If we didn't have a $25 certificate, I'd have felt ripped off. I didn't even bother attempting to complain, since the waitresses seemed to be afraid of interaction with their customers and Mike was too busy entertaining his fan club to chat.

When we left, I remember saying "I'm done with Tanoshii. There are much better sushi experiences to be had in Chicago."

Best,
Michael

Anyone been to Tanoshii recently, seems like the quality is off a bit. The creativity of the rolls has become the same special rolls over and over. Essentially more like a sceret menu than an off the cuff creation. Fish quality and consistancy seems a little off too. Not bad, just not really blowing me away anymore.

J

A while ago, Sushi Mike told me he was leaving Tanoshii, but was enigmatic about where he was going. Does anyone have any idea? Is he still there?

I remember one time, early on, when Mike served me a sashimi plate that consisted of paper thin slices of red snapper alternated with paper this slices of skin-on lemon, which he layed out into a 3 foot long strip and rolled into a rose. It was elegant, fresh, fantastic and (obviously) memorable. More recently, I have felt that he has been a bit of a victim of his own success. With so many people wanting the Sushi Mike treatment, his "creations" had become rather uniform. And Tanshii has aways had front of the house problems in terms of hit-or-miss service.

For my part, I'd started going there very early during the week, when the place would be practically empty, and I would feel like I was getting one-on-one service, and things where much better. On busier nights service between plates seemed to take forever.

In any case, lately I have been loving Tank sushi, although there rolls cost about twice as much as many other places, making thier weekend before seven half price deal making the prices about average.

In any case, lately I have been loving Tank sushi, although there rolls cost about twice as much as many other places, making thier weekend before seven half price deal making the prices about average.

You might want to check out T-Spot, on Lincoln just south of Irving. I'm not a big roll fan versus sushi and sashimi, but I was pretty happy with theirs, and prices seemed decent.

I have been to T-Spot and it was allright, but a $10 corkage fee? Even for two Sapporos?
Tank is overpriced but they have good booze.

I hope it is not a bother that I am bumping this thread...Just got home from Tanoshii. We ordered 7 rolls between the two of us (we were hungry!), including their Andersonville Roll, Dragon Roll, Tanoshii Roll among others. All in all we were quite pleased with our meal and while it wasn't the best sushi ever we'll still likely return. The corkage fee for a bottle of wine was $4. What we liked about the restaurant was it's atmosphere--sushi Mike definitely had his following, but the other two chefs were quite social too and everyone at the bar including the non-regulars was quite talkative and friendly. All in all, a worthy dinner for those in the area, even though I'm sure there's other comparable sushi spots in the 'hood.

Reviews seem really promising, anyone here been?

SgtPork wrote:Reviews seem really promising, anyone here been?

Please look above.

There are other passing references if you do a search.

Regards,

Sgt - welcome to the board. This thread hasn't been updated in a while, indeed; speculation upthread that Sushi Mike was leaving did not pan, as he's still there. A recent Check, Please! episode covered the current atmosphere:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lRa1HvMGwFo

I'm a fan of Mike and was there most recently last summer, but it's hard to get a seat at the bar these days, and other than his creativity and the nice feeling you get when someone really listens to your individual tastes and makes adjustments, the space and menu items beyond the typical nigiri and maki don't inspire me the way Katsu, Sunshine, Meiji, and Starfish do. I rate it as more of an entry-level sushi place like Bob San, Izumi, or Sushi Wabi, though acknowledging these are favorites of some other posters (sushi is territorialized almost as much as barbecue here!)

We look forward to your own review should you stop by Tanoshii or any of these other spots.

Wanting sushi, being right near Tanoshii, and not wanting to travel far, a friend and I visited Tanoshii last night. I did not like my last visit there but so many people like this place that I decided to give it another try. I disliked last night's meal so much that I will not give Tanoshii another try.

My friend and I split a couple of maki and some nigiri. With respect to the nigiri, I thought it was served way too cold and was not particularly well prepared, especially the yellowtail which looked like it was cut by someone wearing a blindfold.

We also tried a couple of maki - first, the Kamikaze. This was so spicy (don't get me wrong - I enjoy spicy food) and so laden with sauce that the particular fish used to create this roll became irrelevant . . . you could not taste the fish. For our second roll, we chose the option of having Sushi Mike choose our roll, and when asked for preferences, I asked merely that the chef choose the best quality fish he had. Our waiter returned with what he called a "spicy roll." Though not the identical twin to the Kamikaze, I'm quite sure it was a sibling . . . again, laden with sauce although not quite as spicy as the Kamikaze and again leaving the issue of fish selection irrelevant because all you could taste was the thick and overused sauce.

There were other issues with the meal (service-wise) that bugged me, not the least of which was our waiter's lack of awareness or concern that we were essentially served two of the same roll, but these issues would not prevent me from returning to Tanoshii. Rather, it is my disappointment with both the nigiri and maki that will cause me to pass this place at full speed the next time I am in the area and needing to eat.

I'm sorry to hear about all the bad experiences people have had at Tonoshii's over the years. My wife and I lived on Bryn Mawr, essentially right behind Tonoshii, sharing an alley with them. I used to drink coffee by the kitchen window in the afternoon and listen to Sushi Mike launch the most impressive string of profanities into a cell phone while pacing erratically back and forth. If I hadn't known he was in the restaurant industry, I would've assumed ex-wife or ex-wife's lawyer on the other end of those calls. Anyways, we popped in there several times, always leaving pretty damn happy, though there may have been once we felt a bit nonplussed, and that may have been one of the few times where we didn't simply tell the waitress (or Mike himself, since we usually went on dead weekdays) what we were in the mood for and let Mike put something together for us. We also enjoyed when Mike would try out new sushi experiments on us, which is kind of a cool experience in itself, but since both of us both really enjoy the experimentation aspect of food, to be involved in the process when it's not just us unsure of the results but the chef as well, that made for a pretty neat time. It's been a few years since we moved away, so my opinions on the state of things now are pretty much as outsider as you can get, but a few years ago, I would've recommended going on Wednesday or Thursday night and letting Mike think up a concoction for you. However, if you just aren't interested in going there, if Sushi Luxe is still operating down the street, we really enjoyed that place as well, and then you've got Simon's right next door for a late night drink.

Sitting at a table can be a bit pedestrian if that is your only experience at Tanoshii. What I find most enjoyable is the atmosphere and interaction with Mike or his staff when I sit at the bar. Mike can be a great host if it isn't completely packed and with your booze costs near non-existant, you can enjoy more of the food. 3 specialty rolls probably won't fill a hungry party of 2, but it will set you back about 55-60 bucks.

Sure, the specialty rolls can be overpriced but if you go on a slower night (not weekends) you can usually get better quality and service.

Based on the reviews I read about Tanoshii, sushi bar service is definitely the way to go to get the best experience.

I just returned from a fantastic culinary experience with Sushi Mike at Tanoshii. It was Monday, and slower (but not empty). This allowed Mike to spend the evening with us, talking about his technique, the freshness and quality of his fish, and he served us some extraordinary sushi, appetizers, and a pleasant dessert.

To start, I'll say dining at the counter with Sushi Mike is the way to go. Sitting at a table would be fine, but the best experience comes from sitting with the chef himself and getting to know his food, along with his personality. He is passionate about what he does, and it shows in his attention to detail, freshness of his product, and his theory that soy sauce should be used sparingly. Within 5 minutes of being seated, and discussing our first course - he told me he was going to make sure we didn't have to put soy sauce on anything. This was refreshingly, and I can appreciate the theory that adding a lot of sauce to an already perfect dish would ruin it. In my industry, BBQ, I adhere to the same standard - the best BBQ doesn't need any sauce.

Back to sushi. We opted for the Mike special. You select a type of fish, and Mike comes up with something creative - off the menu - just for you. He asked your likes, dislikes, spice tolerance, etc. and custom makes a roll for you. I had never experienced this before, so it was fun. Not a mind-blowing concept, but fun nonetheless.
Here's a pic of the menu description, and some of the ingredients you can select:



He suggested we started with fish N' Chips. This was a disc shaped mold he made in front of us, presented it for our approval, then spread/mixed the layers together and topped a freshly fried wonton triangle. The layers were tomato mixture (fresh diced tomato, onion, fresh cilantro, salt, pepper), avocado, tuna, topped with fresh Tobiko (flying fish eggs). Here's the initial presentation:

He then squeezes a fresh lemon wedge over the dish, mixes around the ingredients - and tops your wonton.

He personally serves you from behind the counter, and as you reach for a plate and chopsticks, he gently says "no, just your hands. This is fun food".
Small details, such as this ,show me he has a specific goal for our experience. He directs the whole production, including consumption instructions.

After the appetizer, he started making our "Mike's Special" roll. We had requested he make the roll with Hamachi, which he told us was flown in that morning.
The roll was fantastic, was made fresh, and I can't tell you all that was in it - but it was delicious. I could taste the freshness of the fish, the rice was cooked perfectly, and the light sauce Mike applied complemented the other flavors nicely.



We were sharing, and my wife said to me as I reached for the last bite..."chivalry is dead, isn't it" - which was her passive aggressive way of saying "hands off, that last piece is mine!". I had already decided we'd order another special roll, so I happily obliged.

Mike mentioned the Big Eye tuna was really good, so I had him make our next roll with it....


Again, delicious, fresh - good quality fish. We talked with Mike for a bit, had some wine, then it came up that own a BBQ restaurant so we talked "shop" for awhile. He had the server bring out some saki for us - served at room temperature. I am not a saki expert, but this was a nice tasting saki - and the offering was appreciated (it was from Mike's personal stash, this is a BYOB shop).
To finish, Mike offered us asian pears lightly kissed with truffled honey. I hadn't experienced truffled honey before, and it was quite pleasant. The dish was sweet, slightly tart, and the truffle flavor complemented nicely.


Overall it was a very pleasant evening. 4 courses, $60, BYO wine, nice conversation with a passionate artist doing his thing.
I really appreciate what Mike does, and think the experience he provides is unique and exceeded my expectations for service and quality.
Thanks Mike, keep up the good work.

Tanoshii
5547 N. Clark
(773) 878-6886

I think the Tanoshii experience hinges on Mike. The one time we went, we sat at the sushi bar...at the other end from where Mike was working. The other sushi chef did a custom roll or two for us, but I could tell our experience was much less engaging. It's been months, so I don't recall what we ordered. Perhaps I had really bought the hype and was disappointed that it wasn't all that. I think we should go back on a quieter night.

http://travel.cnn.com/tokyo/eat/micheli ... shi-203135

I remain puzzled by the American phenomenon of always eating nigiri and rolls with chopsticks, particularly when most of us are not great with chopsticks for starters. Sushi Mike is right, it's all fun food.

Mike takes Tuesdays off, and he says they're always full on the weekends - Monday is a safe bet. Also, he mentioned their check please episode is re-airing in January, so get in before that happens. I agree, I probably wouldn't have been impressed as much if we didn't have that 1-on-1 with mike. I would have still considered it good sushi, but maybe not a post worthy experience.

JeffB wrote:http://travel.cnn.com/tokyo/eat/michelin-starred-master-tells-us-how-eat-sushi-203135

I remain puzzled by the American phenomenon of always eating nigiri and rolls with chopsticks, particularly when most of us are not great with chopsticks for starters. Sushi Mike is right, it's all fun food.

Sitting at his bar one night, Yasuda instructed me "nigiri with fingers, maki with chopsticks". Given that the rolls above look pretty "sauced", I would say chopsticks are advisable.

The only maki I like are the more traditional jobs - oshinko, natto, etc. They are wrapped in nori and if anything are more finger-friendly. Dragonroll crunchwrap supreme with flaming cheeto-bbq-teriyaki-mayo-ranch, I would use chopsticks. (Not that they serve that at Yasuda.) In the vast range between, I'd use discretion. Sashimi - chopsticks. Point was just to remind folks that it's OK and actually "proper" to eat non-sashimi sushi with one's hands. I really hate the stink eyes I get sometimes when I pick up my nigiri.
Edit: I agree that most of the rolls pictured support chopstick (and bib) use.

He only instructed us to eat the appetizer with our fingers. We used chop sticks for the rolls

Has anyone eaten at the new location on Randolph street?
If so, what as your experience and almost as important, where did you park if you came by car?
Thanks.-Dick