Tsuki

My friend and I were going to the opera last night and had plans to have dinner at Oysy beforehand. We ended up with more time than expected, so traveled up to Lincoln Park to try Tsuki instead.

We got there around 5:30 and it was empty. I was immediately taken by the decor. The lounge and restaurant are side-by-side and divided by a wall. The color-scheme throughout is blue and brushed-silver. The fireplaces in the back of the lounge looked very inviting on this cold night! In the restaurant, the booths have tall separators and are very private. However, I imagine it could get noisy on a busy night because of all the hard surfaces and tiled floors. The sushi bar is the focal point of the room.

Half the menu is hot items, but we only ordered sushi. I got the impression that a lot of first-timers here don't understand small plates, tapas, or Japanese dining (have they been living under a rock for the last couple years??) because the server took some time to explain to us the concept of "sharing." He also pointed out particularly fresh items that evening and best-sellers.

We had:

Nigiri:
smoked duck Delicious! I could have eaten an entire meal of these.
madai (snapper)
hamachi (yellowtail)

Maki:
ebi crunch (shrimp tempura with tempura coating on the outside of the roll) Liked it so much we ordered a second roll.
spicy pinenut tuna (tuna maki topped with pinenuts and white tuna; ginger, rosemary, and wasabi for spice.) Melted in my mouth- it was so fresh. The pinenuts added an interesting texture. I liked the ginger, but not the rosemary flavor.
Hawaiian (tuna and avocado)
Unagi cucumber

Cocktails:
Lychee-tini - I didn't think it needed Malibu. Also, I wish they'd garnish it with a lychee instead of a cherry.
Ginger-tini - Nice strong ginger flavor. I like Asian pear, but this drink tasted almost like cough syrup.

Overall, we both really enjoyed our meal. Each item we ordered was very fresh and nicely prepared. I'd skip the drinks next time. Japonais has similar fruit-martinis that taste a lot better (and look prettier). Service is very friendly (sushi chefs, hostess, server) and without attitude. The decor is perfect for a date or nice evening out.


Tsuki
1441 W Fullerton
(773) 883-8722
http://www.visittsuki.com/

Griffin suggested sushi tonight. This was a little bizarre seeing as we JUST got off a plane from Seattle/Vancouver this morning, but Tsuki offers $20 off of $60 (pretax) on Tuesday nights and I think that was what hooked him.

We arrived at 6 and there were only a couple of tables taken. The place was full by the time we left at 8.

We ordered many plates and really liked that they came one at a time. Also the presentation was lovely.

Our first dish was hot crab salad. This was served over greens (mesclun). The menu said warm greens, although they were not heated other than from the hot crab piled on top that wilted them a little. This was fine with me and was preferable in today's heat!

This salad was a wonderful size portion and larger than we expected for a japanese salad. An 8 or 10 inch plate covered in greens and crab over fried rice? noodles (almost transparent white and crispy) served with avocado and orange slices. An excellent dish.

Our next course were the baked oysters with japanese mayonaise. They were a bit overcooked and fishy, but still tasty. Served in the shell atop mounds of salt.

The third course were the scallop skewers. Two skewers each with four half sea scallops (about quarter size scallops cut in half). We got them with salt and pepper -- you can also order with teriyaki. I detected some seaweed flakes perhaps in the seasoning. Although they were not fishy, they were also a bit over cooked for us.

The next course was two EXCELLENT maki off of the specials menu. The tako spicy tuna maki which was grilled octopus, crunchy tempura topped with spicy tuna and spicy pinenut tuna maki which was tuna, pistachios, pinenuts and rosemary topped with white tuna and ginger puree. The pistachios and pinenuts gave great texture -- and you could feel them more than taste them. Both rolls were lovely combinations of tastes. It was very difficult to decide which piece to save for last.

Finally we were served our smoked duck sushi which had a lovely BBQ taste (watch out for the wasabi) and griffin got uni which I did not parake in.

To round out the $60 we got desert. The green tea ice cream was rich and lovely. We ordered the added red bean paste which was a little grainy but interesting. We also got the mixed berry mousse -- it came with several raspberrys and blueberrys with a raspberry syrup on top, over a fairly solid flan like base. Served in a small white wine glass. We preferred the green tea ice cream (twice the serving size, half the price).

The music was a little loud, but it was not heavy throbbing music.

Although I got the feeling this place might be a little too hip for us, we really liked the food and enjoyed our Tuesday night meal. It was worth $29 each. Given both cooked oysters and scallops were a tad overdone, we will probably err on the side of more raw fish next time -- but there will be a next time.

I live nearby and have eaten here several times. In fact, it's my son's favorite place (not counting Mannys and Phoenix for dim sum) and where he picked to go for his birthday this year. One remarkable thing about Tsuki is that they often get really exceptional fish...things like 'toro cheek' that you don't find everywhere else. Rolls are creative and well done, good selection of Japanese beers A bit expensive, but thats going to be the rule for good sushi. Putting yourslf "in the hands of the chef" and allowing him to select the best selection from what's available can be a great option.This is an outstanding place.

Agreed. I am a huge Tsuki fan. I usually stick to sashimi when I go because their fish is just ridiculously good (their otoro is like crack). I've enjoyed most of their cooked items, but especially their chawan mushi, which is really delicious.

I live right near Tsuki, and I think its the best sushi avalable in the area. Go on thurs. nights and they do this thing called "guys night out" and if your group is between 2-8 men your bill is half off.

They also do a ladies nite ( wed. I think) that works the same way.

A friend and I ate at Tsuki Monday night for half off. The restaurant was filled with women. I think men's night is Wednesday. Having the half off deal was great. We got to try some premium items for very little money. My friend was eating sushi for the first time and loved the experience. For our rolls we had spicy tuna and avocado, sashimi was snapper, salmon and premium toro. The toro was what really stood out. I've never had anything like it. My friend had a two specials, one was a tuna avacado wrapped in nori, the other was two rolls of smoked salmon with a bruleed scallop on top. She said those were excellent. We may have had more but I cannot remember now. We were impressed by the quality of the fish and would certainly go back any night.

Carolyn

tsuki, half off, may pass as a bargain. certainly at half off the LP/Lakeview eyecandy will counter the inedible uni or the completely oversalted enoki*. to use phrases like their fish is just ridiculously good would be... the fury just thinking about it...

if i can combine wednesday "men's nite" w/ a $25 resturant.com coupon, i'd be game for tsuki twice a week. and only twice a week, because trixie watching can only be so entertaining.

summation: all these faux japanese cuisine joints, from oysy in the loop to blue fin in wicker park, can shut down t'row. tank wants you to dip soysauce from a metal dish; tsuki wants you to eat sushi alfresco. no one should miss them. clammy fish isn't the right fashion accessory to go w/ your Louboutin sandals.

(Janet C + CrazyC , etc. back me up on this.)

Tony,

You can criticize the scene at Tsuki all you want, but it's a damn hard case to make that the quality of their fish is lacking in any way. Sure it's pricey, but I haven't found better quality for less money in the city yet. I've had clammy fish, and there is no way you can call their fish clammy. Any sub-par pieces of sashimi I have had there I have sent back and they've happily replaced with better cuts.

Shockingly, not only does Tsuki encourage al fresco dining, but they actually let you bring your dog along to dine with you! In fact, when asked whether their policy allows this, they're as friendly and accommodating about it as they are with most matters! And - get this - the "eye candy" accurately mentioned several times in this thread seem to LOVE a guy dining alone with his dog, so for said guy the place becomes - horror of all horrors - fun! Fun at a sushi restaurant?!!? What is this, DisneyLand? Oh, and get this: kids eat free at Tsuki on Saturday evening. Kids! In a sushi restaurant! I understand trying to cater to the neighborhood crowd and all, but kids? Imagine, kids and dogs and friendly, accommodating servers hanging in a really nice garden outside eating good fish and having fun. Ugh, what ever will become of Japanese dining in this city?

Oh the horrors! Places like Tsuki and Tank offering quality sushi for half-price on a regular basis. For shame! Get rid of them all! Only full-priced will do, preferably with no one under the age of 40 allowed, ever.

TonyC wrote:tsuki, half off, may pass as a bargain. certainly at half off the LP/Lakeview eyecandy will counter the inedible uni or the completely oversalted enoki*. to use phrases like their fish is just ridiculously good would be... the fury just thinking about it...

(Janet C + CrazyC , etc. back me up on this.)

I do have to agree with TonyC in some aspects. To call the sushi at Tsuki "ridiculously good" is not very accurate, at least for the 2-3 times I have been there...

Opening night was the first time I was there. Fish was fresh, service was so-so, which was understandable. Oysters were freshly shucked... all was good.

Second time, they ran out of many items in the menu. I chalk it up to growing pains.

Third time was in June with TonyC and JanetC. Uni was slimey and slightly off. I was happy that I ordered one piece just to make sure it was ok. The enoki mushroom (in a salad I think) was over salted... Sushi pieces were a little on the smaller side, especially on a non-discount night. If this was served to us on a 50% night, I might overlook the size/quality. But to call it ridiculously good, IMHO, is a stretch. Katsu is ridiculously good... Sushi Yasuda in NYC is ridiculously good... Tsuki is just OK... IMHO...

Price-wise... If I had to spend $3-4 (regular price) on a piece of Tsuki's sushi, I would much rather spend $5-6 on a piece of Katsu's, especially since the slight difference in price gets me a more generous and higher quality piece of fish... I will probably go to Tsuki in the future, if I had a bunch of girlfriends that want sushi on Girls' Night... Else, I would save my money for Katsu...

If one was to reword the sentence to "Tsuki's sushi was ridiculously good for the price on a 50% off night", then I would agree... Don't hate me please... I am a really nice person... I am not trying to "add oil to fire"

This may call for a sushi-a-thon...the most expensive a-thon ever!

Oh MAN would I love to do a sushi-a-thon. Too bad I'm moving to Boston at the end of the month...

JamPhil wrote:Only full-priced will do, preferably with no one under the age of 40 allowed, ever.

now presumptions are being made? Erik once said: I ... am assuredly part of the target demographic

if it doesn't rain, i'll borrow a fashionable pup (anyone have a labradoodle, cockapoo, or puggle i can borrow?) next wednesday and sit outside to eat my luke warm sushi.

Ms.Paris: can't think of a better way to leave this town than to stuff your face with raw fish for 1 day. you'll never forget Chicago. there are still 27 days left!

Just make sure it's a male dog or you'll be paying full price.

Kennyz wrote:Shockingly, ..... Oh, and get this: kids eat free at Tsuki on Saturday evening. Kids! In a sushi restaurant! I understand trying to cater to the neighborhood crowd and all, but kids? Imagine, kids and dogs and friendly, accommodating servers hanging in a really nice garden outside eating good fish and having fun. Ugh, what ever will become of Japanese dining in this city?

FWIW, I've heard it multiple times from various natives, that it's actually frawned upon for kids in Japan to eat sushi. It is said that kids' immune system has not developed enough to combat the potential harmful ingredients in raw food such as sushi.

For kids they have very cute bento boxes - and I dont think there is a fish choice in any of them and certainly no sushi. From what I recall there is a chicken teriyaki, edamame and the like and a special Japanese prize to choose from - its pretty cute!

Kids eating sushi...sushi being consumed outside...dogs and cats, living together!

And yet the world continues to turn...amazing.

I've gushed about the omakase at Sakuma's but I really enjoy the omakase at Tsuki. I went with my parents and their friends tonight, and Chef Hemmi was great as ever. He had asked us to call a day in advance for the omakase but I only gave 5 hours notice, and we had some amazing items. When I told him that I have some foodie friends who would be really interested in the authentic Japanese stuff, he assured me that everyone who orders omakase would get the authentic stuff.

I didn't get translations for everything down (sorry, need to work on that) but we had 6 courses:
1. appetizer plate of 3 items - hotaru-ika (tiny squid), grilled chicken slices with tendons, minced chu-toro with quail egg
2. sashimi - chu toro and hamachi, 2pcs each
3. yuba-wrapped fish (not sure which white flaky fish) in a clear broth
4. filet mignon slices and shiitake mushrooms that you grill yourself on a tiny personal grill (this was really cool!)
5. fugu (blow fish) tempura
6. sushi - hamachi, marinated maguro, hotate scallops, kampyo maki

$60/person, discounts do not apply on 50% Ladies'/Mens' Night.

When making reservations, request omakase and reserve the space in front of Chef Hemmi.

On the various discount days, Chef Hemmi said to make sure you sit in front of Chef Hemmi and you'll get the better stuff. Avoid the booths if you can.

enjoy,
asami

Tsuki is one of those places I'd never tried, despite it being not far from my house, mainly because of threads like this one. Tonight, though, I wanted a solo sushi dinner and I didn't feel like driving a long way, fighting for parking, etc. What can I say? I can see the criticisms but I had a pretty good meal.

The sashimi was the best part of it. Like Bob San, this place kicks out a ton of rolls and silly things like "sushi pizza" but the variety of fish in the case looked promising and so I asked for the chef to surprise me with a bunch of stuff, stressing that I didn't just want to see tuna and salmon all over the plate. Well, they didn't push it all that far but what I got was an array of supple, silky fish slices, plated artistically on a bed of ice, some dried twigs, and a lot of sliced cucumber and daikon. I could see that the guy eating plebeian rolls and sushi pizza two seats over felt like a schmuck when he saw my masterpiece of a platter go by. Anyway, the quality was quite good (if not ridiculously good-- hey, maybe one or two even came close), and as for their $3-4 pieces versus Katsu's $5-6 ones, well, I got $3-4 slices, seems okay by me.

I followed that with some more elaborately crafted things, which were all right but nothing that displaced simple sashimi as the star attraction. A small spicy octopus roll and a pair of salmon/scallop things finished with the torch didn't quite come into focus, flavor-wise, and a piece of fatty salmon was, to my mind, ruined by the torch, tasting fishier but losing the unctuousness of its raw fatty self. The smoked duck, praised above, seemed to have waddled in from another restaurant but it was far more successful. A grilled yellowtail jaw was pleasant but not a patch on Katsu's crispy-burnt-edged, lushly fatty versions.

Anyway, the menu has a lot of sushi for beginners on it but it's not at all hard to negotiate your way through the silly stuff (mozzarella cheese agedashi tofu? that is so wrong) to zero in on some very respectable items. Especially given the deals talked about above, you could do all right here while others eat gussied-up rolls sprinkled with tobiko like Baskin-Robbins cones and drink their Bellinitinis (I kid you not). Considering my last neighborhood sushi disaster, I'm glad to have Tsuki as a reasonably close, reasonably priced choice.

Mike G wrote:mozzarella cheese agedashi tofu? that is so wrong

Part of my soul just died.

See, here's the thing with Tsuki. That menu is a mine field. They have the horrors that are cheese covered junk and multi-colored rolls, but then there are absolute gems like chawan mushi, yellowtail collar, and whole horse mackerel served 3 different ways. It's like it's a really great sushi place trapped inside of a restaurant that's trying to cater to the Trixie set. Smart business plan? Maybe, but I'm not in the restaurant business.

As an aside, I will say that the quality of their fish has slipped noticeably over the last month or two. The owners are opening a new restaurant soon in the space where that other sushi place was where you could eat off of a naked woman, so maybe there's been a loss of focus. I hope they get it back, because I'm a big fan (ordering the right things, of course).