Category Archives: Japanese

Friends Sushi

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**** (4 stars)

This stylish sushi restaurant offers some very inventive rolls and attentive service.

We started with the salmon carpaccio: thin slices of salmon served over greens in a soy dressing. It was very good, although I thought the dressing could have used a touch more rice wine vinegar for sweetness.

Then we shared three rolls. Each was unique, and they went together well.

“Sweet & Spicy” combined eel, cucumber, and salmon, but the piquant kick of the dollop of red sauce was what made it interesting.

In the “Jimmai” the hamachi, cilantro and seabass were really complemented by the smokiness of the grilled asparagus.

Our favorite roll was the very unusual “Ticky Tacky” where the predominant flavors came not from the king crab or tender thin octopus topping, but rather the mint leaf and wasabi mayo. That one packed quite a delicious kick.

There are many additional specialty rolls on the menu that we’ll need to check out next time.

Friends Sushi
710 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 787-8998
http://www.yelp.com/biz/friends-sushi-chicago

Yoshi Sushi Bar

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*** (3 stars)

This is a perfectly fine neighborhood sushi bar. Fish quality is good, and the preparations are professional.

All of the fish selections for the sashimi lunch were fresh tasting and it was a nice assortment. There is a large assortment of rolls available as choices on the sushi lunch.

The Tuna Kobachi was a fairly small serving, and the very thinly sliced avocado was a bit hard to deal with, but the flavors were good.

Service was very friendly and welcoming.

Yoshi Sushi Bar
11127 W. Colonial Dr
Ocoee, FL 34761
(407) 347-0521
http://www.yelp.com/biz/yoshi-sushi-bar-ocoee

Niu Japanese Fusion Lounge

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**** (4 stars)

This is a beautiful, large, expensive looking space, so it’s not surprising that prices are pretty high. I loved the way each item was served a bit more nicely than in the other sushi  places in town: miso soup was in a large, stylish bowl, and was a generous serving. The salad that came with lunch was an elaborate collection of mixed greens plus a couple of slices of peppers served with a much more delicate dressing than the normal ginger glop.

But when the sushi lunch set arrived, it looked pretty stingy: just four pieces of nigiri, and four coins of California roll. Not much for $14.

Fortunately I’d ordered another roll, the Mellow Yellow, and it was huge, with ten large slices for its reasonable $7 price.

I loved the tea service, with Genmai tea (the kind with the puffed rice) in a glass pot, served with a tiny glass cup and saucer.

Service was friendly, although if the place had more than a half dozen customers I’m not sure how the relatively slow sushi prep would have kept up.

Niu Japanese Fusion Lounge
332 E Illinois St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 527-2888
http://www.yelp.com/biz/niu-japanese-fusion-lounge-chicago

Tamari Japanese Kitchen

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***** (5 stars)

This very stylish and excellent Japanese restaurant is in an unlikely mall location.

The real test of a Japanese restaurant is in the quality and visual appeal of the sashimi, and Tamari passed with flying colors. The tuna sampler appetizer was a great example. I was expecting some piles of tartare, but instead received nine pieces of sashimi, including creamy white tuna, lightly seasoned albacore, and superb big eye tuna.

They also have the usual novelty rolls, fried food and noodle dishes, which were all good, but the sashimi is where it’s at.

Efficient service and a great vibe make this the go to spot for sushi in the southwest ‘burbs.

Tamari Japanese Kitchen
639 E Boughton Rd
Ste 105
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
(630) 863-7288
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tamari-japanese-kitchen-bolingbrook

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

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**** (4 stars)

This bustling restaurant serves Japanese barbecue (essentially the same as Korean barbecue), and lots of it. You cook the meats and vegetables yourself on the grill in the center o the table.

The combo meals are the best bet, because they let you try almost everything on the menu. We had the Samurai, which included three types of beef, chicken and shrimp. The toro beef was the best, although all were good.

The meal also come with a tasty miso soup (lots of green onions in it, which I like), salad, a so-so tuna rice ball appetizer, and bibimbap served in a hot stone bowl. I love this type of bibimbap preparation, and usually order it at Korean restaurants rather than the barbecue, so it was nice to have it included. There were also vegetables for grilling, and a pouch of corn kernels.

Dessert, too, was included, and consisted of graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate–a do-it-yourself s’mores kit!

Service was fast and efficient. The place is pretty noisy, so eating on the sidewalk would be a nice option, when available.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
210 E Ohio St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 266-8929
http://www.yelp.com/biz/gyu-kaku-japanese-bbq-chicago

Oysy Sushi

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Exterior

Sashimi: snapper, hamachi, salmon, eel sushi

White Dragon – white tuna, shrimp tempura, yellow tobiko, cucumber, avocado

California Sunset – imitation crab, avocado, mayo and cucumber, seared salmon, topped with a shies leaf and ikura, miso dressing

Emerald – lightly saute‘ed scallop, asparagus, cucumber, green caviar, and spicy sauce

Summer – Tuna, masago, red snapper, cilantro, avocado, green pepper, chili oil, spicy sauce, lime juice

***** (5 stars)

This stylish and spacious restaurant on Grand can get very busy, so the best place to eat during the summer is on the sidewalk. The menu is extensive, with many rolls, some cooked dishes, and all the sashimi and sushi selections you can imagine.

Beer selections are limited, but there are some nice wines and quite a few sakes.

We liked everything we had, so much that we couldn’t pick a favorite. We tried:

An assortment of sashimi: snapper, hamachi, salmon, and eel sushi. The eel was the best I’ve had.

White Dragon roll – white tuna, shrimp tempura, yellow tobiko, cucumber, avocado. A very attractive roll, and the white tuna was excellent.

California Sunset roll – imitation crab, avocado, mayo and cucumber, seared salmon, topped with a shies leaf and ikura, miso dressing. This roll was best eaten disassembled.

Emerald roll – lightly sautéed scallop, asparagus, cucumber, green caviar, and spicy sauce. The asparagus provided a nice crunch.

Summer roll – Tuna, masago, red snapper, cilantro, avocado, green pepper, chili oil, spicy sauce, lime juice. This one probably had the best overall combination of flavors, which united to be more than the individual components.

So far this is the best sushi place I’ve found in downtown Chicago, and I am including the high end names in that comparison.

Service was prompt and friendly.

Oysy Sushi
50 E Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 670-6750
http://www.yelp.com/biz/oysy-sushi-chicago

Japonais by Morimoto

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IMG_7500

**** (4 stars)

This is certainly one of the better sushi restaurants in Chicago, although it perhaps can’t live up to the prestigious name attached to it. The decor and vibe of the place is top notch, from the downstairs bar (the Blue Room) to the upstairs dining rooms.

The food features many of the items you’ll find at Morimoto in New York City and as far as I could recall they were nearly identical. Fish quality is, of course, excellent.

We had the multi course omakase, which is a bit different than other omakases in that you can pretty much pick your own items, so it’s just a way of bundling the items you’re interested in, at a reasonable price of $130 per person. Portion sizes were large, and we definitely left feeling well stuffed with sushi!

The best item we tried was the hamachi crudo, thin strips alternating with pimentos. The hamachi tacos were also quite good.

A few of the specialties didn’t live up to expectations, including the Caesar salad, which just was voted best salad in Chicago, but seemed rather pedestrian to me. Perhaps it’s just that I don’t like Caesars that are served deconstructed, leaving the prep work to me.

The vaunted Duck Duck Duck was also a bit lackluster, although there was nothing wrong with any of the (more than 3) duck preparations on the plate.

We also had octopus, both raw (supposedly live, but I think the octopus would disagree) and cooked, beets, a large platter of sashimi, and spicy crab legs.

The trio of sorbets was a nice light way to end the meal.

The wine list is extensive, and there is a nice selection of Champagnes, the perfect match for sashimi.

Service was friendly and attentive, although several times during the meal there was an attempt to deliver two dishes at once, a physical impossibility on such small tables and with such large dishes. This is apparently caused by them having three kitchen and no coordination between them, which seems very odd for a restaurant of this caliber.

Overall I enjoyed the meal, thought it was reasonably priced for what it was, and would go back. But I’m still looking for a truly great Chicago sushi restaurant.

Japonais by Morimoto
600 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 822-9600
http://www.yelp.com/biz/japonais-by-morimoto-chicago-2

Momotaro

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***** (5 stars)

I was expecting this restaurant to be crowded, noisy and with forced service, but it was none of these. Even though by the time we finished dinner it was full, it didn’t seem crowded, and noise levels never made it the least bit difficult to converse. Most importantly, our server, Brennan, was the opposite of stiff. He made the whole meal a fun and exciting experience, with excellent recommendations, deep knowledge of the menu and wine list, and a clear passion for what he is doing.

We loved the quality of the fish in the sashimi platter (which is called an omakase, but isn’t really what that is, traditionally).

Crab with shishito peppers was also very good.

My favorite dish was the bacon wrapped quail eggs from the robata grill. With three eggs on each of two skewers, this is a very shareable item.

The flan-like butterscotch dessert was also delicious.

The interior design of the restaurant is beautiful, and reasonable pricing makes it a place I will return to often.

Momotaro
820 W Lake St
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 733-4818
http://www.yelp.com/biz/momotaro-chicago-3

Mizuki Grill

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*** (3 stars)

With three sushi restaurants now within a two block radius, it’s hard to understand why this former Mexican restaurant (I know the decor looks Italian, but whatever) has become a combination sushi and American concept.

We didn’t try any of the American items, but the sashimi and sushi we had was all fine, although nothing stood out as particularly remarkable.

The salmon and hamachi appetizers were fairly similar, the main difference being minced onion on the salmon and jalapeño slices on the hamachi. Ceviche was served in a martini glass, and was mainly about lime juice and cilantro, which pretty much overwhelmed any fish flavors.

Rolls were somewhat more interesting. The Summer Roll (which according to our waitress “everyone orders”) was a balanced blend of tuna, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro and tempura flakes, topped with spicy mayo and sitting in eel sauce. The White Dragon was shrimp tempura with avocado, topped with eel and eel sauce. A few bits of the eel had a nice char that increased the complexity of the flavors.

The place is huge, with five dining rooms, although not all are furnished, and only two were in use. Service was efficient. The wine list is limited, and there are no sparkling wines, the best match for sushi. There are a few beers and sakes also available.

Mizuki Grill
474 Central Ave
Highland Park, IL 60035
(847) 926-7598
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mizuki-grill-highland-park