After spending nearly two years trying--and failing--to secure a reservation at Tsuke Edomae in…read moreAustin, I learned that the restaurant is connected to Kyoten through chef Otto Phan. Kyoten Next Door offers a more casual and relatively affordable way to experience that style of omakase, with a focus on classic, straightforward nigiri. I made sure to book a New Year's Eve reservation while visiting Chicago, and the experience did not disappoint. The restaurant is quiet and intimate, with a graceful atmosphere that allows you to fully focus on the food. Each piece of nigiri was carefully sliced, seasoned, and assembled right in front of us. What stood out most was the precision behind each piece. The fish was cut and prepared in ways that felt noticeably different from other omakase experiences I've had, bringing out distinct textures and flavors with every bite. Each course felt thoughtful without being overly complicated. Overall, Kyoten Next Door absolutely deserves a place on any sushi lover's bucket list. It was a memorable experience from start to finish, and now I'm even more excited to try Kyoten.

We've been to pretty much every omakase in Chicago, and Kyoten Next Door is the best. Honestly,…read moreit's not even that close. We've gone three times now, and every meal has been just as good as the last. That's what really stands out. A lot of places can be great once. This place is great every time. The fish is incredible and obviously sourced with a lot of care, but the rice is what really separates it. They use a rice you won't find at any other restaurant in Chicago, and you can taste the difference immediately. It changes the whole bite. We've had a lot of very good omakase in this city. Some great ones. But this is the one we keep comparing all the others to. Best omakase in Chicago. No question.

Great quaint spot. Awesome customer service…read more Phenomenal food! Decent amount of parking. Simple. Elegant. W/o the elegant $$!

After following them for so long, I can finally check this place off my list! Even though I live…read morejust 7 minutes away, mom life kept me from making it here sooner. So when my sister-in-law suggested a moms' night out--no kids--I was down. Purposely came on a Wednesday to grab the weekday prix fixe for $48: app + ceviche nikkei + 5 nigiri + donburi/2 handrolls & to double dip on the HH menu 4:30 pm - 6 pm App Furikake Edamame - This dish came out pipping hot and I was really digging the seasoning Sesame Seaweed Salad - Quite different and not an ordinary seaweed salad you'd typically expect. It was too overly seasoned for my taste Ceviche Nikkei Very strong coconut profile. The sweet potatoes kinda threw me off and were super salty. Everything else was tasty 5 Piece Nigiri Memorable: Oro King Salmon & Lean Bluefin Tuna 2 Handrolls Spicy Scallop - Fav Spicy Tuna Extra Chutoro - Mid Uni Shooters - Not the worst, not the best Ube Mochi If you're in the market for some light bites & decent deals this is the spot. Service was pretty good too. We didn't leave full, just okay. Almost comparable to Sushi By Bou for value & light bites.

Disappointing Across the Board…read more Let's start with the positives. The staff is friendly and clearly trying. The servers, however, still need polish. The duck was very good, and the final dessert, the gold chocolate dish, was also a hit. Unfortunately, that is where the positives end. This was a huge miss for us. My wife and I dine out frequently at Michelin-starred restaurants and tasting menus, and we love omakase experiences. We have been to all of them in Chicago and regularly visit Boka Restaurant Group spots. We have also been to Eleven Madison Park when Ryan Lockwood was chef de cuisine there, and it was phenomenal. This meal was far below the standard of what Boka usually delivers, and it feels like a concept that still needs more pride and refinement when a chef of Ryan Lockwood's caliber puts his name on it. There is clearly potential here, but it does not yet reflect the level of care and execution we expect from that pedigree. I understand now why there are so many glowing reviews. It is an eight-seat omakase and there were only six guests tonight. Four were tourists. My wife and I were the only locals. If this is your one big Chicago splurge and you do not venture beyond the hotel area, maybe this feels special. But if you have experienced real omakase or serious Japanese tasting menus in this city, this does not hold up. Course by course Chawanmushi with caviar, cauliflower, and buttermilk mussel sauce The caviar tasted cheap and bland. The cauliflower was aggressively salty. Shiitake tempura with tea This could have been any fried fritter at any basic restaurant. The night before we had a zucchini fritter that tasted almost identical. Hamachi The best of the worst courses. Jonah crab salad Like eating a bowl of mayonnaise with the suggestion of crab somewhere in it. Kampachi Just fine. Completely forgettable. The nori on this and all of the hand rolls was toasted and crispy and was easily the best part of the kampachi, tuna, and rock shrimp rolls. Tuna hand roll Again, fine. Nothing memorable or special. As with the others, the toasted crispy nori was the highlight. Tempura rock shrimp hand roll Tasted like a cheap fried rock shrimp appetizer from P.F. Chang's. The only redeeming quality was the toasted, crispy nori. Parmesan risotto with black truffle Somehow sickeningly sweet. Duck breast This was excellent. But everything else on the plate was unnecessary and distracting. The sauces were a complete mess. The duck should be left simple to showcase the skin and tenderness. Palate cleanser Overly sweet. The apple-shaving press was cute, but that is where the creativity ended. Final dessert, gold chocolate Tasted like a really nice tiramisu. The only other real win of the night. Pairings Some of the wine and sake selections were good, but the pours felt noticeably smaller than what you normally receive with this type of tasting menu, especially considering that their dishes are larger than normal tasting-menu course portions. What really did not work, and actually frustrated us, were the cocktails. They were poorly matched and clashed with the food. This program should stick to wine and sake. The duck pairing was a bottle I can find at Binny's and nothing about it was remarkable. It felt like no one actually tasted these pairings together. They just picked things that should go together on paper. This place needs a lot of work. We really hope they make a lot of tweaks. We have a lot of faith in the chef from Eleven Madison Park and the Boka group. They need to get this right because there is potential here, but right now it is not working. We will not be back for a while until we know there have been major changes.

Amazing omakase experience in a unique and inviting space. We were greeted outside the dining room…read morewith an awesome buckwheat tea. Which was just the beginning of each and every staff member being friendly engaging and knowledgeable. The two chefs made 11 dishes and they were all perfectly executed and delicious. A memorable evening for sure.

This is a sushi-only omakase, so don't expect appetizers, salads, or other courses before the…read moresushi. The focus here is completely on the nigiri, which actually makes for a simple and enjoyable experience. The counter seats around 10 people, giving the restaurant a casual and intimate atmosphere. Even though the setting is relaxed, the meal is not rushed at all. The main chef was very attentive and gentle, making sure everyone had finished each piece before moving on to the next course. I really appreciated how he paid attention to every guest individually. The three chefs also created a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere throughout the meal. One thing I especially liked was how clearly they explained every piece of sushi and what was on it, including the fish, preparation, and even the type of soy sauce or seasoning used. The information was also displayed on a board above the counter, making it easy for everyone to follow along and know exactly what they were eating. The amount of food was just right, and everything was prepared carefully. If you are a little intimidated by very traditional or adventurous omakase--unusual fish, stronger flavors, or more exotic ingredients--this would be a great place to start. The selections are approachable without taking away from the omakase experience. What stood out the most to me was the service. I loved how much the main chef cared about each person at the counter and made sure everyone was comfortable and enjoying the experience. It felt personal, warm, and unpretentious. Thank you to all three chefs for such a pleasant meal!

My friend was visiting from out of town and we decided to try AJI for omakase. The co owner…read moreintroduced each dish and the atmosphere was relaxed. Even though omakase can feel intimidating or uptight, it felt comfortable. Most of the dishes had a hint of lemon which I'm not a fan of, but I understand it helps balance the fishiness for others. When there were a few pieces without lemon, just the fish itself, I was blown away. The fatty tuna with caviar and uni tasted like a million bucks. The dessert was also incredible sooo rich and full of flavor. Overall, I highly recommend AJI and would definitely come back again.

Kyoten was overall a very very very good omakase experience. Most of the fish tasted very fresh and…read morethe sushi rice and wasabi were phenomenal. I was surprised when I walked in 5 minutes early and the host/server seemed a little disjointed. Also sat down in my seat and nobody greeted or welcomed me, which isn't a huge deal, just very unusual for an expensive omakase. The casualness of the experience threw me off a little bit at first, but I grew to be okay with it as the night went on. Conversation with chef was good as the night went on, and it was a nice interior even though there is no signage outside and you walk in through what look to be mid-construction doors/entrance. The beverage pairing turned out to be pretty good, and most of the courses were tasty and nice. The only course that didn't taste as fresh as it should've was the Akami nigiri. Even with the marinading process, it still tasted a little old to me. Otherwise all the other nigiri pieces were perfect. The final reason why this was deserving of 4 stars in my opinion in the price point. I've had better omakases for the same price or even slightly cheaper before. I'm all for paying top dollar for premium omakases, but when you are charging this price, there should not be any areas of improvement or things left to be desired. Should be flawless at this price. Good experience and I'm glad I tried it.

I love sushi and I love this place. One of my favorite omakase and we've been to quite a few. Seats…read moreare limited, which makes it difficult to reserve a spot but definitely worth it because it provides an intimate interaction with the chef; thus it was quiet and peaceful throughout the dining experience. Chef Otto was very personable-his sense of humor made the dining experience worthwhile. As for the sushi and fishes-just wow. I've never had cheese sushi and it was amazing. All of dishes were quality; thus, unique. It's not your typical omakase but it's definitely worth the experience. I'd definitely come back here when I'm in Chicago.

Ohhhemmmgeeee. What an amazing experience! This was the best end to a crazy week: I turned 50,…read morebought a condo in Chicago and THISSSS Omakase experience. Hands down- the best. We took an Uber from a few blocks down agter closing on our house, so I cant speak on parking. This was a surprise set up by my cousin/bestie so I had ZERO idea of what we were about to experience. We walked into the building to the aroma of grilled burgers. I'm not mad at that either. My cousin then punched numbers on a door and we walked down a dark staircase. I almost tripped in excitement. We were seated and given oshibori to cleanse our hands before food. Our host then served up aperitifs and a small bite before we headed yet further down into the building. Walking down another dark staircase, the room opens up to such an intimate space that sat about 10. The host gathered our jackets and bags and safely stowed them away. The mixologist and three chef before us are masters in their craft. Period. The beverage menu consists of Japanese beer, sake, Japanese whiskey, and Scratch signature drinks. I went with the drink sampler (‍). I can't tell you what I had, but that it was a mix of the precious mentioned and they were all amazing! The drinks and sake were timed and paired perfectly with each bite. Chef explained each piece before it was presented and gave us tasting notes. No one in my party had allergies. But my cousin had no interest in uni. They had no issues substituting a different piece for her. Of note, the couple seared beside me also had some food preferences and requested no alcohol, and the staff easily provided alternatives. The banchan of puckered cucumbers and mushroom were great palate cleansers in between each bite and sip. Sitting front row watching the chef meticulously prepare each piece was amazing. The craft amd skill involved... chef's kiss. Chef had a great point: they don't advertise so they don't know how their seats get filled each night. I'm not sure how we got so lucky, but if someone wver invites you, you must go. Full transparency: 3 people, additional bite (×3), ×2 drink samplers ($100+/ea), and a cocktail... with gratuity: Roughly $1k. Be prepared. This was definitely a treat. But so worth every hard-earned penny!

I had Sushi by Scratch on my list to try and my friend and I got lucky that it was only us two and…read moreanother couple during our meal. It is a lovely quiet place and you would be shocked at how tall the ceilings are when you walk down to a couple levels down. The staff made sure to refill our drinks and explained each of our courses thoroughly. One thing I was shocked was how fast the omakase went. It seemed pretty fast pace as our reservation was at 5 and we were done a little after 6. We had missed the complimentary bites as we couldn't leave work early to get there at 4:30. I was hoping we could still get it as we arrived10 minutes early and received the tea, but I guess not. The food was all delicious and my favorites were the bone marrow, mackerel, otoro, and wagyu. We enjoyed our meal, but we felt that it was very quiet. We wanted to have a good time with the meal and we coincidentally knew the couple dining with us. We felt that the chefs were very formal and a little serious where we felt a little awkward trying to talk to them. Other than that, we had enjoyed the meal, but felt hungry after the omakase.

BYOB FYI. I feel I didn't know this before getting a reservation. They do not have any drinks other…read morethan water and tea. The staff are very nice though. I came here on NYE there were three adults and one child. They do not have bento boxes, karaage or dumplings. I got a hot green tea, and three rolls. The turtle, the mafia, and caterpillar. The were very small rolls, not well formed, very average. And we got the tempura sweet potato roll, although the sweet potato wasn't tempura there were just fried pieces on top of the sweet potato roll. Nevertheless it was better than the turtle. I also got the Spicy Miso Soup which was very good and spicy. They kindly gave us free mochi which wasn't on the menu. We were in and out within an hour.

I was so impressed by how many vegetarian rolls they offered on their menu. I only got to try the…read moreBlack garden but it was delicious! Flavorful, well prepared, a true roll. Place was quick and efficient for orders too.

My favorite hibachi place! I'm always able to walk in and get started quickly. I love the golden…read moreshrimp. They always have a little extra for my kid. Great service. Pretty casual place. They all offer sushi rolls!

Fun!! I haven't had hibachi in probably over 15 years, so I was excited to experience it again. I…read morecame here with a group of friends for a birthday and they pulled out all the stops -- onion tower, fire explosion, shrimp catch game. The classics. If you're like me and hadn't had the hibachi experience in quite some time, I recommend putting it on your 2026 bucket list. It's just a good time. And Sakura is a great place for it! The inside is really cute and fairly spacious. Our chef was super nice and interactive with our table which really adds to the experience. With the hibachi meal you get miso soup, a salad, fried rice, noodles, and meat of choice. I went with the steak but I think in the future I'll do the shrimp because it was really good! The serving sizes are HUGE - come hungry! I will definitely be back!