now *this* is great okonomiyaki…read more coming from seattle and very recently having a disastrous experience at the only okonomiyaki spot in our area (you can read my past reviews for that), my two friends, my partner, and i were looking forward to having great okonomiyaki. thankfully, gaijin delivered! we came by on a friday night, and it was fairly busy. we wouldn't have been surprised if we were turned away since we didn't have a reservation. they ended up making space for us thankfully and we didn't even have to wait long at all. the inside of the place isn't that big, but it's not so tiny that it's cramped. when you sit down, if you are in a large enough party, you sit down in front of a flat stovetop to keep your okonomiyaki warm when the waiter brings it out to you. we started with some drinks. they were all very good - next time i'm trying that espresso goma-tini! i did get a lychee martini though, and it was a little strong of a pour but i still really enjoyed it. onto the okonomiyaki. we all ordered different ones so we could try them. every single one of them were delicious. i got the tofu osaka-style, my partner got the beef osaka-style, one of my friends got the fried shrimp osaka-style, and my other friend got the traditional hiroshima-style. each okonomiyaki is prepared perfectly, not too thick and not overly saucy (so it doesn't get soggy). the flavours are quite rich but also really nicely umami. sometimes, too rich of a sauce kind of overwhelms me, but the ratios are well-balanced. overall, truly recommend this place. probably some of the best okonomiyaki i've had. next time i'm in chicago, i'd love to go again. there's so many options to choose from and i want to try them all!

I've been wanting to try Okonomiyaki for a long time, so when I saw that they had it I had to stop…read moreby! It's really cool in here because you can watch them make the Okonomiyaki in front of you! They had like a set meal going on which included soup and okonomiyaki and dessert, which was mochi donuts. The soup was pretty good, standard. The Okonomiyaki was such a big portion. I loved the little tempura bits on top and they were generous with the amount of shrimp. It's like a yummy savory pancake. I will say I didn't really enjoy the mochi donuts but I was so full I couldn't eat them until later so it may have been because they weren't as fresh and got hard. If you've been wanting to try Okonomiyaki you should check this place out!

The service was great, super attentive. Kind gesture with a signed birthday menu…read more Sushi was fresh, with simple but great flavors. Didn't love the wagyu bao buns since it was more of a ground meat, similar to a kabob. But overall the food was good, atmosphere was perfect date night/special occasion, and we will definitely be back.

Tonight, we were in the West Loop and decided to try an establishment new to us. We chose…read moreMomotaro, since we love Japanese and Japanese influenced cuisine. We had to make a late reservation since nothing was available earlier. We tried walking in earlier and there was a 1 hour and 45 min wait. So we kept our reservation for 9:30. Upon entering, the manager and the host were very friendly and promptly sat us about 15 min early. The ambiance is really nice, but the music... is way to loud. You have to yell across a standard 4-seat tabletop to communicate. Since everyone has to yell, the crowd noise then amplifies this issue. I've never understood restaurants that try to be a nightclub. You can have music at normal levels to keep the energy without causing your patrons to yell. Once we were seated, the waitress came over within 5 minutes. She was friendly, but slow. After she offered us water, she was didn't return to the table for 20 minutes to take drink orders. After we ordered drinks, it was another 15-20 to help with the menus. We asked about portion sizes (shareable vs not shareable). We were told each plate was good for 2-4 people. I'm not sure what portion sizes she classified suitable for sharing... but no way were a majority of our dishes enough to share. We ordered edamame, which we were able to share. We really liked how they salted it, sometimes you get edamame and it's bland. We also ordered spicy tuna sushi (6 pieces), Komodo sushi rolls, pork chops (comes with 2 pieces), 2 orders of wagyu sliders (only 2 per order), hotate batayaki (3 scallops), shishito peppers (8 grilled peppers), and yakatori don (chicken bowl with rice and a soft egg). I have tried many Japanese restaurants and have been to Japan as well. Loved the food. To start with the good, we really liked the pork chops. They were on the rarer cooked side but delicious. The sliders were really good as well. Tons of flavor and each one was a decent size. These 2 items we felt were slightly over priced but felt we got a great food experience for the money. The shishito peppers were barely grilled and bland. They literally were no better than what my teenagers can do on the grill. Absolutely not worth $12 for peppers. Each sushi roll was decent but very small very overpriced for what you get. There is nothing special about either roll. I have gotten better spicy tuna in the city, that comes with 8 rolls for half of momotaro's price. The scallops were very fishy. I love scallops, and I wouldn't order these again... no way! $22 for such. Small serving that was too fishy compared to other establishments. My chicken bowl yakatori don) had a great presentation. That's where the dish ends. The toppings overpowered the chicken. The chicken tasted like plain boiled chicken that was so bland, literally no flavor to it. After we were done, the waitress came over about 15 min later, asking if we were interested in dessert. We told her no, we were full and ready for the check. We sat around for over 20 minutes waiting. I'm watching our server talking in the corner with 4 other servers. Laughing, on their phones, etc. after watching them for over 10 minutes I walked up to the front host and asked for a manager. The girl, was prompt, and very friendly. I discussed my dissatisfaction with the service. It was slow, terrible for the price point of the restaurant. The manager brought the check to me fairly quickly and apologized. She didn't ask what they could do to make it right, nothing. Not until after the bill was paid she conveniently asked what they could do. Little late at that point. Overall, we have been to many low and high end restaurants in Chicago... River North, West Loop,, Manhattan, Munich, etc... and this was about as bad of service as you can get. With all the options in the city, I don't recommend this one.

Sushi Dokku was great! The intimate speakeasy feel in…read moreBoozeBox was so unique and perfect for date night. The sushi was very fresh - definitely get the truffle tuna nigiri and the tuna microgreens roll! The staff was very kind and the bartender made us really great mocktails. Awesome sushi spot in the heart of West Loop!

Long time fan of this place going back to earlier days of Sushi Wabi across the street. Part of…read moreownership/management opened this across the street after Wabi closed and it was equally as good. Always my go-to. I hadn't been for a couple months and this last visit left me disappointed. We had a Hot Daisy roll which was bland and with the texture / taste of canned tuna. The Ecaudor roll was better and the spicy tuna was ok. But all the rolls were lose and crumbled apart like they were made by someone who had never made a role before. The rolls at Mariano's are better made! Maybe Monday nights are not good for food quality and prep...but this was a disappointing meal for $180. And I don't like restaurants who start the tip buttons on their POS at 22%. I shouldn't feel like I'm leaving a sh*tty tip when I tip $30 on a $150 bill.

It is definitely a cool spot. It's in the basement and has limited seats. We tried:…read more- Tonkatsu 1/2 spice - Shio 1/4 spice - Coconut Painkiller Slushy I think the tonkatsu was the best, but definitely go low spice. Not because of the heat, but after a few minutes it definitely takes over the bowl and you lose the original flavor. The drink was great, but a bit small.

High 5 Ramen has a lot going for it on the surface. The basement speakeasy vibe is great, the…read moreservice is on point, and those frozen slushy drinks are always a win. Unfortunately, the ramen itself just doesn't hit anymore. ​It's not terrible, but it's definitely not crave-worthy. The broth lacks the deep, complex umami you want in a great bowl of ramen, ending up feeling pretty one-note instead. I was hoping my first underwhelming bowl was just an off night, but after two or three visits with the same mid result, it seems like the quality has genuinely slipped. It's a fun spot to hang out, but the food just isn't hitting the mark like it used to. 3.49 stars.

Definitely come here for their happy hour, it is so worth it!…read more I got the spicy tuna and sea scallop handroll. Both were delicious! I recommend ordering 3-4 if you want to get full. I would definitely order these again. For my drink, I got the Toki Highball. It was refreshing and light. We were seated immediately as a walk-in. Service was quick, and handrolls take about 5-10 minutes. They served one handroll at a time. There is a QR code to order more and to pay the bill. There is also an option to split the bill by item, which I love as it makes everything so convenient for groups. The place has seating on the edges and in the middle is where you can watch the staff make the handrolls. Its a lively place perfect for a date or a group wanting to eat and catch up on life. I highly recommend going here for their happy hour!

i went for the happy hour and it was so good! i loved the interior of the restaurant was there was…read morea traditional japanese building inside. we sat around the perimeter and loved the $7 happy hour drinks we got alongside the hand rolls. service was attentive and moderately paced. we were given a rolled up towel and instructed to wipe ours hands after every roll. the scallop roll was ok as i noticed there was an ginger inside which was a surprise to me as i expected only scallop.

I have had nothing but the best of times here. I am surprised it has taken me this long to write…read morethis wonderful review for the wonderful team here. It starts with the service, Michelle and her family do a phenomenal job in making sure they try to accommodate anyone and everyone and their preferences. They offer so much good advice on what to order based on what your likes and dislikes are. The ambience inside is subtle and has a nice dimmed lighting with greenery/plants galore. They have indoor and outdoor seating as well as boots that stretch into the back of the restaurant. It's a very nice date spot or family spot because they do have picnic tables outside as well. Now for the food, the quality of ingredients here is beyond exceptional. They use fresh ingredients and you can tell immediately. The fish is fresh and the combinations for the specialty rolls are out of this world. The rice is nice and soft and doesn't feel old like most places. The quality the fish is very fresh and does not smell. They have come up with great specialty role selections and pairings and even do customer specific rolls. They end each meal with a serving of mango, which is very unique and lovely to end your meal with as a pallet cleanser. This place is a hidden gem tucked away on the busy street of Randolph within West Loop. I need to say this more than once the food and quality of service here is beyond exceptional and everyone needs to make it out here to give them a shot. They also have a happy hour lunch that is worth checking out, which has Bento boxes. Love everything about this place and will definitely be coming back here for years to come

I popped in for dinner. Was going to try omakase but it was pretty quiet so i decided to grab a…read morecouple snacks instead. The miso was good, a bit salty. The ginger house salad was delicious! Zesty and flavorful! This was the highlight of my visit. The squid nigiri was good. I would have preferred it not be torched but it was still good. I added the ponzu sashimi appetizer because the sauces sounded delectable. It wasnt quite as loaded with flavor and texture as Id hoped but it was still good. I would have loved a stronger essence of the accents of chili oil and sesame oils. My server Kaylie was a sweetheart, very warm and attentive. It was nice that they offer happy hour specials.

We ordered to go but their hand rolls are so good and fresh. They are also affordable as well…read more Their scallop and spicy tuna are my favorite! Next time we need to try their rolls on the menu which is filled with so much flavors.

We've been supporters of Tamu since day one, and my wife and I keep coming back for a reason. It…read moreconsistently delivers. The omakase in the back is one of the best combinations of quality and value in Chicago. It's an approachable way to experience genuinely high-quality omakase without the price tag of some of the city's much more expensive options. The HandRoll Bar is excellent too. Fresh, creative, beautifully executed, and consistently good. I honestly don't understand why Tamu is sometimes so easy to get into. We've been to the other hand roll bars around Chicago, and this deserves to be every bit as popular, if not more. Great food, great value, great experience. Every single time. Our most recent visit was yesterday.

The soba is savory/umami style. When it comes with a bottle of seaweed vinegar by the bowl, I know…read moreit won't disappoint me. The ground meat, chopped chive, chopped scallion, dry sea weed all attach to the soba noodle aided by the egg yolk, one spoon floods different flavors into your mouth. The toro maki is fresh, the flavor is balanced even without dropping any soy sauce.

The staff are nice, the interior is clean but uninteresting, and the food is disappointing. The…read moremenu is also formatted badly, the udon lunch set comes with a standard "plain udon" that isn't even on the menu as far as I can tell. The way it's written implies that you can choose an udon from the udon section, not the case. Minor gripe, but annoying nonetheless. The maki is fine, spicy tuna was bland but decent quality and the shrimp tempura maki was good but also lacking. Personally I prefer a spicy tuna with more tuna texture and this is basically puree, personal preference I guess. The udon is where my meal fell apart. For a lunch menu focusing on udon I expected a more flavorful broth and noodles that weren't overcooked. It's not like the underlying flavor is bad or anything, it's just barely there at all. The dashi is very weak and one dimensional, and the noodles taste like plain flour with a spongy overly soft bite. The toppings are extremely basic, I can't even comment on them because I'm not sure if I hallucinated them having any flavor or not. They might as well not exist. The shredded cabbage side salad is also mediocre. Dressing was weak and the cabbage could've been cut thinner. People I went with told me "maybe you just got the wrong things" but I don't think a chef should have losing items on their menu to begin with. Overall quite disappointed considering the name attached to this place.

We had a very nice experience dining at the Izakaya! Our…read moreserver is awesome. The food and drinks - fantastic! The Momo Royale Burger is the star of the night. It's one of the best burger we tried in Chicago so far. The bao bun makes it unique. It's a must try! The chicken wings (let me say.. the whole part!) huge portion. Delish!!! Love the flavor. Kind of saucy, so prepare to lick your fingers... haha! The ramen - not crazy about this one. We could skip this but I wanted to try anyway. Not bad and not that good either. Ube Tiramisu is the great way to end the night. This is delish!! A very nice lively music going on at the bar... as it is an izakaya or speakeasy type... it's kind of dim. I like it.

Get the RAMEN!!! Wow I've never had such a bowl Service was…read moreincredible and they brought us such a sweet birthday dessert :) Loud and chill vibes all around if you know what I mean. Absolutely coming back and bringing friends :)

We went for my birthday dinner this year and wow did it ever over impress! The restaurant is TINY…read moreand we were seating at the counter with 3 other couples. The ambiance is reserved but comfortable and people were dressed from casual nice to more formal. The chef in front of us chatted a bit and was very friendly, happy to answer questions while he was prepping our next course. We had the matched wine courses as well and every one of them was a perfect hit for the course served. The service and the food were simple amazing. I would suggest this to anybody looking for the best Omakase experience in Chicago!

Masterclass in sushi, but the hospitality falls flat…read more I booked Mako for a special occasion, landing a rare 6:00 PM spot. The 23-course Omakase ($890 total for two, including two drinks) was culinary perfection,exquisitely crafted, beautifully presented, and fascinating to watch from the bar seating. The restaurant's interior is clean, moody, and Zen-like with dramatic lighting on the prep area. It starts off pin-drop silent, but as the night progresses, the room warms up into a pleasant communal energy. Unfortunately, the service did not match the quality of the food. The atmosphere among the staff was cold and stiff. Roles were confusing (asking for a oaper napkin resulted in odd glares), and when my guest unrolled their wet towel (oshibori), a staff member scolded them for not "pinching" it correctly. Furthermore, after calling ahead regarding a birthday, I was told they couldn't accommodate a candle or small dessert. Handing out a signed paper menu at the end of the night feels like a cheap substitute for real celebratory effort at a Michelin-level price tag. The chefs are brilliantly trained, but the awkward hospitality and rigid micro-aggressions meant we left without that warm, satisfied feeling you expect from fine dining. Great food, but the overall guest experience needs work.