Comfortable space. Service is attentive and friendly. Sushi is good with fresh crunch. Gyoza was excellent. read more

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Since we were near Millennium Park, we decided to try this Asian restaurant for lunch. We were seated immediately, which was a good start. We ordered the vegetable fried rice, chicken fried rice, noodles, and shrimp rolls. Unfortunately, the food was very bland and lacked flavor. When we asked for something spicy, we were only offered sweet chili sauce and it came with an extra charge. The food also took quite a while to arrive despite the restaurant not being overly busy. To make matters worse, the waitress started clearing our plates before everyone at the table had finished eating, which felt rushed and impolite. Overall, the experience was disappointing. There are much better Asian restaurants in the area, and I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

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I wish the food was as good as the service. They are very attentive in here and wanted us to feel good and at home, plus the food came out pretty fast. I had Thai iced coffee and the pad see ewe with beef. The noodles were a bit overcooked because they were soggy versus soft. Not to be picky but it seems they stirred the noodles way too much that the noodles were broken up into smaller pieces instead of in full noodle form. The texture was off to me and the taste was just okay. My godmother absolutely adores the tempura platter with shrimp, zucchini, sweet potato and broccoli that she orders it for delivery all the time. I didn't taste it but maybe I should have. We came during rush hour and they weren't very crowded so if you're in the area and need a quick bite where you aren't very picky and can stand just okay pan-Asian food, you can settle for here. I think if they put just a bit more effort into the food here this place could be a gem due to great service. read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - Tempura Platter - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Stopped by to check it out based on a memory of that it was actually not bad but it was decades ago. Today's experience was just very mediocre. It's at a prime location so they could charge a lot for it but the food was just meh. The poke bowl was okay, the salmon was a bit chewy (not good cuts), veggies are generally fresh and has a variety which is nice. Rice is not mirin-ed tho. The crunchy noodle didn't stand out much. The spicy garlic ramen did not live up to the hype, noodle is mushy and not springy, egg is not soysauced but is soft boiled at least. The broth is OK. I know they are trying to go with the spicy flavor but my guess is (or rather my taste bud says) it's just a tiny amount of shin-ramen flavor packet. Same flavor but not as spicy as the Korean instant noodle flavor pack. The fried chicken that came with the ramen was all white meat which is pretty dry but it is what you'd expect. The gyoza kids liked, mostly cuz it's fried. Lastly, the Chardonnay garlic chicken was too sweet, and just very mediocre-- kinda like Americanized Chinese food flavor profile, if you know what I mean. Overall, solid 3, possibly 2 for the price. But it is what it is. At least it was fast and plenty of seating and no wait lol! read more

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Located on Michigan Avenue, this intimate restaurant is quiet and across from Millenium Park. There is a variety of tasty food. I had the beef bento box which included miso soup, beef teriyaki, rice, salad with seaweed, and California sushi. The prices are reasonable considering the location. I would come back again. This restaurant is close to the Chicago Symhony Center too. read more

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Ordered a salmon, avocado roll and a Philadelphia roll. These are usually might go to order for sushi rolls. Sat inside and was greeted immediately. The server took our order and it was off to a great start. But I had to wait for a very, very long time for these roles. I think longer than I should have. It was over 30 minutes. It was a little frustrating to see that others who had ordered after my table were served their meals before us. When we ask the server about the time and the wait, she said they were working on it in the back kitchen. So not the best service The rules were very good though, and the salmon was very fresh as was the avocado. The presentation was also very nice. I would have honestly preferred the roles to come out sooner than have a pretty presentation though. Sat inside, but they were outdoor stations with heaters near the entrance. read more

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This place has good prices, which drew me in initially. However, the service was extremely slow. I think I waited about 25 minutes for 2 rolls (salmon avocado and spider). It wasn't even that busy when I went, around 2PM for a late lunch. The ambiance is nice overall, and it is clean. But I was disappointed in the service and the time waiting. Many other customers had received their meals prior to our table even though we ordered first. Our dishes were not that complicated either, just basic rolls. Probably will not be back read more

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Stopped by because it was close to work and had a convenient location. The service was efficient, and the food came out in a timely manner, which I appreciated. I ordered the spicy garlic ramen, but it didn't quite hit the mark. The broth lacked depth, and the noodles were overcooked. The fried chicken that came with it could have used more seasoning, and the ramen itself wasn't spicy or garlicky. read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - Ramen Spicy Garlic - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A chill place with good food near the Art Institute...I enjoyed my tonkatsu ramen (the broth and leftovers were tasty enough to take with me and finish the next day...and I usually don't do that). The chicken teriyaki bento box was unusual (chicken wasn't prepared the same way as in many places we've been) but two family members in our group still enjoyed it. I forgot the name of the sushi roll someone ordered but apparently that was delicious, as it was finished off quickly. The service was quick and efficient... read more

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Giving 2 stars just because of nostalgia I had with this place. Me and my wife have gone for 8 years and it has always been our go to sushi spot in all of Chicago in general. They had reasonable pricing and big portions. Now returning after couple of months and a "renovation" it's giving Christopher Columbus colonizing Asian cuisine. The rolls portions were tiny and was majority rice. I get they like to minimize their menus but they got rid of a lot of good flavor. To conclude, this is a closing chapter in this book for us. Hot Woks Cool Sushi needs to hear out their customers and either lower the prices or improve their portion sizes. Not reduce both. read more

This used to be my go to when I was downtown. Sadly, this establishment has new owners and the food is not the same. The meat dishes have very little meat. Some of the entrees have omitted ingredients. I loved ordering the pad ke mao because it also had shrimp. Now the pad ke mao has only 1 protein. Smaller portions. read more

I feel like it's common knowledge to be skeptical of any restaurant right across from a large museum/theater, they literally have to stay in business due to foot traffic and that's exactly how we ended up here - to give this place major credit, this was the first downtown Chicago spot I've had crab rangoons in a long time where there was actual crab in it. these perfectly balanced the fishy taste of crab with the smooth cream cheese and didn't feel just like a white person jalapeño popper - the sushi doughnut was a pretty creative idea of basically a circle shaped long piece of sushi. the fish was thick and fresh. hard to eat but creative so why not! - we split the Chardonnay chicken and the pad see ew. I expected something a bit more fantastic from the Chardonnay chicken because that name really lures you in. it tasted like white chicken cooked in a light curry with an oddly pleasing amount of vegetables. not too oily or heavy. - the pad see ew was OK. the noodles were super chewy jelly like and the chicken was well cooked. can't say it was anything special or particularly flavorful. more texture forward than flavor. - it's a large restaurant that goes pretty far back. the service was quick and the place was pretty busy. I think we got the last available table for a party of three at lunchtime on a weekend. great prices for the location. read more

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Clean, bright place with an extensive menu. We dropped in for snacks (shogun, spicy shrimp, and spicy tuna rolls). Lovely presentation and delicious. read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - Shogun Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great service. Prices are reasonable. The food is all very tasty. The black rice in the pole was amazing. Place is very clean and service is on point. A gem in a very busy area. read more

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Not too long ago I wrote a review of Nando's PERi-PERi... in it, I stress the importance of the "rush" part of the lunch rush. This is as true for Hot Woks as it was for Nando's. I was here during the lunch hour with a colleague. I ordered the Spicy Basil, and he ordered a sushi roll. After taking our order, the server was MIA for half an hour. With half of those precious 60 minutes gone, our order was brought to us. The server was again MIA until we flagged him down for the check. He did not stop by to ask how everything was, or to offer a water refill. Okay, so let's talk about the food. While it wasn't particularly mind blowing, the Spicy Basil was a delightful meal. The chicken was hot, tender, and in ample quantity. The veggies and protein were well balanced, with the jalapeños giving a pleasant and very manageable heat. Meanwhile, the sauce was gently sweet and savory, and the perfectly cooked rice was ideal for shamelessly sopping it all up! As for the basil, it made a little impact, but a little more would have been nice (though this is more a matter of personal taste and preference). And so, Hot Woks Cool Sushi may be an A-OK place if you want something tasty and uncomplicated. At least as far as the Spicy Basil is concerned, it won't knock your socks off, but is a satisfying meal. However, the service left something to be desired. Make sure you have nowhere to be and bring your patience, because repeatedly checking your watch is not my idea of fun. read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - Bitcoin (top) & Harajuku (Bottom) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for my graduation 2 years ago and now back again for sisters graduation today! Got the black dragon roll, caterpillar roll, and black pearl tuna poke. All were so good so fresh. Favorite was the black dragon roll. Food took some time to come out but to be expected because the place was packed with grad families. Great ambiance (music not too loud) and great lighting and seating area. Will be back again! read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - Black Dragon (8) and Caterpillar (8) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Never knew sushi can taste this bland Bland bland bland/ poor quality seafood No taste Go to rotary sushi or any sushi place in china town. All sushi in downtown are disappointing and disgraceful. read more

The food is wonderful Tasty. Spicy but not overwhelming Lots of choice great service read more

Ordered peanut pad Thai for lunch. Actually it's suppose to be just pad thai with chicken but with the amount of peanuts on this thing it's insane. I've ordered this many times before at different locations and I am taken allll the way back on the serving of peanuts on this thing. Calling this dish a thing because idk what this even is. At first thought maybe it's ground chicken but it's all PEANUTS. Are we piling on peanuts so we don't have to use up extra ingredients for this dish or were we just really busy and didn't think that was too much of a serving for peanuts? Honestly this is crazy. Also feel like the bowl is much smaller than the usual takeout bowl. Hot Woks PLEASE double check your takeout orders before packing and sending it on its way. read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - Pad Thai - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was our first time at Hot Woks Cool Sushi - we live next door and have been wanting to try the Michigan Ave location for quite some time on a friend's recommendation. We ordered takeout so maybe that's where we went wrong because we cannot agree with how everyone else seems to rate the ramen pretty highly. My tonkotsu ramen did not have any flavor or seasoning. While I enjoyed the thick noodle texture, it was very bland. The pork in it was good but scarce. The spicy garlic ramen was the same. The broth between the two did not look different at all. I wouldn't get the ramen again but the crab rangoon and firecracker sushi were pretty good! If you do order, definitely order off the website! You get free egg rolls with purchases totaling over $20 which were tasty. read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - Ramen Tonkotsu, Firecracker, Crab Rangoon (5) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

On a day spent wandering the city, we came across this spot. Being right on Michigan Ave, I assumed prices would be outrageous. Surprisingly, no! Staff did a good job of kicking out someone attempting to beg patrons for money. Sushi was decent. The service was friendly. It is surprisingly a large restaurant too. read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - Rainbow roll Spicy tuna Spicy salmon - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sushi is EXCELLENT. Every single roll we ordered was delicious. Crab Rangoon's were so good and creamy and warm. We didn't love the miso soup because it was very salty, but they took it off the order which was very nice. Excellent customer service and we will definitely be back!!!! read more

Totally our first time dining at this restaurant. Ordered several Maki Rolls: California Rolls x 2, Dragon Roll, Shrimp Tempura Rolls x 5, a Philly Roll, Spider Roll, and a Spicy Tako. Asked for a House Salad and a Thai Iced Coffee, too. Food taste - 4 out of 5 Stars Food portion - 3 out of 5 Stars Food quality - 4 out of 5 Stars Food prices - 3 out of 5 Stars Table Service - 4 out of 5 Stars (House Salad was forgotten initially) Overall Rating - 4 out of 5 Recommended for some of the rolls and definitely the Thai Iced Coffee!!! Portions are kind of small, though. We had 5 Adults in our party, so 11 orders of the rolls seemed like an ample amount of food for all of us in our party. If we wanted, we could have honestly ordered a couple of more rolls, but we were full enough and satisfied with what we ate... read more

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This is so Chicago: Chinese people running a sushi restaurant with Mexican guys making sushi in the back. Love it. But there's always a give and take in authenticity; something's definitely lost in translation. Japanese tourists will come here and instantly tell something's off about different things, so if it's gourmet, real Japanese sushi you want, this probably isn't the place. Where they lack in realism they made for in top notch service and a cute interior right off Michigan Avenue. Their menu is huge and offers dozens of items that aren't just Japanese. Just beware that they're a dinner-before theater place and are not open past 8:30. The only miss I could tell from what I had was the "seaweed salad"--the quotes are on purpose. It was a small dab of seaweed on a large amount of mixed greens. WHAT? Yeah...never before have I had wakame on curly endive, spinach leaves, and topped with carrots. No way was it worth $6.95. The cucumber salad was fine, though I've never seen cucumbers diced into little pieces in any Asian restaurant--Thai, Korean, or Japanese. This is their interpretation. OK, fine. The real winner was the vegetarian Mega Vega roll--a roll so smothered in savory sauces I had a hard time tasting ingredients inside the roll, but since this was vegetarian, I was ok with that. Let my tastebuds be sizzled. read more

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I have been here a few times and I can say that the times I have come, have all heen pleasant. The food is actually very good. If you like a specialty sushi, you should definitely check this place out. On top of the food being good, the service is pretty good too. I'd say the thing I like the least about this restaurant, is the size and how the seating is. It's very clustered and it feels almost claustrophobic when you're eating. That is my biggest gripe but other than that, I do enjoy this place from time to time. read more

In the city for the day, and as we start looking for lunch, we sushi and instantly have to try. You see, we're always looking to try different sushi places. After 20k steps, we're hungry! We walk in and are instantly greeted by the host (who is super friendly). We get a nice seat by the window and enjoy the view. I went basic: California, tuna, and spicy tuna. For regular, non specialty rolls, the prices were surprisingly low. I thought they tasted good, a little chilled and not too fishy tasting. The restaurant is a lot larger than it appears. Being in the front, I didn't realize how long it extends to the back. There were customers frequently in and out, so it seems to be a nice spot right by where all the tourists walk by. I'd like them, and I would for sure come back if I'm in the area. read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - a plate of sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Stopped by for dinner. Nice simple ambiance. I got spicy crunchy tuna roll as an appetizer, which was quite tasty. I guess it was made with brown rice, I couldn't quite figure it out, but still, it was good. My main dish was spicy garlic ramen - quite tasty, served with large amount of chicken (dark meat), lightly fried and resembling tempura. Good service, prompt, attentive. Restaurant has a credit card surcharge, so you might want to bring cash. read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - Ramen Spicy Garlic - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The food was excellent, and the service was great. It took a moment for one of our guest to receive their food, so they gave her a gratis bowl of soup while they waited. I enjoyed the meal, and the portions were just right. Great staff. Slight annoyance that they charged a 2% credit card fee for $50+ bill. That's goes against policy with their merchant agreement. I understand that fee for orders less than $5, but not for big tickets. Otherwise I can recommend this location. Really, really good staff read more

Busy. But service was attentive, and relatively fast. One item was slow, but they provided complimentary soup. I have had better sushi and maki. It just did not have much taste and freshness. Now some things that were interesting, but perhaps typical to Chicago. We were auto charged 20% for a party of six as a "large party". Then an added 2.5% for using a credit card. So that is a 22.5% charge on the bill. That's fine, particularly given the location and the very reasonable prices and no leftover portion sizes. The food is three stars, service five stars. read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - Mega Vega and Tempura Shrimp Maki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a wonderful ramen place across from the Millennium Park in Chicago. We came here for lunch on a Saturday and got a nice table with natural light. Their ramen is generous in portion (delicious but I couldn't finish it) and beautifully presented. Their poke bowl is also very nice. The place is casually but tastefully decorated (not upscale but inviting). Clean toilet is a plus! read more

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Expedient service. Like no personality, just quick about getting orders and bringing them out. Which I can understand being in the location they are in, they must move fast. But stop and be friendly, it goes a long way. We ordered a bunch of stuff and I tried everything. All was great!! We had: Chicken Fried Rice- fresh and flavorful Crab Rangoon- delicious Gyoza - ok not memorable Fukudome - tempura shrimp roll, ok Spider soft shell crab sushi roll - gross Tempura shrimp sushi - delicious Orange chicken - so good! How this small list ended up being $180 I don't know but there was 6 of us. Shrugs The passion fruit jasmine tea was delicious. read more

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I've came here twice in the span of three days. The location is absolutely amazing. Right off Michigan Ave, where you have so many local stores, and attractions. This is perfect for the out of towners. The interior is beautiful, it's calm, peaceful, and warm. The only thing I don't like is that they have their clean dishes right in eye sight hanging out for everyone to walk past and see. But I understand why because of space. The food is very much so to die for. I'm a crab Rangoon expert, and I gotta say. The ones they make here are AMAZING. AAAHHH. Im obsessed. I got an order of 10 today. The bento box is enormous. AND serves quality! The rolls of sushi were large, fresh, and absolutely perfect. Beautiful food, beautiful location, beautiful atmosphere read more

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This place was. A nice surprise. I know a lot of folks like to go to Chinatown in Chicago for Chinese food, but we were near Millennium park and in the mood for Chinese food. So we checked this place out. It is not a terribly large place, but there was still pretty decent amount of seating. There was not any wait here. I order Yakisobo and my wife ordered Pad Thai. The portion sizes were nice and the presentation was good as well. I enjoyed the meal as did my wife. It was tasty and filling. read more

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I came here to try the sushi donut and I was pleasantly surprised. I have tried other formats of sushi before (sushi burrito, sushi sandwich) so I was excited to see how the donut would be. I got the Triple Donut and the Firecracker signature maki, along with a Thai Iced Coffee. The sushi was delicious. At first I wasn't sure how to properly eat the donut, but the kind server suggested I either cut it with a knife or lift it up and eat it like a regular donut (in case you're wondering too). It was a crowded spot on a rainy day but the service and food was fantastic. . read more

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We stopped in for lunch while hanging around the city and had a peacefully tasty meal. Being early lunch time it wasn't very crowded and we were seated at a table right near the front. It is a nice place with some unique artwork. There are a bunch of tables and everything is clean with a bit of modern flair. Our waitress was very attentive and our food came out relatively quickly (and hot!). Additionally, our water glasses were kept full the entire time. We had a few sushi rolls between us and the quality was fantastic. Everything was fresh and delicious. I learned that the lunch special is the way to go, such great bang for your buck given the portion size. We were in need of a sushi lunch and Hot Woks delivered! In the future, we'll definitely come back. read more

Great pan Asian restaurant right off Michigan Ave with ample seating and reasonable prices. We were not expecting the menu to be as broad as it was and appreciated how attentive servers were. We tried the sushi donut which looked a lot cooler than we expected. There were only a few ramen options but they were all very good for being a predominately sushi spot. Probably one of the better options downtown to eat well and at a reasonable price read more

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After spending a day at the Art Institute, we were famished and looking for something more than a sandwich at a reasonable price point given that it's the Loop. When we arrived, the seats at the front were all full, so we thought we'd have to wait a while. The restaurant goes pretty far back so they have more seating in the back; we were seated right away (as was the family of six that came in just before us). They have a large menu, including dishes from other East/South East Asian cuisines. They also have a good amount of vegetarian options, including some really inventive ones I've never seen before. I do wish some of the appetizers (such as gyoza) had vegetarian counterparts, however. We split the vegetarian spring rolls which were perfectly fried and delicious. I got the cucumber salad (which was very fresh) and three types of vegetarian sushi: avocado, sweet potato tempura, and asparagus tempura. The tempura on the asparagus was perfectly cooked, and the sauce on the sweet potato was great. I wish they had a cucumber avocado combo roll though! My partner got the vegetable soup which was HUGE. It was chock full of veggies (a weirdly large amount of baby corn though) and he said the broth was pretty good. He also got the vegan sushi which we both enjoyed, although because of the spicy mayo, he said it reminded him of Burger King. The food came out quickly, and our server made sure to take care of us and keep our water glasses filled even though they were pretty busy. Our final bill came to around $61 tax included, which is a great deal for downtown! We'd go back. read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - Vegan sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place has good food and a great ambiance! I got the spicy basil, but replaced the chicken with tofu and it became an absolutely delicious dish for a vegetarian! There's some vegetarian options and this one was specifically very good! The sushi gold was also good and is served with miso soup before which is nice! The food, overall, was good but the service was a bit slow! read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - Spicy Basil - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great experience and great food. Walked around in 32 degree weather for 45 minutes and came across this place. Ordered the fried chicken rice and the Spicy Miso Ramen and it was all good and very bountiful portions. The only thing better than the food were the people working there. I came from out of town and needed to order an Uber but my phone died. They gave me a charger to charge my phone and saved the day. 10/10. Would recco read more

While exploring the city, I came across this restaurant that's located across from Millennium Park. They were pretty busy, so I took that as a good thing. There was a small amount of seating outside, which was full, so I sat inside. Very nice decor and environment. I decided to order the Tonkotsu ramen and salmon avocado maki. All was delicious! The ramen had a somewhat light, flavorful taste (if that makes sense..lol), and was very filling! Whenever I visit the Windy City again I would definitely visit again. read more

Hot Woks Cool Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois