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    IKKAI Restaurant

    4.5 (220 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Closed 12:00 pm - 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    IKKAI Restaurant Photos

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    IKKAI RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - IKKAI Restaurant

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    Real Crab California Roll

    The staff were extremely friendly, and the food was of great quality. The lunch specials were a good deal. Very cool decorations as well. Overall, I would recommend.

    Sammy W.

    Great place and good quality sushi. Servers are attentive and they give you warm towels to start. Although a bit on the pricey side, the flavor profile and details were on point. Highly recommend grabbing some sushi here!

    Jason L.

    IKKAI Sushi - The Best Sushi in the Chicago Suburbs, Hands Down I almost don't want to write this because I don't want more people finding out about this place -- but it's that good. IKKAI absolutely decimates Swordfish (which I used to think was the best around). The quality of the fish, the precision in preparation, the balance of flavors -- everything is just on another level. You can tell every piece is cut and plated with intention. The fish was incredible -- buttery, fresh, and melt-in-your-mouth good. Every bite was perfection. Honestly, this might be the best sushi in the suburbs of Chicago, maybe even better than some of the top spots in Oak Brook. If you haven't been yet, go. Just don't take my seat at the sushi bar when I come back -- because I will absolutely be back. The bar is the best place to sit! Great service. Great ambiance

    I love the telephone
    Rhonda S.

    A hidden little sushi place in Naperville... blink and you might miss it. We really enjoyed this restaurant. The service is friendly and appreciative. The sushi chefs are clearly enjoying their work. I loved the little telephone prop in the middle of the sushi bar. My review is from August (sorry I'm late) - the shrimp tempura is awesome. We ordered some nigiri and rolls and everything is fresh. The presentation is very fancy. It is a tiny restaurant but super good quality food. It's a bit loud in here though so hard to hear one another. A bit pricey overall but a nice dining experience.

    Shrimp tempura roll + spicy tuna roll
    Sherard C.

    Randomly popped into this Japanese izakaya in DT Naperville and was pleasantly surprised. The fish seemed sourced very well and at a quality better than most Chicago suburban sushi spots. I got the Ikkai weekend special. A bit pricey but actually well worth it. As you can see smoke was part of the dish (for special effects). The regular rolls were good too. Menu was well-rounded and service fantastic. I would recommend Ikkai to anyone in the DT Naperville area.

    Stacey P.

    We have been here a couple times now and I can say this is so far our favorite sushi spot. It's fresh and we haven't had a bad roll yet! It is a smaller place, but we usually are able to get a table.

    Sake Don
    Chloe C.

    I came to IKKAI on memorial day weekend on a Sunday with two friends for lunch. The place looks more suited for dinner as it's dark and a small space, super intimate. It was surprisingly not too busy and we were able to be seated immediately. We were able to order from the dinner menu when we visited. Note: Outside drinks are not allowed -- but the staff stored our drinks in the fridge as we ate. We ordered the Ikkai Sashimi ($40), the Main Street Roll ($13) and the Sake don ($35). The Sashimi and Sake don came with a salad and miso soup which were decent. The Sashimi was overall good and plated beautifully, although the cuts were smaller than average. There were two different kinds of salmon -- my guess is salmon and ora salmon. The ora salmon (fattier) tasted especially fishy, as if it wasn't super fresh; however, everything else was great. The sake don came with a lot of pieces of salmon and some baked salmon with mayo on the side, which was a nice surprise. My friend said that the main street roll was the best crab roll she has ever tried (she loves crab). Overall, I would say that the value of what we ordered was not bad. The taste of the sushi was also good for the area. The portions are definitely smaller, but the presentation was definitely a nice touch. I will definitely return to try other dishes in the future!

    Ravi Kiran T.

    One of my work friends is a regular visitor here and he suggested this place for lunch meet up. This place is nice and cozy spot in Naperville downtown. Staff is super nice and attentive. Our food was excellent - all the sushi options were so good. I prefer vegetarian options and this place didn't disappoint. Highly recommend it if you are sushi fan.

    Teresa H.

    First time but not the last for this place. Wow, amazing flavor profile throughout. A very small restaurant in downtown Naperville best to make a reservation as we got seats at the counter, but by the time we were leaving, it was filled up. It was fun, watching the sushi chefs, making all of the rolls, using a blow, torch, etc. We ordered the edamame as a starter, which was fine then we ordered a few sashimi pieces as well as three rolls. The Ikkai roll, the Wabisabi roll, and The Ex, all three of them I would highly recommend. I tend to go for the spicy rolls and these all hit the mark.

    Love love love Ikkai Best sushi in town hands down! Whatever roll you pick is delicious, anyone I bring here makes it their #1 sushi spot. You can tell how much the owner loves his restaurant it shows in the atmosphere and the food! The Main Street roll is the best!

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    8 months ago

    Favorite sushi spot in the state. Really unique flavors and sushi is always fresh. Get there early on the weekend.

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    1 year ago

    Great spot. Very quaint and the sushi/service is amazing. Probably my favorite sushi spot in Naperville.

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    Chef Soon Contemporary Sushi

    Chef Soon Contemporary Sushi

    4.5
    (687 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$

    Amazing sushi, cool vibes. Ate here last week and had an…read moreamazing time, the sushi is a next level, culinary experience. The chefs signature rolls are so innovative, I've never had any rolls like them anywhere else! The flavors were surprising and delicious! With flavors like a truffle vinaigrette, garlic sauce and strawberry and mango featured in maki we were blown away with flavor! It was all so good. And it was beautifully plated. Also unique, Chef Soon has nigiri that also features unique flavor combinations an we had several that were so so tasty. I want to go back and try more! My favorite bite of the night is a tie between Chef Soon's Special Maki and the Zuke Salmon signature nigiri. The vibes of this restaurant are so hip for being in an unassuming location. We felt like we were downtown Chicago with the quality and atmosphere! We can't wait to go back!

    We ordered drinks, salads, sushi, and dessert. I'd honestly skip the dessert--the cheesecake was…read morethin, dry, and just disappointing. If you're a cheesecake fan, it's a pretty sad way to end the meal. Thankfully my last sushi bite was the Zuke salmon, which is always excellent. We spent around $350, which normally isn't an issue because we've had great experiences here in the past. But this visit was frustrating. My sister-in-law has a serious allergy to seeds and peanuts, and we were crystal clear about needing no sesame. In the past, the staff has been extremely careful and accommodating. This time, two rolls came out with sesame. We were willing to let those slide and said it was fine. But then they brought out a third roll with sesame--and that's when we got agitated. At that point, it really ruined the shared meal we were hoping for. What was safe tasted great, but the repeated mistakes took the enjoyment out of the experience. We weren't in any rush, but it definitely felt like the kitchen was winding down for the night. Chef Soon also wasn't there, which was disappointing because it genuinely felt like the attention to detail wasn't the same without him. And not to sound cheap, but after that many allergy-related mistakes, there should have been some sort of acknowledgment of an apology, actions speak louder than words. In my opinion a small discount, a complimentary dessert or app, something should have been offered. Instead, nothing. Chef soon is my favorite sushi restaurant. I often tell anyone in Illinois it's the best I've been to here. Normally this is a solid five-star spot for us, but tonight was a three out of five at best. Mistakes happen, and I'll be back... but this visit was honestly pretty upsetting. I think I may be on a search for a new favorite sushi place for my sister.

    Photos
    Chef Soon Contemporary Sushi
    Daily special
    Daily special
    4 separate Zuke Salmon Nigiri One for each person. Best way to end the meal and start it really...

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    4 separate Zuke Salmon Nigiri One for each person. Best way to end the meal and start it really...
    Wabi Q

    Wabi Q

    3.8
    (170 reviews)
    6.0 mi

    Service was quick, food was tasty, price was $32.95 for lunch ayce BBQ. A bit more than I was…read moreexpecting, but oh well. I now realized why there wasn't a current pic of the menu, you order off an ipad, which I like. No waiting for a waitress, or worrying that they got your order right. Was a bit surprised they didn't have more vegetables like wonbok or bean sprouts but it may be out of season since it's winter time. Guess I should've ordered the lettuce and have made lettuce wraps with the meat. The pork belly was great, especially crisped up a bit. Short ribs were very tasty definitely order that. Kim chee was pretty darn good!

    After being loyal customers for the past four years, we left before ordering because of how we were…read moretreated upon arrival. We had a reservation for five people, but one family member was unable to attend due to a last-minute conflict, so we arrived with four. When we checked in, we informed the host of the change. Rather than simply adjusting the reservation, the manager immediately began lecturing us about not calling ahead and told us that if we had notified them earlier, our reservation would have been canceled and we would have been placed on the walk-in waitlist. What made this especially confusing was that we were still honoring our reservation and dining with four guests. We were not canceling, arriving late, or significantly reducing our party size. The change occurred at the last minute, and while we would have called had we known earlier, arriving with four instead of five did not seem like a situation that warranted the response we received. We were then told we would have to wait and were placed on a waitlist despite several open tables, including an empty table already set for four guests. A few minutes later, another table was prepared and we were seated directly next to that same four-person table, which remained empty. Unfortunately, the interaction did not end there. After we were seated, our server informed us that she had been instructed to tell us that making a reservation for five and arriving with four would not be tolerated in the future. At that point, I asked who the manager or owner was and was directed to the same individual who had addressed us when we arrived. To the server's credit, she apologized and explained that she was simply relaying the message she had been told to deliver. By then, however, it was clear that the manager felt it necessary not only to reprimand us personally but also to have the message repeated through our server after we had already been seated. What could have been a simple conversation about reservation expectations instead felt unnecessarily confrontational and embarrassing. To be clear, this review is not about a restaurant's right to establish reservation policies. It is about how those policies are communicated. We never expected special treatment--only courtesy, professionalism, and respect. After four years of dining here and bringing family and friends, we were surprised to be treated this way over a one-person difference in our party size. We chose to leave before ordering and, unfortunately, will not be returning. What makes the experience even harder to understand is that there were multiple open tables visible in the restaurant at the time, including the empty four-person table next to us and several other unoccupied tables. Given the available seating and the fact that we were still dining with four guests, the manager's response felt unnecessarily rigid and entirely out of proportion to the situation

    Photos
    Regular and spicy tomato hotpot
    Regular and spicy tomato hotpot
    Wabi Q
    Hot Pot All You Can Eat

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    Hot Pot All You Can Eat
    Meson Sabika

    Meson Sabika

    4.2
    (1.5k reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$$

    Food and wine were amazing! Love that there are numerous menu options with goat cheese…read more The restaurant is beautiful and perfect for having wine with your girls or a date with your spouse. Bonus that they have a ton of umbrellas on the patio that they move around to make sure you're comfortable in the hot summer sun.

    Let me start with the setting because it genuinely earns its reputation. The grounds are stunning…read moreand you can immediately understand why people book weddings here. It's a beautifully converted old mansion with manicured outdoor spaces and an elegant interior. The white tablecloth atmosphere delivers on the promise of a special night out. That said, if you're coming expecting a transportive Spanish dining experience, temper those expectations. A few decorative plates on the walls aside, the space reads more traditional Southern manor than Iberian escape. Charming, yes. Spanish, not really. Now the food, because that's where things get interesting. The cream of rice soup was a genuine highlight. Buttery, brothy, deeply comforting. The kind of dish that makes you lean in after the first spoonful. The baguette served alongside it though? Stale. Sliced too far in advance and the butter arrived ice cold, straight from the fridge. At $100 plus per person, that is a detail that matters. The Queso con Pacanas had beautiful individual components but suffered from what became a recurring theme of the night: strong flavors competing rather than collaborating. The pungent cheese steamrolled everything else on the plate. The wine soaked pears showed up again later on the Chuleta de Cerdo, and while the idea is lovely, serving a pear half unsliced in a fine dining context means you're asking the guest to do compositional work that the kitchen should have already done. The Jamón Iberico is the most expensive item on the menu and the meat itself is worth every penny. Nutty, buttery, exceptional on its own. But the parmesan blanketing the flatbread crisps overpowered it completely, and a lone raw garlic clove sitting on the plate with no instruction is not fine dining. Our server was sweet enough to explain you're meant to rub it on the cracker yourself, and she handled it with grace, but that explanation should not have been necessary. The Patatas Bravas were well seasoned with a solid aioli but landed mushy rather than crispy. A miss. The Gambas a la Plancha was the clearest win of the evening and not by coincidence. It was the simplest dish. Well seasoned shrimp, bright lemon butter, nothing fighting for attention. Sometimes restraint is the whole answer. The Chuleta de Cerdo had a beautifully cooked, smoky and peppery pork chop and a mushroom sauce that genuinely complemented it. But then the cinnamon heavy root vegetable puree pulled the whole plate in a completely different direction. Our server was genuinely wonderful, funny and warm and attentive even while training a new hire. She was the clearest bright spot of the service experience and the one thing we left talking about fondly. We left the rest of the meal a little baffled. The head chef hails from Valencia, and we were told that influence shows in the food. Maybe it does and our palates just weren't reading it. But between the confused flavor profiles, the inconsistent execution, and a cuisine identity that felt more scattered than intentional, we walked out laughing and scratching our heads more than satisfied. Beautiful place. Lovely server. The food just never quite found itself.

    Photos
    Dessert table (wedding)
    Dessert table (wedding)
    Chocolate cake in a caramel crust
    Chocolate cake in a caramel crust
    Marinated Olives

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    Marinated Olives
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

    3.9
    (281 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$$

    We went at 3:30pm and got seated right away, especially because of reservations. There are plenty…read moreof seats and the service is quite efficient. We ordered the Gyu-Kaku Feast (for 6 pax). It was plenty of food, topped off with smores for dessert. The meat was fresh. Lots of meat, good beef, some pork, and a few shrimp. The salads were good... might be better if we'd asked for the salad dressing on the side. The sukiyaki was surprising in that it was more like fried rice. Spicy chiggae soup was yummy, nice and spicy. So much food. Super yummy. Park in the structure around the corner on Chicago Ave.

    Came here in a Monday for lunch. We had a reservation for 230. We arrive at 215 and there is no one…read moreat the host station. Ahead of us is a couple and another guy waiting. After 10 minutes the host comes and tells the couple they have tables but they aren't cleaned yet and he's waiting. Mind you the restaurant isn't packed, but there are a few tables dining. I'm guessing they were understaffed. Anyhow, after another 10 minutes the guy ahead of us gets seated. Nothing was said to us. Another party of two came and they were also waiting and they flagged someone down. The host said the same thing as earlier, they have tables that haven't been cleaned. 10 mins later he goes to try to seat them knowing we were there first. The lady even told him, well they were here first. He went ahead and seated them anyway then came back and got us. It's 245. I told him we had a reservation for 230. The lack of communication from the host was off putting. We were hungry and my son really wanted bbq. I would have gone to SGD, but they are closed on Mondays. Anyhow, we wait around a good 10 mins before a server comes to take a drink order. Again, they weren't completely packed, I counted 3 servers and a host. We order ribeye, chicken, filet, kalbi and the hirami in a pot for our meats. We also got corn, spinach, a salad and the fried rice and an order of white rice. I ask him if that's enough food and he says yes, but you can keep a menu in case you want more. Our table was 2 adults and 2 kids who are 11 and 9. Fried rice comes out first and the meats. I ask him to bring the white rice too for my son. He said he forgot and will grab it right away. Let's just say he brought the white rice a good 15 mins after...and I had to remind him. So my son is sitting there eating his meat with no rice. The hirami in the pot was a good size but there were 5 pieces of ribeye and 5 pieces of filet and 5 pieces of chicken and maybe 8 pieces of the kalbi. How is this enough for 4 people? So we order another 2 orders of kalbi. I don't know the happy hour portions are tiny. We also needed refills and that took a couple reminders. We also ordered another order of rice. We are pretty much done eating when I ask him what happened to our rice order? He said he will check and that he ordered it awhile ago. He comes back within 2 minutes with our rice saying there was a mix up in the kitchen? Was it really a mix up or did you just forget? By the time we get our check it's 445. Why did this take so long? We have been there before and we are usually in and out in an hour and a half. So they took the fried rice off our bill. Then for tip, it's asking if we want to tip 18, 22 or 22%? Are you being serious? This guy had to constantly be reminded of everything, service was so slow and he had only two other tables. Someone else was picking up our dirty plates and bringing us the meats. I've never had a bad experience here until now. The visit wasn't worth the $180. Food was good except the filet. That had no flavor at all and had to be drenched with the sauces on the table. We have gotten delivery from here before and the portions were bigger during delivery. One other thing to note, the server never even changed out our grill...they usually do that half way through.

    Photos
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

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    Shuckin' Shack Oyster Bar

    Shuckin' Shack Oyster Bar

    3.7
    (120 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    I agree with some reviews where the wait and service can take a while. We've been here twice and…read morethe first time we came at an off time and got seated right away because we were told to seat ourselves. The second time, it was Monday when the oysters are $1.25 and we weren't acknowledged, so we decided to seat ourselves at an open table we saw just to be told to wait and that someone would be with us....we stood at the counter waiting for a good 5 minutes and no one came to us so we sat on the bench in the front for what felt like 15-20 minutes. Finally, someone came just as I was getting ready to pick another place for dinner. Based on that wait time to get seated, we were smart enough to put in everything we wanted to order for our meal since we knew it would take a while to get someone's attention again. I like coming to Shuckin' because of that oyster deal and everyone else might have the same idea which is why they were so busy. Minus the wait and mid service, what brings up the rating for me is their food. Everything I've gotten here is pretty good and I haven't gotten anything yet that I didn't like.

    This place was really good. Went there for lunch and a drink and was impressed. Does not look like…read moreit is going to be very nice from the outside but the inside was a good vibe and much bigger than it looks. Food and drinks were really good too. Good place for a quick bite or to watch a game.

    Photos
    Shuckin' Shack Oyster Bar
    Cold Crab Dip
    Cold Crab Dip
    Chargrilled Oysters

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    Chargrilled Oysters

    IKKAI Restaurant - japanese - Updated June 2026

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