Good food, accurately priced for the quality. Nice vibe, small place too. I recommend the wagu roll

Excited to try this new restaurant on Southport. Lots of hype. Unfortunately it didn't quite live up. Ambiance was lovely. As was some, but not all of the food. And very very pricey. What we liked: sashimi was yummy, definitely some for the freshest I've tasted in Chicago. Shishito peppers were also bomb. Super yummy sauce. And the chicken Robata had a ton of flavor. What we didn't love: hand rolls were super dry and bland. Miso soup tastes generic. And the service was very very slow. Restaurant was hopping but took almost 30 minutes to place order. And another 30-40 mins for first dishes to come out. I will definitely try again as the menu is large. Hopefully the food and service will deliver. read more

Food was spot-on. Casual ambiance with food prepared really well and in a timely manner. I will return and I encourage you to try this place if you like sushi and Japanese dishes. read more

The restaurant had beautiful decor and served exceptionally delicious Japanese cuisine, expertly prepared. However, our dining experience was marred by the poor acoustics on the second floor, which used to be a small apartment. The hard surfaces made the sound bounce uncontrollably, and a large table with 13 extremely loud patrons made conversation impossible for us at our table of four. The constant shouting across the table drowned out all other conversations in the room. Despite the fantastic food, we felt rushed and unable to fully enjoy our time with old friends due to the excessive noise. Even though we brought this issue to the manager's attention, they acknowledged the problem but didn't offer any solutions. Spending significant money on such an unpleasant dining experience was disheartening. Throughout my 30 years of dining in Chicago, I have been to some loud and crowded places, but this was, by far, the worst. It was evident that management should not have placed such a large table in a small area without any acoustic treatment and with all hard surfaces. When booking a table with thirteen people in a tiny room, the spaces should be sectioned off for a private event. Update: after writing the review I received a note from management with an apology. We were not the only table complaining about this large unruly table. We were refunded our tab and asked to please try the restaurant again. They also thanked me for my suggested accustom upgrades. We have been away but do plan to try Itoko again. I will add an update after having a chance to re-evaluate. read more

They have QR codes on the table for "convenient" payment of your bill. I took advantage of it because it was a busy night. They charge you a fee and don't tell you until after you've completed the transaction - I double checked the thing on the table and it doesn't say anything about the fee. Annoying. Food is incredible, though. read more

Delicious decadent Japanese food and Sushi. Full impecable bar with well versed bartenders.

I'm truly surprised at all the positive reviews. Quality of ingredients was undeniable, I will credit them for that. However, to say this is better than or the best sushi in Chicago is so confusing to me. Most everything was fine. Not bad at all but "amazing"?? Personally I can't use that word to describe tonight's dinner. Our party of five ordered a good variety and we spent over $100/pp including tip. Out of all the temaki, robata, nigiri, maki rolls, chahan, donburi and dessert, the only dish I can recommend is the TCD tuna toro. From the cold selection, the scallop dish was strange in that it was extremely fishy but the texture was perfect. One of my most memorable dishes ever was Hokkaido scallops eaten in Hokkaido and this had the same amazing mouthfeel but taste wise so alarming different. The chanhan execution needs adjustment. It came in a stone bowl, just like Korean dolsot bap. The problem was(is), the bowl is absolutely too hot. The rice burns if left even for a minute. The friends I went with tonight are Korean, as am I. As soon as the dish arrived, we knew just from the sizzling sound we would have burnt rice...and we were not wrong. The doughnut dessert was the least favorite item of all and utterly skippable. It was so tough to cut that I'm almost positive that that dough was mixed to hell before being fried. I don't ever complain to the staff, and didn't tonight, but this was the closest I've ever been to asking to speak with someone from FOH. I don't say this lightly but if that's how all doughnut orders are served to their guests, no one should order it. I don't write many reviews anymore, esp in this length, but after spending $600 and leaving so unsatisfied, I feel obligated to leave an honest review for future diners of this establishment. I think the value for your money will be better spent elsewhere until Itoko makes adjustments. The reason for the second star is our server was very pleasant and our plates were taken and replaced very quickly, which we all appreciated. read more

Let us know when the female bartender is in the mood to deal with serving customers and maybe we'll come back. The least you could do is provide friendly service for the quality/price. Heading to @almosthomebar for a burger read more

Delicious food, cool place, good service! Giving 4 stars instead of 5 because the server asked if we wanted wasabi with our sushi rolls. Of course we said yes. Turns out that 1 teaspoon of wasabi that was served to the cost $8! I've never been to a restaurant where there is a charge for wasabi, let alone the smallest portion I've ever been given and charged $8 for it! read more

Decor and food were just fine. Japanese whiskey single pour prices were above market, even for a fine dining Chicago establishment. 4. We felt extremely rushed: 2 - no drink menu provided when we sat down and then the drinks came after main courses... only after I asked. - wait staff constantly circling to get order and then asking if we were done with plates despite having 1-3 pieces left. - requesting to order food all in front is fine but don't bring all the dishes like it is family style for a party of 3. We left after 55 minutes including dessert! I'll stick with Kai Zan for the friendly staff and paced out Omakase experience. Average score: 3 read more

The service was really good but you get a 3 percent service charge and when you check out you get a 3$ charge to pay the bill. I am not sure if using QR code was required or suggested but to add 3 dollars to pay seems petty and the added charges on a really expensive meal ($348 for 4 people) just rubs you the wrong way. Will not be back. read more

Absolutely horrible. From the service, to the food. It was gross. Miso soup was by far the worst. The chirashi bowl tasted like gross old cheap slimy fish. The only good thing was the ebi sushi with Thai spices. But they bring you seaweed and sticky rice so you can make your own mini bite size sushi rolls? Not a fan. The dessert was ok. Get better sushi at AYCE in Chicago (and that's saying something). That was just very bad. Like others have commented, you will likely be disappointed by the food after the "hype" of whatever chef that made this. Sorry. read more

Stay away from the happy hour burger. You will poop green for dayyysss. There should be a warning they use tons of green food dye in the burger bun. Upset stomach for the whole week. There also seems to be added fees to the bill here, idk, definitely a very big let down after looking forward to this place opening. Also got a sparkling water from the tinniest can you ever did see, $4. For three sips. Very disappointing place. read more

The bartender was pretty gross. She took food dirty food plates from people at the bar, put them in a tub on the floor, wiped her hands on her apron wiped her nose then individually touched ice cubes with her hands to put in a beverage. I wouldn't have a drink here. While she served our drink she dropped the lemon peel on the counter, picked it up her dirty hand and tried to put back on the drink. The menu was interesting so that's good and the overall place was okay. Just not sure about the bartender. read more

The food tasted fresh but it was nothing special and the portions were very small for the price. We got 4 dishes + dessert and were hungry after. Additionally, the tables were very close to each other which doesn't offer much privacy and at the price point of this place, I would have expected to have it. read more

Came here for brunch and loved everything. My friend and I decided to split a few items and we devoured everything especially the pancakes (they stole the show). We also had their egg soufflé and spicy tuna dip. Both were equally delicious. Will have to return soon to try their sushi as well. read more

We came in for a 4:45 reservation and received excellent service throughout the whole meal. The servers were very knowledgeable and friendly. The ambiance was light and was the perfect in-between of casual and fancy. Our table started with the shishito peppers and the shaken kato which both were served in unique and interactive ways. The shaken kato with original seasoning was so delicious and surprising. The hot towels to clean your hands from the chicken was a nice touch. For our mains we got the beef chahan, ramen, and the three piece set of hand rolls. I had also ordered a piece of nigiri that our waiter forgot to bring out but honestly was kinda glad he didn't because I was full by the end of my meal. I thought the beef chahan was underwhelming and a little dry, but the hand rolls and ramen made up for it. The momo jr roll was a burst of flavor and had a smoky taste to it. The x.o scallop was both spicy and sweet and the salmon was very refreshing with the avocado mousse. The ramen noodles were really good and we enjoyed the broth with it. Very cozy and came in a large portion. Would definitely recommend for a unique dinner that actually tastes good and not overpriced. Yum read more

Itoko - Beef Chahan, Raman, and the three piece set of hand rolls. - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So excited to have this new gem in chicago. Food was outstanding. Everything we had from apps to mains were spot on. A bit pricey, but worth it. Lots of items you won't find anywhere else in chicago. Their hand rolls (think taco style) are delicious. Pricey, but well worth it! read more

If rating on food quality alone, definitely 5 stars. Almost every bite was delicious. (The TCD was a bit oversold in the tribune review; I wouldn't get it again. But everything else we tried was great, especially the hand rolls.) Service was almost too attentive when we got there (with dishes coming out together instead of staggered) but became extremely slow as it became busy. And it was a tad overpriced, we spent $350, and I went home and ate a slice of pizza. read more

AMAZING! I would give them six stars if I could! Originally I did not want to come here because I was still upset about Southport Lanes closing :( but Itoko definitely made up for it! We went for restaurant week and it was a great deal, $42 per person for four courses! The crispy shrimp and shishito peppers were my favorite! The staff was so friendly, the ambiance was great, so cute! Great for date night or dinner with a large group of friends. I will definitely be going back again soon! read more

Muy mal. Leaking water from the ceiling on the seat where they were about to seat us, brought us the wrong wine twice, very questionable fishy fish in the sushi, and poor service. Oh! And expensive. read more

Very nice quality sushi. Took my boyfriend for his birthday, and he was obsessed! Definitely recommend getting a couple of dishes/rolls to split. We got the nigiri spread not being very big plain raw fish people. But we were hooked! the fish was very fresh. read more

Great dining experience! Great saki and wine list as well. Highly recommend if looking for good sushi.

Great service and atmosphere. The food is incredible. We got almost one of everything on their brunch menu. Would highly recommend the honey butter toast and the steamed bun and lox. The chicken katsu don was also delicious. All of their cocktails are amazing too. Can't wait for my next trip back! read more

Food was very good. Service was everything that is wrong with post pandemic. they seated us at 7 and were determined to have us out by 8. We left at 8:01. Ordered several dishes and they brought them so fast and grabbed plates even faster that we could not enjoy. They also seemed to be short on menus and plates because god forbid one stayed one our table. Not how I want to spend $250 on a Friday evening after long work week. read more

One of the best if not the best sushi place I've been to and I'm a big sushi lover. The ebi Tom yum and Yama roll were the most delicious sushi I've ever had definitely brought a tear on how good it was. Definitely recommend would come back again if I visited Chicago !!! read more

Food is delicious, staff fantastic and just generally speaking this was a needed culinary addition to the neighborhood. I have had just about everything on the menu and everything is solid. It is a little spendy - that would be the only negative. read more

Service was great. We had 2 servers that helped recommend some items on the menu. The servers paced out our orders and food came in good timing. One order got lost, but they immediately addressed it, the manager came to apologize about it, and we didn't wait too long for the last order to come (maybe 10 mins wait). The food was flavorful, we enjoyed every single item we ate, unfortunately I cannot recall the names. The decor is simple, natural wood color, which made the place calming. It's a smaller restaurant that filled up fast on a Friday evening. I recommend trying this place. read more

I don't even know from where to start. My husband and I went to dinner today June 29/2023 and order the dumplings with the 3 sushi set. The first was good but the portion size extremely small, the big disappointment was with the 3 sushi set, we thought it would come a regular set with maybe 6 pieces of each option that we could share and be satisfied, and for the price of $26 dollars that's what we have seen in other Japanese food restaurants. Instead of that came only 3 tiny sushi's that my husband and I need it to take one bit each and it was that. After that we wore very disappointed and asked for the check. Our amount was $70, we gave them two cards to be charged in the first one $30 and on the second one the rest. We made that very clear to the waitress but she overcharged us with $36 on my card and $50 on the second card. We are never coming back to this place, it's a totally scam for the food and overcharging the customers. read more

Itoko - 4 pea dumplings - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wonderful elevated Japanese in modern setting. We especially loved the chicken thigh skewers & the fried rice. Service was great!

Everything is fantastic, but there a couple of things that could be better. The upstairs room is a completely different vibe from the main dining room and seems like an afterthought. The food is also mainly overpriced, but there are definitely some great value items, such as the large wagyu beef ground rice (chahan) that's $22. Service is wonderful, but there are a lot of staff members for a not-yet full dining room. read more

Overall thought the food and service was excellent. We started with the Jewel Baki which was amazing and had a number of different dishes. All I would get again except for the Wagyu Tataki, which tasted good but for us we didn't love. read more

Overall, a great new addition to the Southport Corridor. More detailed review below by bullet points: -Nice, fun, cocktail menu with personal takes on classic cocktails and a few unique offerings. Broad drink menu, though the drinks felt $3 to $4 over-priced. Sometimes I'll take note of that and just feel like likely to order a second. -Service was solid. We had a pending reservation for about 2-3 weeks on a Monday night. It was pretty busy, but not packed. Glad to see they are being welcomed to the neighborhood! I appreciated that the apparent manager greeted us and wished us a good dinner. Our waiter was very friendly and made some great recs. -The food was delicious. I'm newly pescatarian, and my takeaway was this. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, as everything looked great, and it really is a big menu! Some bites are expensive, but my gf said they were worth it! I'd agree. If you're looking for JUST sushi, you can probably find some cheaper spots, but if you're looking at the broader menu, Itoko is worth trying, I doubt you'll be disappointed. Will visit again, just not frequently based on cost. Paid ~$110 for two people, one drink each, left full! read more

slow staff, alright food but wonderful quality fish, beautiful restaurant, and ungodly expensive for the amount you're getting. at that point just spend the money to buy fishing equipment read more

Food was out of this world, and the place has a great ambiance. Highly recommend for a date or just going out to eat somewhere nice.