Dinner at Joto was fantastic from start to finish. I'll admit the "dry aged fish" concept threw me off at first as it sounded weird, but it just tastes like exceptionally high-quality sushi. It was amazing! The space itself is polished with a great ambiance, and there are tons of seating options. Service was impressive too. The staff was very attentive throughout our dining experience, constantly refilling water and clearing plates the second we finished. Attentive without being intrusive. Drinks were great as well. We had the lychee martini and the curry-infused cocktail (their take on it) and both were fabulous. For food, we got one of the setto platters and I'd highly recommend it. It's a great variety of nigiri, and I say that as someone who's usually strictly a salmon sashimi person. This platter converted me. We also tried a few maki rolls: the futo, chili crisp salmon, and the prism rolls were all complex rolls that were beautifully executed. Highly recommend Joto for a special dinner out. Already thinking about when I can go back! read more

See all

food - mid, just mid in general, not even comparing with food in the same tier ambiance - made a little sense i had the table-side omakase read more

I came in on a Wednesday evening around 6:50pm and was seated immediately, which was great! The ambiance was....interesting! Early 2000's pop playing at a high volume. Very lively, great if you want to do happy hour with friends after work (4-6pm on weekdays, per their sign). As a post workout-meal, I got the seasoned edamame and the dry aged Kurashi Setto ($42) because I really wanted to try their dry-aged nigiri! This set included salmon, tuna, hamachi, and Suzuki. The Suzuki was my favorite and the salmon was surprisingly my least favorite (I expected it to be my fave!). The edamame was seasoned well! It got salty after a while but I ate the whole thing. Service was okay, not super friendly but they were there when I needed more water and the check. The prices were decent and the food was tasty and interesting! I'd try their chutoro hamachi if I were to come back. read more

Joto - Dry aged kurashi setto - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

From the happy hour menu, I ordered Kurashi Setto and Spicy Scallop & Salmon Avocado Handrolls. Regular menu: Otoro Caviar - platinum osetra caviar, Uni Toro - Hokkaido sea urchin, salmon roe Starting with handrolls, good quality seafood and excellent portions. My only complaint is the salmon would taste cleaner diced. Kurashi set was excellent. Very flavorful and melt in your mouth. Premium items from regular menu did not disappoint - salty, rich, and fatty. Service was friendly. Plenty of seating and cool, modern Japanese vibe inside. read more

See all

This place has great sushi and they know it. It is very good sushi, but it is pricy. For the best bites in the menu, you are looking at $20 a bite. The service is great, we've never had a bad time here. It's an I interesting Mashup of the omakase place and the owners of malort. The sushi is good. The only thing I didn't like was the steak and eggs nigiri. $20 a bite and it just tasted torched. read more

See all

I love the infused malort and the binchotan. Atmosphere is great especially in the bar area, very fun. Food is delicious but can be pricey. Great happy hour options. Grilled steak kabobs over marinated, hamachi collar good just lightly cooked. Margarita was sour but the Malort is well treated. I enjoy every visit here but it can be overpriced. The sake pudding dessert- $9, 2oz pudding. read more

Joto - Dessert menu - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Great service at the bar last night. In town on business and was just looking for something close to the hotel. Whiskey Flight, a couple cocktails and some bangin' Tuna in various forms. read more

See all

We did the omakase experience. The omakase is done in the back of the restaurant and you can also see the dry aging racks for aging the fish. Every piece was prepared with great care and there were some pieces that had some unique twists, I especially liked the king ora salmon and the wagyu with unagi. That said, my favorite was the last piece which married dry aged otoro with egg yolk and caviar. Incredible flavor and creative combination with a beautiful presentation. Cocktails were quite good as well as the restuarant is housed within CH Distillery. I had the Time After Time which was a whiskey based cocktail but drank a bit watery, especially with such a large ice cube. Conversely the ube-be baby was fantastic. Really cool, delicate flavor and great presentation. Would definitely get the ube-be baby again but probably not the time after time. Overall though, it was a very expensive meal. Two cocktails plus the omakase, tax, mandated 20% tip, totaled solidly over $200 / person which felt like a lot for the experience. read more

See all

We came here for dinner and ordered a lot to share. The inside had a really interesting vibe, it was modern but super comfortable. The service was really good throughout the night. Pretty much all the sushi was really good. The salmon crudo was delicious and refreshing. I got the ube-be baby drink was super interesting, it was sweet but not overpoweringly so. The chicken karaage was really juicy, though otherwise pretty standard. The crab bites were delicious, and both the dry aged tuna setto and dry aged jack fish setto tasted super fresh and really well done. For rolls, the prism maki and ryuu maki were great. Additionally, both the otoro with caviar and chutoro with truffle was super good and definitely worth ordering. Overall, a great sushi place in the city, would highly recommend. read more

See all

We came here for an impromptu happy hour and enjoyed our meal at the bar. The sake was refreshing with our setto- this was so delicious and all pieces of fish were very fresh and flavorful. The prism roll was also excellent. I asked if they had any side salads, and I was recommended to order the tuna carpaccio but this was a little salty. I wish they had some sort of salad on the menu but otherwise the happy hour deals and quality of the fish were amazing. read more

Joto - Tuna carpaccio and prism roll - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Took my wife here for her birthday and was blown away by the quality and service. Their Dry aged fish focus really elevates the experience and adds new depth to familiar bites. We especially loved the different nigiri sets you can order to try the variety of fish at a better value. Salmon and Otoro were our favorites. We will be coming back for omakase and their malort cocktail special. read more

See all

I've been coming to Joto Sushi since when it was still called Jinsei Motto and it's one of my favorite sushi spots in the city. The fish is fresh. No need to touch the soy sauce provided, the chefs brush on the right amount of tare (sauce) for each nigiri. The small bites are each excellent and I love that they have a Robata grill to round out the experience. The cocktails are unique and exciting, and I'd come just for those. The menu is priced well, competes around the cost of Momotaro around the corner. The vibe here is more energetic and clubby, perhaps caters to a younger crowd. In the summer you can eat outdoors and avoid the loud music if you prefer. Service is excellent and attentive. Overall I'd say if you ever considered Sunda or Roka Akor definitely avoid those and come here. read more

See all

Ambiance - cute sushi spot behind distillery, casual/upscale depending on your group, they have dining tables and omakase counter seating Service - chef took his time to prepare each piece of our sushi, didn't feel rushed Food - fish was overall fresh, their dry aged fishes definitely stood out read more

See all

Food: Absolutely divine! Loved coming here. Everything was up to parr and so delicious! The drinks were well made and got the job done. Service: our waitresses were very attentive and friendly. Loved their energy and hospitality. Very knowledgeable as well, and answered any questions we had about anything on the menu. Ambiance: loved the setting and low lighting. Very nice little cozy spot we got, next to a charger I might add lol! $300 we spent was well worth it!!! read more

See all

Definitely never coming back here. Insane prices for okay food and on top of that, they'll scam you. I am not sure why any standard sushi rolls like spicy tuna need to cost $15-20 or even 4 pieces of tuna bites. It all tasted like standard sushi restaurants items to me. The interior gives you more of a bar feeling with high tops instead of a formal dining experience. I am so glad I checked my statement a couple days later because the server apparently changed my tip amount. I caught it and called the restaurant and all she said was she'll refund the incorrect extra amount and "talk to the server." Unbelievable. read more

See all

Went for omakase for a birthday, had an amazing dinner, the chef and waitress were very nice and the food was delicious! Can't believe this place doesn't have more reviews it's so good! One of my new fav sushi spots for sure, I will be back! read more

See all

Service (5/5) - We were fortunate to get Peter as our server who was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and also had great tableside manner. One thing that caught my eye about Joto is their teamwork. This place does a great job supporting one another in keeping drinks filled and tables clean. I think it speaks a lot to their training and professionalism. Ambiance (5/5) - From what I heard they recently renovated their space and it looks amazing. Music isn't too loud and it's a perfect spot for date nights and small celebrations. Food (4.4/5) - We got the tableside omakase, some appetizers, and a couple sushi rolls. Overall, the quality of everything was solid and there wasn't anything I ate that I thought was bad. I was also surprised to eat some pieces of fish (like mackerel) that typically tend to taste fishy but didn't here. I'd give this place an extra point for their cocktails (they are amazing). read more

See all

Ordered a few items for delivery and my general consensus is that this place is overpriced for what you are getting. That said, everything was packed very nicely. I loved the tako tako roll. The crab bites were good, but not worth the price in my opinion so I wouldn't order it again. read more

Located side CH Distillery, Jōtō Sushi is all about serving up dry-aged sushi and Japanese cocktails. The menu offers starters, dry-aged bluefin tuna (nigiri or sashimi), maki rolls, nigiri/sashimi, and and extensive beverage list. They also have an omakase experience as well as a tableside omakase. We wanted to focus on the nigiri, so we ordered: +the otoro nigiri +the chutoro truffle nigiri - with shaved white truffles +the otoro otoro caviar - topped with platinum osetra caviar +the Steak & Eggs nigiri - with A5 wagyu +the Kanpachi nigiri - dry-aged Japanese amberjack +and, the Hamachi nigiri - dry-aged Japanese yellowtail The space is dark and casual, with limited metered and garage parking available. Staff are friendly, and reservations were easy to make! +dry-aged nigiri +friendly service +reservations accepted +metered street and garage parking read more

Great spot for happy hour- the sushi and fish was so fresh. Their back area is the cutest and very spacious. The sushi set was great to be able to try different fish. The hand rolls were my favorite and the yuzu cocktails. Service is great as well. read more

Checked out Joto with some friends on a Tuesday evening. The vibes were low key and our server was very helpful and attentive. We started with the crispy tuna bites, which were fine, but a bit underwhelming compared to similar versions I've had elsewhere. The tomato salad with seaweed I really enjoyed; it included white seaweed, which I've never tried, as well as red shiso/perilla. We had the Kurashi Setto next--a tasting of the aged nigiri offerings; it was delicious. Our server offered to increase the setto to accommodate three people, which we really appreciated. We concluded with a couple of rolls (Futo and Prism), which were also good. If you want to drink sake or wine, there is a selection, but the sake in particular felt really overpriced (having purchased some of these bottles before). All in all, a nice evening though. I would definitely focus more on the nigiri and unique dishes for maximum satisfaction. read more

See all

If you're looking for affordable but high quality omakase with the added benefit of interesting cocktails and malort, this is the place for you! FOOD: We came here on a Monday night (the 2nd ever) to try their all day happy hour and omakase industry night prices. The fish was absolutely incredible... they dry age everything which makes things not only sustainable but also gets rid of the fishy taste that some people don't love about sushi. I personally really appreciate the "fishiness" but for those of you who have friends who don't like sushi because of that point then this is the place to bring them!! The table side omakase is 13 courses plus a dessert and I think the last 4 that came out (ootoro, chutoro, wagyu, etc) were the absolute most amazing of the bunch. DRINKS: We ordered a couple cocktails and one sake bottle through the course of our meal. The cocktails are quite interesting given that they use their own distilled spirits for a lot of them including Malort so it wasn't our favorite but they were all fun to try!! All in alll, if you're looking for an affordable yet high quality omakase to try this is the place for you! One caveat is that we tried their 14 course option on Sunday Tues Wed ($125pp) but their Fri Sat option is 19 courses ($195pp). read more

See all

Amazing Sushi Experience! Our server was Shigé, he was very friendly and personable. The omakase menu was worth it, and my wife and I eat a lot of Sushi. Chef Jamel came to our table and even recommended some of his personal favorites. We enjoyed everything and look forward to coming back!! One of the best Sushi spots in all of Chicago! read more

See all

Came here for happy hour and was blown away by how good the food was! Ordered the spicy scallop and shrimp tempura hand rolls along with a variety of nigiri. So delicious. Service was great! Place was casual during the day but also can be a total upscale vibe in the evening. read more

Love the atmosphere of front dining room and back room is more casual. High quality sushi all around ! read more

The sushi was amazing and Adam our server was on top of everything Saturday. 10/10 will definitely be coming back!

We had the best server, Alina. She was friendly and helped us with our selections. The outdoor grill was fired up so we ordered the premium sampler. It was to die for. That and funky cocktails and oysters. A pure delight! read more

Jōtō Sushi Bar is such a cozy gem--perfect for a chill drink and some seriously good bites. I stopped in for happy hour and was pleasantly surprised by how creative and flavorful everything was. I started with the watermelon punch--refreshing and fun--then grabbed a shrimp tempura hand roll that hit all the right notes: crispy, savory, and super fresh. From the binchotan grill, I tried the steak and salmon kama--both grilled to perfection with that signature smoky flavor. It's a great spot to unwind, try something new, and enjoy quality food in a relaxed setting. Definitely coming back for more! read more

EDIT/UPDATE: Moved from 1 star to 2 stars, because management/ownership followed up after I reached out via their contact us link on their website. I appreciated the follow up since the hospitality in-restaurant was markedly absent. Seems like it was a rough night, and there may be some growing pains. Hope they can get it figured out, but don't really have an interest in going back. Was interested in trying the new sushi concept inside CH Distillery and booked a date night with an 8PM reservation through OpenTable. Upon arriving, we were told the table we reserved was not quite ready, and we could order cocktails at the table by the door while we waited. We decided just to wait, and after 10 minutes, we were told our table would not be ready for another 30-40 minutes. We decided not to stick around until 8:40 for an 8:00PM reservation. You're a new concept Joto team... I think you might want to get these kinds of logistics figured out... No apology from your staff. No acknowledgement of the eff-up. We weren't going to stick around for 30 minutes, but there was no effort to even attempt to reconcile. Pretty disrespectful experience. No plans to return. Good luck Joto. read more

We popped in to Joto for some drinks and a snack - we will absolutely be back for a full dinner! The drinks were great BUT the food was 10/10. We ordered the carpaccio salad and the Katsuo Chutoro. The salad was a flavor bomb - the yuzu vinaigrette was to die for. The katsuo were a bit of home with the hint of Japanese curry. The team are great as always - kind and welcoming! The refresh with decor was also a pleasant surprise - it's so chill and lowkey (in the best way). read more

See all

It was so much better when it was Jinsei motto :( went there with my husband when it just turned to joto - so disappointed. It used to be our favorite local go to spot but the food was bland and totally not the same. Fire salmon and hidden dragon rolls were our favorite. Hopefully the new Jinsei location has them. Service is good. Ambiance in the front room is good but I don't like sitting in the back. read more

Really great experience overall. The food was delicious, the service was friendly and fast, and the place had a nice cozy vibe. read more

See all

Decided to look for a swanky sushi spot nearby and stumbled upon CH Distillery | Jōtō Sushi. We sat in the back room and were met with wonderful service. We started with crispy tuna bites, crab bites, chicken karaage, edamame. All of which were delicious. We moved on to trying their dry aged nigiri, which they are known for. We got Otoro tuna, Hamachi nigiri, and a chili salmon roll which were flavorful and melt in your mouth good. I don't always drink malort. Almost never, but I was having Chicago handshakes the entire time as CH Distillery distills malort. Only $9 and our server was kind enough to throw in one on the house. The vibes in the back room are nice for a date night or dinner with friends. warm, clean, back room distillery vibes. I'll be coming back no doubt. read more

My wife and I were visiting from Burbank, California. We highly recommend this restaurant. The food was amazing and such a great atmosphere. Our waitress Alina was so professional and a sweetheart. So if you go. Ask for Alina to be your waitress. But, if you don't get her I'm sure everyone else is just as amazing. Thank you for a great experience Jōtō. read more

Love Joto! Friend recommended it and this was our first experience. Super chill vibe for Friday evening. I didn't look at the menu before I went but our server Adam recommended the aged bluefin setto and the tako tako maki. Both were delicious! Drinks were good! Espresso martinis were good and strong. Look forward to coming back! read more

This place is great! First it has a very cool vibe look in the back room! staff was great (I am so sorry I forgot the waiter's name. He had a lovely accent. He was awesome!). Also the general manager Choeun Park was great. The food was out of this world. The best sushi ever! Will definitely be back! Thanks we really enjoyed our experience read more

so yummers the hostess isabel was soooo freaking kind and wonderful ik its not normal to tip hostesses but you should tip her!!!!

Great food with great drinks. The atmosphere is nice on both sides. Back side is intimate/speakeasy and the front is a bit more lively and lounge like. read more

Joto - Chutoro Katsuo - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Terrible service. Rude waitress who seemed like she did not want to be there in the back room. Seemed unknowledgeable about menu items and didn't even acknowledge the thank yous during or when we paid the check on the mobile POS. Would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

Went here on Saturday to check out the rebrand. JOTO is in the back room of CH distillery which makes for a very cool vibe. My husband and I ordered the- crispy spicy tuna bites, crab bites, classic setto of nigiri, spicy bluefin tuna roll; and scallop roll. Would order them all again, the mix they use for the spicy tuna is our favorite we've ever had. Baby sharks drink has to be mentioned as it is a classic there. Our waitress was very attentive! read more