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    Jinsei Motto

    4.6 (150 reviews)

    Order Jinsei Motto Takeout

    Services - Jinsei Motto

    Bartending services

    Venue rental

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    JINSEI MOTTO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Jinsei Motto

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    Kurogoma Praline
    Crystal Z.

    Ambiance - super cute intimate spot for omakase, offers 6 seats at the chefs counter Service - exceptional, super attentive and kind staff, chef explained the sushi piece by piece Food - loved that a lot of their fish were aged (super unique), you're in for a treat if you are coming for omakase! My favorite was definitely the hotate (they added uni to this) The only thing that was a miss for me was the addition of the white truffle on top of the chutoro, didn't pair too well and masked the flavor of the fish

    Steph H.

    We did the omakase and while I think the price point is decent, I don't feel it was on the level expected. Cool concept with it being in the back of the distillery, and a very intimate atmosphere at the sushi counter. All of the staff were overall great and helpful but my husband and I found the main sushi chef to be a bit inexperienced. He also seemed sick as he was sniffling constantly which was off putting. Multiple nigiri pieces nearly fell apart before we could get them to our mouths as the rice wasn't packed properly. We really enjoyed most of the omakase offerings with the exception of a few. While it was an enjoyable experience, we wouldn't do the omakase again here. I do highly recommend you come and just order off the regular menu as some of their nigiri options are great. We'll be back often to do so ourselves.

    Spicy Bluefin Tuna
    Kamilah S.

    Excellent, excellent, excellent. Our waitress was great, I believe her name was Alina. She was the best. Our food was delicious, so fresh and so flavorful. We will definitely be back.

    Christopher V.

    Is dry aged sushi really a thing?! Apparently the answer is yes. Jinsei Motto tucked away inside CH Distillery is serving up dry aged sushi along with more traditional maki, sashimi and quality cocktails. I've been a few times and here to tell the story so I guess it's safe to eat. If they hadn't pointed out the fish was aged, I'm not sure I would have noticed. It's not what you're thinking. Not fishy and the texture didn't have a discernible difference in my opinion. Friendly service that explained each dish thoroughly. Cocktails were balanced and there's typically a hip hop playlist. 4.1 stars.

    Monica N.

    A great omakase experience at the chefs counter! The decor overall was beautiful and trendy. There is a great mix of fish and non-fish related items. There were some very unique flavors with some of the pieces that fit really perfectly!  Our service was phenomenal. There were very accommodating to our friends who had to bring their four month old. Our server made great recommdations for sake that would go well with our sushi.  Highly recommend this experience for a celebratory dinner.

    3pc - Crispy Tuna Bites Tako Yaki Fritters
    Bailey W.

    Went to Jinsei Motto for restaurant week with some friends. My friends started at the bar and then we were showed to our table which was in the back room. The room has an omakase bar and then tables around. Our waiter was great and very personable. The restaurant week deal had 5 courses. I started with the edamame and my friends had the miso soup. Than we all shared the crispy tuna bite and tako yaki fritters. Then we had a course of nigiri. We decided that we only wanted to try two of the roles beong the spicy tuna and hamachi Serrano and added on an extra tuna truffle nigiri. We then ended our next with the cheesecake. The tuna crispy rice was super good and would just go back for that! I also enjoyed that tako yaki fritters and tuna nigiri. Other than that I was disappointed with the other nigiri pieces which did not feel like the best options. I did enjoy my time and meal at Jinsei Motto but for the price I feel there is better sushi in Chicago.

    Classic Setto, Spicy Bluefin Tuna, Seared Spicy Scallop
    Kim L.

    Did a pickup order and the process itself was smooth. Some of the rolls and pieces were not my favorite which is disappointing especially at this price point: - classic setto: Akami and dry aged zuke salmon were my favorite bites, others had too much ginger or other sauces on it that were distracting. Cuts of fish were very fresh though - spicy bluefin tuna was good but more mayo based than I thought it'd be but I'd eat it again - seared spicy scallop was not what I was expecting and not in a good way. Would prob not order this again as the topping was very mayo based and creamy and not what I was expecting and I usually love a scallop roll. Have been meaning to try their omakase too but not sure if I'll prioritize given this experience.

    Justine C.

    Amazing omakase! My boyfriend surprised me with an anniversary dinner here and this spot was a wonderful experience from start to finish. The front desk was helpful and communicated that the previous dining group was wrapping up their omakase experience and it'll be ready for us a little after our reservation time which was fine. We ordered our drinks at a high top table and I loved my Rum Rain or Shine. It was a strong drink but the flavors went well altogether! My boyfriend also loved his Old Fashioned where he chose the Suntory Toki whiskey. We were directed by the front desk to follow them to the back of the restaurant and the omakase room was a totally different vibe from the front of the restaurant! We thought they had cool decor such as the Jordans and pictures with greenery everywhere. Our chef Jamel was incredible! We loved watching him do his magic and explained every bite off the menu. The menu was unique and complex, we both enjoyed every bite, but the most memorable was the Ora King Salmon, Otoro, Hotate, and the Steak and Eggs. The service was 10/10 and made our anniversary special with the pre-made printed menu and anniversary shots with them at the end. Thank you for a wonderful experience, can't wait to come back for happy hour!

    Ruth L.

    Great express Omakase experience. Joined a few other Yelp friends to do this. $50-$75 depending on if you choose to add the premium pieces. Great service and so much fun watching the nigiri get prepped. Real wasabi is made in front of you, no soy sauce, no chopsticks. Quite the authentic experience. Add sake to pair with the Omakase and its perfect. Friendly staff and beautiful trendy ambience. Like anything else in Chicago, it's unassuming when you enter through CH distillery, walk all the way to the back for Jinsei Motto. Strict 45 min seating policy. Reserve in advance, only 7 spots open for each session.

    Jadis C.

    I came here for omakase for a birthday. We were seated at the sushi bar which was when I noticed how loud the restaurant music was playing. It didn't convey an intimate and personable environment and it was hard for me to hear the omakase chef as he introduced each dish. The quality of fish was okay, not the best I've had. One of the nigiri had also fell when the chef was trying to place it on my plate. The dessert was a sesame cheesecake but you could tell that it was premade for days as the graham cracker base was stale and had completely come off when I bit into it.

    Sarah A.

    We were catching a show at the Lyric Opera House and decided to get dinner here. It's an intimate place and great for a weekend outing! There are barrels of aging liquor everywhere, and it's a distillery meets fancy restaurant vibe. There are a ton of unique menu items to choose from. We decided to go with a la carte. For drinks I got the strawberry Serrano cocktail. Tasted like drinking a bell pepper--not a huge fan and should've tried something else. We ordered the karaage--Japanese fried chicken--for our appetizer. It was absolutely delicious--super crispy on the outside, piping hot on the inside (heads up lol), and perfectly peppery and flavorful. We ordered 3 sushi rolls, and they were all unique and fresh. My favorite was the fire salmon roll, which was actually really spicy but the avocado helped pronounce the flavor. The California roll was decent--the crab was soft and light; way better than grocery store sushi for sure. I also tried the Everything roll which I believe was white fish, tuna, salmon, and fresh veggies for a nice crunch. The sauce added a tangy pop of flavor. I'm very particular about sushi and am on a mission to find the best in Chicago. Honestly, this place is up there now. My only other complaint is the order in which we received the items. We got our sushi before appetizer and drinks which didn't make much sense..

    Ora king set in front
    Sky W.

    I visited Jinsei Motto on a snowy evening after having a sushi craving for weeks. Even though there was barely any signage for the restaurant, I didn't have too much trouble finding it. What I was surprised by was the fact that it is located inside (with?) CH Distillery. A distillery + sushi combo is certainly novel and a first for me. To satisfy my sushi craving, I ordered the Ora King Setto and a Seared Spicy Scallop roll. The various types of salmon preparation in the Ora King set was great and really kept each bite from becoming boring. While the salmon was prepared well, I felt like I've had fresher salmon elsewhere in Chicago. The salmon felt very soft, perhaps too soft. What I did enjoy was that the fish was cut a bit thicker. The Seared Spicy Scallop roll is lovely in concept, but I felt that the seared scallops used to top each piece of the roll were not very fresh. It lacked the natural sweetness I expect from a very fresh scallop, and had a bit of a fishy aftertaste. Overall, for the price they are charging for the sushi, I am expecting higher quality. There are other sushi restaurants in Chicago at around the same price point but with fresher fish. Service throughout the evening was just so-so, nothing to write home about. I think I could be convinced to come back if a friend wanted to try it to try the omakase experience, but I'm hoping more focus is placed on sourcing quality fish first. Food: 3/5 Service: 3.5/5 Price: 3/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Overall: 3.25/5

    Thuy-Vu D.

    My party of 3 was blown away by the omakase experience at the sushi counter here. $125 for 14 pieces was well worth every single penny. Each piece was extremely high quality and only got better and better as the course progressed. Even the rice alone was amazing. Our chef (Jimmy?) was incredible at his craft and we enjoyed watching him slice each fish with precision and care. The highlights of our meal were definitely the zuke sake (marinated salmon), hiramasa (king fish), saba (mackerel), Hotate (scallop with uni), Alamo (lean bluefin tuna with mushroom topping), otoro (super fatty bluefin tuna w/ caviar), and of course the A5 wagyu (w/caviar). Omg I'm drooling reminiscing this meal We got the whole place to ourselves since the only reservation available was 4pm when they opened. It was an interesting ambience that felt private yet relaxing at the same time. I can't wait to come back, either for lunch/dinner omakase or just dine in at the restaurant.

    a table with sushi and sauces

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    I love it here. Great quality fish, fantastic complimentary sake. The perfect place to be without fanfare. Or fanfare, if you want it.

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    Ask the Community - Jinsei Motto

    Do you do Omakase during lunch?

    Not at the moment, but it is in the plans!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Miru

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    Ive been here more times than I can count and its easily one of my favorite sushi spots in the city…read moreI was just there last Friday with a friend and once again everything was perfect from the attentive seamless service to how beautifully each dish was presented Every bite was delicious I also love the modern design of the restaurant and the incredible views of Chicago it really adds to the whole experience The space has an intimate relaxed vibe that keeps me coming back Definitely one of those places I will be visiting again very soon

    3 of us back for a marvelous dinner with great views, beautiful decor, great service, and of course…read moregreat food. The quality of the food is very noticeable. We wanted to have some sake and asked for help. Their sommelier was very helpful and recommended the Snow Tiger Yuki Tora which is unfiltered and looks like milk, but it went beautifully with our food. We started with Edamame which had a perfect char. The grilled Avocado was a pleasant surprise with the char flavor and great spicy sauce. You get a spoon to scoop out the avocado and it's sliced so it works with chop sticks. By the way everything is great for sharing which gives everyone a chance to try the wonderful menu. Then we attacked the main menu. The Wagyu Nigiri, the must have Bluefin Tuna Crispy Rice, Crispy Spring Rolls and I drank the juice with the Hamachi and Lemon. Now it's time to figure what's next! spicy Tuna roll, triple tuna roll, the incredible Wild Mushroom sizzling rice bowl and it is sizzling! We're nearing the end! The Unagi and the Black Cod couldn't have been any better. It melted in our mouths. Think we're finished, we saved room for dessert! The Miru-Ishi and Black Sesame Mochi. We're finished! Maria was a great server and was very attentive!

    SUSHI DOKKU Japanese Restaurant - Absolutely fresh and delicious!! I highly recommend.

    SUSHI DOKKU Japanese Restaurant

    (693 reviews)

    $$

    West Loop, Near West Side

    If you're looking for some great nigiri combinations, Sushi Dokku is the place for you! Recently…read morecame back for their restaurant week menu, and it was great! I chose the Deviled Eggs, Tuna Truffle nigiri, Hamachi nigiri, Sake nigiri, Crispy Maguro roll, and mochi (we tried all the flavors - espresso, salted caramel, passion fruit, and strawberry). Every bite was amazing - but beware, the Crispy Maguro definitely packs on the heat. I also recommend the Snow Maiden sake if you like a sweeter sake. We dined in the Booze Box section and it was super vibey, but not too loud where we had to yell over the music or anything. The servers were attentive, will definitely keep going back (especially for Restaurant Week)!

    We decided to try a new spot while downtown last week. We've heard many good reviews for Sushi w…read moreand decided to give it a shot. We got: Tuna nigiri: 6.5/10 it was fine for the price I was expecting a much fattier tuna. Kaarage: 7.5/10 loved the salt and guchuyang but I wish it was boneless. Okinomiyaki: 6.5/10 would have been better if all the pieces had the sauce. Dragon roll: 6/10 very basic almost like grocery sushi roll Blue crab roll: 6.5/10 it was fine wish there was more portion wise Fuji fu: 7.5/10 it was good but he gave us forks which made it very difficult to eat. The service was fast and everyone was nice. The restaurant is small and good for couples since they have a lot of seating for 2. It is pretty dark and romantic but very noisy.

    Jinsei Motto - sushi - Updated May 2026

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