Kitchen open till 2 Great Sake Selection…read moreNew staff was great personality wise, needs some training but the food carried. Killer meal.

Disclaimer: I'm a New Yorker who's moved to Chicagoland so maybe I'm a bit snooty but the regular…read moreYelpers in the Midwest should always be viewed with a star and a 1/2 less than what is expected normally. Any bar with Yamazaki 18 is good in my book. We had lunch at Chubby Cattle so couldn't eat that much .: no skewers. The Sushi taco was good, pretty impressive with the thin seaweed that had a great crunch; didn't feel greasy at all. The seafood udon was decent; just a tad bit too salty is all. If you're into kushiyaki and what's presented here, definitely give it a try.

So pleasantly surprised! Came in on a Friday night for a 6:30 reso and the place was empty BUT it…read morewas packed, seemingly by regulars, by the time we left. Service was a little slow at time but they got slammed very quickly and and we weren't in a rush. What we got: - chuturo nigiri - so buttery - hamachi nigiri - good flavor and cut - chili hotate - love the flavor - negi toro maki - good flavor - unakyu- fine a little on the sweeter side - Amai - not my favorite and I think the tuna had a strong fishy flavor Overall, good meal and pretty reasonable bill. Will definitely be coming back to check out the rest of the menu!

Such a wonderful spot! Fantastic happy hour. Everything was made fresh and tasted delicious…read more Service was super friendly, and they even brought out a free birthday mochi for my friend. We got the karage, three of the skewers , and the spicy salmon and tuna rolls. This place, along with the entrance is a bit hidden, so would love to see them market themselves more as I think it's a spot people would really love, especially for more affordable sushi in the River North area. Quiet and cozy ambiance for casual outings but also cute enough to be a date spot. Got seated immediately. Service was a bit slow, but that's only because they seemed to have one host/server working at the time, who was working super hard and kept a super pleasant and attentive vibe. I will definitely be back!

Gaoku was fun! Was in recently to catch up with a friend who spent the last couple of weeks in…read moreJapan. Another great addition to the Humboldt Park neighborhood, their take on hand rolls was really unqiue and interesting. They treat hand rolls like seaweed wrapped tacos, and the flavor of the spicy tuna and tempura shrimp were notable standouts. The hamachi was one I was less crazy about just due to flavor profile, but also I was feeling adventourous when I visited. But before that, we got an order of Oysters and Sakura Pork which were quite dressed up and the Pork serving as a clear favorite! We also ordered a round of miso soups for the table which were excellent! Lastly, I will absolutely be back for some more of the cocktails on the menu as I did have the humboldt afternoon, which is MALORT-based and so tasty. One funny thing was our server who told us that she was five shots in, which was idk kind of weird. Lastly, the inside is really sexy and dark and an absolute for date night!

We went for the Thursday night hand roll deals. Everything tasted so fresh and flavorful. Very cozy…read morevibe inside, and no wait. The service was also quick and attentive.

I live in LA and have eaten at 20+ omakase restaurants, so I was curious what Chicago's scene had…read moreto offer. Omakase Shoji more than answered that question. The restaurant houses both an omakase counter and an izakaya, but in completely separate spaces. The omakase side is an intimate, beautifully designed counter with around 10 seats. We were the only guests that evening, so the whole experience felt wonderfully private -- just us, Chef Shoji, and the fish. Chef Shoji opens the meal by presenting the actual fish you'll be eating, all flown in twice a week from Japan or Spain. It immediately signals what kind of meal you're in for. The 20 courses were well-paced and the quality was consistent throughout. Nigiri and sashimi were pristine, but the hot dishes were equally impressive, which surprised me. Both sides of the menu showed real craft and attention to detail. Service was fantastic -- warm, attentive, and never stuffy. At $210 per person, it's a special occasion meal, but one that genuinely delivers on the price. As someone who eats a lot of omakase back home in LA, I wasn't sure what to expect. I left genuinely impressed. Highly recommend if you're looking for a serious sushi experience in Chicago!!!

Professional chefs. Comfortable space. Fresh seafoods. Delicious Omakase. Reasonable prices. Plenty…read moreof seats. What is imperfect here?

Momotaro was an amazing experience from start to finish. The food is incredibly high quality--you…read morecan tell there's a lot of attention to detail in everything from the ingredients to the presentation. Everything we tried tasted fresh and elevated. I cannot recommend enough the 10day dry aged nigiri. My favorite The atmosphere is lively and energetic with a great buzz throughout the restaurant, but still manages to feel polished, upscale, and intimate. It has that perfect balance where you feel like you're somewhere special and high-end without it feeling overly formal or stuffy. Between the incredible food and service, Momotaro is easily one of the best dining experiences in West Loop / Fulton Market. Definitely a place I'd recommend for a date night or special occasion!

food: my favs were the tsukune dango and tsukune sliders. all the food that came out was yummy but…read morenothing blew me away and for the price i'd have hoped for a dish that made me want to come back but I didn't get that service: the staff was very nice and let us switch tables because it was hard to hear ambiance: really nice vibe especially when the dim the lights later into the night. gets really loud and was so hard to hear my partner across the table

I love this spot! I will say ive only been for brunch, but I went back to back weekends I had such…read morea great time! High quality sushi and great service. Its a cute spot and very nice and clean!

The staff are nice, the interior is clean but uninteresting, and the food is disappointing. The…read moremenu is also formatted badly, the udon lunch set comes with a standard "plain udon" that isn't even on the menu as far as I can tell. The way it's written implies that you can choose an udon from the udon section, not the case. Minor gripe, but annoying nonetheless. The maki is fine, spicy tuna was bland but decent quality and the shrimp tempura maki was good but also lacking. Personally I prefer a spicy tuna with more tuna texture and this is basically puree, personal preference I guess. The udon is where my meal fell apart. For a lunch menu focusing on udon I expected a more flavorful broth and noodles that weren't overcooked. It's not like the underlying flavor is bad or anything, it's just barely there at all. The dashi is very weak and one dimensional, and the noodles taste like plain flour with a spongy overly soft bite. The toppings are extremely basic, I can't even comment on them because I'm not sure if I hallucinated them having any flavor or not. They might as well not exist. The shredded cabbage side salad is also mediocre. Dressing was weak and the cabbage could've been cut thinner. People I went with told me "maybe you just got the wrong things" but I don't think a chef should have losing items on their menu to begin with. Overall quite disappointed considering the name attached to this place.

Gaijin may be a small restaurant, but it makes a big impression the second you walk in. The dining…read moreroom isn't huge, but it has this lively energy that makes it feel exciting instead of crowded. I even was able to watch the chefs cooking just a few feet away. I could hear the sizzling from the grill, smell the food cooking, and by that point I was more than ready to eat. Our server was really nice and gave us a bunch of recommendations. Everything sounded good, but I ended up going with the Pork Belly Yakisoba. This dish was packed with flavor. The noodles had that smoky, slightly charred taste, and they were coated in just enough sauce to make every bite rich. The sauce brought a nice balance of savory, a little sweetness, and plenty of umami that soaked into the noodles. The pork belly was easily the best part. It was incredibly tender and juicy, with just enough fat that it practically melted in your mouth. Every piece had those caramelized edges that added even more flavor. Then you get the crunch from the cabbage and bean sprouts, the freshness from the scallions, and the little nutty flavor from the sesame that tied everything together. Hahaha I'd definitely come back. This is one of those dishes that sticked with me long after I left.

There are few places in general across the US that serve up okonomiyaki, so I was thrilled to find…read morethis spot near my office. Ultimately, the food was just ok. I got the pork okonomiyaki lunch set and added a fried egg to it. I like that the table has a built in grill to keep it warm (I'm a slow eater, so this is extra beneficial for me). The bacon was quite salty, compounded by the okonomi sauce. Hoping the kombu vegetables would offset this, I mixed them into each bite to no avail. The pandan coconut mochi donut holes I chose were probably the highlight. They were crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and there was ample sauce for dipping. I think some people would find the service top notch here--constantly checking in on me and keeping water refilled. I guess that came with a cost: 3% service charge automatically applied, and the server proactively brought over a digital payment system, so the 18% tip I selected calculated off the total leading to what was essentially a tip of 23%.

This is the perfect late night location when you want to eat something that isn't fast food. They…read morehad so many options on their menu and lots of "small bites" so you can try multiple things at an affordable price. The food came out quick and it was the perfect thing we needed to end our night.

We had a late dinner after Bruno Mars concert & this place didn't disappoint! Got all the food we…read morewanted to try & were very pleased with our choices! Service was friendly & efficient. It's a cozy izakaya, open til late!