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    Kanin

    4.6 (85 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    KANIN ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Kanin

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    Tomato Jam and Egg Musubi
    Grace H.

    Kanin is the perfect pit stop if you want a lighter lunch and a fun hand held snack to eat outside. My friend and I each ordered the tomato jam and egg musubi as well as the sinigang shrimp musubi. My personal favorite was the tomato jam and egg musubi- the tomato jam is savory and flavorful and you can't go wrong with tamago. The shrimp musubi was good just not as flavorful. Would recommend sitting on the bench outside and eating your food while people watching.

    Triple Scoop - Poke Bowl
    Lisa S.

    I love, love, love this place. Let's start with the masubis-- you can't just have one. Buy at least 3 for yourself. Save room for the ube banana pudding though. That dessert is perfection in a small white container. Don't worry avoid trying to finish it. Save some for later like a snack in a hamster's cheek. Finally, don't sleep on the poke. As a frequent Hawaiian visitor, this bowl takes me back to the local spots on the North Shore soaking in the sun and inhaling the eats.

    Classic Musubi
    Amber L.

    This is a small bodega/restaurant. There's 3 tables inside for 2 people each. There's 2 benches outside. They sell some snacks, drinks and merch. They have rice bowl, poke bowls, musubis and 2 desserts. The ube banana pudding is out of this world. As is there pork belly!! So tender and moist. Can't wait to keep coming back for lunch!

    Ate the Musubis but here are the bento boxes.
    Wayne S.

    Kanin was such a great find. The Filipino-Hawaiian flavors were unique, comforting, and full of character. I really enjoyed the casual neighborhood feel and the grab-and-go style menu with musubi, bento boxes, sides, and desserts. The food was flavorful, satisfying, and different in the best way. Definitely a spot worth checking out, especially if you want something quick, creative, and delicious in Chicago.

    Brown butter mochi
    Insia Z.

    Obsessed with the bruleed brown butter mochi, perfectly chewy and crispy. Yummy grilled chicken bento box. Not a ton of non-pork options, just to keep in mind. Not a ton of seating either but good for takeout and Side Practice Coffee next door. Very vibey inside and homey.

    Ange C.

    Yall do I have a lot of regret for not grabbing an extra ube banana pudding. It's light, fluffy, not sweet, and quite like biting into a cloud (or what I would imagine a cloud could be if it wasn't truly what it's actually made out of..). I also regret not grabbing the Milo Coconut pudding too. The cookies were nice a soft and the banana slices were a nice touch The place was packed on a Sunday 11am, but that'd to be expected! The line moved pretty quickly. I got a longanisa egg musubi and so sorry, I inhaled it before I grabbed a pic.

    Lico J.

    My husband always gets like 10 or 12 musubis here whenever he is in Chicago and has the chance to visit the neighborhood haha. They are fresh and delicious without being not much or too heavy.

    Kauai Garlic Shrimp
    Tasha M.

    We love supporting family owned businesses and this is one of our favorites. We got the garlic Shrimp over rice. The workers are very friendly and always so willing to give suggestions. It's a small shop and only a handful of seats and a bench outside giving it and island feel. Not only do they have ready to-go foods but also made to order plates. If you've never been to this spot I highly recommend it.

    Esther K.

    It may be cold in Chicago (at the time of this review), but inside Kanin is like a warm hug and being in Hawaii. After hearing the buzz about this place I had to check it out. Went on a weekday and so there was no lines or not much of a wait. Super friendly staff and the food is made to order. As for the food it's made to order. I had the chicken which is super tender and juicy as well as the pork belly dish that has a special sauce original to Kanin. Also picked up a bunch of Musubis. They have quite the variety! So far my favorite is the classic (spam!) and the one with Longanisa. Ube banana pudding is a must. I wanted to try the mochi but they didn't have it available the day I was there. Sad. But I'll be back!!! MAHALO!!!

    Exterior
    Ari L.

    $6 for a tiny spam musubi is just ridiculous. This is gas station food in Hawaii (where they are also much larger). I wouldn't waste your time going to Kanin if this what you want. Just make it at home.

    Strawberry matcha banana pudding & Ube banana pudding
    Ariana G.

    LOVED THIS PLACE. I wish it was closer to me!!! Ever since my recent trip to Hawaii, I've been looking for a musubi spot because I got my husband obsessed with them. This spot is right next to Side Practice Coffee! Both spots have similar vibes inside. I also know they collaborate with each other alot. They have lots of different musubis to choose from! I ended up trying the sinigang shrimp, tomato jam & egg, and the longanisa and egg. All fire! Can't wait to go back and try more. The star of the show for me was the strawberry matcha pudding. I could eat pounds of it. It's literally amazing.

    Musubi
    Katy C.

    I'd had Kanin on my list since seeing a post about them on Instagram, so Nate and I walked there after grabbing some pastries at Del Sur (it's only about a half a mile up the street). I thought they opened at 8 am, but when we arrived at 8:45 am we quickly realized that they weren't open until 9. Luckily a kind employee saw us waiting outside and let us in a little early. They are known for their Filipino inspired musubi, so we got the longanisa and egg musubi and the Sinigang shrimp musubi. They also have a few shelves of packaged snacks and a cooler with drinks and banana pudding tubs. I did see a sign that said they have bentos starting at 11 am, so I'm curious about that. There is a bit of space to sit down and dine in, so we dug into the musubi right away. The employee recommended the sinigang shrimp and it was my favorite. The shrimp was tempura battered and fried and still crispy, and the flavor was bright and a bit acidic. It was unique and so tasty! The longanisa and egg was also good, although the egg was a bit sweeter than I prefer (but I LOVE savory things). I'm really glad we got to check out Kanin and would come back. The owners also have a coffee shop around the corner that I'd love to visit.

    Crystal Z.

    Ambience - casual, small, convenience store vibes, offers bento boxes, musubi, snacks Service - staff/cashier was super nice Food - musubis were kept nice and warm, loveeeeeeee the longanisa & egg Can't wait to be back to try other food items!

    Classic Spam, Spam and Egg, Tomato and Egg, Longonisa and Egg and  Sinigang Shrimp

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    Aloha Eats

    Aloha Eats

    4.1
    (1.1k reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$

    My partner and I are not strangers to Hawaiian food, which means we walked into Aloha Eats in…read moreChicago with actual expectations and not just curiosity. Those expectations were met, exceeded, and then handed back to us with a side of macaroni salad. We split the Pork Katsu Loco combination plate, which arrived looking like something the Jedi Council would have commissioned for a victory feast. The egg on top was scrambled but folded with enough care that it looked intentional and beautiful, draped over the pork katsu like it had always belonged there. The accompanying gravy was the kind that makes everything around it better, the rising tide theory of plate lunch confirmed. Every spoonful we built with rice, pork katsu, and macaroni salad together was its own complete moment. Ono does not even begin to cover it. The portions were enormous, the kind of plate that makes you recalibrate your lunch ambitions halfway through. Our son ordered the loco moco, which at this point is his standard field test at every Hawaiian spot we visit. A reliable benchmark, consistently deployed. Aloha Eats passed without hesitation. We also picked up chicken katsu musubi for each of us, took them home for later, and they held up just as well, which is a logistical victory worth noting. The vibe inside felt authentically Hawaiian without overdoing it, the kind of atmosphere that sets the right tone without requiring tiki torches and a ukulele soundtrack. Julie was our cashier and also brought out our food, handling both roles with the kind of warmth that makes a place feel like more than a transaction. Her smile genuinely lit up the room, which is not a phrase I use lightly or often. Five stars. Aloha Eats is the real deal and worth every parsec of the trip to Chicago.

    I ordered the Chicken Katsu Plate which came with a very generous portion of dark meat chicken…read morekatsu, 2 scoops of white rice, and a big scoop of macaroni salad. I was bummed as I misread the menu and thought the katsu was made with white meat, but you have to pay extra for that. The macaroni salad was delicious, but I didn't care for the katsu because it was dark meat. Place your order at the counter and have a seat, they will bring the food out to you. The dining room was large enough for several groups, but they seems to do more of a carryout business and we were the only people eating in.

    Photos
    Dining area
    Dining area
    Hawaiian Bbq Short Ribs Chicken Katsu
    Hawaiian Bbq Short Ribs Chicken Katsu
    Loco Moco

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    Loco Moco
    Three Dots and A Dash

    Three Dots and A Dash

    4.1
    (4.2k reviews)
    6.4 mi
    $$$

    I made reservations at Three Dots and a Dash to kick off my sister's bachelorette party. She loves…read moretiki bars, so it was only appropriate to gather and welcome everyone. OpenTable only allowed up to 8 people per reservation at a time. We were a party of 13, so I had to split the reservations into two. I made a request for the tables to be close together, but I understood that there was no guarantee the tables could be together. Our reservations were at 9pm, and the place was packed. Three Dots and a Dash did us a solid and managed to reserve an entire alcove for us! I was so appreciative. Loved the vibe at Three Dots and a Dash. It felt much classier, like a mid-century modern tiki lounge. The music was fun too. Instantly recognized a retro Italian song by Pino D'Anglo, which just added to the ambiance. The drinks were great. We ordered a couple of rounds of the shotstapus, and I got the rum barrel for good measure. The drinks were sweet but tasty. Too easy to knock back.

    When I was visiting my friends in Chicago, they insisted on bringing me to Three Dots and a Dash…read more We were able to walk-in on a Friday evening, although we were relegated to standing room only since we weren't able to get a reservation. Upon entering the bar, I felt like I was entering a catacomb with skulls lining the entrance. The bar was packed, and we squeezed in at the bar to order our drinks. The drinks were on the pricey side, but I appreciate how the cocktails are garnished with real fruit (mine had lychee and dragonfruit) and was served in a fun tiki glass that was unique to each drink. The setting is a huge part of the experience, and I had a fun, memorable evening.

    Photos
    Interior Entrance
    Interior Entrance
    These Loaded Luau Cheese Fries
    These Loaded Luau Cheese Fries
    Tiki gift shop.

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    Tiki gift shop.
    Hala Kahiki Tropical Lounge

    Hala Kahiki Tropical Lounge

    4.0
    (975 reviews)
    9.2 mi
    $$

    Hala Kahiki is a tiki bar staple in the Chicago Suburbs! The inside is much larger than I expected…read morewith a huge bar area, covered outdoor patio, and at least two other indoor seating areas. I love that as soon as you enter, you are transported to a tropical oasis that is dark and moody. I visited with a larger group so we made a reservation before. One pays $5 per person in your group and the amount is later applied to your bill. The food menu is minimal and most items weren't available sadly. We got two orders of their pineapple salsa with taro chips. It was yummy but wasn't enough substance to match the drink levels. For drinks, our group got a wide variety. They have all sorts of flavor pairings to accommodate every guest. I got the Captain's Revenge after hearing the Pearl Diver was unavailable. It was good but not amazing. For my second drink, I got the Chocolate Banana Old Fashioned which I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn't hear anyone in our group be disappointed with what they ordered. Our server, Jazmine, was very knowledgable about the menu and asking the right questions to make sure what we each ordered would be something we liked. Overall, this was a fun experience and I am happy I finally got to visit! My experience was slightly tainted with how much was not available the night we visited.

    The best way I can some up this place: "Aloha, mf'ers!"…read more Drinks are strong strong and always garnished with something fun. Heed the warnings on the menu and ask for help if you get stuck. Decor is classic tiki and the wait staff is top notch.

    Photos
    Delightfully tacky, and I love it.
    Delightfully tacky, and I love it.
    Mid seating section during the holidays.
    Mid seating section during the holidays.
    Inside

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    Inside

    Kanin - hawaiian - Updated August 2026

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