I was disappointed with the food. First the name difference (Ramen USA) on Yelp compared to their…read morewebsite and Google maps kinda threw us off. There's also discrepancy in their menu and what they actually have available as it seems they also display items for the the cafe next door. We happened to arrive during happy hour so some menu items were discounted. They also have a complimentary salad bar. We ordered chicken karaage, potstickers, salmon avocado sushi, and I had the katsu sandwich. All the food items we ordered came separately over a span of 20+ minutes, with the sandwich arriving last and cold. Not only did the sandwich come on a cold sourdough bread, the meat also had an unusual texture and so I ended up throwing it out. The other items we ordered were lacking in flavor. The chicken karaage was prepared well but it had no flavor. I'm regret spending money at this establishment.

If customers are waiting before the restaurant opens, you know that you are in for a treat, right?…read moreI mean, this was our first time to Uma Japan Eatery (didn't know it was formerly Ramen USA) and we were a little confused when we arrived because there was signage for Uma, Ramen USA, and M Cafe. So we got out of the car and saw someone pull up in front of the restaurant and jump out at 11:59. As soon as the door was unlocked at 12pm, this customer went in, and a few others after them. This is a small joint, and it was already half full by the time we ordered, then sat down (they told us the table at which to sit). I didn't know, but asked, and found out that a salad bar and miso soup are also included. The salad bar was pretty decent, with fresh vegs. They even had French fried onions (my guilty pleasure) and a very good House dressing (ginger vinaigrette). The portions are enormous. The couple next to us got ramen, and it was practically overflowing. We ordered takoyaki (too much food, we didn't need). I had the Pork Katsu bowl and my companion had a Katsu curry. I wished I had ordered the curry -- it looked dark and rich and thick like pudding (not like a boxed curry). They also gave us a bonus piece of chicken karaage which was so large and crispy. I think I'll get the curry next time, or the ramen. We originally came because we were going to get a karaage sando, but get the curry.

Service is always very good! We dine here at least once a month. Never had anything on the menu we…read moredidn't like!

Great sushi and great service! We had California rolls, Chicago rolls, spicy tuna, sweet potato…read morerolls, chefs special and white dragon. We also had chicken fried rice. Everything was so good! I can't wait to go back.

We arrived right when they opened up on Sunday for lunch. The girl working wasn't quite ready for…read moreus when we arrived but still delivered friendly and great service. The handier was small and beautifully decorated. My wife and I both ordered tier ramen. They give us a little paper to customize what we want in our ramen. I ordered their Tonkotsu Pork Chashu. You also have the option to choose the noodle texture and the saltiness in your ramen. Pretty neat. And since I was able to order my ramen how is like it, it's hard to really critique the dish itself. Obviously it was really delicious and will definitely be returning.

Pretty good and an affordable price. We stopped in on a cold day in February and tried:…read more- Takoyaki - Spicy Gyoza - Fried Pork Cutlet Curry Rice - Salmon Rice Bowl The service was quick and I enjoyed the gyoza and curry. I wouldn't say it was spicy, but there was some heat. The salmon wasn't bad, but it was fish forward - no sauce you would say.

Wow. I found myself…read morein Arlington Heights, and my buddy suggested this place due to an upcoming trip to Japan in 2027. It's a Japanese market that features an amazing food court (and this is where I spent all my time.) I don't recall the name of the stall I purchased from. But I can tell you it was quick, not expensive and very filling. I had a bowl with beef and noodles; for dessert I hit the matcha dessert stall for some matcha and vanilla ice cream. The whole place meal me feel like I was dining outside the state of Illinois. The service from everyone in the market was very friendly and they even had a sake/soju tasting by the front door (and the vendors allowed you try was much as you wanted.) I highly recommend this spot

If you love Japanese culture, food, and want to visit a neat place and kind of feel like you are…read morevisiting Japan, you need to visit Mitsuwa! Not only is there a food court of different Japanese restaurants to try, there is also a grocery store, bakery, bookstore, and stores that sell ice cream, traditional desserts, as well as crepes and boba tea! My family and I visit here often every year and we like to try the different foods and desserts and then check out the bookstore and grocery store afterwards. My favorite foods so far have been the beef udon soup with a soft boiled egg, shrimp and vegetable tempura, miso soup, and Japanese curry with rice, beef, and vegetables (carrots and potatoes). My son always gets the chicken and beef on a stick and my daughter usually gets a garlic pork dish with white rice but I forget what this dish is called. My husband also enjoys the beef udon soup like I do. I swear that whenever my food is finished, I am legit sad! The crepes are good, there is a variety of boba teas to try, and the ice creams are delicious! Lychee has been my favorite so far but I have yet to try the matcha, red bean, among others! You can get a small sample of different ice cream flavors too, which is nice! I sampled the red bean flavor so that will be my go-to next time! At the grocery store, I love buying Happy Turn snacks which are like a sweet and salty crunchy cracker (maybe it is made of rice?) that are individually wrapped and mochi from the fridge area. Finally, I usually like to buy mochi from the store right next to the bookstore. The mochi from this location is the best! I usually buy multiple flavors to take home and eat at a later time! You must try these! My kids love checking out the bookstore and they usually pick something out for me to buy for them - whether it is a book, keychain, etc. There are magazines, anime figurines, soft plushy toys, pens, and stationary, etc. It is interesting to browse through the things they have there! You cannot bring food or drinks inside but they do have a shelf at the entrance where you can place your drink there if you like. The first time visiting here, the majority of the customers were Asians and as the years have passed, there is now more of an influx of non-Asians who simply love the food and appreciate the culture, which I think is neat! The first time I visited here was with my college roommate who was from Japan and she recommended this place back in 2009 perhaps? I have been visiting ever since with my family. We travel more than an hour from Wisconsin to come here but it is 100% worth the drive! Also, the cashiers and workers there are quick, efficient, and friendly. I have even been able to practice a few of the Japanese phrases I have learned with a couple of the cashiers too (I asked if they spoke Japanese first)! Overall, Mitsuwa is my happy place! Great food, interesting finds, different culture, and everyone there looks excited to be there. This is as close to visiting Japan as I can get until I keep learning more Japanese and save up enough money to go visit Japan someday! This is my dream! In the meantime, we will keep visiting Mitsuwa!

Summertime is a beautiful and authentic Japanese restaurant. We love that it is a smaller and more…read moreintimate setting. The staff is always super kind. We've yet to travel to Japan, but feel this would be a similar experience if you were to travel to the country. The menu has quite a few items in Japanese only. The server gave us a tip to use Google translate and you could take a picture of the menu and it will translate what they are serving that day. They're sashimi is massive!!!! You could tell the chef has a great connection with his fish supplier. We can't find anyone else that has the quality matched in this area for the size. We always return for the grilled mackerel. It's a crowd pleaser doesn't have a fishy aroma at all and it's cooked to perfection every single time. They also have karaoke right next door if you are looking for a fun night experience. We couldn't recommend this place enough.

The food is phenomenal and fresh! Everything we had was really good! The drink list is extensive! I…read morelove the sake they recommend.

After moving to the area, I really wanted to try the ramen! honestly, I really liked this place,…read moreeven though I would say it isn't the most authentic ramen place. there is a lot of options on the menu. from yakitori, to omurice, to ramen, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety. I ended up trying the ramen combo, which came with a bao bun and thai tea or amazing lemonade (which is I think cucumber lemonade). what I got: original chicken ramen (9/10 yums): not super salty, but a little light on the flavor. I liked the noodles themselves and how much there was! definitely a lighter tasting ramen, so I would get this if you don't want something too heavy. zucchini and chicken negi yakitori (10/10): YUM! I loved the sauce they put on it and it was charred super nicely! amazing lemonade (10/10 yums): YUM!!!!!! I usually don't really like cucumber drinms, but this was such a good balance. the cucumber taste wasn't too overpowering, but gave it a refreshing taste. spicy tonkotsu ramen (10/10 yums): although it is not the authentic and traditional tonkotsu ramen you get, it was really good. The spice was more like a chinese spice blend and was super good in the ramen. pork bao bun (10/10 yums): super tender and soft bun! not too fatty either! the service was also great, as they kept checking on us as well. Seating is pretty decent as well and they have these private booths that seem pretty nice.

I really enjoyed this Japanese restaurant in Oak Park. The atmosphere was great--warm, inviting,…read moreand a nice place to relax and enjoy a meal. We tried several dishes from the menu, and everything we ordered was delicious. One thing I noticed was that the restaurant stayed pretty busy the whole time we were there. There was a steady flow of customers coming in, which is usually a good sign that the food is consistently good. Overall, it was a great experience. Good food, great ambiance, and excellent service. I can definitely see myself coming back again to try more items on the menu. Highly recommended if you're looking for a good Japanese restaurant in Oak Park

I will say I have been to this restaurant many times in the past and the food and service was…read moregreat. I went back a couple days ago and everything has changed. The menu is much less, the food portions are less, and the container the food comes in is plastic and made for to go orders even though we dined in. The service was also not very friendly and when our waitress brought our food, she didn't even smile or say anything. She just plopped down the food and walked off. This used to be my favorite restaurant but I don't think I'm coming back.

This has been on my list for awhile and one day I decided to try. It's located in a strip mall with…read morelots of parking. When you go inside, they have a sufficient amount of tables to sit at, but it wasn't very busy on a Saturday night. You order at the register and he brings it out to you. You'll have to be patient, they don't have a lot of staff. We ordered tako karaage (fried octopus), croquettes, Taiwan style tonkotsu ramen with 2 pieces of chashu, and the deluxe bento with butashoga (ginger pork). I had a bite of the pork and it was delicious. Ginger was not overpowering. Tender meat. Prices were very affordable and cheap. Service was great and he brought out our food hot and freshly made. I would definitely come back and try other items. -tako karaage 5 - it had a nice little chew and was not overly fried. Great taste. -croquettes 5 - I loved these. When you bite into them, they're soft. Flavorful, savory filling inside. I should have gotten more of these. -Taiwan style tonkotsu ramen 5 - noodles were chewy. Bountiful amount of ground pork. The two chashu pieces were tender and easy to break apart. Broth was not heavy, it was just right.

I placed a takeout order for miso soup, a salad, and the Shrimp Curry. The Shrimp Curry was…read moreamazing! It had four large fried shrimp over rice and a small container of Japanese potato/carrot curry that you pour over the shrimp and rice. I also ordered an extra egg, which is three halves of hard boiled egg. Everything was quite delicious.

Great location right in the middle of the Loop. Super convenient and a nice spot for lunch. Prices…read morewere very reasonable, especially considering the generous portions. The staff brought us water while we were waiting and checked on us. I tried the char shu miso zaru soba. I'd never had soba in miso broth before, so that was interesting. The noodles were slightly overcooked for my taste, and while the broth had a strong, flavorful profile, it leaned a bit salty. The pork could have been more tender, but overall the dish was still decent. At $15, it felt like a fair price given the location. We also ordered the chicken curry rice, which came in a huge portion, also $15. The flavor was good, and the katsu was solid with a nice chicken to breading ratio. Definitely satisfying and great value. Overall, a solid lunch option with generous portions and reasonable pricing in a prime location.