Based on the reviews, we decided to try Shinsen for the first time and order takeout. We ordered 8…read moreitems totaling over $130 with tip. The food was absolutely awful. The shallot rice with vegetables had no vegetables at all and tasted as if it was premade and warmed up again in the microwave. The shallot rice with beef was the same and contained tiny bits of burned beef. The sushi was not fresh and the crispy spring rolls were akin to dog treat sticks. The food is expensive and some of the worse food I've ever had. While I appreciate the business owners detailed response, there are contradictions. When ordering the shallot fried rice from the restaurants website on July 2, vegetables were included as an option. Today vegetables have been replaced with herbs. Nevertheless we chose the available vegetable option therefore vegetables were requested. The restaurant received our vegetables request as indicated on the pictured receipt and packaging. We received herbs and rice but no vegetables. We did not order through a third party delivery service. We placed the order through the restaurant website and I arrived early to pick up the food. I hope that the owner is able to receive my feedback constructively and take accountability for the issues my family encountered with the restaurant.

Wanted to try a new spot close to home with my boyfriend. The ambiance was really nice, and all of…read morethe servers were friendly and welcoming. We ordered an Espresso Martini, Diet Coke, Shoyu ramen, and the Black Dragon roll to share. Unfortunately, the food and drinks didn't quite live up to the atmosphere. The espresso martini was pretty bland and lacked that bold coffee flavor you'd expect. The shoyu ramen was extremely salty--my boyfriend usually enjoys saltier dishes, but even he couldn't get through it. It almost tasted like a heavily seasoned braised pork broth that had been diluted into a ramen base. The Black Dragon roll also felt a bit overwhelming, with too many competing flavors, and it came across more sour than balanced. Overall, great service and ambiance, but the food could use some improvement.

An amazing evening. Came over with a group from our conference and we got a treat. The dim sun…read morestyle delicacies kept on coming as if there was no end. At one time, there were so many plates full of food on the lazy susan that we had to rearrange plates to freeze some space. Service was absolutely superb, with friendly and smiling servers that kept the non-ending string of plates coming. The most pleasant experience, especially for a group setting

We went for our anniversary lunch!…read more Omg jalapeño popper was So good and delicious! Scallop was good but too small Beef rice noodle was good! It's going to be our new favorite spot in Evanston! Would definitely go back!

Absolutely top dining experience. Service and decor are fabulous. The food has complex flavor…read moreprofiles but it's clean and fresh. Had a super cocktail and two just perfect starters. I wasn't there for a big meal- but my two appetizers (both specials for summer) gave me a real sense of their style and approach. Can't say enough good about it. It's not cheap. But nothing really is any more, so if you are spending you might as well get a really good meal in a really nice spot. Plus it's next to a wonderful bookstore. So win win.

This place is incredibly cute if you're looking for a nice ambiance. It was my first time trying it…read moreout and I loved the small attention to details. There was a live saxophone player and I loved the live flowers they had. Our waiter was extremely nice and took the time to explain the menu as well as their customer favorites. I order a Thai iced tea which wasn't bad but I prefer mine a little thicker and sweeter. It came in a thin tall glass which in theory was not a lot of drink. To start we order the chicken appetizer and fried beef on rice to share and unfortunately I did not snap a pic but these were listed under apps or shareables but the portions were extremely small. As our mains came I noticed that they were also small and each were around $20-$30 per plate. Not a bad thing if you don't eat much but I'm a big bang for buck type of gal. My family came to share and this place is a more fine dining thai restaurant which could explain the smaller portions. We ordered the pad Thai which was alright in my opinion I expected a little more flavor, the aubergine which was tossed vegetables as recommended by our waiter which was also ok not much flavor but beautiful plating though, and the coconut curry which was by far my favorite. If I were to come back here I would order that again, it was a nice light yet complex flavor profile which made me savor every bite. Overall good place for an upbeat fancier meal and I highly recommend the coconut curry braised chicken if you visit. Little pricey but that's just my opinion let me know what you guys think if you visit! Oh and they also give your receipt in a boat which they spin and leave a thank you card once you paid which was really cute.

I just walked in because the bakery down the street had no bathroom(!) It was empty except for a…read morefew regulars and I had a nice seat by the window. I ordered the bento box that had the CA roll. Great miso soup, cucumber salad lightly seasoned, the tempura (fried veggies) was fresh and crispy, and the teriyaki tofu had a nice balance between sweet and savory. Glad I stopped! Lots to choose from too. Next time I'd try their Thai food...

My wife and I went to Dozika this past frigid Saturday night. We were welcomed by the waiter "Ta,"…read morewho graced both of us with a cup of complimentary hot green tea -- MUCH appreciated! Then we had their spring rolls appetizer, always tasty. Both of us ordered their slightly spicy yellow curry, which is loaded with veggies including sweet potatoes. And I had a bowl of tangy Tom Kha soup, just what I needed to warm up my innards.

Fun, pleasant spot for a nice dinner. I really like the thousands of lunchbox and Pez dispenser…read morechotchkes, along with the life-size Elvis Presley that they carried over from the previous location on Davis Street. My Thai basil chicken with rice was tasty, and they serve Singha beer, among other beer, wine, or cocktail options.

I truly wanted to love this adorable Thai restaurant especially because of how conveniently close…read moreit is to where I currently work however the bad vibes from the owner is a turn off. The first time I visited I didn't realize they close at 8:30 pm so I arrived at 8ish and the server/owner snapped at me that they will be closing their doors by 8:30 pm so I hurriedly ordered a delicious chicken satay appetizer with peanut sauce presented beautifully in a tiny goblet and a crispy curry puff which was extremely good too. I loved the thai iced tea even though it was served in a small glass with lots of ice. The reason I am leaving a two is because the owner made me feel like I was not welcomed and an inconvenience because I arrived half an hour before closing. It was hard for me to savor the food based on the fact that the owner who is also a server to cut costs made it clear she needed me to leave when they start the closing process so I rushed through my first ever dining experience there. Today was my second and admittedly will be my last. The owner gave me the same icy indifferent attitude as if I wasn't genuinely welcomed. The first time I dined there I had a feeling she was the owner so I didn't tip and this time the owner lied to me when I mentioned I knew she was the owner when she practically DEMANDED a tip after my disappointing dining experience. She said she works there as s server and doesn't have a clue who the owner was completely lying to me so I would be quilted into leaving her a tip. First of all I arrived here at 1:30 and she coldly stated they close at 2pm no exception. There was no separate lunch menu and she let me decide what I wanted and didn't even take my order till 1:40pm I chose the crazy noodles with beef and you either get a tiny portion of cucumber salad or an egg roll appetizer. When my food arrived there were no chopsticks just forks and the plate was very decorative but the portions were extremely small. The egg rolls were good but each eaggroll was the size of your pinky finger and you get 3 tiny pieces. I ate quickly and when I got up to pay she asked me how id like to tip. I knew she was the owner so I felt it was HIGHLY inappropriate to hustle a guest for tips especially if you own your own restaurant and you're serving to cut costs by not hiring a server to work for you. Again I thought it was a tacky move on her part to insist on a tip and then lie to me and say she doesn't know who the owner is in real life. I don't like the owner's lack of business ethics so I will not be returning here especially because the lunch deal is extremely overpriced and doesn't include a side of salad or rice or beverage. She never once smiled at me nor made me feel like a welcomed guest so I don't feel like returning to support a business that treats their customers with such disdain and genuine unkindness. Also let me Reiterate even if the food is good my meal was soured by the negativity from the owner who works here as a server too to cut costs. My meal was $18 ish dollars not much of a deal when you realize the plate portions are small and the appetizer is miniscule too. What spoiled it for me was her lack of kindness and no chopsticks. Just not the vibes I'm seeking. I don't like the fact that the owner lied to me about not being the owner so very sketchy!

Fantastic sandwiches and salads. Comfy place, really friendly staff. Wish they had ice for the…read moresodas or maybe a soda machine :)

Quick service, good sandwich, the chips were good. Simple clean storefront and not too long of a…read morewait. Good quick stop for lunch. Wasn't overly impressed to say I love it, but it's a good change up.

Getting close to living in the area for 30 years and had not been back to Kuni's until recently…read more Just had forgotten (unless things really changed) how cozy having a place this close to home is. Good wide menu with items that you don't find at your mainstream japanese restaurant. More like old school Chicago Japanese. (Thinking a blend here of old Ginza and maybe some parts Sunshine.) Maybe only with the departure of those favorites we appreciate more what has stayed on. Appetizer selection is long enough to just get small plates to share. Notables: - ebi snijo (homemade shrimp ball) - hamachi jaw (if you haven't had it) - hirame no cha soba age (fried green tea noodles and whitefish rolled with seaweed) - evokes the old Ginza restaurant for me - octopus sunomono Even after three recent visits without repeat apps, there are still more we haven't had elsewhere to try. Part of the reason for that is - we get entrees too. We've been happy with: - chirashi (curious how the sashimi D differs) - Salmon Bento (D) - so many different things fun to share! - Kuni's Special - gomaee and mixed seafood sunomono, then our choice of sashimi followed by saba - nabe yaki udon is reasonable here at $13 with two tempura shrimp Know there's lots of reviews here, but as long as there is room on weekends for us we're happy to share!

08/04/25 - Kuni's Japanese Restaurant since 1986 located @ 511 Main Street in Evanston, IL. What a…read morebeautiful little traditional Japanese restaurant in Evanston. I love this place it has such a cool vibe w/authentic japanese decor. I ordered the bento box that came w/miso soup, salad, broiled chicken teriyaki, tempura w/2 pieces of shrimp, sweet potato, pepper, 1/2 California roll, 1 piece on Inari sushi, a couple of pieces of gyoza, 1 piece of kamaboko, tofu & spinach. This was a very enjoyable bento w/a nice variety of Japanese cuisine. The ambiance is very nice the food is good & it won't kill the bank

I even re downloaded yelp to add this review because theirs is too low! This location is very cozy…read moreand cute, has great prices for the portions and their taste is solid. Service was so friendly and sweet, and the neighborhood is adorable. This is a really great neighborhood spot and I hope more people go here! They do not deserve the low rating I am very picky and I think this is a great place.

Came back here with the old guys. I know I wasn't fond of the place. I tried the panning curry…read moreand it changed my view a bit. The portion size is generous. comes with a bowl of rice. Plenty for 2 meals. fresh broccoli and chicken. The place is family owned which I like. The menu is huge. I've learned you have to know what to order.