Incredible sushi - highly recommend. The fish is super fresh and the tempura is to DIE for. read more

Raisu - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Surprising little spot! We made a reservation for dine in and ate at one of the hightop tables. It was a great atmosphere, cozy but not tightly packed as a lot of places are these days. We each got a beer, they had a handful of Japenese styles, and they were both nice and light. For food we got the spider appetizer, the Hamachi Special Nigiri, the Shiro Maguro Special Nigiri, the Shiro Maguro Signature Sashimi, a Negi Hama roll and a Spicy Hon Maguro roll. All of it was excellent, my favorites probably were the hamachi nigiri and the sashimi. The firsh was super fresh and flavorful. I loved the mango and small additions that were delicious but not overpowering of the actual sushi. All in it was about $85 before tip, I can't say we were super full when we left, but it was a great variety and great food! Give it a try! read more

Great fish selection--over 20 types of sushi/sashimi--and friendly service. Pretty low-key, casual environment. If this were closer to where I live, I would go there once a month read more

This review is of their takeout. The fish was definitely fresh and well prepared. Each roll was put together well. All of the rolls tasted great too. Each had their own distinct flavors without having too much sauce like some other sushi places. I wasn't thrilled about how expensive everything was. We didn't order much and it ended up being probably 10-15% more than what you'd usually pay at a sushi restaurant. I think next time we try this place we'll dine in to get the full experience. The ambiance inside seemed relaxed and quiet. Service also seemed great, my interactions with the staff were great during the pick up process. read more

We ordered 18 course omakase and I don't think we got 18. Both of us were not full at all (and we are not big eaters, we usually full at other places after 12 course omakase). The fish were quite fresh, however other than one course that had salmon roe&uni(not fresh, they were seasoned in sweet abs tasted weird), and last course was wagyu, there were no other relatively high end material used. For the price, it's definitely bad value. Also most nigiri courses had some sort of citrus elements (and the sushi rice was on sweeter side as well), so the entire experience was very sweet. This is a personal preference but I want to let you know so you can make a decision if you want to try here. Service was very good though, our waiter was very good and professional and caring, that's why I gave the second star here. read more

We visited this place yesterday. The 3 people I was with, (all are sushi lovers) had said that this place, by far, had one of the best sushis they have ever had. We ordered the shrimp teriyaki, nagiri, dragon something... Everything tasted better than what we've had in the past. The lady server, whose name is Paige was very helpful and attentive. Service was great. The place had an Asian vibe to it. Makes sense. The prices are reasonable considering the quality and quantity of food. Highly recommend this place. No regrets. read more

Raisu - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pretty decent neighborhood sushi spot! We went here on a Thursday night and it was not busy - we didn't need any reservation to be seated. Staff was friendly and attentive. We ordered a couple rolls, nigiris and makis. My favorite was the scallop sashimi - very fresh and thick cut! We also tried the lobster roll after learning that there was no uni so I couldn't get my uni don... it was kind of disappointing, because the roll was basically a Philly roll with a very small amount of lobster on top, not sure I would ever pay $22 for that. Aside from that, it was a satisfactory meal. read more

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This is a great spot with a few exceptions. The signature option for any of the sushi should be avoided at all costs. Totally ruins a perfect piece of fish. If I order tuna why would you add pineapple so all I taste is pineapple and then charge me so much? Maybe some folks like this but I think it's not good at all. I wish our waitress did a better job at explaining all this - instead she just wanted to increase the bill. Service was extra slow to a point where I thought I have to find out if we are ever getting our food. This place is not cheap at all so be ready to spend least $100 per person not including drinks. This has so much potential and a couple dishes were good but just the crazy pricing like $25 for a hand roll that was super tiny combined with the signature pieces just make this place no longer worth it. Very sad. read more

Wow, this place blew us away. We were definitely not expecting this level of service or high quality fish. First, the place has a nice ambiance. The place is a little small but it has a cozy touch to it. We came on a Tuesday night so it wasn't too pack but you would need a reservations during busy hours since there's not many seats. Our server was top-notch, super accommodating and friendly. He was knowledgeable and answered all our questions. We decided to get the omakase which was basically all their current specials of the night including many sashimi and nigiri. There's no base price because it's based on how many pieces you eat. You tell the server when you're 70% full and then go from there. Even though we stayed until closing, no one rushed us and our server made sure we left satisfied. I would say my favorite was the miso hamachi with ikura and yuzu sauce. But honestly every piece of sashimi was fresh and delicious. The toro melted so easily; it was buttery smooth. We were also blown away by all the nigiri, which were all topped with unique flavors. I would recommend this place to anyone who loves modern take on nigiri. To top off the night we had wagyu, which we cooked ourselves on hot stones. I will definitely come back here. It looks like their menu is season, based on the season and what's available throughout the year. read more

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Revisited Raisu for their winter special Omakase, so many things went wrong this time, I could only give a three star. Rice, oh man , the rice was cold! I have been to many Japanese restaurants and also a few michilin ones in Japan , so I know sushi rice should be warm, and melt in your month with the fish. But somehow , Raisu decided to use cold rice for nigiri, which is just not type and I just don't like it. Pacing , we spent more than 2 hours there for the meal, and more than an hour and half was just us waiting. I understand it is a busy Sunday night , but still, an two hours meal?! Overall, probably won't come back again :( read more

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I was pleasantly surprised by my visit to Raisu! My friend and I tried the premium/deluxe omakase on a Wendesday night. I $20 off per person, so $40 off the total bill. When we asked the waiter, he told us the only difference between the regular and premium omakase was the quantity of dishes, but otherwise, both mostly contained the same dishes, so we decided to pay a little extra for the premium. The quality of the fish was great and stood out the most in the meal. Each piece of nigiri and sashimi were brushed with their own soy sauce concoction so there was no need for any extra sauce. Another interesting touch was that Raisu used real wasabi rather than imitation wasabi, and it made a significant difference in the flavors. A few of the dishes were paired with fruit or additional condiments that helped to accentuate the fish. Some of the combinations were a bit too abstract, but some were absolutely delicious. Overall, it was a fun and delicious dining experience. read more

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I'd like to say our experience was 100% great, but it wasn't. We ordered three specialty rolls, one I can't remember, black widow, and Snow White. Snow White wasn't impressive but the other two were great. Two orders of tamago nigiri were fine. Also ordered lots of blue fin sashimi and nigiri that was absolutely GROSS, it was clearly spoiled, discolored and slimey, but for some reason they still felt it was okay to send out. Will NOT order from here again. Such a shame, I feel like this place could do better if they paid more attention to quality control on their outgoing orders. read more

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On the pricey side, but sushi was very fresh. The environment felt very intimate and quiet. I enjoyed this experience

Not great or even good. The rice was badly over cooked. The sushi was nicely prepared and looked wonderful, but how can you even consider that when the rice is mushy? How can a restaurant get such a fundamental component so wrong? read more

Love the sushi but last time we picked up it was a bit thrown together. Still tasted good but my ocd self couldn't help but notice the uneven cuts and sloppiness. Again it still tasted great. read more

Fantastic local spot for fresh creative sushi with exceptional service and a quaint atmosphere.

Came here on a stormy Tuesday night, made reservation at 8:15pm. I was surprised that the place was almost full. We ordered the Omakase 101 ($75), tornado roll($26), couple of nigiris, udon and hot sake ($13). Overall food was good, I did not use any soy sauce since everything had Chef's sauce. My favourite of the night would be bluefin tuna, it had some apple sauce on top, I thought it was pineapple first, very balanced flavour. Ika was amazing too, slighted torched with mayo. Tomago was warm when served. Chocolate cake/mousse was very creamy and dense, it also had a hint of raspberry. Our waitress came over few times to check if everything's ok, but she seemed tired and not the best of her. We had to ask for chopsticks for our Udon. read more

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First time here. Unreal fish quality. Meticulous presentation. Definitely will be coming back.

One of my favorite sushi places. This place is one of Irving Park's gems. Raisu serves quality food in a lovely atmosphere. Food: always fresh, always tasty. There is a special lobster roll they have sometimes that I highly recommend. Otherwise, the Raisu House Special roll is my favorite. Their chicken wing appetizer comes out hot, is savory, and the flavor is very rich. Service: Sometimes the service is slow if the place is busy, but it's worth the wait. The serving staff are usually friendly and make sure that my water glass is full. Atmosphere: I love this place. It's generally quiet and peaceful. The art is gorgeous and I never feel rushed. My boyfriend and I like to come for weekday dinners and relax. It's also a place where we go to celebrate, like birthdays and anniversaries. It's fancy enough that we like to dress up a bit when we go there, and yet it's casual enough that we don't feel that we have to dress up to go there. read more

Raisu - Inferno roll! It's on ! - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pro-tip: if you order omakase of $75 or more on wed or thurs, they have a special for $20 off! We ordered the $75 omakase menu, so with the $20 off, it came out to $55 per person for a 7 course meal. What a steal! Especially for how fresh the sushi was. We came on a Wednesday night with a 645pm reservation. We were maybe one of 4 parties in the restaurant and opted to sit in a high top in the back corner rather than at the sushi bar. The mister had a $6 Asahi beer, and I had a $10 glass of Sauvignon blanc. The wine was meh though. But the food? The food was delishhhh The 7 courses we got to try: 1. House seafood soup with king crab 2. Salmon with Fuji apple and ikura 3. Toro and signature version with burnt black sesame (? I don't rmbr) 4. Blue fin tuna and signature version topped with pineapple and chive 5. Hamachi yellowtail and signature version with scallions 6. White tuna and signature version with mango and mayo 7. Uni with ikura and chive So bf and I both agreed that the regular versions of the sushi were better than the signature versions, because the additions on the signature pieces overpowered the taste of the sushi. And when the sushi is this fresh and this tasty on its own, you don't really need to mask that with other flavors! Nevertheless, the signature pieces were still very tasty, interesting, and well-executed. My favorite was the toro! So buttery and full of flavor. It practically melts in your mouth. I was also very impressed with the way they did their tuna. The waiter was attentive and introduced each course as he served them. My only small point of critique would be that he talked very quietly and it was hard to hear him lol Bf says this is the best sushi he's had in Chicago. And the best bang for your buck for sushi he's had anywhere! He wanted to go back for dinner the next day hahaha. So there you have it folks, go get you some Raisu omakase :) read more

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You guys have to go in and try the sashimi style fresh scallop!! It was oh so delicious and satisfying. Raisu has definitely found a new way to stimulate your pallet. The toppings were modest however, because the scallop was so fresh, each bite was soft and packed with umami sweetness! We ordered the scallops near the beginning of our meal which really helped to open our appetites, but feel free to order the scallops at any point of your meal! We tried some of their other dishes as well including their signature nigiris and I have to say, Raisu really cares about their attention to detail and quality of the fish. All of our dishes were beautifully arranged and each piece looked like works of art. Each piece of fish was also very fresh and most of the toppings really enhanced the flavor of the fish. You can really taste the difference! Service was also excellent. Our server was very attentive to our needs by checking up on us every so often and making sure we were taken care of. The staffs were all very friendly and we were never rushed at any point of our meal. I would definitely be coming back to Raisu soon. For those of you looking for a new sushi spot, I highly recommend giving Raisu a try. read more

Raisu - Sashimi style fresh scallop - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Really wanted to like this place, but the looooong wait time to get a couple rolls, the tiny portions, and the lackluster service mean that I won't be going back. We were told they were busy, but they really didn't look it. Half the tables were vacant and there was only one to-go order that we saw go out. Once we finally got the rolls they tasted like a one $ spot not a $$$ spot. There was nothing special about them. I've been to dozens of sushi places all over the city and this one was the least impressive. I recommend going to the new Kraken sushi nearby instead. read more

Hubby had a craving for sushi for our typical date night and despite my current food limitations due to being 8 months pregnant, we made our way to Raisu. Oh my gosh, what a revelation! How did we not hear of this before, oh wait, I've been pregnant and not really paying attention to awesome new sushi places opening up in Chicago. We arrived on time for our reservation and were immediately welcomed and seated. Everyone was very friendly and accommodating to our 3 year old daughter. She pretty much inhaled the bowl of edamame and enjoyed the Miso soup dish. The miso soup was a pretty generous portion too. I had the Tempura appetizer as well as the Spider Maki and the Unagi roll. The tempura was nice a crispy. The ingredients in the rolls were all fresh. Hubby ordered an a la carte of Nigiri including the shrimp special for the night. I jealously watched him savor every bite and listen to him marvel at just how fresh and delicious each piece of fish was. He compared it to the same quality of Juno, which is my favorite sushi spot. My mouth was watering and my eyes were crying as he devoured each piece. After our visit, I started hearing more about how awesome this place is and saw it listed on a recent Eater Chicago Top 10 sushi spots list. I cannot wait to deliver this baby and eventually make my way back here to try the nigiri myself! Or maybe make Hubby bring me an order directly to the hospital. read more

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We had attentive and friendly service during a later dinner on Saturday. We started off with the miso soup and ordered a Spider Maki, Spicy Tuna, California roll with the king crab meat and saki to sip on. A delightful dinner experience this evening. read more

We ordered the holiday platter for the first time yesterday, and we were simply blown away. It went far and beyond our expectations. The platter was even better than the advertisement picture! Everything was super fresh, and no corners were cut. Even my friend who lives downtown and is used to fancy sushi places, was very impressed. He said it was the best sushi he had all year. Next time we host a regular sized party (once the pandemic is over) we will be ordering multiple platters. It is a definite crowd pleaser. read more

Raisu - Holiday platter - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I first learned about Raisu when Mike Sula called it the heir apparent to Katsu. We were devastated to hear that Katsu was closing due to the chef's retirement and kept Raisu on our radar. Normally, we'd plan a date night for a dinner like this, but we were out, hungry and Raisu had a table for us. At first blush, I didn't get it. I wasn't impressed with the signature maki menu at all, which is usually the first thing I glance at. Most of the rolls had tempura items, cream cheese or both and I noticed a lot of imitation crab through out the menu. I settled on the Tornado roll and took a second pass at the menu. We opted for the Grenades appetizer and some regular and signature nigiri before our server arrived. The specials and the specialty nigiri are where Raisu really shines. All of the items on special sounded delicious; we couldn't pass up adding the scallop dish to our order. Overall, my favorite dish was the thinly sliced scallop special with the garlic sauce on it. It was delicious and delicate. Next favorites were the Sweet Shrimp signature nigiri and the hon maguro nigiri. I also had the yellowtail signature nigiri, which was good, but not as amazing as the others. The Grenades were good, not a standout and difficult to eat without making a mess. We also split the Tornado roll, which reminded me a lot of a rainbow roll. Manfriend got a belly cut of yellowfin nigiri that he said melted in his mouth, but did note next time he'd do the sashimi instead. He also raved about the signature unagi nigiri. Raisu is very different than Katsu - the ambiance, the menu, etc. - so if you're looking for a replacement, you may be disappointed. The name says fine dining, but it's a more casual environment than you might expect. That said, Raisu still turns out some pretty amazing dishes; I mentally built a list to try next time just from glancing at my neighbor's dishes. 4.5 stars read more

They always mess up my order every time I order delivery. Last time they forgot a maki roll. I wish they offer signature nigiri for take out. Their sushi rice is just OK. The fish is usually pretty fresh. read more

A long time ago, my husband and I had a favorite sushi place. We have been waiting 30 years to find another neighborhood gem, and we finally found it in Kuma San. We highly recommend the unagi nigiri, spicy tuna handrolls, and Tonkatsu ramen. The service is warm and friendly and the food is amazing. read more

I received an email stating and showing that Raisu was putting a Thanksgiving platter that feed 2 or 4 people. Ive never eaten Sushi for the holidays and thought the platter for two wasn't that large, but I ordered it anyway and am so happy I did. I had to pick what I wanted ,and even though I shared it I was full. Total cost for two was $88.60 and worth every penny . read more

Pretty good Japanese restaurant with fresh sashimi. Really liked the sweet shrimp nigiri, the shrimp head is fried just to my liking, very crispy. The torched Argentine shrimp was good too, but I think the sweet shrimp is much better. They also have fresh scallop from Japan that is amazing! Sometimes they have uni from Hokkaido, these are creamier and tasty. Their udon is pretty good too, the spicy broth is amazing with a kick. read more

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Great food, great service. Very fresh sushi. My friends and I come here often for the all you can eat. Try the green tea ice-cream at the end. Highly recommend. read more

This still one of my favorite sushi spots. I've probably dined in around 25-30 times and during covid have been ordering pickup almost every week. So I'd say we have eaten their food at least 60 times. They offer a 20% discount if you call them directly and do pickup so we do this and end up tipping them them the 20% so we basically end up saving what we would normally spend on tip for dine in. My favorite server is Shawn (sp?) and I'm glad that he is still working during this difficult time. The quality of food is still fantastic. We usually get the same thing which is udon noodles, seafood soup, inferno dragon and sashimi/nigiri of salmon, tuna, yellow tail, ikura and uni whenever they have it. Shawn knows our order and my voice so that's convenient for me esp when I've forgotten to order something :) I used to live down the street but I still plan to frequent it as much as I did before covid once indoor dining opens up again. read more

This is my new favorite Japanese Restaurant in Chicago! 90% of their fish/seafood were from Japanese seacoast. The food presentation was very appealing as well as their serving dishes. Service is exceptional, they explained the menu very well. Seafood was phenomenal and the layered crepe was perfect for dessert. read more

Hubba hubba - Raisu, I love you. This is easily the best sushi I've had, ever. Don't be fooled by the location, artisans are at work here. The seafood soup with crabmeat and lobster is five star restaurant quality in taste and presentation. We also had the golden calamari and the soft shell crab bites, which were similarly ethereal. Not heavy at all and a great way to start the meal. The calamari comes on a bed of lettuce if you need some greens. For our mains, we started with a three piece sampling of toro, which was lightly lacquered in a house sauce - no soy dipping necessary (or provided). This fatty tuna was the finest fish I've ever tasted - ever. I ate slowly for my eyes were rolling into my brain in ecstasy as it melted in my mouth. We moved on to salmon maki, salmon roe, spicy tuna maki, unagi maki, and then unagi nigiri. It was all divine, especially the ikura and the unagi. We ended our dinner with fresh uni, which was shipped in that day from Japan - Hokkaido, I believe - and it was a revelation. Full of funky flavor, yet smooth and devoid of bitterness, it was the finest uni I've had. Coated with yolk from a quail egg, you must eat it with your hands for a finger licking good indulgence. If you have the wherewithal to save room for dessert, the green tea mochi and strawberry crepe layer cake are both worthy of your discretion. Be sure to explore the sake selections here. The manager was kind enough to offer us an off-the-menu option, Junmai Daiginjo. It was my introduction to sake and I loved it - mild, mellow, and creamy, it was a wonderful pairing with the fish. We topped the evening off with some Japanese whiskey. Get Nikka Pure Malt if you are a Lagavulin fan, or the Akashi Ume if you like milder fruit notes in your whiskey. Both are fantastic. This is a hidden gem but sushi lovers owe it to themselves to make the pilgrimage and support its artisanship. read more

More like a 3.5 stars from me, but I'll round up. I was searching for good sushi on a Friday night and my go-to spot had no reservations available. There are ton of options in my area, but I care more about quality rather than trendy atmosphere and location. I heard Raisu was a good option ever since Katsu closed so we made the drive to the northside. The restaurant is spacious, modern and has a relaxed atmosphere. It was about half full on a Friday night. Service is really friendly and there is no feeling of being rushed through dinner. We ordered the the chicken wings, uni nigiri from Hokkaido, hokkigai signature nigiri, jumbo botan ebi, ikura nigiri, madai signature nigiri, and a tornado signature maki roll. The chicken wings come with 4 pieces. The batter is light, airy and super crunchy, kind of like the wings at bonchon. It's drizzled with a sweet teriyaki sauce and served on a bed of salad greens. The uni nigiri from Hokkaido is pricey, but fresh uni is always worth it to me. Our favorite pieces of nigiri were the hokkigai and the madai. The jumbo botan ebi was good, but I would have preferred it completely raw. Our server did mention that the kitchen sears the outside of the ebi for texture and flavor and the inside is still raw, but also offered it not seared. I opted for however the kitchen likes to serve it, which is seared. I love ikura, but I felt that the sake they used to marinate the ikura was a little overpowering. Again, I would have preferred a more simple preparation. The tornado roll was ordinary, imo. Overall, you can tell that the quality of their sushi is very good. I enjoyed the nigiri pieces more than the maki roll. I'd definitely come back again! read more

Made reservations for a Thursday although was unnecessary. We were one of only 3 occupied tables. Ordered a fair amount. Really enjoyed the tuna tartar, was very fresh and avocado was a nice touch. Shrimp was very good, well fried and fresh. Tuna sashimi was very good, some of the salmon tasted a bit fishy. Most of the sushi was hit or miss for me, the other dishes were better for me. Get the wagyu steak roll. It was one of my favorites read more

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Went on a Sunday at 3pm. Food: absolutely brilliant. Appetizer was miso soup and tofu. Pretty good. Entree: Don't ask me to name it as I don't remember but we had an 'off the menu' lobster+crab dish that was superb. Look the he picture. Service: pretty good. Manager actually allowed us to do a half order of the entree as I was a bit full. One of those 'stomach says no, but brain says yes!' Situations. Price: 84 dollars for two appetizers, 2.5 entrees. read more

Raisu - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good food and fresh sashimi but their price is very high as they said. Fine dinning! The inside look kind of normal, good services and relaxing atmosphere. read more

Revisited Raisu during a visit back to Chicago and I've decided to update my review to 3/5 stars. Pros: -Fish is still very fresh -Pretty presentations of all the items -Great service: kind, friendly and attentive, our drinks were always full and they changed the plates and utensils almost every course -Omakase is still a good mix of kitchen and sushi items -Not super crowded so you are well attended to -Cook your own Wagyu is fun! Cons: -Before you could give the chef a price point for the Omakase, but now they do this thing where you let them know when you're about "70% full." I initially was only planning on spending $75-100 pp (and I told the waitress this) but with this new rule you just keep eating unsure of what everything costs and by the time we were 70% full, we had racked up well over $100 pp. Since she knew my initial price point, wish she had let us know when we were getting near it, or let the chef know so he could cater to us? -None of the nigiri items we got were special cuts. It was tuna, salmon, yellow tail, escolar, red snapper... very general. -The black cod item has a lot of bones, I think we pulled like 4-5 out of one fish. The waitress said "Be careful of the bones" so we ate it carefully and didn't impale ourselves but didn't really like having to pick at the bones -10% off deal... but they only let you use it when you leave them a review so just "checking-in" doesn't cut it read more

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Raisu has such delicious and fresh sushi! I came here with my husband and we got the omakase 101! I highly recommend this if you've never done a traditional omakase before. It is all so fresh and so affordable! read more