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    Roka Akor - Chicago

    4.2 (1.6k reviews)
    Ultra High-EndSushi Bars, Japanese, Steakhouses
    Closed 4:00 pm - 11:00 PM
    Updated a few days ago

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    ROKA AKOR - CHICAGO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Loud
    Dressy
    Good for groups

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    Japanese Shishito Peppers
    Christina W.

    All day happy hour on Monday including food, yes please! Came here asking for a table for 1 since I missed my team dinner after a late flight arrival (and being stuck on the tarmac for 1.5 hours T_T) and best believe I maximized my dinner - Treat Yo'Self! But also, I was staying down the street from Roka Akor and the reviews looked solid, especially since Chicago's known for amazing eats (probably better than SF imo, there I said it!!!) I ordered the Modern Nigiri Selection (7 pieces) and the fish tasted very fresh. Honestly, I'm always down for omakase, but I'm terrible at remembering any of the names for the types of fish and cannot be bothered to write them down unless they're explicitly named on the menu. The seared salmon nigiri was also very good, and you can't go wrong with the shishito peppers or crispy eggplant. Service was quick and attentive, I do wish the lighting inside was a bit brighter for dinner (note the dark photos).

    Miss A.

    Really beautiful upscale ambiance and a decent sized bar. Came with a friend and we both had the spicy house margaritas and sushi, one was a scallops the other crab with tuna. Bartender was courteous and greeted us promptly, food came out pretty quickly and there was plenty of seating. Only negative is the host seemed really clueless and not very welcoming. Please employ friendly front of house staff for such a nice establishment.

    Divya V.

    Roka Akor has consistently been one of my fav Japanese restaurants in the city. The ambiance is chic, classy and overall has a good vibe serving a perfect setting for dinners. On my recent visit, my friend and family enjoyed dinner with crispy fried eggplant, spicy tofu, veggie tempura sushi, and crispy cauliflower tempura. We enjoyed each and every dish a lot! We also ordered the japanese mushroom pot rice which honestly is my fav dish at the restaurant and I end up going back for it! My dad, friend and I also ordered a carafe of floral sake to accompany with the meal. The only reason I am deducting one star is because of the service being a bit slow. We had to wait for quite some time to get our drinks served and the server wasn't always available increasing the wait times. Do give this place a try if you like asian cuisine and are in the river north area!

    Hi No Onna
    Mark T.

    At these rates?! If I am paying all-around premium prices, I would hope to receive an all-around premium experience. It pains me to say this wasn't it, though there were some highlights! I ordered the Hi No Onna to drink. This was a perfect blend of earthy, tart, sweet, and acidic notes. Even though I am someone who typically doesn't like hibiscus (I find it too tart), in this cocktail it worked absolute wonders. It added a wonderful level of acidity that worked well with rather than fight the lime. The mezcal was quality stuff, too, smooth and adding a lovely booziness. Finally, points for the spiced salt on the exterior. I am not 100% sure what it is, but it added flavor without being straight sodium! I also greatly enjoyed the Flame Seared Salmon Nigiri. This is a case where something is executed such that it needs no additions (neither wasabi nor soy sauce). The fish was quality and seared to perfection. Meanwhile, the Yuzu Shallot topping added a new kind of dimension I haven't seen much in sushi/nigiri. While $14 for what is essentially two pieces of seared salmon is too high, in my opinion, this is also something I would order again. Life is like that sometimes, plus I am a sucker for properly seared fish. Where it comes to the Hamachi Serrano Chili Roll, this one missed the mark. I hate to say it, but this felt more like something one might get at a nice grocery store than a restaurant with "$$$$" attached to its name. It's not that it was bad, but that other than the wasabi aioli it was uninspired. The fish, rice, and veggies were all okay, the serrano slice added a little heat, and the aioli a few light savory wasabi notes. Again, if this were a 'classic' like salmon/avocado/cucumber, I wouldn't be complaining. However, something which is purported as both a "signature" roll *and* "signature" dish, it fell short of any and all expectations. Something that also fell short of expectations was the service. While I liked that the food came out quickly, and our water glasses were kept full, I found the service was otherwise inattentive. There was no check-in with us on how we were liking our items, nor did the server come by when we were done to offer us dessert or the bill; rather, we had to call them over. Finally, I want to award some points for the modern and sophisticated vibe. Now, while I can't fault them for being loud due to the many simultaneous conversations, I feel as though the music was just a smidge too loud and punchy for a place of this caliber. I tend to categorize sushi places that I patronize regularly in two categories. The first is one that makes simpler items for lower prices. Something you could call "everyman's sushi," like the aforementioned, tried-and-tested classic of salmon avo-cu. The second category is one that makes premium, interesting, inspired, heavenly rolls. They cost more, but you get your money's worth. As I experienced with Omakase recently, there is more art that goes into such pieces. Based on this experience, other than the nigiri, Roka Akor makes everyman sushi at art prices. The last thing I want is to feel ripped off when the bill arrives, and this was the case here. As such, I do not feel as though a return visit is in the future for me.

    Lychee martini
    Jessica M.

    10/10 I'll def be back. I'm a creature of habit and typically stick to some of my favorites when it comes to Sushi but my boyfriend insisted we try somewhere new. Roka Akor did not disappoint! David was our waiter and he was amazing. He gave us some suggestions after we shared with him that half of the table (me included) didn't favor raw sushi. We ordered the wagyu and kimchi dumplings, edamame, the seared salmon roll, scallop roll, lobster roll, crispy prawn roll, wagyu roll, and a California roll. Everything was delicious! The lobster roll was my favorite. But all the others tied for second. The California roll was super light in the best way. It wasn't dowsed in mayo. And of course with got it without the roe. For drinks us ladies ordered a lychee martini. Also great! Very fresh. The ambiance makes this for a perfect date night spot or cool place to come with friends!

    Ai H.

    Been here several times and had a great experience each time. The servers are phenomenal as they are friendly and helpful. The food itself is what speaks for the restaurant. I really enjoy the black miso cod, so I was excited to hear they had it for Chicago restaurant week.

    Happy hour menu - extensive and reasonably priced especially for the portion size
    Ann L.

    This is currently one of my top happy hour finds for our summer in Chicago. It is also the most expensive, due to the variety and quality of their wine selection and dinner options. Actually to be fair, if you stick to the happy hour food and drink selection, other guests could walk away with reasonable prices for very good food, drink, and service. The outdoor patio as well as the bar area was very inviting and comfortable. The happy hour menu is actually quite extensive with most of the food at $10 or less. They have varied alcohol on the happy hour menu, sake, shots, beer, wine, and cocktails. Unlike some other happy hour places we have visited this summer, the portion on the happy hour menu is not smaller than what they offer on the regular menu. So the prices on the happy hour menu are real deals and my rating reflected that I appreciated that. We ordered a Hamachi Serrano roll, assorted sashimi taco, prime beef skewer, Robata grilled pork belly, Saki Steamed mussels, escolar tataki and wagyu & kimchi dumpling. All were very good. My favorite of the night was the Robata grilled pork belly, which was excellent. My husband loved both the pork belly and the assorted sashimi taco. The escolar tataki was our least favorite since the fish didn't have the Lucious mouth feel as others I have eaten in other restaurants. Although we already ordered ALOT of appetizers, we loved the Robata grilled pork belly appetizer so much we wanted to try the Robata grilled prime filet. It was slightly charred on the outside and the inside was melt in your mouth soft filet. It was so tasty that I even forgot to take a picture. . This was my husband's favorite of the night. The grilled prime filet went very well with my second glass of red wine. Jordon Cabernet is one of my favorite red wines but cost $29 per glass. This is the reason that our bill was high compared to other restaurants. I could have kept our happy hour bill more reasonable if I had ordered any of the drink selections on happy hour menu. Even with all the appetizers and dinner, we had to try dessert here. The server suggested to try the Ube pot de crème, since it's using an ingredient that is not used a lot in other restaurants. The dessert had the purple coloring of the fruit, and was very creamy. Great choice to end a very good night. The server was very attentive and provided great recommendations. He did not rush us throughout our meal even though we have been there for quite awhile enjoying the food, and the ambiance of the outdoor patio.

    Charisma H.

    We went there for their all day Monday happy hour. If you do go for that, just make sure you tell the host before they seat you because otherwise they will move you to the bar. The happy hour items are well priced. I enjoyed my white wine (which I think was a riesling). The tuna roll was utterly forgettable and tasted just slightly better than grocery store sushi. The chicken teriyaki was underseasoned. However, the escolar tataki was really unique and excellent. The wagyu dumplings were solid as well. May come again for happy hour but still undecided about a full meal.

    Lobster Roll
    Eileen K.

    Food - delicious Presentation - on point Service - impeccable Vibe - on point Loved this place!!! Sushi was fresh and creative. Server was fantastic with great recommendations! I'll be back!!

    Bell T.

    The food is AMAZING! A bit pricey but definitely worth every penny. 100% recommend going even if it's just for drinks and dessert. The Ube pot de creme is out of this world. It's not too sweet and the texture is like creme brûlée without the brûlée. Note that the wagyu is priced by the oz and it's a 3 oz min. This was by far the priciest item we got off the menu. It was a bit salty to my liking but the texture is extremely soft and melts in your mouth.

    Ambiance was great. It was a very cute date night spot. Service - 5/10. I could barely find my server. It was frustrating considering the restaurant was completely empty except for 2 tables. Food - 5.4/10. The fish was not as fresh in my opinion. I thought it was kind of fishy. I didn't, personally, find any of the food to be anything special. It was quite bland... the drinks were nothing special either.

    Claire W.

    I've been here several times for happy hour, and the lounge has a really nice vibe. The food and drinks are tasty as well, and the happy hour menu has a lot of different options included. It is a bit pricey for a happy hour deal though, at $12 per cocktail. Many other happy hours in the area are closer to $8-$10 per drink

    Athena B.

    Love that the sashimi here comes with real wasabi. The butterfish tataki was so light and summery. Our server was telling us about the Roka happy hour so we will definitely be back soon to try it out!

    Robata Grilled Octopus

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    1 month ago

    Amazing food, fantastic service, and the vibe is spot on. The sushi is so fresh and the drinks are really well done. Love it here!

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    Page 1 of 40

    Roka Akor - Chicago Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Roka Akor - Chicago

    Can anyone give an estimate for how long the omakase would be?

    Hi Claudia, I would say give yourself 1-1/2 to 2 hours to enjoy the experience properly.

    Do they serve Halal beef steaks?

    Hi There - All of our Prime Steaks, Lamb and Chicken Teriyaki are certified Halal.

    Do you still offer happy hour?

    Unfortunately there is not a happy hour offered at this time. Please email me at ekoss@rokaakor.com if there is anything else I can assist with.

    What is Dress code?

    I recommend going on the dressier side.

    Is the outdoor dining away from the street? Is there heating if it gets cold?

    Yes they have outdoor seating and heaters are used during the cold weather.

    Is there valet parking?

    We chose to walk there. Do believe there was Valet Parking. Great place. Great

    Is there a dress code,? Would I feel out of place if I wear jeans,flats and a nice top or should I make more of an effort?

    No dress code but always try to make an effort :)

    Headed there tonight. Khakis shorts and a polo ok? Or pants needed??? It is HOT out!

    Jon, Khakis shorts & a polo will be just fine. We totally understand on days like today!… Read more

    View All 11 Questions

    Gaijin - Strawberry Donut

    Gaijin

    4.3(786 reviews)
    1.1 miFulton Market, West Loop, Near West Side
    $$

    The service here was absolutely incredible the interior looks super detailed as well and it was…read moreoverall a great vibe. The food was some of the best yet unique type of food I've ever had. Yakisoba and Osaka style okonomiyaki was probably the best thing (besides deep dish) that I've had in Chicago while visiting. 100% recommend here please come!

    Wow! My friends took us to this restaurant while we were visiting Chicago, and it was amazing. We…read morehad a reservation and did show up about 15 minutes late. The hostess said we could still be seated but another reservation was coming an hour later. I had never had okonomiyaki before, but I got to try three different kinds plus some yakisoba. We ordered four dishes and shared them among the four of us. We got the pork belly yakisoba, pork osaka style okonomiyaki, shrimp osaka style okonomiyaki, and the mushroom and yuba Hiroshima style okonomiyaki. My favorite dishes were probably the pork ones, but I really liked trying all of them! When our waiter asked if we wanted dessert, we said how the hostess told us we would need to leave by a certain time for the next reservation. However, he said we could order dessert anyway. I thought it was weird the hostess was being so finicky about the time, since usually 15 min late is within reason. We did get the red panda. It's mostly ice and a little ice cream, but it was very good and so cute! I would definitely come here again! It is a bit loud if you have anyone in your party who has trouble hearing. You are also quite close to other people in the restaurant.

    Photos
    Gaijin - Inside

    Inside

    Gaijin - Pandan-Coconut Donut

    Pandan-Coconut Donut

    Gaijin - Old fashioned

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    Old fashioned

    SUSHI DOKKU Japanese Restaurant - Absolutely fresh and delicious!! I highly recommend.

    SUSHI DOKKU Japanese Restaurant

    4.2(693 reviews)
    1.0 miWest Loop, Near West Side
    $$

    If you're looking for some great nigiri combinations, Sushi Dokku is the place for you! Recently…read morecame back for their restaurant week menu, and it was great! I chose the Deviled Eggs, Tuna Truffle nigiri, Hamachi nigiri, Sake nigiri, Crispy Maguro roll, and mochi (we tried all the flavors - espresso, salted caramel, passion fruit, and strawberry). Every bite was amazing - but beware, the Crispy Maguro definitely packs on the heat. I also recommend the Snow Maiden sake if you like a sweeter sake. We dined in the Booze Box section and it was super vibey, but not too loud where we had to yell over the music or anything. The servers were attentive, will definitely keep going back (especially for Restaurant Week)!

    We decided to try a new spot while downtown last week. We've heard many good reviews for Sushi w…read moreand decided to give it a shot. We got: Tuna nigiri: 6.5/10 it was fine for the price I was expecting a much fattier tuna. Kaarage: 7.5/10 loved the salt and guchuyang but I wish it was boneless. Okinomiyaki: 6.5/10 would have been better if all the pieces had the sauce. Dragon roll: 6/10 very basic almost like grocery sushi roll Blue crab roll: 6.5/10 it was fine wish there was more portion wise Fuji fu: 7.5/10 it was good but he gave us forks which made it very difficult to eat. The service was fast and everyone was nice. The restaurant is small and good for couples since they have a lot of seating for 2. It is pretty dark and romantic but very noisy.

    Photos
    SUSHI DOKKU Japanese Restaurant
    SUSHI DOKKU Japanese Restaurant - Dumplings

    Dumplings

    SUSHI DOKKU Japanese Restaurant

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    Tamu - Crunchy spicy akami

    Tamu

    4.5(94 reviews)
    1.0 miWest Loop, Near West Side

    Came here for a date night and overall had a nice experience. The ambiance is great, very clean,…read moreintimate, and perfect for a night out. Service was solid, and our waiter gave thoughtful recommendations that helped us decide what to order. We ordered the sashimi sampler and the ninniku crudo to start. My husband got 6 handrolls and I had 4. We both had the otoro handroll for the premium temaki options. The handrolls came out at a really good pace, which we appreciated since it let us enjoy each one fresh. The fish itself was definitely fresh and everything was well prepared. My favorite handroll was the spicy hotate. The otoro temaki was good, but we have had better otoro elsewhere. My husband also got the sake temaki and mentioned that the salmon was a bit chewy. Overall, nothing really stood out as particularly memorable. Our bill ended up being close to $200, and while the food was good, it was not quite mind blowing for that price point. Overall, a solid spot with nice ambiance and fresh fish, just not necessarily a standout for us.

    Cozy, contemporary spot with a handroll bar at the front, a middle dining area, and an omakase bar…read morein the back. We opted for the middle section to try a mixture of available items. Service was friendly and attentive. Note that nigiri is only available via omakase. I'd describe the food here as a very sophisticated and innovative take on Japanese izakaya cuisine -elevated flavours and thoughtful presentations make it stand out. Hamachi Carpaccio?: 8/10 not much to say here. simple yet refreshing and satisfying Hew Dup Bap Kaisendon: 8/10 A great way to sample various sashimi options. Everything was fresh, and the cuts were generously thick. Ankimo Appetizer: 9/10 Probably the most unique take on ankimo I've ever had. It looked like a work of art, and the (potato?) chips added a fun texture. Super flavourful and memorable. Temaki: 8.5/10 I don't remember the exact ones I ordered, but they were all really good. I loved the creative toppings, something I rarely see at other temaki spots, and they paired with the fish beautifully.

    Photos
    Tamu - Omakase Bar

    Omakase Bar

    Tamu - Crunch Spicy Akami

    Crunch Spicy Akami

    Tamu - Tamu Hand Roll Bar

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    Tamu Hand Roll Bar

    Mako

    Mako

    4.4(191 reviews)
    0.9 miWest Loop, Near West Side
    $$$$

    If Mako is the benchmark for Michelin-starred restaurants, the bar has been set monumentally high…read more Beneath the chaos of the Pink Line lies the intimate setting Chef BK Park so carefully envisioned. Upon entering, you are greeted and warmly escorted to your seats. They suggest arriving a few minutes early so as not to disrupt the timing. I opted for seats at the sushi bar to get the full experience of an omakase. The service was impeccable and methodical, with each dish presented in perfect harmony. The carefully curated menu rose in a crescendo of umami-rich bites--each course striking a delicate balance of anticipation for the next bite and savoring the lingering flavors on the palate. It is nearly impossible to select our favorites, but the standouts were the scallop, miso cod, and the otoro. We came here to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday, and the staff commemorated the occasion with a personalized menu, signed by the entire team. This was truly an unforgettable experience and I would recommend Mako to anyone seeking the same.

    Mako was truly a 10/10 experience from the service to the food. The restaurant is an intimate space…read morewith limited seating. We were seated at the bar in front of the chef. The staff was polite, friendly and accommodating to our needs. The food was absolutely fresh and delicious, prepared perfectly. We tried a variety of dishes, over 20 different courses. Some standout dishes were the Chutoro tuna, and the cod which sat in an amazing broth. My only complaint is that halfway through the courses, the chef mentioned a special salmon and truffle course that he offered to us. Of course, we said yes, but we later found out that it was an additional charge added to our bill. I didn't appreciate that it was framed as something special rather than as an add-on to our experience. Overall, Mako was a great Michelin Star experience, offering authentic Japanese omakase!

    Photos
    Mako - Wall behind the chef area

    Wall behind the chef area

    Mako - The very first appetizer, not on the final food list

    The very first appetizer, not on the final food list

    Mako - Sakuramasu (cherry salmon)

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    Sakuramasu (cherry salmon)

    Roka Akor - Chicago - sushi - Updated May 2026

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