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.

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.

Came back for round two to try the eel bento, which was so savory and perfectly marinated in their…read moresauce. The miso soup here always hits the spot. Also must try their unagi dashimaki tamago! It's the same marinated eel piece wrapped in egg layers in a traditional Japanese technique and they served it so fresh and hot! Their apps should not be slept on! Have yet to try the lunch special here, but safe to say dinner is worth it for the full appetizer menu and full menu in general! Staff are always friendly and welcoming and offer really great suggestions if you're new to Japanese cuisine. Interior isn't pictured but it's filled with beautiful traditional decor

Kurumaya is a place that I have visited maybe three times before, several years ago. It was a…read morepopular, well reviewed place back then, just as it is now. But it just kind of slipped out of my consideration for no particular reason. But today I was driving near there, headed for somewhere else, and it hit me - Bento box sounds good today. And so it goes.. Parking in this small strip mall is usually pretty easy. It is a popular choice for lunch for many people that work in this business area of Elk Grove. I think that is because in addition to the good food, the service is not only friendly, but also very efficient. That allows you to have a nice sit-down lunch and still get back to work in time. They don't rush you, but you won't have to wait long for both the food and the check. Today I did have my delicious bento box, which as others have agreed, is a great deal for lunch. But I also splurged for a "Rock' n Rol" sushi roll, which was quite tasty. My waitress was wonderful - friendly and efficient as usual. But she didn't rush me personally. She even asked me if I wanted tea. In summary, it's an excellent choice for lunch. Good food, affordable, kind people, and a nice change from a fast food drive-thru.

Tensuke is always a good time, no matter where you go…read more I just did a quick search to see how many Tensuke markets there are in U.S. and there seems to be two; one in Elk Grove Village and another one in Columbus, OH. I can tell you that both of them are great as far as having a local Japanese-oriented grocery store goes. Before this one moved across the parking lot, I'd say both EGV and Columbus stores were about the same size. Now the EGV location seems slightly bigger and more organized. Considering the Columbus one doesn't have a separate dining area, I'd say it tracks. I'd say the one across town has a bigger following and foot traffic compared to Tensuke still. But, for me personally, food court is the primary reason to come to Tensuke over the other. Simply put, you get more bang for the buck, as well as better taste overall, in my humble opinion. Sure, you get a lot more choices there, but food in Tensuke somehow gives a bit more home cooked meal vibes. Although I've been here when it's considerably packed, it still doesn't compare to the craziness that is across town, especially during peak lunch or dinner hours in the food court. I've never had to wait more than a few minutes to find seating in Tensuke. It might just be my own experience only, but because Tensuke is set up to be a straight-up grocery store, less tourists and more "locals" tend to be in the mix. Not saying it's good or bad but just an observation. I do like it this way though. ;-)

Tensuke has had quite the glow-up! The entire shopping center, actually, looks like it was torn…read moredown completely and rebuilt. Tensuke is now one of the interior stores, with bakery on the north end of the shopping center. The store seems to me to be a bit smaller, but I didn't find that to be a detrimental change. It was easy to shop, and even though my Japanese is terrible and I never earned any JPLT levels I was easily able to find what I needed even though the products are largely written in Japanese. (Labeling helps a lot of course!) Their stuff is still great and I'm excited to make some inarizushi with the inari age I bought. Fingers crossed the little one likes it as much as she once did so I can start making it for an easy lunch item!

Went in for quick appetizers Got some skewers and veggie…read moretempura And some Everything was great. Definitely more authentic than most. Definitely will be back.

This review is specific to a takeout order I did. I've been coming here to eat and dine in for…read morelunches as well as dinner however, this is my very first takeout order. This particular day that I tried to do the order, I could not do it online so I had to call it in. In fact, I learned that if you call it in, it's the same price as the menu that they give you in the restaurant. If you order it through any of the platforms online, it's a higher price. The key to order Ordering online as I learned also later because the website came back up is that they will only do same-day orders that are available immediately you cannot do orders that are planned for the future online, but I'm sure if you called in you could So I ordered a bunch of sushi as usual and a bowl of tempura over rice. Everything was ready on time. The bag was full of soy sauce and the ginger, wasabi napkins and chopsticks, which was absolutely fantastic. Everything was super well prepared and packaged that when I got home, everyone could just dive in. I would definitely recommend them for takeout again. I would use them for takeout again, especially if you are ready to pick it up immediately. And they are still the best value best quality for the price in the area.

Thought I was back in Japan. Very authentic great food with many choices. Wish I had found it…read moresooner.

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.

Tekka Sushi has a beautiful interior with a cozy, modern atmosphere that makes it a great place for…read morelunch or dinner. The sushi was fresh, well-prepared, and absolutely delicious. My favorite was the Fire Dragon Roll--the baked flavor was amazing, and it quickly became my top pick. The Fire Phoenix Roll was also very tasty and worth trying. The only downside was the first impression. Unfortunately, the manager at the reception didn't seem very friendly or welcoming. It's a little disappointing when your dining experience starts with that kind of mood, especially since the food and the restaurant itself are so enjoyable. Overall, I would definitely come back for the delicious sushi and the lovely atmosphere. I just hope the customer service at the front becomes as warm as the food they serve.

Tekka Sushi is a real hidden gem in a strip mall. It looks like a small place but it's a decent…read moresize with a larger banquet area in the rear. This ended up being one of the best quality sushi places in the area. All the fish was top drawer quality and everything tasted spot on. The only things I think could be improved upon would be the wasabi as it was a bit flat and needed to be stronger as well as the calamari as it was a bit stringy. Everything had an excellent taste and was presented very nicely. Service was excellent and we would consider this a "go to" place if you want excellent quality sushi with an abundance of variety!

The Curry Ramen was absolutely delicious, the broth was so rich and adding a splash of chili oil…read moremade It perfect! . We also had the appetizer of mixed spicy and regular Karaage , so crunchy and savory , dipping It their spicy mayo was phenomenal!! We were seated very quickly and the atmosphere was very welcoming, they have a good selection of beverages !

Hands down the best ramen in the Chicago area. Broth is creamy and flavorful, the chicken katsu is…read moreperfectly battered. The ground pork is a great alternative to slices of pork belly (which I don't like). The veggie ramen is equally flavorful. Absolutely addicting. A must try!

Went to Hokkaido Ramen Santouka inside the Mitsuwa Marketplace. First thing I noticed the place was…read morepacked, like actually packed. But the whole market looks awesome, very Japanese style setups for each restaurant. One thing for sure, with that many options it was hard to choose, but my mind was set for ramen so Santouka was the winner. Staff was quick. No messing around. Order, pay, food comes out pretty fast. I got the large Toroniku Spicy Miso. The toroniku (pork cheek) comes on the side. The pork was crazy good. Super tender, almost too soft honestly, it just melted the second I took a bite of it. The broth was the star though. Really rich miso flavor, deep and savory. Slightly salty in a good way, but balanced. I expected it to be spicy because of the name, but it wasn't really spicy at all, more like a warm miso punch. The noodles were soft with a little chew to them, which I like. And the broth sticks to them pretty well. Honestly just really good ramen. Simple as that.

We were at Mitsuwa and hungry. Something about walking all the aisles and looking at food, makes…read moreyou want food. We sauntered over to the dining area and decided to try Hokkaido. My husband had heard good things and I am always up for anything. Four of us shared two ramen bowls and a Shiyake Ikura Gohan (salmon, rice and roe). Everything was very tasty. Service was fine, it took quite a while for our food to be ready but we found a table and did some people watching while we waited. Tables are usually filled on the weekends... not everyone cleans up after themselves, which makes the dining area look messy. Sometimes, a table will be empty but dirty causing a little bit of confusion if it is available or not.

This location has been open for about a year and took over the space where Mama House used to be…read more For those who aren't familiar with it, it's located inside the food court of Mitsuwa Japanese grocery store. After looking over the menu, it seemed like they specialize in tempura, so I decided to try the Soba #13 meal. It came with chilled buckwheat noodles topped with sesame seeds and shredded roasted seaweed, along with two jumbo shrimp tempura served with dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is definitely important because, without it, both the noodles and shrimp tempura would be pretty bland. It tastes like a soy sauce-based sauce with a little chili oil, giving it a nice savory flavor with a mild kick. The chopped green onions add a nice touch of color and freshness. The soba noodles were chilled, chewy, and firm, while the shrimp tempura was light, flaky, and super crispy. My only concern was that the food was more on the lukewarm side, which made me wonder if it wasn't cooked to order. Overall, the food was just alright for me. At $15.99, I didn't feel very full afterward, so unfortunately, I don't think the value was quite there. But don't worry--I'll definitely come back and try some of their other dishes. Maybe there's something on the menu that will be a better match for my taste buds, my belly, and my wallet.

Great concept and great techniques, but if you're used to having the real stuff in Japan, you'll…read morenotice the flavors are a little off. I think most people will love it though. And 2 of the 3 bowls were found with a small bit of lemon rind in them. Mine didn't have the lemon rind in the bowl, but I did find some in my soup. Very strange.

Amazing option for Japanese food. We didn't have reservations and it was a Friday evening but we…read morewere able to be seated at the bar. They have an excellent selection of sushi. They also have daily specials and we tried the quail eggs and bacon and deep fried snow crab-both were excellent options. Tried the Jennifer roll and it was delicious. I had the ramen for my main course and it was amazing. Interior has quite a bit of seating. The restaurant was packed. Would recommend reservations if you are going on a weekend

Checked out this chill sushi restaurant in Schaumburg at lunch. Daruma has plenty of rolls. It also…read morehas other stuff. A smart person should stick to what they're known for. The rolls are made fresh and you see them make these. Busy place but it wasn't that bad. It's got a casual classiness going on. There was a crowd but it was still pretty fast service. Can get seated at the front where they make it. There's also plenty of tables. It's about $6 for the cheapest. We got the Kappa Maki, and the Umeshiso Maki. First one is made with cucumbers. The second is made with plum paste and shiso leaves. Both were great. They were filling but still light enough to want to get more stuff. For sure we could go here again. It's closed Mondays. They're one of those restaurants that closes for a couple hours in the afternoon, on weekdays, and they're only open in the evenings on weekends.