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    South Kawa

    4.0 (307 reviews)
    Closed • 12:30 pm - 10:15 PM

    Order South Kawa Takeout or Delivery

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    SOUTH KAWA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - South Kawa

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    Reviews With Photos

    Salmon lovers boat for 1
    Lauren Q.

    Not from Chicago but came back here every night. Not on the most upscale street but lovely once inside. Clean. Calming music. Decent pricing. Discount for cash payment. Quick friendly service. Tried stir fry, raman and sushi. They did well with all of them.

    Lunch special
    Pa Zao L.

    You can get a discount if you pay in cash. Great lunch specials - even offered on the weekends. You can get 3 rolls with 2 pieces sashimi/nigiri or 2 rolls with 4 pieces sashimi/nigiri and soup or salad for $13.50. Lately the rice has been on the harder side. Their special rolls are pretty good and I recommend trying them. My favorite is the Hawaiian roll.

    Salad
    Clarissa C.

    WOW. I mean WOW. You will literally never find cheaper sushi anywhere else. This was $13 for 3 rolls and 2 sashimi, lunch special available even on weekends. Pay with cash and get a discount! I got the eel and avocado, Philadelphia, and spicy tuna crunch rolls. Absolutely loved them all!! So generous with the portions, did not skimp on any ingredients. Miso soup is delectable (not too miso-ey, which is what I prefer), def get that over the salad. There were 12 of us and they still served so quickly!! A smaller store inside.

    Crystal Z.

    Ambiance - super intimate, family owned restaurant Service - speedy & staff was nice Food - although rice fell apart upon picking up the pieces, they're super generous with their fish portions

    Natalie L.

    We had a great first experience. They were very patient with our baby dropping everything on the floor. The gyoza were tasty. We loved the Chicago roll (and it was huge!). We also ate the Sunny roll, the fatty salmon , and the salmon roe. Our baby enjoyed the tamago. Everything tasted so fresh. Will go back!

    Nicole E.

    Bridgeport DO NOT SNOOZE ON THIS PLACE!! It's the best place I've been to for sushi in a long time. The rock shrimp will have you shaking your head at how good they are!! The rolls.. fire!! So fresh.. so amazing. And it needs to be put on the map for one of the best places I've been to for sushi.... in years. Don't let the location fool you.. you won't be sorry. And ITS BYOB!! Hands down ... best spot

    3 rolls and 2 sashimi lunch special
    Nathan W.

    This is my favorite local spot to get sushi at. They have an amazing lunch special deal that you can not pass up on. 3 rolls and 2 pieces of sashimi for less than $15. The service is always great, the staff are friendly and attentive. Whenever I'm craving sushi, this is my go to spot. I've gotten the lunch special as takeout and have dined in. Both experiences have been great. Sometimes the quality of takeout sushi isn't as good as dining in, but both are similar. However, if you dine in, the lunch special comes with a choice of soup or salad. The location is small with only a few tables, but I've never needed to wait for a table. There's also lots of metered parking in the area. This is one of my regular spots that I've been going to for a while. Would highly recommend for that lunch special.

    Steve B.

    I decided to treat my friend out to dinner for his birthday and we decided on SKJR. So, let me get into it. The food was pretty good. I have to say having had sushi and sashimi in Japan in my time I have to say the quality was pretty good, the soft shell crab could have been a little more crispy. The taste was on par. The gyoza was looked okay but, my friend and I both agreed we that it could have been better from an overall cook time stand point. The sushi, sashimi was on point. I definitely would go back just for the sushi. The service was okay. There wasn't many people inside the shop and the server/waitress didn't seem very excited to walk us through any of the special items. The atmosphere or ambiance like I call it, was really nice. Everything seemed very clean and the décor really matched the environment. Overall, I would say definitely try the sushi and sashimi!

    Salmon sashimi, Salmon Avocado Roll, Salmon Roll
    Mulan C.

    Kawa's lunch menu is unbeatable! $13 for 3 rolls, 4 pieces of sashimi, and either miso soup or a salad?! Say less! But of course, this isn't going to taste like a $100 omakase experience lol. Sometimes the rice can be a little better and the soup can be hotter. However, if you're looking for a quick, affordable lunch in this economy, Kawa's your best bet.

    Chicken Yaki Udon
    Cynthia N.

    I can't believe it took us so long to find this neighborhood gem! My husband and I stopped in on a Saturday night for dinner. It wasn't very busy for dine in, but there were plenty of take-out orders. The ambience was very relaxing. It was quiet and they were playing calming pop music. Nice decor. Tables decently spaced. The bench seating was not particularly comfortable, but it was fine. Service was friendly and attentive but not pushy. Food came out quickly. BYOB! We had the salmon nigiri, yaki udon stir-fry with chicken, Anaconda roll and Halloween roll. The Anaconda roll was our favorite, very savory and rich. The Halloween was nice too, kind of spicy. The nigiri was good, it was nice to try their fish without adulteration. It was clean and served at a good temp. The Yaki udon was fine, but nothing special. We'll probably try a different noodle dish next time. Definitely looking forward to coming back!

    Tonkatsu Ramen
    Nancy P.

    I love Kawa! Whenever we can't think of where to get dinner and want to stay local, we never go wrong. We came in on Friday night. It was busier than usual but their service is always so quick. We got miso soup to start off along with the snow shrimp tempura. The snow shrimp tempura was so delicious! It reminded me of the honey walnut shrimp from taste of canton. It's nice and sweet. For dinner we got the tonkatsu ramen. My egg yolk was not runny enough but still good. The pork was amazing!! It was so crispy on the edges but by the time you got to the middle, it melted in your mouth. We ended our night with the little candy you get at the front desk. 100/10.

    Volcano Roll Sunny Roll
    Ambra R.

    This is a hidden gem in the neighborhood. Small and cozy sushi spot with amazingly fresh food. I stopped my for a quick lunch for and ordered the salmon sashimi, shumai, Sunny Roll, and and Volcano Roll. I've been to this place a few times and I am never disappointed!

    Halloween Roll
    Dalia D.

    Im usually very skeptical on ordering sushi. It usually always arrived like warm or just isn't that good to start with. South Kawa delivered hot gyoza and some of the best rolls I ever had. I highly recommend the huge Chicago fire roll. I don't even know what's in it but it took two bites to fully finish one piece. Would order from here again and again. I gotta make a trip to stop in sometime. Thank you for another amazing sushi spot!

    Ebi

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    9 months ago

    Great prices, excellent sushi, wonderful service! I will definitely return! Good place to have food before a show at the Ramova

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    Ask the Community - South Kawa

    How does the lunch special work? What do you recommend for the lunch special?

    You can choose from a list of rolls. I usually get the three roll meal, but I think they have options for 2-4 rolls as well. Good deal! Love the California, shrimp tempura, and sweet potato roll

    View All 3 Questions

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    Shinya Ramen House - Kanro Shoyu Ramen

    Shinya Ramen House

    4.1(275 reviews)
    0.3 mi•Bridgeport
    •$$

    After finishing up a late night event while visiting the area recently, I definitely worked up an…read moreappetite and needed to find some food stat. The bad? Almost everything was closed a little after 10pm. The good? I was lucky and found Shinya, which was open until 2:00am. And let me tell you- I'm so glad I did! Shinya is a true izakaya, which is kind of like a pub and a bit harder to find in the city. They served food from robata skewers to ramen, rice bowls, both classic and lesser-seen appetizers, and fried rice. The interior was beautiful with flowers, fans, wood, and cute booths, while maintaining a casual, social atmosphere. Food was ordered online at the table and was brought out pretty quickly. I tried the pork gyoza and yakisoba. You really can't go wrong with gyoza, and I would say these were solid and what you'd expect. The yakisoba was outstanding and among the best I've had. The sauce was so savory and flavorful with perfectly chewy noodles. The egg was also cooked super well and the pork belly melted in the mouth. There was a good amount of crunchy veggies too to balance everything out. Overall, the experience was stand-out and I will 100% be back next time I'm in the area!

    I was in the neighborhood with a friend of mine, and thought to myself, self, let's see if any…read moreramen spots are around. Shinya came up, so we walked over. I was a bit..inebriated, but also very hungry, so I ordered a lot. Gyoza, shrimp tempura, and karage to start, and a bowl of the original tonkatsu ramen. Everything was delicious. Service kept my water glass full and delivered the food as soon as it was done. Hot food delivered quickly is a recipe for success. I know it says it's anime themed, but we sat close to the window and were more interested in people watching outside than looking around the restaurant. Also important is the post-meal; how will my body handle what I ate? I am happy to report that no ill effects befell me. Would definitely go back when in the neighborhood.

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    80. Seafood Udon Ramen

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    Dama - Vegetable pancake

    Dama

    4.0(5 reviews)
    0.5 mi•Bridgeport

    I came here during lunch time on a weekday. It wasn't busy. I ordered the food to go through a…read morekiosk machine. My food was ready after about a 10-minute wait. Luckily I checked my order after I got into the car. The order was not correct. I ordered the seafood tofu stew soup, Korean vegetable pancake, chicken katsu box, and the egg toastwich. Instead of giving me the chicken katsu box, they gave me a chicken katsu toastwich. I quickly went back in and they made the chicken katsu box. The owner was very nice. She says she can give me a free drink because of the mistake. I got their brown sugar milk tea. The chicken katsu was pretty good. The chicken was tender and moist. I wish there was more sauce on it. The vegetable pancake was ok. I wish it was more crispy. The seafood tofu stew soup was not too spicy. It was just right for me. The interior design is very stylish. If you dine in, a robot will deliver the food to your table. They have plenty of tables for dining in. The place looks clean and it is an open kitchen, so you can see the whole kitchen. I would go back again to try other food since I think they added more items to their menu since I was there.

    Dama is a big improvement on it's predecessor, Red Panda. Now they have self order kiosks where you…read morecan order food and drinks from. Still an amazing interior with several seating areas and different feels in each area. The problem is it's always empty, hopefully it picks up as the weather warms. Food is amazing, more of a Korean menu now with traditional boba tea offerings and still some sushi. They've added robot service as well which is always fun. Drinks are fast, food a bit slower. Really hoping this version sticks around longer.

    Photos
    Dama
    Dama - Chicken Katsu, egg toast sandwich, milk tea

    Chicken Katsu, egg toast sandwich, milk tea

    Dama

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    312 Fish Market

    312 Fish Market

    4.5(321 reviews)
    1.6 mi•Pilsen
    •$$

    I was really surprised. I did Uber Eats. Fish was varied and extremely fresh. I appreciated the…read moreattention to detail, from the perfect seasoning on the rice to the banana leaves in the to -go order and the tamper proof tape around the packaging. The quality to value ratio was also excellent. Definitely the best sushi delivery I've had in Chicago, by a long shot.

    I came here after hearing so many people rave about how fresh the fish is, so I had pretty high…read moreexpectations. Unfortunately, for me, it was just so-so. Some of the fish had a noticeable fishy smell, especially the salmon, which was disappointing considering freshness is supposed to be one of the highlights. The salad was okay, but nothing particularly memorable. The unagi don, however, was pretty good--the rice was nicely prepared, and overall it was one of the better dishes we tried. I also enjoyed the tea. The restaurant shares its floor with a market, so the area outside the restaurant can feel a little chaotic and busy, although once you're seated inside, the atmosphere is much calmer. Service was good and attentive throughout. Overall, there were some positives--good service, good tea, good rice, and a solid unagi don--but the sushi itself didn't quite live up to the hype for me, especially given all the praise about the freshness of the fish.

    Photos
    312 Fish Market
    312 Fish Market - Spicy Salmon

    Spicy Salmon

    312 Fish Market - The Kraken Special, Dragon Special Roll, Torched Salmon Maki Special, Hotate nigiri, and NEGI TORO HOSO

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    The Kraken Special, Dragon Special Roll, Torched Salmon Maki Special, Hotate nigiri, and NEGI TORO HOSO

    SUSHI-SAN - Truffle Shiitake Maki

    SUSHI-SAN

    4.3(1.3k reviews)
    4.2 mi•Near North Side
    •$$$

    LOVE this place! Booked us a reservation for our special day and we had the kindest server. Love…read morethe food and the experience we had. They have an express lunch deal if you're not looking at the main menu on the weekday, and it's affordable! Can't wait to come back when we're in Chicago!

    genuinely one of the worst service experiences i've had in chicago…read more my friends and i were seeing each other for the first time in almost a year, so we came in excited and talkative. somehow, this was interpreted as us being excessively intoxicated. we weren't. the alcohol itself was NEVER the issue. restaurants should refuse service when someone is visibly intoxicated. the issue was an assumption about our table becoming a game of telephone among the staff. there appeared to be a staff or shift change, and whatever concern existed about our supposed "intoxication" was passed along rather than independently assessed. we were told we needed to get "food in us" before ordering drinks. we ate, asked again, and ultimately had to ask at least THREE times before being served. even then, our server made a pointed comment about how we finally had "food in us." i've eaten at sushi-san before and ordered drinks before food without ANY issue, so the contrast was jarring. then, when my friend finally received her drink, she was specifically told, "it wasn't you." if it wasn't her, who exactly at our table had been designated the problem, and based on what? apparently there was plenty of communication ABOUT us, just none WITH us. meanwhile, patrons who appeared FAR more intoxicated continued to be served normally. i also experienced an explicitly racist interaction with another patron in the bathroom who appeared considerably more intoxicated than anyone at our table. obviously sushi-san cannot control another customer's behavior, but the contrast was hard to ignore. they eventually brought us a sake bomb to make amends, but it was delivered with such visible reluctance that the gesture felt almost insulting. by that point, we ordered considerably less than planned because we wanted to leave. if someone is genuinely too intoxicated to serve, address them directly and respectfully. don't pass assumptions between employees, make a table repeatedly ask for drinks after meeting your "food in us" requirement, and tell one person "it wasn't you" while leaving everyone else to wonder who had been singled out. we came in excited to see each other after almost a year apart and left early because of the service. for a restaurant at this price point, the way this was handled was embarrassingly unprofessional.

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    SUSHI-SAN - Interior

    Interior

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    Togarashi Chicken Nuggets

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