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.

Ask for Harumi - She is the most wonderful, nicest server ever and knows the best recommendations…read moreon the menu! If you're looking for the most authentic Japanese food outside the city, seems like this and a couple other places are all in the Schaumburg/Elk Grove Village area. Highly recommend hitting their lunch menu if you can because the bento box values are so worth it for authentic Japanese food/sushi. We got there at opening for dinner on a Saturday and got there just before dinner rush! This place is such a hidden authentic gem - you can tell from the decor to the choice of seating design to the actual menu and way they cook the RICE and other dishes. They serve the same grain for sushi as they do regular rice (Tamaki gold). Quality is not skipped here. We got the agedashi tofu (must get appetizer, as it's hard to really every achieve at home cooking), house special curry katsu, the beef kurumaya gozen (bento box) (which has incredible tempura, juicy soft beef), and assorted sashimi platter (I forget the name). All come highly recommended and were well worth the price point. I am just a bit sensitive about the freshness of the sushi, but I think this is probably as fresh as you can possibly get with generous cuts outside the city. Everything down to the miso soup too was delicious - best place to take your friends/family/coworkers for an authentic Japanese meal. Parking lot available out front. Recommend also stopping by Tensuke market nearby after!

I will say I have been to this restaurant many times in the past and the food and service was…read moregreat. I went back a couple days ago and everything has changed. The menu is much less, the food portions are less, and the container the food comes in is plastic and made for to go orders even though we dined in. The service was also not very friendly and when our waitress brought our food, she didn't even smile or say anything. She just plopped down the food and walked off. This used to be my favorite restaurant but I don't think I'm coming back.

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.

I've now been here twice in less than two weeks and the first review was for my first visit for…read morelunch. This is now my updated review as a purposefully came back for a dinner on a Friday night. You should try to make a reservation because on this particular Friday night they actually were full. And you can do it online through their website. The dinner menu is significantly different from the lunch menu. It is much more expensive with a lot more choices, especially as it pertains to the sushi and the cold as well as hot appetizers. You also have the option during dinner to order a sushi tray whether it is a Nigiri sashimi or maki tray. And if you sit there and do the math if you order the trays, they're a lot cheaper, but you have to like what the options are on the tray. You can tell by the pictures we ordered quite a bit of food as usual for dinner. Everything was so super fresh and delicious as usual. Everything came out with really good timing as well. We had a completely different waitress and a team of of servers this evening and all of them were absolutely friendly and helpful and attentive. This is got to be my new go to for authentic Japanese. You can also tell because while we were there the patrons coming in were Japanese in majority. I cannot say enough about this place being amazing with incredible quality fish, and a great menu.

Very friendly staff and the fresh fried food and soup were good…read more The sashimi (otoro, fatty salmon, ikura) were very good, melt in your mouth level of deliciousness. The yakitori had issues, most of our skewers tasted reheated or cold, which was then reheated anyways. I think they have staffing issues as well. Ordered a lemon sour and it was flat due to having flat soda water. They kindly replaced it with a slightly less flat soda water. Strong recommendation for the otoro and sashimi cuts. Maybe double check if yakitori is hot before ordering more.

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.

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.

Yo this place smacks, I brought my parrot, Lucky, with me and he really enjoyed the Hokkaido broth…read more I had to bring some home for the rest of the birds

This was hands down some of the best ramen I've ever had. The broth was packed with flavor and…read moretasted like it had been simmering forever in the best way. Every bite was comforting and rich without being too heavy. The edamame was surprisingly amazing, perfectly seasoned and super fresh. And the shrimp tempura? Chef's kiss. Soft on the inside, light and crunchy on the outside, and not greasy at all. Everything we ordered hit. You can tell a lot of care goes into the food here. Definitely coming back next time I'm craving ramen.

At first I was skeptical of coming here because of how late they are open. However, the food was…read morevery fresh and delicious. Service was very fast and the workers are very kind. Definitely recommend this spot, will be coming back!

Nikko is the best spot in the burbs to grab fresh made to order sushi. The apps were amazing well…read moreput together .. and the rolls and nigiri had the right amount of rice to fish ratio. Unlike them ayce places that serve warm rice and a huge ballad bland fish ( ahem ahem royal sushi). Nikko does it right. Quality of fish is A1 and service is on point. Friendly peeps in there. This is my fav sushi spot a hidden gem

We stopped at Tensuke Market for a couple of reasons:…read more 1. It was a non-food truck night at Mikerphone Brewing, and we wanted a snack. 2. We ran out of rice at home; a staple for this Filipina! I was pleased with the quality of food here, variety, and helpful store employees, that I plan to return again soon, even if it is a little farther for us to travel. Let's just say, I am avoiding the parking lot mess and longer lines at nearby H-Mart or Jong Boo in Schaumburg. I appreciate that my favorite brown sushi rice cones in a 5 or 15 pound bag. And there is a good variety of sauces and seasonings to make my favorite dishes at home. The food court here is a definite must and the salmon sushi roll with soy paper we had was so fresh, the salmon was "like butter." The ingredients, with a little bit of spice inside, went well with the fruit kissed brews at nearby Mikerphone Brewing. They let you b.y.o. food at the brewery, so Tensuke makes a convenient stop. The sweet lady at the register complimented my choice of the Hello Kitty Soy Sauce bottle. (So I am a sucker for cute condiments!) I look forward to trying some hot food items here, next visit.

We've been to Tensuke Market Food Court a couple of times over the past few years, and it feels…read morelike an underrated spot compared to the H Mart Food Court. If you're looking for quick eats while doing some Asian grocery shopping, it's definitely worth checking out. One thing I really like is that finding a table isn't difficult. They have a separate dining hall with plenty of long tables and seating, plus a free-refill miso soup station and a water station for convenience. Pricing here is noticeably lower compared to Hmart. The udon noodle soup is a family favorite, especially for our kids and moms. At Hmart, a bowl of this would run about $15-16 but here for $12.50, you get a generous bowl plus a side like two egg rolls or gyoza, and a small miso soup bowl with seaweed and tofu (you can refill the miso soup at the station). If you skip the side, you save about $1. The Godzilla roll is also a great deal--eight large pieces for about $14. My oldest loved it and was completely full from the sushi. They also offer poke bowls and chicken teriyaki rice plates, which my husband ordered during our visit. My only gripe is that many of the dishes tend to be on the salty side--they could definitely tone that down. Our udon broth tasted good, but we ended up adding some water to dilute it. They also offer discounted cooked hot and cold items--sometimes 30% to 50% off--after the dinner rush (probably after 7 PM). I picked up a large container kimchi pork soup to go for under $5 but it was also quite salty so I took most of it home, added more water and it was perfect as leftovers next day. Ordering is simple: you select your items and pay at a kiosk, enter your buzzer number, and it will vibrate when your food is ready for pickup at the counter. Eating inside a grocery store has its perks--you can grab extra snacks or drinks to customize your meal, and then browse the store afterward. Our moms and kids always enjoy coming here with us--it's definitely more fun for them than a typical grocery run. Overall, prices are reasonable and they run good deals. It's smaller than H Mart, so there are fewer options, but if you prefer a less crowded and more relaxed environment, you might actually like Tensuke better.

Discovered this place by chance and ive always wanted to try something like this. I was overwhelmed…read morewith the Ramen selection snd would probably have to go back again n qgqin to try most of it. They do have free toppings like green onion, bean sprout, corn and onions. The place is very spacious. Mostly a self serve except when you check out but service was still good. I want to try the kimbab and teokboki when i go back and they also have a few selections of bubble tea. Will definifely be back. Happy eating!

Somewhat gimmicky, but if you're looking for a unique experience , this might be the place to go…read more They have shelves of all sorts of Ramen, although to be honest, you might be able to finance your local H Mart. They sell these things for about six dollars a packet. Not a pack, but one packet. Once you pick your Ramen, they give you a dispensable bowl, and you head into those water stations and press appropriate number to heat up your water. Remember, you have to cook the ramen yourself. They have some free toppings, but if you want a softball egg, that's an additional charge. After it's all said and done with the three of us, I paid around $46, which included drinks

It was our first time trying this stall at the Mitsuwa Food Court in Arlington Heights. Good news…read moreis that I now have a new favorite that can alternate with, and is at par with, our all-time favorite bowl of ramen from the Santouka stall! I ordered the Special Tempura Plate and it was Oishi! Yes, with an upper case O! Absolutely delicious! The service was friendly and fast, considering that they cook each plate or bowl to order. It was so good and so fresh that we decided to order two more pieces of the white fish tempura to add to our meal and 4 more to go for my mom who loves fish. The very friendly guy at the counter advised that I use an air flyer to warm the fish up at home. The Food Court is of course not a place you go to when you look for ambiance, but it definitely has the Japanese vibe with the variety of Japanese food that you can select from. It is also a plus that it is in Mitsuwa Market so that you can shop after getting your belly full of deliciousness!

Absolutely delighted for this newer spot in the food court! I had the combo with hot soba and a…read moreveggie tempura rice bowl. My husband had a combo with cold soba and tempura. The noodles were cooked perfectly and I really liked my soup. The tempura was nice and crispy, but I would have liked some sauce for it that wasn't spicy chili. Though, the chili oil was good - hot but not too much so. My husband was also happy with his meal, and I did steal some of his tempura sauce. We didn't have to wait too long even though everything was made to order. The staff were friendly and patient with my indecisive self. I'm definitely going to be back, hopefully sooner rather than later. While I do prefer udon, soba is a great change of pace and I'm happy for the added variety of food offerings!

Wow. I found myself…read morein Arlington Heights, and my buddy suggested this place due to an upcoming trip to Japan in 2027. It's a Japanese market that features an amazing food court (and this is where I spent all my time.) I don't recall the name of the stall I purchased from. But I can tell you it was quick, not expensive and very filling. I had a bowl with beef and noodles; for dessert I hit the matcha dessert stall for some matcha and vanilla ice cream. The whole place meal me feel like I was dining outside the state of Illinois. The service from everyone in the market was very friendly and they even had a sake/soju tasting by the front door (and the vendors allowed you try was much as you wanted.) I highly recommend this spot

If you love Japanese culture, food, and want to visit a neat place and kind of feel like you are…read morevisiting Japan, you need to visit Mitsuwa! Not only is there a food court of different Japanese restaurants to try, there is also a grocery store, bakery, bookstore, and stores that sell ice cream, traditional desserts, as well as crepes and boba tea! My family and I visit here often every year and we like to try the different foods and desserts and then check out the bookstore and grocery store afterwards. My favorite foods so far have been the beef udon soup with a soft boiled egg, shrimp and vegetable tempura, miso soup, and Japanese curry with rice, beef, and vegetables (carrots and potatoes). My son always gets the chicken and beef on a stick and my daughter usually gets a garlic pork dish with white rice but I forget what this dish is called. My husband also enjoys the beef udon soup like I do. I swear that whenever my food is finished, I am legit sad! The crepes are good, there is a variety of boba teas to try, and the ice creams are delicious! Lychee has been my favorite so far but I have yet to try the matcha, red bean, among others! You can get a small sample of different ice cream flavors too, which is nice! I sampled the red bean flavor so that will be my go-to next time! At the grocery store, I love buying Happy Turn snacks which are like a sweet and salty crunchy cracker (maybe it is made of rice?) that are individually wrapped and mochi from the fridge area. Finally, I usually like to buy mochi from the store right next to the bookstore. The mochi from this location is the best! I usually buy multiple flavors to take home and eat at a later time! You must try these! My kids love checking out the bookstore and they usually pick something out for me to buy for them - whether it is a book, keychain, etc. There are magazines, anime figurines, soft plushy toys, pens, and stationary, etc. It is interesting to browse through the things they have there! You cannot bring food or drinks inside but they do have a shelf at the entrance where you can place your drink there if you like. The first time visiting here, the majority of the customers were Asians and as the years have passed, there is now more of an influx of non-Asians who simply love the food and appreciate the culture, which I think is neat! The first time I visited here was with my college roommate who was from Japan and she recommended this place back in 2009 perhaps? I have been visiting ever since with my family. We travel more than an hour from Wisconsin to come here but it is 100% worth the drive! Also, the cashiers and workers there are quick, efficient, and friendly. I have even been able to practice a few of the Japanese phrases I have learned with a couple of the cashiers too (I asked if they spoke Japanese first)! Overall, Mitsuwa is my happy place! Great food, interesting finds, different culture, and everyone there looks excited to be there. This is as close to visiting Japan as I can get until I keep learning more Japanese and save up enough money to go visit Japan someday! This is my dream! In the meantime, we will keep visiting Mitsuwa!