Amazing speakeasy omakase, street / hip hop vibe. Chefs were a great part of the experice, learned a lot about each nigiris flavor background. Jackies drinks were excellent and pack a punch. I'll be back for my birthday celebration. read more

This was my first omakase experience and simply wow. The setting was giving speakeasy -- it was intimate, with only 8 other people and then two chefs in a small, dimly lit room. This was arguably the best sushi I've had in Chicago -- we got to try 12 different pieces of nigiri / hand rolls. My favorites were the lean and fatty tuna pieces, the black miso cod hand roll, and the wagyu beef. The only one not for me was the salmon roe, I'm not a big fish eggs gal Minus trying to talk to one of the chefs about his background in sushi and him not giving two shits about chatting with me I'd say this was still a 10/10 experience LOL and I wish I could go to omakase on the regular read more

See all

My husband and I dined on 2/13/26 at this Sushi by Boū location inside the Emily hotel. Chef Jens was phenomenal, professional, and being served by him was the highlight of our evening but unfortunately many other factors led to a poor overall experience. First off, we had to wait over 30 minutes to get seated. For our 8pm 60-min 17-course Boujee omakase seating, we checked in at 7:55 and were told they were running 15 min late. We did not get seated till 8:35pm. We were then rushed out of the counter seating at 9:15pm and moved to the couch. Meanwhile, there was a party of 8 also seated with us at 8:35pm who continued to sit at the bar counter for at least an additional 10 minutes finishing their wine, beverages and food. We've been to other locations of Sushi by Boū and have never been kicked out of our seating, let alone in under 60 minutes. Additionally, we had planned to get an additional add-on hand roll at the end of the tasting experience, which is always allowed other times we've dined, but were strictly denied and asked to pay the bill because they were "running late." To try to remedy the situation, the bartender brought my husband a sake shot but it felt rather unprofessional and meaningless. Overall, this experience felt quite disappointing and not up-to-par with what we'd expect. read more

Sushi by Bou- Fulton Market Chicago @ Emily Hotel - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love sushi by bou! The sushi is so fresh and so creative. We've gone to all the locations and while the sushi was great, this location is probably lowest on the list. The room is like in a service hallway and you have to wait in the hotel lobby before you go in. The actual dining room is pretty cramped as well. Still a great meal just not my favorite of the locations. Service was great however do want to note it was my actual birthday and they didn't do anything special even though my husband noted it in the reservation and called them before hand. Maybe don't celebrate anything special but otherwise service was great. read more

See all

From making the reservation online to my entire experience for omakase, my party and I had a great time. Everything went by smoothly and the staff was friendly. Each sushi piece was delicious and well done by the chef Sebastian. We were also helped by Roger and Tashon. My party and I would highly recommend and come back. read more

See all

Wow!! I don't give 5 stars often. Dinner was phenomenal. The place was cozy and intimate. The staff was amazing, friendly and good service. Being short, it was hard for me to get up on the bar chair. Sebastian was a good chef and the tastes of the different piece was spectacular. Melt in your mouth with flavor that made you want more. First time for omakase. Did not disappoint. Tried some fish that I never had. Being a simple sushi of salmon and unagi. Hamachi, raw scallop, uni all delicious. First time but will not be the last. read more

See all

I went with my friends a few weeks ago who were visiting out of town for the weekend and had a fabulous time! Everything was delicious (Shout out Chef Sebastian) and we were taken great care of. We did have to wait a bit before being brought back, but once we were seated it was great. A special thank you to everyone working there- Tashon, Jackie Chef Jens and Chef Sebastian. They were a lot of fun and made the experience very memorable. Would definitely recommend a visit! read more

Stopped in on a Monday evening for a birthday dinner and decided to try the "Bougie" Omakase experience, which is a 17 course. We absolutely loved how fresh and flavorful each piece was. Me being a newbie decided to ask for soy sauce on the side, later realizing that it was not needed as the chef dresses each piece in its own way. The experience is an hour long but it was just perfect. 10/10 read more

See all

Sushi by Bou is my favorite sushi in the city. The fish is fresh, the drinks are delicious, the team is friendly and entertaining and the 90s hip hop theme is so fun. For the price point and experience, I cannot recommend it enough. If you love sushi and want to try an omakase experience, you NEED to try Sushi by Bou! read more

See all

A phenomenal Japanese culinary experience at Sushi by Bou. This has a speakeasy setup, tucked away at the back of Emily hotel. It is best for celebrations or even tasting. The fish quality is very good. Service is really great as well. The chef makes the entire course in front of you. 12 pieces of the adventure costs $65, and 17 pieces costs $100. 20% gratuity is to be added. I highly recommend Sushi By Bou. They only have room for 10 people at a time. Reservations is recommended. read more

See all

Wow what an omakase experience hidden inside the Emily hotel. A unique experience from the moment you arrive there is a little lounge to have a drink before or after your sushi experience. The menu is listed on the walk in the order you receive the sushi pieces. If you choose the bougie upgrade the additional 5 pieces rotate and change from time to time. The apple high ball cocktail was phenomenal and a nice twist on a classic cocktail. Service was great and the experience with the chef describing everything before each course is wonderful. Overall great experience to try omakase or return for more . read more

See all

Waited to eat here during restaurant week to get a bang for my buck! This was also my first ever omakase experience and I loved it! For restaurant week, the deal is a 12 course omakase menu for $60. It's located inside the Emily Hotel and is kinda hidden. The place itself is just one small room that only seats about 10 people at the counter. The vibes inside were cool and intimate with hip hop vibes and dim lighting. They were accommodating as I was late to my reservation but thankfully my friend was there on time. Since I was late they just plated my sushi for me so I was able to snag a decent picture! The fish itself was so fresh and it's cool to see the chefs making each piece right in front of you. I used to not like raw sushi but lately it's been growing on me. Cool experience and I highly recommend! read more

See all

The omakase experience food wise was ok over all, pretty basic. The restaurant itself is underwhelming, I was expecting a really cool hip hop vibe, but everything from the chairs, to the plates and decor was cheap and falling a part. The lighting is very bright which also killed the vibe. You only get one hour in the restaurant, and in my experience it was even less than an hour since the group before us ran late. They tell you that you can order à la carte once the omakase is done, but there was only 10 minutes left and the chef told us it wasn't enough time to order anything extra. We left still hungry! With there only being room for 10 people at a time, I was expecting the chefs to be talking with us and explaining each dish but no they were just totally silent. With Chicago having so many other great Omakase options, would very much recommend going elsewhere! read more

Had Sushi by Bou in Lincoln Park location before so I made a reservation to try this location. I was a bit disappointed; perhaps it comes with expectations. Same menu as Lincoln park location. I didn't like that it's super dark and also feeling crammed without having much personal space with the people next to me. Sushi chefs were not friendly as LP location and they did not engage in any conversation. read more

See all

Definitely not coming back. Not traditional omakase. The fish wasn't as fresh as I expected. The rice is warm! Like hot when served with sushi. For the price I could have gone to a mediocre sushi restaurant and gotten the same. Not worth it. Also started off with yellowtail which is a fatty piece. Usually traditional omakase will start off with the leanest piece. A good place if you're not familiar with omakase and want an intro but I would not call this the traditional Japanese omakase. read more

Loved Sebastian, Jackie and Skye. Food and service were excellent. Sebastian's modifications to the course were excellent! Just got back from Japan and was worried I wouldn't find good sushi in the states. But this place was fantastic. Thank you Chef! read more

Sushi by Bou offers a great omakase experience for newcomers who haven't had the experience before. I took advantage of their $70 BOGO deal this summer. The space channels an old school speakeasy atmosphere, which I respect their dedication to the bit but finding restaurant was a tricky. Shoutout to the helpful front desk at the Emily Hotel! I appreciate how casual the whole occasion was. Our chef even moved to give me a better angle to take pictures. Each serving was fresh and it was fun chatting with the chef in between courses. I admittedly have a big appetite and had to grab a bite after my meal. Sushi by Bou does offer an al carte menu for anyone interested at the end of the experience but the venue is small (12 seats) so my friend and I wanted to try something new afterwards. read more

Sushi by Bou- Fulton Market Chicago @ Emily Hotel - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing experience. Chef Jens is a complete professional. Presentation, flavors, attitude, it was all amazing. Music and lighting was great, shoutout the captain. I seriously cannot say enough good things about Chef Jens. Everytime I come back to Sushi by Bou I will be requesting that absolute legend. He is without a doubt the Tom Brady of Omakaze. Thank you Chef Jens. read more

Sushi by Bou- Fulton Market Chicago @ Emily Hotel - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was my second omakase experience and it was delicious! After a few bites, I knew I'd want to come back. It didn't want it to end. I even did an a La carte and got the Big Mac. It was delicious! So many flavors of all things inside the roll. Sushi by bou is a signature timed omakase experience. The ambiance is inspired by the Hip Hop Era of the 90s, with graffiti-covered walls, playlists dedicated to the best of the '90s Hip Hop, and murals of Chicago Hip Hop legends. There are 10 seats to the counter and they have a lounge to hang out and enjoy craft cocktails and the great music! I really liked the options they served during the omakase and I got the Big Mac after. Soo good! I'd come back! It was a very cool experience! read more

See all

Had a great experience and loved the energy of Tashon (hope I spelled that right) and the crew that worked Oct. 26th. Food was excellent as always but the hospitality was even better than usual. Thanks again for a great evening. read more

Sushi by Bou- Fulton Market Chicago @ Emily Hotel - A few pieces from the bougie omakase and caviar service. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love the 90's vibes. We did the BOGO omakase deal and it was so worth it. For a La carte pieces, we got the Big Mac (wagyu, toro, scallop & uni - however they ran out of uni this night and did additional toro as a substitute) and maguro. I can always count on Sushi by Bou for a good quality omakase at an affordable price. Drinks: - old fashioned pearl - kyusho cove - I'm not a big drinker but I enjoyed this drink! Alcohol is subtle and it's a good fruity cocktail I'm allergic to raw shrimp but the chef was accommodating to provide me a different fish. read more

Sushi by Bou- Fulton Market Chicago @ Emily Hotel - Big Mac - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Such a cool concept. We love Omakase and had not had one in Chicago since moving here. Our experience at Sushi by Bou was incredible. We loved that it is a small venue which felt more intimate. And the decor was super cool. The sushi was super fresh and it was so fun trying things we would have not even thought about before. Perfectly made in front of you and the perfect bite size. The servers were also really attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. I would love to come back and also try their other venues. read more

See all

Food: 12 courses is not going to feel any guilty because each piece is about half size of the regular sushi. The rice might stayed a little bit longer when we arrive, the bite getting bitter. I'd give a 3/5 on food. Service: our sushi master is nice and patient, repeat everything that what we can't hear from the busy background music. One of the server seems not well trained and not familiar with the menu, or just double check the price before you order. So 3/5 for the service. Ambiance: this is the most unique omakase experience I ever had, located in the hotel, 10-12 seat in total with a hip hop style interior, escape from the quiet mode to a enjoyable vibe. 5/5 star Price: $100/2ppl Total 3.5/5 read more

See all

My friends and I visited here during restaurant week and it was pretty good value. $60 for 12 pieces of omakase. The sushi were fresh and every piece had unique flavor to it. Our chef was kind and explained each piece carefully. We did order additional sushi after receiving all the pieces cause we loved them so much. The service was great and our waitress was so sweet. One thing though is that because everyone has reservation, if your party arrive late they will still begin the omakase without the whole party. At first I felt like I was being rushed but I understand the time limit. read more

Sushi by Bou- Fulton Market Chicago @ Emily Hotel - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went to this location for my birthday, and it was AMAZING! Not only did they have great quality sushi, but they also drank with me to celebrate. Tashon, Roger, and Chef Non were absolutely a joy to hang out with. The atmosphere is also very unique with a hip-hop inspired theme. I highly recommend not just for the food, but for the employees as well. read more

Sushi by Bou- Fulton Market Chicago @ Emily Hotel - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I've had a lot of omakase in my life, probably have been to at least 50 different places. This is by far the worst omakase I've ever had. I went in with extremely reasonable expectations knowing that this omakase was on a lower price point. But I still don't find that to excuse the overall poor dining experience, especially because I've had top notch omakase experiences for $65 dollars in places like Orange County and New York. Pro: - quick experience (set to finish meal within an hour) - the workers are really nice - Toro nigiri was good although my husband said his piece was chewy because there was tendon left on it Con: - despite having reservations, they ran behind and we waited almost 30 mins past our reservation time - I was bummed that my favorite fish (salmon), was by far the worst piece we had. It was chewy and fishy, and I often judge a place if they can't get a basic fish right. - the sushi rice was terrible, bland, and tasted stale - the salmon handroll with everything seasoning had a strange flavor profile and I struggled to finish it - despite our sushi chef being super nice, I couldn't help but notice he didn't change his gloves when making my toro nigiri after he made the waygu nigiri. I don't eat beef and told them it was a dietary restriction. Better food safety is needed if someone has a serious allergy Our bill was close to $150 with all that said and done, money that would be much better spent elsewhere. Absolutely not worth it. read more

We had such a great time! The service from Tashon and Chef Sebastian was top notch. The space is small and intimate with cool hip-hop speakeasy vibes, which makes the whole experience feel special and personal. We ordered the yuzu lemonade, which paired perfectly with the omakase. Every piece of sushi was absolutely delicious, and Chef Sebastian went above and beyond to accommodate my girlfriend's allergies without missing a beat. It was our first omakase, and it definitely set the bar high! There was some delicious food, fun atmosphere, and great value for the quality. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

This was our first omakase experience, and wow were we impressed. We got a really intimate experience with the sushi chef as we were the only ones in the small room dining at our reservation time - likely the result of a 5pm reservation in a Wednesday. We did the "bougie" experience that gave us 17 pieces (I believe standard is 12), and we also ordered two additional pieces each along with cocktails and sake. I made sure to select the upgraded experience when making the OpenTable reservation. I cannot recall the sake I ordered, but I enjoyed it and the server was very nice to help me pick something out I would enjoy (I'm largely inexperienced in my sake palate). The cocktail I had was a seasonal flavored espresso martini - one of the best ones I've ever had! As for the sushi, my favorite was the toro (tuna belly) and the Big Mac bite (one of the a la carte add-ins we enjoyed). I should also mention the vibe inside was super cool and unique. There was classic hip hop/rap playing the whole time and awesome graffiti on the walls. This combined with really attentive and friendly service made the experience even better, and definitely justified the larger bill at the end of the night. It's not an every week or month type of meal, but we will be back for a fun, celebratory type of event! read more

See all

Wow. It's simply impossible that fine dining could be this fantastic. Tashon, Jens, and Jackie rolled out the red carpet so amazingly, you would have thought our last name was Bou. Chef Sebastian was simply breathtaking. We've had omakase at some of the world's leading places in Miami, in Seattle, in NYC, and Tokyo (all the ones we're supposed to love) led by folks who were trained by one of the global icons. But, I have to say that Chef Sebastian's ability to create absolutely new and inventive tastes and flavors - while adhering to simple and gorgeous presentations - was simply unmatched. While Sebastian was working his magic, the rest of the team was working hard to make sure every other part of the experience was simply flawless. Water? Always full. Cocktails? We were always asked about how we enjoyed each one well before each was empty, by the expert mixologist who was able to explain the difference between how American mint and Japanese mint can enhance the flavor of certain beverages. Plates? Cleared instantly. Feedback welcomed by the chef? Absolutely. The energy level is not "watch me make your next item while the brightly lit room cowers in awkward silence" - like so many high end omakase spots. This experience is more like "Do you want to be sad when your dinner ends because you don't know when you're ever going to feel this happy with a meal?" There's so much more I could say, including how the effective background music vibes by Utah's legendary R&B midtempo DJ T-Sizzle made us want to sing the staff's praises all evening long. Here's the only problem. Every single dish was so spectacular that we can't even pretend to have a favorite. But what we all noticed is how carefully Chef Seb curated each one with a unique combination of subtle flavors that it felt that ALL of the entire meal was just our favorite. Thank you so much, Team Sushi by Bou Fulton Market! read more

See all

Lively, fun atmosphere omakase.. perfect for a girls' night. Had a delicious meal where each bite was described beautifully by Chef Sebastian. Lots of special preparations and great conversation with the chef. The entire team here was personable and fun - which really made for a memorable night out. Thanks Chefs Sebastian and Chef Jens for fantastic sushi. Bartender Tashon had great recommendations and kept the sake flowing. We had a fantastic, fun night out with well crafted food and drinks. read more

Super cool space, u didn't realize how intimate it was! Service was amazing! Super quick and the chef did a great job explaining everything! I did the 17 course boujie lunch! I left feeling full, each piece was unique. I loved the pieces that had the pickle wasabi! We were in and out within an hour! read more

Sushi by Bou- Fulton Market Chicago @ Emily Hotel - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Amazing service and experience. Do yourself a favor and call and ask for Skye . The chefs and drinks are worth every penny!!!

This sushi bar serves up omakase with a speakeasy vibe - a bit of a hip hop setting. I made reservations here a week in advance and made used of their limited BOGO deal - $70 for 2 people (normal price $65/person for 12 pieces). This review will be based on normal price as most often, people won't have this promo. We got a reservation for 5pm and got seated shortly after. I got the shiso leaf drink that is vodka based that is really good and fairly strong. For the 12 pieces, they have the menu written on the board on one side of the sushi bar so it is really friendly for people that are fairly new to omakase. However, the pieces are tiny and so 12 pieces alone are far from enough for a sufficient meal. It is more like snack, so people would tend to pay extra for 5 more pieces for their "bougie" omakase, and can also pay extra for a la carte pieces of items off the omakase. If you want a meal that is sufficiently filling, you are going to end up paying about the same or just a little less than a higher quality omakase, but the quality here is not as good. The quality of the fish here is good but not amazing, just sufficient for a casual omakase. Additionally, we didn't really get the value since they didn't have uni as part of the menu so instead they gave us more toro as part of the surf and turf. They also did not wipe the ikura juices off the plate for subsequent courses so all the other pieces have ikura juice in it which messes up getting the full flavor of the subsequent pieces which is a no no. The plus of this place is that there is not much commitment needed - if this is your first omakase then I would recommend since it is affordable and not much food. Also, the experience is one of the fastest - for our 12 pieces, it took us only 40 minutes from getting seated to paying the bill and leaving the restaurant. You get what you pay for. read more

See all

This is my favorite place in the city. Skye and tashon and chef Jen's are amazing!!!! There is no better experience. I am back every month and take all of my sushi buddies with me. read more

To say I love it here is such an understatement. I came the first time bc the $60 omakase deal is too good to pass up but I come back because it's just so damn good. I come back for the scallop course and the miso cod specifically. I've been to a couple of the locations around Chicago and the Fulton market one is by far my favorite. It's an intimate speakeasy and the whole restaurant is a single room with 6-8 seats so if you have an earlier resy there's a smallllll chance you have the whole place to yourselves like we did this night. Even if you do share the space it's a fun experience and absolutely worth a visit. The music is super cool all 90s hip hop the night we were there, everyone who works there is a delight and next time I definitely want to try the sake pairing along with the omakase. We were in and out in 40 minutes flat including an extra drink after the meal but nothing felt rushed, just straight sushi to the face the whole time which is exactly what I wanted. Kiss on the forehead to everyone at this location and thanks for letting us be dorks and take pictures of every time the chef blow torched something. We'll be back!! read more

See all

This was my second time coming to this location. The first time we came the chefs and sushi was fantastic and the whole experience was wonderful. Today the rice seamed a bit off, it was a bit chewy/mushy and almost too hot. It threw off the whole taste of the courses. I was going to mention the taste in rice but wasn't sure who to tell as the courses go so fast. The chefs were still great. read more

Great vibe in terms of music and food. Total speakeasy. However, a few things: 1. They started late, and rushed us. Literally was being asked to move to the sofa area before I could finish eating. 2. A bit heavy on the Wasabi, I had asked for less a few rolls in. 3. The host was also extremely loud at the start when welcoming the table, almost militant. Food was excellent, and priced really well. I will give it another try, maybe just an off night. PS. Headbands were cute, should have handed them out earlier and let people have fun wearing them during dinner. read more

Insane value. With a promo code, you can get $60 for a 17-course lunch. Our chef didn't really interact with us much (maybe his English wasn't good?), so it was a little different from what I expected from my first counter service omakase. Starting with the bad: wasabi was pretty inconsistent. Some pieces exploded my nose while others were fine. The good: I don't want to have to rattle off all of the courses, but pretty much every course was excellent. Really cool and unique underground hip-hop ambiance. This is the best deal on omakase around. Highly recommend! read more

Sushi by Bou- Fulton Market Chicago @ Emily Hotel - Toro - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sushi by bou was a good experience if you're looking for something quick, solid, and not super extravagant. 10 courses in an hour for $60 with the option to add on anything you tried at the end (each piece varies by price but was ~$10 extra per piece). Small, intimate space with a speakeasy type vibe inside the Emily Hotel. read more

See all

Amazing quality. Unbeatable price & vibe! Definitely will be back! Ump was a great chef. read more

Sushi by Bou- Fulton Market Chicago @ Emily Hotel - fresh af - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois