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    Wakamono

    3.6 (595 reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 11:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Wakamono Photos

    Business Info

    WAKAMONO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Wakamono

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    First visit to Wakamono in February three of us enjoyed an evening meal which was delicious.

    First visit in February was very sstisfying with friendly, good service and food. In June, during a 4 pm visit, the staff was visibly indifferent, milling around each other waiting for someone else to take our order.

    Maria N.

    Very cute and cool spot for a Friday night. Went with friends, and had a great time! Service was spectacular, and the vibes were good. Nestled in a cute walkable community next to a ton of other amazing spots, bars, clubs, etc. The food was good! Not the most authentic sushi Ive had, but not bad. The appetizers were absolutely delicious. The drinks were fire! And the service, again was on point. Better for a good "sushi experience".

    Edamame, veggie gyoza, & wine
    Laura E.

    I'm visiting extended family from out of town and Wakamono is within walking distance. We were seated right away and the restaurant wasn't too crowded. For appetizers, we had edamame and veggie gyoza. Gyoza were good but we felt the edamame could have used more salt. Even though we asked for more salt, we still couldn't taste it once it was brought back to us. I've had edamame many times and I've definitely had better elsewhere. My uncle and I wanted the Kani Chung roll but unfortunately they didn't have any kani. :( I got the wakamono roll and don't remember what he got. Aunt had the hot honey chicken, which was a big portion. We also had some wine. They brought out mini taiyaki - so good! Hopefully they'll have the Kani Cumg roll next time and I'd try other items on the menu. They have lots of options for sushi and non-sushi lovers alike!

    Drinks menu
    Madeleine B.

    We came on a weeknight and had no trouble getting seats. The ambience is really cool and modern. We shared: - spicy trio - wakamono - maki Mexicano - lobster rolls (appetizer) - vegetable gyoza (appetizer) - salmon roll Everything was really good. The salmon rolls were my favorite though.

    Lesley M.

    I happened upon this place while looking in the local area for a sushi place that was open after the game. This restaurant blew it out of the water with delicious sushi. My family could not get over how delicious everything tasted. I wasn't in the mood for sushi so I went with yakisoba. You can definitely tell it was hot and fresh because the yakisoba was steaming hot and it was delicious. The bowl was packed full of noodles, chicken, and sauce. Our server was very quiet, but friendly provide provided great service to our table. After all the sushi was ordered our boys wanted desserts. Our server even brought a free platter of desserts for us as to share since it was close to choosing time. Bookmarking this place to come back again when we're in town.

    Interior
    Anthony D.

    Stopped in on a Saturday night and the place was lively. We sat near the window where there is a small koi pond which is fun, the fish kept swimming by hoping for a handout. We tried the: - Peter Parker Roll - Chicken Katsu Curry The curry was flavorful and filling. The chicken was crispy and the vegetables were cooked perfectly. The Peter Parker Roll was great as well, you get a good portion. The bar next door is next on our list to check out.

    Derek M.

    Some of the best, flavorful sushi and fried calamari I've ever had! That's hard to say after living in Japan for 5 years too!!! My boy's ordered plate after plate of the nigiri. We all favored the salmon the most. My wife's yakisoba looked delicious as well. The two servers were very friendly, but I'll admit the dark atmosphere made it very hard to read without my glasses. We are definitely bookmarking this restaurant to visit again when we come back into town.

    Tam N.

    The sushi is absolutely beautiful. I loved the presentation with the little flowers. The flavors were well balanced and the fish tasted fresh. The service was also great, our server promptly answered our questions about specials and ingredients. For an early fall dinner, we sat outside, which was still very enjoyable.

    Divya V.

    So I was debating whether this place should get a 5/5 rating as we had to wait good 15 mins for our table despite reserving a spot in advance, however, the food and hospitality of this place totally stole the 5 rating from me! I visited this place with a friend for dinner and drinks and the experience was great! As soon as you are seated, they offer warm napkins to get refreshed and also offer complimentary sesame seed beans for tasting. For drinks I tried the Pear Martini and my friend ordered a black Manhattan, drinks were definitely good! I loved eating the pear slices that were added in the martini in the end! For food, we ordered scallion pancakes to share. I ordered a mushroom yakisoba for my mains and my friend ordered a vegetarian sushi! I love Yakisoba noodles and very few places offer it, so I was glad to find a spot that serves good yakisoba! Overall, the place has huge seating space. They have booths, tables, bar seating as well as private intimate cozy spots! I have been a fan of asian restaurants in the Lakeview area since a while now, the list just keeps getting better!

    Yo Yo Ramen
    Anirudh J.

    I love a good ramen place and I wasn't disappointed! The chic Japanese styling around the restaurant and attentive service made it a welcoming experience! The food itself was delicious! The broth was well balanced, and paired with the chili oil ($2 extra, insane), it had a great kick! The eggs were nothing outstanding by any means. The biggest gripe I had was the pork belly! I live the crunch it has with the seasoning and all. However, when I think of pork belly, I am thinking of a melt-in-your-mouth piece of meat. Unfortunately, it didn't have that crucial piece. I'd love to come back here later on and try the pork belly again, but there are many other ramen restaurants to explore as well around Chicago!

    Scallop sashimi
    Eve S.

    Wakamono is always a 10/10 for me. I've suggested this local Lakeview sushi spot to everyone I know because it's THAT good. The service is always great and the ambiance is a perfect mixture of lively and laid back.

    Sho yu ramen pork belly
    Betty U.

    Feels like stepping into Japan town with this lovely authentic Japanese interior design, tables seating, and very professional, friendly and courteous waitresses. After wiping your hands with a moist towel, your taste buds are immediately satiated with appetizers like buttered mushrooms, fresh gomae, perfectly made gyoza and many main dishes, like my favorite sho yu ramen pork belly. A little pricier than expected, and was surprised a service charge was automatically added to our bill with only five people.

    Rock n Roll and Peter Parker

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    17 days ago

    This place is amazing. Ambiance is 10/10. Food is 10/10 and the service is far above par.

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    Page 1 of 15

    Ask the Community - Wakamono

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    It has a full bar.

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    STR Sushi Taku Rotary

    STR Sushi Taku Rotary

    4.6
    (341 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$$

    This was probably the nicest rotary sushi that I have been to. Also, not only is it rotary sushi,…read moreit's all you can eat! We came around 215 and were told the kitchen closed at 245 due to lunch service ending. The rotary was consistently stocked with lots of options. Part of their all you can eat is being able to order off the menu as well. I ordered one roll off this menu. Service was friendly. I enjoyed. If I lived closer , they do have a rewards program.

    I had really high expectations coming to STR sushi taku rotary simply because I loved sushi taku…read more(the non rotary location), and wanted to try this out. I thought it would be even more fun for my kids, and there was also an advantage of getting less full and trying more things since the rotary gave leas pieces at a time. Maybe because my expectations were too high, but I didn't feel like I enjoyed the food as much here as the non rotary location. I felt like I was waiting and waiting for the things I wanted on the rotary to come, and I also felt like a lot of things I really wanted were not on the rotary anyway. All hot foods were not on the rotary, though that makes sense because then it wouldn't come to you hot anymore. My kids did enjoy the rotary portion, and kept taking food off the conveyor belt, which in the end we had to eat before my kids eyes are bigger than their stomachs. We did get also the cheapest option for lunch, which did not come with dessert, which was a slight disappointment, but you do get what you pay for. I might be back here to give it one more shot. I always love ayce sushi so it was still decent, but I didn't leave wowed by this place.

    Photos
    STR Sushi Taku Rotary
    Appetizers
    Appetizers
    Miso Soup

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    Miso Soup
    Miru

    Miru

    4.3
    (318 reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$$

    I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience at Miru…read more We were visiting Chicago for a short trip, and with so many excellent dining options, choosing where to eat wasn't easy. I almost decided to save Miru for our next visit, but I'm glad I made time for breakfast here on our departure day. Located inside the St. Regis Chicago, the restaurant offers beautiful views. The service was excellent--attentive, friendly, and professional. I ordered the Tokyo Breakfast. The salmon was perfectly cooked and paired beautifully with rice, a soft-poached egg, and salmon roe. The miso soup was slightly salty on its own, but it worked surprisingly well when enjoyed with the rice toward the end of the meal. Overall, a memorable breakfast experience. I'd love to return and try the lunch or dinner menu on my next trip to Chicago.

    It's all about the views!…read more Miru is one of the newer sushi restaurants relatively uncompetitive sushi scene in Chicago, and it hits the spots for those interested in classy ambience and jaw dropping views. The sushi is phenomenal, as were our drinks... but the other entrees are disappointing. The karaage and duck yakisoba in particular in quality could be from any corner restaurant in Chicago. The service lends itself more casual, and I noticed they were consistently quite slow to clear our table. I don't think people come here for the food as much as the views. Overlooking Streeterville from this angle and vantage was truly jaw dropping and for this reason I still strongly recommend Miru.

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    Inside
    Inside
    Tempura Rock Shrimp
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    Jinsei Motto

    Jinsei Motto

    4.6
    (150 reviews)
    4.0 mi

    Came here for the lunch omakase, which features dry-aged fish. Overall, the fish was fresh and…read morewell-prepared--nothing particularly mind-blowing, but definitely good quality, especially for a more affordable omakase option. My only critique is the pacing. Since the chef already had the fish sliced and prepped, I expected a smoother flow, but the meal took about an hour and a half for 14 pieces of sushi. It felt a bit slow, especially for a lunch service. That said, if you're looking for a reasonably priced omakase with quality fish, this is a solid choice.

    Went for restaurant week with friends. Got there early after work and was able to hit the happy…read morehour which is a decent deal. Got the snow maiden sake and the spicy scallop hand roll. Both were great. Our bartenders were lovely and very friendly. Found out this is a Malort tasting room and we were able to sample some different Malorts (the cocoa one was good!). Then we were taken back to our table for dinner. Our server was super friendly as well. Started with the miso soup and crispy tuna bites which were probably my favorite dishes. The taki yoki fritters weren't bad either. We saw people getting omakase, so we ordered a yummy looking piece they were receiving. It was just okay (chutoro truffle). The nigiri was also okay. The tuna piece was the only I really loved. The fish quality wasn't as high as I was expecting. The sushi was decent. A little too much truffle in the spicy blue fin tuna and a little too vegetable forward in the hamachi serrano. All in all, the atmosphere and amazing service pushed this up to a 4 for me.

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    Madai
    Madai
    O toro
    O toro
    Akami

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    Akami
    Sushi by Bou- Fulton Market Chicago @ Emily Hotel

    Sushi by Bou- Fulton Market Chicago @ Emily Hotel

    4.5
    (131 reviews)
    3.8 mi

    This was an amazing experience, I cannot wait to attend one of their limited seatings when I get…read moreback to Manhattan. 12 course omakase tasting menu and they played old school hiphop and rap from the 80s and 90s all night! My personal fav. Grafitti all over the walls and plush velvet furnishings. 1. Yellowtail 2. bluefin tuna 3. Salmon roe 4. Albacore tuna 5. Chopped toro 6. Scallops 7. Miso cod 8. Fluke 19. Uni 10. Otoro 11. Wagyu with uni 12. Tuna Hand Roll Sushi by BOU Fulton Market was perfectly intimate sexy and cool. The fish was fresh and delicious, and the chefs are so fast, and knowledgable! I love sitting at sushi counters and getting to see them work, I love the stimulation. Service was outstanding the chefs made wonderful reccomendations including their secret menu item ' The BIG MAC' Ambiance was killer and its a small space with limited seatings every night. Perfect for a sexy date night experience and great for talking !!

    This was my first omakase experience and simply wow. The setting was giving speakeasy -- it was…read moreintimate, 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

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    The Big Mac
    The Big Mac
    Sushi by Bou- Fulton Market Chicago @ Emily Hotel
    Ikura - Salmon Roe

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    Ikigai Sushi & Izakaya

    Ikigai Sushi & Izakaya

    4.5
    (100 reviews)
    3.2 mi

    So pleasantly surprised! Came in on a Friday night for a 6:30 reso and the place was empty BUT it…read morewas packed, seemingly by regulars, by the time we left. Service was a little slow at time but they got slammed very quickly and and we weren't in a rush. What we got: - chuturo nigiri - so buttery - hamachi nigiri - good flavor and cut - chili hotate - love the flavor - negi toro maki - good flavor - unakyu- fine a little on the sweeter side - Amai - not my favorite and I think the tuna had a strong fishy flavor Overall, good meal and pretty reasonable bill. Will definitely be coming back to check out the rest of the menu!

    Such a wonderful spot! Fantastic happy hour. Everything was made fresh and tasted delicious…read more Service was super friendly, and they even brought out a free birthday mochi for my friend. We got the karage, three of the skewers , and the spicy salmon and tuna rolls. This place, along with the entrance is a bit hidden, so would love to see them market themselves more as I think it's a spot people would really love, especially for more affordable sushi in the River North area. Quiet and cozy ambiance for casual outings but also cute enough to be a date spot. Got seated immediately. Service was a bit slow, but that's only because they seemed to have one host/server working at the time, who was working super hard and kept a super pleasant and attentive vibe. I will definitely be back!

    Photos
    Sushi bar area
    Sushi bar area
    CHIRASHI
    CHIRASHI
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    Teriyakidon

    Wakamono - sushi - Updated June 2026

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