Really great sushi and cocktails! I went here last Saturday with a friend around 6:30 and was seated right away. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the wait staff is very friendly. The menu is a little confusing but our waitress explained everything! We ended up splitting the chicken teriyaki bento box and triple Godzilla roll. The bento box was good, a little strange as it had fried okra and potato salad in it--it was still pretty good! The sushi roll was humongous! 10 pieces and more like 2 rolls. It had great flavor and I definitely think next time I'll try more of their speciality rolls. The geisha cocktail was not too sweet and really refreshing. Such cute presentation! Overall, great experience and I will be back to try all the delicious unique sushi! read more

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This review is being written less than thirty minutes after eating at this restaurant. I am curled in the fetal position and crying for my mother, even though I know that she can't really help the damage that wakamonos sushi did to my body. I would comment about how comically small the portion sizes were, but that may be the only reason that I still have my colon. I would not wish this pain on my worst enemy. In short they gave me violent food poisoning with their substandard and flavorless sushi. read more

Amazing spot! Went here for a friends birthday and had amazing fresh sushi and strong, unique speciality cocktails. read more

Wakamono - Maki mexicano (one piece already eaten) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My favorite sushi in the lakeview area! Great vibe and they also have wonderful beverages! A must go! read more

Wakamono - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is very nice, well designed and an easy flow. Staff was clearly hand picked for beaty! It's connected to beautiful bar that is all red and amazing design. This was the second time we have been there. The first time was horrendous, food was good but nothing ground breaking, it was sushi so expected nothing less. What made the experience awful was the level to f service. There was a small group of us and our drinks took soooooo Long, then when we did get a drink, they were all scattered with time. There was at least 25 mins of time between our drinks (only 4 peolpe), there was 3 other tables. We kept asking, the young lady who was our server was getting annoyed because were were asking so often and could not comprehend why were were so frustrated. She spent most of her time giggling in the corner with the rest of the staff. When we needed her we had to look around as if we needed something and hold our hand out to get her to come to our table. Needless to say we all decided to wrap up our dinner and go somewhere else and actually get some service and enjoy the rest of our evening and each other. Well, we decided to go back this week and give second chance. SAME EXACT ISSUES ....service was AWFUL, waited 20 min (literally) to get first drink, order a second drink and never received it, we had to ask 2 different people for our drink and to get our server to come to our table. She came over and really apologize and walked away to NEVER RETURN WITH OUR DRINK!! It was ridiculous. I raised my hand to get attention so we can get our check to get the hell out of this place and once again, go somewhere else to get some service amd enjoy the rest of our evening. Food is good, beautiful design and decor, staff clearly hand picked for beauty Service is horrendous, might not get your drinks, wasted energy flagging staff down to help you, food comes before drinks, they make you feel like a bother read more

One star for the ambiance and another star for the Dragon Roll which was thick and delicious! The Yo Yo Ramen was such a disappointment. I'm a ramen lover and if you are too then this is not the place to have it. I can't even begin to describe what it tasted like. The smallest portion of pork I've had in my ramen. The broth was blaaah! Not worth the price. read more

Wakamono - Yo Yo Ramen was a bad idea! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wakamono has the BEST sushi in the city (and we're very picky)! The fish is so fresh, menu is authentic, and staff is very helpful when you want to try something new. This is our neighborhood spot, and will never stop going!! read more

When your mother is upset with you, she may serve you something like this. The Habachi here used to be wonderful. The sushi too, from what I remember. I liked coming by to give the Koi pats. They really liked pats. Now, there is no Habachi. Instead I was served a bowl of rice topped with fatty strips of flank steak and teriyaki sauce, affectionately named: Beef and Rice. This would have to serve as a replacement. The meat (reminiscent of what we brought back from Aldi with food-stamps as children) was complete with hard cartilage globules and curled witch finger ends. The kind of thing you have for leftovers when bored. Or when you hate yourself. It was overcooked, as is a prerequisite for bad meat. Hungry, damned, and foolish, I ate it. Because I had payed for it. We asked to be refunded for the pale fish atop the Moby Dick roll----near-rotten and recommended by staff. We were denied, and offered more bad food as recompense. I used to love this place. Now the sushi is pale, soft and squishy to the touch. Now the koi have been replaced by smaller ones, because the old ones probably died. Maybe its because they hated where they were living. Maybe its because people kept coming by and giving them pats. I stopped for a corn dog from Clark St. on the way home. very delicious. read more

Came here after the Pride Parade. They have a fantastic Happy Hour with $5 signature mixed drinks - and they're GOOOOOD! They were very accommodating and let us sit at their outside tables even though we were only having drinks. Menu looks good so I'll be back. read more

Hey, Wakamono? Thanks for the worst dining experience I've ever had. If I were being forced to come back, I'd find the nearest dull butter knife and stab myself in the sternum, repeatedly, until I punctured something important. Remember us? We were a happy party of six calm, eager, and hungry diners. We bought drinks (6) in the bar while we waited (30-40 minutes). Everything was going great. And hey, cool fog machine! We sat down. "Corkage fee, ten dollars," the waitress said, pointing at our bottles of wine. "It says on your menu that the corkage fee is $5?" we inquired. "Your bottles big," she explained. We point out: "There is nothing on the menu, or online, that stipulates different pricing for different bottle sizes." Waitress shrugs like she has no idea what could be wrong with us, yeah because who wouldn't want to pay $10 to uncork a $12 bottle of wine? We're not idiots: if that were an established policy (Coast, for example, has a detailed BYOB policy on every page of their menu) we would have went with it, fine. But this seemed a little fishy, so we decided to ask about the 100% markup of what was PRINTED ON YOUR MENU. So a manager comes over. We were all super intimidated by his giant dragon necklace and crossed-arms. "WHAT?" He yelled at us. A brave member of our party stepped up to discuss the corkage fee with him. The rest of us carried on dinner conversation, leaving the two of them to work something out. I'm thinking any more than two minutes is too long to be discussing a FIVE DOLLAR discrepancy of something that DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS what is printed on your menu. I'm also thinking hey, there's six of us, we're about to spend a lot of money on sushi, just spent money in your bar, do we really need to argue about five dollars? Why don't you work with us? Maybe we compromise, how about $7.50 corkage fee since you didn't print it on menu? Nope, we're told (among other things) "You don't HAVE to eat here." Although this was rude and he literally rolled his eyes and flipped his diagonal bangs at us, we didn't feel like getting up and starting the whole Friday night wait over again. So we agreed to the $10 corkage fee and sent one of our bottles off to be uncorked. Then we laughed, and because they were so rude to us for asking about something, again, that was printed on their menu, we make jokes like "let's not try the blowfish ha ha" and "good thing gratuity is included ha ha." At this point, the bottle has been uncorked, poured, and we are raising our glasses in a toast, discussing what to order and other relevant new topics, when a second manager comes over, and yells, "I'M GOING TO HAVE TO ASK YOU TO LEAVE." This new, tight-flesh-colored-tee-wearing, manager shouts that he is worried about our "attitude" and some mysterious "threats" he overheard. We are all floored. FLOORED. Half of the table didn't even know what was going on. Was this still about the corkage fee? Yes. Now he wanted to talk about it, as well as somethings he heard (while eavesdropping? what?) A lot of things are said. We remain calm and still maintain having only one person out of the six speak at a time, trying to avoid a scene. I am silently sipping my wine and listening to things like: US: "Are you kicking us out because we questioned something printed on your menu? You do realize that we just agreed to it? See we're drinking?" MR. MANAGER: "We heard you were threatening to take the corkage fee out of the waitress' tip." US: "How would we even do that? Gratuity is included." Mr. Manager, meet Logic. Also, perhaps you should check your wiretapping devices? US: "I've never been treated like this by a restaurant before." MR. MANAGER: "Oh really? Maybe we've never had CUSTOMERS like you before!" Oooh nice burn, Mr. Manager! US: "I guess we should have listened to those yelp reviews about the rude service." Mr. Manager: "YELP YOUR HEART OUT! YELP YOUR LIFE AWAY!" Will do, Mr. Manager, thanks. Meanwhile, during all of this, the waitress comes over and puts the $10 corkage fee bill on our table. I shudder to think of what might happen if you say, send back a roll here. Has anyone done this? What happens? Do they cut off your hand? Do they listen to everyone's conversation and make accusations accordingly? Is this communist dining? They ended up comping our $10 corkage fee, but considering I didn't even finish drinking one glass... I don't know, I guess that was the highlight of the experience? Anyway, I'd rather spend an evening licking a public water park locker room floor clean than be subjected to this freakshow again. read more

I believe in second chances. I believe that delivery does not indicate an overall dine-in experience. I believe in the power of raw fish. I believe I stand corrected. Sigh. Yes, you heard me. MUCH improved when sitting at one of their rustic looking wood tables, surrounded by a buzzin' Boystown crowd. (Seriously, Tuesday night and not an empty table in the hizzzzouse, but not to fret...tables turn relatively quickly). Ok, so elements not able to be derived/judged from delivery: 1. Swell martini selection from neighboring/adjoined Wang's. I sampled the Green Tea and it was...zen-magical, ooooo ahhhh, yep. Orchid to boot? Well done, Wangy's! 2. Decor: sleek, yet warm. Browns abound, classy, sophisticated. Indeed. 3. Still BYOB. Way to be Waka...offering a full bar and still indulging BYOB'ers scores you a few points most def. 4. Dance party in the bathroom. Seriously, they pump that music in full volume, so have some fun doing your biznassssss. ;) Joking, but it's terribly loud...and consequently hilarious juxtaposed to the chill vibe of the dining room. 5. Stellar service, friendly, knowledgeable, quick... 6. The sushi tastes good. Bonus! (delivery, no no). I had the Chef's Sashimi 10 piece: divine. I have no idea what most of it was, but the tuna, salmon and super white tuna baby was fanfishingtastic. 7. Hot hand towels before the meal, or if you spill soy sauce all over yourself...score! 8. Cucumber water. Why don't I do this at home!? It's so simple, yet perfect. Again, a great touch. Ok, so yes...I stand corrected. I still will never order delivery but I would most definitely return to Wakamono....with a trip to Wang's before/after for the trifecta of taste. read more

Wakamono? More like WHACKamono! I think I finally know whom the Godzilla Roll is named after. Upon a recent visit to Wakamono -- a place I've frequented a few times, only because of its close proximity to my apartment -- I had my ass served to me by a snatchy little host who came over to yell at my entire table for taking too long to eat (a little more than an hour). "NOT TO BE RUDE, BUT YOU HAVE TO LEAVE!" he screached. "WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE WAITING!" When we pointed out that, actually, that is kind of rude, he responded: "NO, NOT REAAALLY!" I don't know if he was feeling the pressure of not being able to manage his restuarant or if it was the pressure of his too-tight, mod-style man's kimono, but I have never witnessed (let alone been a part of) such a scene at a restaurant. Generally speaking, when a customer drops a Benjamin after three rounds of sushi and two flights of wine, you might want to treat him with a little respect. Not this place. Its only redeeming quality is the bathroom, where you can feel like a teenager all over again, who, having just been scolded by Mom, runs away to his room to drown out the awkward tension through an overbearing bass. Oh, and while you're there, just flush that hundred right down the toilet. read more

Well, well, well, my new favorite sushi place in Chicago (thanks for the suggestion Brett!). Sadly I am out of their delivery radios. Oh well, I don't mind making the trek up north to pick up Wakamono's yummy raw fish. Like every other sushi place in Chicago, it is not cheap ($70ish for a full meal for two). However, the rolls are creative, the fish is fresh and taste is just amazing. Worth it, in my opinion, for a great dinner. My favorites include their jalapeno miso soup, gyoza, sashimi platter (the large is nice for splitting), the yellow tail jalapeno maki and the spicy trio roll. My boyfriend was a big fan of the sweet potato roll (tempura sweet potato and cream cheese) and the yo lo mango roll (spicy salmon and asparagus wrapped with mango). Yum yum yum. I am very happy to have found such a great sushi place where I foresee myself spending a good chunk of my paycheck. I am looking forward to my next experience here- take out or dine in! read more

With a sushi-loving friend visiting from L.A., I finally had the perfect opportunity to try Wakamono. We stepped into the chic eatery and were seated within minutes. The muted lighting sets the stage for a romantic dinner or in our case, a relaxed atmosphere in which to catch up with a longtime friend. Walking in with a brown paper bag (contents: La Crema Pinot Noir) felt a bit gangster considering the sophisticated setting, but it took me only about 2 minutes to get over it. Wakamono is BYO which presents the consummate excuse to splurge on a nicer bottle of wine. Spending $20-$25 is almost negligible when you consider you'd be paying in the $50-$75 range with the requisite restaurant mark-up! We ordered the tuna dip with avocado and wonton crackers as our first course. Delectable, honest-to-goodness bliss of an appetizer. Next, we ordered two 'contemporary maki' rolls: the Snow White roll (super white tuna and avocado) and the Make Mexicano (yellowtail, cilantro, jalapeno, spicy sauce, avocado, and lime). Both were fresh and ingeniously divine-- the Mexicano was a little heavy on the cilantro but nonetheless fantastic. Everyone was chatty compliments of their own heavy pours of vino, but the music was never overly loud (contrary to what many of the other reviews mention). Our server, while more than satisfactory, was a bit aloof and didn't refill our water once she dropped off the check. And I was parched, courtesy of the spicy Mexicano maki! Can't wait to return and make my way through the beautiful Wakamono's repertoire of imaginative maki. Hopefully better service will catapult the experience to one deserving of 5 stars. Even their website is flawless-- check it. read more

DON'T GO! places like this kill me. KILL ME. i've lived in ny & la and cannot deal with the pretentious approach to sushi in chicago. i've eaten sushi everywhere from my college cafeteria to the $500 course sushi dinner at urasawa in beverly hills, and i can honestly say wakamono may be my worse sushi experience EVER! i went once, and was not blown away but not dissatisfied. the garden, or salad- whatever, roll was good for the price, simple, fresh, and clean. it was byob and in a good people watching spot, so i went back. the second time was dreadful. everyone around me in the restaurant, just like the first time, were clearly inexperienced sushi diners ordering godzilla or california rolls struggling with their chopsticks and having so much fun because it was more a "trendy experience" than a "dining experience"... the annoying girls trying so hard to be cool in a "gay neighborhood" is almost incredible. the rolls were too contemporary they lost their appeal. the host had no idea what he was doing, and the waitress didn't seem to understand or do anything we asked for. i ordered a bunch of rolls. the safe ones were okay tasting. the wakamono, tons of raw fish, was incredibly awful. ive never tasted such a fishy roll than this roll. the entire roll tasted like the scent of a bad lake or ocean dead fish smell. i have NEVER, NEVER sent a meal back at a restaurant because being a server myself, i always fear the "rudeness" of sending something back.... however, if you're spending money i think it is definitely acceptable, i'm just too nice sometimes. well, i sent the wakamono roll back, the waitress was an idiot about it. she was like oh sorry the computers at this restaurant don't let us delete anything from the menu but i can order you a new roll instead for free. (she suggested having the sushi chef make another wakamono roll, really? because your first one sucked and chances are you didn't get a fresh boat of fish in 20 minutes). not wanting to deal with drama, i went with the whatever approach and ordered another... it was sub par... we got the bill and the wakamono roll was DELETED! and the new roll was added as additional charge, AFTER SHE TOLD US SHE COULDN'T DELETE ANYTHING. the wait staff CANNOT speak any english, is rude, and you have like 12 servers. the place may be the worst dining experience EVER.... okay i'm angry now writing about it... the place is filled with pretentious & desperate losers who think they are cool for eating sushi in a gay neighborhood so rate it high, even though they have no concept of food. the sushi here is probably the worst i've ever had. please DON'T GO.... read more

OMG!!! A mind blowing meal! Completely delicious from beginning to end. If you've never been, as we hadn't, you need to get here for a meal soon. The Steamed Sea Bass appetizer was amazing and the Iron Chef Yakisoba was like none we've ever had. Complex flavors and ingredients won the day. read more

If you go here and have a bad time or are with a real jack arse you can always take em out with the cast iron tea cups... This is my new local sushi place and I love it. My favorite is the dragon roll since I am a huge fan of eel and avocados. They have a large assortment of maki rolls in addition to my favorite dragon and all are interesting and sapid. If you don't like sushi but still want to go they have a full bar and are also BYOB - double fun... Other reasons why they get five stars aside from their sweet location down from my place are as follows: cloth napkins nice ambiance reasonable prices good lighting friendly staff - quick too *Oh I forgot about the tea cups! So yeah if you order tea it comes out in the heaviest cup ever made from cast iron. The sucker weighs a ton. The lil kette it comes out in is also cast iron. So again, if you are with a terrible date or an annoying friend and want to liven it up just throw either the cup or the kettle at their dome and make it a fun night. Either that or just steal a marble rye from a random 'old bag' as you walk home down Broadway....yeah I watch Seinfeld too much. I like this place alot - you should too... read more

If you must wait for a table, be sure to grab a sexy drink at Wang's while you kill time. You'll enjoy yourself and in no time, be headed next door, literally, for some good sushi. I was intrigued by the varieties of combinations and enjoyed that they had several "chef's choice" options. When I'm indecisive about what sushi I want, letting someone else make my choices is certainly the way to go. I was game for it and the sushi chef impressed me by the selection that was served up. All of it was delicious, fresh, and none of it on the skimpy side. I'd highly recommend going that route, especially if you're feeling a little adventurous and not a picky eater. My favorite menu item was a fantastic take on miso soup. This version had jalapenos! I loved it even though the miso itself was not spectacular. The great combination of miso and jalapeno was a soy-spicy match for life. It added that perfect extra kick to ready me for plenty of wasabi later on! The menu ranged in prices, many on the pricier side. I was pleased to see I could make it work on a budget without breaking the bank completely. The BYOB option helps! This is a good spot to go with a small group or a date. Either way, I'll definitely be back with a bottle or two of my favorite beverage! read more

I'm having a bit of a moral dilemma about this place. Wakamono was my go-to sushi spot for awhile. Their sushi is usually pretty yum, the ambiance is good, and the location is super convenient for me. However, the service I experienced here last weekend was simply appalling. I've never been treated so rudely by a restaurant employee in my life, and I won't be back. After enjoying several rounds of rolls and wine with a few of my friends we were finishing up our drinks and discussing where we would head next when the manager approached our table. I expected him to ask us how our meal was, as we had just spent over $150 on dinner, but instead he snapped at us that people were waiting for our table and we needed to leave. Shocked and frightened we obeyed his command. I really wanted to write this off as an out of the ordinary occurrence, but after reading other reviews on here I see that accosting customers is Wakamono's M.O. If you want a side of verbal abuse with your meal head to Ed Debevic's or The Wiener Circle, don't waste your money here. read more

I was not impressed. We ordered a bunch of rolls and sushi, and if I could pick one word to describe our experience, it would be mushy. The fish was extremely mushy and not fresh. I couldn't tell if I was chewing the avocado or the fish - both were mushy! I guess it was good that the avocado was ripe - but the tuna, red snapper, and salmon all had the same texture as the avocado! Gross! The rice had the same texture as the fish and avocado! It was a big icky mush in my mouth - nothing had any flavor! Overcooked rice? The food isn't cheap here either, and I guess Wakamono is about to get their liquor license. We spent $60 (with tip), and I can get a lot of good rolls and sushi elsewhere for this price. They also sat us at the bar - they need to get more comfortable bar stools. The service was pretty mushy too - cold and blah! I'm never going back. read more

Really liked this place! The sushi was very high quality and the place felt somewhat VIP in a sense. It's timid and dark inside and fancy. My friend recommended the place to me and said we should go. I'm happy we did! I plan to come back soon to enjoy some more sushi again! Nice place for some Lakeview Sushi! read more

Ready for this one? It will be a long one. A couple months back, two friends, my husband and I enjoyed a dinner at Wakamono. Food was great, service was great, from what I can remember. A couple of us (6 total) wanted to get together for dinner, so I recommended Wakamono again. One of the girls had mentioned that she had a terrible experience the last time she went, where she waited over an hour when clearly they were one of the first to arrive. A couple parties who came in after her group clearly knew the hostess, as each separate group came in giving her a kiss on the cheek. Despite this, I loved there food and wanted her to give them another chance. I called around 6:45p Saturday to ask for an idea of what the wait would be as they don't take reservations. They said they easily could sit a table of 6 right away. I asked if I was to come in at 7:30 what they thought it might be - 15 to 20 minutes tops they said. My husband and I went in a little after 7:30, thinking we could at least put our name in and hopefully be seated by 8:00p. I went to put in my name and whoa and behold...the wait was now 45 min. to an hour. Not bad, fine, we'd at least be at our table by 8:30p. We went to the bar and ordered a couple drinks until our friends arrived. Come 8p, all 6 of us were in the bar. My husband went to check on our wait at about 8:10, and they said they had seated 2 groups of 6 ahead of us, and we were next. Another 15-20 min. Now it's 8:45p and we are still waiting. I decide that I will go check. I got to the front, and there is another host. I tell him my name, explain we've been there since 7:30p and ask what the deal is. Apparently there is going to be another 30-45 min wait. Yes, 30-45 minutes. I am really confused, and ask how that's possible, and his response was "it's a saturday night, we get really busy". There isn't even a 2-hour wait at CHARLIE TROTTER's, PLEASE. I get a little pissy, obviously, and as he's fumbling through the wait list, I see my name crossed out. I ask why my name is crossed out and he cannot answer. Obviously someone made a mistake, and they continued to seat others before us. The original host comes back in, asks whats wrong, and looks completely confused. He then goes, "Hmm OK, give me 5 minutes". I go BACK to the bar. 9pm, he comes by and let's us know "even though our name was crossed out, it doesn't matter because there is still a group ahead of us" ok, bs, fine, we dont' even care anymore. They sit us at 9:15p, almost 2 hours later, and probably about a $75.00 bar tab just for waiting on them, even though we have 7 bottles of wine. Nice free money for these guys. We're seated, service was pretty shitty, food took a long time, but as expected, food was great. But I'm not done - when were were first seated, they took our bottles of wine - all 7. One of which, let me explain, was one of the couple's bottles of wine that was given to them as a recent wedding gift only 3 weeks ago. We drank and drank, and suddenly toward the end of the nite, our hostess let us know that somehow one of our bottles 'went missing' but we could pick one out of their crappy wine list. We did - however, realizing that the 'missing bottle' was the wedding gift. Really crappy. Now, I understand that mistakes happen, but here's the even crappier part. When the husband of my friend who had just gotten married was coming back from the bathroom, he took a peak in the kitchen and saw their wedding bottle of wine, sitting on the counter IN THE KITCHEN, with a couple sips left, cork on top. When he confronted the wait staff about it (by this time it was midnight and we were pretty much the only ones left), they all look confused and immediately came up with 100 excuses. So - all in all - we will never go back there EVER again. Can I please have 5 hours of my life back? read more

After a particularly dour day at work filled with cranky judges and unsatisfied clients, I was in desperate need of some friendly faces, food, and a lovely cocktail. Lucky for me, I'd made plans with some fabulous ladies at an allegedly fabulous restaurant...that served cocktails. Hooray for my mad clairvoyant planning skills! One green tea martini for this girl starting to make the world seem a bit brighter, for sure. Zen in a glass, I'm telling ya. Not too sweet, not boozy tasting, just a simple drink adorned with a flower. We started with some edamame, and I had some miso soup. I loved the big chunks of tofu in it, and it reminded me that the one thing that makes a hard day better other than a cocktail is a hefty dosage of salt...miso soup always does the trick! We ordered a few rolls and some sashimi, all of which were beautifully prepared and very fresh. The snow white roll was lovely, as was the godzilla and the Kani Chung. And the spicy tuna packed just the right amount of heat. What I enjoyed about the rolls was the fresh, clean taste. The proportions of additives were just right, packing the right amount of flavor and accentuating the freshness of the fish, rather than overpowering it. Service was slightly slow, but friendly enough. Starting with a warm wet nap was a classy touch, for sure. And dining with several people, we were able to pay with three different cards and cash with no problem. I also enjoyed the simplicity of the decor, however the volume of the music in the bathroom was slightly alarming. Really loud! Seriously, if you need a break from eating or get a little carried away with the cocktails, come have a dance party in there. The mirrors are perfect for checkin' the booty bumpin' from all angles. It does get busy, but put your name in, enjoy a cocktail at Wang's next door, and relax. It's all zen from here. read more

I've been here a few times now and Wakamono is a solid OK. The staff needs some help. There seemed to be a language barrier with our server and the busboy, I don't think they could communicate with each other either. An attempt to ask the busboy to get our server for us turned into pointing at the host and very clearly saying "Him. Get him." All we wanted was to order more food, which was slightly difficult as well. I feel like I'm always hot or cold, never comfortable, here. The dining room is very pretty, it's nice to look at. But my teeth were chattering so loud from the shivering that it was hard to have a conversation. It's summer in Chicago, I was wearing jeans and a silk shirt, there is really no good reason for me to be so cold while eating dinner. The koi swimming around in the little pool next to our table was a nice touch though. The food doesn't quite make up for the service and chillness. It's not great, it's not worth the shivering. read more

What can an out-of-towner who stumbled upon Wakamono say that the millions of other reviews haven't? We got into Chi-City late Friday evening and dropped our stuff off at a friend's apartment in the neighborhood. Roommate's boyfriend used to live in the area so we decided to head to Ping Pong for dinner. Their sign said they closed at 11:00 and since it was 10:45 we decided not to press our luck. We noticed the cute place across the street was busy (both inside and out on their patio tables) so we figured they'd probably be open later. Well, the host sure didn't say anything, but our waitress seemed a little alarmed when she approached our table and asked if we knew they closed at 11:00. We sure didn't, but we were starving and promised we'd order and eat quickly. Our bottle of wine came soon thereafter and the sushi flew out right after that. My avocado roll (I'm a veg-head so I go with the veggie rolls) was SUPER fresh and stuffed with big chunks of avos. Mmm. I'd say pass on the Salad Roll. I should have asked for the brown rice to be subbed for regular sushi rice, but I didn't want to ask our girl for any changes that late at night. It came with a really tasty spicy sauce, but the roll just wasn't my favorite. This place is CUTE. Service is great, the dining area is dim and sexy and the food is incredibly tasty-face. Hopefully I can visit again with more than 20 minutes to experience it all. And don't forget your apple gummy at the end of your meal! read more

I popped my proverbial sushi cherry here thanks to the lovely Jackie P. I posed around town as a sushi connoisseur as I ate only California rolls. I was informed that it wasn't really sushi I was eating so I had to go and get the full experience. So I did at Wakamono and loved the Rainbow roll and some of the other items I got to try. I'm not posing any longer but I do have more to try! The place seems nice as I did like the layout. I also like that it is BYOB, even with the $5 cork fee ... If I were a lush then perhaps I would have a problem with that. It is a work in progress on being a lush - I'm sure a few more Yelp gatherings and I'll be there! So I was part of a small party so I didn't pay attention too much on the prices but they seem fair enough with the amount of sushi pieces that came out. It was a good group to be with and everyone seem pleased with their food. The service was very good too as they were quick and attentive. read more

I'm really suprised by the great reviews for this place. My experience was awful. My husband and I have a running joke - after trying "someplace new" one night and being really dissapointed we started reminding each other "when we want to try someplace new, we should try someplace old". I finally figured out that for us, it really does apply to sushi in Chicago. We adore Toro - yeah the wait can be long but we have never spent more that $40 for a ton of food and it is always amazing. We should have just gone back there instead of trying Wakamono. We were seated immediately for an early weekend dinner. Our waitress gave us plastic cups for our wine - classssy! - and brought us some tasty nibbles. Sadly, these were the BEST part of the meal. The jalepeno miso was nothing special and it only had two small pieces of tofu, which is my favorite part. Our rolls were awful - the salmon roll was falling apart when it reached the table and the pieces of fish it in were disgustingly huge. Okay, I like raw fish, but I don't want a 3 ounce piece of it in my mouth with no rice. I shouldn't have to unhinged my jaw to get a giant piece of sushi roll into my mouth, only to find out I am now left with a huge gob of raw fish in it. Like I said, I eat sushi (both rolls and nigiri) so it's not like I don't like the taste of raw fish, but I actually gagged three times before I managed to swallow that beast. For the quality of the sushi (horrible) this place is way overpriced. But then again, I wouldn't come back if you paid me. read more

When being told that we were going to try out a place called "Wakamono"- one idiotic thought immediately came to mind: "I hope no monkeys are actually harmed..." (My limited Spanish can tell you that the word for "monkey" is "mono") To my knowledge, neither monkey nor ape has been whacked here- and that is just another good thing to add to the list of delights. I really liked this place! We normally have a problem going out for sushi. That problem tends to differ depending on if we either a) don't have a lot of money to spend and therefore leave hungry, or b) spend a lot of money in order to be satisfied, but somehow don't feel that it was completely worth it. Here- both problems were solved for us. I DEEPLY appreciated Wakamono offering a maki sampler that allowed me to devour four chef selected maki rolls for around $20. Worried that I would be given something cheap and skimpy, the sushi chefs selected a nice variety for me to try and I left completely stuffed! Plus- the maki were delicious. Bonus points for giving me a roll with grilled fresh water eel. Very good! If you come here- try out the sweet potato roll. It is worth the hype. read more

Wakamono is one of my old trusties. Although, the first couple years I went here, I could not remember the name for the life of me. I would always say, "Let's go to that yummy sushi place on Broadway that starts with a 'W' and ends with an 'ono'..." What's great about this place is that it's casual enough that you can just stop by without planning a night out, or you can make an evening of it with a group of friends or a date. There can be a wait for a table, but I think the worst I ever experienced is 15 minutes. It's also BYOB which always helps make that bill at the end of the meal a little lighter. The food itself is delicious! My favorites rolls include: snow white, dragon, peter parker, white tuna avocado, godzilla, and unagi avocado. It is all presented nicely and easy to share with others...so play nice. Totally random, but they play a great mix of hip-hop music from my high school years in the background . It makes me smile when I'm eating a bite of sushi and then all of a sudden start humming "Hypnotize" by Notorious BIG. Good times. read more

I could not be more un-impressed with this place. I dined with a party of four last night and after calling everyone, i found out that ALL FOUR OF US were throwing up and sick all night long. Don't bother with this place the food way make you sick. NOT ONLY DO THEY make you sick, BUT THEY CHARGE AN $8 cork fee PER BOTTLE---yes, that is PER-BOTTLE AND the food is kind of awful. DON'T GO HERE. read more

I went here with a friend a few days ago. We came around 6:30 and after we sat down, it got full shortly thereafter. I brought a bottle of wine because it's BYOB (they also have a full bar). Corkage fee is $5, well worth it considering that one glass of wine is $6 easily. We had the Fire Dragon, Godzilla, California and Philadelphia rolls. The first two rolls were some of their featured rolls. You know how the feature rolls usually have 4-6 pieces? These had 8 pieces and were huge. The Godzilla one was by far the best roll. It had crunch and was spicy and just all around good. The Fire Dragon was good, just not as good as the aforementioned one. Both the California and Philadelphia were 6 pieces each and pretty tasty. For the two of us, we spent $37 each with tip (this also included dessert), so it wasn't nearly as bad as we had thought it would be. Definitely worth the price, but go early enough and BYOB it. read more

It's so tiny and cute! And difficult to see, I guess. I wandered up and down B'way with sushi in mind, and it took me 3 tries to find Wakamono. o_O Okay, I did find it, and I ordered take-out (I was in a hurry). I liked it! The Godzilla roll and Mexican roll were both very good. However, for the price I thought they were a little short on the fish. But everything was quite fresh, and had plenty of spicy sauce (sriracha, I think? fabulous!), which I love. Crab rangoons were typical; the accompanying sauce was great though. I shouldn't have eaten those two big rolls all to myself! I had too much and ran off to an opera rehearsal. Then I had the worst sushi-heartburn ever! I burped spicy arpeggios all night. I would return w/ friends & take advantage of the BYOB and stylish interior... I have a feeling those features would bump my review up to 4 stars easily. read more

Oh, HELLWakamoNO. I used to love this place. I swore by this place. And then it...changed. I was willing to look past the somewhat pretentious environment of the place for the amazing sushi. But something shifted in the quality of the food a little while ago. It stopped seeming as fresh, and the mind-numbing deliciousness quieted down to a dull roar...at best. The kicker was one night I called for delivery, and asked for the order to be read back to me several times, as the price I was quoted seemed too high (even for this place, which can tend toward the spendier end of the mid-spectrum for sushi). Being assured everything was fine, I received my order with 3 extra orders of edamame. When I called to explain I'd wanted to "free" edamame that came with delivery, the girl on the other end profusely apologized. But when I asked to speak with the manager, s/he happened to be conveniently "out" and would have to call me back. And when I did get a call back? It was the same poor girl I'd spoken to before calling to tell me the manager said they couldn't refund the money I'd been overcharged, but they would "credit my account"...? And then informed me someone would be coming to pick up the extra edamame. Because, apparently, it's totally reusable. So, while the sushi is good (again, at best), the management is crap, and I have not - and will not - visit this establishment again. There are far too many other sushi spots in the city that won't repo appetizers. Which, consequently, they never showed up for. But, from what I hear, the chef that used to work here moved to a place in Logan Square. So, hope lives! read more

1 Ginger martini, 2 Ginger martini, 3 Gin... Had to stop there- as they got progressively stronger. A perfectly balanced drink with just the right amount of kick. I'd come back for this drink alone. This is definitely a place to see and be seen. People watching at it's finest (and I'm a coniseur of all places to people watch). The atmosphere is understated and sexy. Monotone wood grains and a simple host stand. I dined inside, but there is a patio with a decent amount of tables. Service was a bit... Amplified. We had three people waiting on us who would all stop by and ask the same question within minutes of each other. But hey! A martini glass was never empty and a finished plate never sat for long. Hold on tight to that glass if you're not done! It'll be whisked away before you can take that last sip. I had a seaweed salad, hamachi, and a Dragon Roll. I don't enjoy when eel over powers a roll... But this one was terrific. Officially added to my list of top sushi destinations. read more

+ Great, fun location + Bar next door + BYOB + Modern decor - Wait staff (had to flag 'em down couple times) -Sushi rolls (Couple of the rolls we ate had some ingredients that did NOT work at all. Either didn't complement each other or was plain weird tasting) Bleh to Oedipus Roll === asked the server what kind of herbs was in this roll, but she was unable to answer my ?. Can't put my finger on it, but the herb was a poor choice ingredient. Completely overpowered the taste of the others. -spicy miso soup was luke warm & not spicy -Price $$ Could be a 3 star, but with all the other sushi joints out there, I could get by without Wakamono. read more

Last night's sushi - Happy New Year to me! - was without a doubt the best I've ever eaten. I've been to Wakamono before once or twice, and last night decided to see if their delivery is as good as their dine-in service. Thankfully, everything was spot-on. I put it an order at 5:45 for a 7:00 delivery, and they were right on time. I tried the Snow White, Peter Parker, and spicy salmon rolls, and they didn't disappoint. Most places serve a spicy salmon roll with a huge dollop of mayo, a thick layer of rice, and an inadequate slice of fish; not so at Wakamono. I've never had such a large, delicious portion of salmon. The flavors of the Peter Parker roll were lost in translation just a bit, and perhaps isn't the best roll to have delivered, but I've had it before and know how good it can be. And the Snow White roll is just divine - the super white tuna is my new favorite. It's a touch pricey to be sure, especially on a grad student's budget; however, the quality of the fish, the creative combinations, and delightful flavors are worth every penny. Wakamono never fails to disappoint, even on the delivery front. read more

Whoa! Hi. So, what's with all the hype? Man, I feel weird when I'm a dissenting opinion, but I've got to say, this place is not that great. The service, I have to say, was great - attentive, nice. But it pretty much stopped there. The salmon teriyaki was alright - the salmon was cooked perfectly (just barely raw in the middle) but the sauce was SO cloying and thick, it overpowered any fresh, wonderful salmon flavor. The rice to accompany it was so heavy with vinegar, I couldn't eat it, and I'm a girl who has grown up eating rice with at LEAST two meals a day. I love my rice, I LOVE RICE!, but I couldn't eat this. The rolls - kani chung and rainbow - have to be rated separately. The kani chung rolls were off the hook. Yum, perfect, will definitely get those again if I ever have to go back. The rainbow rolls, unfortunately, were not that great. I think the creator was not thinking thoroughly when he/she was dreaming up this particular roll, because, while the flavor was okay, the roll just turned into mush in my mouth. There should've been some cucumber, carrot, something with crunch to give the roll an even balance. Not just lots of mush put together in a pretty way. The other downside to lots of ingredients in a roll is that the flavors all roll together... I couldn't tell you what I was actually eating even if my life depended on it! What a waste of good fish! Oh... and the jalapeno miso soup was alright. I love spicy food and miso soup, so the two together should've been good, but I left feeling ambivalent about it. Meh. Two mediocre dining experiences within the same week. Save me from my neighborhood! One thing I have to note... what is up with all the really loud club music pumping through the restaurant? Ping Pong does that, too, and I'm not a huge fan. I like to hear my companions speak... can't they turn it down a little? I sound like a curmudgeon, but I'm okay with that. If people really want to feel like they're in a club, go to a club. read more

Tried to order takeout on a sunday night, and service was atrocious. I called in, a woman took my order, but as I waited for her to confirm my order, she apparently set down the phone...and walked away. For 5 minutes. All I heard was restaurant noise in the background. I hung up, and walked over to place my order. I explained what happened, and got an apology from the host, but that was it. The girl who I presume took my order gave me a "look." I should have just walked out but I didn't....anyway, I get home to discover that the tuna avocado roll I ordered very slowly and clearly was missing the tuna. Oh, but I did get charged for the tuna when I looked at the bill. Thanks for the good memories Wakamono, but I'll never go back. I'll go to Toro from now on. read more

Yeah, so I will just admit up front that I hate Wakamono. Have been on three separate occasions, and the same annoyances existed, so I won't be back. What are they? Happy to share! 1. Waitstaff sucks. You will have several different people attending to you, which might be a Scientific Management approach to maximize resources but really just maximizes the sh!ttiness of your service level. They never refill your drinks (if they remember to bring them in the first place) and often charge for refills. 2. Visa not accepted here. OK, they accept Visa, but only 2 cards per table. We had a group of 8. Who but the Flintstones actually carries cash anymore? They refused to split the bill up at all other than in 2 parts, so 6 of us had to go to the ATM and figure out who owed what afterward. When I'm done with dinner, I want to go lie on the couch and bitch about being full, not hit an ATM and create an excel spreadsheet. 3. Mediocre sushi at high prices. The food here isn't BAD, but it's not worth what they charge for it, either. You can't hide un-fresh fish in a tablespoon of spicy mayo, folks. For all the people who have commented on the 'mushiness' of the ingredients (rice, fish, avocado, etc) I couldn't agree more. I'm not really here to shill for better places (Rollapalooza on Halsted/Roscoe) but there are definitely better alternatives for a good roll (like at Rollapalooza on Halsted/Roscoe) within a couple blocks of Wakamono and they will smile when you arrive, let you pay however you damn well please and the ingredients won't have come off the Mayflower. read more

When it comes to great Sushi in Lakeview, Wakamono is one of my favorites! Always great quality sushi -- very fresh ingredients. I personally recommend the Peter Parker or Fire Dragon maki rolls. I also love their Miso soup, it comes with the option of jalapeno, which gives it a refreshing little kick. Wakamono's atmosphere is contemporary and feels a little zen. Its a rather small establishment and the tables are close together. When it gets busy, it can be really loud. While it's dinning room is BYOB they do have a full bar next door (it's accessible from inside) which makes a great spot to chill and grab a drink while you wait for a table on a busy Saturday night. Over all, all my experiences at Wakamono have been great and I look forward to my next visit. read more