EXCELLENT. I tried the Mango Sticky Rice matcha. You can certainly taste the difference in the…read morequality of matcha here. They have sweetness options (0-100%). I got 100% since that's how it's made by default. I would opt for 50% next time. I saw other people say the rice flavor didn't pop but I tasted all layers of flavor. Early Grey Matcha is next on my list. I also tried their gyoza, karaage and teriyaki chicken roll. These are the perfect snacks as the place isn't a restaurant. It's more of a grab and go cafe with minimal seating.

The specialty matchas are definitely on the pricier end, but there's some really unique flavors…read morelike mango sticky rice, yuzu and more. The hand rolls are really solid and fresh! Nori was perfectly crispy and the fish tasted fresh and well seasoned. I got the spicy avocado hand rolls and finished it in seconds. Great spot to hang out with friends. There's a few tables and seating areas for smaller groups. Highly recommend giving it a try if you're in the area.

Matcha EN in Chicago is an absolute gem! The atmosphere is spectacular, the drinks are incredible,…read moreand the prices are more than reasonable for the quality you receive. I ordered the Oreo Milk Tea, and I was honestly blown away. It was so good that I couldn't leave without going back for a second one! That alone should tell you everything you need to know. The customer service made the experience even better. The staff was welcoming, friendly, and attentive, creating an environment that makes you feel appreciated as a customer. Great service paired with amazing drinks is always a winning combination. What really stands out is the combination of great flavors, generous portions, affordable pricing, and a team that makes the experience enjoyable from start to finish. If you're ever in the plaza, do yourself a favor and stop by Matcha EN. This is definitely a spot worth supporting, and I'll absolutely be returning!

Visiting the area and saw good reviews for this spot but after trying it, I'm so confused. I got…read morethe matcha parfait- which was a generous portion but I really question if there was much matcha in it. The color is super bright but not the green I usually associate with matcha. I don't want to claim it was all food coloring but it only taste like vanilla ice cream. It wasn't too crowded at night and was able to get my order fairly quickly. I wouldn't really say this is a good matcha spot since it doesn't seem to have any matcha flavor. I had a suspicion from the menu options that they used to be Kyomatcha (a popular matcha dessert chain) but now called Matcha En. The good reviews are probably from the days it was Kyomatcha and not the current quality.

The staff are nice, the interior is clean but uninteresting, and the food is disappointing. The…read moremenu is also formatted badly, the udon lunch set comes with a standard "plain udon" that isn't even on the menu as far as I can tell. The way it's written implies that you can choose an udon from the udon section, not the case. Minor gripe, but annoying nonetheless. The maki is fine, spicy tuna was bland but decent quality and the shrimp tempura maki was good but also lacking. Personally I prefer a spicy tuna with more tuna texture and this is basically puree, personal preference I guess. The udon is where my meal fell apart. For a lunch menu focusing on udon I expected a more flavorful broth and noodles that weren't overcooked. It's not like the underlying flavor is bad or anything, it's just barely there at all. The dashi is very weak and one dimensional, and the noodles taste like plain flour with a spongy overly soft bite. The toppings are extremely basic, I can't even comment on them because I'm not sure if I hallucinated them having any flavor or not. They might as well not exist. The shredded cabbage side salad is also mediocre. Dressing was weak and the cabbage could've been cut thinner. People I went with told me "maybe you just got the wrong things" but I don't think a chef should have losing items on their menu to begin with. Overall quite disappointed considering the name attached to this place.

Visiting from out of town someone suggested this restaurant. The restaurant is nicely decorated for…read moreits style. There are plenty of offerings. However to me it's pricey for single skewer items and even the maki. I was not that impressed with the food the best item I ate was the gyoza.

We ordered to go but their hand rolls are so good and fresh. They are also affordable as well…read more Their scallop and spicy tuna are my favorite! Next time we need to try their rolls on the menu which is filled with so much flavors.

We've been supporters of Tamu since day one, and my wife and I keep coming back for a reason. It…read moreconsistently delivers. The omakase in the back is one of the best combinations of quality and value in Chicago. It's an approachable way to experience genuinely high-quality omakase without the price tag of some of the city's much more expensive options. The HandRoll Bar is excellent too. Fresh, creative, beautifully executed, and consistently good. I honestly don't understand why Tamu is sometimes so easy to get into. We've been to the other hand roll bars around Chicago, and this deserves to be every bit as popular, if not more. Great food, great value, great experience. Every single time. Our most recent visit was yesterday.

I had been fixating on Ryota's Premium Set Donburi for a while, so I made sure to stop by for lunch…read moreduring my trip to Chicago. My husband ordered the ramen, which was fairly average, while we shared the premium box. The kaisendon was everything I hoped it would be, topped with ikura, uni, otoro, and caviar over perfectly seasoned rice. I'd definitely recommend asking for extra seaweed so you can make your own little hand rolls as you eat. There were more than enough toppings to satisfy a serious sushi craving, especially if ikura, uni, otoro, and caviar are your favorite things. This was easily the highlight of the meal for me.

3.5 stars TL;DR:…read moresolid kitchen dishes, but the sushi fell short Stopped by at an odd hour (3PM) when it wasn't too busy and grabbed a table. It slowly started filling in shortly after that. Interior is cute date night vibe. Service was nice and attentive. FOOD: ~Cha Yen (4/5): thai tea with a sweet milk foam on top. Nice tea flavor and balanced by the sweetness of the milk foam. Very tasty ~Hokkaido scallop cold noodle (4/5): seasonal menu item, but this was very good and unique flavor. Reminded me of a soba broth with different noodles. Balanced and light in flavor. Refreshing ~Crab meat chawanmushi (4/5): perfectly steamed with pudding like texture. Decent amount of crab meat. Delicate seasoning with light bonito flavor. ~Ryota premium set (3.5/5): solid amount of ikura and uni. Ikura and uni were flavorful and clean. Toro was fine but some muscle fibers made it hard to bite through. Biggest issue was the rice. Not the best sushi rice. Slightly stale and too cold/as if it came right out of the fridge. Marked as MP; was $98. Expected better overall quality. ~Eel sashimi (3.5/5): fine ~Kanpachi (2/5): had a sticky/pasty film on it ~Scallop (3/5): also fine but not the freshest This place is cute and the kitchen dishes were great, but I would pass on the sushi.

now *this* is great okonomiyaki…read more coming from seattle and very recently having a disastrous experience at the only okonomiyaki spot in our area (you can read my past reviews for that), my two friends, my partner, and i were looking forward to having great okonomiyaki. thankfully, gaijin delivered! we came by on a friday night, and it was fairly busy. we wouldn't have been surprised if we were turned away since we didn't have a reservation. they ended up making space for us thankfully and we didn't even have to wait long at all. the inside of the place isn't that big, but it's not so tiny that it's cramped. when you sit down, if you are in a large enough party, you sit down in front of a flat stovetop to keep your okonomiyaki warm when the waiter brings it out to you. we started with some drinks. they were all very good - next time i'm trying that espresso goma-tini! i did get a lychee martini though, and it was a little strong of a pour but i still really enjoyed it. onto the okonomiyaki. we all ordered different ones so we could try them. every single one of them were delicious. i got the tofu osaka-style, my partner got the beef osaka-style, one of my friends got the fried shrimp osaka-style, and my other friend got the traditional hiroshima-style. each okonomiyaki is prepared perfectly, not too thick and not overly saucy (so it doesn't get soggy). the flavours are quite rich but also really nicely umami. sometimes, too rich of a sauce kind of overwhelms me, but the ratios are well-balanced. overall, truly recommend this place. probably some of the best okonomiyaki i've had. next time i'm in chicago, i'd love to go again. there's so many options to choose from and i want to try them all!

I've been wanting to try Okonomiyaki for a long time, so when I saw that they had it I had to stop…read moreby! It's really cool in here because you can watch them make the Okonomiyaki in front of you! They had like a set meal going on which included soup and okonomiyaki and dessert, which was mochi donuts. The soup was pretty good, standard. The Okonomiyaki was such a big portion. I loved the little tempura bits on top and they were generous with the amount of shrimp. It's like a yummy savory pancake. I will say I didn't really enjoy the mochi donuts but I was so full I couldn't eat them until later so it may have been because they weren't as fresh and got hard. If you've been wanting to try Okonomiyaki you should check this place out!

What an absolutely delightful experience. I don't consider myself a sushi connoisseur beyond rolls…read moreas I am not a huge fan of fish, but I have to say that Omakase Yume has made me sort of rethink my position. The Queen was kind enough to treat me and The Doctor to dinner here as a thank you for helping her move into her new place. I was aware that this was going to be tasting experience but wasn't sure what to expect since it was sushi. But rest assured, Chef Sangtae Park's house was in order and on full display, showing off his brilliance. I say brilliance because to get me to eat fish is a HUGE win! I am old school and my point of reference for any tasting experience is always Charlie Trotter's back in the day as that was an exceptional dining experience that set the baseline of what I expect from a restaurant. Omakase Yume and Chef Sangtae Park did not disappoint. The entrance to the restaurant is pretty unassuming and when you walk through the door, Omakase Yume is small and intimate. There is only seating for six people, with the preparation area being the center of attention. There were two servers (Iown and another gentleman whose name I did not get) who greeted us and showed us to our seats. We we immediately asked if we wanted still or sparkling water, presented the menu for the day as well as the drinks menu. Next we presented with warm towels to cleanse our hands. The Queen did not get the wine pairing as she wasn't sure if we would want it, so we went with the adult beverages on the menu. The Queen and I started out with a non-alcoholic sparkling wine, Mas Fi 0% Dealcoholized Sparkling Wine from Spain. It was very nice and a little on the dry side, which I love. To follow up, I ordered a bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition as this was a special family date night. For me, this was a perfect pairing for the night to come. The evening presented us with 16 tasting experiences. I will just insert here to cover all of the tasting experiences, you definitely need to do it in one bite, that helps extremely with the impact of the flavor profile. And shout out to the servers explaining each bite as it was presented. Tamago Tofu (Egg tofu. crab. ikura): this was the only item I did not get a photo of. This was a surprise as I had no idea that tofu could be made from egg and it was delicious! The salmon caviar, or ikura, was excellent and complemented the dish. The crab was very nice as well. Hirame (Fluke, kimchi puree): not being a fish person, this was a nice way to introduce me to the rest of what was coming for me. I wasn't sure what to expect with the kimchi puree, but it was pretty good and not as spicy as I thought it would be. Madai (Red Snapper, konbu salt, yuzu): again another winner. Again to my surprise, another fish that was delicious. The yuzu flavor was lovely as I am a big fan of anything citrus. The touch of sour and bitter was nice when paired with the red snapper. Akami (Red Tuna. negi toro), Chutoro (Medium-fatty Tuna) & Otoro (Fatty Tuna, black salt): this was a learning experience for me as I had no idea that there were different parts of the tuna that were medium-fatty, fatty and lean. I love a tasting experience where I can taste and learn something new. Kanpachi (Amberjack, smoked salt, sesame oil. aonori): this was by far my favorite tasting! That one bite was mind blowing for me and I had to stop myself from asking for another one! The smoked salt, sesame oil and aonori were so good with the Amberjack and rice. Again I tasted and learn something new: aonori is an edible green marine algae and I loved it. Sake #1 (Smoked salmon, chef's sauce): second favorite dish. Chef's sauce was on point with the smoked salmon. And what was so cool was watching Chef actually smoke the salmon in front of us in this lovely wooden box. Kohada (Gizzard Shad), Botan Ebi (Sweet Shrimp, shrimp powder), and Uni (Sea urchin). Lovely lovely bites each with a distinct flavor profile. Again new tasting and learning experiences for me. Misoyaki (Grilled Miso marinated Black Cod): yummy and so cool watching Chef grill it in front of us! Miso Soup (Bolan ebi head broth): first time having miso and it was good! Wagashi: Nerikiri (shiroan, koshian, luxardo cherry) and Petite gateau (yakult, white peach, green cardamom) were a lovely finish to the meal for dessert. The overall dining experience was great, from the servers, the presentation and getting to take a photo with the Chef. We also got to speak to the owner and we have decided to make this an annual dining visit. I loved watching Chef Sangtae Park prepare each dish as much as tasting them. I am looking forward to our next visit.

Here's your review polished up:…read more I wish I had taken more photos , this place deserves it! I absolutely loved every dish prepared by the chef. Whether it was the kick of wasabi, the sweetness of honey, or the buttery tuna, every bite was incredible. The sake flight was also a must; each drink paired beautifully with the dishes. Service was perfect, as the staff thoughtfully explained every dish and drink in detail. I can't wait to come back!

We've been wanting to try happy hour at Ikigai Sushi & Izakaya for a while. We started with a cold…read moreSapporo (no cocktails for happy hour), then went straight into the karaage (barely edible, the chicken used was so chewy and nasty, we couldn't finish it), sushi rolls (very fishy smell, not the best), and grilled kushiyaki skewers (these were my fav). Everything came out looking seriously tempting, but somewhat fell short.

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!