It used to be when you walked into Bob San on Division the sing-song greeting “irasshaimase” would bounce off the celery walls and land on the cement floor at your feet. A pioneer since 2000 on a strip of Division that now boasts a yoga boutique, a chocolatier and a parade of restaurants and bars, Bob San didn’t draw a crowd, initially.
Ginza is around the corner from my office and I've mentioned it here before (and here) and I know udon is kind of pedestrian but recovering from an illness sucks, especially the first day back to the office. What better way to temper the unbearable congestedness of being than with a steaming bowl of soup. Especially when you get the red pepper powder container to liven up the proposition. I went with the tempura udon. It's a nice bowl where they toss in tempura shrimp, potato and eggplant, right into the soup. It does get soggy but I've gotten used to it. I do ask for a side plate and take them out ASAP. That breading comes off completely otherwise. It hit the spot and I did start to hanker for some salmon, so I left before I could rack up that bill.
The additional fact that you automatically get a cup of green tea in lieu of water is another reason for the infirm to enjoy.
My first warning probably should have been the "all-you-can-eat sushi" for only $16.99. However, my hole-in-the-wall-lovin' self worked up an appetite as we descended to a basement in Lincoln Park, revealing a small space adorned with wooden furniture and a sushi bar wedged in the corner.
I deliberated over the menu and like all my prior "all-you-can-eat" experiences, secretly vowed NOT to roll out of the door in discomfort by the end of the meal. Their menu had a decent variety of appetizers, nigiri sushi and their special rolls. My friends jumped on the appetizers as I carefully made my choices of the special rolls.
My wife, as an interior designer, was fortunate enough to get an invitation to get a sneak preview of Sushi-X. I admit I have not been to Sushi-X's original location, on Chicago and Milwaukee in East Ukrainian Village. One of the first thoughts I had was that this is a bold move for them: there are quite a few sushi places around Lincoln Park and Lakeview, anywhere from more "old school" styles with bright lighting and lots of bamboo to trendy, hip places. Sushi-X aims for the trendy and hip segment of the sushi market, with its dark colors, dark lighting, Japanese anime, and techno. Maybe this is good timing as there have been more of the "trendy" places opening around Lakeview, and surprisingly, a few signs around Lincoln Park as well.
The menu has been changed but in font and paper-stock only. You can still get a great Curry Rice and Gomae. They were cutting up this tuna while I was there having lunch and I took this picture. This is just a tiny part of the beautiful fish he was carving up.
Here's a link to the previous trip there.
Ginza Fish
19 E. Ohio St.
Alice and Friends is a vegetarian restaurant on the north side in Edgewater. I've been there several times and have never had a bad meal. I'll go as far as saying that it's not only my go-to veggie spot, it may be my favorite restaurant in Edgewater. It's also almost entirely vegan.
The un-meat selection consists of beef, duck, chicken alternatives and my dinner companion questioned how it was possible for someone who doesn't eat meat to make food that tastes like meat. How can the chefs be vegetarians? Who knows but the bottom line is that the different pseudo-meats are disturbingly close to the genuine article.
Yeah. I know. It's a grocery store. I've had grocery store sushi before and it's not that good. I've also tried to swallow a hard boiled egg without chewing. That's really a bad idea. It basically get's caught in your throat where your muscles that aren't supposed to be used for food mash it into a paste that can barely go down. If you're wondering why I'm describing this egg-situation I can only refer you to the headline... yes. It's that bad.
I went through a phase where I was eating lunch at OYSY often. Then I had a bad super-white-tuna lunch special that really didn't sit well. I figured it was an unlucky meal but hadn't gone back since.
Roughly 6 months later I was wandering around looking for lunch and figured I'd try it again. I was part in the mood for sushi and part wondering whether I'd been just unlucky that once and since I hadn't mentioned that meal here I figured this time, I'd mention my lunch.
Everyone complains that there's no good ethnic food downtown. RIght on Ohio, just off of Michigan, amidst Uno's, new concept restaurants and chains-chains-chains there are a couple gems. Every now and then I come across a place that surprises me. I went to Ginza for lunch Monday and loved it but I loved it so much that I had to go back. I mean, chicken katsu and gomae... with miso and green tea... under $10? I'll give it another shot to see if it was really that good.
It is. Shame on me for posting ad nauseum about Oysy. I've been doing a disservice by my ignorance of Ginza Fish.
Some time ago a friend from Japan was in town to visit. He was here for several days and one evening my husband suggested the one thing I was dreading - taking him out for sushi. To me it seemed like the equivalent of visiting Tokyo and going out for burgers. You know it just isn't going to be as good as it is at home so why not stick to the things you can't get at home. Anyway, my Japanese friend was really into the idea so we took him to a place we enjoyed... Sai Cafe.
Unfortunately, as I suspected, it didn't go well. He insisted that it was a Chinese restaurant. The sushi chefs where Chinese, the owner was Chinese, the name was Chinese, certain things were spelled wrong on the menu and the Saki was from California. No matter what the food tasted like my friend was not going to like it - he had made up his mind. Subsequently, we decided to attempt a sushi dinner two more times, once at Torajiro in Lakeview and once at Sushi Samba. Both visits were very much enjoyed. I had heard from several people that many of the sushi restaurants in Chicago are owned by Chinese chefs that were trained in Japan, like Torajiro, which was news to me.
It's been a long while betweeen visits to Indie Cafe. My experience had been months ago, during their Reader-induced celebrity. It was time to go back.
They're still BYOB and they're still packed. Thursday night we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. The dining room is small. So I'm guessing their business is still very brisk. That was a good sign and I was in for more good news.
Eddy is from Vegas and he's bored. So what do you do? Bring nyotaimori to Chicago... Hell, it worked in Vegas.
What better way to compete with the foie gras legal hullabaloo than a good old fashioned naked lady.
Nyotaimori is Japanese sushi presentation on the torso of a naked lady (covered with strategically placed items - so not really nude in the "nude" sense of the word). Though it is, as far as Wikipedia says, not a royal custom but one "generally associated with prostitution and the Yakuza... "
Needless to say, it sounds like damn good business. And, since I promised to head back to Kizoku for dinner, I brought my camera...
The $500 body sushi "all you can eat" is served in the lounge. Meals run about an hour and a half. As it's a pretty dark room, I got some shots and went back to the dining room to eat.
It seems like the body-thing is getting them lots of press. People should be glad that the restaurant is actually quite good and will likely gain some loyal customers.
To many Chicagoans Japanese food means raw fish. I'll admit I can count on my hands the number of times I have eaten Japanese that isn't sushi. I didn't know what to expect with Sunshine Cafe except that it is a small restaurant and based on decor it would be likely considered a takeout place. I have noticed that it is usually very well attended. After a couple of good Japanese experiences recently, Renga-Tei and Katsu, I was excited. Boy was it good.
Pingpong is yet another one of those Asian fusion restaurants that seem to be popping up in every neighborhood. Pingpong however is not new to Lakeview. I remember it opening about four years ago, just before I moved out of the neighborhood. I didn't get a chance to try it then but I've always heard from people in the area that it is a favorite.
I have pestered my wife to go to Renga-Tei by imitating Jodie Foster in Nell and saying it fast... Renga-Taaaay... after our suprise bank-busting trip to Katsu she was worried that we'd have to break into triple digits for dinner again. Fortuantely not.
Renga-Tei is on Touhy just past Wholly Frijoles. Considering the delay for a table at Wholly a 5 minute walk west will land you a spot that not only has a firm grasp on sushi but cooked Japanese options as well.
The first time at Kizoku I stuck to their salmon variations to good effect...
This time I decided against a jaunt down to Chinatown in favor of a quick, albeit more expensive, bite of raw fish. The choice actually was made at the front door. With Chilpancingo five steps away I was thinking hard. The banner's promise of a new lunch menu for Kizoku sealed the deal. It's news. They have a lunch menu.
In Andersonville (the ANDER in Andersonwater Park) there are tons of restaurants that seem to open and close with such regularity that it's hard to keep track.
Sushi Luxe wants to be and probably is the local trendy sushi place and where that doesn't immediately bother me the beat centric techno in a dining room with only 3 tables seated does. A metronomic thump in an otherwise quiet environment is quite annoying.
OK... you can guess when I start with a disclaimer I am conflicted.
On one hand Katsu seems to me to be the most Japanese restaurant that I've been to in the city of Chicago... bearing in mind I have not yet been to Japan. Their flavors and scents are different from any of the other sushi places I've been to. Their hot menu items seemed unusual and very appealing. Maybe I should go back for Japanese food. Maybe I made a mistake when I got all revved up to go to Katsu for sushi.
Because on the other hand Katsu is expensive. Even for sushi places... It's on Peterson and I just got caught flat-footed. The last sushi place I tried and pigged at was Kaze and this priced out the same. Pieces are gigantic and are $4 each. Special pieces cost more. Rolls start at $6 and balloon to $15 or so (I'll check my takeout menu)... I got a nice sampling of 3 glasses of sake for $9 and had a wonderful kiss fish tempura appetizer.
All in all we got 3 rolls and 6 pieces of fish, the sake sampler, kiss-fish appetizer for $90. Very interesting but not worth the money.
After adopting Oysy (OH-EEE-SHE) downtown as a great lunch place I decided to take some relatives out to the one in Northbrook feeling the white tuna in yuzu would be much appreciated.
I would never have tried this place without prior knowledge as it's in a mall and actually shares space with its partner restaurant Pacific Rim Asian... Yikes.
My favorite restaurant in Chicago is a traditional sushi spot - Torajiro. I do enjoy new tastes and have been around but I tend to gravitate to simple sushi on a regular basis.
People talk ad nauseum about Kaze. I'll admit it was time I tried it. And I'll admit you all were right.
It's a pretty restaurant on Seeley and Roscoe that's not too big with a long sushi bar and comfortable Louis XVI chairs that look good for the room. The waiter knew what was what and we let him make some suggestions. I've read that Kaze's waiters have been perceived as pushy but we appreciated his suggestions. We seemed to surprise him by constantly ordering more.
We started with the hirami sashimi, pieces of whitefish wrapped around sprouts, bamboo shoots and served on pine nuts and ponzu sauce. The dish arrived as we were going over the menu and it looked very pretty. the pine nuts were a gravel-like bed for the rolled fish stood upright. It tasted great. It was the first sign that the restaurant was matching flavors well.
I've been to Silver Spoon (conveniently, one block west of Michigan Avenue at the 700 block) once before, after work and before a movie when a hungry (which means generally poor) decision took the reins. Luckily this is the sister location of Spoon Thai up north (4608 N. Western). Another restaurant I have yet to try... It gets high marks from Thai fans so this could be an initiation to the Spoon Thai experience.
This time I was going for the lunch deal and a $6.95 lunch special downtown is nothing to sneeze at either. Especially when the alternative is Taco Bell at the 8th floor food court across the street. The sign indicated soup, appetizer and an entree.
When I first heard about Oysy (Oh-eee-she) Sushi I though, great, just what we need in downtown Chicago, another sushi restaurant. Seriously, we really desperately need another sushi restaurant downtown. For some odd reason the downtown area is void of all the worldly food options available around the city.
Instead, we suffer through expensive sandwich and burger places, not too mention all the chain restaurants that keep opening up. Eating lunch downtown has pricey but boring for some time. And sure, there are some sushi bars to choose from, like the basement of Benihana for inexpensive yet questionable sushi, or the beautifully remodeled Kamachi, with pretty decent sushi, but not great, if you want to pay $40 for lunch.
I was walking past Kizoku, 358 W. Ontario, with some time to spare and pretty much went in for a flight of salmon. On their menu they offer Scottish smoked salmon, marinated soy salmon and fresh salmon. Figured it would be a simple snack.
The restaurant is large but at 4:30 on a Friday it was me and two others at a large circular sushi bar. The waitstaff was helpful and the sushi chefs were prompt. They offer a diverse selection of rolls and a comprehensive list of fish. The place is typical-fancy for that part of Ontario and, without a crowd, impossible to register any kind of cool factor.
It used to be called Yaohan. It is a Japanese grocery/kitchen store/food court. They have stores in California, New Jersey and Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Before I really got into food I was somewhat-obsessive about toys. So up until 4 years ago I had been buying udon in the food court and Godzilla bandai snap-together candy toys at the grocery store known now as Mitsuwa.
Instead of Tetsujin pariphanallia I buy dumpling sauce, dried noodles, frozen noodles, mushrooms, and things that I can't explain.
As an Edgewater resident and Thai and sushi enthusiast I was thrilled to hear of this mystical Thai place that has great sushi. I initially thought they meant Thai Vietnamese – Thien Noodles on Clark - a true one of a kind. A neighbor mentioned it so we went. Then a friend said something. then my aunt called. Let's just say word is out.
OK. Here's the deal. Indie Cafe is just OK.
What makes the place special is the way the food looks.
432 W. Diversey, Chicago
Tel: (773) 477-5000
People don't just like sushi, they have sushi habits. I have my likes and dislikes. Fresh fish is what is polite to say about any sushi place that can stay in business. I prefer good wakame, and rice that isn't gummy. While there is a trend in this city for places that are non-traditional, like the recent and terrific Sushi Samba (GREAT Sake selection), I want stability. Light, mildly citric yellowtail, buttery salmon, non-stringy tuna, maki that will fit in my mouth - more or less, and most importantly, consistency. The small restaurant between Sheridan and Broadway on Diversey has become my "Cheers."
Recent Comments