Chicago suhi recommendations

1) Best "bang for the buck"

2) Best "once in a lifetime, all out experience"

3) Something in the middle of 1 and 2


Thanks guys and gals!

why sushi?? there's no ocean in chicago.

panda said:

why sushi?? there's no ocean in chicago.

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I think that question is kind of silly. It'd be like asking why eat at a steakhouse in NYC when there are no cattle roaming the streets of Manhattan. It's not like 99% of the sushi restaurants in the world are using catch that comes from their own backyard. With the way that supply and distribution chains are setup these days, if there's money and an audience, then there will be places using good quality ingredients & technique. Plenty of restaurants in Chicago getting fish from Tsukiji or True World... same as most other high end restaurants in America.

I generally don't do the best bang for you buck when it comes to sushi... but there are a couple middle/lower end places in the Wicker Park neighborhood along North Ave. If you're getting a strong buzz and just want to stuff yourself than there is also an all-you-can-eat sushi chain called Sushi Para. It's BYOB.

For all out, big $$$ experience I would say either Momotaro or Juno. That was best that I had in Chicago.

Why eat Pakistani food in London? It's not on the Asian sub-continent!

i'm not a big fan of sushi so i would want only fresh locally sourced fish. guess that's not a shared thought.

I'm with panda on this one. I gave up fin fish once I started to research sustainability and the importance of apex predatory fish in our eco system. I was raised on sushi from the time I was 2 years old so this was a huge sacrifice for me, but a necessary one. I will 100% tell you that there is ZERO good sushi in chicago, the fish is merely texture, no good rice, no good vinegar, no good shoyu etc. If you want once in a lifetime meal thats not as expensive as alinea eat at SMYTH.

Thank you guys! I am visiting Chicago for work 4-5 times per year. Sushi is not in my top choices while traveling but this trip is different.
For this trip, my wife is joining me and she asked for sushi since it's her birthday.
I have been to both Momotaro and Juno in the past. Great food and atmosphere. I have not been to Alinea or Smyth, i will have to check them out.
Another suggestion that I got via pm is ROKA AKOR, has anyone been there?

Thanks again

explain to her that you dont go to chi-town for sushi, but for either pizza or ribs (best ribs i ever had were in chicago). why dont you give our resident chicagoian a PM? bkultra, he should be able to give you personalized recommendations for dining.

My favorite sushi place in Chicago is Katsu. By far the best.

panda said:

i'm not a big fan of sushi so i would want only fresh locally sourced fish. guess that's not a shared thought.

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Not to nitpick but... isn't most fish these days sourced by big trawlers that go on longer trips and freeze it all on-board? Making it... actually rather trivial to move the frozen stuff further inland before defrosting.
I think there's even a food safety guideline that says if you want to eat it raw you have to freeze it to at least -30 first to kill off any parasites.

Do sushi for lunch! My top pick to eat in Chicago is El Ideas (http://www.elideas.com). I booked a flight to Chi-town when I got a reservation here and it is in my top 3 dinner experiences ever. I would fly back just to eat here again...this is a special dinner experience your wife will never forget!

Havent been to, but on my Chicago list for sushi when I return: Tsukiji Fish Market (http://www.tsukijifishmarketchicago.com), recommended by a Chicago friend.

Chicago has one place that fits all three categories www.eatatkaizan.com

Thank you very much for all the suggestions and input ladies and gents.
We had a great dinner with friends at Osteria via Stata, and excellent sushi and sashimi lunch at Roka Akor.
Very happy and pleased with both restaurants, even though the Roka Akor was more memorable and genuine with their offerings.

We will try to visit the other places that you suggested once we are back to Chicago in a couple of months