sushi taiyo (#41)

a sushi dinner and going to see "one day" in river north, made for a nice evening.

how it sizes up: 3.5

atmosphere: it has the chain sushi restaurant vibe somewhat, but not too too much.

showstopper: flaming maki (pictured with the open flame).

would we go again?: potentially, but there are most likely others we would opt for in river north before a return trip.

seadog (#40)

this was a great find on devin's part. a perfect summer night spent on a perfect patio.

how it sizes up: 4

atmosphere: a spacious interior (though it does not appear that way from the outside), with beautiful floors and huge windows in back that are totally unexpected.

showstopper: the amazing special (pictured plated in a row of three) that i can't begin to remember the name of right now.

would we go again?: definitely. the patio speaks for itself. it's quiet, intimate and has the ability to seat many.

arami (#39)

our initial intent was to get sushi at geisha sushi bar in wicker park, however, we quickly moved to plan 'b' when it appeared as though they were closed. not for the day, for good. apparently the yelpers weren't keeping tabs on this place the way they thought.

we didn't mind though. it was 70 degrees in march, so we had ourselves a nice 20 minute walk to chicago and wolcott for arami.

how it sizes up: 4.5

atmosphere: lots of light. the tables in the back are situated with lots of windows and skylights which made for an even greater experience.

showstopper: hamachi maguro ebi. this was pretty much where we were sold on the fact that we'll be making a VERY quick return trip.

would we go again?: we could have done it all over again the very next day. devin actually said, "this might be top three, ever. if not the top." that should say it all.

wasabi (#38)

we're baaaack! devin and i had our sushi reunion at wasabi after many months sans sushi dates.

how it sizes up: 3

atmosphere: sleek, clean lines and intimate. it was pretty darn dark in there, but it was nice. our server was slightly questionable, but the rest of the staff was great.

showstopper: artmex. though the scallop starter was TO DIE FOR.

would we go again?: sure, but it's probably not the first repeat on our list. also, byo.

sushi pink (#37)

per nikki's swoop coupon, sushi pink was a must. we were all three in need of some good ol' fashioned catching up as well as enjoying a nice cocktail.

how it sizes up: 3.5

atmosphere: with a small patio and small interior, it is streamlined in a good way. however, the bathroom is some what questionable with it's nearly pitch black lighting and a two way mirror that makes it appear that the entire restaurant can see what you're doing in the ladies room. a little scary.

showstopper: a three way tie with the holy, lemonade and the s2.

would we go again?: yes and looking forward to it.

misc: parking is a breeze in the west loop. conveniently there is a baskin robins right next door. nothing tops off six rolls of sushi like a delicious ice cream cone.

friends sushi (#36)

yes, this is the actual name. very appropriate considering devin, nikki and i had some friendly recapping to do post the kindt/hawley nuptials.

how it sizes up: 3.75 (if that doesn't sound too picky)
atmosphere: like you're in a space ship with white padded walls. everything was really futuristic and from the two that have actually been to japan, it was very japanese.
showstopper: jazz. yummm.
would we go again?: i believe so. it was very good, but could be trumped by other places from a logistical stand point.
misc: it's another gold coast spot that is tricky to get to unless you're fond of public transit. lucky for us, we are. we also decided on an impromptu drink post dinner to get "fancy." hooray for c-view and fun cocktails.

ra (#35)

devin and i had a major craving for sushi a few weeks ago. we all know how well we handle those. it had been months since we had a proper sushi date, so we went to ra for their happy hour sushi and drinks.

how it sizes up: 2.5
atmosphere: ra is very much like the cheesecake factory of sushi. you know that you're somewhere that may not necessarily specialize in one thing, but are fairly good at achieving most everything. the atmosphere reflected this.
showstopper: crispy spicy tuna. nearly the exact same as the spicy tuna rice krispies from agami, but not nearly as perfect.
would we go again?: only if it was half price. the sushi was good, not great, but the happy hour deal might bring us in again.
misc: since we haven't ventured to the gold coast much in our conquest, we thought this would be a good opportunity. with that said, don't expect street parking or a younger crowd.

kin (#34)

so we are just now realizing how far behind we are on posting our sushi adventures! with no further ado...

kin was a late winter/early spring spot that sounded too good to pass up. located close to usagi ya, we were hoping for a similar result.

how it sides up: 3.5

atmosphere: fairly simple. a small lounge area, but mainly smaller tables.

showstopper: q salmon (third from right). it was really light, fresh and a good change up to the other rolls we got.

would we go again?: definitely. being byo, it makes it cost effective and even more delicious.

misc: a few doors down there is a liquor store. keep in mind though, the area around kin is not the best, but it does have easy street parking.

kyu (#33)

this one was sans devin, but nikki and i had the itch. kyu was a good, tiny find in a no mans land part of ashland.

how it sizes up: 3

atmosphere: a little bare. it seemed as though they threw some tables and chairs in the space and called it a day.

showstopper: red dragon.

would we go again?: sure. the sushi itself was really quite good, but nothing grabbed us the way we hoped. we would use this as an "in a pinch" sort of place.

misc: the area is a little bit questionable. however, public transportation is an easy walk from the division blue line. as a byo, it's definitely the sort of place where you could take your time and really enjoy the evening.

nori (#32)

you want it, nori's got it. we couldn't stop thinking about our #32 pick after we left. there were even debates of this being, "the best."

how it sizes up: 4.5
atmosphere: tiny but perfect. cozy setting with very cushy leather chairs and round tables.
showstopper: the shrek, closely followed by grand caribbean.
would we go again?: made a return trip in the same week.
misc: very convenient for our trips to nail.com. and being directly outside of the diversey brown line, you can't ask for much better in the way accessibility. street parking is also an easy option.

bob san (#31)

it's madness to think we've tried 31 sushi places within the city, but boy, we've done it. number 31 belongs to bob san.

how it sizes up: 4

atmosphere: we are fairly confident there was an overall sexual theme to bob san. if ever you venture there, look around and you will know exactly what we mean. nevertheless, very sleek and modern.

showstopper: not an overly creative maki menu, but the fish was so fresh. we loved the fresh salmon sashimi jalapeno appetizer. amazing.

would we go again?: for the freshness of the fish, definitely.

misc: very convenient spot on division. it's easy to kill time while browsing any of the adorable shops/boutiques if need be.

ponzu (# 30)

on our very regular trips for mani/pedis, we have become experts on sushi joints on and around clark street. so many great little byo places that are often overlooked. one being, ponzu. it has brought us back twice already and is delicious every time.

how it sizes up: 3.5
atmosphere: quaint. sort of bare bones, but cozy because it's not trying to be something it's not.
showstopper: zuke sake. it's not a roll, but a pressed/stacked concoction. you just have to try it.
would we go again?: um, yes and we have.
misc: very friendly staff and a long menu complete with pictures. however, there was a very funky smell that was overpowering the second time we went. and it wasn't pleasant.

niu japanese fusion lounge (#29)

we are in love. we even went as far to say that #29 is definitely in our top ten, maybe even top five sushi conquests. we found a downtown/rivereast gem in niu.

how it sizes up: 4.25 (so close to a 4.5 though)
atmosphere: perfect. good music, just loud enough, an interesting crowd, and a really cool mural done with birch trees.
showstopper: aloha albacore.
creativitay: really well done. there were interesting things used in what might seem to be a traditional roll, like radish sprouts. the freshness of their fish was outstanding.
would we go again?: we could have gone back the next day. we might need to make a habit out of friday night shopping and sushi trips.
misc: it's not the easiest of places to get to via public transit. you are sort of in no man's land, however, there are a plethura of cabs waiting outside of the rivereast theater directly next door. they also have a long list of fun drinks.

zen noodles & sushi (#28)

life got a little hectic this summer and we unintentionally took a hiatus from sushi-ing, but zen brought us right back on track.

how it sizes up: 2.5
atmosphere: eh, just so so. no MAJOR appeal to the interior.
showstopper: the french.
creativitay: fairly good. they stepped out of the box with several makis on their specialty menu. but sadly missed it on the execution.
would we go again?: maybe, but probably not.
misc: the sangria was really good and our server was very johnny on the spot. maybe a little too much for my liking, but a friendly staff. an added bonus, akira footwear is just across the street. makes for a nice after dinner treat.

oysy (#27)

after some confusion on location (my fault) devin and i had a nice post work drink and dinner at oysy.

how it sizes up: 3.5
atmosphere: cool and calming.
showstopper: the white dragon (added the spicy mayo). it came out complete with a cute little face and tail.
creativitay: decent. they have a long maki list, however nothing stood out as truly outstanding. we decided the difference between good and great sushi, must lie in the rice. this was just good. not great.
would we go again?: if need be.
misc: the tasty green tea sangria we had blew their sushi out of the water. with that said, it was very middle of the road for it's downtown location.