Sushi Wabi
Category: Sushi Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Near West Side842 W Randolph St
(between Green St & Peoria St)
Chicago, IL 60607 (312) 563-1224
- Nearest Transit:
Clinton (Pink, Green Lake)
- Hours:
Mon 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Mon-Fri 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Mon-Tue 5:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.
Wed-Fri 5:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
Sat 5:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m.
Sun 5:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
66 reviews
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
"Itto is now my favorite sushi place! Why? Well for one, they create some of the freshest sushi I've tasted and it is priced VERY…" read more »
181 Reviews for Sushi Wabi
So hip !!
So delicious!!
beautiful wait staff!!
Can't wait to return.
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This review is short.
Sushi wabi does not have fresh fish. The sashimi/sushi is not the best around. There are plenty of places with better fish. The rolls, though, are good. They put lots of extravagant things in and around them to wow you.
The atmosphere is not for me. It's dark, the music is loud, the sushi chef's seem more concerned with bobbing to the music than crafting dishes. There are better places in Chicago for sushi. Go to Coast or Sai Cafe.
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The Bad Part:
Two times I have eaten here and felt compelled to spit something into a napkin both times. Once it was the Octopus, the other time it was fatty tuna.
Both times I was on a date so had no real choice but to smile and swallow it against my gag reflex. Although it later made for an amusing story: "Remember that time we went there when we had just met??...Well, I almost died and threw up on the table while trying to swallow that rubbery octopus, but smiled through the whole thing and you had no idea!!!..isn't that funny?!!? HAHAHAH"
Anyways, the seaweed salad is also not good. It's a real deviation from what every other restaurant offers, and not a successful one. It is edible, but not much more.
The Okay Part:
The rest of the food is alright. I enjoyed it well enough, though agree with other reviews that the fish is not the freshest when compared to the prices.
The wait staff is fairly nice and accommodating in my experience.
The restaurant itself is attractive and makes for a fun outing.
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Sushi was as it should be fresh. The rolls were creative. It 's an overalll great place to bring friends to have fun.
I didn't like it here. I wont go back.
The sauce on the spinach was sooo bland yucky and the tuna was fishy - sorry cats. Hated it. Sorry.
My fiance took me here for a birthday dinner and when we walked in I was very excited. The decor is great and it definitely has a hip/urban vibe. However, my views quickly changed when we ordered. We are both adventurous sushi eaters so we decided to get the Chef Special, to get a good variety of rolls. Unfortunately, when the "Special" arrived, all we got were variations of dull boring rolls like california and tuna maki. They even gave us cucumber maki (as in ONLY cucumber!). The boring rolls were pretty good, but their was definitely nothing "special" about them and given how expensive the dishes are, I will definitely not be going back.
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This has been my favorite sushi place for years. I keep trying other places, and I've found some really great ones, but I gotta say - Sushi Wabi is the one that I always come back to.
The decor is practically Zen in it's laid-back simplicity, but the DJ booth keeps the vibe upbeat. I've always had fantastic service from the waitstaff. Though I'll agree with the frustrated reviewers regarding the hosts not allowing groups to be seated until everyone is present. It's unnecessary fussiness, and the space is too small for that many people to be standing around. However, this is a relatively minor point for me when everything else is so good.
Which brings me to the food - their Dragon Roll is probably my favorite food on planet Earth. (I've had dragon rolls elsewhere... not the same.) The Godzilla roll is great too. And if they happen to have the special roll with the calamari on the inside - get it. I've only been lucky enough to get it once, but it was fantastic. I always get a sashimi platter there as well.
Though I have never eaten any of the entrees from the kitchen, I have taken sushi-phobic people there who have said that their cooked items are also fantastic.
And if you have room, try the green tea tempura ice cream. I usually keep eating sushi until I can't eat anymore, but on the rare occasion I have a taste for something sweet at the end, this stuff is great.
I take all of my sushi-fan friends from out of town here when they visit. Love it.
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Still perfect. I brought my self-professed "sushi aficionado" friend from L.A. here, confident that Sushi Wabi would not disappoint. As always, everything was top-notch. I stand by my claim that these Godzilla rolls are the best in the city. Every table was justly spoken for on a Monday night.
It never fails to amaze me that even though the tables are so close together, you somehow melt into your own little world once you sit down.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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03/08/2008
Gush, drool, swoon. In no particular order.
I've been eating at Sushi Wabi for years. I love Coast… Read more »
Best sushi in Chicago. It's expensive, but you get what you pay for.
One of the stops on this weekend's Mom 'N Me adventure....
Atmosphere was rustic and urban - bonus for the chopstick rests, which were various rocks. I'm a sucker for natural materials.
I didn't use the restrooms but from these photos, it looks pretty cool :)
Overall the design concept is great - like a favorite pair of beat up jeans.
Nigiri was fresh and yummy - We ordered Salmon, Yellowtail and the cooked shrimp which they said came with a wasabi marinade or something. I couldn't detect any special flavor though.
The salmon is always my favorite and this was no different.
Miso was good and stayed warm and our Dragon Roll (minus mayo) was on par with some of my favorites.
The iced green tea I ordered was served in a twist cap bottle and a glass of ice which I found kind of annoying. I don't like extra clutter at the table and especially since we were at the bar, with water, I figured they could have taken the time to pour it for me. But I can see that if you purchase the bottle they want you to get the full serving... it was just a minor irk to have so many glasses.
The sushi chefs were very friendly and greeted us when we sat down and said goodbye when we left, even though we were engaged in our own conversation throughout the meal. Our server was really nice and quick to write down what we wanted, although it took awhile for her to bring our appetizers.
Originally they said they had no reservations open until 9:35p when I called at 5:30 but we could try to come by and see if anything was open... We tried Coast first but when there was a 45 minute wait, I called Wabi again and they set somethig up for us 20 minutes later.
Solid :)
Yum! Yum! Very good place for sushi and amazing speciality drinks! The atmosphere is not too fancy and not too casual, very cute and t-i-n-y. Most of the seating seems to be around the sushi bar which was cool and pretty quick - we only had to wait 20-30 minutes for seating on a early Friday night. There's also a little bar in back to drink while waiting. This is a great place if you looking for something unpretenious and good in the west loop area.
I had been by this place a million times but never stopped in as a friend of mine who lives in the area always said there are better and cheaper sushi places in the area.
He may have been right about the cheaper part- but I found the sushi to be excellent- very fresh with some different offerings than at my "normal" sushi place.
Our only hiccup? On the night I was there I was with a group of 10 prior to a function at the United Center. Unfortunately they wouldn't seat us until our entire group was present. Trust me- this place is not big enough for 9 people to be standing around. I guess they finally figured that out, too, as the servers were bumping into us at the bar. A few minutes later, we were seated and began to enjoy what was a really great night.
Great company, great sushi and a great concert? Sounds like a winning night to me.
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Sushi Wabi is one of my favorite sushi houses, first because of it's uber chic urban/rustic atmosphere and because they have an outstanding staff serving some of the most delicious maki anywhere. The atmosphere is helped along by the gleaming sushi bar and house spun music. The tiny zinc bar in towards the back serves cocktails, beer and sake. Get to know the staff, they are friendly, professional and personable. If you're a regular like me and you talk to them they will remember you. One of the things I like about the food is that they don't always have every kind of nigiri you might want. That says to me that they only choose the best of what is available. I've never had a fishy smelling or tasting nigiri or nigiri where the fish was falling apart [a sign of age]. Don't miss some of the great appetizers and drinks as dessert. You can do Sushi Wabi on a budget, unless you're like me and can't stop eating great sushi.
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Absolutely hands down the best Sushi in Chicago (well, tied with Toro-- I love you Mitch). I have been going to Wabi for years now and they have never let me down. I have never had anything here that hasn't been of the highest quality, the sashimi is always the most amazing cuts, and the huge rolls (Ecuador, Fire, Godzilla) are a meal in themselves.
The sakitinis are yummy, especially since the olives are stuffed with gingery goodness. And, they have creamy, unfiltered saki... my favorite.
**This review is coming from a sushi addict-- I worry that I will get mercury poisoning considering I eat it at least 4 times a week.
First off, the sushi is excellent. Fantastic. The place is really expensive though. Lunch sets are more than Sushi Samba or Japonais and no Miso or drink. You also don't get to pick what rolls you want in it. Turned out well for me b/c I like to try new stuff and wasn't paying, but could be annoying. Especially if you get stuck w/ something very boring.
Worst part is how high maintenance. We had a reservation for 6, and were waiting for the sixth. The made the 5 of us stand around awkwardly for awhile in a small space staring at the empty table which we reserved but were not yet allowed to sit at it. Come on.
Come to think of the Maki rolls were great and I was very pleased, but the nigiri was not terribly large, well-cut, or tasty.
I give it three stars. Food was mostly good, but too damn high-maintenance.
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I love this place. They have the best rolls ever and their presentation is awesome. As a veggie they customize their rolls to my liking which I have to tell you most places are not that flexible. Sushi does not have to mean eating raw fish. Some people think this place is expensive, but you cannot cut costs on really fresh fish and produce. Their rolls are a decent size, I never leave there hungry. You want cheap Sushi then you are heading for trouble.
This place is small and attracts the creative types. Always a friendly atmosphere, be prepared to wait it's worth it though. Friday nights are always very busy. They have local Dj's here and the music is awesome. Forget chatting, just eat and listen!
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I'm a sushi snob nowadays. I wasn't really impressed. It tries too hard to be a hip restaurant, but it's not in a hip neighborhood. The sushi is ridiculously overpriced, and the chefs don't seem to be skilled. I ordered a ($35) sushi platter that had about 9 pieces of nigiri on it and 2 maki rolls. The rolls were constructed well, but the fish inside them tasted rancid.
The fish on the nigiri wasn't bad, but it looked like it was cut with a buzz saw. When I think of nigiri, I want nice, expertly-cut pieces that aren't ripped and don't look like I made them myself. It just didn't look right, and they gave me all the cheapest fish for chef's choice. Chef's choice is supposed to impress, not clear stock of overstocked fish.
If there's a next time, I'll go a la carte and order some of their specialty maki because they looked delicious.
Also, can anyone tell me what the rock is for? That was a new one for me, and I've been to quite a few Japanese restaurants in my lifetime.
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Sushi Wabi was not as good as I thought it would be. We went the other day for my friends birthday and I was so excited to try this place out but it did not live up to my expectations! We started with the miso soup...good...then the seared tuna...ok...smelled a bit fishy...the caterpillar roll...It was tasty but had way to much avocado and rice...the spider roll....to much rice...the spicy tuna roll...ehhh. Also the drinks were pretty expensive for what you got. It cost $8 for a very small vodka and soda (the drink was measured...something I hate) and all the wine is 10+ a glass...Ill pay $15 for the drink just make it strong! As for the ambiance...it is small, has roof shingles on the wall, and uncomfortable chairs. Next time I will go to Sushi Samba or Japonais.
They have the yummiest elaborate rolls in Chicago-- hands down. The presentation is also stunning. Have you ever heard of too pretty to eat? I have but psshh I eat ANYTHING that's put in front of me!
Their Maki selection always blows me away.
My Favorites: caterpillar, dragon, ebi tempura, godzilla
I also love the fun atmosphere. The service is always at least decent. The fish isn't quite as fresh as some I've had in the Chicago area and therefore the nigiri/sashimi wasn't my favorite. I'll stick to the yummy rolls that somehow mask the "not the freshest of the fresh" fish taste.
Haven't been back here in about 3-4 years, and I finally came here with a group of friends after a day at the Taste of Randolph. They were able to accommodate last-minute reservations for a party of 5. We started with this beef thing with scallions, which actually was pretty tasty and good - I was skeptical when our table ordered it, but it had enough flavor, and the scallions (rolled inside the beef) worked really well.
For rolls, we had negi hamachi, california, godzilla without sour cream, and futo maki. I was excited to try futo maki, since not many sushi places make it, and it was just as good as I remembered. Godzilla was surprisingly delicious, esp. considering it's not one I typically order. I appreciated the fact that the sushi chef went light on the teriyaki sauce, and the tempura flakes were the perfect crispiness and flakiness. The California roll was a bit strange -- there was at least two layers of Masago on the outside, yet lacked any taste. The imitation crab was also rubbery and tasteless. Overall though, the fish was extremely fresh, and I do think their rolls are made extremely well. I appreciate their cocktail menu, and non-sushi options as well. Definitely one of the better sushi places in Chicago.
One of the best in Chicago! love it, great food, great presentation, awesome sushi experience. the only drawback is the size, it can be very crowded.
This place has the best rolls. The combination of flavors and presentation are outstanding. My favorite is the ecuador. The nigiri is good too, and very fresh, but it's more expensive than some sushi places. I don't worry about issues of freshness or quality when eating/ordering from Sushi Wabi, so that is probably worth the extra money. The service was good too. It doesn't get much better than this. Try the hamachi collar appetizer- so tender!
I came on a Sat night without reservations and with luck on my side, there were seats open at 8pm. Granted they were at the sushi bar, but we didn't have to wait. 10 minutes later there was a wait. I highly recommend reservations. We called ahead, but they were booked and we took the chance.
The rolls are bit more expensive, but 1 roll is enough for me. We started off with a seaweed salad for an app. I got scallops on the hot app menu and the alaska roll. The scallops were unfortunately gritty.
My husband got salmon and the Ecuador roll. The roll was large enough to feed both of us! He loved the cilantro and jalapenos that added heat to the roll. Martini's were good. Service was decent.
This is one of the better sushi places I've been to lately. I will def go back....but with reservations to ensure a table.
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Three and a half, almost four stars for serving cream cheese in my roll. no no no, was never big fan of over-mayoyed or over-buttered rolls. Personally I think it diminishes the taste of fish. When it comes to Japanese dining, I prefer to separate flavors rather than mixing them into one whole fusion.
The ambiance is what can be expected from contemporary sushi joint. However elevated live DJ booth was an interesting touch, which in its order made me guess the restaurant caters to both culinary and trendy palate.
I always forget how great the food is here. For a modern "trendy" sushi restaurant in the city, Sushi Wabi does it right. We didn't have reservations, and had to wait 45 minutes for a table, so we went next door for a quick drink. We came back and were weated promptly.
I have to agree with Kelly - this place is always crowded. But once you are seated, it feels intimate and it's not too bad. Good music, good vibe and very friendly staff.
The food is fantastic. I LOVE the spicy tuna rolls. It's just spicy enough and they are definitely generous with the tuna! We also had several sashimi pieces... the hamachi, salmon, white tuna and albacore were my favorite :) Large pieces of fresh raw fish make me deliriously happy.
I've had some of their other maki rolls here and am generally not a fan. The unagi rolls tend to have too much sauce on them, and I don't eat any "sushi" that includes fruit, mayo, or cream cheese.
Sake list is not too great, but they seem to have a decent wine list. Definitely try the red bean ice cream dessert. It comes in a carmelized sugar edible bowl and four Japanese tea cakes - three of them had a sweet white bean filling and one with red bean of course. I will certainly have to try their mochi sometime.
This is a great spot for dates or groups. I had fun here and will be back.
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Yesterday I learned the true meaning of a hand roll at Sushi Wabi. The girls and I sat by the sushi bar last night and watched the sushi chefs as they constructed perfection after perfection. We were starving when we got there around 9ish and it seemed that every order they finished was never ours. My friend started wondering what would happened if she just started taking sushi right off the sushi platter! To make the time pass faster we started asking the sushi chefs which each roll was as they finished. They all looked so decadent. Shortly after the sushi chefs just starting announcing each roll to us as they finished.
At last we got our first roll, the special Hot Daisy.. oh oh delicious.. I'm huge on white tuna so I was very, very pleased. Next came the Fire roll. OMG for you spicy lovers out there.. This is a must try. The sauce is deadly. Your mouth will catch on fire! We had actually planned to get the Ecuador and spicy tuna roll as well but decided it may be a bit too much for the 3 of us. We canceled the spicy tuna order and placed in a hand roll each instead. Wow, I have never seen a hand roll this big in my entire life. It was GINORMOUS!!! The sushi chef could hardly hold the roll together himself as he made it. I held the spicy salmon hand roll with both hands as I devoured it as if it was an ice cream cone! They were extremely generous with the sashimi too. The hand roll was packed with salmon. I didn't find any rice until I reached the bottom of the seaweed cone. Needless to say, we could hardly finish the rolls we ordered and had to cancel our Ecuador roll. The pricing here is decent too. The miso soup which is excellent is only $2. The rolls start at $4.25 and go up to $17. The $17 rolls are huge and worth every penny. I like the rolls here much better than Japonais. The next time I come I want to try the Tarantula, Ecuador, Caterpillar, and Godzilla rolls.
Tip - Make reservations before you go. This place is busy all the time. Even with reservations at 9pm on a Wednesday we still had to wait like 10 min to get seated.
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Usually I am a fan of mom 'n pop sushi houses, as they suit me just dandy...
However, when an evening calls for a bit of ambiance and the ladies of Yelp are starving...Sushi Wabi, a perfect choice. (kudos to Andrea W).
With an 830 reservation on a Tuesday night, I was a bit shocked with the crowd. However, I suppose that serves as a testament to the sushi. We were seated about 20 minutes after our reservation (with a bit of AW persuasion), promptly served drinks and edamame, and the brief interruption in service was quickly overlooked...
The food was excellent. Started with miso soup, side salads and a cold tuna appetizer. The three of us split the Godzilla, Ecuador, Rainbow and "one I can't remember, but it had a lot of cilantro" and all were very good. The cilantro one triggered memories of a Chipotle burrito, so I'd probably skip that on a return trip...oh yes, it was a Caterpillar roll. Presentation was beautiful.
The interior is very "West Loop" in a trendy, but not trying too hard sort of way. DJ was an interesting touch...hot hand towels and black rocks in the napkin rolls as well...fancy schmancy. ;)
I'd go back, but suggest reservations on any given night...there is a small bar to wait in, so that helps.
MMM, the Godzilla roll is calling my name.
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Sushi Wabi's atmosphere is exactly what I'd expect from a trendy "big city" sushi place. From the dim lighting to the DJ booth raised above the crowd in a discreet manner, everything in here felt sophisticated and cool. The hot towels and black rocks in the napkins completed the feel.
Although we had reservation, the place was so busy (on a Tuesday night nonetheless) that we ended up waiting 20-30 minutes past our reservation time to be seated.
Ah well, the food was so good it more than made up for the wait. All of the rolls we shared came on separate wooden platters and were presented beautifully. The salads, miso soup and appetizers were great and so was our server.
I'd definitely go back if ever in this Chicago neighborhood again. And I'd say it's a great place to take a date.
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My Japanese friend told me that this was the best place for sushi out of the 10 places he's been in Chicago. I was really happy we came!
Obviously, Chicago isn't LA, Vancouver, NY, or ummm, JAPAN so it's not like the sushi I had here was the best I've ever had - but it definitely was the best I've had in Chicago so far. I've yet to try Mirai which many people have raved to me about.
Rolls are huge and have a lot of stuff going on - not good if you're a sushi purist, but great if you're hungry for tons of fresh ingredients. My favourite was the Ecuador roll which combined fish, vegetables, and spicy sauces. The other rolls we tried were also fresh and had lots of flavours going on. Unfortunately, Sushi Wabi also loves the avocado-in-sushi concept - something I have yet to understand but have learned to tolerate.
I thought the cooked food we ordered (tempura, grilled eggplant) was ok, but not great. Unless someone in your party doesn't eat raw fish, I would stick to the rolls.
Ordered a few desserts - tempura green tea ice cream, fuji apple cake w/ginger ice cream, tea cakes w/red bean ice cream - and found them cute, but not great. The best part of each dish was the ice cream. I would have preferred another roll.
Service was alright, though the waitress could have refilled our tea waaaay more often.
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DANG.
I ate at Sushi Wabi for the first time the other day, and I must say that it took me off guard. The food was off the chains.
My only complaint is that it was extremely loud in the restaurant, but everything else was amazing.
I had the Caterpillar, but my totally bodacious date had the Godzilla (which I stole a few bites of) and dear heavens that was pure delight.
My mouth thanks you, Sushi Wabi.
See you again soon.
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THIS is a jewel. Sushi Wabi rocks my socks.
Unfortunately, I came here for the first time on a business lunch. While it was a very nice lunch, this means that there was no sake and no craziness. I am an absolute sucker for sake...so I will need to come back here.
We ordered about five rolls between three people (spicy tuna, rainbow, philly, dragon, and something else that I can't remember). Each was very different and very delicious.
The Wabi was small and crowded...just like I like my sushi places. Lots of wood and earth tones...which I'm told is my element. It wasn't quite as dingy as I would have liked --- but it definitely had its own type of vibe going on. I'd love to come here in the evening to see how the atmosphere changes.
Five stars, Wabi! You win!
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I really love this place. Consistently fresh fish and some of the best maki I've ever had (hello, Godzilla roll!) It's also just a very cool space, great drinks, great service. I have no complaints other than that it's sometimes hard to get in. Go early. Sushi Wabi is in my top three sushi joints that I'll always recommend and return to.
It's a little over stylized, which I guess I should expect from a sushi restaurant in the west loop.
The sushi was ok...it was fresh...but the pieces were way too big. Pieces of a sushi roll are supposed to be bite sized, it ruins the flavor combination when I have to take 2-3 bites (and I am in no way delicate...I'm not afraid of a big bite...but the size of these pieces are ridiculous). Couple that with the fact that I paid a premium for it? No Thanks.
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I went here for the first time last night. It was good. I'd read all the great reviews and was really excited about going. We went for my brother's 30th birthday and we had about 10 of us. I enjoyed the minimalist decor and the friendly vibe you got when walking in. There are plenty of places on Randolph that are trendy and not very friendly, but this was the total opposite, trendy yet friendly. It was extremely crowded for a Monday night which I took as a good sign as the quality of food.
We were quickly seated, but I could barely hear my aunt and uncle who were on one end of the table and I was in the middle. Maybe they talk a bit softer but it was very loud. They did have a DJ that was playing the whole night and while I think it would be cool if I were with a group of people I didn't care about hearing I wasn't with that group.
Our waitress was this cute little thing. She was super friendly and helpful. The only complaint I had about her was after we were finished with our appetizers we had to wait another 10 to 15 minutes before she took our order. The sushi is made fresh, it's going to take at least that not long or double to actually make the food. I would have rather her taken our order when we received our appetizers and/or right when we finished. But maybe that's just my American custom.
The food game and it was pretty good. My brother and his friend got this super awesome thing called the Ecuador roll. I'm not sure what was in it, but it was the coolest looking sushi roll I'd ever seen. Another friend got the rainbow roll which was also very pretty. The ebi tempura was fantastic. The tekka maki left much to be desired.
Overall the food was good, the atmosphere warm and inviting and the staff extremely friendly and accommodating.
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I think this is my new favorite sushi place in Chicago. I wish it was closer to my apartment!
Cool vibe here, great menu, and all of the fish and sushi I tried was delicious. The maki are pretty expensive, but I think that they are crafted really well of the freshest ingredients. Recently I had the Ecuador roll which was yummy and had a little kick to it. The sea bass nigirl was delish! so fresh! The miso tastes fresh, and the desserts are creative and let's be honest I wanted to order every one on the menu! The fried green tea ice cream was phenomenal.
I need to go back soon. Reservations recommended.
Sushi Wabi has been on my list for quite some time, from ordering out to dining in, the experience is by far the fairest of them all. Sushi Wabi is a welcomed joint on the ever popular Randolph Street, with nightlife just around the corner, it's perfect for starting off the evening.
As we slinked back to the sake bar, we were greeted by the gracious bartender who not only served us with a smile, but was ever so attentive of our needs. Without a reservation, we nestled up to the bar in our wait, not so short but definitely worth the wait, while sipping a usual Harushika Junmai Ginjo with edamame keeping the hunger strike from attacking.
We were seated in the corner table, ordered the hama kama, yes Miss Claire S. you are correct, this is a delicacy. If you've ever ordered it, or ever adventured for something different, try it, once you go kama, you won't go back.. A perfect compliment to a perfect night.
Followed by the plethora of savories. We were not shy about ordering, from seaweed salad, salmon tartare to the yawa ragani. If that wasn't enough, we were delighted with the sushi selection.
The sashimi matsu was my favorite, followed by the uni with quail egg. And no sushi dinner is complete without a tamago. A little custard for my sweet.
Wonderful. I loved it.. and I'll definitely be back. Domo Arigato...
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I realized I never reviewed Sushi Wabi when I was looking up Tank. I had THE best vegetarian roll I've ever had at Sushi Wabi and yet I have not gone back. This needs to change ASAP. I believe it was a vegetarian dragon roll. This was quite some time ago, but I still remember it fondly. I like sushi places that actually step up and put really good options for vegetarians on the menu and Sushi Wabi is a good option. The place was packed, but we had a reservation when we had gone and the service was good. I love the space. I think the reason I haven't gone back since is because I have little interest in the other stuff nearby. Must go back though. Mm.
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I F'n LOVE this place!!! whenever I want Sushi...I come here. It's so tasty!! I was here on sat night with 5 ppl. We were all coming from different areas of the city and it was raining out so it was harder to get a cab and be on time, and the hostess, while probably not too happy to hold the table for us, did it anyway and was very pleasant about it. Our server was awesome, very cute and friendly and knew her stuff. We ordered probably close to 10 rolls, 2 drinks each and had sake on top of that and it only came to about $44 each, with a tip of over 20%. Not too shabby. The spicy tuna, fire and and dragon are my favorite!!! Yummers.
simple and fresh - I really feel like you can't go wrong at this place.
My friend's only experience with sushi was at university cafaterias, so I felt I had to take the lead in ordering for us both.
I wasn't in the mood for a gimmicky roll (though I love those sometimes) and since my friend is a bit of a purist, I chose the large mori plate to share, which has one maki roll and 9 pieces of nigiri sushi. For appetizers, we had miso soup, some vegetable tempura, and a seaweed salad. Some simple and easy basics for a sushi virgin.
Miso soup: saltier than most, which is great for me because I'm a salt fiend. The seaweed salad was delicious but unexceptional, and the vegetable tempura was good but a little too greasy.
The mori plate had a simple variety of generous cuts, and one small roll. There was a great selection - fatty tuna, mackeral, yellowtail, octopus, salmon, etc. and some sort of white fish that I couldn't identify (it looked like swordfish but didn't have the same consistency.) Most of it was very fresh and bright tasting - really wonderful, and among the best sushi I've had. The octopus and the unidentifiable fish tasted like nothing - not bad at all, but completely flavorless. I'm not experienced with eating octopus, so I don't know what it's supposed to taste like, but it seemed to me that it was only on the plate because it was so pretty and purplish pink, with tentacles. I guess the plate needed a touch of the exotic.
All in all, very happy with the meal. I can't imagine going wrong there.
The bill for two was almost $50, and with tip it was $30 per person without drinks. It seems worth it when I considered the food we got, but what bothered me was that it all happened so quickly. The appetizers were brought out five minutes after we ordered them, and the mori plate was given to us directly by the sushi chef before we were even half done with the appetizers. It was pretty awkward. Plus, since we were at the bar, we never saw the waitress bring us stuff, since she came behind us; we'd just look around and notice that there was a new plate near us or that our water was refilled.
I'm all for fast service - for example, when I order a $9 thai dish at lunch and I know that most of the ingredients are pre mixed, the faster the better. But once you start spending $20 or more you want to sort of savor the experience - especially at a place that stresses quality over quantity, as this place does. It was really rushed, and I feel the experience could have been enhanced if they had taken longer. You also expect everything to be made to order at that price, and there's no way they could have prepared our appetizers that quickly.
Still, it was really great food, and I can't imagine someone going there and not being satisfied.
Another note - I've had fresh wasabi before, but the wasabi here was INSANELY strong. I don't know why! I was putting little flecks on my food and almost passing out from the tears.
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