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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Near North Side, River NorthChicago (Purple Express, Brown)
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
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So I was suprised to find out that the owner of Ai sushi was also the owner of Ringo and Tsuki. I have to say, out of all three of those restaurants, I think I liked Ai sushi the most. Perhaps it is the chic yet cozy environment. Ringo and Tsuki settings' seem more chilly to me, and I am all about that warm cozy comfy environment. If you go to Ai, make sure you start with the Midori sushi appetizer, it is pretty unique! I was expecting a unagi like roll to come out, but instead we recieved this beautiful tart like tower wrapped in a paper thin cucumber coat and topped with a top of a piece of asparagus and edible gold shaving. Wow, it felt like a waste just to dig in and mess up the tower but hey it was delicious. My compliments to the chef, the combination of sweet, tuna, unagi,and rice was excellent! We wished that the tart was as big as the plate so we could keep eating! We also ordered the alaskan roll, (which was simple yet delicious!), the hemmi chef tuna roll, the salmon crunch roll and the toro flight. Ok if you order the hemmi chef tuna roll, note that there are only five pieces and it is basically a pieces of a tuna roll topped with different toppings, so its hard to share and kinda expensive considering it is $15 and you really only get five pieces! However, it is kinda fun to have the differnt toppings, its just sad because you can't really share this dish and have the same experiences. I loved that both the Hemmi and crunch roll came with these little bits of fish in tempura shavings, a very yummy bonus! We saved our toro flight for last...you know save the best for last!! ok so... first off...we were expecting every bit of this dish to be excellent, we even ordered it sashimi style so we would not be distracted by the rice. However...we were a little disapointed to discover that Ai considers super white tuna to be part of the toro family and that they like to sear toro. If I am going to eat toro, I do not want it seared, I mean as much as I loved seared ahi tuna..fatty tuna needs to be eaten true to its form, just plain raw and fresh! We decided it would have been a much better deal to skip the toro flight and just have ordered pieces of the obi-toro instead.
Anyways the service is friendly, although I wish our waiter would have helped us out with our orders a bit, he was not very good at describing things to us, and when we requested our seaweed salad order to be cancelled because we wanted the midori sushi appetizer instead, he told us that he had already put in that order first, but yet the seaweed salad came out AFTER our alaskan roll. Ok if you are going to tell us you can't cancel the seaweed salad because the order is already, then at least make that come out first! I don't wait to discount Ai a star because of service but if I could I would have taken half a star off because our waiter was kinda clueless.
So to sum up my recommendations for Ai - definitely try the midori appetizer, get the alaskan (its such a great deal!), order obi toro pieces not the toro flight, if you order the Hemmi, order two of them so you can each share. Don't waste your time on the seaweed salad.
Ai Sushi is one of my favorite restaurants. They always have great deals and the food is SO fresh. I am always taken back by how good their food is. The Jalepeno roll is so delicious as is everything else on the menu. I don't think I've ate something I didn't like here.
Great atmosphere too: )
Heard good things about this place so decided to check it out last night. It was totally dead but since it was nice out and that part of Ontario is pretty quiet we decided to sit outside.
The menu seemed interesting For the most part your standard Japanese appetizers, rolls and dishes. I was sort of disappointed they didn't have any tofu dishes on that appetizer section of the menu. Maybe I missed something but I don't think so. We got the Hamachi Carpaccio, it was excellent and probably worth going back for. Their Miso Soup is also pretty good.
They have an excellent Sake menu but definitely skewed towards the high end, which is cool and expected for the neighborhood. Didn't even look at their beer selection but I suspect they have some interesting choices.
The lady's Spicy Hamachi nigiri was not very tasty at all. The quality of the fish was great but the spiciness seemed to be derived from white pepper and wasn't the best. The rest of the rolls and items we got were great and probably the best quality fish I have had in the city.
Definitely quality food but premium prices, worth checking out especially if you have a http://restaurants.com coupon or looking to drop some scratch on a tasty meal.
Interestingly enough, the Ai is owned by the same people who own Tsuki, and the menu is incredibly similar, but the food is not at all the same.
We went to Ai, expecting the same flavorful, creative, delicious sushi we get at Tsuki and were, at best, underwhelmed. It was more like a complete absence of whelm.
We ordered several different rolls, different types of fish, different preparations and everything tasted exactly the same- bland and flavorless.
Even my favorite, Chef Hemi's Spicy Tuna roll turned out to be a disappointment when our waiter brought us Chef Hemi's veggie roll instead.
I went there for lunch and was surprised to find the place completely empty. Ordered few items off their lunch menu:
1. kabocha corn soup - bland is all i can say. tastes like baby food.
2. goma-e was good but not great. the black sesame was a nice touch
3. honey miso steak- over cooked, the meat was really tough.
Maybe I'll go back for dinner as there are more options on the menu.
Good food, authentic Japanese food, attentive staff, knows what they're talking about, great environment, very comfortable dining seats, nice to my child and also gave him a balloon. And they have chawan mushi. Will be returning again and again!
I really enjoyed the food here. It was extremely delicious and flavorful! We had ordered a lot of mini dishes but I only tried the following few:
toro tartar: so yummie!! i am not a raw foods person but this was delicious. it is one of the ai signature dishes
seaweed salad: i love seaweed so this dish was great
soft shell crab volcano: a really delicious sushi roll. it is one of the ai signature dishes. i was pretty bummed they gave us 6 pieces only!
We had ordered a lot of other dishes. The prices were extremely expensive. Thank goodness I had a groupon! We handed it to our server and he accepted it with pleasure.
My one suggestion to the restaurant is to drop the temperature of their cooler. The beer they serve here is pretty luke warm. So if you arent a fan of drinking warm beer, I would suggest steering away from ordering beer here. I'm not even a usual beer drinker and even I know beer should be colder than what we had!
We were lucky and found street parking immediately. But the restaurant offers valet parking.
Ai has a pretty swanky vibe to it and also has a late night meni, but it's not pretentious at all. I had the vegetarian garden maki and it was delicious...the place is split in two--the front part is a gigantic restaurant with a sushi bar in the middle, and if you go up the stairs in the back there is a lounge with either DJs playing house & techno on Saturdays or live jazz during the week and on Fridays. So, the music can be pretty eclectic as well as the crowd, but I've always gotten a really positive vibe here.
I produce the 3rd Saturdays in the lounge where we do dance music and theme parties called "Artificial Intelligence." For example, my label did a music release called "Exception AM: Music To Relieve Your Hangover" (it was all soothing, ambient music haha), and we also did "Pillow Fight Club: House. Techno. Pillows" which was completely hilarious.
Very cool venue & tasty sushies. Dig it.
I enjoyed Ai very much.
The food was tasty and unique enough especailly the uni and oyster sake shooters- what flavor! Sashimi was fresh and there were many options to choose from and the crazy jalapeno roll was great.
Not a fan of the seaweed salad and the toro tarar, both a little bland.
Loved the red wine flight, very cool.
Prices were definately on the high side, easy to rack up a big bill here but quality sushi and interesting appetizers.
Above all, our server Justin and his helpers proved to be the best. Water was constantly filled, drinks replenished, and any extra we decided we wanted was promptly brought out to the table. We were never in need and I was SUPER impressed. I got to ask Justin 8,000 questions like I am known to do and he not only knew all the answers but gave us great direction with ordering. I cannot emphasize enough how awesome he was- good service to me can totally make or break a meal.
As we were sitting outside I almost expected to be forgot about like so many other lazy establishments in Chicago, but this was NOT the case! Thanks Justin for making our experience at Ai a really good one.
An "occasional" type place more so for the ambiance and service than for the food. I'm not sure if anything we ate was to die for. It is extremely overpriced for the taste, but the presentation is very thoughtful.
We ordered 2 appetizers, 2 signature rolls (firecracker and another roll with various types of tobiko - very interesting if you love tobiko), the filet with Japanese mashed sweet potato (meat was very tender), and 2 desserts (I recommend the chocolate mousse over the green tea/red bean creme brulee, which was shockingly too sweet from the caramelized sugar for the portion size given).
Fullness factor was only about a 3.5 out of 5. Came here on a weeknight, and the restaurant never even got half full. There's a lounge in the back, which livens up on weekends. If you sign up for their emails, you'll get notified of happy hour specials and Sunday prie fixes.
Ai has a somewhat tough to-get-to location tucked away between Orleans, Kingsbury, and the highway, but, too bad, suck it up, and eat there. Ai has a sleek, well-designed build-out that provides great ambience, excellent, attentive service, and most importantly, delicious food. While I don't think any Chicago sushi restaurant can compete on fish freshness with coastal cities, Ai comes close, and their simple rolls outshine the specialities as they are prepared dutifully to showcase the ingredients.
Ai goes far beyond sushi, though, and exploring the menu beyond your comfort zone is well worth the adventure. "Weird" noodle dishes like the iced somen and the beef noodle which is actually some kind of soup-like presentation are both delicious. The toro tartar app is fantastic, as are all their tempuras. And, as an avowed hater of soft shell crab, I was shocked that I loved it in both their rolls. The texture is just fantastic. The wine list is also very well done and clearly was made by a true wine lover, with excellent off-the-beaten-path selections such as several selections from unheralded Saviennieres.
And, if that wasn't enough, Ai has introduced a bunch of promotions to draw new people. They have a bunch of half priced apps along with some really nice 10 dollar bottles of wine.
A group of about 8 of us came here for my (sushi-obsessed) friend's birthday about a month ago (I believe it was a Saturday night). We obviously wanted her to have a good time, and we also wanted her to love the sushi (she has a very sophisticated sushi palate).
We were not let down! The service was attentive but not overbearing, and all the rolls and appetizers were wonderful. They were creative and very fresh. It was sushi that had a distinctly "chef-ly" appeal, for lack of a better word.
And our friend brought in cupcakes for dessert, and they were nice enough to individually plate each one and serve them up with candles! They were also very patient as we divided up the bill. Overall, a great special-night-out experience, but not so fancy that I wouldn't go back on a random weeknight.
Biggest plus: Live music in an intimate, jazzy lounge. More owners need to get on this. Who doesn't enjoy cool, intimate live music?
Though there are dishes that are too expensive, and I know NOTHING about sushi, there are a lot of items on the menu that are not as outrageous as everyone is claiming! I found lots of things under 20 bucks.
I got some sort of udon soup, that came with vegetable tempura.
I don't ever eat Japanese food because I've had a lot of bad experiences. But this dish made me want Japanese a lot more. It was such succulent soup, the beef pieces were incredible, the noodles were a perfect texture. The presentation was very pretty. And the tempura, you ask? This, ladies and gents, is how tempura is meant to be. Asparagus, Japanese pumpkin, other veggies unfamiliar to me, all fried in delicate, crispy batter.
The bartender in the lounge was also super cute and sweet. And the dining room space was very impressive. Nice decoration and pretty view. Will be back!
I'm going to start off by saying, this is good sushi.
HOWEVER, so not worth it.
Atmosphere: Classy atmosphere, very spacious. Almost too spacious. Comfortable. However, all of this was tainted the night I went, by the blaring noises of a couple dudes doing annoying renditions of Sinatra tunes.
Pricing: I wouldn't say the pricing is terrible, but the signature rolls are so not worth their pricing. You'd be much better off going to somewhere like Ponzu for signature rolls and getting more unique, more flavorful combinations, with probably a little more food per order.
Location: downtown, close to other "classy" places like Zocalo, Reza's, etc. Not a bad location, but just kinda meh.
I guess this place is OK for a date, but I prefer the cheaper, more intimate setting of smaller sushi places where you get just a bit more bang for your buck: Ponzu, Ringo, etc.
So I had a $75 gift certificate here, and also bought an additional $25 gift certificate at http://restaurant.com. So I asked a friend of mine to meet me here, and we planned to have a giant meal with plenty of leftovers. We're pretty broke, and this was a good opportunity to have a nice dinner.
The service here is great. I've rarely seen such polite and well trained staff.
So anyway, we sit down, and I realize I've forgotten the gift certificates. Crap. Okay, so we won't be ordering *that* much food.
Then I realized I forgot my credit cards and debit card at home next to my computer after paying all my bills. Crap crap crap. And we've already been seated.
So I had $26 of cash with me, and trust me, that doesn't get that much here if you count the tax and tip. My friend and I whisper to each other, and agree to come back another time. And we decided we were more in the mood for Mexican anyway.
So I got a miso soup, and we shared a seaweed salad and a toro tartar. I'm not that happy with the seaweed salad, but the toro tartar was fantastic.
We're both pretty sheepish. Out waiter is sort of hovering, waiting for us to order, and we're a little embarrassed to admit we *have* ordered - that was all we were going to get.
Eventually I get around to it, and ordered the check. The waiter didn't miss a beat. He got our check, and thanked us for dining with them. Absolutely no attitude or sarcasm. After I paid my measly little check, he helped us put on our coats and walked us to the door and told us to come back.
I'm honestly really impressed by how polite and gracious they are. This is one of those situations in which I feel *we* were sort of being rude customers, and they went above and beyond with service. I would honestly say that the service was among the top five of any places I've been to, and that's really saying something, especially since we barely ordered anything.
I have friends visiting from out of town in couple of weeks, and can't wait to bring them here. I'll be updating this review soon. And I'll definitely order some more of that tuna tartar.
We came to Ai on a stormy Saturday night. Bonus points to the hostess for so graciously giving my bf $2 worth of quarters for the meter. (Now that the $1.50 we had only got us like 5 minutes. Thanks City of Chicago!)
I was pleasantly surprised by the interior of the restaurant. It is much more upscale than I was expecting from the pictures on their website. The photos online make it look like a classed up Long John Silver's. The restaurant is actually very modern, spacious and relaxing. We especially enjoyed the wrap-around booths that allow couples to sit next to each other without looking like "that couple" who sits on one side of the booth and leaves the other side empty.
The menu is very intriguing. I enjoyed the fact that they had flights of sushi and sake. Now, I don't know much about sake, but I ordered the Ginjo flight and it was probably some of the best sake I've had. Smooth and tasty, and I actually could taste the flavors that were described on each selection. I'm probably not the best judge, though, since my experience mostly comes from house sake and sake bombs.
We decided to order the fugu (blowfish) since Ai is apparently the only place in the midwest where you can get it. It was the last night of fugu season and they were serving it in a hot pot, along with other types of fish. I really wish that we had been there when the chef was serving the sashimi, because the fish in the hotpot was, while the presentation was cute, severely over cooked and not great.
We ordered the negi toro, soft shell crab roll (which the server tried to upsell to the "volcano" version - we concluded it was just the same roll with a higher price tag), the madai ceviche and the rainbow spicy pinenut tuna rolls. I liked the creativity of the pinenut tuna roll, but the fish in the rolls just didn't taste fresh. The exception was the madai ceviche roll, which was very good. Yum.
Overall I feel like Ai's heart is in the right place, but for the high prices, there is no excuse for not so fresh fish. Especially on a Saturday night.
I'm really torn about Ai. I really love the atmosphere and decor. While it is sexy, elegant and has perfect lighting, it is not trying so hard to be hip and trendy like other sushi establishments in the city. The service was better last night than the last time I dined there, and our server was insanely hot. It is ideal for a nice date night or even a business dinner.
However... I really don't like the menu. The cocktail and wine lists are pretty decent and they have a nice sake selection of various grades.
However... jalapeno peppers, mangos and mayonaise are not ingredients i want to see on a sushi menu! On top of everything... I still think their food needs some work. I liked watching the chefs work in the middle bar area. It was a nice touch.
I hope this place gets better.
I consider myself a bit of a sushi connoisseur, and this place disappointed me. My bff and I were on… Read more »
went here for my bday dinner and absolutely positively loved it! food was amazing. they also serve other foods beside sushi. loved the atmosphere!
I loved the food - very good sushi - and the space was really cool. But the service really bothered me. The place was nearly empty and while our waiter was really sweet, he did not know how to stop chatting with his customers and actually serve them. I actually watched my mochi melt while he chatted to the only other customer in the place. I really want to go back to have a better experience, but with so many other places to spend my hard earned money, I haven't yet.
A fancy-pants sushi place, Ai had beautiful presentation. They used a variety of shaped white plates and garnishes. The space was loungey, with low lighting and artful interior design. We arrived sometime between 6:30 and 7pm, and there was no wait. While we were there it filled up.
I enjoyed my Chef Hemmi veggie maki, a glorified version of the regular garden maki they offered (both vegan, of course). It was pricey for veggies only, even though I appreciated that it had a little something extra. The kiwi/strawberry/tofu/potato crisp(?) piece was different and a nice end to the dish.
While I'm not a sake connoisseur, I had the one unfiltered sake they had. They serve sake overflowing into the saucer in which the cup is sitting, so it's like two glasses in one. Yum.
It's good, but it won't be my regular sushi place. I'd come here only for special occasions since it's expensive. 3.5 stars.
Some may think that this place deserves only three stars. Believe me, on my first visit, I would completely agree. But after my second visit, I realized that this place is just right. If you're looking for sashimi, this probably isn't the place to go. But if you're solely a maki person or are going with a group that is just going to share a bunch or maki rolls anyway, this is a great choice.
The dining area is a decent size, but not crowded with tables. So noise isn't really an issue. The service is good. I would say that my server was more attentive on my second visit than the first (I had the same guy both times).
Before you even get to the food, order the sangria. That's right...a Japanese restaurant with sangria. Its delicious!
If you like oyster shooters, the oyster & uni shooter with sake shot is quite good. I'm not saying that its the best. But its presentation and smoothness makes it worth getting a second time. The beef and ebi tobanyaki appetizer is delicious if you don't mind cooking your food right there at your table. The beef was very tender and the dipping sauce was amazing.
The rolls are all very good. The only one that I would not recommend is the tropical mango. I personally don't like my sushi to be that sweet. It has mango in it, which works. But then there is a strawberry sauce over it which just makes it a little too much. Otherwise, everything is very good and a fair price. I think another review had mentioned the price but I think that you have to remember that you're downtown. This place may be off of the beaten path, but its still downtown which means downtown prices. Plus you're probably paying for the ambiance.
I will definitely go back to Ai.
Yet another "trendy" sushi lounge to add to the list, but you know what? I like it. A lot. It has a good vibe to it, and it's not overbearing. The sushi is great. Looove the ceviche sushi! And they have concocted a number of innovative and awesomely delicious libations. I'll be back soon...to try the fugu fish and hopefully live to tell everyone about it.
went last night for the $4 sushi happy hour...now i know it said "sushi" happy hour, but i still expected SOME drinks to be on the happy hour menu. nope. strange. anyways, i was excited about all of the good deals, especially since a lot of good things seemed to be on the menu. we got the pork gyoza (good but i've def had a lot better...didn't care for the dipping sauce it came with - didn't taste like anything), firecracker roll (my fave HH menu item - very crunchy and spicy), hawaiian roll (tuna w/avocado...bland but ok for $4), and the unagi cucumber roll, which last time i went to Ai was really tasty. this time it was suspect...very strong eel/fishy taste to the point that i couldn't have any more after one bite. what i wonder is...do they serve the leftover fish during happy hour??? it sure tastes like it...needless to say, i won't be back for the happy hour, but i still love Ai's specialty maki rolls, and their service is always top notch. oh, and the complimentary valet is mighty convenient!
PS, had the mochi ice cream again (my fave!!) and tried the tiramisu flavor...O M G...nuff said!
the crazy jalepeno signature maki rocked my world! that's all you need to know to give Ai a… Read more »
Ai gets my Yelp Award for #1 Worst Sushi in Chicago. Sushi that smells fishy means it is not fresh. They are overpriced and while trying to be innovative they offer interesting twists on sushi, I tried two of them and they are just plain awful. McDonalds doesn't serve pizzza, so you should not have non-sushi ingredients on your menu. Tisk Tisk!
celebrated my bf's birthday here on a wednedsay in early july. made resos online and made a special request for them to spell out "happy bday" in sauce on a dragon roll plate or dessert place. wasn't sure if they would even read or notice it, but they sure did!
the special treatment didn't stop there. our waiter was attentive and helpful with our questions. we decided to be a little more adventurous than usual (ok, usually it's me who is scared...) so we asked him for recommendations. we ended up with some truly bizarre items that my boyfriend bravely ate: fried fish head, salmon roe, sea urchin, and who knows what else. i thought i was being super adult by agreeing to try sashimi for the first time...
several specialty maki rolls followed, along with the bday plate. i don't claim to be a sushi expert - usually if i can eat it without gagging and it doesn't have a fishy smell, i'm good to go. everything served to us was fresh and delicious! in the middle of our maki madness, the server brought out some sparkling saki for us to toast the bday - a nice touch. he also brought out a complementary sherbert dessert for us to share.
the manager/owner? checked on us several times and thanked us for coming in...it was pretty empty for a tuesday ($5 martini night) but maybe weekends are busier?
i'd recommend for special occasion sushi - get a http://restaurant.com certificate and gooooo.
Ai was ok, but just left me cold. Expensive and only slightly above average -at best. We were the only ones at the sushi bar. I asked the sushi chefs to go ahead and make us a plate we could share. After much, MUCH confusion in this nearly empty restaurant, a plate with 4 types of sushi, 8 pieces total came out. Nice presentation, but lacking in flavor. It did not take long to eat, so I ordered another plate. Again, a lot of head scratching, followed by another small plate. Our plates were not even cleared yet, and I got to watch the sushi chef then grab a mop, start breaking down and mopping the floor. With a stinky mop. And on that note, I dont think I will be back.
Errrrr. No, probably not.
A few points of contention:
1. edamame was wrinkly and semi-cold. ICK.
2. sushi was mushy and sort of blah.
3. Overpriced.
It's just so very average. I think it stands for Average, Inc.
The $13 lunch special, FANTASTIC deal. If you need lunch in River North, ya need to be gettin' over… Read more »
The atmosphere is very clean, has great lighting, and I like that the sushi bar is right in the center of the place, so no matter where you are sitting you can see the chefs whip out the makis!
Not the best sushi I've ever had, but definitely very very good. I had beni toro, aburi toro, then a philedelphia maki and a soft shell crab volcano maki, and a few Lycheetinis to wash it all down. The smoked salmon was very fresh, but the tuna? Not so much.
The bf split those things with me and had the pistachio teryaki salmon entree and loved it.
They are totally lacking on a dessert menu, and for me, no matter how good a dinner is, if the dessert menu is lame I'm put off.
This place is just OKAY. Don't order in though, visit the restaurant b/c the presentation is beautiful when they bring out the items. They have a great list of non-sushi items on the menu that are good.
My review is only a 3 because the actual fish is not as fresh as it should be for the price they charge. The pieces are small and rolls have more "fillers" than fish in them like avacado, mayo, etc.
Decor is nice and the Sunday All You Can Eat sushi option is great for hungry folks. You can order anything off of their sunday all you can eat menu which has a lot of options. Only negative is that it doesn't have many of the good sushi pieces nor any sashimi.
We bought a Groupon for Ai and were looking forward to eating there, though I had an inkling it might not be all that its rating on Yelp cracked it up to be. I'd say we had an okay dinner. The maki were pretty yummy (especially the shrimp tempura maki), but a couple of the nigiri we ordered came with rice that fell apart the second I touched them with a chopstick -- my #1 sushi hate -- and everything was very small for the price.
Service was good, but belonged to the overly attentive, "How is everything?" threetimes in 20 minutes school.
$20 for a 6 course pre-fixe?? AWESOME!!! I have been raving about Ai Sushi ever since I went here for their Tuesday special. I'm mad at myself for not reviewing this place sooner because now I can't remember all 6 courses. But I'll try to recall the fantastic meal in detail. We started out with a corn soup which was a bit chowdery. We then moved onto a salad. I do remember having a strange course that involved a glass of sake, dipping sauce, and sashimi. You dipped the thin slices of sashimi into the dipping sauce and then into the sake and it was really quite tasty. For our 4th course we had nigiri sushi, which included toro (what a deal!), tuna, and salmon. Our 5th course had 3 maki rolls. One roll was sort of a dynamite roll which was really good. The finale was an assortment of rich and decadent desserts. We enjoyed a chocolate mousse with sliced strawberries and an espresso mochi.
The restaurant is huge and really nice inside. The service was good and there was a great amount of detail that went into the food presentation. I thought that the food was fresh and I was really amazed by the quality and quantity of food that we enjoyed for such a really great price!
This place has the most original and unique sushi rolls of any place I have been to in the city. Granted, I am only a year out of college so maybe I haven't really had the cash money to venture to better restaurants.
I always think sushi on a first date is a dicey move because you have to put the whole piece in your mouth or watch it fall apart, and then you're tied up eating, there could be some awkward silence, it's not dainty. Regardless, I went here on a great first date on a saturday night. We got there at 7:30, the place picked up and got busy around 8:15, but since it was slow when we got there, we were sat at a big cozy booth. The space is very open but intimate at the same time, and I really enjoyed the booth! The waiter was attentive and knowledgeable, and we ended up sitting till 10:00 and he did not rush us at all.
I really thought the sushi flights were a cool idea, but the salmon one was not as exciting as I thought it would be. The rainbow roll with the pinenuts and rosemary was INCREDIBLE, as was a special jalapeno roll for the night.
After we ate, we had some friends meet us for a drink in the back at the AI lounge, where the drinks were delish and the seating is comfortable for small groups. It is very dark and intimate in the back, it reminded me of a boudoir or geisha house style lounge.
Reading other reviews, I see there is an all you can eat special on Sundays....anyone who wants to go with me, let me know! Sounds like the greatest thing about 2009 to date.
I guess I can't blame Ai for the ashy residue and aroma that permeated our table. No, I would have to thank the other Indian at the table for accidentally lighting the menu on fire with the table candle.
Roll-wise, the volcano was noteworthy. The rest were tasty, though nothing spectacular.
This place is a parallel universe of sorts. It's a sparse club meets sushi bar. With a breathy lounge singer thrown in, if you're lucky. And if you're not, there's a bizarre choice of music- including stuff you'd hear in a Charlie Chaplin movie- complete with schizophrenic volume controls. Aside from that, my gimlet cost $9 and took 3 sips to finish. But then again, these elements could have all been part of Ai's calculated conspiracy to get rid of us as quickly as possible, out of fear we'd burn down the rest of the place.
Overall, don't go out of your way to come here. It's a little pricey for what you get and there are definitely other sushi spots that are comparable or better.
As I work around the corner, I can't believe it's taken me this long to get my sushi-loving butt into Ai!
The space is aesthetically-pleasing, if not a bit cold. Detached. But the large circular sushi bar is beautiful.
Since I came in for lunch, I kept it simple: an order of edamame and a spicy tuna roll. I requested brown rice for my maki, however, their sushi rice is an already-made mixture of premium brown rice and short grain. Fresh wasabi is available for a $2 up-charge. Hmm.
Edamame could have used a tad more salt, but no complaints with my spicy tuna! My maki was tightly wrapped with deep-hued, chopped tuna... just perfect. Service was also great: fast and accommodating.
Can't wait to return for happy hour... and look forward to trying their 'signature maki', specifically the tropical mango roll. M-F special from 5-7 pm in the lounge includes select $4 sushi.
Beautiful presentation of Food. Not too authentic but they have a style. I think it is a nice date spot. They have a bar back of the restaurant and it gets pretty noisy if a group of people is having a party; but usually, it has a nice & quiet atomosphere.
I do not know why they did it, but PLEASE DO NOT bring me a cold green tea in a big stone mug for hot green tea!!! The server just put ice in the mug and served it to me. Really, that kind of mug is meant for hot tea only!
This might have been the reason I became a Yelper. In order to let the world know how bad this place is.
Of course I don't personally enjoy long rambling reviews that detail every excruciating moment. So instead I've adapted the debacle into a short play.
JOE T: I want blowfish for my birthday. I've heard AI SUSHI has blowfish. Let's go there! And bring ten of my closest friends!
SAM H: OK, I'll make the reservations.
AI SUSHI: Certainly we can accomodate your large party. We will be more than happy to help you part with hundreds of dollars in celebration of your joyous birth.
SAM H: Thanks AI SUSHI. And the blowfish?
AI SUSHI: Yes our fugu will still be in season and the chef will test it himself to make sure your boyfriend does not die on his joyous birthday.
(3 weeks and several confirmation phone calls later)
AI SUSHI: Welcome to AI SUSHI. We are pleased you have chosen to celebrate your joyous birthday at our restaurant. Your table is not yet ready.
JOE T: How long before it's ready?
AI SUSHI: Please sit in the lounge area and enjoy these complimentary sticks of fried pasta and cold edamame while we ready your table.
(TWO HOURS LATER)
AI SUSHI: Thank you for spending your money at our bar while we readied your table. Please have a seat.
JOE T: We are very hungry. Your sticks of fried pasta and edamame were not filling, and we will be ordering a lot of food. When do you recommend ordering the fugu?
AI SUSHI: Fugu is a rare delicacy, but it can be lethal if prepared incorrectly. A chef must be certified before he can prepare the fugu. The only certified chef in Chicago is not here tonight. And besides that, fugu is no longer in season.
JOE T: The whole point of coming to this fucking restaurant was for the fugu! There are plenty of good sushi restaurants! Ones without a dance club atmosphere! My girlfriend called 10 times to assure that there would be fugu available!
AI SUSHI: We are very sorry for the miscommunication. Please accept this complimentary platter of half-frozen smoked salmon slathered with honey mustard dressing and capers.
JOE T: You are a fucking asshole.
AI SUSHI: Thank you for celebrating your joyous birth at Ai Sushi. We'll take your money now.
FIN.
I have been to this place several times and I think it is great. It always baffled me why it was never really hoppin in there because it isnt that bad of a location and the food is great. The only thing I can think is that anyone driving there hops on the 94 bypasses the restaurant and says fuck it. The sushi is great and they have an excellent variety of specialty rolls. The atmosphere is nice but there isn't so much going on that you feel like your in a nightclub like some asain fusion places. They do have a very cozy lounge area in the back of the restaurant equip with a fireplace. I would reccomend this restaurant to someone who wants great sushi, trendy atmoshphere minus the techno concert, and a cool lounge to kick back and cozy up with a date.
I was totally bummed when Kizoku, the sushi restaurant that used to be in this location, closed. I loved their sushi and while their sushi on naked lady concept wasn't for me you gotta give them credit for trying something different. There are no naked ladies (at least that I'm aware of) at Ai, but at least they still have good sushi!
Colleen C and I picked up a few rolls here today for lunch. Bonus points for being open for lunch, although we were disappointed they don't have bento boxes on the table. I ordered a salmon skin roll and sweet potato tempura roll. Both of them looked different than the salmon skin and sweet potato rolls I've had elsewhere, but still delicious! And Colleen's seemed to enjoy her Hawaiian and California rolls as well, that is until the wind blew them over (so much for our good idea of a picnic on my rooftop deck).
Looking forward to going back for dinner and trying some of their specialty rolls!
Chef Hemmi Spicy Ahi was so good! And soft shell crab rolll...mmmmm.
Very fresh, inventive sushi.
I've been to Ai on several occasions and I've always enjoyed my food. My boyfriend and I keep coming back for the following reasons:
1. They offer http://restaruant.com gift certificates so we always get a $25 one for $3 when they have their sale. It makes their slightly over-pricedness more affordable and enticing.
2. Its got a really great atmosphere and its usually pretty quiet. Even on Valentine's day this year when it was pretty packed we were still able to speak to each other in normal voices.
3. Their cocktails are pretty tasty, pricey, but good.
4. Deserts are delicious so is the miso soup.
5. And last but not least their sushi is always super fresh, never has that fishy taste that old sushi tends to get. Their signature rolls are super good, we've tried most of the ones on the menu and have never been disappointed.
Only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is for their slightly too high price point and Mirai Sushi on Division is my all time favorite sushi place and the only one I give 5 full stars to.
Best Uni in Chicago
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
wednesday and thursday…
Chicago, IL
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Near Southside
Category: Sushi Bars
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