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Category: Sushi Bars [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Square, RavenswoodDamen (Brown)
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
It's all changed! Why, oh, why?
No more Manhattan roll w/lemonnaise. No more 50% off menu. No more Ginger Fried Rice w/ chicken side. No more of any of the things I raved about in my original review. Well, they are still BYOB. I say, I was utterly aghast. How dare they ruin my little happy place? How dare they, I ask?
They have almost a completely new menu. I can't really eat spicy or fried food and that's mostly what the menu consists of now. I had a difficult time working out what I could manage and my options were few. I'd say out of the rolls I had I like the new Brown Line Roll the best, but it was nothing compared to the rolls they used to have.
Even without the 50% off menu, the prices were still decent. However, I'm just not happy with this place anymore. The total menu change is what stamped on my happy. They've also put seats *in* the window (yes, in) and attempt to seat people there like they're the restaurant's live visual display to draw in more customers, like a department store. I'd need a stipend for all that.
I guess this is farewell, Grand Katachi. Somehow, my heart will go on.
"Lemonnaise? What the hell is that?" I asked when scoping out the Manhattan Roll on the menu. I… Read more »
My vision is blurry with a disease I am going to dub "sushi coma".
No, I'm not very original.
Must... stay... focused...
I have been to Grand Kitachi in the past. Then, it was the all-you-can-eat-for-$20-deal. I went to Yelp it, saw the policy had changed and
decided I would hold off until I experienced it in it's new form. However, it's still BYOB which is a huge draw.
My husband and I ate like gluttons on a real mission... the waitress raised her eyebrows when we ordered a second round of food, inquiring "is this to go?" (oh, no. That's just how we roll). I was whining about needing elastic waisted pants afterwards and he had to choke down his last mouthful of salmon skin roll...
... and our pretax bill was $41. So, yeah... it's still all we can eat for $20 each. If you aren't quite the fatasses the Mr. and I are (we're proud of our bottomless stomachs), you will probably spend even less.
The highlights of our sushi trough:
Miami roll (tempura shrimp with cream cheese and avocado, rolled then deep fried). Mmmmmm. Melts in your mouth. My husband was calling it a "sushi donut".
Dynamite roll... I can't remember what was in it (maybe yellow tail?) but it had a crunchy topping that was mmmm mmmm good.
The best thing? All of these rolls are $6 or less. They have some giant rolls that are $9 and $10 and they are real monsters. Simple rolls like yellowtail and scallions or salmon skin are $3. Everything tastes fresh... great quality.
The waitress was super friendly and attentive. We were there pretty early for dinner... 6:00... and she was definitely more attentive when we were one of three tables in the joint. It took her a little longer to get our check at 7:15 when all sorts of tables were recently sat. But I certainly will not hate on 'er.
Is it going to blow your mind with unforgettable decor and inventive sushi? Of course not... but you're not paying inventive sushi prices. I personally am annoyed by expensive sushi. As long as the quality is there, everything else is just presentation and snobbery. Grand Katachi gives you quality product without all the bells and whistles... which is something I appreciate.
It doesn't hurt that this place is a 5-10 minute walk from our place. Good food, super convenient? Oh yeeeaaah... we'll be back.
I got delivery and was pleasantly surprised. The crab rangoon (or as they call it the creamy crab) was okay, but not that good. It was a bit too dense and didn't have much flavor.
The spider roll was very good - nice and crispy with lots of flavor. I also liked the brown line roll. It has smoked salmon which can sometimes overwhelm the other flavors in a sushi dish. They had a nice sauce on this roll that complimented the salmon flavor and didn't get lost in the mix. Delivery was fast and the price is reasonable.
This is one of the few sushi places around where I was satisfied with the takeout/delivery. Maybe it's because it's only a few blocks from me, but either way, I am satisfied having ordered from here twice. The service was fast and the sushi was fresh. The price seemed a bit steep, but that's before I realized that the combo came with miso and salad. The ginger dressing on the salad was a bit sweet, but at least it was edible.
I just had two problems. First of all, when you order the sushi combo you're kind of rolling the dice. It's described as "chef's choice" and depending on what combo you get you either get a california roll or a tuna maki. So if you're ordering out, you don't know what the chef's choice is. I decided to take the plunge, hoping it wasn't going to be sea urchin. When I got the combo that had 7 pieces of sushi, I got three pieces of saki. Where's the variety? It tasted good, but I was hoping for a much better combo. I can see how a sushi newbie would get a bit confused by this. They should at least tell you what you're getting, or provide more info on the menu.
Another problem I had with the delivery was the salad container was sideways and the dressing was leaking all over. The bag was dripping. It can happen to anyone, I guess, so I let it slide. The quality of the food allowed me to look past this blunder. Besides, I'm sure if I actually ate in, I wouldn't have salad dressing spilling all over the place.
I would definitely order from here again. Maybe I'll try some of the specialty local selections, like the Cubs Maki or the brown line maki. They're pricy. The Cubs Maki is $9, but it's cheaper than trying to get tickets to a game.
Ran across this place my first week in town and after looking at the menu, immediately wanted to try it out. The rolls sounded very yummy and unique!
I ended up making it over a few weeks later with my bf and a bottle of wine (BYOB and now corking fee, score!). It was a really great experience. We sat outside, just beautiful weather. The waiter was very friendly and informative and didn't make fun of me when I struggled with pronunciations. Also, he was very attentive in filling up waters, checking on us, etc. - which is something I never expect when I sit outside.
We had the gyoza to start, it was crunchier... fried i think, instead of pan-fried. I wasn't a huge fan but he was so no biggie. I can't even remember all the rolls we had... we ordered 6 (I think) and they were all very good. The fish was all fresh and the vegetables crunchy. One standout I do remember was the brown line maki (my decision to get it being based solely off the fact that I take the brown line to work everyday). I especially loved the toasted sesame seeds, gave it a great crunchy texture without the traditional tempura crunch.
all in all it was a great dinner, love the BYOB and the super cheap sushi (the whole meal, with all of the rolls we ordered, was under $50). I'm definitely planning on going back since we didn't even begin to exhaust the menu!
Newsflash: All-you-can-eat is gone.
Another newsflash: I don't miss it. Not even a little bit.
The half price menu has pretty much anything I've ever wanted to order (including my new love, the exquisite San Francisco maki). $1 pieces of sashimi? Yes please! Believe it or not, this way, I actually spend LESS and still stuff myself stupid with raw fish and other assorted yummies.
I think the service is better, too. They're fairly quick and not forgetting rolls anymore. Plus it's still BYOB, no corkage fee. Hello splitting a bottle for what it costs for a glass elsewhere.
Two weird things that keep it from jumping to a five-star rating -
1) I think they're renovating. It smells kind of musty inside. Eat outside if you can.
2) There's always something odd by the door (outside the entrance, to the left of it) - a pineapple or something similar, just sitting there. I don't get it. Why?
Whatever. No biggie. Cheap, good sushi rocks.
The sushi here is pretty standard. They keep the price really manageable by having the $20… Read more »
The food is great- but without the buffet, I'm left cracked out in the cold. The Dynamite roll & San Fran flippin' rawk. I did notice that they'd slip a little fishy mackerel into the sushi if they felt you were working them too hard.
Still, as yummy as the food was, I can't go back knowing what it used to cost versus that horrible 50% off menu. The implication that I wouldn't even notice the cost difference make me raise an eyebrow; I'm petite, but I can eat.
Can't go back, but will always have fond memories...
A confluence of good luck (finding a great bottle of wine + gorgeous weather) inspired my girl and I to sit outside and eat sushi at Katachi. Sushi can be a love it/hate it proposition for many, but I fall smack dab in the middle. I think it's just fine. Katachi may have changed my mind, however.
We took full advantage of the half-off sushi deal and ordered eel, tuna, scallop and veggie. The preparation and presentation were all very thoughtful. Nothing was too fishy here, literally and figuratively.
The large, tightly packed cylinders of food gave me the false confidence of being a pro at using chopsticks!
I was famished that night. The idea of a family-size KFC bucket for one seemed like a good idea earlier in the day. Well, I left Katachi fully satiated, with a final bill of $20 (for two!).
Go and go now. That deal ends soon.
Dear GK,
We have to talk.
I have to say it. Our brief romance is on shaky ground.
I will say that you keep me just inside the line with your improved sushi rolls, all tight and pretty. You also still let me BYO, or as you last told me, "B.Y.OK". Unfortunately, that's where the good times end.
You once promised me that you'd be a fantastic deal. Your offer of endless sushi love was my proof. You threw it all away for a second-rate blue light special, giving all of yourself for half of what you did before. I know that means I can have you almost like I did before, but now you have limits.
You still promise me spice. When it comes down to it, you leave me feeling just above bland. I'd also like to mention that your inclination to throw everything together, no matter what I or my friends say, makes me believe you're not really listening. Details count.
The most awful part is that the people you send to care for me are a little neglectful. I'm not sure that they remember they're supposed to bring me things and check on me. I'm not delicate, but my throat gets parched so easily.
Frankly, I'm hesitant to give you another chance. The time will probably come again soon and I'll be ready to see you. Until then, remember the good thing we had going.
Love,
Kellie K.
Saddle up kids, because this place has an all-you-can-eat buffet selection that's worth a look!
All…
Read more »
My girlfriend and I tried Grand Katachi for the first time last week on a recommendation of a neighborhood friend and we were very pleased.
It was a hot night but we wanted to be outside so we decided to eat outside and upon entering the restaurant I think we made the wise decision because it seemed really stuffy inside...not sure if the air was out or what.
Anyways, we ordered from the 50% off menu which does have almost anything you would want. LakeShore Drive Roll was awesome, Shrimp Tempura was great and by accident we received the San Fran Maki instead of the crunchy maki and it may be my new favorite.
Due to the heat outside, we opted for just water even though it is byob...even on the patio. Our bill for the 3 rolls was $20...that was awesome.
Apparently this weekend, Halloween weekend, they are bringing back the all you can eat for $20. So come one, come all - I know I'll be there Sunday
This is my favorite restaurant in the city! I go there at least twice a week.
The sushi is great and…
Read more »
Incredibly cute decor and seating area. Incredibly cheap prices (two hungry people ate for $19). BYO goodness. Friendly, attentive service. The sushi was just OK though. It all tasted fine, and I am still breathing today, but the quality of fish and the size of the pieces could both be better.
Even though the prices are absurd (like maybe 30 percent lower than an average sushi place) I'm still going to say that Tokyo Marina is the best sushi value in the 'hood.
The spicy scallop roll was the best thing we had. Yum spicy sauce.
So I am a Sushi novice. And while I can't necessarily rate the quality as expertly as others, I can say that I absolutely loved this place!
They were very accomadating to the large group that I was with. The employees themselves were very friendly, and worked with are interesting billing.
However, the real key here, is the 50% off everything (except sides). This was absolutely perfect for me, because I am still not sure what I like and don't like in Sushi. Going with a group and trying close to 10 different types of Sushi was extremely fun for me! I will definitely be going back, enjoying the cosy atmosphere and great prices. Oh, and they are B.Y. Okay (according to their menu).
Go there and take your Sushi virgins with you!
Really pleased with my experience here. I came here for a b-day party of 20 people. The waitress was really friendly and patient despite us being such a large, loud group. BYOB definitely scores this place some extra points. We asked for a separate bill for four of us and the total was about $55 including tip. The sushi here is nothing special, but the atmosphere is great and the prices totally reasonable.
My wife and I went to Grand Katachi with some friends this past weekend.
After living on the west coast I can say that this isn't the best sushi in the world but it is a great value. Normally my wife and I order 3-4 rolls, we get seaweed salad and miso soup. We typically spend somewhere between $60 and $80. At Grand Katachi, the rolls were a bit small so we ended up getting 7 rolls to share. However, with the 50% off promotion, our bill was only $40. What a deal!
To clarify, I've had better sushi, but this wasn't bad by any means. The spicy tuna wasn't spicy at all but we enjoyed the Manhattan roll.
My husband and I consider ourselves gyoza experts and Katachi has the best that we have ever had! Our only complaint is that we should have asked for two orders!
Katachi now knocks Wakamono down to #3 on our list of sushi spots (some random place in a Vegas stripmall still gets #1!).
$20 all you can eat menu including appetizers, soup, salad and sushi! Hells yeah I'm down! And that's the main reason for my five stars.
The rolls were a little messy and some threatened to fall apart immediately but I do love a good challenge. Also it's BYOB and I arrived 30 minutes before the restaurant actually opened but the server didn't mind. He let my guest and I sit and enjoy our wine while taking a look over the menu. And didn't ask us to wait outside in the cold and rain!
Food was prepared rather quickly and all tasted good. The rolls are a little smaller than average but hey it's $20.00 all you can eat and they make it they way they are suppose to and how it is described in the menu (see my review of House of Sushi and Noodle).
This place is a little bit of a trek for me but it seems worth it. Especially since one great friend lives so close!
Whither the all you can eat menu, G-Rand? That was how you wooed and won me, and now you have stealthily changed the game!
To be fair, your 50% off menu generally runs under the $20 I paid before, but is that not proof that your prior gambit was the right one? It was the promise of neverending sushi that made me pay $20, even if I only consumed $17 worth of your very tasty fish. Bring back the dream, G-Rand! Bring back the joy!
That said, I have always been happy with the sushi. It is not as fancy or mouth-orgasm inducing as I have had elsewhere, but that is not why I come to G-Rand. The quality has always been superior to run of the mill sushi-buffet and I venture to say that, even with the loss of the all-you-can-eat, G-Rand is my go-to place for full sushi belly.
This place is good if you are really, really hungry and you want sushi but you know you don't want to pay outrageous amounts of money for some raw fish. They are known for having incredibly priced sushi. First they had an all-you-can-eat deal for $20 and right now they have 50% off their entire menu. The place itself is kind of like its deals: it's clean and you know they are trying to be hip and modern and fun, but its ultimately cheap. But that's OK, it's not a Japonais day everyday.
The quality of the fish is not terrible (somedays, we've found really great pieces of fish but it varies day to day--that's why we try to start with a sashimi sampler to see what is good that day). However, all the sushi and specialty rolls, although delicious, are really get-what-you-pay-for because they are a lot of sauce/mayo/rice and not a lot of fish. Which is all the same delicious, but not really healthy if that's why you decided on sushi in the first place.
A place like this definitely has its place, especially in today's economy. The service varies from crappy to decent depending on how busy they are. We ended up heading in there on Friday night once (during Lent) and there were only two servers for the entire restaurant. It's BYO, but we had to ask three times before we got cups for the beer we brought.
Again, you get what you pay for, but sometimes you just want to satisfy that salty, ricey, spicey craving and this is a decent and cheap place to do it.
Their "winter promotion" for 50% off convinced us to give Katachi a try, and we were glad we did! Our group represented a range of sushi experience (new-to-veteran) and everyone was satisfied. We ordered 10-12 different rolls (with non-alcoholic bevs) and the bill came to $70. Normally, maki ranges in price from $6-$15 (if I remember correctly), which isn't too bad. And the service was very friendly.
We actually preferred Katachi's deal to Tank's 50% special because there were many more rolls to choose from at Katachi and there's no need to stuff yourself before 6PM. We are going to wait and see what kinds of deals (if any) Katachi offers after this one expires.
I SO wanted to like you, Grand Katachi. You are so amazingly close to my building and when I'm full of your average-tasting sushi, I can leisurely walk home. And $20 for unlimited sushi? Wow...we were meant to be, right?
No. You take too long regardless of whether I'm alone in the whole place or whether it's packed. You have one, maybe two, servers with blah attitudes and just one guy making sushi. Are you serious? Yeah, the atmosphere pretty much sucks but I can get over that. But waiting more than an hour-and-a-half for my order after placing it -- come on! And it takes around 20-30 minutes just to get the server to come and take my order!
I had high hopes for you, GK...and I gave you a couple of times to work out your kinks and redeem yourself. But it's just not happening again.
ps-your soy sauce containers were always almost empty when you brought them to me...and getting you to refill them was nearly impossible. thanks a lot. also -- $4 corkage fee?
This place was recommended by a close foodie girlfriend so one day after work when my boyfriend and I had a hankering for sushi we decided to go. At first, we were totally worried because at 6 p.m. on a Friday night we saw nary a sole in the dining room. This is never good for a sushi restaurant.
So after walking past a few times (we felt really silly and obvious) we took the plunge and went in. We were escorted to two white Ikea-like plastic chairs in the front dining area, and had one of the most pleasant dining experiences in quite some time.
This place is by no means haute sushi but it is really good. The service was also really great. Our waiter was not just attentive but funny, too (without stalking us). He also took the time to learn about the things we like about sushi (salmon, spicy things) before he made recommendations.
The decor of the place was minimal and a bit more modern than anything. It also had a cute-kitschy feel as well.
For the All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Experience and familial type service, this place is way better than Todai and other more mass-market sushi places.
And by the time we left, the dining room has really filled up and we were satisfied.
Not my favorite sushi place, but it will do.
The place was kinda empty for a Friday night. There were also no paintings on the wall so it seemed really bare bones. The service was slow, only one waiter for the whole restaurant. My husband got the $20 all you can eat. I did not think I would eat that much so I didn't, but that turned out to be not smart because when I finished I had nothing to do as he kept eating. Plus I was still hungry so I could of eaten more. And once you choose no to the all-you-can-eat option, you can't switch. The gyoza was good, chicken yakisoba was ok, cucumber salad was very good, individual pieces of sushi were good. The rolls were not amazing: pretty standard, slightly bland. But, we didn't try every roll on the menu, and we forgot to bring booze.
It was not a great date place, probably better with a group of friends, cause its a flat $20pp and you can BYOB.
This place reminds me of the little engine that could....but didn't quite make it. It's right around the corner in a great Ravenswood location. The mod interior clashes with a Moroccan vibe from the previous biz. The outdated pop music they played(not the fun kind) furthered the identity crises of the place. The server was very sweet, but as another yelper mentioned, seemed inexperienced. Cool that they sold local artwork on the walls, but also had signs posted reminding everyone of the rice shortage...and to request less rice when ordering. OK...socially conscious, but sent pangs of guilt when I craved more rice to the already small portions.
The food here was, eh. The server was an all-you-can-eat-pusher (not bad for 20 bucks, but too risky for bad soosh). The maki is presented creatively on the menu, but lacks in taste. I ordered the Samurai roll (small and flat tasting) and the San Francisco roll (better, but not quite there). The fish was fresh (yay!), but not as tasty as I had hoped. Left hungry (needed more rice) and ate pizza later in the nite.
This place is fairly new, and I'm willing to give it another shot.
50% off EVERY DAY!? and BYOB? a godsend.
my friends and i do our cheap girls' night here. we usually spend about $10-15 each and get some good soosh. it's not the best in the city but it'll do. that'll do, pig. that'll do. it definitely hits the spot when i'm cravin' a sushi fix.
there's never a wait, service is always decent and we leave happy.
note: if you want to use the 50% off, be sure to order only from the menu that marks "50% off" and it is DINE IN ONLY. to-go is 0% off.
Pretty good local spot. The BYOB is a pretty decent draw. I love the location, it looks great and was glad to see a decent restaurant opened up here.
They have $20 all you can eat sushi daily, which I have yet to partake in but will more then likely give it a try soon. Other then that, its good to just coming and get a roll or two, bring a bottle of wine and relax.
AND they have the outdoor dining area for the summer now, so its a win-win. I actually like this location more then the original Katachi location.
Give it a shot if your in the neighborhood!
We decided to try Grand Katachi, after getting a menu in the mail.
We went for the All you can eat buffet...
I found the fish quality to be below average.... the fish did not have much taste. If you're not really into sushi and want to try mediocre sushi, this is the place for you.
If you're into good quality sushi, well, I can recommend other places....
The list of all you can order sushi places for a single price in Chicago are countable on one hand... well maybe two... but remember, we're talking about all you can ORDER (prepared after you place an order), and not all you can EAT (prepared in advance and sitting around for unknown amounts of time to be chosen for your ravenous hunger).
That being said, my Grand Katachi visit came about due to wanting a change from the Sushi Para and House of S&N. With some Yelp research, we headed out for a Friday evening dinner.
Atmosphere: Average. We debated whether this was once a Spanish, Arabic, or Mexican restaurant in the past. No agreement was reached. Multi-floors, fast seating, not many customers, good overall service. Midway through the meal, lights were dimmed and candles were lit. Enjoyable.
Menu options: The all you can order involves not only nigiri and rolls, but also appetizers, noodles, etc. Good selection.
Rolls quality: Consistently falling apart... the rolls were not rolled tight enough. However, they do not overload their rolls with rice either, like some all you can order places. This left us with the ability to actually taste/enjoy the ingredients as opposed to munch on rice the whole evening.
Fish quality: Not bad, but definitely lacking a certain freshness to it. Mind you, there was no fish flavor, but it also didn't have the appropriate "taste" of each fish we tried... overall, the nigiri pieces tasted slightly bland. On a plus, super white tuna is available and the flavor and texture were fairly spot on! Again, I've had much better, however this was tasty enough for our party of 4 to order 20+ pieces that evening.
Verdict: Nice change of pace. For those seeking a good deal, well worth a trip. For those seeking high quality sushi, this is not the place... but honestly, there are not any places that I know of that would provide high quality sushi for a mere $20. Would I go back? Very likely. It's a nice change up from Para and S&N.
They got rid of their all-you-can eat...Big mistake. There are a lot better sushi places in this area and the only draw to this place was that $20 deal.
I am really excited about this place...Even though I don't live around the corner from this place… Read more »
Had a *very* bad experience here. The sushi pieces were very small and bland. The shrimp tempura roll was TINY...not even worth the price with 50% off.
Spent a lot of money and was still hungry and felt like I had a really bad meal. I do NOT recommend this place.
We really wanted to like this place since it feels like a nice neighborhoody type restaurant that's very accessible. Unfortunately, they have some serious quality issues:
1. some basic comforts were missing - steady tables, coat racks (no where to put a coat in Chicago in the winter? good luck with that), candles that were actually lit, non-craptacular music (there's no excuse for playing "I will always love you" followed by hard korean rap), etc.
2. slow service - there was a wait staff of exactly 2 on a friday night, so attention was lacking to say the least
3. most importantly the food - my wife's chicken was RAW in the middle. Not slightly undercooked - it was literally raw and rubbery. Hard to see at first, but we finally discovered it after eating several pieces. So she felt ill for several days afterwards - not sure if it was the actual meal or the just the thought of being served raw chicken.
Hey news flash Katachi: chicken is not fish - you can't serve it sushi style because people get diseases from uncooked chicken. You should really know that.
I guess the worst part is that they offered to cook up another one, but after waiting 15 minutes we just decided to leave. They didn't even take it off the bill until we insisted. I recommend crossing this one off the list, but if you do end up here, stick to the all you can eat sushi that everyone else here seems to go for.
Update: Grand Katachi no longer has the all-you-can-eat deal for $20. They are currently running a "winter promotion" that discounts most menu items by 50%. When ordering from the 50% menu, our bill was a few dollars less than what the bill was with the all-you-can-eat deal, even though we ordered roughly the same amount. However, if you follow the tipping rule that you are supposed to tip on what the meal would have cost at full price, then our total bill with tip was actually about $5 more. But, if the new promotion puts a few extra dollars in the pocket of the very nice waitress that we get every time we go there, I'm ok with it!
Grand Katachi is a very approachable and affordable sushi restaurant. Perhaps not very good for a… Read more »
This place is just about the best sushi deal in town. For 20 bucks you get it all- from gyoza to udon, rolls and sahimi and everything in between. This is the perfect place to take a sushi newbie- they can try everything on the menu without fear. And its BYOB??? Truly a no-brainer. True, the rolls are generally uninspired, but everything is fresh and tasty. And don't believe the other claims- the servers are attentive and prompt and on my two visits the food has always been delivered as ordered.
House of Sushi and noodles- your crappy 15.95 all-you-can-eat has been shamed. Its all Grand Katachi for me from here on out. This place is the best sushi value in town.
Downsides? The decor is certainly neither here-nor-there, so I reccommend taking a seat in their outdoor patio. Also, the $4 corkage fee is not listed anywhere on the menu, so don't be surprised when it appears on your bill.
See you there!
Probably more like 3.5 stars. But, I'm rounding up.
Went here with three friends and we all ordered off the buffet menu. Great concept which paired very well with the bottles of wine we brought. Have I had tastier sushi before? Yes! But, $20 a person really can't be beat for the quality of sushi & maki received. I will be back.
We stopped in Grand Katachi for a late meal Saturday night. However, first we went to the liquor store around the corner to pick up a six pack of Sapporo.
The restaurant only had two other tables when we entered. We were greeted and escorted to a table on the upper-level. The waitress was very pleasant and attentive - we definitely had no issues with that. After we sat down she immediately brought a buck of ice for our beer, placed it in the bucket and opened a bottle and poured it for both of us. The atmosphere is interesting - its very sleek and modern and J-pop was playing in the background.
The waitress brought us the special menu - $20.00 for all you can eat. There's quite a bit on the special menu, even veggie-friendly options. We weren't going to shell out $20 a piece before knowing the quality of the food so we ordered off the menu.
We started with tamago sushi and veggie egg rolls. The tamago sushi is incredibly overpriced. $2.00 for ONE piece of sushi. The tamago was very good, exactly what I'd expect at a Japanese restaurant, however, there was too much rice and it was off - maybe a bit too hard or the sugar and vinegar proportions were off. The veggie egg roll was good.
We then ordered yakisoba (sans meat), a spinach roll and agedashi tofu. The agedashi tofu was like nothing I'd had before - they mixed egg with the tempura batter. How weird. It made the batter much too heavy and I wasn't able to finish the dish. The yakisoba made with proper vegetables which are the veggies I found in all the yakisoba I ate in Japan - onions, carrots and cabbage, no broccoli or peapods! But the taste was amiss, it was rather bland. The spinach roll - well, all we could taste was the nori wrap.
All the food was presented beautifully and the table was set with wooden chopsticks - it was refreshing not to use cheap disposable chopsticks.
When we received our bill we discovered that there is a $2.00 BYOB charge. We wouldn't have minded but it was not listed anywhere. Bill came out to $30.00 before tip.
So at the moment Grand Katachi gets 3 stars, we'll probably be back to try some more stuff since it is just a few blocks away - maybe we'll get the all you can eat special - I definitely could eat $20.00 worth of tamago sushi!
Not good during the lunch hour. Hardly a selection of sushi on the lunch menu - you are better off ordering from the regular menu which is a decent selection unless you want teriyaki or chef's choice sushi. The prices are average. I had the New York Maki and the Crunchy Maki. Both were mediocre at best; the Unagi had a tough texture and the Spicy Tuna tasted pretty fishy. I'd probably hit this place once it gets busier so that the items are more fresh. My lunch buddy liked his meal. I'm picky about sushi so maybe I'm being super critical.
As far as service goes, the waitress was friendly but not very attentive. It took at least 15 minutes for her to drop off our check.
Give this place a few more months and maybe it will be better!
ATTENTION!
As of March 2008, on weekday evenings from 4:30 - 7:30 they have a sushi buffet that is $19.95 per person. I highly recommend trying the San Francisco roll. It is probably worth it to come during this time to check and see how you like this place. Be forewarned that you will be charged for any uneaten portions on your plate!
A BYOB with all-you-can-eat sushi? Holy smokes; it's like a dream. Well...almost. The staff was kinda clueless. (I don't think they're unfriendly, as someone mentioned. I think they're just inexperienced.) For example, they seated everyone upstairs and so from the street level it looked as though the restaurant had no business. Not too bright.
The food was fine but not exceptional. Certainly worth a try and a solid value if you're in the neighborhood. The biggest negative in my book was that the music was way too loud (and, IMHO, way too crappy).
The BF and I have been here twice for the all you can eat buffet and have walked away happy and very full each time! The menu is huge with maki, hand rolls, nigiri, etc. as well as appetizers, salads and cooked foods.
The portions are regular sized for the appetizers and cooked foods, in other words, they're not smaller because it's all you can eat. It's just the normal size portion you'd get if you ordered off the menu!
BYOB is great, but they need to put on the menu that there's a $1/person fee. We went with another couple last night and there was a $4 BYOB charge...which, in the grand scheme of things isn't all that bad. But it would have been good to see on the menu.
Rolls I can recommend: spicy tuna, samurai, San Francisco, Alaska and the Mexican!
Im actually a little surprised at the low marks this place is getting. We went for the all-you-can-eat for $19.95 and I must say we were quite impressed. Sushi was good quality (fresh, well-constructed, good flavor balance in all the rolls). At 6:30 on a Saturday it was EMPTY. This was good because service was excellent, but had that awkward feeling of "omg they're all watching us eat!". Filled up as the night went on though, so it got a bit better.
Sushi - good, fresh, great flavors. Spicy rolls werent slathered in hot mayo like some places, and the crunchy rolls weren't coated in a cm of tempura like some places.
BYOB - yes, there is a $4 corkage fee. Of course, you were going to bring a $4 bottle anyway, so its still not bad.
Price - $20/person. Not too shabby, just come hungry. Includes their delicious appetizers (yay dumplings!)
UPDATE
The all-you-can-eat deal has ended, and been replaced by a sudden splike in quality. The 50% off everything deal gave me and my friend the opportunity to try a few more rolls than we would have if they were full price, and I was pleasantly surprised by almost everything. (Spicy tuna is what it is- smallish, and boring.) Overall, I have to say I'm impressed with the turn the menu has taken, and the quality of the rolls definitely has improved. A pleasant experience.
Menu was decent. Quality of the fish was slightly below average for a regular restaurant, but about… Read more »
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Nail Salons
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