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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Park, DePaulDiversey (Purple Express, Brown)
Fullerton (Purple Express, Brown, Red)
Mon-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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I went here here for the first time with regulars.
This sushi was SO good-- fresh and of good quality. The spicy mayonnaise was a surprising good flavor.
I will definitely be back. Obviously, it's no Mira, but save some coinage and come here.
I, for whatever reason, had never been to Itto Sushi in the many years I have lived in Chicago. Always, people would mention it as being pretty good for sushi in Chicago, but I still never went. That all changed the other day when my girlfriend and I, after a thrilling trip to Home Depot, stopped in for dinner.
Upon arriving, I was a bit annoyed. It was packed and we were actually skipped during the seating process twice. Finally, we were seated and we ordered some beer. Now we went with the pitcher, but I would highly recommend not doing that, as well will not in the future. It was not the value it seemed it may be. Actually, I would just stick with bottles and forget all about the beer on tap. Anyway. Moving to the menu and food.
The menu at Itto is pretty big. In addition to a boat load of sushi, sashimi, and the usual strange roll combinations that all of us in America love, they had a whole menu of Japanese appetizers. Oh I know what you are thinking, "but all sushi places have appetizers." True. But not like Itto. This place has so many of the dishes that you find on menus in Japan, such as the simmered daikon radish with miso, the Japanese pickles, Japanese mushrooms just steamed or simmered, the best fried fish in the world with shiso leaf and plum sauce, and the odd, but very real, potato salad. Yes. It was awesome. I immediately forgot about the seating issue and fell in love with Itto.
Itto Sushi has become my favorite sushi place in Chicago. Everything we had was excellent and the atmosphere of the place is very Japanese, which is pretty rare in this city. I highly recommend it to everyone and will be back soon.
THE FINE LINE BETWEEN FISH AND FISHY
One of the weird thing about sushi eaters is that we want to taste the fish, but we don't want it to taste fishy. This is probably mind-boggling to people that don't eat sushi, but it makes perfect sense to all devotees. In any case, it's a fine line between tasting the fish and tasting fishy and Itto definitely crossed the line with some questionable hamachi.
I was excited to go here as I often get in the mood for a traditional sushi bar that doesn't feel the need to cook their fish, batter it, and slather it in sauces. Unfortunately, I left Itto feeling disappointed with the quality of the fish.
Perhaps it was an off day?
I was really excited to try this place out from the great reviews (for the most part) on here. I was a little disappointed though.
I ordered a shrimp + cucumber + added avocado, and a piece of king crab nigiri. I asked for no wasabi but for some reason the sushi chef thought I wanted wasabi in my roll - so I had to ask for a new one. And instead of giving me a whole new one, they only gave me part of one since I'd already eaten 2 pieces of the other... strange. plus it had seaweed on the outside, which I don't like as much as rice on the outside for some reason. And it was a pretty small roll.
The king crab nigiri was really huge and good though. But my friend got the egg/omelet nigiri and it was old/waxy looking and the color was weird. She only ate one bite.
The pricing was okay - but for how small a roll I got, it could have been cheaper.
Staff and chef's were nice and place was clean and what not. Just not my favorite sushi place - just an okay one :)
I ordered take out from Itto today without ever seeing the place, and that may explain my complete confusion upon arriving there.
You see, there isn't really a front door. You go up a ramp into a small entry where you are confronted with two options:
1. Go up the stairs
2. Open a mysterious wooden door.
Thankfully I opted for choice #2, deciding to see what was behind the door, god knows what would've awaited me on the second floor.
But wait, the food, how was it? I'll be honest, I got a weird combo, Sweet Potato Tempura and Yakatori, most likely NOT what the majority of you would be grabbing from Itto.
Yet, regardless of the weird order, it was tasty, not incredible, but for the price I definitely feel like I got my money's worth and more. Add on the fact that it was ready quickly and the staff I interacted were all great, Itto's definitely a keeper.
I love this neighborhood place. My family and I used to frequent at least once a week. My wife and I still make a cameo every once in awhile. GREAT sushi for the price! The atmosphere is casual and inviting. The staff rocks! To give you an idea they gave my wife and I a wedding gift when we got married. Free valet is always nice...however whenever its free I always feel I give more :/. Delivery can be so so, cause certain things might not hold up and need to be served/eaten right away (for ex: tempura.) As they say in AA (not to say I attend meetings) keep coming back!!! and we will!
I just got back from eating at Itto and I must say I am very disappointed with my experience.
First, the decor of the place in the words of my friend is "japanese Denny's," not exactly what I'm looking for when I go out for a good dinner. Second, the quality and portions of the fish were off. I LOVE escolar (super white tuna) and did not enjoy it here. Also, my saba (mackerel) tasted unusually fishy.
Anyways, without all of the details of my meal I will close with food was very mediocre to sub-par, the sake list was limited and the sake that I did wind up choosing was really truly terrible, the decor was poor and while the service was nice they were slow. I read a lot of reviews before I went here and they were reasonably good, so I was very surprised with my experience but I would NOT recommend this place to anybody that considers themselves a well-dined sushi goer, you will be disappointed.
Good sushi. Definitely going back.
What a disappointment!
I drive past Itto Sushi everyday and when I friend and I wanted to grab a quick bite for dinner, I thought why not give this place a try.
From the moment we walked into the restaurant, it was like a scene from Lost In Translation sans Bill Murray. I could not understand a word of what the host was saying to us. I also noticed that my friend and I were the only two non-Japanese patrons in the restaurant.
The service was painstakingly slow and I was starving which did not make the situation any better. It took a long time for our food to come and then even longer for the bill to come. I mean, honestly, how long does it take to make Sashmi - isn't it just raw fish!?
However, they do deserve two stars. One star is for their menu which had so many options which was nice - over 50 different appetizers. And the food was all in all was pretty good. Also, I figure if real Japanese people are eating at sushi restaurant I find that pretty indicative that the food is up to caliber. The second star for the "valet" parking, I hate having to find parking the city so it was nice that the restaurant had a parking lot in the back. However, I felt odd tipping the valet since we walked to the car after dinner and he simply handed me the keys. Come to think of it, I want my two dollars back. Just kidding!
Next time, order from the take out menu! Good food & relatively inexpensive, but the dining experience in the restaurant was a disaster.
Small, so you may have to wait or give up. Good Japanese food at the going rate.
Parking in Lincoln Park is never easy.
After eating here tonight, I find myself struggling with the appropriate words to describe it. It was... pretty standard. Pretty much exactly what you'd expect at a sushi place.
In addition to other Japanese fare, Itto offers sushi by the roll and sashimi by the piece. The rolls were predominantly pretty standard - old classics as opposed to new creations. We went with two traditional favorites - spicy tuna and spider - in addition to some other rolls It seemed to take awhile for the food to come, but perhaps that is because they are all fresh and hand-rolled. Plus, admittedly, I was starving.
To end the evening, there were many flavors of mochi. I went with red bean (my all-time favorite) and blueberry. Both were delicious.
Overall, an enjoyable meal, but with so many sushi places in this city, I'm not sure if Itto had enough of a hook to reel me back in (fishy puns!).
Went here for the first last week and will not go back. I ordered 4 items- Tempura roll, Philadelphia roll and a piece each of King Crab and Tamago. The Tempura roll was decent but lacked the crunch I was expecting so made me wonder how long ago the shrimp was fried. The Philadelphia roll and King Crab were both quite good but the Tamago was a deal breaker. I should have trusted my instincts and sent it back because the color was definitely not right but I took a bite anyways and it was absolutely disgusting. I've never eaten a rotten egg before so that was a first, I'm surprised I didn't throw up on the table. If you are going to eat here trust your instincts, if it doesn't look right it's probably not!!!
Itto was recommended to me from a good friend. Having moved from Los Angeles, and eating japanese food probably 3 times a week for the last 5 years, I've become accustomed to a certain quality and essence to Japanese cuisine (aka, I'm a snob. I hate being one. but I am. OK?! sorry! I try to keep it in check, really I do. Because I hate snobs. But I am one.)
That said, for a Japanese restaurant in a city not necessarily known for its Japanese restaurants, I'm happy to say Itto has met my standards, and I wish I went more than the once-every-two-months that I do. It's owned, operated, and run by Japanese people, which is somewhat comforting considering so many Sushi places are Korean or Chinese owned. No offense of course, but it lacks that authenticity any other way. There are always Japanese customers here, which is also a good sign.
It comes as close as I've found to an izakaya in the city, which is also something I've sorely missed. The problem with Japanese food is that I love so much of it is that I want to order everything off the menu.
This place has its share of goofy maki rolls, which at this point, are merely expected at Japanese restaurants, authentic or not. Regardless, I've been willing to try a few, and as long as they have spicy mayo or tuna on them, i'm pretty stoked. All the fish I've had has been extremely fresh - nothing tastes freezer burned, fishy, or funky in any way. The sashimi slices are average-sized - I've certainly had more generous - but knowing you're getting a good piece of fish is far more important.
They have great agadashi tofu and I recommend their bento box style meals - they're filling and quite a bargain that come with Fish or Chicken, Salad, tempura, ice cream, rice, miso soup, and some california rolls.
I'd love to come here for lunch some day but alas, I work too far away. I hope I can "earn" a set of chopsticks behind the counter soon. One gripe: I wish they served Ebisu beer. Hell, I wish any place in Chicago served it. They do have free valet though, which is pretty rare.
I've had sushi on the brain the last few days and it's all Michael G's fault!
I heard good things about Itto and have been wanting to try it for a while now since I prefer simple, traditional rolls. I ordered 3 maki: spicy tuna, sake kyu, and negimaguro, which I got for just under $15.
The spicy tuna was my favorite of my 3 rolls. Generous portions of fish and whole pieces; it was definitely the most flavorful of the 3 rolls I got. My least favorite roll was the sake kyu (salmon and cucumber), compared to my other 2 rolls it was light on the fish, heavy on the rice. The sake kyu wasn't bad, just not as good as the others and salmon rolls are usually my favorite.
I love ginger with my maki and asked for extra since I rarely have enough for my meal, but the ginger I got with my rolls was *raggedy* looking. It hadn't gone bad, there were just a lot of small slivers of ginger rather than the nice sized pieces you usually get; the slivers ended up sinking to the bottom of my soy sauce because they wouldn't stay on the roll.
Even though I carried out, service was very friendly and no one made me feel like a cow for the amount of sushi I ordered. I know I have a bit of a sushi problem, but backhanded compliments like *wow, that's a lot of sushi for just one person* or *that's enough to feed two people* are never appreciated. So kudos to Itto for that!
Bottom line: 3.5 stars. The fish was fresh, the rolls were good, I would definitely give it another shot.
TIP: Here's a tip so you don't look foolish like I did, you can thank me later. When you get to the entrance you will see a stairwell going up and a wood, windowless door next to it. That windowless door looks like it would lead to someone's apartment, but it does not, it leads you right into Itto. Now you won't have to stand there confused, drawing odd stares from people enjoying their meal on the other side of the window.
Itto is one of the few Japanese-owned and -operated sushi parlors in the city--I say this not to wade into the identity politics swamp but to suggest its influence on the focus and expansiveness of the menu, the kinds of fish offered, the cutting, et al. This is not a rolls-and-saketini temple (don't get me started on how bad these places are); there's no DJ. We're not in Lincoln Park anymore, Toto.
Put another way, this is where I first tried natto.
So I sit at the sushi counter; I check the specials board for what fish are in (and they go global on that; I think they're one of the few places not served by Rev. Moon's sushi-in-a-van empire); I scan the specials menu for cooked guidance. I'll order some nigiri--remember, you came here for the fish, not some mayo and fried shit stuffed together--I'll order something with eggplant, as they do lovely t'ngs with it. They are golden with the fryer and grill, as traditional Japanese restaurants are apt to be; some fatty seabass or yellowtail collar, grilled and choked with lemon, will do nicely, as will tonkatsu.
But let me tell you about my favorite dish here: tilefish jerky. I ate some lovely things in '08--duck at Sun Wah, tacos at Asadero, among others--but this was favorite last bite of the year: a little smoky, a little sweet, a little briny--and served with Kewpie, no less! Just awesome.
Itto is one of the few old skool, long standing, authentic Japanese restaurants in the city. The price point is just slightly above Matsuya, but I think the flavors and experience are closer to Japan. At the same time, it can compete with many of the $$$ restaurants in city. So Itto serves as my middle ground when I want some traditional fixins without sacrificing much.
I tried chicken yakitori, scallop maki, and the daily special of deep fried skate wing. The skate dish was a huge thick meaty piece. I just wished they filleted and salted both sides because it was little tasteless even with the ponzu sauce. I've only had the scallop maki, but my gut feeling tells me Itto is probably not going to be my destination for pure sushi experience.
I guess my strategy for Itto is to stick to the appetizers, chalkboard specials, and maybe one maki.
Excellent sushi. Fast delivery packed very nicely. A bit on expensive side. The restaurant atmosphere leaves something to be desired, however.
Solid, traditional sushi spot. The list of appetizers is almost overwhelming, but also is amazing, because you probably haven't heard of half of them. I'd recommend the Fried smelt, if you are up for something a little different. The sushi is fresh and the portions are generous. On my second visit I got the chef's choice which turned out to be a good idea. It came with a roll, some fish eggs over rice, nigiri and sashimi (along with salad and dessert).
I am annoyed... quite annoyed. As I wait for my bill to show up at Itto Sushi right now, I am writing this review. I've been to Itto few times when I lived in South Bend, feeling desperate to have a good sushi. It was worth the drive. Now after almost a decade and confirming upon Yelp reviews that the place is still great , I suggested my friend to grab a dinner there while visiting Chicago.
Yes, it is still Japanese-owned. Everybody who works there is Japanese. Tonight, there are many Japanese business men sitting at the sushi counter. So, you would think these are good signs for an wonderful sushi experience...... WTF!??
Both Hamachi and Toro were stringy. Ikura was okay. Uni was decent. Hotate was quite good. My friend's spicy tuna rolls had old tasting tuna. Agetashi dofu was pretty good. The servers were quite sweet, friendly and efficient. There were only like 4 items on the white board (including toro, ironically, along with 2 types of snappers and grouper).
What happened? Was my standard just low enough to appreciate Itto after living in non-sushi oriented states (IN, MI, LA) for such a long time? Or, was it possibly an off night at Itto? I just don't know. If this was my first time at Itto, I would have said I would never come back.
For sure, I would not be revisiting Itto soon... unless for some unfortunate circumstances, I end up living in South Bend for a long duration of time.....
Four star experience over all.
The food was 5stars- the tempura sauce was SOOOO FLAVOR FULL- OMG. The sushi rolls were fresh and tasty. The prices were very reasonable. My two friends and I ordered so many different things, edemame, veggie tempura, seaweed salad, sashimi, vegetable rolls etc, and the bill was only a little over $60(we ordered a LOT of sashimi).
The service did leave a bit to be desired, it wasnt HORRIBLE and we would definately head back to Itto but our tea came out cold, it took us a while to get water and we did have to wait a while for our food.
Another fab thing about Itto is that they DO have a parking lot for your use while you are dining. YAY for parking! If the place was closer Id definately head back there more often.
I'm new to the area so I'm on a sushi hunt.....
This has the best sushi I have tried so far, and the price is pretty decent too ($10-$15 per roll)
They serve food until midnight I believe on weekends, which was a bonus because I went in there around 11 on a Saturday night.
Overall, I recommend this place for some quality, decently priced sushi!
If you're looking for maki rolls with sparklers and mango in them, walk away now. Itto is a classic, authentic Japanese restaurant. It's refreshing to hear a 'irasshaimase!' when walking into a sushi restaurant in Chicago, since the majority of Chicago sushi places aren't run by Japanese.
They have a separate menu in Japanese, which should tell you something. I only wish my Japanese reading skills were better so that I could feel confident ordering from it (someday soon!)
Delivery is also excellent. They pack their sushi in a separate bag from hot food (unlike places like Kamehachi), and the people on the phone and the delivery drivers are very pleasant.
Sushi is good and reasonably priced. The rice has the perfect consistency, the fish tastes fresh, and they give you plenty of gari and wasabi (it was freshly made and super hot- not out of a tube, but not hon wasabi- which I will ask about the next time I'm in). I have not tried their uni yet, but will report back when I do- since it's a favorite of mine.
We also ordered tempura udon and beef soba (for the boyfriend). They arrived well-packaged (the tempura separate) and piping hot. The tempura veggies were delicious and perfectly battered. Boyfriend liked his beef soba a lot, and he's not too accustomed to Japanese cuisine (yet).
Whoever described this as Japanese comfort food was totally right. Itto is the place to order from when you're craving real, classic and unfussy Japanese food. The Japanese clientele, the food, and the atmosphere almost make you feel like you're in Japan. This place is going to be a favorite of mine for as long as I live in Chicago.
A Japanese sushi restaurant actually owned by Japanese people? That has a plethora of Japanese patrons? This is a rarity in Chicago, and my fiancee and I had to find out how it stood. (Note, this does not by any means imply that the non-Japanese owned restaurants are lower in quality, but this is definitely the rarity).
Appetizers: Fried Smelt, Seaweed Salad - Seaweed salad was the standard good quality that you can find in most restaurants. Tasty way to start. Fried smelt were crispy when the smelt was thing enough, otherwise, left with a somewhat chewy texture. Not bad, but wouldn't order again.
Main course: Fancy Chirashi, Select Nigiri pieces:
For this price, the chirashi was far from filling... granted the fish was fresh and tasty, the size of the bowl, quantity of the fish, and mix of fish was left wanting. Matsuya does a better job with their chirashi IMHO and a cheaper price point with equivalently fresh fish.
We tasted unagi, sake (salmon), and escolar (super white tuna). These tend to be our staples of nirgiri. We also ordered up uni to taste test here. This is truly where Itto shines, as the nigiri was delicious, and fairly affordable across the board.
Main Course, Second: California Roll, Spicy Tuna, and two others randomly chosen - Honestly, I'd be okay not ordering rolls here again. I don't believe their rolls are well done, fairly densely packed with rice, and it just wasn't enjoyable. From the past reviews, my guess is they began adding more rolls to their menu based on customer demand, however the rolls are mediocre at best.
Final Verdict: Excellent place for nigiri. Honestly, the quality and price point are great, and it's definitely a down to earth no frills sushi place. If you're looking for the newest fancy rolls, don't come here... if you want good old tradition nigiri served fresh, tasty, and affordable, this is a staple. Fiancee and I will be coming back for sure.
Side note: Fiancee was a big fan of the different types of serving ware they had... good presentation. We've decided that the area looks almost like a closed Wendys... not quite a traditional environment, but the nigiri was excellent.
My fiance and I frequent this place alot. It's owned by Japanese and the servers there are all Japanese. You don't get alot of Japanese-owned-and-operated sushi places these days. I think this gives it the more authentic feel. They have about 50 appetizers on their menu. The ones we tried so far were very good: monkfish liver, conch clams, beef trip, deep fried smelt, just to name a few. We always order sashimi and they're always so good and fresh. Try the uni (sea urchin) and request for a quail egg (raw) to be put on your uni. It is amazing.
We always see alot of Japanese businessmen dining there in their suits. Hey, this place has got to be authentic and good for these businessmen to frequent this place right?
This is a quaint joint off of Halsted. It seems like one of the most authentic sushi places I have been too in a long time. The decor doesn't seem over-Americanized and the sushi is great. They even have sake that is served in square wooden Japanese bowls. The sushi selection is extensive and the prices are extremely reasonable. I went for a late lunch and enjoyed myself very well. The place wasn't crowded and the service was attentive.
This is my favorite place to go for great Japanese food.
Serving traditional Japanese food for 24 years.WOW
Over 50 appetizers.And a great place to enjoy the best Sushi in Chicago.
You know this is a good place as soon as you walk in with a Japanese staff
and many Japanese customers.Yummy I'm getting hungry.
I've been to this place twice, both times for a weekday lunch. I'm not super aggressive when it comes to sushi, sticking mostly to spicy tuna, eel, and spider rolls... but they had a great lunch special that had a cup of miso soup and 3 rolls, spicy tuna, salmon/cucumber, and aparagus with some sort of sauce, for like $10. All three were really good, even though I'm usually not a fan of salmon.
As for the menu, there's a ton of different kinds of sushi/rolls... some of which, well, I didn't even know people ate those parts of the respective sea creature. I'll leave those to someone else. But all in all, plenty of options and a great lunch spot. Maybe I'll have to try dinner some time.
A side note, the first time I was there, some guys from the Japanese consulate were there... so I guess that means this place is legit.
koko de sushi wa ama suki jyanakatta. hokano tabemono wa mama yokatta.
I will start this review with a warning: Do Not Sit At The Sushi Bar. You will end up wanting to order every single thing they are making and feel like a Tub'o'Lard when you are done. Thankfully the sushi chef gave the people next to us one of the things we ordered by mistake otherwise we would have been in trouble.
Everything was fresh and presented wonderfully. The menu is very diverse and seemed to have some excellent traditional options you don't often see at sushi houses. They have many of your standard rolls but really nothing with fruit or Americanism mixed in. I saw about 15 different things I want to try but just didn't have the belly for on this trip. The sushi we had was fresh, nicely cut, the rice was perfect and just all around tasty.
The atmosphere was friendly and casual. We sat at the sushi bar but there is also a small actual bar and about 15 or so tables. The waitresses were attentive and helpful. We eat Japanese food all the time but still had some questions since their menu is uniquely Japanese and different from most places here in the states. I like that they have lemons in their water pitchers, always a simple nice touch. Not only that but they kept our glasses full the whole time, that is not an easy feat because I drink more than a camel just off the caravan.
I am a sake drinker. That sounds a lot more refined then it is, I drink anything just wring out the bar rag in a snifter. They have a small but good selection of sakes and your standard beer offerings, in addition to a full bar. I like that the waitress brought us two sake glasses without even asking since the lady got a different type then me. The little things they do here really separates them from other spots, Japanese or otherwise.
Prices are extremely reasonable, we got a ton of food and two bottles of sake for less then $70.
Come on in and have something to Itto.
RrL
Tried Itto Sushi for the first time due to recommendation from Yelp and really fell in love with this place. This place is definitely low key but it has great food, low prices, friendly staff, and free valet!
We ordered sushi and sashimi which was decent for the price so for sushi alone I would give it 3.5 stars. Fresh and nice size, nothing extra noteworthy and no fresh wasabi.
The rest was I thought was really good:
Nameko Tofu - agedashi tofu with mini mushroom caps so tasty
Monkfish Liver - rich but more delicate and light than pate
Fried Whitefish - seaweed wrapped whitefish then fried in tempura batter
Fried Skatewing - with ponzu dipping sauce...mmm
Buttered Cod - my least favorite (kinda dry) but interesting
Beef rolls - perfectly done with spring onion
Desserts:
Green Tea Pudding - with azuki beans and condensed milk
Mochi Cake - warm and soft
This place really exceeded my expectation and I will definitely come back to try the rest of the menu and the entire staff said goodbye to us when we left - it was so sweet.
Itto sushi is run by Japanese and has Japanese clientele, which in retrospect, makes it rather disappointing. The restaurant itself is cozy and having valet parking (albeit in a very small lot) is nice in this hard-to-park area in Lincoln Park.
Itto has a long, traditional sushi menu with a few inventions, but nothing groundbreaking. This particular night, I had a deluxe chirashi sushi. Decent amount of fish cut to above average size, but the fish tasted a little bit on the frozen side. The grilled scallop was a small portion placed in a nice plate that was being heated from below but put into some hot liquid that was more Chinese than Japanese (odd considering most of the staff was actually Japanese). Lastly, the winter roll tasted good at first, and it came with some very nice fruit arrangements, but ultimately was a bit too rich and creamy.
Itto was well-priced, however, and the service was very attentive. Given the free parking, definitely a better choice than say, Sai Cafe, but overall, just another run-of-the-mill Chicago sushi joint.
The prices here are excellent, however I can't give five stars because I was slightly disappointed by the sushi. The rolls were good, but nothing out of the ordinary. Also, I think that there had to be some wasabi on the chef's knife, as each one of my rolls tasted of wasabi.
I probably won't be back, as this restaurant is slightly out of my way, and there are much better, albeit more expensive, restaurants closer to me.
I just don't get this place. We had to wait for every step of the way, and the place wasn't that busy, and there was plenty of waitstaff. It looked very disorganized. The whole meal was almost two hours with no appetizers or anything fancy.
And the sushi was not that great. The vegetable tempura maki was 90% breading. It was basically an Awesome Blossom with a little bit of rice and nori.
I've been to Japan, and I love sushi. I don't really think this place is good at all. I don't know how everyone thinks this place is so authentic. Frankly I don't know how they've been in business for so long. Where's Gordon Ramsay when you need him? If this is the 'best' sushi in Chicago I'm going to be really upset.
Yay! I'm a fan.
No, that's not what I wanted to say.
Food: 4
Authentic:4
Friendliness:3
Atmosphere:3
Price: 2
*Freshness of Fish: 4*
To be honest, if I am in Chicago, and I have to find Sushi, I know there are other choices. But they are all in the Suburbs. And for the city folks, this is one of the best that you can go.
I mean, if you have been to Japan and you really want some authentic style, this is good place to go.
I almost come here every time when I am in town, and I am in town every month :)
I just went here for the third time now and I came to realize the same experience each time: Nothing jumped out at me. We got the same type of rolls we get at other sushi places and neither one of the rolls had a better taste than at other places. We tried to look for specialty rolls that each sushi place seems to have and the only thing on the menu was a Chef Special which had a ? for a description. Hmm?
The place is pretty big and there is a lot in the back which is free to park in...granted its big enough for 5 cars. The service was ok, but I definitely felt as if I was being rushed to order.
Talking with friends we decided if nothing stood out as better than other sushi places then this may have been our last time here.
I think my review will be slightly biased but I really enjoyed this place.
This is the first time I ever ate sushi so I was obviously apprehensive - but it was delicious! This is also the second date I ever went on with my amazing boyfriend so I obviously love the place because love blossomed there.
I was terrified to try sushi but it was totally painless. The maki was absolutely delicious and very well prepared. We were one of two or three couples in the restaurant that night, so it was nice to have a server to ourselves. We could also see the chef preparing all of the sushi and that was really fun for me. My boyfriend said the sashimi was also really excellent, but I'm still too afraid to just eat a raw piece of fish; I'll stick with the maki.
Very nice look to the restaurant - kind of dim and romantic. Nice seats at the sushi bar as well as extra seating in an atrium-like area in the back. Almost like a sun porch or something. Lots of traditional servingware and very inexpensive Saki served in great, traditional servingware.
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 affordable. Most Maki is $4.50.....I cannot remember any sushi place I've tried that has come close to that price.
The service is great and the servers are very nice. They even bring you a warm towel to start off your meal. Sitting at the sushi bar on the right side near the corner affords you a view of them creating your rolls right there in front of you.
The place doesn't have hip decor, nor is it very sexy place, but there were a lot of Japanese eating there which I find is a good sign if the ethic food being served is also being consumed by that same group.
You even get sliced oranges at the end of your meal which I find is a nice touch.
A great inexpensive sushi place you should try.
This is the best sushi I've had. The prices aren't bad and the food is great. I've been to trendy places and "cheap" places, but Itto takes the roll when it comes to good food, price, and atmosphere. The first time I came here, there were a pair of Japanese business men ordering from the Japanese language menu to the chef. I haven't been to Japan yet, but to me that gave it a lot of credibility and an authentic feel that I haven't gotten anywhere else. Its a small cozy setting that usually isn't full, and there's a parking lot.
Hokay, so in general, I love sushi. I love sushi so much, that me and my friends have become sushi elitists... and are used to dishing out excessive amounts of cash for it, and are ok with that. We embrace it.
That said, at the recommendation of many fellow yelpers, we decided to branch out from our usual sushi destinations and try Itto. We walked up to what looks like a JaponArby and I looked at my friend said ok, we can do this... On the menu it says they are celebrating 26 years of being in business, well congrats.
We had a dinner of edamame, sashimi, and 3 special maki rolls... our bill came, $65... I felt like we had been teased with the promise of good sushi, only to be left with sushi blue balls and a high bill to pay for not being satisfied. Bah. Never again.
To sum it up, decent, over-priced sushi served in an arby-esque setting. You can have better people, much much better, for the same prices elsewhere.
I got to enjoy a birthday dinner at this Japanese restaurant that my Japanese friends claimed to be "pretty darn authentic." When we walked in, I did feel like I was in a restaurant in Japan.
The key was to go with Japanese people, I think, so then they just talk in Japanese and figure out what to order. My friends ordered SO much food... and a lot of it was not the typical "American" Japanese like sushi rolls and sashimi, but instead was other traditional foods like fried smelt, raw squid, something that tasted like pate, filefish, etc. Yes, we ate a lot and a lot of the stuff even I have never tried!
The people were so nice, at least I think they were nice, as I don't understand Japanese and they were basically talking to my Japanese friends the whole night. The seafood was really, really fresh and my first time eating raw squid was great! It melted in my mouth. Yum! One of my other favorite things were the mochi ice creams. They are different than the ones you can buy at Mitsuwa and they were so delicious! I tried the coffee and mango... again, melts-in-your-mouth good!
Another sign of a good restaurant is their repeat clientele. I saw people walking out and saying goodbye to the owners like they were friends. AND, they even have a thing where you can buy your own chopsticks and keep them in chopstick cases there. That way, for a frequent diner, you can conserve on those disposable chopsticks and also feel like a VIP with your own special chopsticks!
Overall, great, authentic food!
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Sushi Bars
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