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Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Near North Side, River NorthChicago (Purple Express, Brown)
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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We started off with drinks downstairs while we waited for our reservation to be honored (we arrived about a 1/2 hour early). Downstairs wait staff was very attentive and friendly. Had a glass of Pinot Noir, which was really good. I wish I could remember the name of it....anyway, loved the downstairs.
Moved upstairs for dinner. Had the ebi ebi roll, and the hot rock for appetizers. Super good, and am still having dreams about that! Moving on to another glass of "whatever it was called" wine, and dinner came...I had the fillet, which melted in my mouth like butter....so worth the calories! Super great!
Why the 4 stars? Waitstaff upstairs was less attentive. We tried several times to "look" for him, and he was no where to be found on the floor.
I guess I would give Japonais a 1.5 star rating if that was possibly for the service and atmosphere, but the food is really disappointing. This place is incredibly overrated and I'm beginning to understand why you don't hear much about it anymore.
I believe Japonais became famous because they were one of the first restaurants to have sushi - I hope that isn't the case, because their sushi isn't even as good as the cheap BYOB joints I frequent. In fact, 90% of the time the cheap BYOBs are better. Japonais only offers four specialty rolls, and two of them have panko breaded shrimp (e.g. fried shrimp) in them. I say that because people that really love sushi want raw fish! For a famous place like Japonais, I expect some pretty awesome specialty rolls that are changing by season. The BYOBs do it. (Note: I went for lunch - the dinner menu has six specialty rolls)
Also related to the sushi, they put wasabi inside almost all the regular roles (even aspargus and salmon). I personally like spicy food but hate wasabi, so that was irritating to me. It overpowers the flavor of everything else. I would appreciate if they stuck to the old fashioned way of wasabi on the side, for those who like it.
My friends had the Rock (they liked it, most people do), a burger (it was huge, and good - nothing great) and the Nicoise salad. The Nicoise looked really good, but didn't taste very good - wasn't crazy about the dressing and they put way too much on it.
To sum it up, if you're looking for sushi, do NOT go to japonais for it, and you are looking for a good meal in general, I would not recommend it. If you want to go somewhere swanky that has a cool atmosphere and sit on a couch to eat, by all means, knock yourself out.
My wife and I enjoyed this place quite a bit, however probably won't go back anytime soon.
Here goes on the experience:
We went there for her birthday and had a good overall experience...certain things I liked and certain things I didn't like...
We knew we were going to an ultra expensive place...so I can't complain about prices...
What I liked:
1) The food - it was good
2) Interesting mix of french/japonese cuisine
3) Service was good and staff was informative
4) The ambience
What I didn't like:
1) You have to wait downstairs to be seated upstairs (However you enter the restaurant upstairs) It almost feels like you have to order a drink to fit in downstairs...and its uber trendy
2) They pack you in like sardines when seated (we might as well have invited the people to the left and right of us to join us for dinner)
3) Due to the fact it has 2 kitchens (1 for Japanese and the other for French) food comes out in random order...my wife almost finished her lobster before I ever received my sush...kind of pointless because one party was always watching the other eat.
That said, we knew what we were getting into...and I would recommend. I simply would recommend other places first!
I have been to the Japonais in Las Vegas when I went there on vacation, so I was excited to see how the one at home compared. I was very impressed.
My date and I arrived early, so we headed downstairs to the lounge for a drink and walked outside to look at the river. The strawberry martini was delicious. Upon surveying the scene, my date told me that we fit in: young girls with older guys. That was most of the clientele, as well as women having their girls-night-out.
For an appetizer, we had The Rock. You get a very hot rock and cook your own pieces of meat on it. Be sure to be quick, because the rock will cool down. The meat is salty (Refraining from that's-what-she-said joke.) but tender and worth the labor of cooking it yourself. It will not fill you, so we also shared an order of the Ebi Ebi roll. Delicious.
For my entree, I had the Chestnut Chicken. So amazing, I almost finished the entire thing...and it was a pretty generous size! My date got the Samurai Cut Tuna Steak, which was small, leaving him hungry and wanting some of my entree.
Decor was different from Vegas, of course. Less foliage. Very laid-back, cool feel. Seating involves many couches, so you're right next to other people. Great if you're friendly! Be sure to make reservations, just in case, but especially for the weekends.
I had a great dinner here with co-workers! We sat at the outdoor patio with views of the river and with the sunset... Romantic but fun! Great venue for large groups too1
The staff was very attentive and was always checking on us to see if we were having a great time.
The dinner was delish! Had the kobe beef, skewers, which were all yummy and juicy! They have a great selection on mixed drinks and wine as well.
It's pricey and is worth it! I'll definitely go back to this place!
One word to describe this place, disappointing. I had heard so many great things about this place that I did go in with rather high expectations. That being said, had I been randomly put in the restaurant with no preconceived notions I feel as though disappointing would still be the word to come to mind.
We started the night by grabbing some drinks in the lounge downstairs. Very nice ambiance and they had some good cocktails, so far so good at this point. The dining area is quite esthetically pleasing and surprisingly busy (surprising because I don't see how they have repeat customers). We were expecting to order sushi, but they had such a limited selection we opted for other items instead. I got the duck, which had I had my eyes closed I would have guessed I was eating rubberbands. Absolutely terrible. I can't remember my girlfriend ordered but she wasn't too thrilled with her entree either.
Overall I feel like they have a great concept for a restaurant just terrible execution. Maybe it was an off night, but when you are spending $150-200 or so for 2 people the food should be good.
Dear Japonais,
On January 27th, in the year of our Lord and Savior, 2007, I attempted to have dinner at the restaurant. Being an experienced Japonais diner, I made reservations nearly a month in advance. One would think that such diligence would escalate one's priority past the walk-in crowd. Maybe last year.
As the clock swept well past reservation time, I checked with the host several times and was told after each one that our table was "paying" which presumably meant that it would be available shortly. After 50 minutes of "paying," my companion and I gave up on the hope of a fine dinner and decided to eat at the bar. This decision had consequences to which we'll come back in a paragraph.
Having lived in LA, I have become accustomed to dining room ineptitude. I even forgive most of their infractions just as I would a misbehaving child, contenting myself to an eye-roll and audible sigh. But I hold Japonais to a higher standard. One does not need to be an operations guru to know that a 15 minute delay is uncomfortable but tolerable, 30 is annoying and beyond is simply unacceptable. One also must not blame the table-hoarding patrons as it is not their job to manage flow. When diners are taking their sweet time and reservations are crowding in, suck it up and buy the hoarders a bottle of cheap champagne (at the bar) and watch how quickly they'll high-tail it out of their seats.
Now, we must re-visit the unfortunate consequences of the bar's abbreviated menu.
In LA, revelers are limited in their alcoholic intake because of the inevitable drive home. A person can easily pull a Paris Hilton by having a margarita on an empty stomach. Therefore, in Chicago, one is forced to capitalize on the ability to drink to the point of dementia and take a cab home. My companion's and my alcoholic intake, although impressive, is tempered by the size of the evening's dinner, however, to limit ourselves this day seemed like a colossal waste of a Saturday night in the city. And so, there we sat, angrily drinking at the bar with nothing but a few rolls to distract our respective digestive systems from metabolizing the free-flow of alcohol. My memory failed somewhere during the fourth bite of the Spicy Mono Roll but I am told that we had gone to several places hence.
As my Sunday fell casualty to Saturday's hangover, I have no one to blame but you for not keeping my reservation time and interfering with a precise and calculated formula for alcoholism and thus ruining my weekend. Although your food prevents you from making the full descent into restaurant mediocrity, your operations have certainly deployed your landing gear.
Love,
http://Mealschpeal.com
Ive been to all three Japonais restaurants around the country and this one is by far the best!
Had a variety of sushi here... and everything from nigiri/sashimi to the various rolls we had were phenomenal!
Atmosphere was great too. Loved the centerpiece in the middle of the main dining area off to the right as you enter.
It is close to downtown hotels and I would recommend this place to any traveller or local alike.
Well, well, well. Old Faithful comes though in the clutch again. I know, the sexy trend for a number of long time Chicagoans these days is to call this place so "yesterday." It's all about the ambiance, the show, the presentation, the talent, the money, who you know, hot strappy sandals, thousand dollar handbags, seeing and being seen, blah, blah, blah. I wouldn't dare put my self out here for the world to see and claim to be wooed by any of the previously mentioned, but on the other hand, I would be lying to you if I didn't say this was my favorite restaurant in Chicago (at this point in time) for some unexplicable reason. Moving on....
Are you ever in the ufortunate position when you're with a group of friends or in an intense relationship that has lasted more than 6 months and you have to pick dinner for the night but you aren't looking forward to it because you know it won't be as good as your favorite restauarant? I'm always THAT guy having to pick another spot, because "we already did Japonais." Of course I pick another hip new joint, but always walkout thinking the following:
(girlfriend): I'm gonna have to make it last a year to bring her to Japonais for the anniversary or cut bait asap to bring a new female friend here. If I find a Japonais junkie like myself, I can buy a 20K ring and have it delivered with our coffee and donuts.
(family): That was a great Mothers Day Dinner, but not as great as last years when we were at Japonais, can't wait to bring Dad there for Fathers Day.
(customers): I need to cold-call first thing tomorrow morning so I can find some new customers to bring to Japonais next time.
(friends): I hate when my Chicago friends have Bachelor parties in Chicago. I can't wait until my Michigan friends host one here so we can eat at Japonai instead of this place.
That's all I ever think about folks, getting back to Japonais. The Rock, The Spicy Mono, The Ebi Ebi, The Madai, The UNI, the female guests oohing and aahing over the perfectly shaken cocktails, and of course the coffee and donuts to cap it off .
It was another great night there this week. For those of you on the fence reading this review, you can't possibly screw this up no matter what the circumstance. Hope to see you there, worth every single penny.
Maybe the best sushi restaurant I've been to in the U.S. Thankfully, I had an expense account to work with when I ate here, because it's pretty freaking expensive. I spent every cent of my alloted $75 just for myself.
Unfortunately, I don't remember much about what I ordered, but I've eaten here, and at the NYC location, and this one is by far better.
This review is for the lounge only.
I've heard about this place and I didn't know they have a lounge downstairs. I love the ambiance for the dining area and as for the lounge downstairs its dark with only 2 small candle lights per table-makes it hard to read the menu.
We got there early so it was easy to get a table. Our server is really friendly and attentive-constantly checking if we need more drinks or order any food.
What I love most about this place is the music they play. They play a variety of songs! They played Lauren Hill, Black Eyed Peas, to some thing like samba, house, raggae (love love raggae!) to hip-hop which they played when it started to get packed.
Their food and drinks are expensive, I even saw an appetizer for $72!! WTF? hmmm.. maybe I can afford that when I become a big baller but for now I guess I'll stick with my edamame, a simple sushi rolls and my Goose on the rocks.
I can't wait to come back for dinner!
I've eaten here twice, and was willing to double my mistakes because I loved Le Colonial (same owner). The food was tiny (meat cooked on a rock, not even a mouthful?), average, expensive, and I left hungry.
But the bar downstairs is awesome. On a reasonably warm night, you can drink outside along the river, and they even turn on heat lamps. I live in River North, and have brought several tourist-friends here, and love taking the journey along the riverwalk which opens magically to the Japonais bar. Good martinis, great scene.
Girls night out for this one!! We waiting 15 mins for our party to show up even though we had RSVP. It probably was the best 15 min wait ever. The people coming in were as good looking as it comes...seriously it ended up being a "oh our table is ready? are you sure?"
We went downstairs for drinks and the decorations and lounge area was packed but seemed like a lot of fun. Oh yes and the food. YUMMY drinks, great speciality SUSHI ROLLS (yes ROLLS!) Service and setting. Rolls we want to recommend: Special Salmon: panko breaded shrimp roll topped with sashimi marinated salmon and wasabi tobiko sauce, Spicy Mono: spicy octopus roll topped with spicy tuna tartare in sweet unagi sauce, and we tried the other too but those two were our favs. :)
Short & sweet:
*Japanese/French/American fusion cuisine
*Ultrastylish decor dining room upstairs
*Ultrahip bar/lounge downstairs
*Expensive, good sushi with chutoro and toro most always available
*Many waygu beef dishes
*Very cool dish called "The Rock" in which thin raw marinated slices of beef are brought to you and you cook on the table on hot rocks
*Very (overly) expensive everything - you're definitely paying for ambiance and more.
*Great to impress a date, especially if they know you (or you know someone - the old Chicago way) and give you good service.
Man, it's cool. Man, it's overpriced.
Recently attended a friend's birthday dinner here. Keep in mind, we were a group of 26 (not everyone ate, but they still charged a per person fee) based on the reservation which I find bogus. With the per table (which was 4 tables), we received several appetizers and 1 sushi course which in my opinion would have been $50 per table, NOT per person. Apparently, we were paying for the space and the ambience. No, thank you.
The food was good, not great and for the price -- totally overrated/overpriced. We had the spicy mono which was good, baby tuna arugula salad, japanese ribs, sweet potato pomme frittes. If I wanted ribs, I would go to smoque or smoke daddy's. The most consistent factor was the drinks. My boyfriend had a hendricks gin with olives, smallest glass I've ever seen. After that he ordered a regular cocktail which was up to size standards.
It was LOUD, as in screaming just to have a conversation with the person 6 inches from you loud. This place felt like a "be here to be seen" type of place.
Even giving this place 2 stars won't deter people from coming here. It was PACKED. I had heard a lot of great things about this place beforehand and I was really disappointed.
Personally, I think Mirai is better. If I had gone just for dinner, not in a huge group I'm not sure if it would've been that pricey but alas...that was the experience I had.
SUPERB service. Then again, I went here on an early weekday, so it was fairly empty.
Expensive? Yes. Food? Worth it.
Shared the kobe beef carpaccio. Pretty good.
My friend got the salmon dish. Loved the green curry oil they used! So good. Never seen that anywhere else. +1 for curry oil.
I got the 7 spice kobe beef ribeye (this was 2 years ago.. funny thing is, I was a vegetarian for almost 2 years prior to this, but I decided I wanted to try kobe beef/wagyu.. LOL.. wow, I know, I'm horrible.. but I love trying new things, and it'll bother me forever if I don't try :x ). SO RICH AND DECADENT. Loved the uni butter(I love uni). Just get the smaller portion size cause it's super rich in flavor.. the richness of flavor will make up for the lack of size(and that way, it'll be cheaper). +1 for uni butter.
Got the pomme frites with that yummy "is this that spicy mayo sauce they use for sushi?" sauce.
I was really excited to try Japonais because I've been hearing all this hype about this "great" place, but honestly I was disappointed. Okay, yes, back in 2008 it was the place to dine and yes, it has a swanky vibe, but the food just didn't do it for me. Made me wonder, "Is my palette that different that I could snub Japonais?". My answer, YES!
First, there were two rolls which might as well have been the same roll. The crispy shrimp and salmon and the Ebi/Ebi. The only difference? One roll had shrimp on top and the other had smoked salmon. Both rolls had a tempura friend shrimp, which don't even get me started on the tempura flakes, with the japanese mayo toped with either salmon or shrimp. Really there was no difference and both tasted the same to me. The rock was good, but honestly not great. It was anything you would get at a sub par korean bbq place and for that price as an appetizer, I would rather have a full meal somewhere in korea town. I will say that the calamari is quite tasty, but the lobster spring rolls could have had a bit more flavor.
Honestly, ambiance and service definitely bumped this up to a 3, but for food I would have only given it a 2. I've definitely had a lot better....for the same price/ambiance/service I would much prefer going to Sunday and honestly that's not saying much.
3.5 stars
We opted to order small plates and eat family style. The kobe beef carpaccio is DELICIOUS!!!
I can't abandon my Asian roots when reviewing this place. Yes, I realize there's a swanky lounge downstairs. But I can't help but think that this place rings true of a shinier, sleeker version of the Cheesecake Factory. Their mini hotstone is just a gimmick. boo. I was excited to order this but was very disappointed by the execution- the meat was entirely too salty.
Not all the food was subpar though. We had pork buns, which were great, and a decent octopus roll.
I prefer smaller, intimate restaurants and this was just too large to execute that attention to detail that smaller places have.
The gals and I went downstairs to the lounge/bar area for drinks and I must say I was impressed. Great ambiance, nicely decorated interior space, very classy and upscale. There was definitely a good looking, well-dressed crowd, it's a "see and be seen" type of place, but didn't feel stuffy at all. It was crowded but there was still plenty of space to move around and stand to have a drink. I got the Startini which I would recommend, though it could have been a bit stronger for $13. They also have a great outdoor seating area right by the river--beautiful on a moonlit night. Great place for large groups, drinks with the girls, or a date. Service at the bar was fast and friendly. I will have to come back and try the restaurant.
Self important attitude, mediocre food. What's the hype all about? Just because they park a Jaguar or a Mercedes out their main entrance, we're all suppose to bow to Mecca here? Paaaaaaaaaaalease!
I detest low level employees that have an attitude 1,000 times higher than the salary they make.....
What makes peons believe that if they work in a haughty place they have a license to treat you like excrement?
My friend took me here while I was visiting from Los Angeles. Nice sophisticated vibe. The food is good, but expensive. Great people watching. Fun place to spend an evening since there is an upstairs restaurant and a downstairs bar.
I actually came here almost 2 years ago, and never wrote a review...so it won't be as descriptive as it could be. One thing I do remember, is I had the Fatty Tuna nigri and it was seriously the best myself and my friend had ever had. It was so good. :) Makes my mouth water just thinking about it now! We also had The Rock to start with...yum. I had a few drinks (they are pricey, but I think that's to be expected when you go here). Don't remember which ones I had, but they were some fancy, fruity specials. All of them were excellent. Other than that, I can't really remember what else we ate. As far as I can remember, the service was pretty good.
I wish I was super rich or had a Sugar Daddy so I could come here more often. But, I would highly recommend this for a special occasion or if you just have money you want to burn!
Whenever my friends come into town, they have to make reservations at Japanais. Because I don't care for sushi, I've always skipped dinner and gone straight for the evening festivities. However, one night we decided to go to the lounge underneath the restaurant. It's beautiful decorated, and the lounge has a patio on the river. The drinks are overpriced of course, and everyone in the place was dressed in their sluttiest outfit.
For some reason, the place wasn't that crowded on a Saturday night, and we were able to get 2 tables right away. Our original server was very attentive and just all around fantastic. However, once she left we got a new server, and we had problems keeping our drinks filled.
The worst part of the whole evening was trying to pay the bill. It took roughly half an hour because we couldn't find our server. She came by after 15 minutes to help us understand what we thought was an error on our bill. After we sorted everything out, she could not be found. After waiting another 10 minutes or so, I finally asked the bartender to run the cards and make change. By this time, they definitely weren't busy, so I'm not sure what the problem was.
Japonaise was my 1st Chicago downtown experience. Since then i had the chance to experience Sushi Samba and Sunda, now i have something to write about.
Japoinase is the fancies off all three of them, plus it's the place to be(101009). When i went to Sushi Samba it seemed to me as if things were happening there not while ago but people have moved on to other "in" places.
I went to Japonaise on a date, i was highly impressed by the crowd that was dinning there.
This place is great for dates, anniversaries and such.
Atmosphere was vibrant, loud, and energetic but not in a obnoxious way.
Food - fancy, but nothing special
Service - good
Ambience - Great
Would i go back - yes, but not for the food.
Okay,
when a restaurant enters this sphere of priciness, you have to understand that you will be paying for more than just the food. The ambiance and decor of this place is unmatched in chicago, the glitz and glamour crowd is all around, and it's certainly a "seen and be seen" type of place. If you're looking for the best food for a decent price, it's not the place to go , that is for certain.
moving on, I have to say that compared to it's competition ( restaurants like blackbird, nine, etc..) it's a step above. The sushi selection is excellent and it's very fresh, tasty, and unique . For dinner we ordered the halibut and the steak and both were very good, and not ridiculously pricey for 20-35 dollars each. ( unless u want to opt for the pricier 75 dollar steak...yikes! )
Dessert selection is pretty damn good and i can't comment on the drinks. Girls dress kinda skankalicious though...i just don't know what it is about that River North crowd, sometimes they just look like a bunch of tranny messes.
anyways, i say definitely worth a try.
The sushi is good but not great. I just have a major problem paying $150+ for 2 people to eat dinner and have a drink when I know there are places where for half that you can get just as good if not better sushi.
Ok, let's get one thing straight here: No me gusta sushi. I said it before and I'll say it again. I do NOT like leaving my comfort zone, and food is the number one comfort zone I am referring to.
That being said, Japonais was great!! I didn't touch the food but loved the outdoor patio downstairs. Wow, there are some TAN people up in here! Love it! Wear your white pants everyone now!
We took lots of pics by the river to make it look like we were in MIA or somewhere cooler than Chicago Ave. So South Beach of us, I thought.
Doris's Recommendation: get the Asian Pear Martini, or the Geisha. And call ahead for a table outside for a group, otherwise you'll be chilling by the river gate.
The name "Japonais" quickly tips you off that this won't be your father's Japanese restaurant. It pairs the classy simplicity of Japanese aesthetic with classy French flair while molding it into a uniquely modern Chicago establishment.
Japonais is located in a nice, new River North building that almost hints at rich suburbia. But when you walk in, the interior restaurant decoration is very nice. If you're not prepared, you'll probably feel a little underdressed.
We were early for our reservations, so we went downstairs to the bar. The ambiance downstairs is much different from the classy restaurant area. It's still upscale but in a very modern and trendy way. We ordered a few drinks and were led out to the outdoor area which was decked out with beach furniture and flowing cloth drapes. To borrow from another review, "I felt like I was in Miami." It's so true -- right down to the expensive drinks, attractive servers and the all-too-conscious-of-their-age older people.
The food quality was good. They have a lot of unique and creative Japanese-based dishes. And the service was excellent. My college roommates and I loved "The Rock." They bring out an incredibly-hot river rock along with thinly-sliced, marinated pieces of steak. And you cook the steak directly on the rock. It's a great gimmick and the marinated steak tastes just as good. The sushi was good but nothing spectacular. Overall, it's a great experience and it's the kind of spot where I'll take out-of-towners to impress them.
3 star food but inexcusably rude staff. First time I almost punched a host. Like economic prosperity, I will never return.
I've finally tried this place. I've heard mixed reviews and that the food is very overpriced. We went for the $22 prix-fixe lunch.
The crispy shrimp and salmon roll was amazing. The salmon was so fresh it melted in my mouth. The lobster spring rolls were good, not great. The chestnut chicken was tender and flavorful. I appreciated the dark meat. The star of the meal was the surprisingly the burger. It was awesome. The bun was crusted and flaky. It reminded me of a croissant. The burger patty was huge and full of spices. The blue cheese wasn't overpowering. This may be the best burger I've ever had. The chocolate chawan mushi was light and creamy. To top it off, we sat outside on a beautiful day.
Keep in mind you are paying for atmosphere and service here....the food may be an afterthought. That said, it was good. Not great but good. They obviously have a world class fish monger because all the seafood was of exceptional quality however there was nothing that really justified the prices they charge. If you are going for sushi there are places in the city that can match their quality for a fraction of the price. I feel people come here for a complete restaurant experience in the "big city". Foodies need not apply. Beware of the ever present cougar/pack of girls with tiny dresses (Guilty...i enjoyed this)/Dudes in sport coats with too much cologne.
Recommendations: Manjo Buns, Sashimi, braised ribs (maybe it was lamb or pork?? doesn't matter....they were ridiculously good)
Just OK: The beef cooked on a rock is a clever idea but in terms of flavor it was just OK. The rolls were average. The tuna tuna salmon was good but not great. I wasn't crazy about the seared Hamachi either. Sushi grade fish should...well...be eaten as sushi.
Nothing like being back in Chicago and feeling like you're in Miami.
At least that's what you feel when you sit outside, overlooking the river in Japonais....
the flowing white curtains, the comfy-couch-seating, the trendy crowd....
The place would have gotten one more star from me but it's just a bit overpriced, even for a trendy little night spot.
As for the sushi....a bit above average, oh and the Manhattan....yum!
Totally expected more. I thought it was going to be an actual sushi restaurant, there were more cooked "american" style dishes than japanese food, and a lot of meat dishes which I don't gravitate towards. My boyfriend had the duck, he described it as "rubbery." Not a desirable texture, especially for $28.
I really don't understand how this place has stayed open for so long. The ambiance? The decor? The mediocre drinks? Certainly not the food. I would consider going back to the lounge for a drink on the river, but would rather try a new place than go back.
Our group of 6 had 7:30 dinner reservations last Saturday eve at the Japonais restaurant. We arrived at 7:35 and were asked to wait downstairs. I had visions of a dark basement - it was a pleasant surprise to see an open air bar with plenty of room - at the edge of the river. It was a great place to have a drink and wait for our table... and wait ... and wait.....
At 8:20ish the server offered a bottle of wine on the house - a very nice gesture since it was a $66 bottle -- the same brand we had just finished off.. One nice thing about the wait is the people watching aspect - ladies dressed to the nines -- a much younger crowd than our 1/2 century old dinner party. Getting back to the top level gave us another chance to climb the stairs with the Marylin Monroe blower -- the ladies got a little excited and the guys got a little thrill -- or maybe it was the other way around -- either way it is an interesting feature to watch out for.
When we finally were seated we were overwhelmed by the menu, the low chairs (sofas?) and the dim lighting. Reading glasses and candles were passed around - OK we did look a little old right then -- but it is a great menu and we ordered a nice selection of sushi and non-sushi items.
One piece of advice - if you don't want to leave hungry, order the Japanese ribs and/or the duck dish. But be sure to tell them you don't want full orders -- the 1/2 order is priced on the menu, and they brought out full orders and charged twice the menu price. The food is expensive enough without that little surprise. They did agree to take the full priced duck dish down to the 1/2 price level, but nobody wants to haggle over the bill after a fun time was had by all. One more detail - the coffee and doughnuts - doesn't really come with coffee. It is coffee flavored ice cream - good but not what our taste buds were expecting.
Overall - I would go back to the bar for the atmosphere along the river - but just order an appetizer there and go someplace else for real food.
I went to Japonais on a Thursday night hoping to get a table outside. And luckily we did... Fortunately it was on the street side and not the river. To all the fashionistas sitting on the river side - which smelled of raw sewage - what are you thinking? Is it really that important to be seen at the expense of your olfactory senses?! The odor carried in to the bar and did nothing to increase my appetite.
Three stars is all they deserve, based on the level of service. The downstairs bar left a lot to be desired. Our waitress didn't come by for 15 minutes. We finally flagged down another one and then our waitress came by, but never served us or checked on us again. When our waitress did finally come by, she claimed to not know we were there. Which begs the question, were the hostesses too busy flipping their hair to let anyone know there were patrons there?
We had a reservation at 8, but weren't called upstairs until 8:30. They weren't that busy, so why did it take so long? When our table was finally ready we had to remind the host upstairs we had requested outdoor seating. Once we got to our table our waiter was great; attentive, prompt and courteous! Everything that everyone else could have and should have been.
We ended up dining from both sides of the menu. On the sushi side we had Unagi and Madako Kimo. The unagi was pretty much the same as it is everywhere else. The Madako Kimo (monkfish foie gras wrapped in octopus) was much better than I expected. The one thing I would recommend is that they use the center portions (less skin) for the octopus as it was quite chewy. There were some extra pieces of octopus on the plate and we quite enjoyed that as well. The crab cakes which were super yummy are small, but can be shared. The Rock appetizer seemed too enticing not to try. They say the rock is heated to 650 degrees, I trusted them because you could feel the heat radiating off of it. Just enough saltiness and vinegar from the marinade that came through after placing the paper thin slices on the rock for about 5 seconds on each side.
Overall, I would say thank goodness the food was good, but the bar staff, restaurant host and bar hostesses need to do a much better job paying attention to their patrons.
The food was really great. The atmosphere was really great. The prices were a bit high, but did i say the food was really great?
We waited forever and ever to get a table - even though we had a reservation. The service was really suspect - but all of that was forgotten when our food was served. I loved the octopus - and definitely grab the seared tuna.
In a Nutshell:
Good for drinks, cold appetizers and sushi on their huge Chicago river-level patio - at a premium price. Bad for dinner and hot appetizers, as you can find way better elsewhere in the city.
Now, the details;
After having a meeting in the same building, and being hungry, I decided to pop in and give Japonais a try.
First the good: (yes this implies there is bad as well, so read on)
Very nice layout inside, looooooong and busy sushi bar, and several different eating areas / dining rooms. Seeing as it was just me, and I was not planning on a full meal, I went downstairs to their river-level lounge and sat at the bar.
The downstairs lounge was also pretty sleek, with about 10 indoor coffee-table-esque seating areas. There is also a huge outdoor patio of approx. 30 seating areas that runs the length of the building, which bellies directly up to a quiet part of the Chicago river. This river view is a really nice treat, and hard to find in Chicago. Also, the outdoor seating is a combo of regular tables / chairs, wicker love seats, armchairs, and coffee tables. A nice mix.
At the bar, looking through the drink menu - no real standouts there. Liquor selection was fairly standard (actually a little thin for a "high end" restaurant), and their specialty cocktails were the usual fruity concoctions served in martini glasses - with the stand out being a drink made with shochu for a Japanese flair. I was looking for perhaps a take on a green tea martini, but no dice. They also had about 6 different kinds of cold sake on the menu, and again I was a bit surprised there were so few, and they were all served by the glass or bottle.
I ordered sake, miso soup, seaweed salad, and a few pieces of sashimi. It was all the usual stuff, tasty, fresh and no complaints - although the food does seem to come out slowly.
Later my girlfriend joined me and we relocated to the patio. That's where things went downhill. I think it may have been an off day for our server. I have been a server on and off for years, and can understand almost any restaurant issue, but this was just bad. She forgot several dishes / drinks numerous times, served our entree to us first before our appetizers, and then after reminding her several times of forgotten items, she would return to say that they were sold out. Considering how long everything takes to arrive there, we basically gave up on ordering any replacements and got the traditional pizza-after-a-"nice"-meal when we got home.
What we got of our food was ok at best - and no, we were hell bent on enjoying ourselves despite the server disaster - so these are not hyper critical. The items we received were:
The Emperor's Cut Tuna Steak entree: Normal piece of sliced seared tuna, on a bed of mashed potatoes. The tuna was fine and nicely seared, but over salted, and the potatoes were under-seasoned and dull - but they _were_ green, so I guess they had that going for them.
Tempura veggie basket app. was standard. Came with the usual soy based dipping sauce and also a unique brie cheese based dipping sauce. You choose one, but we asked for both - for fun. The brie sauce, which we were excited about, was really under-seasoned again, and fairly flavorless aside from its heavy cream base. The tempura itself was also under-seasoned, obviously getting no seasoning after coming out of the oil.
Crab Claws & Mouse Appetizer: It was essentially a crab fritter packed around a crab claw, with a sweet/sour citrus sauce beneath. It was a fried fritter, and any fried bread items are good in my book - so sure it was ok, but nothing special. Worth $16...no.
Verdict:
For me, the only reason I would go back here is to hang out on the patio, and while there I would go for drinks, cold apps. and sushi. Just remember you will be paying a premium price for the location.
I love Japonais! I'm a sushi fan, but even if you aren't... it's so Americanized (IMHO) that you will like it.
My top picks:
"The Rock" so delicious!
Any of the Chef's Special Rolls
Asian Pear Martini... it is SO easy to drink!
Okay, getting hungry (and thirsty) now... gotta go!
My husband took me on a date to Japonais. Although he does not enjoy sushi, he was inspired by the number of non-sushi options available. That said, I went straight for the sushi. I loved the sushi. But I didn't come here for sushi. I came for a trendy restaurant experience. And Japonais did not let me down.
The decor is amazing, as are the views. We had a drink after our meal. It was perfect. I'd recommend and can't wait to go back!
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