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Category: Sushi Bars
939 N Ashland AveLunch Special
All Signature Maki 50% Off
(Mon-Sat, from 12p-3.30p)
Division (Blue)
Mon-Thu. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
"4.50 stars. Usagi Ya not only provides excellent sushi, but also is an extraordinary value if one goes omakase (chef's choice). It will be…" read more »
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Went there two times...
1st time: BLT sushi? Come on! What are these guys smoking? That's what I was thinking until I ate it... and LOVED it. Quality restaurants will make you questions their menu until you try it and enjoy it. Kyu did this.
2nd Time: Teriyaki Salmon.. honestly, perhaps one of the best I've had in Chicago. They cooked it PERFECT which means it's not overdone and still flaky with a tint of pink still in the center. I don't remember when I enjoyed salmon so much. To finish it off.. FRIED ice cream. BAM, count me in.
Prices are very very reasonable for sushi. If you want the glamour of a high class sushi restaurant, go somewhere else. If you want a top quality meal for a great price, check out Kyu.
Pros:
It's cheap and good. A great addition to the Uki Village neighborhood. The most expensive maki rolls are the Rainbow and Godzilla, I think a $10/roll. The fish is fresh. The place is dimly lit and minimalist. It's a good option for those in Uki Village looking for good cheap sushi. It's located on Ashland between Augusta and Chicago Ave.
Recommendations: seaweed salad (fresh and vinagarey, just the way I like it), super white tuna maki (this tasted buttery and delicious)
They have a lot of 'fashion' sushi. e.g. Signature maki which have fillers like cream cheese, spicy mayo tempura crunch, etc. This is not a traditional sushi place along the lines of Matsuya. Which is fine. Just letting you know!
Service was good- people were friendly and asked if I had a good meal.
Cons:
My "Clear Soup" - light soy sauce based broth with whitefish and shitake mushrooms didn't contain shitake mushrooms in it. They were of the plain old white mushroom variety. ..... eh....if I'm paying $4 for a bowl of soup with three pieces of fish in it, I'm hoping I will get my shitake mushrooms too!
I would return. Especially to take advantage of the 1/2 off maki during lunch special. The sushi is already cheap enough!
I love this place more and more each time I eat here. The rolls are consistently delicious, I'm always pleasantly surprised by how small my bill is and I'm even impressed at how good their miso soup and edamame are; usually I don't like either of those dishes.
Added plus: they've now constructed a passageway outside the front door in order to minimize the amount of cold air that blows in each time someone enters. Well, there go any hang-ups I had about dining in!
After dining at the renowned Katsu a year ago for me and my boyfriend's anniversary, I've had a… Read more »
I've having trouble finding great, reasonably priced sushi in Chicago. Now I have in Kyu! Unfortunately, I live a block away. I'm doomed.
I've had better tuna, but the most of the signature maki rolls are fantastic, and 1/2 off during lunch hours (even on weekends!) will be the end of me. Try the crunchy eel.
The service is fast and friendly, and the restaurant has a nice, mellow atmosphere. I notice a lot of people take dates here, which makes me feel really cool when I always go there by myself and then walk a block home to hang out with my cat.
Cheap sushi, lots of veggie options, moderately fast delivery, free california roll with orders over $25, pretty much everything two Japanese food loving girls could ask for.
Also, they have inari, which is essential for any sushi place I'm going to frequent.
My only complaints are that the delivery guy got sassy with me because he couldn't find my house the first time I ordered and I found stray bits of masago on my sushi. I hate masago and always specify to leave it off of any roll that might contain it.
Even so, I've had more than a couple of sushi joints leave nasty little eggs on my food and I haven't had delivery issues since, so Kyu has become my new go-to place for sushi on the cheap.
I gotta say, I like Kyu. We stopped in on a weekend night and I immediately dug the small space. Service was a little slow, but they only had one server for the whole room, so that could be expected and the other customers were super-friendly. We ended up chatting with our neighbors who graciously shared their Soju and travel tales with us.
The food was good and I liked the different varieties of rolls they have. The fish was fresh (and when I say this, I am speaking of the Nigiri, not just the rolls), the prices good and we will definitely be back for more!
I'm a fan...nice quaint place with decent sushi, especially for the price. We were in there waiting for our take-out and everyone was watching a Britney Spears documentary; bonus in my book.
Rolls are a little small, but all pretty tasty.
This review is for delivery only. I'll be sure to update when I make my lazy ass come here to eat.
I came across Kyu on http://grubhub.com and of course Yelp. Both sites came to my rescue after a rather hectic day. I checked out the menu and thought the food seemed reasonably priced. Delivery wait wasn't too bad (read: weekday). They even label each container, which to me, comes in handy when ordering a lot or for more than one person.
We ordered:
- Kyu Shrimp appetizer: shrimp, bacon and celery wrapped in fried wanton. There were three pieces, a small side of cole slaw and sauce. Don't base this on my experience, but I thought this dish and sauce packed a mighty spicy punch. Holy hell. I definitely wasn't expecting that nor did I read that it would be spicy. Now, where are my Pepcid AC pills? Eh, it was decent, but probably something I wouldn't order again. Plus, I don't think there was any bacon or celery in this order?
- My favorite maki rolls were the sweet potato and ebi tempura (shrimp tempura, avocado, and masago mayo). I love pretty much any roll with some shrimp tempura. They were delicious, but how can you go wrong these two?
Tips:
-- They are closed on Mondays.
-- Delivery fees via grubhub is $3. If you call directly it's $2.
- Any order over $15 (before tax), you get a small container of edamame (sp?).
I'm hoping to try out this place soon because I hear it's BYOB, which is always a good thing.
I must say that after my first visit to Kyu I am a fan. The sushi was fresh and their prices are excellent...did I mention it's BYO too? We arrived on a Friday and were lucky enough to snag a table without having to wait. Our server was very nice, although it seemed like they were understaffed for the volume of customers + take out orders (note to owner: you should attend to your seated customers before filling take out orders). We had to wait over 10 minutes after being seated before we could even get a glass to pour our sake in.
Aside from that, the rest of our meal went smoothly. Hungry and sushi deprived, we ordered with reckless abandon. Unfortunately they were out of Toro, but we did snag some splendid fatty salmon...buttery goodness. Our starters - the gyoza and shumai were both great, the gyoza was crispy and delicious - both tasted homemade. All of the sushi we ordered was very good (I acknowledge that Kyu is not on the level of top end sushi joint like Katsu) but the prices here offer a superior value. I equate Kyu with the likes of Coast and I usually spend 50% more at Coast and I enjoyed the sushi here more. The fatty salmon and escolar were my favorites, closely followed by the hamachi and maguro. The unagi was just okay. I gave Kyu 4 out of 5 stars for the service issues, but the value here is unmatched.
BLT Maki? The way to my heart. Great place for an intimate date. Especially if the two being intimate are me and some BLT Maki. The Chicken Teriyaki wasn't so bad either.
I ordered delivery from here tonight and have to say that YES, I will order from here again. My options in my neighborhood are kinda limited.
I'm giving this a 3-star because the prices are great and the fish is fresh. They also gave us bonus sashimi pieces - nice touch!
I realize why the prices are so cheap though - because their rolls are really, really small. I felt the diameter of their California roll was much tinier than at other restaurants. The spicy tuna maki was also really small. We really liked the Hawaiian roll - it is a little different than other rolls I've seen on other restaurant menus.
All in all, I ordered simple two makis (as opposed to their signature ones), 4 types of sashimi (two pcs of each. When you order $25 or more, you get a free, but tiny California roll.
Total bill $46.00
At that price, I am still wishing that Butterfly delivered to my hood - we used to get alot more food than what we had tonight for that price.
I had some friends in town this weekend who were insisting on going to House of Sushi and Noodles for all you can eat sushi. It took me a while, but I eventually convinced them to go elsewhere, mainly because I've burned myself out on rolls that are stuffed with cream cheese and tempura fried.
We stumbled on to Kyu Sushi since it's within walking distance from my apartment. We picked up a bottle of wine from the store next door and ventured in. The service here is wonderful, miso soup was some of the best I've had in the city, and their sushi was fresh and delicious. Not to mention the prices are VERY reasonable. Our party of five people all had appetizers, plenty of fish, and dessert and our bill was only around $120. The waitstaff is very friendly and cute and make sure that your water glass is always filled and that you have enough ginger and wasabi at all times.
Highly recommended.
The rolls are fresh and tasty, but the reasonable price tag is because they are noticeably smaller than other sushi joints.
There were 2 other tables, 3 sushi chefs, and our signature maki took much too long given those numbers.
Also, the green tea. Every sushi restaurant I've sampled in Chicago provides complimentary green tea with your meal. Kyu charges $1.50. I know it isn't much. But a Japanese restaurant charging for green tea is the equivalent of charging for water. Or soy sauce.
The food IS good and the prices ARE great.. but I would say it's a place I would frequent only if I lived in the neighbourhood.
I'm the sister Jeff S. spoke of. Agree with his wife, he was generous. 3 stars, and not a half more.
Flashing OPEN sign has to go...annoying is an understatement. Also, the AC was on so high, it was blowing up my dress from beneath me.
I did not appreciate having our food brought out at different times either; we came in to eat together...sooo it would have been nice to have been able to do so.
The sashimi was really good, I will say that. It was fresh and they were nice sized pieces. The biggest plus of this joint was the affordability. It was good quality food for a good price. Next time (there will be a next time!) I will go with the take-out option to avoid the issues with service.
Best sushi I've had in this area. I was happy their menu is only based on sushi. I've tried pick up for 4 rolls and 2 miso soups I think it came out to about 25$ plus the free california roll which is the best california roll I've tried. The food was ready as soon as I got there which was almost exactly the time they told me to come about 10 minutes I recall. Also, tried the dine in. 3 people, 6 rolls, 2 soups, and their deep fried green tea ice cream (which was fantastic, deep fried in their tempura it was by far the best deep fried ice creams I have ever tried) came out to about 60$ with tip. VERY VERY reasonable prices, great portions, good service. Will continue going to Kyu sushi. Planning on trying almost every maki roll to see which is my favorite out of the 8 I have tried still can't pick one over the other it is just too good.
Great food - great atmosphere - friendly service
Just tried this place while walking home from work. I was expecting a run of the mill kind place… Read more »
Five 5-star reviews? Really?? If I am going to give a place a 5 star review, I would expect impeccable food, service and atmosphere. This restaurant didn't qualify in any of those categories.
Let me start off by saying that if I could I would give Kyu 3.5 stars, but obviously that isn't available.
Atmosphere - nice quaint sushi joint, I would never fault a good restaurant for being small. Decor was very minimal and what decorations were in place truly felt Japanese. Also, the restaurant was VERY clean. A couple drawbacks. First and foremost is the blinking neon "OPEN" sign in the storefront. It is just plain annoying having this thing flash in my face all dinner long. Then then there was the movie being played on the DVD. It was this messed up horror flick where people were jumping off buildings, getting hit by cars, really graphic gory stuff. I'm no wuss, but just not necessary while I am eating. 3 stars.
Service - our waitress was super sweet. Such a nice lady who was as helpful as you'd like a waitress to be. The food came very sporadically. My wife was waiting one of her rolls well after my sister and I were finished eating. It is a major pet peeve of mine when some food is brought out and others are waiting for their meal. 3 stars.
Food - the saving grace. The fish was very fresh in my sashimi. The rolls were good, but nothing special. I'd give it 3.75 stars.
My wife thinks I am being generous with my stars. A decent spot, but doesn't necessitate a second trip in the near future.
If I could give this place more than five stars, I would!
I have only ventured out to Kyu once (I live in pilsen, so it's a bit of a hike) but it was a fantastic experience! I came to this restaurant for my birthday, and they truly made it memorable.
It was a friday night, so they were packed. But, they let us sit in the coat room and cleared a table for us as soon as they could. The staff was very friendly and even took special requests and allowed us to change up ingredients in a roll.
At the end of the meal, they surprised me with a sweet dessert sushi (no fish - bananas and chocolate - yum!)
The prices are very reasonable. The staff is so friendly and the sushi so good, you'll wonder if the bill is a mistake in your favor.
They're great! Three thumbs up!
LOVE LOVE LOVE Kyu! Delicious and fresh sushi, a very friendly and welcoming staff and great prices! I just got back from my second visit there and they remembered me, welcomed me back and were genuinely nice. So inviting! Though I have only been here twice, my favorite favorite roll is the Red Dragon. It is a shrimp tempura roll with so many other delicious ingredients including strawberry, it sounds odd but is sooo delicious! I plan on making Kyu my weekly sushi spot and Red Dragon MY signature roll!
I've been here twice now, it seems to be a once a week must for me because I am already thinking about which rolls I want to try next. The fish is insanely fresh, its byob and the variety of different rolls are refreshing. The sushi is so good, that even the California roll, which I hate and think is a lame tasteless roll was amazing here. We got it for free for ordering the take out of 25 dollars or more. This roll was so good here that I would actually pay for it, they use fresh crab meat, not the stupid imitation stuff and they season it, I am salivating just thinking about it!! I went on opening night which was a little crazy, but the food was still up to par and my friend and I had wine to entertain us. Hope they do the half-price sushi special again some time! A must for the food savvy Chicagoan!
VERY good signature makis at great prices. Especially for the promotion they're running for 1/2 off signature makis from 12-2:30 pm...this is great way to sample their food without hurting your wallet. I've definitely become a regular!
My husband and I have ordered from Kyu twice now. We have been very pleased - the sushi is fresh, smells great, and tastes amazing. It's cheaper than other places, but the sizes are in proportion to the prices. I do not consider this a problem.
I typically order sushi and request that no sauces be included (due to my gluten allergy), and that my sushi be packaged separately from my husband's. Both times, they got it right. Tonight, the restuarant highly impressed me by calling to follow-up on my online order. They weren't certain what I was allergic to, and ran through the ingredients in the sushi (including the vinegar in the rice). I really appreciate a restaurant that is concerned about my allergies (so many couldn't care less), and which makes an effort to make sure that I can eat their food without any problems.
Kyu will be my go-to sushi place for the foreseeable future.
THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!!!! Go immediately and order the BLT roll and the Dark Night roll! Actually, order anything - each thing we had was better than the last.
We discovered it because they left a menu in on our doorstep. Usually that wouldn't be enough to make us visit a place but we decided to give it a try and it was lucky we did. My husband and I both love sushi and this was the best we've had in a long time. Compare it to the other places in Wicker Park and you'll find this is the best by far. Before this I would have said that Coast or Mirai ranked top amongst my favorites but no more. The fact that it's BYOB is the icing on the cake.
The crowd will start showing up soon after they officially open so get there before the rest of the neighborhood discovers it and you have to wait for a table!
I'm so glad that this place is in our neighborhood! Just like the other reviewers mentioned, this place is brand spankin' new so some of the waitstaff are getting used to the menu. There was a bit of a mix-up with our order but it was quickly fixed, and everyone in the place was super friendly. The sushi was beautifully presented, usually something you only get at the more pricier restaurants, but even better than that, everything was delicious. My husband and I ordered the miso soup, the house salad, the calamari roll (very good!), una kyu roll, and sake avo roll. I highly recommend everything. The prices were great for the amount and quality of the food. We will definitely be back!
15% off anytime for students
Neighborhood: University Village
Shiso Specials
Neighborhood: Near North Side
