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Mon-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
I went here again on a Monday night- was packed, I ordered the Tempura Udon, which was slightly overpriced $12 ....if I recall, yes it was incredibly delicious and the udon was perfect nice and chewy, shrimp tempura sizzling hot with a crunchy golden coating! I never had tempura jalapenos or eggplant before, but I enjoyed it.
I will have to say the Tempura Udon at Mitsuwa is the best I've encounted in Chicago thus far- Endless Green tea- which was perfection, not too bitter, not too vegetal- I love this stuff.
I also got served small samples from the sushi bar which was a nice touch.
I would definitely go back, probably during their lunch time to get a hold of their specials and cheaper pricing :)
5 1/2 stars
Can I give more than 5 stars?! I love this place and Im sold after my first try.
I did get the…
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Oh how I really wanted to like this place, especially after eating at that dump known as Torishin. However, the food here was less than average.
Upon entering this restaurant, I was instantly transported to pizza hut thanks to the cheesy decor and checkered tablecloths. I was expecting to see parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flake containers on the table. That would have definitely helped the flavor in this place.
I ordered the usual sushi which was average. Nothing to write mama-san about. I also ordered the Japanese spaghetti made with mayonnaise and garlic. Sounded good right? Wrong! It tasted like someone had cooked a whole bunch of used condoms and served it on my plate with burnt slivers of garlic. Absolutely disgusting!!!! I would've rather eaten real jimmy hats than this crap again. The "spaghetti noodles" were translucent and chewy. Yuck, yuck, double yuck!
Between Torishin and this place, they're both pretty much tied for worst Japanese food in North America. For those of you who gave great reviews, I suggest 2 things: First, give me a refund for listening to your lame advice about this place and second, that you get out more and find yourself a better restaurant.
Winner, winner, no thanks to your condom noodles in "mayo" sauce dinner! Excuse me while I go barf.
I'm a big fan of most of the lunch specials. All $7.95 + tax and $2 tip = $10.64.
Thursday special: a chirashi style bowl of some of the best fatty maguro (tuna) I've had, 2 pieces tamagoyaki (egg sushi), cucumbers, etc. and this sticky gooey white mixture which they told me was yamaimo (sticky yam). Super fast--the special was out on my table before I could even finish the standard starter salad.
Check the picture!
Ha, I couldn't keep myself away.
Tried it for lunch. Went around 11:50am and the place was starting…
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I went there again, I really think Kurumaya is the best Japanese cuisine in the burbs! Love it!
I used to always go Kurumaya when I was working in Elk Grove Village, their Japanese food is pretty… Read more »
Okay, so I just got back from Tokyo not too long ago. Still jet lagged. A mate of mine who came back a week earlier from Japan than I had; had wanted to eat some Japanese food. Surprisingly, despite eating nothing but Japanese food for two weeks straight; I still had a strong desire to eat Japanese food. Though I'll admit the first thing I ate when I came back was a huge gut-busting Chipotle burrito...I know I'm terrible. So this is...the second time I've been here; and fresh from Japan I felt I would have an interesting new perspective on the food here. So here we go:
Sashimi platter: It included red snapper, salmon, tuna, and I believe one piece of odoro (or as the greenhorns call it Toro) Dissapointing...utterly sad and dissapointing. Last time I came, my eyes lit up from the fish. Now it's very much possible the quality had remained the same. Or perhaps I just had a subpar batch...though Saturday is a decent fish day. But the last thing I ate was Toro sashimi in Japan at Tsukiji market. Tsukiji, the largest fish market in the world, naturally has some of the freshest fish. The pieces of sushi I ate, normally retail somewherea round ten dollars a piece. I was purchasing them for 2 dollars a piece. Even the crappier parts of the tuna, which were priced at about 50 cents a piece, were divine. That being said...I think I ruined sushi for myself. Quite possibly I ate some of the richest, freshest fish I may ever have the pleasure of eating. And after eating any other sashimi soon thereafter, well everything else may just pale in comparison. Have my taste buds spoiled? Have I ruined sushi for myself, especially being here in the midwest? I'll have to go to Lawrence Fish Market, and find out if there is hope for me. In the meantime, I'm very scared I will never enjoy sushi again.
Potato Takoyaki - the first time I came, I felt these were absolutely tasty. Second time around, still amazing. I was in Osaka for 3 days during my travels. They are famous for their takoyaki and gross interpretation of Okonomiyaki (Hiroshima's is better ;p) The takoyaki here, I would put on the same level as those in Osaka. I went to some of the more popular takoyaki places, and this potato takoyaki is up there man. Very impressed. A lot of that, though, I feel is due to the takoyaki being potato and not just your 'normal' takoyaki. MUST TRY.
Gyu Tatake - Tatake is basically a lightly seared carpaccio lightly marinated in vinegar. For you fellow Anthony Bourdain fanboys and girls, I went to the yakitori restaurant he went to in Tokyo. F#*$ing amazing. Best chicken I feel I'll ever have in my life. But there I tried chicken tatake; rare chicken sounds crazy...but the taste was transcendant. The tatake made the corners of my eyes squint in gastro-ecstacy. If you are ever in Tokyo, you really must try it. But I digress, so the reason I ordered the gyu tatake is because I had such a great experience with tori-tatake. Simply put, very very good. Granted not an out of body experience, but still very very good. Especially if you rub some of the minced chili paste and scallions on top....another very solid choice here.
Gosh another long review...telling the story of my life. Sorry. For my third time back, I'm going to bring my Jappo friend who can read their Japanese only menu. I'm terrible with the chinese characters...
~Bon appetit
PS - Gyoza = forgettable. Hence, I forgot to mention it :)
HOT DAMN. I THINK I'M IN LOVE.
Street Cred: I'm Korean, yes. But I studied abroad in Japan and…
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Hands down this is the most authentic Japanese restaurant I've been to including major cities like D.C. and ATL. Most U.S. restaurants serve sushi, tonkatsu, and teriyaki. At a push you may be able to get takoyaki and sukiyaki. But this place takes it to a whole new level of country cookin'! A lot of dishes on the menu I haven't had in YEARS since leaving my mom's cooking in Guam. There are a few dishes I haven't even heard of.
Amish A. and I ordered the unagi dashi maki ($9.95), saba miso (7.95), maguro yukke (7.95), tai carapaccio (16.95), salmon skin maki (6.95), and hamachi kama (8.95). [I added photos w/ descriptions]. Everything was well made, and it was finally refreshing to eat some items I haven't had in ages! The tai carpaccio and hamachi kama were the winners of tonight's round. The salmon skin maki, I don't really recommend from here.
They circulate a white board of the specials in Japanese. But, not to worry. Like Keiko S. said, most items are in the black book with pictures in English on the table. I can't wait to go back. I think next time I'll try out the gyutan shioyaki, maguro ankake gohan, and poki bowl.
I saw this place mentioned in a time out magazine article as one of Chicago's best Japanese restaurants and had to try it out. It definitely deserved to be mentioned. This place is authentic Japanese. They have a flip book menu which was helpful if you aren't familiar with authentic dishes and/or don't speak Japanese. Service was fast and attentive.
The wait staff seemed to be all Japanese and the clientele was heavily Japanese. All the sushi I had was very fresh. Food was expertly prepared and presented. If you like fresh, high quality, authentic Japanese food, you need to try this place out!
Completely agree with Bianca - this is the best, *real* Japanese food I've eaten in Chicagoland. Honestly, I had a smile on my face for a couple of hours afterwards (literally, actually. Woman at the toll booth mentioned that I looked very happy about something. Indeed). I would have even been very satisfied with the food if I got it at a restaurant in Japan.
Looking for excuses to be in Elk Grove Village now... this restaurant is probably enough. Looks like future trips to Chicagoland will be scheduled around a meal at Kurumaya.
I lived in Japan for 4 years, so my standards are pretty high. This is the ONLY authentic tasting Japanese food I have eaten thus far in Chicago (I've been to Ringo, Tsuki, Bentonara, and Nohana and can't say any of them impressed me). It seems the bulk of Japanese restaurants in Chicago are run by Koreans/Thais/other Asian nationality and with all due respect, the food is expensive and tastes WRONG if you're used to real Japanese food. At Kurumaya, not only was the chef Japanese, our waitress spoke Japanese!! It wasn't godawful expensive. They made me perfect Katsu Kare. I only wish I had a car of my own and excuse to eat here more often.
This is the REAL DEAL.
Today, my last Japanese meal in Chicago took place at Kurumaya.
With no regrets, of course. Years ago, I spent a good portion of my childhood in the west suburb, and while I remember my parents taking us to Sakura and other J-restaurants, I don't recall going to Kurumaya. I guess that's because many of these restaurants used to be much better back then (or so I heard) so we didn't have to explore other options. Anyway, after xx years, Kurumaya has become my most favorite izakaya/sushi bar in the entire Chicagoland.
Go here for the real, home-cooked stuff with a bit of twist here and there. And you get the miso soup WITH your food and WITHOUT a spoon. Enough said?
MENU: 5 stars
FOOD: 5 stars
SERVICE: 5 stars
PRICE: 5 stars
LOCATION: ...no comment
Note: Today we focused on sushi and noodle because we were there for lunch. Dinner here is a lot more enjoyable. While the menu is mostly written in Japanese, DO NOT be scared. There's a little book on every table with drawings of the food and ingredients in English!
ahhh yes.. .Maui Mark dba Kurumaya. How does Cho Dang Tofu get rave reviews but this place doesn't?
Are you KIDDING ME? Elk Grove Village/Arl Heights/Bensenville have the highest concentration of Japanese 1st and 2nd gens in the city. Want to know what the "other" people eat beyond raw fish? Come here. Want to know what's actually on the menu hung over the sushi counter? Bring a translator.
Regular customers get their own bottles of shochu stored in the back. In the know lunch eaters rush here before 12:30 to catch the possibility of having "Todays spe-shul" at $8. Last week we got a teka-don blanketed by mountain yams and uni for.. that's right.. $8.
This place is basically the only Japanese restaurant I dine at on a regular basis. The City is dead to me. Surely Mirai/Japonais is great, but... izakaya greater than *. I have some cute lil pictures of their cute lil handrawn menus around here somewhere.. must look thru CF card...
This food was yummy! Elk Grove is right by Woodfeild Mall and Mitsuwa Marketplace, so if you are ever in the mood for some delicious Japanese food, this would be the place. I only wish I had an idea what was on the sushi board...
THE HYPE: No hype (well a little). I had not heard of this place until recently, although it's been in Elk Grove Village since 2002. I saw a positive review of Kurumaya in the Daily Herald. It was pitched in the review as a "hidden gem." It's described as an "Izakaya," or Japanese pub-style dining. Basically, there are many appetizer-sized small plate dishes (in the $7 to $9 range) to try and about half as many entrees, including sushi.
THE REALITY: On a dark night, we sped right past the place. Couldn't see it in the strip mall. A quick U-turn and then the fun began. There is a counter in front of the kitchen and black and white checkerboard tablecloths in the dining room. The place is comfortable. There is a cool tearoom in the back if you can sit cross-legged on the floor...if you are up for that.
We had called for a reservation and there was a little card with "Reserved" on the table and my name written in English and in Japanese characters. Then, warm moist towels came first and next some complimentary edamame. To drink, we had Shochu on the rocks (25% alcohol and vodka-like). I could get addicted to that stuff. This was to be followed by a few Sapporo's as we were celebrating a B-day.
For appetizers, we had gyoza, or pan- fried dumplings filled with pork. Then we tried potato takoyaki (mashed potatoes, breaded and deep fried). In addition, we sampled a combination of three pieces of Nigiri sushi and the same number of maki. Beware: Kurumaya's wasabi is heap powerful.
For entrees, we had a tasty breaded pork cutlet (tonkatsu) that comes with a brilliant, thin cut cabbage heaped up high on the plate with a sauce that is a mixture of soy and barbecue. Also, we had udon noodles that come in a blazing hot caldron with shrimp, vegies and and bobbing egg. Awesome.
RETURN: Absolutely, yes. Fresh food, reasonably priced. Great place to share a few small plates and some Shochu.
I crave eating at Kurumaya if I don't eat there for a while, the food is truly awesome! The restaurant's specialty are their tapas style appetizers and their photo book menu with pictures along with each ingredient listed will help even the most clueless patron decipher what to order. The sushi rolls are fine but I would suggest trying something more adventurous such as tuna mixed with quail egg or a shashimi salad similar to a seafood carpaccio. Kurumaya's hot dishes are stellar and may even outshine their sushi/sashimi. Meat skewers (chicken liver or grilled chicken), fried smelt sitting on a bead of lettuce, grilled octopus and various grilled fish dishes all have a personality of their own that will not disappoint! Combine the meal with the various types of sake the restaurant offers then top off the dinner with an order of inaniwa udon noodles or onigiri rice ball and you will leave very satisfied. Service is on par with the food and you will rarely find your water or cup of tea past the midway mark.
I've had this restaurant bookmarked for months, just waiting for an excuse (or a trip to Ikea) to stop and try Kurumaya. Unfortunately, most of our trips to the Arlington Hts/Elk Grove area fall into the "just passing through" category, as we usually have the dog with us and literally are just passing through on our way to visit family in the even more remote northwestern territories of Chicagoland.
We arrived sometime around 7pm on Saturday night, and while the hostess inquired as to whether we had reservations, we were able to be seated immediately. The parking lot was quite busy, btw--which was good, because it made the restaurant easy to spot in the vaguely industrial parkness of the neighborhood. Which begs the point--why is there not an izakaya in Chicago? We would go WEEKLY. In fact, we were planning what to try next time before we left. And we know what we would have to have again: the saba sashimi and potato takoyaki! Saba seems like a winter season fish to me, and this was deliciously fresh. I hadn't had takoyaki mixed with potato before, but it was good--it gave it a very creamy texture. Unfortunately, they were all out of the grilled squid that night, so we ordered a tuna maki and eel avacado maki, which were adequate. The izakaya-style menu items were the stars, as far as we were concerned. I don't think it is too much of a stretch to explain an Izakaya as a sort of Japanese tapas bar--think small plates (but big enough to share!) and savory grilled meats on sticks. We made a meal out of our "appetizers," but the third member of our party, who is relatively new to Japanese cuisine, got the tempura dinner and really enjoyed it. (The Wikipedia entry on izakaya explains things in a little more detail, if you are interested.)
The crowd was a mix of Japanese (maybe some Korean--I couldn't really hear) and a few tables of non-Asians (including us). Our waitress was super accommodating, so just to echo the other posters (to which I owe thanks!) don't feel intimidated--plenty of English is spoken and written.
This review is based on a one time carry out order:
I have grown really fond of Tensuke market as the best sushi bang for my buck , I have slowed down significantly in my sushi restaurant dining and almost exclusively get carry out from there. The kitchen was closed at Tensuke, so I decided to give Kurumaya a shot. To start , the place is pretty small , but nice . Not really fancy , but clean and simple , like a nice diner. The atmosphere was really laid back , there was a tv on with some Asian basketball league playing . There were a few of what looked to be regulars eating while rooting for their team. The server , a pleasant Asian lady, offered to seat us , and after I informed her of my intent to get take out , she explained the specials and helped me with my menu needs. After checking out their menu , which was pretty diverse and big relative to the other sushi places I've been, I settled on my choices. While we waited the server offered us some tea and some soybean pods , a really nice gesture , although my son was not digging on the soybeans. We started simple with the tuna maki and the spicy tuna rolls, both were fairly standard but very well prepared and very good. The salmon roll was a little different than I was used to , it tasted like they used really good fatty salmon. My son said he liked it , but he usually devours most of a salmon roll , this time he only ate one piece. I thought It was different and good , but I prefer plain old salmon. I also ordered what they called their Boston roll (sorry if I refer to it by the wrong name , I'm not positive) A tuna roll with avocado , really good , I enjoyed it the most out of my whole order. I was also recommended to order the Mexican roll by the server , which had already blipped on my radar , so I figured "what the heck" and ordered it. I thought it was good , bordering on very good , but there was some sort of pickled taste in it, maybe pickled jalapenos , but I'm not sure. I definitely would have liked it better without that flavor , but it wasn't a deal breaker.
To sum up: Nice servers , quaint atmosphere ,a quality menu, fresh food well prepared , and delicious eats to boot. The prices are a bit higher than I have paid in some places , but were not even close to being a rip-off , Good value to yummy ratio. This place is a definite find for my son and I , I know we will be back.
Mount Prospect, IL
Category: Japanese
Mount Prospect, IL
Category: Japanese
Arlington Heights, IL
Category: Japanese
Arlington Heights, IL
Category: Chinese
Elk Grove Village, IL
Category: Grocery
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