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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese
Neighborhood: Lincoln ParkMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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A friend and I were looking for a sushi fix, and we wanted to go somewhere new. After a quick Yelp search, we came across Sushi Mon and decided to give it a try.
The room is tiny, so I wouldn't count on being able to get a table over the weekend. That said, it was easy peasy on a Wednesday night. It's BYOB, and there's a little convenience store a few doors down that has some wine available in their "dairy" case. (As an aside, will somebody convince my weight loss counselor that the wine I got out of the dairy case actually counts as my dairy for the day? Kthxbai.)
We started out with some edamame, which was a bit saltier than we both would've liked. We also got soup and salad with the pressed roll that we ordered - I had the salad (my friend had the soup) and I enjoyed it. Lots of veggie goodness in a citrus-y dressing.
The sushi itself was pretty good. I have to say that I wasn't impressed by the pressed sushi - we split a Boston "roll", and maybe we're just not good with chopsticks, but it falls apart too easily. I mostly ended up eating the rice, then eating the fish that fell apart when I grabbed the piece. It was good, just not worth the effort.
The rest of our sushi was pretty good. The caterpillar roll was too cucumber-y - would've preferred to see more fish and less cucumber. But all in all, good eats.
Service was friendly, and the price was certainly right - for an app and 4 rolls, the bill was around $40. Not bad! I'd definitely return if I were going to be in the area.
I came here for lunch because I read about the decent lunch specials.
I decided to get the lunch special D, which came with miso soup, green salad, three pieces of sushi, and California roll. You do have the option to choose between California roll or the spicy tuna roll. It is pretty cold in cold in Chicago. At least for me it is, it's like California winter here, so the miso soup warmed me up and it was good. Their green salad was good too especially the dressing. For the three pieces, it depended on what was fresh at the moment and it was served Nigiri style. I got a tuna, salmon, and some sort of fish from Hawaii. I don't remember the name. I also ordered the City Roll (crab meat, avocado, cucumber, unagi, shrimp tempura rolled in soy paper on greens. It was delicious as well.
If you are in the Lincoln Park area and in a sushi mood, come here!
My newest 5 star review!!! I found a new favorite sushi place in Chicago. Yes, you heard me right, "FAVORITE SUSHI IN CHICAGO"! Great prices, lots of options, you leave feeling full, super friendly service, small intimate place - what more can I ask?! That's right fellow yelpers, Nothing.
After waiting for OVER an hour for Sushi Para II (my previous fav place), I couldn't stand it any longer. They clearly didn't want my patronage based on their rudeness - So we ventured around Clark St looking for more sushi. Lo and Behold, we see "Sushi Mon." I never seen or heard of Sushi Mon since it is so small and tucked away. But we walked inside and immediately sat down. The waitress was so friendly and helpful. Heck, even the owner (named Bat) was walking around and greeting tables. I started liking this place.
Sushi Mon is known for their "Pressed Sushi." This is sushi that is literally pressed into cube shapes and not wrapped in the seaweed like their maki alterego. So it looks REALLY cool and has a slightly different texture that influences the taste. The result, more flavors coming from the sushi contents rather than the sushi covering. Pressed Rolls cost $12 and come with BOTH soup and salad - the miso soup is fantastic and I could spend my entire life just drinking the salad dressing.
The Crazy Pressed roll was outstanding! A blend tuna, salmon, and many others that was quite tasty. Plus, their spicy tuna is the best I've ever had! They puree their meat with the spicy sauce so it is literally within the meat - wow, amazing idea! A Must Have.
Further, we had the "Sexy Roll" - the most creative sushi roll I have eaten in Chicago. With an outer covering of cucumber, filled with salmon, fruity sauce, and veggies, the Sexy Roll was fantastic.
In summary, Sushi Mon is great value (about 13 - 20 a person including tip + tax), friendly service, and VERY innovative for the sense. Try it out. If you see a man smiling uncontrollably from his sushi, that is probably me being the happiest man in Chicago.
It's a very interesting experience to pick up a piece of sushi with your chopsticks that doesn't feel like it's one chopstick misstep away from falling apart completely in your soy sauce. Pressed sushi provides an interesting cross section view of each roll. The texture is very pleasing. If you are not a hardcore sushi traditionalist, this experience is definitely worth having; and Sushi Mon does it right
I usually only write reviews for restaurants that I would categorize as "very good," that is 4 or 5 stars. I rated Sushi Mon 5 stars let me tell you why.
- Uni
Last night I had the best uni I've had in Chicago. Not ever in the world, of course because there's nothing like cracking open a sea urchin on the beach and gobbling up the wonderful uni bits inside. Uni is actually the ovaries of sea urchin (sometimes called roe, which can also refer to eggs, or as my cousin called it - the gonads) and you have to rinse it off before you eat it (there are lots of sea urchin guts covering it too). The best uni is still firm. Its is supposed to be "mushy" but it should not be "mush" do you know what I mean? It should not collapse between chopsticks and should not seem highly fragile. The uni I had at Mon last night was firm and cool. I held it up to the light to inspect it clearly and it was a nice orange-yellow-gold color (I'm a bit color blind, mind you). The taste was creamy and luxurious and without question the best uni I've had since I moved to chicago. my girlfriend thought I was crazy when we first started dating, but after a few years she understands my uni obsession and rituals, but still refuses to try. Bat, the boss, came out to talk to us and he asked how I liked the uni. He is obviously very proud of his uni and said he only serves the best uni and he is right. I praised him of his uni because that is how asians show face, but in this case I was not lying.
- Osaka style Oshi (Hako) sushi "Pressed Sushi"
I loved eating oshizushi in Osaka. I have tried it at Mon and I think that Bat's oshizushi good and comparable, and is suitable for the american palate as it incorporates the pressed osaka style with the big fancy maki rolls that are an American Invention. In Japan, oshizushi is one of the more popular variants of sushi eating. I like that there are more intricate styles of sushi coming to Chicago from Japan. This brings a higher level of authenticity to engage the Osaka experience, which is a wonderful place. Furthermore, Bat's ability to make this sushi means that he was probably not trained in the US. Well, he does not seem like he is from the US, his English is not perfect. Training in Japan, in a establishment that does oshizushi is different from being trained in a sushi restaurant in the US, as in Japan, the industry is so big and there is so much room for innovation, competition and growth. Its great that we have him here in Chicago!
- Flexibility
Bat and his chefs can make a normal pressed sushi roll from the menu, and he can custom make them. Very good for people with dietary restrictions like my girlfriend who has celiac disease, which is an intolernce to gluten. She said she only needs to eat Bat's pressed sushi from now on (with a few modifications).
- Personality
Bat is the man and everyone knows it.
This place is so small and cute. I went there last night to celebrate a friend's birthday and left soooo happy and full. Yummy yummy yummy fresh raw fish, mmmmm.... ^_^ And did I mention awesome prices? I had a spicy salmon roll and a spider roll, 12 pieces total, for $9.95! And apparently it's BYOB, for your teetotalers out there. ^_^
I never went into this place when it was the sushi & deli place (I would never eat raw fish from a place that also made sandwiches-I need specialization!!) but when it changed owners I decided to give it a try. It has since become my #1 sushi spot on Clark. Everything is fresh, the menu is creative but not in a weird way (jalapenos in sushi, I don't think so!!) and the staff is really friendly, especially the owner Bat.
It took me awhile to decide to try the Pressed Sushi and omg I will never go back!!! I thought how can sushi be delicious without seaweed, I love seaweed? Bat certainly proved me wrong. I had the Raindow Roll last night for carry out and it was amazing (I had the eel one before- also amazing). All of the pressed sushis are $12 and come with miso soup and a salad which makes it a great take-out meal. My other favorite take-out is Sushi combo B, which is 5 pieces and a california roll. Carry-out is always ready in 10-20 minutes, even on the weekends. If you are looking for yummy sushi on Clark without a long wait (I'm talking to you Toro) go to Sushi Mon!
What a find!
Sushi Mon does sushi. That's it. But man, do they do sushi. Run by very friendly people who will follow your requests to the letter, there's a collection of maki, sushi, and sashimi that is cheap and very tasty. They also have something unique to Chicago called "pressed sushi"; this is rice and sushi ingredients packed into a plastic press and hand squished to make a rice and fish loaf, which is then cut into many slabs and presented as is. There's no seaweed so you have more of a sushi taste but intensified with all the different fish and accompaniments packed together along with a *lot* of sushi rice; each slab has two solid bites in it. It's aberrantly expensive ($12, which is a lot for a place that does toro for $7), but you get a TON of food as well as a nice salad and a basic miso soup (nothing special, but it's standard nice hot miso soup). In addition, they have a nice selection of vegetarian rolls, and some very nicely priced lunch specials.
My companion and I got:
* Miso soup (2)
* Green salad (2)
* Escoler (Hawaiian Super White Tuna) Sashimi (2)
* Boston Pressed Sushi, no seaweed
* Avocado and Cucumber Roll
* Sweet Baby Roll
* Ramune
This ended up costing $34 before tip. The salad was good - the ginger dressing rocked (I love me some ginger dressing). The miso soup was perfunctory, but I hadn't had any since March so it hit the spot (and due to sodium, I only had three spoonfuls). The Boston Pressed was good, but I think more ingredients are needed in a Pressed Sushi to really bring out its full flavor and form - otherwise the rice overpowers. The avocado and cucumber was good - not much you really can do with that, though I would have liked to have seen more avocado. The Sweet Baby was very tasty, but truly almost dessert-like with the sweet sauce. The superwhite tuna was tasty - there was some small dab of sauce on it that didn't bring anything to the palate, from what I could tell (I couldn't even discern the flavors).
Any misgivings? One big one: I would have preferred my fish colder. It wasn't going bad or fishy smelling or anything, but it was warmer than I think good sushi (especially sashimi) should be. I don't know if that was today or a general issue with them. Also, it goes without saying that parking is impossible.
Nevertheless, there are a lot of options, and since the chef is *right there* and will work with you to the letter, there's a lot that I will be able to put on the side or omit to make it sodium safe(r) for me. Will I be returning? Absolutely, and I really look forward to it.
Sushi Mon, you got me!
I've found my new favorite sushi joint! I used to pass by this location when it was that old deli/sushi place. So things have changed since Sushi Mon moved itn! It is small and cozy, there can't be more thant 7-8 tables inside. My friend and I each ordered the pressed sushi- the Crazy and the Chicago roll -both excellent! It comes with miso soup and salad with the best dressing ever. You must try this place...it's a hidden gem!
I love this place! The staff here is really friendly and nice. The best part is you can place your order online. For some reason, I find it really convienient to place an order and have a specified time to pick it up. The rolls are so delicious. I will continie to head here as long as I live in Lincoln Park. I've never eaten at the resturant but it looks like a great date spot.
I ordered out from Sushi Mon and was thoroughly impressed! We had the Tuna Bliss which was delicious (although very wide which made it difficult to eat in one bite) that came with an amazing wasabi mayo sauce and a yellow tail roll that involved mango that also had its own special sauce. They gave us a salad and miso soup with the order for free! The sushi was top notch and I would order from there again and again.
Basically this place is my second home. I eat here an average of 2-3 times a week. It is so good in every way possible. The sushi is unbelievable quality!! If you closed your eyes while eating here, you would think you are eating at the most expensive sushi bar around, yet you are merely dining at a place with about a 25 person capacity.
Some of the best sushi I have ever eaten, at great prices, with awesome service. I dont think there is much more I can even ask for in a sushi joint. And to top it off, the owner Bat is the nicest guy in the world. Theres just something about a restaurant owner knowing you by name that makes you feel at home. ("where everybody knows your name dah dah dah..")
Thank you sushi mon for giving me some of the greatest oral pleasure I have ever had.
I had Sushi Mon for the first time tonight and man was I impressed. The pressed sushi is phenomenal. I had the Chicago roll, my girlfriend had the Toko. Both were outstanding. Pressed sushi is very dense and delicious- it typically has rice as the base and fish on top of it- it makes it very easy to eat each piece in 2 bites vs. trying to force down one enormous piece. it's the only pressed Sushi in chicago. I thought the flavors were great and they intentionally put different amounts of fish/rice/sauce on each piece so it makes you feel like you got many different rolls! It is BYOB.
Staff is super friendly- I'd have to say best sushi I've had in Chicago- of course it's not as good as sushi in Boston, but it was very good.
Also has $6.95 lunch in specials- GREAT DEAL.
I came here with a buddy of mine. This place is located in Lincoln park where every block has a Japanese restaurant. This small restaurant has great selection of sushis such as the 'sexy roll.'
Although this restaurant is small, the price compensates for it.
I have to give it an 'ok' rating just because the service is super slow
for such a small restaurant and what irritates me even more is the bathroom is a small closet with no lighting in it. The door has a small crack on it for the light to shine it and the sink is right outside the door. It's a scary place to use the bathroom. You can fall in if you are not extra careful and if you don't have night vision.
Great Sushi--Huge Selection! BYOB! Small cozy atmosphere! Friendly Staff!!Great Place!SWEEET!
This place really is great.
Bat (the owner) is really nice guy. He loves his restaurant, and puts every effort into making his sushi the best on the block. With 4 sushi restaurants on the block, that means a lot. He does a really great job.
Bat takes his time crafting his sushi, and does a wonderful job. The presentation is always incredible. The Red Dragon roll doubles as the best looking and most tasty sushi I've ever come across, with the spicy tuna roll coming in at a close second.
Even though I've only been there 3 times or so, I get a wave and a happy smile whenever I walk by from Bat. I'll be back many times.
One thing to note: Unlike many sushi places that I've been to, they offer no "cooked meals". I believe the only his kitchen has to cook is a deep fryer for the tempura items, so don't bring your little brother or mom here!
"Hey it's sushi Mon!"
(to be read with a Jamaican accent)
I was in search of a sushi lunch special today and I couldn't have asked for a better choice. For 6.95 You get miso soup, a delightful little salad, and your choice of 2 rolls. I went with my standbys, spicy tuna and California. My buddy included the tempura shrimp and all of them were fresh and full of fish goodness. The spicy tuna, which is what I base most sushi places on (hey it's my favorite) was packed to the brim with perfectly spiced ahi deliciousness. I was intrigued by something that they have called "pressed sushi" but for 6.95 I couldn't resist the special. The best surprise was the little plate of fresh fruit that was delivered with the check. Sushi Mon is definitely being added to my list of regular lunch spots, and I could easily see myself returning here in a regular basis. It's right down the street from my gym so I think it will be the perfect apres workout treat, where I can still feel like I am being healthy. Three cheers Sushi Mon, you have my attention!
LOVE LOVE LOVE!
go between 11 and 2... they have a lunch special menu!!
its hard to find sushi places with lunch specials and this one is a great one. 3 rool and salad AND miso for like 10 bucks? yes please.
super friendly as well.
and the fact that theyre open before 5pm? great. definatly a must eat...
I had sushi with Motley Crue here. Well, actually, just the book The Dirt, but close enough.
I decided to try Sushi Mon for lunch today: $6.95 for soup, salad, and two rolls. The miso soup was great, nice and hot, great flavor. The salad was beautiful and delicious. I was really impressed.
Then came the sushi.....I ordered a spicy tuna roll and a shrimp tempura roll. The sushi was HORRIBLE. The tuna was not spicy at all, and the shrimp tempura was bleh, not enough sauce. It was also weird and hard. I think these rolls were premade because the rice was super cold and the rolls were hard.
They surprised me with a beautiful little fruit dessert and redeemed themselves, a little.
The two guys working here were really really nice. One was asking me about my book in broken English. I don't think people rock out to Motley Crue in Japan, he seemed confused.
I might give this place a second chance....maybe.
Some friends spoke of gathering for sushi, a chain email was sent. Naturally, I would be joining, since there is nothing that I love more that some fresh raw fish con wasabi. I had never been here before, so that made it all the more better.
I approached the locale on the good ole duece duece bus, I had traversed clark many a times, so I was familiar with the density of restaurants around, especially sushi joints. My friend, Tim K and I exited the bus at fullerton, he was sure that he knew where we were headed. We approached and passed ponzu looking in the window as we passed. He expressed his displeasure and warned me that we better not be going to this "other place". Two blocks later, we saw our friends inside the "other place". I believe his exact description was "Tokyo Luchbox wannabe".
Attempting to keep an open mind, we went inside and joined the table. Tim continued to express his discontent with the others, spouting off a few quips. I asked what I should order, and the pressed sushi was suggested. I went with it, crazy pressed sushi, edamame and 2 pieces of salmon. The pressed roll was 12 bucks, it was like 10 pieces and it came with miso and a green salad, what a bargain! The miso and salad were standard, but fresh and hot as was the edemame. The pressed roll was a pleasant surprise, different and fun. The salmon pieces were larger than average and tasted great. To top off my delight, they gave us complimentary fruit (kiwi, apple, orange) at the end of the meal. They were all so nice in there!
This place is small and in a sushi crammed hood, but its a must try. Get a pressed roll and enjoy the warm hospitality and exceptional prices. Pry not the best place for any party larger than six. I will be back 4+
Sushi carry out! Here I come! This place is speedy-Gonzales when it comes to making quality sushi. Twenty minutes after I called in my order, it was waiting for me at the register. The small dining area was about half full, but the sushi rollers behind the counter and the other workers were so friendly as I walked in. I was kind of disappointed that they were so prompt, because I couldn't hung out and watched them roll sushi for a few minutes. But off I went with my inexpensive, but yummy sushi rolls. I would recommend the Sexy and Godzilla rolls. Throw in a scrumptious Philly roll and spicy tuna. Actually, everything we ordered, I would consider a reorder item. After all, it's excellent sushi, mon!
I'm happy to see the good reviews of Sushi Mon. The employees are SO nice and the service is excellent. Unlike the typical BYOB Sushi place, they actually take your wine and uncork it for you. It returns with a napkin neatly tied around the neck, nice touch. The server asked us if we liked spicy, and after we responded "Yes" he suggested this new special salad that he'd been creating. I'm not currently seeing it on the menu, but it was very tasty with fresh jalapenos which you normally don't see in Sushi places. Their famous "Sexy roll" was indeed "low calorie and delicious", and their caterpillar, dragon, and Hawaiian were also fabulous.
We came back a week later with friends, and once again had great service and awesome sushi. We haven't been there in a while but plan on returning soon.
You probably won't find sushi this good for the price anywhere else in the area. They've got some crazy creative rolls, and everything I've tried thus far is fantastic (although I must admit the Sexy roll was a bit weird for my taste).
The service here is excellent, and you may be waited on by Bat himself (owner, sushi guy). And one additional gold star for having a great website, and the ability to order take out ONLINE - what a concept.
Keep in mind the place is pretty small (like most sushi bars on Clark), so it will be busy during normal dinner times.
My best friend and I stumbled upon this place when we got hungry when on vacation in Chicago! Great Place........amazing tasting nori
great rolls all together...............delicious salad!
After reading the other reviews of this place, I know I'm going to have to go back and order some pressed sushi. I stumbled into this place with a friend because it was the first sushi place in sight.
We both ordered standard maki mono. The spicy tuna was not spicy enough for our taste, but it was stuffed with a generous portion of fish, so we were happy with it. The spicy shrimp wasn't spicy at all, but was also delicious. My friend ordered inari (white rice wrapped with fried tofu), which was wonderful. Great prices for these rolls - they were about $4 each!
The fruit tray was beautiful and a great end to a good meal.
Overall it didn't dazzle me, but I'd go again for sure.
Sushi Mon by far is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Chicago. I found this place last year with my boss's daughter when we were searching for a sushi place on Clark to have lunch. Since then, I have become a regular along with my boyfriend and the many people that I have introduced and recommended.
I love everything about this place. Bat's experience as a sushi chef has created himself a little cult following of pressed sushi lovers in Chicago. He knows my creative 'Amanda Pressed Sushi' roll by heart and he always creates little things for me to try when I go there that are not on the menu.
Although, I do love the ponzu sushi appetizer, crazy sexy roll rolled in fresh cucumber and miso soup, fresh salad with ginger dressing and the fruit plate you get to finish up with your meal! Not to mention, this place is about as affordable as it gets. $12 for a pressed sushi, miso and soup.. and its BYOB, you say?
If you haven't yet and you like great sushi, I suggest you give SushiMon a whirl. You most likely will become a big fan like me.
Friendly service - check
Good sushi - check
Cute decor - check
Reasonable prices - check
Website - check
BYOB - check
After hearing this place was just a short walk from my house I decided to check it out and see if was worth adding to my sushi rotation. Don't rule the place out because of the website; the main icon blocks the phone and address, but you can get them off the menu (or Yelp) easily. The place is fairly small kind of like Toro, but they make good use of the space so people didn't look cramped.
Sushi Mon does regular and pressed sushi, since the pressed rolls were priced at $12/per and came with miso soup and salad, I just went with regular maki. While their regular maki are *cheap*, the specialty rolls are in line with what you'd find at other places.
For $13.50 I got a spicy salmon, spicy tuna and spicy negi-hamachi. Spicy negi-hamachi isn't on the menu, but they made the Negiham spicy at my request. The rolls had whole pieces of fish, not diced up bits which gets a big plus from me. The rolls were well made; they didn't fall apart and weren't overloaded with rice. They spiciness of the rolls was quite good; they're made with spicy mayo, but they didn't go too heavy on the mayo and it had just enough zip. My only negative is minor, they were stingy with the wasabi, but I made do.
Bottom line: Really good sushi at reasonable prices. I will definitely try this place again next time I'm having a sushi jones. If the next visit is as good as the first it will officially become part of my rotation.
TIP: Don't print the online menu especially if you have an inkjet printer; the graphics will kill it.
TIP: They use low sodium soy sauce so you don't need to ask for it special
As you can tell, I'm kind of a sushi person. I'm a snob about it, really, am always a little hesitant to try new places. But my boyfriend and I were reading the menu and a girl walking by called out that it's her favorite sushi in the city so we thought, what the hey? We'll give it a whirl.
The ambiance was where points were lost here-- tile floor, very small, informal tables with paper napkins. The goma-ae was a little salty, and so was the miso soup. BUT. We got the Hawaii sushi special and the fish was soooooo buttery and fresh... We got the unagi (points won big time here-- so often this is the fishiest roll with the most hit-or-miss texture, but it was awesome), spicy tempura shrimp roll (well, come on. It's fried shrimp with avocado) and the topper was the crazy pressed roll. YUM. The server was super nice and very attentive, we didn't have to wait at all on a Saturday night at 7, and they have a fruit course that comes right before your check that is really beautifully executed.
I really liked this place! Parking makes it hard to come back often, but I do recommend it!
Wandered in here for a late lunch after discovering that Ponzu was closed.
Incredibly unique and fresh rolls- Highly recommend the pressed sushi and the Crazy Roll. Fresh, light and delicious! Bat is super friendly as well.
Sushi Mon is definitely a new go-to for me in an area that is already over-whelmed with sushi joints.
Food is still great, but prices have gone up slightly. 3/5 of the Maki plates are now $10.95, including my favorite Maki Plate E. Still an incredible deal, but worth noting!
As far as sushi is concerned, Sushi Mon does it right. I dont typically go out for sushi because of… Read more »
I just keep having to update! For fun my boyfriend and I bought some strawberries and brought them in. We asked bat if he could make us some rolls using the strawberries and he did! They were absolutely delicious! Next time we are bringing kiwi to see what kind of magic we can make with those!
UPDATE! MAKE SURE TO JOIN THE MAILING LIST AND PARTICIPATE IN THE SUSHI NAMING CONTEST! Lots of fun and if you win you get the roll for free!
I'm just going to make this sweet and simple. It's the best sushi ever. Even if you "don't like… Read more »
Sushi Mon is the brainchild of sushi-wizard Bat (pronounced "bot," not like the Louisville Slugger). Fresh ingredients, careful, artistic preparation and family-like service is what you will get when you visit this Lincoln Park diamond in the rough. Yes, there are many, many BYOB sushi spots in Lincoln Park (several within a few blocks on Clark street alone), but none offer the pressed sushi-style entrees of Sushi Mon.
From Wikipedia - "Oshizushi (, lit. pressed sushi). A block-shaped piece formed using a wooden mold, called an oshibako. The chef lines the bottom of the oshibako with the toppings, covers them with sushi rice, and then presses the lid of the mold down to create a compact, rectilinear block. The block is removed from the mold and then cut into bite-sized pieces. This variety originates from the Kansai Region and is a favourite and specialty of Osaka."
Pressed sushi is awesome. It comes out in a cool-looking block with all the ingredients on top. You can even create your own (if you have the knack for it). Along with the sushi comes miso soup, salad and sliced fruit to finish; for only $12!
Bat and the staff are really friendly and once Bat gets to know you, he will likely share some of his incredible bite-size sushi inventions. He even saves your custom orders for the next time you come!
i went there last time was afternoon, we were the only guests, so the service were good, and food were fine, although we waited for a long time(i guess that's the usual situation in sushi restaurants)
i like the sexy roll(not sure the name), pretty good for me. i like salad usually, sometimes i hate too much rice when eating sushi, but this sexy one is like salad sushi, which i think is pretty healthy, and delicious. the only problem is it's a little bit loose, u have to eat it quickly, and eat it all once, otherwise it can be.....
all in all, its a little bit small, but food are good, and near where i live, so i like it~
I work across the street from Sushi Mon and couldn't resist trying it out. I am really critical about sushi, which I have to be when I'm eating raw foods. I ordered lunch special B with a shrimp tempura roll and a spicy tuna roll with miso soup and a small salad. For $8, this was not bad. The sushi itself was pretty good and the portion was ok. I was super hungry that day so I also had to eat some leftovers from my fridge.
I suppose I'm still on the lookout for amazing sushi in Chicago. I have been spoiled with a really fantastic sushi restaurant in Barrington and Mitsuwa market in Arlington Heights. It's a bit of a trek from Chicago without a car so Sushi Mon will do for now.
I tried this place for the first time last night as the line for Green Tea and Sushi Para were out the door. After reading some of these reviews I guess they just don't do shrimp tempura well. I ordered my favorite: the dragon roll. The shrimp tempura was clearly pre-made, cold, hard and soggy at the same time. The unagi was good however and the rolls weren't thick on rice, which I appreciate. A bit overdone on the spicy mayo and not enough on the unagi sauce. My dining companion had the unagi roll and philly and while those were better than my deceptively attractive disappointment, they weren't highly impressive either.
I feel a little guilty writing a negative review because the staff was so incredibly nice. This is a very cute place and it sounds like they do other rolls better, but if you can't do a decent dragon roll, I just can't hang.
If its fresh seafood and creativity that goes beyond a dragon roll you're looking for, Sushi Mon is your spot. The creative genius behind this little understated restaurant is Head Chef Bat, who regals you with tales of his birthplace in Mongolia all the while tempting your tastebuds with inventions that he creates in front of you. Unlike most restaurants on the strip Bat will actually take the time to talk to you and get a feel for what you like, what you don't like and what your past sushi experiences have been like. He will go on to make suggestions and urge you to try something you may think you don't like or have had unpleasant experiences with and change your opinion completely.
His masterpeices are the pressed sushi, layered rice and various types of fish and sauces both inside the "roll' and on top. The fish are layered on top diagonally so that you taste a different combination with each bite. Pure genius!
The appetizers like the salmon appetizer and tune sashimi will have you returning time and again and you can rest assure you will not find anything like it anywhere else. Also a must try is the sexy roll for the non-rice eaters. Fresh salmon wrapped in thinly sliced rolls of cucumber make this roll a light and fresh eat in the summer or a side roll to share along with other spicier rolls.
All in all Sushi Mon is probably my #1 goto sushi restaurant in the northside and should be your's too. =)
I wasn't very impressed. We went on a weeknight, where there was one other small group besides the two of us, and service was ridiculously slow. The fish seemed fresh enough, but nothing to write home about. Way too much mayo used on the spicy and crazy rolls -- I eat sushi because I like to taste the fish! Also, our waters weren't refilled (though the green tea was). I tried the pressed sushi (crazy) and again, nothing very impressive. With so many other sushi restaurants steps away, I'll be looking elsewhere for my fix.
Sushi Mon is a great little restaurant with a couple notable highlights. First, the menu has a great selection of sushi, including pressed sushi, which is delicate and very flavorful. Second, the portions are generous and they offer a few less-expensive combination specials.
Also note that while it is BYOB, Sushi Mon doesn't attract the typical dinner-and-drink crowd. If you're hoping to make an evening out of dinner, I would suggest Toro Sushi down the street.
I stopped in this place a few days ago after spending a few hours at the beach. I was very impressed. Although the place is fairly small, it is beautifully decorated and cozy. The sushi was some of the best I've ever had. Although the service was slightly slow (I was the only one in the place for a while), it didn't bother me much. Everyone was very nice and gave a big smile when I came in and when I left. Very pleasant experience and I will definitely be going back very soon.
The boyfriend and I discovered this place after dropping off a friend in the area. I'm a hardcore sushi eater, but I hadn't heard of pressed sushi until I walked in here.
The owners are adorable, too! They made us feel very welcome and wanted to know what part of town we were from and wondered what kind of sushi we liked. It was very sweet.
We actually ordered the pressed sushi by mistake. I said I wanted and order of sake (fresh salmon) and our waitress heard "Osako" - as in the pressed sushi roll. We had already ordered a boatload of rolls and sashimi and stuffed ourselves when the pressed sushi came. It was truly gorgeous. I didn't want to eat it, it was so pretty (and that whole being extremely full thing)!
I had to explain to the waitress the mistake, but we still wanted to pay for it because it was so carefully made. She was nice enough to give us half off the roll! And for all that we ordered it was a great price.
We recently went back and ordered the pressed sushi on purpose and it was wonderful!
I really like that they are so eager to explain everything about it to you before you dig in. They make it a nice little sushi experience.
The fruit plate at the end is also a real treat. It's beautifully made and very fresh.
Bat, you've done an excellent job! I'm sure I'll be back soon.
wednesday and thursday…
Chicago, IL
No Corkage Fee For Yelpers!
Neighborhood: Noble Square
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Sushi Bars
Chicago, IL
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Sushi Bars
