Top Best Japanese Restaurants in Wicker Park

"Restaurants Japanese River West/West Town. Although you can order a la carte, the affordable omakase menu at Melvin and Carlo Vizconde's restaurant is the way to go, and includes more food than you can eat—rich oyster and uni shooters doctored up with ponzu sauce and egg yolks disappear in seconds, seared tuna maki adorned with truffled scallions and takoyaki, a fried dough ball with a nugget of octopus inside. While these are all fun, utterly delicious takes on Japanese food, the decadence stops short of overwhelming the great fish in the maki and sashimi."

"When Melvin & Carlo Vizconde were working at various sushi restaurants in the Chicago area, they both had regulars often asking them to make “something special.” So expect something special at Kai Zan, the twin brothers’ first restaurant of their own. For example, one of their popular dishes, scallops wrapped in salmon, is lightly seared with a citrus glaze and when you bite into it, the contrast between fatty salmon and lean scallop makes perfect sense. Also, there’s a Do-It-Yourself uni and toro hand roll, which comes with a quail egg yolk, as if the uni and toro were not rich enough already."

"Surprisingly affordable and elegant, Kai Zan is one of River West’s most popular sushi joints. The brainchild of Melvin and Carolo Vizconde, the omakase menu is the way to go, whether you choose the chef’s choice or the new Omakase — boasting premium offerings that are carefully selected. Off the menu, you’d be remiss not to try the scallops or oyster shooters, the escolar or magura pearls, or the green monster roll made with shrimp tempura, unagi, and crab, or the fiesta maki made with fresh tuna, salmon, jalapeño, and spicy chili oil."

"Traditional Japanese cuisine meets forward-thinking fare at this six-time Bib Gourmand award-winning restaurant, where two kitchens work together to offer eaters a comprehensive dining experience. For a front-row vantage point of the team’s handiwork, grab a seat at the sushi counter. It’s here where guests can watch as their plates are prepped, from tuna tartare with pickled Asian pear and black tobiko, to the beloved trio maki roll, complete with tuna, salmon, hamachi, cilantro, and chili oil."

"The best sushi really depends on what type of experience you’re looking for. Yuzu Sushi & Robata Grill has by far the most Instagrammable presentations (going crazy with elaborate sauce designs). There are also a few all-you-can-eat spots that are also great deals (and filling if you’re not looking for the best fish) like Sushi Para M."

"And none of us would exhibit our robust appetite full-on while a potential lover is across the table. Arami is the perfect eatery where the nigiri and sashimi are as good as it gets. The menu at Arami is far from fancy, but the food is authentic."

"The specialty of TAO Chicago is that the second floor is the windy city’s hottest nightclubs with an amazing atmosphere, whereas the first floor features one of its top Asian restaurants. Hence, once you’re done dancing your heart out at the club, you can step down for a hearty meal of lobster wontons, Peking duck, and more. Besides the disco ball and towering murals, a 10-feet-tall Japanese bell will grab your attention."

"Restaurants Pan-Asian River North. You've likely heard about Tao because of its 1,000-person capacity club, but the venue's posh restaurant is not to be overlooked. Snag a table in the dining room or saddle up at the sushi counter, where you can order sea-kissed treasures a la carte or through a decadent omakase menu."

"This Lincoln Park restaurant is frequented for chef BK Park’s omakase menu, a dining experience featuring a generous array of appetizers, nigiri, sashimi, and hand rolls. Start with tastes of Kumamoto oysters with Japanese mignonette or king crab dressed in Kobe butter, and save room — more than 20 courses are offered in total. Those ordering off the menu can do so with signature bites, such as the smoked hamachi (Japanese amberjack sashimi smoked in a glass dome) and the uni shooter (accompanied by orange zest, cucumber, and wasabi tobiko)."

"Sushi The beautiful interior and the equally beautiful presentation of sushi by Chef BK Park are the obvious reasons that Juno is always on Chicago’s best sushi list. However, just like that pretty girl you have crush on happens to be also kind, smart and funny, you’ll pleasantly discover that Juno’s food is also amazing from their appetizers to the omakase menu. The Omakase requires a 24 hour advance reservation, but you are in for a treat."

"Many locals think that Juno has the best seafood in all of Chicago. It’s an intimate Japanese restaurant in the heart of Lincoln Park with an elegant setting. Diners here can expec..."

"This market opened its doors in Arlington Heights in 1991, and since then, it’s been serving as one of the largest Japanese grocery stores and food courts in all of the Midwest (quickly gaining the reputation as “The Mall of Japan”). Come 365 days a year for favorites like tonkatsu, ramen, and Japanese-style burgers, along with a series of other Asian eats — dim sum, bibimbap, and kalbi have also been spotted at stands."

"Just 30 minutes from Chicago, this large, popular Japanese grocery superstore boasts an impressive food court with a huge variety of choices of Asian delicacies. If you want authentic Japanese, you'll find udon, teriyaki, sushi and bento boxes aplenty. There are tables and chairs to dine at the food court but weekends get slammed with shoppers so you may have to stalk tables to get a seat."

"Ramen Misoya Chicago is a cozy restaurant that features elegant and beautiful interior decor, delicious Japanese meals, and friendly service. Choose from the delectable menu options including its well-known miso plate, a staple in Japanese cuisine. It has been deeply enriched in the Japanese diets for centuries till present and is known to provide many health benefits."

"A bowl of ramen in the middle of the day can help fend off the forthcoming Chicago weather. This Japanese shop’s signature Hokkaido miso is a full-bodied pork broth with noodles, bean sprouts, ground pork, marinated egg, char siu, and more. View this post on Instagram"

"Sai Cafe is a perfect blend of artistic flair and addicting food. This restaurant offers Asian foods with unique selections. Locals rave about the Hamagi Jalapeno and Dynamite, a b..."

"Serving a nice variety of quality sushi to Lincoln Park diners for over 20 years, Sai Cafe has earned decades' worth of rave reviews along with the loyalty of many regulars."

"Lincoln Park/Wrigleyville Most hipsters may have abandoned Goose Island since it “went mainstream” with its much-maligned sale to InBev in 2011, but the brewery that basically started the Chicago craft beer scene continues to make high-quality beers worthy of your attention. Founded in 1988 and shut out of the Great America Beer Festival for the first time last year (it is no longer considered “craft”), Goose Island continues to forge ahead by opening new brewpubs across the globe in addition to its two Chicago locations. 312 is the beer most locals know best, but Goose’s food-focused offerings like Sofia and Matilda are steadily increasing in popularity."

"You don’t need to be a beer snob to have heard of Goose Island, probably the most recognizable Chicago beer to the general public across the country. Their Clybourn taproom is a spacious and central location that you can easily integrate into your Chicago itinerary. If you get the chance to visit in person, you’ll have access to their bottled lineup of bourbon barrel aged stouts, but their year-round and seasonal offerings are just as enticing."

"When you think Chicago, you think 312, the signature, school-bus-yellow bottle of beer from Goose Island. This popular, Chicago-based brewery has since expanded its single location on Fulton Street to several brewpubs and brewhouses around the city and beyond, so make sure to stop into one of your local Goose Island locations just in time for their fall releases."

"Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery is a welcoming and engaging craft beer experience with a variety of unique craft beer freshly brewed on site to pair with our popular American crave-able food like our Brewery Nachos Bacon Chicken Mac n’ Cheese, Fish and Chips and Bacon Cheddar Burger."

"Exhale Spa earns their place on our most expensive spa map for their Power Facial with Ultrasonic Peel for $280. Additionally, exhale offers acupuncture and energetic therapies as well as specialty therapies like LED Core Contouring by SlimStation and a head to toe wash followed by a heated hammam stone two-step exfoliation."

"Holy Trinity is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Chicago Landmark and is the oldest Orthodox parish in Chicago. Its unique style is typical of Slavic provincial architecture. Designed by Louis Sullivan, it is the famous architect’s only remaining church in Chicago and one of just two in the world."

"The Roman Catholic Parish on West Adam Street is one of the few buildings that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. This church is considered a cornerstone of Irish Culture in Chicago, where God’s grace is demonstrated- amidst the bustle. It is also an important landmark that preserves history."

"Address: 700 W Adams StSaturday Mass Times: 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm, and 5:00pmA/C: YesCost: $1,500.00Parishioner?. NoTime for photos after: 20 minutesCan you bring your own priest?. Yes, they suggest you reach out to a priest you think of first."