Mentioned by Condé Nast Traveler
Where to Eat in Chicago Right Now
"With a large statement chandelier made of sticks and bold and bright lights, the décor of Sunda almost looks like you’re walking through a Southeast Asian night market. Although they’re known for sushi, the menu is more Asian-fusion, with dishes like adobo braised pork belly, garlic crab noodles, and Chinese inspired dim-sum. Their signature sushi is a can’t miss — try the rainbow with king crab, tuna, salmon, or escolar, the “spicy tail of two tunas” made with yellowfin and escolar, or the crunchy pig, hidden lobster, made with soy paper, lobster, tempura crispies, and bacon."
"Not only does Sunda offer a dedicated vegetarian menu, but its sushi also pairs quite well with a pescatarian diet. With items like beets gunkan maki and veggie fried rice, you'll have something to enjoy and so will your meat-loving friends!"
"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."
"For an incomparable Omakase experience, KAI ZAN is a Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in Chicago specializing in wholly authentic and traditional Omakase dining. The restaurant is the brainchild of the notable sushi twins Melvin and Carlos Vizconde, who wanted a creative space to invent intricate dishes."
"Description: Kai Zan is a sushi bar with an omakase menu in a small, BYOB space (woohoo!). Be sure to try the "Kai Zan Favorites," such as the Fiesta Maki, a roll consisting of tuna, salmon, jalapeño, avocado, cilantro, masago, chili oil and lime juice. It is a literal ~party in your mouth.~"
"Serving some of the city's best sushi, this warm, cozy room in West Town seems to encourage you to stay for hours, sipping sake and Japanese whisky. Start with appetizers like the chrunchy chicken karaage or the decadent roasted bone marrow served with ribeye tarare before moving on to sashimi, nagiri and maki selections. You'll find everything from bluefin tuna to Alaskan king crab on the menu, along with speciality items that can be accompanited by optional caviar supplements."
"Arami‘s cuisine can be something of classic ingredients and forwards thinking procedure, having a focus on quality and freshness. Representing the civilization and maintenance drawn in Western cuisine, Arami prides itself on attracting enjoyment and art. In Arami’s entry is really a torii gate, conventional in Japan to indicate a transition, originally found out shrines."
"After recouping from a recent fire, Arami is back in business serving fine sashimi, nigiri, and maki, as well as tasty ramen, and other large and small plates. Presentation is not an afterthought here; each dish is beautifully plated. They recently received a Michelin Bib Gourmand nomination for the fifth year in a row."
"WOW. And that’s exactly what you’ll get in this high-end, posh Asian nightclub. Dance the night away in this 1000-capacity dance club in Chicago featuring a 10-foot Japanese bell, world-famous DJ sets, and funky lights. Make your VIP request here."
"Tao Chicago opened with great fanfare in 2018, revealing an astonishing reimagining of a circa-1892 landmark in River North. The historic property, with its stone structure and arc..."
"An outpost of the New York City original, TAO is a large two-level space with four private dining rooms and a large bar. Daybed sofas abound and the eclectic lounge is a perfect bl..."
"Description: This casual restaurant definitely wins for the most beautiful sushi accompanied with beautiful designs. Be sure to try the Avocado Mango Salad and one of the Special Rolls (like the one featured above.) You better have a camera on hand, because these dishes CANNOT be eaten without snapping a pic on Instagram or Snapchat, trust me. #SpoonTip: Yuzu is BYOB!"
"Restaurants Japanese River West/West Town. This BYOB-friendly West Town sushi joint serves monstrous rolls with a side of art. Some of the Yuzu jumbo rolls are served on platters that are decorated with colorful sauces in Instagram-worthy patterns and shapes."
"Eating Sushi with chopsticks daintily dangling between your fingers is standard. But sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to go all out with a massive platter full of crazy-looking rolls. The gastronomic experience becomes even more fun if you have a couple of boisterous friends with a good appetite in the group."
"This River North restaurant is all about customary styles of Japanese comfort food, from robata-style dishes, to bold, clever riffs on familiar sushi offerings. Bamboo-skewered items are grilled over traditional Japanese binchotan charcoals from the seaside village of Wakayama, resulting in smoky, bite-sized takes on Chilean sea bass, American wagyu steak, and chicken wings. Sushi enthusiasts should go straight for rolls like the smoked eel (with avocado, cabbage, and karashi aioli) or the spicy tako (with Spanish octopus, spicy tuna, and jalapeno)."
"Sandy Chen has been keeping Evanston well-sated with her Chinese cuisine for over 20 years. In addition to the expansive a la carte menu, she’s doing some specials for the Chinese New Year that are filled with auspiciously lucky foods like Spring Rolls and Dumplings (wealth), Peanuts (long life), Fish and Rice Cakes (increased prosperity), and Lychee (close family ties). You won’t want to miss those Seafood Pan-Fried Noodles (Happiness and Longevity)!"
"A healthy seafood meal is on offer when you visit Catch 35, with only the finest, freshest ingredients going into making your meal perfect, tasty and within a balanced diet. This restaurant is a fine dining experience - the Chilean Sea Bass comes highly recommended even by those who aren’t fans of seafood. With starters such as coconut shrimp and a chocolate cake so good it has to be tasted to be believed, this is a dining experience that will stay with you for all the right reasons."
"Catch 35 masters seasonal dishes such as Alaskan halibut and Block Island swordfish. Seared yellow fin tuna and szechwan scallops are also favorites, complemented by steak options as well as stir-fry. Guests can enjoy live jazz while savoring crab legs and oysters on the half shell."
"Breakfast: Monday – Friday 7 – 10:30 am, Saturday 7 – 11:30 am, Sunday 8 – 11:30 am Lunch: Monday – Friday 10:30 am – 3:30 pm, Saturday 11:30 am – 3:30 pm Dinner: Monday – Wednesday, Saturday 3:30 – 8 pm, Tuesday – Friday 3:30 – 9 pm, Sunday 11:30 am – 3:30 pm. Hold up… a soul food buffet?. Does this list get any better!?"
"Source: Photo by Flickr user Michael Coghlan used under CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo is only for illustrative purposes. Classic brunch buffet food with a genuine Southern twist is what you’ll uncover at Pearl’s Place."
"Great money wise and you get a huge variety of things to eat--not just Chinese food. Their Won Ton Soup is the bomb!"
"Just beyond the aquarium is the Adler Planetarium, which when constructed in 1930 became America's first planetarium. The building is more than a museum; it is a laboratory, a classroom, and a community exploring the Universe together. Each year half a million visitors experience the museum's interactive exhibitions, live planetarium shows, hands-on educational programs, and world-class collections."
"Finish your ride at the waterfront behind the Alder Planetarium, for your very last photography stop. With dreamy views of the skyline framed by the glittering lake, it’s considered one of the best spots in the city to watch the sunset and makes for the perfect ending to a whirlwind Chicago getaway."
"Art Institute of Chicago* – Fast PassOR Adler Planetarium* – VIP Entry *Your CityPASS tickets include the option for you to choose between two attractions. There’s no need to decide upfront where you’d like to visit. You can choose when you get there."