Diners' Choice: Japanese restaurants in Chicago / Illinois

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Japanese cuisine in Chicago / Illinois? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Sushi Mura

4.9

4.9 (28)

$30 and under

Japanese

Lakeview / East Lakeview

About the restaurant

Sushi Mura is located in Chicago, Illinois, and serves Japanese cuisine in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Enjoy one of the restaurantÕs specials named after a regular customer and youÕll see how Sushi Mura cares for the diners. The menu for lunch and dinner at Sushi Mura contains a mixture of the traditional dishes youÕll find in many Japanese restaurants and many unusual ones as well. Some of these include sweet jalapeno, DannyÕs super awesome roll, white dragon roll, temptation roll, shumai, gyoza, seaweed salad, bi-bim-bop, katsu, ramen and yaki soba. Desserts like the tempura ice cream are a perfect ending.

Top review

Anita

Dined on Aug 10, 2024

We could have done without the music and also, without the dog barking at the table next to ours (at outside tables). Otherwise, it was great!

Tanoshii - West Loop

4.9

4.9 (769)

$31 to $50

Japanese

West Loop

About the restaurant

Try our unique omakase where our chefs will work around your restrictions to course out a mix of traditional, and non-traditional, fare. With signature dishes like our fish & chips and bluefin truffle sashimi, dressed nigiri pieces, and our off menu "special rolls", let our chefs take care of you. Otherwise, order from the menu with many small-bite options, nigiri/sashimi, maki, entrees, or order the chef special rolls à la carte. We pride ourselves on our fish quality. We also have vegetarian off menu special rolls and many vegetarian options!

We have a full bar, which features a full selection of Japanese whisky, sake, cocktails, and more.

Also, since this comes up so often, all of the (many, many) plants throughout the restaurant are real!

We have no affiliation with any other Tanoshii and Sushi Mike

Top review

eddie

Dined on Aug 28, 2024

Food and service perfect. One of my fav meals when in Chicago! Highly recommend. Also accommodate plant based!

Kansaku

4.9

4.9 (450)

$30 and under

Japanese

Evanston

About the restaurant

Whether you seek familiar sushi preparations, traditional Japanese cooking or unique and innovative contemporary cuisine that blends Asian and Western cooking styles, Kansaku's seasonal cuisine, comfortable décor and knowledgeable service will provide you and your guests a dining experience that is both entirely satisfying and highly memorable. Kansaku opened its first location in the heart of downtown in Evanston on November 13, 2006. Kansaku delivers the concept of contemporary Japanese fine dining at its best leaving you with an experience that will have you coming back for more.

Top review

Richard

Dined 6 days ago

Our service and the food were excellent, especially the fish dishes. It's a great place to enjoy a Japanese meal with many choices. The noise level was low, so conversations were easy. We loved it!

Nabuki

4.8

4.8 (1463)

$50 and over

Japanese

Hinsdale

About the restaurant

Located in historic downtown Hinsdale. Chef Juan and Nabuki are committed to creating edible art. Offering a fusion of innovate dishes. Chef Juan exhibits his mastery of the art of Sushi by creating traditional Japanese dishes with a Latin flare.

Top review

Ronvip

Dined 4 days ago

Nabuki is a family favorite. The sushi is "out of this world" awesome. The hostesses & wait staff are professional and friendly. They are always accommodating and helpful. This is a world class restaurant.

Arami

4.7

4.7 (947)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Bucktown / Wicker Park

About the restaurant

Located in West Town, Arami’s warm and charming ambience is matched by the contemporary Japanese cuisine it serves. Chef Nelson Vinansaca offers a tier of thoughtful and delectable omakase featuring a variety of specialty nigiri. Omakase menus range from a 5-piece nigiri to a 16-course chef tasting menu with various additions like beverage pairings, truffles and caviar.

Top review

Scottvip

Dined on Aug 22, 2024

I'll be sad to see Arami go...the best neighborhood sushi spot in the city....always amazing food and service

The Omakase Room at Sushi-san

4.9

4.9 (62)

$50 and over

Japanese

River North (Chicago)

About the restaurant

The Omakase Room at Sushi-san is a culmination of Master Sushi Chefs Kaze Chan and Shigeru Kitano’s combined experience defining the Chicago sushi scene. While the menu and service are informed by tradition, guests can expect a transcendent experience that breaks down the formality and austerity usually accompanying omakase dining. Each dinner in the warm, modern, and intimate ten-seat space features luxury ingredients from around the world. Sophisticated and carefully curated beverage pairings are available to complement the meal.

Top review

E162vip

Dined on Aug 30, 2024

Truly one of the best meals of our lives. Until now, I had been hesitant to splurge on omakase in Chicago. You have a restaurant purpose built for the show, and the dedication and creativity to make it happen. The intimacy of only ten diners, all enjoying the same thing at the same time, was very unique. The space is inviting, the staff extremely attentive and knowledgeable. And of 17 courses, we loved 16. That’s a pretty amazing hit rate. We also liked all the paired sake, and wish we knew more about Japanese whisky with such an amazing list of hundreds of bottles. We especially enjoyed the tuna tartare with osetria caviar, the bonito, Chutoro, all three sashimi fish, and of course the waygu. Chef Kaze explains it all including how to best eat it, and steps back to allow diners to enjoy each bite.

Discover more

Experience

Omakase Reservation Deposit

Experience

The Omakase Room x IWA Sake with Richard Geoffroy

Blufish Sushi Robata - Vernon Hills

4.8

4.8 (1193)

$30 and under

Japanese

Vernon Hills

About the restaurant

WE ARE MOVING RESERVATIONS TO TOCK ON MONDAY AUGUST 26TH.

Please be advised that we are switching our reservation system to Tock starting on Monday August 26th. You will still be able to book through OpenTable until this date. If you are looking to make a reservation and can't find us here on OpenTable, please check Tock
https://www.exploretock.com/blufishvernonhills?tock_source=tock&tock_medium=search_nav
or call us at the restaurant directly.

Top review

Amanvip

Dined on Aug 25, 2024

We love the food! I have been here many times and will continue to come. Great for sushi

Tenjin

4.8

4.8 (56)

$30 and under

Japanese

Lincolnwood

About the restaurant

Renga Tei is Tenjin Restaurant now.
Tenjin restaurant serves everyone’s favorite Japanese dishes from yesteryear, and Chef Naoki has developed many contemporary dishes to keep your taste buds happy and satisfied.
We hope that Tenjin will become one of your go-to Japanese Restaurants.

Top review

jeanettevip

Dined 7 days ago

We came back and brought our friends for a birthday dinner celebration. We were all impressed with all the items, everything was fresh, delicious and the staff were very attentive to us. We had the gyoza, potato croquettes, edamame, crispy tuna with jalapeño bites and few of their specialty rolls. - crunchy tuna - crunchy salmon - Tamago nigiri - dragon We also had the curry with pork! Actively spreading the word to our other foodie friends. Our bill was about 200ish and that included a cork fee of 30 dollars which was surprisingly affordable. We are very happy they provide a the cork fee option! Can't wait to try more items on the menu and the best part is they are only a few blocks away from our house so it's nice to walk over.

Gyu-Kaku - Chicago, IL | Lakeview

4.7

4.7 (512)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Lakeview / East Lakeview

About the restaurant

Founded in Tokyo in 1996, Gyu-Kaku has become the world’s #1 Japanese BBQ brand! Thanks to our devoted fans we have reached over 700 locations worldwide. Each day, hundreds of thousands of people gather around the table-top smokeless grill, a centerpiece of our dining concept, enjoying selections of premium meats, just off the grill, and other freshly prepared foods from our kitchens, inspiring laughter, conversation, and a magical dining experience.

Our authentic yakiniku (grilled barbeque) dining experience crowns you the chef. Share a variety of delicious appetizers and premium cooked meats over a flaming grill, paired with Japanese sake, frosty cold beers, or other alcoholic and non-alcoholic options of your choice. We're the perfect spot to enjoy time with friends and family, organize an office party, or to spend quality time with your significant other!

Before you go, don't forget to taste our best-seller Harami Skirt Steak or Prime Kalbi Short Rib among other must-try dishes!

Top review

Emma

Dined 6 days ago

Meat is always spot on! Pork dumplings are my favorite!

Discover more

Experience

Prix-Fixe Yakiniku Courses for Everyone!

Akahoshi Ramen

4.8

4.8 (288)

$30 and under

Japanese

Logan Square

About the restaurant

Akahoshi Ramen is a humble ramen shop in the city of Chicago. Everything is made in the restaurant, including all soups, seasonings, toppings, and noodles.

We are not an authentic ramen shop, though we value the history of ramen, and our ramen is influenced by its past and its future potential. The dish, popularized in Japan after World War 2, is symbolic of both struggle and perseverance. It is both a simple dish, and a fantastically complex one that we treat with reverence and respect.

Roughly translating to “Red Star,” the name “Akahoshi” is a love letter to two cities; Sapporo, Hokkaido, where red stars adorn city monuments, and Chicago, Illinois, where the red star decorates the city flag. Our ramen is influenced by Japanese and American ideals in cooking.

We hope you will join us to enjoy a bowl of ramen, made with the respect and passion it deserves.

Top review

rudy

Dined 2 days ago

Best Ramen I've had in Chicago to date. Incredibly quick service for such a high quality offering.

Explore Diners' Choice best of Chicago / Illinois

Explore more Diners' Choice lists