Sushi Bar in Bloomingdale

Located a minute away from Stratford Square Mall, Sushi Bar is one of the most convenient locations for me. Whenever I am running errands and start to crave sushi, this is where I usually stop in. Nothing overly fancy, nothing to catch your eye.. BUT the food is always fresh and the service is always great.


My friend and I come in here at least 3x a month. Sometimes more of than that. No matter what time of day you come in, you can get 3 rolls (CA, spicy salmon, spicy tuna) for $10. For lunch they offer a lot of great bento box specials.

As regulars to the restaurant, we know that often times the sushi chefs will send out a complimentary order of a kamekazi. I'm still not sure exactly what's in it but it's great :)



The servers are always very attentive and kind. My friend and I went last week, and the server was even surprised we were ordering so much. He said "Are you sure? You will be full!" and when he returned at the end to see empty plates, he smiled and said "Oh! You finish! Good job!" He probably thought we were fatties, but he was so sincere in his kindness! :)

To check out Sushi Bar for yourself,
simply give them a call (630) 894-9088
or visit them at 369 W Army Trail Road (in the strip mall with Kinko's and Lou Malnati's)

Maki Sushi - Park Ridge

my boyfriend and i came here, excited at having found a new sushi bar.. only to be very disappointed.

food = overpriced for the simplicity and lack of creativity. the reason sushi can be so pricey is because it is a form of edible art. not only were the maki rolls too simple and americanized, they were only accompanied by one plastic piece of garnish: the green thing that you can find separating rolls from ginger + wasabi in the packs you buy at the grocery store.

i believe the owners were attempting to provide an intimate atmosphere by having only a few dim lights.. but this is ruined by 1) a TOO dark atmosphere and 2) a lack of privacy as the tables are too close and the music does not promote a sophisticated meal. The place wasn't THAT crowded when we were there, but somehow i felt as if i could listen in on everyone's conversations if i wanted to..

as far as service.. well, we decided to only order 2 rolls first: a volcano and a maam's special.. both of which came about 20 minutes later.. volcano is one of my favorite rolls, but i was quite disappointed with the volcano roll here. as i picked it up, not only was it fairly slippery, oil was dripping off of it (they deep-fry theirs)! slightly unsatisfied w' the quality of our choices, we ended up ordering 2 more rolls. this time we ordered a salmon skin roll and a regular salmon roll. now tell me why it took them longer to make 2 simple, uncooked rolls than the 2 first rolls, one of which was deep fried???

bottom line, i left a $0.30 tip for a $44.70 meal. i believe i left too much.

Sushi in St. Charles

In St. Charles, there are two sushi places that I've visited (frequently). Both are located within a mile of each other on North Ave (IL-64) and offer two different takes on sushi experiences.

First up, Sushi Yama. I've only been here for lunch, but I frequent this place with my friend a lot. We usually get there at 11:30-12pm, right when they open, so we are usually the only ones there. Their lunch specials are amazing. For $10, you can choose 3 maki rolls (see below) and get miso soup and a house salad. If 3 rolls is too much, you can order 2 rolls for $7. The salad at Sushi Yama, although looks plain and simple, is amazing. They use a light vinegarette that compliments the meal perfectly. They also have plenty of sushi a la carte if you're craving other rolls (see below).

If you'd rather not have sushi and would like to stick with other Japanese dishes, they also have good deals on bento boxes. For less than $9, you can get Chicken, Steak, or Salmon Teriyaki, or Pork Cutlet, with 3 pieces California Roll, miso soup, and rice.

The food is always served quickly, but not hurriedly. The art of sushi is still present when your food arrives. The staff is very polite and attentive. Definitely a great place to grab a bite of your favorite roll(s) at a great price.

And as a "dessert" I would DEFINITELY recommend getting a Tropical Roll:
It's basically a california roll but with a mango overlay, drizzled with a strawberry sauce.

Also, if you spend over $50, don't forget to mention their website for $10 off.

For more information, check out their website or call them at (630) 443-8890

---

Secondly, House of Tokyo. What makes this place unique in the area is that it features two types of dining: teppanyaki (the chefs cook in front of you) and a floating sushi bar.

I've been here several times, and I'd have to say this is one of my more favorite lunch places to go visit. For $1.50 per plate, you can get a "taste" of PLENTY of different sushi rolls, as well as other japanese dishes. They also have a menu so if you want something that you don't see rotating around the bar, you can always ask.

The only downside I would have to say, is going for dinner. The price increases to $2.50 per plate at night, which can make your total bill really go up. But Monday thru Thursday, you can do a buffet of sushi for $22 / person.. In my opinion, however, this is still a bit overpriced.


The best deal really is at lunch time. It's a great way to try new things too. Each plate comes with just one or two pieces of sushi [* both nigiri and maki *] or egg rolls, gyoza, or other appetizer type of plates. It's also very fun and exciting to watch what new pieces will go around the water, and can be kind of a competition when it comes to getting that piece you've been eyeing before the person before you does.

The staff is always very attentive and accomodating, no matter how busy they get.. I haven't eaten at the teppanyaki section yet, but I hope to soon..

For more information, just stop in or call them at (630) 587-8711.

House of Sushi + Noodles

Located on the corner of Belmont and Damen in Chicago, House of Sushi and Noodle is a great little secret. From the looks of the outside, you may not expect much, and the inside is pretty ordinary as well. Don't let this fool you however, because this is a favorite amongst many locals and outsiders from all around Chicago.

The greatest part of this restaurant is their buffet. For just $13.95 (per person), you can order as many rolls as you can eat. Your server will come to the table with a list of their selections, then you pick two rolls at a time. Careful though - if you don't finish your food, you'll be charged a fine of $5.

If you're not expecting to eat much, don't go for the buffet. Their rolls are amazingly huge. If you're going to go for lunch (Mon - Sat 12pm - 2:30), check out their specials. You won't be paying more than $10 for a satisfying meal.

The service was great, the food was filling, and the experience was amazing. My friend and I drove a little less than one hour, but it was completely worth it. I only wish it were closer so I could visit more frequently!

For more information, check out their website for more information.

Or call them at 773)935.9110

RA Sushi

RA Sushi, located on the corner of State and Elm, is pretty much a chill, yet hip sushi restaurant / bar.

My friend and I arrived promptly at 4pm, just in time for the Happy Hour specials. Everything on the menu was under $5. Although they only had about 4 different rolls available for the deal, a few appetizers completed the list to satisfy that craving I had hoped to fulfill.

We tried the spinach gyoza (pictured above), as well as all 4 rolls on the menu: 1 California roll, 1 Spicy Tuna roll, 1 Shrimp Tempura roll, 1 Tootsy Maki*. We also ordered a Crazy Monkey Roll* (pictured below) as well.

For the price we paid, we didn't expect to eat so well. The food was satisfying, and the prices were amazing. One dilemma we ran into, however, was the service. Our server was pretty attentive and perky towards the beginning of our visit, but once business started to pick up, she hardly stopped by our table. After handing us our check, we waited about 15 minutes for her to return to pick it up.

Nevertheless, I believe RA Sushi was overly rewarding. I would definitely recommend anyone to try it out. For those who aren't crazy over the "raw food" business, there are plenty of options for you as well. Although the rolls are pretty "americanized" and not so much "authentic sushi", visiting RA was an experience that left me confident enough to plan another trip again sometime soon.

You can check them out for yourself - website or call them at 312)274.0011


*Tootsy Maki - "Crab mix, shrimp and cucumber rolled and topped with crunchy tempura bits and drizzled with a sweet eel sauce."

*Crazy Monkey Roll - "Smoked salmon, mango and cream cheese, topped with avocado, red tempura bits, cashew nuts, and drizzled with mango sauce."

quick introductions

So, I've always loved sushi, but I never really ventured off to find good sushi. I pretty much just went wherever my family decided to have lunch / dinner and just eat.

This year, I've started to drive all around Chicago to check out some good deals and good eats.

I've lived in the Chicago suburbs for about 13 years.. I love that I'm far enough away from the city to sleep in silence at night and go star gazing anytime it's clear out.. but I'm also close enough from the city to just hop on a train and go public trans or even walk to wherever I need to go in Chicago.

Because there are only a few places that I've been going to lately, this page won't have too many reviews / pictures yet.. but trust me - that'll change. Summer around here allows me to actually get out and find the fun places.. Especially in the Chicago area.

Please note that I am in no way affiliated with any of the sushi places I review in this blog.

[* however, I DO wish I knew someone who could make me sushi for dinner on a regular basis! :) *]

If anyone has any suggestions on good sushi bars / restaurants in the area, let me know! I'm always open for some good leads =)