A list of the best Japanese restaurants in Chicago including restaurants serving sushi, ramen, and teppanyaki plus some creative modern Japanese restaurants and Asian fusion restaurants.
The West Loop is one of neighborhoods with the highest concentration of Japanese restaurants including several fine dining omakase restaurants.
If you want sushi, here is a guide to the best sushi in Chicago.
Last updated: March 2022
The Best Japanese Restaurants in Chicago:
Table of Contents
This list of the best Japanese restaurants in Chicago has been organized by neighborhood.
Albany Park:
Lawrence Fish Market
Japanese, Sushi, Lunch
A counter-service cash-only spot selling party trays and sushi to-go. If you need a lot of sushi at an affordable price, this is the place to go.
Andersonville:
Tanoshii Mike’s Sushi
Japanese, Sushi, Asian
A sushi restaurant offering an omakase menu and an a la carte menu of sushi, maki, udon, and cooked meat entrees.
Bucktown:
Coast Sushi
Japanese, Sushi, Asian, Vegetarian/Vegan
This BYOB sushi restaurant has a large menu offering sushi, sashimi, maki, and a handful of cooked meat dishes like yakisoba, teriyaki with your choice of meat or seafood, and tamarind duck.
Chinatown:
Hing Kee
Asian
Hing Kee serves Pan Asian cuisine and is known for their noodle soup and soup dumplings. A large menu also includes Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Thai cuisine.
Strings Ramen Shop
Japanese, Ramen, Asian, Lunch, Vegetarian/Vegan
A ramen restaurant that makes fresh noodles daily. The menu includes over a dozen different ramen including a few vegan options. There are additional locations in Lakeview and Hyde Park.
Daifuku Ramen
Japanese, Asian
The menu at Daifuku is centered around seven preparations of ramen with the option to add toppings ranging from soft boiled eggs, to wood ear mushrooms and nori. The menu also has some small plate appetizers like gyoza and edamame.
Another restaurant in the family of Joy Yee eateries, Joy Yee Plus serves Shabu-shabu, a Japanese hotpot dish with thinly sliced meats and vegetables.
Humboldt Park:
Kyōten
Japanese, Sushi, Fine Dining
Kyōten is perhaps the most expensive sushi restaurant in Chicago. The omakase experience ranges in price from $440 to $490 per person, excluding beverages. The restaurant is reservation only.
Hyde Park:
Kikuya Japanese Restaurant
Japanese, Sushi, Asian
Kikuya serves sushi, sashimi, noodle soups, rice bowls, and larger plated meals like pork tonkatsu, salmon teriyaki, and chicken teriyaki. Lunch is served on weekdays.
Irving Park:
Raisu Japanese Fine Dining
Japanese, Sushi
Raisu flies their fish in from Japan weekly and serves an omakase menu and a large a la carte menu.
Lakeview:
Little Wok
Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Lunch
A restaurant serving a mix of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai cuisine – and they do it all well. It’s a great option for groups. Little Wok as a second location in Wicker Park.
Wakamono
Japanese, Sushi
Wakamono serves a mix of sushi and hot Japanese cuisine. Hot appetizers include lobster sliders, baked scallops, and seared tuna. The sushi menu is huge, and a bulgogi bowl, chicken katsu curry, ramen, and teriyaki bowls are among the cooked meals.
Lincoln Park:
Macku Sushi
Japanese, Sushi, Fine Dining
An upscale sushi restaurant that is perfect for a special occasion. Travel and Leisure named Macku Sushi one of the 20 best sushi restaurants in the U.S. and certainly one of the very best Japanese restaurants in Chicago. Currently, Macku Sushi is offering an Omakase tasting menu for $150 per person.
Juno Sushi Chicago
Sushi
Juno serves elegantly plated sushi, nigiri, sashimi, maki, and sake plus some cooked items. This restaurant is considered one of the best sushi restaurants in the country.
Sushi Suite
Japanese
An omakase speakeasy with just six seats that is located within a suite at the Hotel Lincoln.
Lincoln Square:
Miku Sushi
Japanese, Sushi, Asian, Lunch
Miku Sushi serves ramen, poke bowls, and skewers in addition to sushi, sashimi, nigiri, and maki. Bento boxes are available at lunchtime.
Logan Square:
Furious Spoon
Japanese, Ramen, Lunch
Furious Spoon specializes in ramen and also serves dumplings and cocktails. The restaurant is a casual spot known for playing hip-hop.
Old Town:
Kamehachi
Asian, Japanese, Sushi
A family-owned restaurant serves both sushi and cooked meat and noodle dishes. The menu is large enough that it has something for everyone. The restaurant itself is beautiful and fitting for a date night, while it is large enough to accommodate groups. Kamehachi has been in business for over 40 years and is one of the best restaurants in Old Town.
Pilsen:
312 Fish Market
Japanese, Sushi, Lunch
Located within 88 Marketplace’s food court, 312 Fish Market focuses on party trays ranging in size from 48 pieces of sushi to 96 pieces. Of, if you aren’t feeding a crowd, individual pieces of nigiri and sashimi are available as are individual sushi rolls.
River North:
Sushi-san
Sushi, Japanese, Lunch
A casual sushi restaurant that plays old-school hip-hop music, Sushi-san offers grab n’go lunch and late night eats in addition to a sit down lunch and dinner. For a more formal dining experience, go to the ten seat Omakase Room which serves an 18-course tasting menu.
Ramen-san
Ramen, Japanese, Lunch
Ramen-san’s original location offers an express lunch (pictured above), lunch, dinner, and late night bites seven days a week. The menu has mantou buns, chicken wings, and dumplings in addition to six varieties of ramen.
South Loop:
Thai Spoon and Sushi
Thai, Sushi, Japanese, Asian, Lunch
Thai Spoon and Sushi serves a large menu that includes both Thai and Japanese food. Thai dishes include curries, fried rice, and noodle dishes like pad Thai and pad see ew. Sushi, maki, nigiri, and sashimi are all on the Japanese menu. A variety of vegetarian sushi is offered.
Shang Noodle & Asian Small Plates
Chinese, Japanese, Asian, Breakfast, Lunch
Located within the Hilton Homewood Suites, Shang Noodle serves three meals a day and is known for their noodles which are freshly prepared in house. The menu has a mix of dim sum, noodle soups, maki, nigiri, and sashimi plus Peking duck.
Sumi Sushi
Japanese, Sushi, Asian, Lunch
This restaurant specializes in fresh sushi but also serves ramen, udon, and hibachi dishes.
Umai
Japanese, Sushi, Lunch
This rustic welcoming Japanese restaurant has a huge menu of sushi, nigiri, sashimi, and cooked dishes like udon, ramen, and rice dishes.
Niu B
Asian, Japanese, Sushi
A restaurant serving contemporary Japanese and Pan-Asian cuisine. Niu B’s menu has a wonderful variety of sushi, maki, nigiri, and sashimi, and cooked noodle and rice dishes.
Kai Sushi
Sushi, Japanese, Asian
The menu at this restaurant has a wide variety of sushi, sashimi, and maki plus udon soup and some appetizers.
Streeterville:
Ron of Japan
Japanese, Steakhouse, Sushi
A teppanyaki-style restaurant with a menu focused on steaks and seafood.
West Loop:
Momotaro
Japanese, Sushi, Asian
Momotaro has an extensive nigiri, sashimi, and sushi menu plus cooked robatayaki items. This restaurant can easily please even those who don’t eat raw fish. In 2018, the restaurant was named the best Japanese restaurant in Chicago by Michelin.
Sushi Dokku
Japanese, Sushi
Sushi Dokku focuses on sushi and sashimi but the menu also includes some meat dishes plus udon and ramen. Booze Box, a sake and whiskey lounge, is located below the restaurant.
Ramen-san Whiskey Bar
Japanese, Asian, Lunch
Owned by Lettuce Entertain You, Ramen-san has three locations and a menu featuring six varieties of ramen plus mantou buns, chicken wings, and dumplings. The West Loop location is open for lunch, dinner, and late-night dining every day.
Kumiko
Japanese, Asian
From the same owners as Oriole, Kumiko is a “dining bar” where food and drink are treated with equal importance. An omakase cocktail tasting is available. The food menu is carefully curated and includes oysters, braised short rib, iberico pork, and a wagyu beef sandwich. Kumiko is an 18+ establishment.
High Five Ramen
Ramen, Japanese, Asian
With just 16 seats, it isn’t easy to get a seat at this restaurant in the basement of Green Street Smoked Meats. The menu has just four types of ramen plus the option to add extras like mushrooms, an egg, box choy or pork belly.
Nobu
Sushi, Asian, Lunch, Breakfast/Brunch
Located within the Nobu hotel, this restaurant in the heart of the Fulton Market District serves three meals a day and has a vast menu that includes sushi, nigiri, and sashimi plus a variety of hot dishes, tempura, and A5 wagyu. At dinner, an omakase menu is offered in addition to the a la carte menu. Nobu has a smart casual dress code so plan accordingly.
Ramen Takeya
Ramen, Japanese, Asian
Ramen Takeya specializes in chicken patina ramen which is distinctive for its lighter broth. In addition to six types of ramen, the menu has buns, rice bowls, and small plates.
Omakase Takeya
Sushi, Japanese, Asian
A sister restaurant to Ramen Takeya that serves a 15 course 75 minute Chef’s omakase experience for $99 a person.
Omakase Yume
Sushi, Japanese, Asian
This restaurant serves a 16 course omakase menu that changes daily for $185 per person. There are three seatings per evening with just 6 seats per seating. The restaurant received a Michelin star in 2021.
Mako
Japanese
Mako offers are 15 course omakase tasting menu for $175 with the option of a wine pairing for $95. In 2020, the restaurant received a Michelin star.
Gaijin
Japanese, Asian, Lunch
Giajin specializes in Osaka-style Okonomiyaki (Japanese savory cabbage pancakes) and Kakigōri (a shaved ice dessert). The restaurant offers both an a la carte menu and a $39 four-course tasting menu. Gaijin is open from 11 am until 10 pm seven days a week.
Komo
Japanese, Latin, Sushi
A restaurant from Chef Macku Chan, who also runs Macku Sushi, that serves an omakase menu, a tasting menu with a mix of sushi and cooked food, and an a la carte menu.
West Town:
Kai Zan
Japanese, Sushi
A Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant that tops lists of the best Japanese restaurants in Chicago. Kai Zan utilizes both modern and traditional Japanese culinary techniques to create an omakase experience. An a la carte menu is also available and it includes some cooked entrees like meat skewers and soba noodles.
Yuzu Sushi and Robata Grill
Japanese, Sushi, Lunch
Yuzu serves Japanese grilled skewers in addition to sushi. This restaurant is known for their jumbo rolls which come with intricately decorated sauces. The restaurant recently launched a cocktail menu.
Arami
Sushi, Japanese
A sushi restaurant that received a Michelin Bib Gourmand win. Arami offers an omakase tasting menu and an a la carte menu with maki, nigiri, and sashimi. Arami has a second location inside the Time Out Market food hall.
Wicker Park:
Oiistar
Japanese, Asian
A phenomenal ramen restaurant. Oiistar’s broths are rich and creamy. The pork belly is cooked to perfection. We’ve tried much of the menu at this little gem of a restaurant and while it’s all lovely, the ramen is something you don’t want to miss.
Little Wok
Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai
See full description under Lakeview.
Komorebi
Asian, Sushi
Komorebi has a large menu of sushi and sashimi and many consider it to be the best sushi Japanese restaurant in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. The menu is very focused on sushi, so it’s best not to bring people who aren’t fans of sushi.
zFPWdwPk
Friday 26th of July 2024
1
wkwklotery96
Friday 26th of January 2024
situs slot online https://wkwklotery.id/
The Best Asian Restaurants in Chicago - cityguidetochicago.com
Monday 28th of March 2022
[…] do have separate listings of the best Japanese restaurants in Chicago and the best Chinese restaurants in Chicago. We have included those restaurants in this guide as […]