Ikigai Sushi & Izakaya Reviews
Submitted by Natalie Chung on 04/28/2022
Natalie Chung 5 stars rating.
If you want actually authentic (not Americanized) Japanese food that is not over-salted, as most things are in this area, come here! I was amazed to see real crab in the California rolls. The miso is true Japanese red miso. Meat was cooked perfectly and the scallop skewers were seasoned delicately. The decor is subtle and refined. The service was efficient. Come here if you want real Japanese food, not over salted overpriced fusion nonsense. 5 stars!! Please don’t change.
kJ v 5 stars rating.
I have had the great privilege of dining at many top Sushi restaurants in Chicago and beyond. Ikigai was a fantastic experience made even better by the superb selection of ingredients chosen by chef and team. I truly enjoyed every morsel and bite as shared with love by the staff and chefs. 10 out of 10! Cannot recommend enough!! Thank you, Chef Jeff!
Submitted by Kj V on 09/16/2022
Adrian Pop 4 stars rating.
Upsides:
The sushi here is definitely better than what you might find at othet similar restaurants in the area. The wasabi is actually wasabi and not green horseradish.
The Japanese tasting menu has enough food for two people. Note that the sashimi comes with two pieces of each fish, but the nigiri comes with only one piece of each fish/cut so some creativity is needed if you're sharing.
Some of the things we tried were really interesting and tasty. The skewers (ribs and chicken) were really tasty and flavorful! We also ordered two pieces of the Uni Sushi (sea urchin). Very interesting taste and texture.
Downsides:
The Miso soup was a bit cold when it arrived. It definitely tastes better when it's hot. The tempura vegetables were a bit cold too and also a bit bland, even with the sauce. A couple of sashimi and nigiri pieces had some chewy connective tissue atached to them at that made the eating a bit unpleasant.
Note:
The restaurant does not sell alcohol at the moment so you need to bring your own drinks if you want any. Water/soda is available.
Submitted by Adrian Pop on 08/09/2022
Mary Pellettieri 5 stars rating.
Real sushi, for the purists... and amazing grilled items too. Simple and true to the craft. This is not the place for big rolls and mayo. If you enjoy the purity of what sushi offers and unusual selections of fish, go here. Even the Wasabi is better! You get an amazing experience in a casual environment. BYOB right now!
Submitted by Mary Pellettieri on 08/02/2022
Angela Suh 5 stars rating.
Every single plate we had from this place was so good!! Would def. recommend to anyone looking for a good japanese restaurant. Since we know its byob, we will definitely bring some beer next time to enjoy the kushiyaki better :)
Submitted by Angela Suh on 07/31/2022
Christopher Larry Scharra 5 stars rating.
Came for the reviews and did not disappoint. Sushi was fresh, rice was on point, sashimi cuts were flavorful. Welcome to the neighborhood Ikigai
Submitted by Christopher Larry Scharra on 07/23/2022
alan fang 5 stars rating.
Wonderful find. A brand new restaurant with a pleasant vibe on the inside. The quality from their food to their service to their decor was a great first impression for such a new restaurant. Though they could use a boost to their drinks menu, their food is an absolute must try for anyone wanting great Japanese food.
The nigiri omakase had some of the most beautiful tasting nigiri I've had. Every piece had a wonderfully delicate taste that you'd expect from high quality fresh sushi. It was a wonderful experience of unique textures and subtle flavors. Some stand out pieces from the omakase was the uni/octopus nigiri (I think it was octopus I don't have the great memory) which had a playful texture and flavor to it and the sardine nigiri which pleasantly surprised me on how much depth of flavor it had when charred a bit. $69 for the nigiri omakase is well worth the price so I would recommend for anyone coming in!
Besides the amazing sushi, there's plenty of other non-sushi related items you can choose from! The chicken skewers had an amazing sweet sauce on it that paired nicely with the grilled sweet pepper skewers it came with. The bonito flakes were a nice add-on for the sweet peppers but could probably use a little more salt, delicious nonetheless.
Can't wait to make this my new regular, I'll absolutely have to try the other items on the menu although the sushi will always be tempting to go back to. A great discovery and I'm looking forward to making this place my new go-to spot in Chicago.
Submitted by Alan Fang on 06/18/2022
Karen (華蓮) 5 stars rating.
Searching for places to eat in the local area of River North, Ikigai Sushi popped out as the one of newly opened sushi restaurants. My friend and I just wanted to catch up and Ikigai’s atmosphere is not too busy and not too quiet. We were able to savor our food and listen to our stories.
We had one of their sushi setto and we really enjoyed how fresh the fish was so we ended up ordering more sushi ???? definitely this is a great place for the casual active sushi eater. My personal plus is the hot green tea we had available as we ate.
Thank you so much for your friendliness and welcoming us to Ikigai, hope to see you again !
Submitted by Karen (華蓮) on 06/02/2022
Remi B 5 stars rating.
Amazing spot! Sushi quality is great. Service is great. Taste and flavors are great. Definitely recommend!
Submitted by Remi B on 05/27/2022
Mustafa Siddiqui 5 stars rating.
Traditional menu with a knowledgeable and kind staff. The Strawberry mochi was an absolute 10/10 and everything else was cooked to perfection.
Come here before they become popular to the point tables are available!
Submitted by Mustafa Siddiqui on 05/15/2022
Connor Ghita 4 stars rating.
The sushi was good and fresh. For $12 I got 6 little pieces of tuna roll, so the price is on the high end here. The atmosphere was on point. Service is good.
Submitted by Connor Ghita on 05/14/2022
Tanvarat Kisantear 5 stars rating.
A must try! Amazing sushi. Friendly staff! We had nigiri and sashimi omakase. Every piece was full of flavor, so fresh you can taste it. We also ordered Ikigai Yasai and Ikigai Kushiyaki. My favorites were Hotate, Kawa, and Sunagimo. End the night with uni shooter!! My new favorite sushi restaurant!
Submitted by Tanvarat Kisantear on 05/07/2022
Robin D. 5 stars rating.
We really enjoyed our meal at Ikigai and would love to go back on our next trip to Chicago! The service was prompt, attentive, and very friendly, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was comfortable and warmly lit, with lovely woven lampshades hanging over the tables.
Everything we ate at Ikigai was delicious. Their food was authentically prepared with excellent fresh ingredients. We particularly enjoyed the sushi rolls we ordered, several mouthwatering chicken and beef skewers, a plate of deliciously crisp karaage (Japanese fried chicken pieces), and an assortment of grilled vegetables, which included some very tasty shishito peppers. Thank you so much for a fantastic dinner!
Submitted by Robin D. on 05/01/2022
Tan Supan 5 stars rating.
Sushi is my favorite food; I love it, and have it frequently. I've been to a wide variety of Japanese/Sushi restaurants in Chicago, and wherever I go. I try many different sushi restaurants of different concepts, price points, and themes; so i have tried enough sushi across the spectrum to pick up on if a restaurant knows what they're doing.
Ikigai Sushi and Izakaya is on another level. Especially when compared to the, what seems like too many, other sushi places in Chicago. This is a great take on traditional sushi; legitimately spectacular sushi. The menu has nothing but winners. If sushi isn't your thing, they have binchotan charcoal grilled meats and veggies to keep everyone happy. The sets are are great and if I need something light, the bento boxes are perfection.
Too many other places are trying to do weird things with sushi; odd "fusion" and weird combinations that just simply don't work and are just different for the sake of being different. The chefs at Ikigai clearly know what Japanese food is, how flavors work, and how to let the ingredients do the talking. The food here I would put against absolutely any other restaurant in Chicago in any bracket. This makes the value proposition here no contest. I almost feel bad because it's almost like I can't enjoy going anywhere else ????.
Submitted by Tan Supan on 04/27/2022
Joel R 5 stars rating.
I dropped in on this new establishment for a solo dinner. I sat at
the bar and ordered a few small rounds of sushi and kushiyaki
skewers. Everyone was very friendly and I enjoyed watching the
chef craft his dishes. He was happy to answer any questions I had.
Everything I tried was delicious and fresh. My favorites were the
Baby Shiitake Makimono and the Shishito Pepper skewers. There
was much more on the menu that looked interesting so l'lI
definitely be going back.
Submitted by Joel R on 04/25/2022
