Third time rates a review. I've tried some maki rolls and I've had a bento box. There's so much more to try. I've never been for dinner and there's even more to try on that menu. The sushi is very good. I'm not an expert but it's better than some I've tried around town. The bento box was very good. You have to be hungry because the box is huge. I couldn't finish it. The staff is really nice and the ambiance is comfortable. Strangely played Latin music last time I was in. There was only one server but she easily handled the 6-8 or so tables that were sat when we had lunch. Definitely worth a try. read more

Very authentic Japanese food with the most welcoming owner. One of my favorite mom and pop shops in Chicago read more

Cocoro Japanese - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We came here at around 9 PM on a Saturday and had to wait a bit to be seated. The service overall was pretty slow, but I think they might be understaffed unfortunately We ordered, a Nuki Udon, Tempura Udon, Tempura Soba, and a Dragon Roll, and it took about 40 minutes for our food to be ready. We were so hungry that we basically scarfed everything down, but the broth for the udon was pretty light in my opinion. Soba was pretty good, and so was the tempura. Really enjoyed the Dragon Roll as well. The staff was quite nice and courteous despite the long wait time, and it definitely filled my craving for Japanese food. read more

Cocoro Japanese - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is the most authentically Japanese place I have been to in the city. It has the vibe of a "mom and pop" shop and has all the great home-cooking-style dishes you might find at an izakaya or restaurant actually in Japan, going way beyond sushi. I ate here on my own during a Christmas shopping journey, and was able to sit at the bar and read Japanese local newspapers while munching on my food. - Tendon (tempura donburi) - yum, you get a lot of big honking pieces of shrimp (and other delicious veggies), over a nicely seasoned bed of rice. I do wish the tempura was a little crispier, but this still really hit the spot. - Takowasa (tako wasabi) - this is small pieces of raw octopus, marinated in a wasabi sauce. It's slimy but addictive and a great beer snack. It's sort of hard to come across (because you'll mostly just find it at bars) and this was such a good app to snack on while reading the newspaper. This is definitely going to become one of my go-to spots. The menu is huge, with so many things to try. And the atmosphere is so cozy! If you wanna feel like you're stopping by a random house for dinner in Japan, eat here! read more

Cocoro Japanese - Tendon - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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In a word Magnificent. One of the best Tonkatsu Ramen ever. Flavorful porky broth, perfectly cooked noodles. Great service. read more

Cocoro Japanese - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A cute Japanese restaurant, kind of a hidden restraint but I had a great experience. The service here is very good our waitresses were very helpful and attentive. We had the fried tofu appetizer, salmon avocado roll, and 2 ramen dishes. Everything was tasty and I was pleased with all of the things I ordered. I'd definitely recommend this for anyone in the area that isn't trying to break the bank but wants some good Japanese food. The shoyu ramen was my favorite! read more

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Starting off, the quality of the food was very good. I had the unagi (eel) sashimi and I could tell that the rest of the meal would be very appetizing. Following was the shabu shabu which was just simply amazing. The vegetables were fresh, with my favorites being the mushroom and bok choy. The select ribeye came in good quantity and I couldn't ask for anything more. The vegetable quantity was a bit too much for us though. The noodles that came with the dish were amazing and along with the sauces made me feel at home. Finally, the green tea ice cream was the best send off. The place itself is pretty cozy , which matched that of the food. The reason I rate low, however, was that I think the service could have been much better. At times, it seemed like the waitress forgot about us. read more

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The food was delicious and authentic! From the beginning I was helped and offered water! Our server was very attentive and kind! The ambiance was calm. Would definitely go back again! read more

Cocoro Japanese - Chicken Bento Box! - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Our absolute favorite Japanese restaurant in Chicagoland! I haven't written a 5 star in almost a year (usually negative reviews because I have strong experience). If I can give 10 stars for Cocoro I definitely would! Our go-to are takoyaki, nabe udon, eel on rice (una ju), toro and dynamite roll. We sometimes order katsu-don, don katsu, citrus breeze roll. They are ALL VERY GOOD! After finding this place last year my bf and I went almost every day. The waitress started recognizing us and gave us free ice cream once :) I was little hesitant to write this review because this is a small family-ran restaurant and I was, selfishly, worried too many people would start going. Even during covid foods sometimes took more than 40 min to get prepared. But this place deserves to be recognized. read more

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I really liked this unassuming Japanese restaurant in River North. It totally fit the bill on what I was looking for, authentic, traditional Japanese entrees (offerings besides sushi), and a place where I can hear and engage in conversation. We ordered an una-ju and oyako don and takoyaki. Everything was good. Service was friendly. Would return! read more

Cocoro Japanese - Oyako Don - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Because three stars = average / "A-OK" We came in before the dinner rush on the weekend and were seated right away. The service was fair and friendly, but very slow especially considering that the restaurant was only one-third full. The food was good but nothing special. We ordered the Katsu Curry and Shoyu Ramen. The curry was flavorful, the katsu was crispy, and my parents especially liked the pickled radishes that came on the side. The ramen, on the other hand, was pretty disappointing. The noodles had a good texture (chewy in a good way) but the broth literally tasted like water with a hint of soy sauce - now I know shoyu is soy sauce seasoned, but there should still be some kind of base in the broth. I would give Cocoro a pass if there were no other ramen options around, but there are plenty of much better ramen places, with comparable price points, within miles. Maybe Cocoro isn't trying to be the best ramen in Chicago though. There are a lot of other options on the menu (I really enjoyed the curry) and plenty of people waiting to be seated as we left, so I would be willing to try again - I just won't order the ramen next time. read more

Cocoro Japanese - Katsu Curry ($16) - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came here on a Wednesday night and it wasn't super busy. It seems like a pretty authentic Japanese place and the food was quite good as well. However, the food came at quite a slow pace- we waited around 20-30 min until our first dish arrived. The takoyaki and sushi roll that we got was really good while the Katsu-ju could use a slight bit more flavor. Overall, I would recommend this place!! read more

Cocoro Japanese - Katsu - Ju - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Cocoro is AMAZING. Delicious, authentic japanese food right in the heart of Chicago. Service is stellar, ambiance is cosy and makes you feel right at home. I ordered the off menu sweet potato roll with unagi sauce, which was flavorful, delicious, packed with japanese sweet potato and crunchy tempura. My dining partner had gotten fish nigiri as well as an egg dish, which he commented was very superb with great quality fish. The servers were very attentive, and made the experience that much more amazing. I would recommend reservations on a Friday night as we had to squeeze in at the sushi bar. Definitely recommend Cocoro to anyone seeking amazing Japanese food in Chicago! read more

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The real deal. Like eating in a small restaurant in Japan or Granada ma's kitchen. Great place.

Had been craving Hayashi Rice for some time now. From my search, I saw this place has it thought it didn't show up on their menu. Decided to give it a try anyway. GLAD I DID. Fabulous place. Big and ultra high ceilings. Has a beautiful small bar you can order food off of which seemed more comfortable than your typical bars. I found out the owners are Japanese. That got me super excited as most of the Japanese restaurants in the US I have been to are typically owned by Chinese or Koreans. I was able to speak to them in Japanese which was just nostalgic. I've tried yakitori in many many places in the US but none of them come close to what you get in Japan. I had to try it over here when I saw it on the menu. The sauce was as close as you can get to the ones you get in Japan. If you've had them in Japan, you will know what I mean. The chicken was about 10% overcooked but the flavor of the sauce compensated that for me. We ordered some scallops that were from the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. Mmmmmmmmmm, absolutely delicious. We also ordered the Beef Teriyaki box. I didn't realize how hungry I was till I nearly finished this meal. Beautifully served in a traditional Japanese divided box/plate. The beef itself was ok. I've had better. The tempura was right on and perfect. The sushi was pretty good. The pickles you can't go wrong. The one thing that took me by surprise was what I believe is called Ohitashi; it's the green piece in the picture with loads of soft spinach rolled with some seasonings and some kind of liquid seasoning. Never had that but was DELICIOUS (Maybe not for everyone cause I know a lot of Americans don't like spinach. I LOVE spinach). The star for me was what you will see on the lower right hand side. I don't know what you call those but I've had those in Japan growing up and I kid you not, hadn't had them for over 20 years. I think this is going to be my new favorite Japanese restaurant in Chicago. read more

Love this place. Best Japanese food I've had since I left Japan in 2019. Everything is authentic in taste and presentation, the pricing is reasonable, and the service is great. I highly recommend checking this spot out and getting a calpico chu hai read more

Cocoro Japanese - Miso Ramen and Katsu curry - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for a late dinner and enjoyed their chicken teriyaki, which was cooked well and came with rice, miso soup, and edamame. The dish was large and I was definitely full by the end of the meal. read more

Cocoro Japanese - Chicken Teriyaki Entree - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've gone a few times now, and though I enjoyed the food overall, I think the price is quite high for what you get, though it's to be expected with Chicago downtown prices. More recently I got the tonkotsu ramen and it wasn't remarkable. My friend who is a Japanese international student really enjoyed the Aji fry set though. I've had the eel seiro in the past and though it was good, I was still a bit hungry and again the price was high for the amount of food. read more

Amazing food!! Love love love the sushi. I recommend the super crunchy roll. Was not a fan of the fashion roll. The shrimp shumai was so yummy. Service was great. read more

Cocoro Japanese - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place seems very authentic compared to my experiences in Japan! They have daily specials and offer a lot of unique dishes you can't find elsewhere. That being said, the star I took off is mainly for the price point of some dishes, as the sushi rolls are very expensive ($16-$25) and the shabu shabu/sukiyaki which is $70. We ordered a $20 roll and it was tasty but probably not worth the price; however the eel seiro meal was delicious and very reasonably priced! The waiter ladies were very cute and nice, but they seemed a bit understaffed as they were super busy and rushed! read more

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Made a reservation for dinner that was easy to make and change day of. System seems very casual but I prefer to still call for a reservation in the future. Food (8/10): Tako yaki - I've had Tako yaki in Japan and Taiwan. This tako yaki for the US does not disappoint and is above average for sure. The bonito flakes we're good, execution and sauce ratio was good. Would order again. Sukiyaki hot pot - I ordered the $70 pot that is listed to feed 2 people. This plus an appetizer and one other dish filled up 3 people. For a casual dinner as in you're not tryna EAT this is definitely enough for 2 people. The sukiyaki base was good but a bit on the light side for my taste. If you enjoy veggies in hot pot this has a huge amount and variety. The onions and shaved carrots really soak up the sukiyaki. I describe it as even people who don't eat their vegetables will eat them now. They will ask if you want a raw egg to crack and use for dipping. I would not recommend this unless you're familiar with authentic Japanese food and see it as a must have. They charge about $1.50 per egg. I would go without next time. Value (6.5/10): A little on the expensive side but authentic. I have not been to a casual Japanese shop more authentic besides something like omakase. Ambience (7.5/10): Good spacing between seating. Relatively quiet and nicely dimmed lighting. I was able to talk with the owner in a bit of Japanese and tell her some cities I've been too in Japan. She was very lovely. read more

Cocoro Japanese - Tako yaki - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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First time trying Cocoro Japanese, this place is awesome. The food is amazing and the staff were super friendly. The Egg custard and the Katsu curry were my favorite. The sashimi taste fresh, would definitely come back to try more fish. *Sukiyaki had a sweet taste/ however I found out that it also come with desserts which I didn't receive, I guess the waitress forgot because they were super busy. They also gave us Chicken skin skewer (we did not order) but my family decide to give it a try, I would not recommend it unless you like fatty chicken skin... Overall, I like this restaurant and would definitely come back read more

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What a gem we just found!! The sukiyaki for two was amazing. It was loaded with beef, Napa cabbage, mushrooms, glass noodles and carrots. Staff were super friendly and we also ended up ordering a side of udon which was very soft yet chewy! read more

In a downtown area full of Asian-fusion restaurants, Cocoro stands out with a more authentic and traditional menu. I think the food is good by Chicago standards, but just decent compared to what you'd get in Japan or a coastal city, so keep your expectations reasonable. Still very enjoyable though. Sushi and sashimi are good, and the katsu curry is a must try. The restaurant itself is quiet, low-key, and not trendy. Apparently in business since '96. Feels local and family-operated. I've only been for lunch, but haven't had a problem getting seated (parties of 2-5). It's generally not crowded. Prices are about what you'd expect from a sit-down river north restaurant. I flip flopped between 4 or 5 stars. The food in general is good, but not amazing. However I decided to tack on another star for experience and ambiance. Feels calm and chill eating inside, have not had problems with service, and there's really no wait or lines (things I hate). A nice change of pace from the general river north vibe. read more

With memories of a friend's delicious Oyako-don, it always sounds good when the weather turns cold and dreary. After many yelp searches, I was deliriously happy to find what seemed to be the only restaurant in all of Chicago who serves it. My excitement waned quickly. The broth should be flavored with a balanced mixture of soy, dashi, mirin, and sugar, for both a mildly sweet but salty profile. Cocoro's Oyakodon was disappointing (all I tasted was egg and bland chicken stock) and the texture was way off. When the rice at the bottom of the bowl soaks up the broth, it's really important to get the broth right. Bland broth = bland rice. *sad face*. And without adequate amounts of broth, you're also left with plain rice at the bottom of the bowl *another sad face*. The egg on top was way over cooked. It reminded me a lot of my mother's microwaved eggs. -a *sad face* doesn't even suffice for that one It's winter and I need my donburi fix, but it's clear that it's time to start making this at home. I did quite like the Black Sesame Pudding at the end though! read more

Cocoro Japanese - Black Sesame Pudding - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is one of those overdue reviews. I don't remember all the dishes that we ordered, but I want to at least warn others that I got food poisoning from dining here. I notified someone at the restaurant, but there seemed to be a lack of empathy. So eat at your own risk! I do remember one of the dishes that we ordered being takoyaki, and some of the other dishes were tasty. However, I don't know which dish caused the food poisoning unfortunately. read more

The food here is so good! The bento box has massive portions and also comes with miso soup. I'll definitely be getting that next time. The food is fresh and super delicious. Authentic Japanese. The roll was light and the fish was fresh and the salmon in the bento box was delicious. The service is 100000% amazing, and the lady who works here is so sweet. I will definitely be coming back. read more

Cocoro Japanese - Crispy Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll 8 Pcs - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The food was good, but not great. I'll round up to 4 stars because like someone else said, this is probably as good as it'll get in Chicago (and also because mom and pop shops deserve support!) The food is very homey - we got agedashi tofu, udon, and an eel seiro. We were interested in the sukiyaki, but put off by the price. I'd potentially come back if I were in the area, but wouldn't go out of my way to come here. read more

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Came for lunch on a weekday. Servers were very nice, but extremely slow despite the restaurant being less than 50% occupied. It took them 10min to bring out menus once we sat down and another 15min before coming around to get orders. Takoyaki were well made (octopus was tasty and batter was moist). Had their katsu curry. The portion was very generous. The pork was well breaded, but the meat could have been a bit more moist. The curry was a little sweeter than I prefer. read more

Pretty authentic Japanese home feel foods. Making reservations would be recommended and the service is good. It feels like one of the last Japanese home cooking feel places left in Chicago unfortunately. Keeps me going back. read more

I would say Cocoro is definitely beyond our expectation last night. Everyone looks at its Yelp pictures knowing their sukiyaki pot looks great, but I was more impressed by their other dishes including marinated raw octopus, grilled whole fish, deep fried soft shell crab and eel rice plate (unagidon) and uni shooter! Here are some highlights: Uni shooter is definitely one of the thing you won't be able to try elsewhere. It's uni + raw quail egg+ fresh lemon juice. If you like beef tartare/raw oysters, then this is a thing you'll have to try. Their uni is so fresh PERIOD. Grilled whole fish was also on the unexpected side, since it came with the whole skin had that charcoal smell. Typically it would be a sign of the fish meat being too dried, but we were really surprised that it was very juicy and tender. Everything else we tried was great as well!!! P.S. it was quite busy during the weekend. We walked in around 7, waited 20 minutes to get the table, and took us two hours to get all the food and finish dinner. Probably need a reservation next time. read more

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Japanese food quite good, very good service with really nice servers, nice ambiance. Also some excellent sake options.

I LOVE YOU COCORO! Finally some authentic Japanese in Chicago! Excellent menu across the board - and their ramen is top tier. Highly recommend. Note that the restaurant itself is not anything fancy, you would honestly walk past it if you didn't know where you were going, but that makes me love it even more. Skip the IG influencer spots and GO TO COCORO. read more

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I'm really a fan of this place. I'm so happy I came back and ate here a second time. Great service (I enjoyed being able to sit, talk with the person I was with, and not feeling rushed during my meal), authentic Japanese food, and an EXTENSIVE menu which is so A+++ cause you can try so many different and awesome things. Don't be afraid to try something that might sound funky to you or seems outside of your comfort zone or something that you don't even know what it is. Just go for it! Maybe you will not like it, maybe you will. This place goes beyond just your typical Japanese food (more than just ramen, udon, sushi, teriyaki chicken...) you might be used to seeing on menus in the United States. This is Japanese food ya'll, be adventurous in a place that serves this cuisine so authentically. I can't remember the names of everything I got this second time around (sorry- writing this review 2 weeks later!) but one was an egg appetizer, I got udon noodles, my boyfriend got the katsu- ju, and we split a sushi roll. Quite honestly the udon noodles was disappointing because it didn't have much in it and I DO think the prices are still on the higher side for everything here, but it's totally worth it for a whole bunch of yum and real Japanese food. read more

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A Japanese restaurant gem. Not that many Japanese restaurants in Chicago, so this is a breath of fresh air. Pretty much all of the staff and most of the customers will be speaking Japanese, so you know it's nice and authentic. I'd recommend the actual entrees rather than sushi. If you want sushi go elsewhere. The only knock I have is there's no tap beer, only bottles. Otherwise highly recommended. read more

Cocoro Japanese - Katsu curry - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A hidden gem. Delicious Japanese cuisine. The Katsu Curry has perfectly cooked breaded pork and delicate curry sauce it transports you to Japan. I tried the A la Carte Sushi and it is beautifully prepared and it tastes fresh. They have more dishes to check out definitely for next round. read more

Why? I expected so much from here, given the reviews. I was thrilled to try out an authentic Japanese restaurant in River North that wasn't a "scene" and was a hidden gem. We should've known something was amiss when there was no one at the host stand for over five minutes. We were then sat, and we waited over 15 minutes JUST to order appetizers and drinks. We had no fewer than five waiters and waitresses walk by without a glance at us. My friend liked her pineapple martini a lot, and I enjoyed my drink. Still, it wasn't worth it to wait an additional 20 minutes for the damn things. Following this, we waited, I kid you not, 25 minutes to order main dishes. There was no sense of who our waiter or waitress was - it was a revolving door of people. Ultimately, my friend received her ramen WAY before my sushi. Sushi never seems to take long to make, yet mine took HALF AN HOUR. The restaurant was barely crowded at that point, and it's not a big place at all. The sushi tasted fine. Another waiter apologized for the wait and decided to give us free dessert. This is nice, but when we declined, he didn't take anything off our bill, even the cheapest item. This was such a huge waste of time. Have you ever felt annoyed by poor service? As if customers are almost purposely ignored? Multiply that by 10. I try my best to be understanding, I really do, but this felt as if they didn't give a shit. I am rarely even annoyed with bad service, but I was legitimately pissed off by this, as was my friend. read more

The best authentic Japanese restaurant in Chicago! For in-person dining, I enjoy getting the shabu shabu (Japanese hot pot). It comes with rice, plenty of meat and veggies, and a dessert! Their sushi is also amazing for dine-in & take out. They have an extensive menu and everything I've tried so far (the ramen, unajyuu, katsudon, etc) have all been amazing. The drinks are also very cheap and good (Asahi beer was $5-$6). I would recommend this place for an easy week night dinner or weekend spot - you will not be disappointed :) read more

Cocoro Japanese - Dessert that comes with the shabu shabu - green tea ice cream! - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is my go to Japanese restaurant: it is very authentic Japanese food and ambience . Everything I have eaten there has been delicious, well presented and satisfies my Japanese cravings. The staff is welcoming. It feels like when I was in Japan and stepped into a mom and pop restaurant: friendly and busy read more

It's a most authentic Japanese restaurant in Chicago no doubt. I brought all of my Japanese friends here and they are amazed of how goods quality and authentic Japanese food here. I've been coming here for 3 years, the food never disappoint me. And yes the food comes slow, but you have to understand that their food is very authentic and fresh made. It's not a fast food restaurant, everything here is cooked after you order. The price is def fair with its portion. 15 dollars for this authentic nicely cooked brisket lunch set. Like come on, give this small business a br read more

Cocoro Japanese - Stewed beef brisket - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois