Good food, but limited selection...if you can't read Japanese. Like others mentioned, this place is pretty authentic. However, unless you're Japanese, you are limited just to the English menu. We came here on a Sunday night and were seated immediately inside the tatomi room (Jap style room where you need to take your shoes off). I will say that it was really fun to sit in a tatomi room again since I haven't come across one in Chicago for a while. You can expect the usual sushi bar a la carte flare here, nothing too flashy or fusionish. It also has a small selection of yaki and other good Japanese small homey dishes (try their boiled squid). While we were not impressed by the menu selection, we were satisfied with the quality & execution. It's worth a visit if you're looking for some solid quality food. read more

Authentic but expensive. Soba and the soup tasted really fresh. Doesnt have a lot of choices on sushi but those on the menu were good (at least those we ordered). read more

Daruma Restaurant - Shrimp was huge! - Japanese Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

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The best place to get sashimi in the suburbs hands down. The fatty salmon literally melts on your tongue...it's that friggin good. I would also like to thank daruma for introducing me to ketchup spaghetti. Yep, you heard right! Try it and I guarantee a pleasant surprise. I frequent this place from time to time trying out various items on their tapas menu. Similar to most tapas menu, items can be hit or miss and may depends on the eater's palette. Conch and raw beef tataki are my faves. read more

My favorite sushi place in the Northwest suburbs. Lunch time is always busy. You will see lots of Japanese customers here. Service: Very nice and polite. I go there a lot so they remember who we are and what we liked. Food: Make sure you ask the server what's their daily specials. I like their ramens and Stamina(raw fish rice bowl). The bento box set was a good deal and offers a good variety. Sushi are fresh and reasonable priced. It's our weekly lunch spot. :) read more

The sushi is decent. Nothing really all that special. The rice was actually kinda mushy. I don't know why people gave it such high ratings for a mediocre place. The staff here was average. They were attentive but could use a little more training when it comes to serving. I had one waiter totally reached over the table over our food. The decor inside was pretty cool. It was decorate like a small japanese house. The place is a little pricey for what they give you. read more

Extremely authentic Japanese food. The staff and cooks are Japanese as well as the majority of the customers who eat there. The sushi was extremely fresh and tasty. We ordered the agedashi tofu and tempura appetizers. Both had great flavor. My wife ate the tempura soba with delight. I had the tonkatsu. Again the entree was delicious. My only reservation was that it was served with stir fry vegetables instead if raw shredded cabbage (as in Japan). I would definitely return! read more

I decided to go here based on the 4.5 stars ... but I was immensely disappointed. Except the miso cod ... everything else was sub par, even the basic Gyuozo appetizer was disappointing. They have no idea how to make Sushi... I will not recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for good / authentic Japanese cuisine. Very disappointing. I am thoroughly confused that this restaurant has a 4.5 stars on Yelp?? read more

Recommended by a Japanese friend. Their sushi was the best I have ever had! The fishes are so fresh, and the nigiri does not have too much rice. :) read more

Best sushi we've ever had!! Daruma is our go-to night out restaurant. Always satisfied with whatever we order and the price is great for what you get. Very authentic food with good quality ingredients and the staff is very friendly! HIGHLY recommend! read more

For my birthday, I really wanted Japanese food. I studied abroad there and have been missing the food since summer, so I really didn't want to be disappointed. And I definitely was not. My family and I went on a Sunday around 7pm, and there was maybe a 15 minute wait (should've made a reservation). While we were being guided to our table, I noticed the place is pretty big. I didn't get to look into the private tatami rooms, but that's pretty awesome that they have them. We ordered the asparagus and eggplant for appetizers. I don't remember what type of sauce(s) were on the asparagus, but it tasted nutty and really delicious. The eggplant was also great as well. Entrees: Tonkatsu - came out on a skillet, so it was piping hot. I got the grilled vegetables (cabbage, bean sprouts, and onions [I think?]), which were quite tasty. Came with a small cup of tonkatsu sauce and a dollop of horseradish (or spicy mustard?). I made the mistake of mixing all of the horseradish. It was good, but I was hit in the nose with its power and my eyes watered, ha. Chicken Katsu - also came on a skillet; I didn't try this, but my mother had it and she enjoyed it. Said it wasn't overly salty. Chicken Teriyaki - My dad ate this, really loved it, the chicken was really tender and he liked the flavor of the sauce a lot. Sushi: Spicy Lobster - Decent, I guess, but I've had better. Other things: Miso soup was one of the best I've had, the green tea was /legit/ green tea, the dressing on the salad was nice, and our waitress was attentive and very nice. I wish they had more choices on their menu. From what I heard, they have more on their Japanese menu. Too bad my skills aren't at at that point yet. Overall, really good experience. Felt really comfortable here, service was good, food was great. Kinda pricey for my college student pocket but I can deal coming here from time to time. Will definitely be coming back. read more

We came here at about 5:30 after work on a Friday, and the place was packed. We started off with Sapporo beer, which my buddy kept calling Japanese Budweiser, and when I later looked it up, I found out that Budweiser has 30% rice. After the Sapporo we got the House Sake, and that was pretty good, great for cold winter evenings. We got Sashimi and I think the Alaskan, Boston and Crunch rolls which were outstanding. I also got the Niku Udon soup which was rib eye in big rice noodles and that was quite good as well. This is definitely an awesome Sushi place in and around the Schaumburg area. They don't seem to have a website but their menu is on their Facebook page if you want to see it. https://www.facebook.com/DarumaRestaurant/app_117784394919914 read more

This place was recommend by a friend and I'm so glad I listened. I'm a big fan of tonkatsu and this place had just what I was looking for. The dining room I was seated in was very open and comfortable. The decor itself had that inner peace vibe one typically experiences during Japanese dining. The sushi I ordered was exquisite and I wish I had ordered more but I was fully preparing myself for the main course. When it finally arrived I was surprised of the portion size as it looked like a challenge to finish. Nonetheless I did my best but the tonkatsu prevailed. I washed every thing down with a glass of Pinot and it was just right. read more

Best traditional authentic Japanese restaurant in the area. Food is spectacular and fresh. Service is top knotch in Japanese cultures and we love the traditional private room. We will go back again. read more

Was in the area and wanted some good sushi. Yelp found Daruma for me. The place was packed even at 7:00pm and a really good sign was the number of Japanese people eating there ! Was seated at a bar (not main Sushi bar) and ordered sashmi and sushi. As others have stated very good quality for the area. Will repeat. read more

Everything is awesome here. From the sushi to the kitchen, you can't really go wrong. The sashimi is excellent and kitchen always does a great job. I would recommend this place to anyone. Don't expect to find americanized sushi here, expect quality Japanese Food read more

Great restaurant for both lunch and dinner. Lunch is cheaper and quick, and of course, and with great selections. Although dinner is a bit pricey, food is decent and service is also good. read more

Daruma Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

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A great authentic spot with no frills. I've been here twice and had the pork Ramen and some sushi. I would fully recommend the private rooms for a small family get-together or quite night out with friends. I'd say stay away from some of the more common tropes on the appetizer menu, you can get pot stickers and California rolls anywhere, branch out and get a Hot Pot or some Fatty Blue Fin Tuna! I will definitely be coming back. read more

Sushi nigiri was fresh and tasty. Chicken skewer was not well seasoned. Environment.. clean. Ambience.. good for a date. Staff.. kinda nice. read more

Excellent sushi at very reasonable prices. I'll definitely eat here again (and bring my family). We were the first people there at 6PM on a Wednesday, but it quickly filled up in an hour or so. read more

I did the private dining room- it's free for 4 or fewer! As suspected, it was cool as hell :D *DISREGARD!* I am not the smartest! I must've misheard, the private room is free for 4 OR MORE. Hah! That makes way more sense. It was still cool as hell, and I guess they didn't charge me that last time :) Sweet! read more

Authentic Japanese owned and operated Japanese restaurant. Excellent sushi! Mostly frequented by the Japanese community, we have some friends who told us about it, and we keep going back. read more

When I saw I was the only non-Asian in the place, I was excited that I had found the real deal. I was RIGHT! At the sushi bar, the Chef (a Japanese-American from LA) told me he was the Kitchen Chef. Could have fooled me as his sushi artistry was magnificent. I enjoyed watching the beauty of the plates going out almost as much as I enjoyed eating what was on mine. They had an eggplant appetizer special because Spanish eggplants were in season and available. The Chef explained they have very few seeds and are particularly good for their recipe (flash-fried, then baked with seasoned mayonnaise to a thin crust). Go by yourself (sit at the sushi bar) or go with a group (and share the delights). Just GO HERE! read more

Came here and tried the Japanese Spaghetti. It was super yummy! We also tried Udon and a lobster roll, both were super delicious. Will def recommend to my friends in the future :) read more

Had some fantastic ramen here a few weeks ago and it's still on my mind. They only do ramen lunch twice a week currently, so make sure to plan your visit accordingly. read more

Previously, I had thought that Sushi Ya might be one of the better places to get sushi in the burbs. But Daruma quickly changed my mind in one trip. First off, their sushi is better than even some places in the city. Their amaebi (sweet shrimp) is so succulent and sweet and they fry the heads beautifully. Even the standard fish (tuna, salmon) are exceptional and their eel is delicious as they don't overpower the taste of the grilled eel with an absurd amount of sauce. But what separates Daruma is their ramen. I believe it's only available on the weekends but the quality of their broth makes it worth visiting. The savory, meaty taste in a broth is unbelievable. One note: make sure you make a reservation, especially on the weekends, even if you're planning on going in 30 minutes. It's pretty hard to get a table quickly when you just walk in, even at weird hours. read more

Good Japanese restaurant in suburb. Good selections of Japanese Sake! Foods are great as well!

Went yesterday- NEVER Ate! Why you ask?? Well is started when I got a recommendation to go here from some friends. They said the fish was fresh and delicious. They said the sushi was made by Japanese Chefs so its really good. I was craving sushi so said-- why not? My friend and I entered. No one was there to be a hostess. Fine- I thought maybe the person was away seating someone//or maybe they were short staffed. We stood at the front for a while. Finally guys at the bar made eye contact. Spoke in Japanese- My friend and I looked at each other like huh? They just put 2 fingers out and said party of 2. They kept making their drinks and speaking in Japanese. We stood there for 5 min...wondering whats going on? What do we do? ETC... Finally I got the attention of one of the guys behind the bar and said "excuse me" That instant he turned to me and said "10 minutes." What the heck! Really?? Super Rude 1) Speaking Japanese to non-Japanese speaking people (clearly we didn't) is Rude 2) Not telling us there is a wait from the beginning- poor restaurant behavior 3) Not even letting me finish my question but knowing what I was going to ask showed that they KNEW we were getting impatient and that they didnt inform us from the beginning..so WHY DID THEY DO THAT?? I started to think that they just favor the Japanese people. Most the customers were Japanese in there and they were talking to them all friendly but when my friend and I walk in we get squat. All these good reviews on good service here on yelp...lies. I dont doubt the food is good but when you have bad customer service it makes the overall experience just BAD. read more

I guess I never wrote them a review after all these years. with more and more local japanese owners/chefs retiring without succession plans, we have only handful of legit Japanese restaurants. I'm glad it's still here - good service with friendly staff, awesome food with variety of "regular" Japanese food with nice ambiance and all, plus traditional rooms for large groups with knee friendly seating. Also, the lunch specials are very hard to beat - I'd say best combination of value and taste in entire Chicagoland area. read more

They have great atmosphere and services. I went there for lunch and ordered a sushi lunch which was a little pricy for lunch, but It included scallops, ikura, and hamachi which were rare to be included in a sushi set except the best selected one as tokujou on a dinner menu. They serve Ramen for lunch three days in a week, and they said they have Ramen for dinner everyday. I haven't tried Ramen yet, and they have grilled fish such as sanma, and aji. Very traditional style with high standard. Great place for lunch for a cheaper set menu around $10-15. They won't accept a credit card under $15. read more

I've eaten here several times in the last few months since my FAVORITE Japanese restaurant (Nobu) closed.... I am still mourning this fact. I have mixed feelings about Daruma. The service is generally good, but the last time I ate there I got a waitress who was quite inattentive. Their Tankatsu is consistently good. I mean really delicious. But they very recently changed their menu, and now you only get a very small portion of their delicious spaghetti with the tankatsu. Even more disappointing, you don't get salad with this entrée any more... you have to pay extra to have their small dinner salad.... obviously they are trying to save money here, but I think this whole thing is a rip-off. I think they need to work on their menu.... the tankatsu now comes with a small portion of spaghetti, a small mound of potato salad, soup, and a bowl of rice... and NO SALAD. RICE, POTATO SALAD AND SPAGHETTI in one meal.... haven't these people heard of carb overload??? read more

I am originally from Japan and I highly recommend this place. I think this is the best Japanese in Chicagoland!

I thought the food was pretty good, I felt the flavors could be improved but my kids really enjoyed the sushi. Three things you cannot deny that are a refreshing change from most sushi places that really sets Daruma apart is the lovely smiling servers reminiscent of traditional Japanese waitresses, the gorgeous interior (tatami seating area), and the insanely fresh tasting fish they use in their sushi. The mochi was average, a little thicker than average rice coating which left less of the ice cream filling inside. Overall very nice experience! read more

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True Japanese restaurant style and phenomenal food! If you ever get to go for lunch, the lunch special is where it's at! Every dish I've had there was just great. The staff is very hospitable too! read more

I'm surprised I haven't heard of this place til just recently. The maki rolls were absolutely amazing and fish tastes very fresh. The spaghetti w/ ketchup... yes doesn't sound very appetizing, but it was so good, just had to order a second helping. As far as appetizers go, I recommend the calamari and spinach salad (forgot the actual name). Overall, everything I tried was very good and might become a regular. read more

This is one of my favorite sushi places, I never leave disappointed, quite the opposite in fact extremely satisfied. Prices are affordable and food is quality, drinks are great and staff is friendly. read more

The sushi here is better than Sagano in Barrington, IL (one of many places where Patrick Nagel's artwork and everything 80's went to die -- seriously) but pales in comparison to that of Nobu Japanese Restaurant. My favorite is the Spider Roll, but here it tastes just a little fishy. Rolls are decent, a bit smaller, and a bit expensive. Standard Japanese fare can be found. I particularly like the Ten Zaru Soba, but once again, it tastes a little fishier than the TZS at Nobu. The combination bento boxes are a good option, especially if you get the Japanese spaghetti (napolitan). I love, love, LOVE their spaghetti, and if you order it as an appetizer, it's enough to feed two people. The hot pink napkins are totally awesome (if you're into that kind of thing), and hot tea is refilled frequently. There is a private room which can be reserved if you so choose, but sitting at the sushi bar is just as entertaining. If you're lucky, your date will fashion you a cute chopstick rest out of the paper holder that the 'sticks come in and/or try to smooch you after he's had a few bites of the negi hamachi. Total rating: 4/5 -- would have been 3.5/5 but the spaghetti is worth another 1/2 widget. A good place to get a bit tipsy with great company and not feel like a complete fool because there are plenty of Japanese men who are far tipsier and red-faced than you... read more

I had the tempura udon and it was perfect. My friends had the sushi and all of their sushi was delicious and had enough "sushi" to make the rolls seem worth it. Although a bit "pricey" its about perfect price for a great sushi joint. One of my friends who was born and raised in Japan said this place was one of the best true Japanese restaurants in the suburbs. I'm sure it also helps that its Japanese owned. read more

came here last night and got to try the caterpillar roll, spider roll, jennifer's roll, miso soup and nabeyaki udon. my favorite by far was the caterpillar roll. i'm not sure if it's b/c they slice up the avocade really thinly so it just melts in your mouth or what, but it was soooo good. probably didn't hurt that they put that unagi sauce inside the roll as well the spider roll was kind of dry and not too special compared to other places i've tried. definitely not worth the $12. jennifer's roll - not really even sure what was inside since someone else ordered it, but it wasn't bad. a little juicier than the spider roll the miso soup was standard. nabeyaki udon was good but not spectacular or anything. overall pretty good japanese food for the suburbs. no wait, good service, really attentive read more

The sushi at this place stinks!!! The fish was warm, smelled "fishy" and the maki rolls fell apart as we ate them. Worst sushi rolls I've ever eaten. Please go to Sushi-Ya instead.... It's a million times better quality sushi for the same price and they give you miso soup and edamame on the house! NEVER going back to this place. Even places like Sarku Japan or Sushi Station were better!!! P.S. -- I found it laughable/insulting that other reviewers on Yelp said to ignore negative reviews of Daruma based solely on their maki rolls since they only serve them in the first place to appease Americans. My question is why bother serving maki rolls to appease me if you can't make them right in the first place? read more

They never disappoint on our large orders! Their sushi is not only great fresh off the platter, but almost as good the next day - perfect leftovers! A bit pricey but totally worth it if you have loving parents with a broke college kid who hasn't had sushi in a few moths :) read more