Absolutely loved the food that we ordered! At first I wasn't sure what I'd be walking into but we…read morewere very satisfied and happy with the quality. The garlic ramen was flavorful with rich pork broth, the chashu was perfect balanced with fat and meat portion. The katsu was my favorite with their special sauce. The service was fast, friendly, loved the atmosphere of the restaurant. Highly recommended!

We recently stopped in to Nomu on our first night of a family vacation, and had a lovely supper!…read more The restaurant was conveniently located in Glenview, and had plenty of parking outside, even though we were there during primetime on a Saturday night! The dining room is really pretty, and well-appointed! We were seated right away by friendly staff. Looking around, this appeared to be a very family-friendly establishment, as that was, by far, the most prominent type of connoisseur in the house on this evening! Our waitress was wonderful, and helped us with some recommendations upon us letting her know it was our first visit! She checked in with us frequently, and made sure drinks were always refilled promptly! We had a bunch of different items, and all were very good! We tried sushi rolls, beef noodles, and ramen. I'd have to say that the beef noodles probably were the best item for me! Prices were just about as you'd expect: not too high, but not super cheap either...but wholly justified by the great food and lovely service and experience! Food = 4/5 Facility = 4/5 Service = 4/5 Ambiance = 4/5 Value = 3/5

Kurumaya is a place that I have visited maybe three times before, several years ago. It was a…read morepopular, well reviewed place back then, just as it is now. But it just kind of slipped out of my consideration for no particular reason. But today I was driving near there, headed for somewhere else, and it hit me - Bento box sounds good today. And so it goes.. Parking in this small strip mall is usually pretty easy. It is a popular choice for lunch for many people that work in this business area of Elk Grove. I think that is because in addition to the good food, the service is not only friendly, but also very efficient. That allows you to have a nice sit-down lunch and still get back to work in time. They don't rush you, but you won't have to wait long for both the food and the check. Today I did have my delicious bento box, which as others have agreed, is a great deal for lunch. But I also splurged for a "Rock' n Rol" sushi roll, which was quite tasty. My waitress was wonderful - friendly and efficient as usual. But she didn't rush me personally. She even asked me if I wanted tea. In summary, it's an excellent choice for lunch. Good food, affordable, kind people, and a nice change from a fast food drive-thru.

Ask for Harumi - She is the most wonderful, nicest server ever and knows the best recommendations…read moreon the menu! If you're looking for the most authentic Japanese food outside the city, seems like this and a couple other places are all in the Schaumburg/Elk Grove Village area. Highly recommend hitting their lunch menu if you can because the bento box values are so worth it for authentic Japanese food/sushi. We got there at opening for dinner on a Saturday and got there just before dinner rush! This place is such a hidden authentic gem - you can tell from the decor to the choice of seating design to the actual menu and way they cook the RICE and other dishes. They serve the same grain for sushi as they do regular rice (Tamaki gold). Quality is not skipped here. We got the agedashi tofu (must get appetizer, as it's hard to really every achieve at home cooking), house special curry katsu, the beef kurumaya gozen (bento box) (which has incredible tempura, juicy soft beef), and assorted sashimi platter (I forget the name). All come highly recommended and were well worth the price point. I am just a bit sensitive about the freshness of the sushi, but I think this is probably as fresh as you can possibly get with generous cuts outside the city. Everything down to the miso soup too was delicious - best place to take your friends/family/coworkers for an authentic Japanese meal. Parking lot available out front. Recommend also stopping by Tensuke market nearby after!

Love their veggie ramen bowl. Just tried out there Park Ridge location and their very good. Not too…read morehappy about them going to a smaller bowl because $16 is high enough already for just soup but they're flavorful and fresh. Wish these restaurants would stop scaling down portions when the prices are high enough as it is.

I eat Ramen soup 1-2x per week. First time at Chicago Ramen today. It's been on my radar for a…read morewhile. Ordered the lunch special. Red Ramen with the Chicken Karaage appetizer. Chicken was extremely tasteless. And the ramen soup was unlike any other ramen I've ever had. I know it's supposed to be "unique" here; adding an American-style to the dish. That's what the menu cover says. But I'll stick with traditional ramen soup, thank you.

I was disappointed with the food. First the name difference (Ramen USA) on Yelp compared to their…read morewebsite and Google maps kinda threw us off. There's also discrepancy in their menu and what they actually have available as it seems they also display items for the the cafe next door. We happened to arrive during happy hour so some menu items were discounted. They also have a complimentary salad bar. We ordered chicken karaage, potstickers, salmon avocado sushi, and I had the katsu sandwich. All the food items we ordered came separately over a span of 20+ minutes, with the sandwich arriving last and cold. Not only did the sandwich come on a cold sourdough bread, the meat also had an unusual texture and so I ended up throwing it out. The other items we ordered were lacking in flavor. The chicken karaage was prepared well but it had no flavor. I'm regret spending money at this establishment.

If customers are waiting before the restaurant opens, you know that you are in for a treat, right?…read moreI mean, this was our first time to Uma Japan Eatery (didn't know it was formerly Ramen USA) and we were a little confused when we arrived because there was signage for Uma, Ramen USA, and M Cafe. So we got out of the car and saw someone pull up in front of the restaurant and jump out at 11:59. As soon as the door was unlocked at 12pm, this customer went in, and a few others after them. This is a small joint, and it was already half full by the time we ordered, then sat down (they told us the table at which to sit). I didn't know, but asked, and found out that a salad bar and miso soup are also included. The salad bar was pretty decent, with fresh vegs. They even had French fried onions (my guilty pleasure) and a very good House dressing (ginger vinaigrette). The portions are enormous. The couple next to us got ramen, and it was practically overflowing. We ordered takoyaki (too much food, we didn't need). I had the Pork Katsu bowl and my companion had a Katsu curry. I wished I had ordered the curry -- it looked dark and rich and thick like pudding (not like a boxed curry). They also gave us a bonus piece of chicken karaage which was so large and crispy. I think I'll get the curry next time, or the ramen. We originally came because we were going to get a karaage sando, but get the curry.

Very friendly staff and the fresh fried food and soup were good…read more The sashimi (otoro, fatty salmon, ikura) were very good, melt in your mouth level of deliciousness. The yakitori had issues, most of our skewers tasted reheated or cold, which was then reheated anyways. I think they have staffing issues as well. Ordered a lemon sour and it was flat due to having flat soda water. They kindly replaced it with a slightly less flat soda water. Strong recommendation for the otoro and sashimi cuts. Maybe double check if yakitori is hot before ordering more.

Everything we ordered was delicious, but unfortunately the chicken gizzard skewers were 100%…read morespoiled (they had a wet dog smell to them). After communicating this to staff, they passed it around and confirmed it was indeed spoiled and took it off our bill, which we appreciated. They can get busy and with not too many hands on deck, food and service can come out slowly. It's understandable to a degree, but it does feel like servers rarely come around (through the whole dining experience, our water was never refilled once or even asked to be) and overall service seems subpar at best. Ambiance is great. They definitely have that Japanese izakaya vibe. Go to Sankyu if you have time on your hands and order menu items that are likely ordered often and you will have a 4-5 star experience.

We had a reservation for a group of 4 and two children. The staff was super friendly and got us…read morewhat we needed including a high chair. The food is where it's at. We ordered sushi and everything was so fresh. We got the sushi combination b, nigiri combination and the neta deluxe and that was more than enough for the 4 adults. They also bring you a miso soup as well to start which was perfect on the rainy day we went. They do get busy so it is better to make a reservation. We have also ordered take out before too and I have to say that the food comes just as fresh.

We game after watching our nephews baseball game on a Friday and were pleased to find this on Yelp…read morewith such great reviews. It's quaint - doesn't have a lot of decor, but it's decent looking. We sat at a two top by the front door and window, but it is next to a short wall with a decorative piece on the shelf so it makes that table kind of private. We were amazed to see how many servers they had working that evening when we arrived 7:30 pm without a reservation. There were probably six open tables and within half an hour the place was completely packed so they had staffed up well with five servers for maybe 15 tables. We enjoyed the ike karaage which is octopus tentacles. They call them squid on the menu, but squid tentacles are much smaller than that. They were crispy on the outside and tender inside. The dipping sauce was super light and fluffy maybe with a tiny bit of lemon and miso and it complemented the karaage very well. We also had the blistered shishito peppers which were dusted with ground red pepper and came with a soy base dipping sauce and a lemon. We thought maybe they would be good with the miso lemon aïoli, but actually they were much better dipped in the soy sauce mixture. My entree was the sashimi salad, which really had an enormous amount of fish. All I could see was tuna and salmon chunks (probably leftovers that could not be used in sushi because of their shape) with a nice mixture of greens and tobiko. It was lightly dressed with a soy, ginger and sesame vinaigrette and very tasty. My husband had the hama chili roll and it was very light but flavorful. The pricing is great and we plan on returning in the near future.

This is my favorite sushi place in the suburbs! It's so cute inside and the staff are very friendly…read moreand sociable with the guests. I recommend the Alaskan roll and spicy tataki roll! I also liked the tropical and the white dragon. And always start with miso soup

Cute little spot with convenient front parking. Service was a little slow, but the food more than…read moremade up for it. I really liked that they had photos of the sushi rolls displayed around the restaurant so it was easier to see what everything looked like. Everything we ordered tasted amazing, and I loved that you could choose between a half roll or full roll option. Will definitely be back!

The little things matter, they add up, and do not go unnoticed. These little details is where…read moreTensuke Market truly shines above and beyond other specialty/import grocers. The baseline meets expectations. For a store of this size, they have a very good selection of Japanese and other Asian products, imported and domestic. Further, their selection of house-made items, like the tsukemono is impressive! The store is very clean (restrooms included), and well-stocked. The prices are on the higher side, but this is common and expected from a specialty market. They also have a food court - one counter sells all the food (rather than multiple stalls). The selection is fair with bowls, sushi, ramen, and other apps, IIRC. The dining area is massive and very well through out. There is free water, large containers of miso soup (which one is apparently free to refill at their heart's content). Bonus points for not having to carry (and spill) hot soup on the way there. While the area is clean, there are table wipes provided. The only thing missing is unlimited green tea like many places have in Japan, but given the cost of matcha in the US, I understand, and am by no means complaining. I'd ordered a bowl with various kinds of seafood. While not a masterwork, it was excellent for the category of items prepared in a grocery store. There are other small things which go a long way in the big picture view: The staff are helpful and friendly, think a Trader Joe's like attitude; increasingly rare in retail. At the register, items that have the potential to leak are sealed in small plastic bags. Going further, there are small bags of ice (think school nurse for playground boo-boo's sized) to help keep delicate items cold and fresh. Final thing I loved: the parking lot has ample EV charging, and there is even a charger by an accessible parking spot. Though I don't need an accessible spot, I appreciate that those who have a need and drive a plug-in are able to charge. Final verdict: Tensuke delivers an all around excellent experince, with a great selection, friendly staff, and little details like preventing items form leaking and free ice making the experience truly top notch. Would recommend?: Yes, especially if you're a fan of Asian cuisine. Would return?: Absolutely, I see myself going at least once a month, or when the snacks run out!

Since they relocated to their new building, I wanted to stop by and check out the new location…read more Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed to find out that the food court restaurant was closed and wouldn't reopen until 4 PM. Since I was already there and hungry, I decided to grab one of the hot premade meals instead. I went with the spicy kimchi yaki udon. This dish definitely packed a lot of heat, but I felt like it was missing some flavor to balance out the spice. The udon noodles were cooked well and had a nice chewy texture. At $8, the value wasn't bad either, and it definitely did the job of satisfying my hunger. I'll have to come back another time when the food court is open so I can try some of their freshly prepared dishes. Hopefully, the next visit will be a better experience!

Aki of Japan may very well be the biggest oversight I've had in terms of Lake County restaurants…read more The exterior is so unassuming and even somewhat forlorn. However, the experience inside is anything but. The staff were so welcoming and genuinely seemed happy that our part of was there. Our group of 8 sat around a hibachi table. We were pretty quickly welcomed, and our drink orders were taken. Soon after our food orders were taken and the show started (about 20 to 25 minutes after our reservation time). The staff was great to check and double check regarding accommodations for allergies. We started with Japanese clear soup and salad with ginger dressing. Our hibachi chef was so personable and fun. We thoroughly enjoyed his cooking style, jokes, and the food he prepared for us. We received very generous portions of food and many of us walked away with leftovers. I am excited to return. Every part of this experience was great.

Great hibachi/Teppanyaki meal. Nice size soup and salad. Prices makes it a good value that tastes…read moreamazing. They do all the table presentations, like egg in hat. Beating rice heart, and volcano. Bring an appetite. Not a long wait for the chef. The tables are smaller so you are close to the action. With fewer people you don't know.

Food was good overall.This place definitely puts out an old Japan street vibe inside…read more Service was ok, staff just looked either unhappy or emotionless. Haha. Again, this is a cool little spot with decent food.

This place was pretty good! When we came in, it was just about dinner time. It wasn't very packed…read moreand we got seated right away. Unfortunately, there was an overwhelming stench of poo poo cachoo when we entered the lobby prior to getting seated. I don't know if it was the cleaning agents that were used but the stench was so gross and unpleasant, I'm surprised my hubs and I were agreeable to stay. Anyways, I digress. When we were seated, the smell dissipated, thankfully. We had a lovely waiter named Lauren. She took our order and my hubs ordered the chicken ramen and I ordered the ying yang bowl. I made mine a combo because it came with a Thai iced tea and pork bao bun. We also ordered the yakitori platter to share and my hubs ordered a strawberry banana smoothie. We didn't wait too long to receive the yakitori platter which was decent but the meat was lukewarm. It consisted of chicken thigh, beef skirt, pork belly, scallops and zucchini that were on skewers. The fact that they were lukewarm didn't work in their favor. The skewers were small and didn't really hold the weight of a heavy $16 process. I then received my thai iced tea which tasted fine and my hubs enjoyed his strawberry smoothie reporting that it was creamy and flavorful. The pork bao was small but pretty good. The pork was tender and flavorful but the bao bun was too thick. It was like the bao bun thickness to the pork ratio didn't match. Still tasty nonetheless. When we got our soups, they were absolutely delicious. My hubs enjoyed his chicken ramen and he ordered extra noodles which help to enhance the dish alongside the use of the chili paste and shichimi togarashi condiment. My hubs reports that the soup including the bits of chicken at first was bland but was enhanced massively when he seasoned with the shichimi togarashi seasoning. Like him, I agreed as well. My ying yang soup was also bland in the beginning but once I added my bowl of extra noodles, some chili paste, some cayenne pepper and the shichimi togarashi condiment....things started to look up. It was creamy, spicy and oh so delicious. Lastly, to end the night, we got the Japanese cherry blossom jelly and the matcha tiramisu. Both were delicious and light. The Cherry blossom was so yummy, it reminded me of lychee. Just light and very flavorful. Absolutely, visually stunning as welll....i believe the youngins would call it a "clean girl aesthetic". The Japanese matcha tiramisu was delectable. Creamy, spongy and topped with a wonderful matcha powder that isn't overwhelming. All in all, we enjoyed our dinner date here. The food was good, price is a little steep for what you get and the decor is cute, big and open....with the exception of the smell of a really fat dinosaur who had an accident in the lobby. Thankfully, when we were heading through the lobby to leave, the stench of the dinosaur dookie was almost completely gone. For those of you who want to try it, I'd say go for it but I would also say you wouldn't miss out on anything, if you didn't.