You know what makes this review EXTRA fun? I visited Hiro Izakaya 3-ish days after spending two weeks in Japan! Without waxing poetic about the comparisons, let's just say bona-fide Japanese Izakayas have cheaper and simpler food. That said, Hiro Izakaya was absolutely fantastic! The Shibuya Scramble was an absolute delight! I am generally skeptical of mayo in sushi/maki, lest it become a "mayonnaise roll," but that wasn't the case here. The fish, veggies, spice/heat, and savory components were all stupendously balanced! 10/10 would recommend, unless you're someone who thinks sour cream is spicy (no judgement - just expect some heat). For a main, I ordered the Wagyu Sando. Say what you will, but for burgers, the meat is the MVP. Kudos for genuinely flavorful meat that was seasoned perfectly. The burger was kept simple, some garlic-onion jam, pickles, and cheese. These all worked to enhance the quality of the sandwich with extra savory notes, and a little bite, acid, and crunch thanks to the pickles. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the fresh and sturdy bun, and the freshly, perfectly cooked and seasoned fries with a savory sauce. Then, there are the drinks. Be careful folks, these things are strong and two is enough to make it a party! (I am a lightweight, YMMV). They're also extremely well crafted, and while mostly variations of established classics, a pinch of creativity does come through! As for mochi, I regret to say I lack the skills to properly critique this, beyond saying it is a smaller, interesting, and unique dessert that is not overly sweet. The service was excellent! Friendly, inviting, accommodating, and knowledgeable. While it took a little longer to get our food and drinks than I would expect, given how fresh everything was, I am willing to overlook this. The vibe is modern, and becomes especially moody and trendy after dark. Finally, there are the prices: an app, two mains, four drinks, and side of fries and one order of mochi came to $200 after tax and tip. While the quality of the experience was superb, the prices are a little on the high side, but this comes with the area/territory. Final verdict: Hiro Izakaya delivers on an all-around experience. However, is is more a spot one goes to every now to impress one's friends (or make new ones?) For a regular joint, it may put a big hole in one's wallet. read more

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This place is absolutely fantastic! From ambiance, to the food, to the service, I was thoroughly impressed. We tried several things on the menu including the pastor and salmon hand roll. The pastor hand roll my absolutely what i imagine a pastor hand roll to taste like. As for the bar we didn't order any drinks on the menu but the person making our cocktails made every drink perfect. The service was amazing! He service along will be the reason I will return. I 10/10 recommend checking the place out. read more

Highly recommend. The service was great. A warm welcome at the door and impeccable service by Ethan who also gave the best suggestions. They even let us try a few new items they will be adding to the menu and I can't wait to try them all. Notable favorites for new and old items, Tuna Crispy rice is a classic and one of my favorites. Never disappoints! However they let us try the Waygu crispy rice and they were perfection. The rice was a perfect crisp on the outside and the flavors were heavenly. With a light garlic and maybe a hint of truffle but not overpowering to where you can still enjoy the star of the show, the Waygu. Chefs kiss. The brussel sprout salad is an absolute must!! It's all perfectly chopped and tossed in this light sauce that marries all the components together in this perfect harmony. They are not large chunks of undercooked sprouts like some places. Definitely get this! The Robata salmon we tried was hands down my favorite dish this evening. The flavor explosion that happened was unlike anything. This perfect balance of flavors was otherworldly and the salmon was seared just right. Next visit do not skip out on the Sobayaki noodle dish, the new fried rice coming, the hummus, cucumber salad is so refreshing, and last but definitely not least...any protein from the Robata grill is heavenly!! Don't skip out on dessert either! Also the cocktails are great with a nice variety of spirits and don't sleep on the sake, we had one made from Olives that was light and sweet and delicious Kawatsuru, highly recommend ordering. This was one of my favorite sake's I've had so far. The ambience was nice, a little dim light to set the mood, but the music was perfect for a nice dinner. Good beats but not so loud that i was still able to hold a conversation. Overall, amazing experience and I cannot wait to go back. read more

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Came here for a friend's birthday dinner. The atmosphere is swanky, service was good, and good was pretty tasty. I especially enjoyed the toro taku and yuzu miso salmon hand rolls. The cucumber was also very good & flavorful. The edamame was probably the best edamame I've ever ordered due to how it was seasoned! I tried a bite of my friend's burger and the truffle flavoring was very prominent - tasty and juicy! The karaage and gyoza were alright, nothing special. 4 stars because I think it was kinda overpriced for essentially a bunch of small plates. My toki highball was decent. read more

Hiro Izakaya - Hand rolls - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came in for happy hour for the small bites and it was so worth it! The space is huge - there's a whole front area, two bars, and a back area. Our waiter was great and kindly reminded us when happy hour was ending to make sure we got our deals in! The spicy tuna crispy rice was a hit. Perfectly crispy and lots of tuna. Each robata was perfectly cooked and very yummy! The bao was also delicious. We got two things from the dinner menu: short rib noodles which were very savory, creamy, and delicious. The butter burger was also really great and i loved the miso butter and black garlic onion jam! We didn't opt in for dessert. We tried their mocktails and the mocktails were great. read more

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I've been to Hiro a couple of times now and they never disappoint. Staff is very friendly and welcoming. The food is very good. They just changed their menu so some of the items on this are old. I really love the waygu crispy rice. I can eat several of those. The oysters were delicious too. Definitely recommend. read more

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We went here for a double date for dinner. It was a dark vibe, not too busy. The food was really good. It was small portions for the price. But I enjoyed it! read more

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I wish I knew where to begin with Hiro ... but I can't tell you because Everything was perfect !!! Hiro is a vibe that takes you to another place even though they're located on a busy city corner because of the privacy shades .. you can see out a little bit but the average Person driving by can't see in. The staff is diverse and extremely warm- more importantly whether it was your waiter or not ... EVERY water glass was kept full and EVERY dirty dish was removed from the table instantly. It was noticeable and that it felt like it was everyone's job whether they were serving you or not. Our waitress was amazing ( shorter haired AA) was friendly, not too overbearing, and gave invaluable suggestions. She was also able to get my guest into the spirit of Hiro to take in this foodie experience. The Hiro of this restaurant is the smoke and flavor. I Guarantee you - you've never had a grilled flavor and aroma that is found here. The menu offerings are different in person than what's online ... which was a great surprise. Nothing here is "average". Even if you're never interested in the corn nibs or sweet potato or tuna crispy rice elsewhere -- please try them here. For instance .. my crispy rice wasn't too hard or dried out under my tuna. Nor had the tuna been sitting on the crispy rice. The miso soup was nothing like I've ever tasted before. It was rich and packed more flavor than I could've imagined and I eat miso soup frequently. On one hand - I wish there was a warm sake but the sake I did try had notes of black cherry and was light but complex in flavor. I also noticed that every dish that came out was the perfect temperature. I didn't have to blow on the soup or wait to continue my food journey. I think the icing on the cake was Ethan .. offering us more insight into Japanese cooking and what we were tasting. Two more things stood out. He suggested a dessert that wasn't our first pick... the banana foster. We felt like we've had it before .... WE DIDNT !!!!! That dessert changed my whole outlook on adding toasted coconut to items. Flambé bananas is one thing but the smoky flavor was in the caramel and then over the coconut gelato was chefs kiss. And finally the most amazing thing was reheating my left overs while writing this. The smokiness and flavor is still there !!!!!!!! My food today tastes exactly how it did the night before .... Astounding !!! I actually felt like I should've ordered food to go just because it was gonna be this good the next day smh. read more

Hiro Izakaya - The amazing salmon crispy rice packed with flavor - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is definitely hidden. Once we were inside we were led to the back which was so nice and you could see everything being made. Once we walked in we were welcomed by every single person that e walked by. This is the best service to see. There is a selection of food but wished they had Maki rolls on the menu. The happy hour is such a great deal. We got their handrolls which are open and the short rib noodles which was good and the spicy crisp rice. I would say the Otoro handroll was a little fishy for me. The fries was really good and tasted like the McDonald's version. We didn't get drinks but looked like they had some good options. read more

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Great spot for Japanese food. The ambiance was amazing, perfect lighting and style. The service was very quick and attentive. The food was overall really good. read more

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Why haven't I heard of this spot before? It's GORGEOUS interior the front room I was blown away by how cool and beautiful it was. We sat in the back room. Servers were really good and fun. We had the Brussel sprout salad, shishito peppers, shortrib noodles, crispy rice spicy tuna and salmon, shortrib skewers, and toro handroll. All of this was easily shared by 3! my favorite was toro handroll just the best and salty savory and toro was so fresh and had wasabi I can't wait to go back and have another!! Then my next fav was the shortrib noodles it was so creamy and good I will def be back, the only bummer was we were seated next to a food influencer (all respect) BUT used a very bright light that was on and off for most of our meal so a bit uncomfortable and distracting Otherwise all good things! read more

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Wow stepping inside, it felt you were taken to a different place. Such a hidden gem deep inside the restaurant where there is seating in the back as well. It was so nicely decorated and once we walked inside we were greeted by every single person with a smile on their face. The food menu we though there would be sushi rolls but it seems only handrolls and a couple of other things. We got their toro and hamachi jalepeno handrolls which was good but I would skip the toro as it tasted a little fishy to us. The ribs noodles was good and creamy and the crispy spicy tuna rice was good. The fries were so good tasted just like McDonald fries, they have a spicy mayo sauce on the side. They have a lovely happy hour key will definitely be back to try their drinks. read more

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I ordered: Ribeye Kushiyaki - prime ribeye, yakiniku sauce Chicken Yakitori - chicken, tare, braised leeks Toki Tres Leches - black sesame dark chocolate cake, toki whiskey soak, miso whipped cream, black sesame tahini cajeta Butter Burger - 8 oz tri-blend patty, miso butter shokopan, Japanese honey mustard, black garlic onion jam, arugula, heirloom tomato, sweet pickles, American cheese, onion aioli Ghost Orchid - Sipsmith Gin, Elevate Vodka, Lychee Eau De Vie, White Tea Cordial, Lemon, Lychee Pearls Ghost orchid was refreshing. Skewers were sizeable, tender, and tasty. Butter Burger was perfect medium rare, decadent, and fresh. Tres leches was the weakest part of the meal. It was basically a wet dark chocolate cake; not bad but nothing more complex than that and I couldn't taste the black sesame. Service was very nice and engaging. I liked the ambience of the restaurant. read more

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This place was great for a sharing-plates experience. My fiance and I went for dinner and had a variety of dishes: pork belly bao (rich and delicious), gyoza (the weakest thing we ate; not bad but everything else was excellent), chicken yakitori and beef yakiniku (the latter two grilled on the charcoal robata grill -- wonderful!) For drinks we both had the sudachi mocktail, very tart but it helped to cut some of the fattiness of things like the pork belly. The dessert of lychee creme brulee with miso whipped cream was a perfect ending to the meal, and a balance of fruity, creamy and savory accords. Our server Ethan was on the ball, but our busser was an absolute machine! Great job. Be aware if you're in the back room: the ceiling is some sort of corrugated plastic, so if it starts pouring rain (as it did when we were here) there can apparently be leaks! Overall, awesome food and great service. Hiro is one to remember. read more

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Amazing ambiance. What a cool looking interior that really brings the vibes! The staff were all incredibly friendly, helpful, informative, and service was fantastic. Standouts for the food were the miso soup--some of the best I've had, made with a five-mushroom base that gave it so much depth of flavor--, edamame--charred and seasoned in a way that had me saying out loud it may be my favorite edamame I've ever had--, and the corn ribs. The cocktails are imaginative and delicious. We particularly loved the ghost orchid and the kiwi chu highball. I look forward to coming back and bringing my friends to enjoy the atmosphere and have a great time at the bar, and try some more of their food. read more

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Honestly, such good vibes??? Everything was solid all around in the standouts were definitely the brussels sprout salad, the desserts and the edamame. Truly immaculate service- We were celebrating three birthdays, and they gave us a complementary dessert and glasses of Prosecco. The atmosphere was really cool and it was just a fun spot. I would definitely come back for drinks or shareable again! read more

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Phenomenal!! Great service and ambiance with elevated dishes and presentation. A group of 6 of us shared a bunch of appetizers, chicken sando and noodle dishes. Everything was delicious and our server Gary kept checking on us and made our dinner wonderful. read more

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The ambiance here is cool--a thoughtfully designed space with perfect mood lighting. Unfortunately, the kitchen doesn't live up to the decor. The food was uninspired, lacking any real depth of flavor, and felt unjustifiably expensive. Our main course cuts were parched and chewy, making the entire meal a letdown. With so many stellar izakaya restaurants available in Chicago, you can easily find better value and execution elsewhere. read more

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Food: We got a variety of dishes to try: vegetable tempura, gyoza, Shishido, peppers, butter, burger, short rib, noodles, mushroom noodles, spicy salmon crispy rice. I will say some of the dishes were great such as the spicy salmon, crispy rice, and the mushroom noodles. However, some of the dishes left something to be desired. For example, the vegetable tempura was very bland unless it was drowned in sauce. The short rib noodles were also very salty. And then overall, the price for food that we paid just didn't seem worth it given the quantity and the quality unfortunately. Drinks: The drinks were a standout of the night! I got the highball and the Kuroshio which were both absolutely amazing and well balanced. Ambience: The decorations were super unique and the lighting at night was cool but the volume of the music was honestly too loud. When the server was standing at one end of the table giving us food and drink recs, essentially only the person right next to them heard what they said. I was really excited to try this place so I was a little disappointed when the food expectations fell short. However, I would come back to try some of the dishes again, such as the mushroom noodles and some of the robata as well as the really yummy drinks! read more

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Amazing food! Highly suggest all of the wagyu dishes, the Brussel sprout salad is a classic and the fried rice & the sobayaki are must orders!! I need their playlist read more

Hiro Izakaya - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

As a total sushi girl with very high expectations, I've been on a serious mission to find the best sushi in Chicago--and let's just say, it hasn't been easy. But Hiro Izakaya? They absolutely delivered. From the moment we walked in, Alex, Eric, and Griffin made the entire experience feel effortless and elevated--Alex especially went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect. The hospitality alone is enough to bring me back. Now let's talk about the food... fresh, beautifully presented, and exactly what you hope for when you're craving top-tier sushi. Every bite reminded me why I'm so picky in the first place--it was that good. The ambiance was the perfect balance of lively yet intimate, making it such a vibe whether you're going out with friends or for a date night. Safe to say... I've officially found my go-to sushi spot in Chicago--and yes, I'll absolutely be back (probably sooner than I should admit). read more

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They must be paying people for the good reviews. Do not come here. It sucks. The Noble Umami and the Sea and Smoke cocktails were average, nothing spectacular. The most disappointing part was the spicy tuna crispy rice, which had a distinct marinara (I know, bizarre) taste. The Brussels sprouts salad was dry and lacked flavor overall. The chicken yakitori was fine, but putting chicken on a skewer and grilling is hard to mess up. The shortrib noodles were the best dish, but even those were forgettable. The ambience really aggravated me too. It screamed "west loop's younger, uglier, less cool half sibling." Everything felt performative. I don't see this place staying open and have no idea why so many people have already left good reviews. TL;DR: bad do not go and if you do go do not order the spicy tuna crispy rice it tastes like meatballs read more

We always wanted to try Hiro Bar Izakaya and finally got some time to visit, and wow it turned out to be such a pleasant surprise. The decor and the lighting, as you'll see in the photos, were amazing. It's cozy, a little funky, and has this intimate vibe that makes it perfect for dates since most of the seating is for two. At first glance the menu looked small, but I quickly realized it's because they've perfected every single dish. We ordered the tuna crispy rice, which is an absolute must have and honestly the best I have ever had. The chicken robata skewers were another must order. We didn't love the short rib noodles, but plenty of reviews rave about it so it's probably just not my taste. We also tried the rock shrimp tempura which came in a generous portion and had great flavor with a little kick. For dessert I had heard a lot about their banana foster but we decided to try their unique take on tres leches. It was delicious and we were so full that we had to take the rest home. The staff was incredible the entire evening, checking on us at just the right times and making us feel comfortable. The cocktails were great too, a little on the stronger side but you really can't go wrong. read more

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Fun vibes and great service/recommendations by staff! Got the butter burger- the patty was a tad on the drier side, but all the toppings like the black garlic onion jam made it such a cohesive and solid burger. The toro hand roll was packed, fresh, and equally delicious. The salmon crispy rice was actually crispy and the tare glaze and gochujang aioli enhanced the dish overall. The bananas foster dessert was light and not overly sweet; great way to end the meal. For drinks got the noble umami and kiwi chu highball- was not a fan of the kiwi chu highball/it tasted a bit off, but the noble umami was clean and smooth. read more

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Very chic, dark lit interior. Trendy with many photo ops. I absolutely love the food. The service is great and everyone is welcoming. I can't wait to come back and try more food items. read more

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Went there for my birthday dinner and I was bored. The place is beautiful - much of it are remnants of the previous resident, Porto. Service was good. We started with the shishito peppers. It was a total failure. The peppers were overcooked and unrecognizable. Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice. Rice is not crispy. Tuna had too much mayo. Overall it is edible. Al Pastor Hand Roll. Did not work. Better served with corn tortilla. Too much mayo. Toro Hand Roll. Too much mayo. Japanese food should never be this heavy. Mushroom Robata - the mushrooms were cut too small (almost minced) but it was tasty. It's OK. Chicken Yakitori - this was actually really good! The chicken was cooked properly and tasted great. Togarashi Fries - nicely fried, a little too salty but they were good. Came out minutes before the restaurant had to close. Cucumber Salad - good, prepared as expected and was a good side dish to calm down all the crazy unexpected flavors of the other dishes. Noodles - we got a vegetarian version instead of the ribeye because we have someone who is allergic to beef. The noodles were really good. The way it was prepared is boring. Okonomiyaki - they ran out of batter, so I did not get to try it. I was really looking forward to having this dish. I guess I'll go to Gaijin instead. Overall, the place is promising but the flavors are confused and not good. It can use some simplification and focus. They are definitely suffering from "fusion" confusion. Trying too hard to be different and the results are sadly not good. read more

We had a pleasant but unremarkable dinner at this new spot last night. The atmosphere was nice (the decor from the previous restaurant, Porto, is still pretty much untouched, just some Japanese touches added). Service was spotty; our waitress was pretty much useless and mia most of the evening but a gentleman (manager?) helped out and saved the day. The tuna handroll was nice, the Al Pastor was a gimmick that didn't work. Corn ribs were decent, as was the chicken sando and the brussel sprout salad. Oddly enough, the best thing we ate was the edamame - it had been charred, which made it super tasty. I loved the "ghost orchid", a take on a lychee martini and my wife enjoyed the sake that the gentleman recommended. Over all I think it was a bit overpriced and wasn't special enough to make us want to return anytime soon. read more

I came here with a large group, and our experience was phenomenal! Everything from beginning to end was flawless, and Ethan took great care of us. The service was timely and very friendly, and the food was perfection. Everyone in our group was raving about it all weekend, and we can't wait to go back! Menu highlight: tune crispy rice, edamame, rock shrimp tempura, wagyu sando read more

Everything was a little underwhelming and in my opinion overpriced for what you get. Portions are small and many of the dishes we tried lacked the flavor you would expect. It's not what you would expect if you've visited several Izakayas before. read more

I will say this was a 3.5/4 out of 5. I'm rounding up my overall rating to a 4. It's a very nice ambience inside with various seating options (bar, high stool, regular seating). When we went around 7pm it was practically empty and not sure if because it's a new restaurant or it was a week day but I recommend going on a weekend when it is a bit more lively. Despite it not being packed, service was a bit slow. Food wise - the food tasted really good however the portions were tiny for the price. We ordered the cucumber salad, mushroom skewers, and chicken sandwich. All were really good. Mushroom robata were seasoned very well but were a bit dry (no sauce or anything). Also, Chicken Sando was very good but the chicken was a bit dry. We asked for more honey mustard because it was so dry and then saw that they charged us for the additional mustard which was a bit penny pinching. The sandwich is very flavorful and chicken was thoroughly cooked. There's also not a lot of vegetarian options. All in all the food was good in my opinion however do have these few suggestions. read more

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I was having a hard time choosing a rating for this spot, still am. The service is excellent. Our server was lovely and helpful, super quick and friendly. The manager, Alex, also very nice and amiable. If this review was gonna be for service alone, it'd be a 5. But the food left something to be desired. We started w the tempura, which was nice. I've never had tempura'd grape tomatoes and they were so good! Then we had spicy tuna crispy rice and salmon crispy rice, I liked the tuna one more than the salmon, which was surprising bc i tend to like salmon more. Problem was that I couldn't even really taste the salmon somehow? We also had toro hand rolls and it oddly didn't taste like toro, it tasted like maguro. I had an issue with mine as well, but the manager really did a great job of making up for this problem, took it off the bill, sent out 2 free al pastor hand rolls for free on top of that. We appreciated how he handled this so much, but the Al pastor hand rolls weren't my favorite either. The hamachi tartare was actually really good! Packed w great flavor. The short rib noodles were probably my fave dish. The pork belly in the pork belly bao buns were HUGE! I wish they used the fluffy bao buns instead of whatever pita type baos they used. Those buns were just alright. Now I realize that this spot seems more like a cocktail lounge that happens to sell Izakaya food, but we don't really drink anymore so I can't say much about the drinks. But if I had to describe this restaurant, I'd say it's a nice cocktail lounge with a vibey interior, huge bar right in the middle, with a small, unique menu for tastings when you get buzzed and wanna try some fusion food. So if you like cool cocktails and drinks and want to try some new food, I'd suggest coming here. Service is really great, decor is cool. There's easy pay to park street parking right outside. read more

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Food was wonderful. Service was great. Vibes were very fun and aesthetic. Loved it read more

Hiro Izakaya - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Excellent! Went for the first time yesterday, recommend all 3 robata skewers, the corn ribs (messy but so much fun), the pork belly bao, brussels sprouts salad and the vegetarian/mushroom version of the shortrib noodles. Also, drinks were great. Excited to come back and try everything else on the menu! read more

Hiro Izakaya is West Town's gem hidden in plain sight. When you step afoot through their door, you are immediately transported to hip trendy spot you'd find in West Loop but without the crowed to follow. Both the innermost dining space and bar are stunning. Absolutely beautiful with hip music to boot! No reservations were needed the two times I've been, but I do recommend you make one just in case as this spot is picking up in popularity. I highly recommend you try their truffle hamachi carpaccio, burger and bluefin tuna hand roll. I'd definitely skip on the karaage because the salad was overly drenched in spicy dressing that overpowered everything. I'd also skip on the overcooked shishito peppers as they were yellow and soft for my personal liking. read more

Ambiance is super sexy retro modern vibes. Staff are super friendly and gave great recommendations. We got the Brussel sprout salad, spicy tuna crispy rice and the short rib noodles. All were fantastic. We would definitely come back for it. The drinks were phenomenal we recommend the ghost orchid, sea & smoke and for dessert get the espresso martini. Also don't forget a candy from the cat mouth and the hostess stand! read more

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The space is stunning, the service is quick, attentive and so friendly (shout out to Gary!), and the food is insanely delicious. Incredible addition to West Town! read more

Hiro Izakaya - Black Ember - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ahh! This used to be Beatnik. Remember that! This is by the Celeste Group, which is behind Celeste, Good Funk, Vela and etc. I had their fries. The staff and service are hiroriffic. read more

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More vibe than taste. We got shishito peppers, fries, hand rolls, hamachi carpaccio, trumpet mushrooms, Yakitori chicken, and short rib noodles. Only the six dollar fries and yakitori chicken were any good. Not sure what to make of it. I'd stick with the Cooked foods if going but would also not go again. read more

ambiance: 10/10 food: 6/10(?) nothing was extraordinary, the noodles were a bit bland for our taste. the skewers were a bit dry. the lychee cocktail was good, but the presentation was kinda lacking, I expected there to be actual lychee fruit as decor in the drink but there were none. read more

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It was okay. That's pretty much how I would describe it. Ribeye robata and chicken robata were tasty. Tres leches was just "good". Cucumber salad was very tasty. The cocktails were inventive and tasty. Now the bad. Gyoza had 0 flavor and seasoning. Tasted like boiled meat in some dough. The soba noodles desperately needed salt. The bao bun was different temperatures throughout. I would give it another try! read more