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Kai Sushi

4.2 (60 reviews)
ModerateSushi Bars
Closed • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Order Kai Sushi Takeout or Delivery

Kai Sushi Photos

Business Info

KAI SUSHI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Intimate
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Kai Sushi

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Green turtle and spicy tuna. Great!
Rosie V.

Great spot for byob sushi. Came on a Friday night with 2 friends and had a good time. It was pretty empty in the dining room (most people were sittinf outside), but the server was just lovely and wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed a spicy tuna roll and green turtle. I really appreciate that they do not charge a corking fee for the wine we brought. Would come back.

Sushi Platter Chicago Fire Roll
Anna T.

I got the sushi platter and the Chicago roll to go. Very quick service!! Overall this was eh. I would not recommend to a big sushi lover. The salad was fine, it would have been nice with iceberg lettuce. The nigiri was okay, the fish quality was not the best. The Chicago roll was the best part but didn't blow me away

Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich and Mac n Cheese
Jeff N.

There are no words! I had the Kentucky hot sandwich and the mac & cheese. I am one step closer to Heaven.

Ordered the scallop special, salmon avocado, shrimp tempura, dynamite and tuna avocado roll. Not the best quality sushi I've ever had but you can't beat the price at around $10-$16 per roll. The scallop special was the best one and I would order it again.

2 Rolls Lunch special ($15)
Miss A.

I cannot in good conscience recommend this place to any true Yelper, mostly because of unfriendly waitstaff. The food was fine, just nothing wow about it. Maybe take out would be a more pleasant option. I walked in during lunch hour last week, the entire staff was sitting at the sushi bar eating and there were no customers. The host welcomes me as she gets up from eating, mouth still chewing and walks me to a table. I point out that it's dirty with bits of rice still present. She walks me to another table, this one is clearly not bussed from whomever ate here earlier with soy sauce streaks, and now I'm feeling like Goldilocks!! I point to a table that at least has a window view and requested she wipe it down. Oh the look of scorn in her eyes said it all! I should have left then but I was craving sushi and tried to give the benefit of the doubt. Although I have never been to Kai before, I did take mental note when I was out with friends and we passed it, one of them said it was a great lunch spot. I digress... I immediately noticed the menu was soiled but asked for the lunch specials. She flips the menu over pointing to the options on the menu. I tell her I need a minute. Almost 10-minutes pass. I end up walking up towards the sushi bar and the whole staff turns to look at me - AWKWARD!! I announce I was ready to order and the same girl says "ok what you want?" "I'll take the sushi roll lunch special" I say. One guy jumps up from the sushi bar and walks around to the kitchen. A few minutes pass then miso soup and water are brought to me. The girl said "excuse me, what sushi you want?" I say again "I'll take the sushi roll lunch special." Now this girl says "you no tell me what sushi, I no make nothing" yeah this really happened. In hindsight I should have just left but I pointed to which rolls I wanted and she wrote them down on her notepad and shuffled away. I truly hope it was a lack of communication, clearly English isn't her first language, but still the whole dynamic was rude! I picked a tempura crab roll and a spicy yellowtail roll, each 8 pieces. They arrived together on a platter ($15). Not completely filling but an adequate portion for a midweek lunch. The girl never checked on me or asked if I needed anything else. I walked up to the counter to pay my bill and for the first time in a very long time I did not feel a tip was justified. Without even so much as a thank you from any of the staff for my business I left. Kinda makes me wonder how they stay in business treating customers this way.

Adrienne N.

I'm picky about my sushi and have to say this was really good!!! It seems small but it's a great small neighborhood spot. Would highly recommend their scallop special roll. All the rolls were perfectly cut and everything tasted fresh. The service and staff were fast and friendly. I'd come back!

Sashimi Appetizer
Wendy H.

It's a pretty good neighborhood sushi spot. Our favorite roll is the Hamachi Special Roll. For the price, the food isn't bad. I think the sashimi was pretty large. And I like that they prepare an orange for you at the end. Service is barebones but it's a small shop and the workers are friendly. The otoro was still a little frosty when we got it but I think they give generous fish slices for their sashimi so the value is there.

I really wanted to like Kai Sushi, but it was a disappointment. The miso soup had a very strange taste -- not the comforting flavor you expect. The sushi itself was just okay, nothing memorable, and definitely not worth coming back for. With so many other sushi spots in the area that are fresher and better, I won't be returning here.

spicy crab salmon mango Spicy Tuna Roll
Eric C.

it's perfect down the street from our house. mango salmon roll was well made and the service was fast. we sat on the outdoor patio it was clean. nice to people watch. they have coke products & mochi ice cream

Janet R.

Just moved into the building and I'm loving this place! Have had the super crunchy roll, ocean roll and cucumber salad, can't wait to try it all!

Matteo J.

Such a relaxing spot. Very good sushi and calm and quote atmosphere made me enjoy the most of my lunch

Victoria W.

I've been to their state street location multiple times and was happily surprised to see that they had also opened up a location in river North! I ordered my favorite, the ocean roll, and it was just as delicious as it usually is from their state street location. The staff was attentive and kind. The only feedback that I would give is that the day that I dined here, for some reason there was several fruit flies that kept hanging over our table, which was distracting and detracted a little bit from the meal.

Tonkatsu Ramen Lunch Special.

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1 year ago

Avoid this place --flies were everywhere, even on the sushi and swarming inside tables! Didn't eat 80% of meal and restaurant did nothing.

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1 year ago

Great delivery, superb quality! Chicago Fire roll, West Town roll, and Spicy Hamachi roll are all on point!

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2 years ago

Great food quick service. Prices were good and selection was varied and thoughtful. All around solid sushi for take out

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Miru

Miru

4.3
(320 reviews)
1.3 mi
•$$$

I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience at Miru…read more We were visiting Chicago for a short trip, and with so many excellent dining options, choosing where to eat wasn't easy. I almost decided to save Miru for our next visit, but I'm glad I made time for breakfast here on our departure day. Located inside the St. Regis Chicago, the restaurant offers beautiful views. The service was excellent--attentive, friendly, and professional. I ordered the Tokyo Breakfast. The salmon was perfectly cooked and paired beautifully with rice, a soft-poached egg, and salmon roe. The miso soup was slightly salty on its own, but it worked surprisingly well when enjoyed with the rice toward the end of the meal. Overall, a memorable breakfast experience. I'd love to return and try the lunch or dinner menu on my next trip to Chicago.

It's all about the views!…read more Miru is one of the newer sushi restaurants relatively uncompetitive sushi scene in Chicago, and it hits the spots for those interested in classy ambience and jaw dropping views. The sushi is phenomenal, as were our drinks... but the other entrees are disappointing. The karaage and duck yakisoba in particular in quality could be from any corner restaurant in Chicago. The service lends itself more casual, and I noticed they were consistently quite slow to clear our table. I don't think people come here for the food as much as the views. Overlooking Streeterville from this angle and vantage was truly jaw dropping and for this reason I still strongly recommend Miru.

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Inside
Inside
Tempura Rock Shrimp
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Jinsei Motto

Jinsei Motto

4.6
(150 reviews)
0.6 mi

Came here for the lunch omakase, which features dry-aged fish. Overall, the fish was fresh and…read morewell-prepared--nothing particularly mind-blowing, but definitely good quality, especially for a more affordable omakase option. My only critique is the pacing. Since the chef already had the fish sliced and prepped, I expected a smoother flow, but the meal took about an hour and a half for 14 pieces of sushi. It felt a bit slow, especially for a lunch service. That said, if you're looking for a reasonably priced omakase with quality fish, this is a solid choice.

Went for restaurant week with friends. Got there early after work and was able to hit the happy…read morehour which is a decent deal. Got the snow maiden sake and the spicy scallop hand roll. Both were great. Our bartenders were lovely and very friendly. Found out this is a Malort tasting room and we were able to sample some different Malorts (the cocoa one was good!). Then we were taken back to our table for dinner. Our server was super friendly as well. Started with the miso soup and crispy tuna bites which were probably my favorite dishes. The taki yoki fritters weren't bad either. We saw people getting omakase, so we ordered a yummy looking piece they were receiving. It was just okay (chutoro truffle). The nigiri was also okay. The tuna piece was the only I really loved. The fish quality wasn't as high as I was expecting. The sushi was decent. A little too much truffle in the spicy blue fin tuna and a little too vegetable forward in the hamachi serrano. All in all, the atmosphere and amazing service pushed this up to a 4 for me.

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Madai
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Ikigai Sushi & Izakaya

Ikigai Sushi & Izakaya

4.5
(100 reviews)
0.3 mi

So pleasantly surprised! Came in on a Friday night for a 6:30 reso and the place was empty BUT it…read morewas packed, seemingly by regulars, by the time we left. Service was a little slow at time but they got slammed very quickly and and we weren't in a rush. What we got: - chuturo nigiri - so buttery - hamachi nigiri - good flavor and cut - chili hotate - love the flavor - negi toro maki - good flavor - unakyu- fine a little on the sweeter side - Amai - not my favorite and I think the tuna had a strong fishy flavor Overall, good meal and pretty reasonable bill. Will definitely be coming back to check out the rest of the menu!

Such a wonderful spot! Fantastic happy hour. Everything was made fresh and tasted delicious…read more Service was super friendly, and they even brought out a free birthday mochi for my friend. We got the karage, three of the skewers , and the spicy salmon and tuna rolls. This place, along with the entrance is a bit hidden, so would love to see them market themselves more as I think it's a spot people would really love, especially for more affordable sushi in the River North area. Quiet and cozy ambiance for casual outings but also cute enough to be a date spot. Got seated immediately. Service was a bit slow, but that's only because they seemed to have one host/server working at the time, who was working super hard and kept a super pleasant and attentive vibe. I will definitely be back!

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Sushi bar area
Sushi bar area
CHIRASHI
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Kai Sushi - sushi - Updated July 2026

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