We went last night for the omakase. was not planned, just happened to think omakase would be a great idea for $50. and it was a LOT of food. service is sketchy. our server spoke to low and i could barely hear what was on the plate. shooters, uni in broth, steamed scallop, sashimi, escolar pearls, eel tempura, and a huge range of other things that i can no longer remember. for the size of restaurant, cleanliness, quality of food it is excellent. none of the fish had an aftertaste. read more

My absolute favorite sushi place in Chicago. Food is outstanding!

This is literally the best place ever. The quality of the food and the attention to detail is insane! Do not pass up the chefs omakase, it's a must, and don't forget about dessert!! Everything we ate was absolutely amazing and I can't wait to come back for round 3 ;) read more

This place was mind blowing and was sex in my mouth! It was so good that I made another reservation while there for my first time for dinner. Their menu is creative and not ordinary at all. I highly recommend the Escolar Pearls rice spheres topped with scallions and super white tuna soaked in soy sauce, truffle oil, spicy mayo, and chili oil, then lightly seared = OMG!!! Flaming Tuna Roll shrimp tempura, spicy tuna & avocado with seared tuna = OMG! The entire menu sounds amazing and I can't wait to revisit and bring my sister here when she's visiting from Florida. read more

Great sushi. Now serving wine. Cant wait to go back favorite neighborhood sushi in Chicago.

Although I was looking for a pure Omakase experience (aka, fish only), however, I probably found one of the best Kaiseki places in Chicago. The food, the creativity and the flavor here is great. At a price of 50 bucks, Kai Zan is a steal for the kind of food you get. Although I'd go back and just order the fish and nothing else, just to have a pure omakase experience. read more

Phenomenal food and service. It is super small and you have to make a reservation at least a week in advance if not further. Well worth. I believe they are expanding into the space next door which should help. read more

Omakasi. Get it. And bring some good wine along; this is a BYOB. Don't forget a robust appetite. You are in for a real gourmet treat. And the last course? It's to die for...... read more

This place is amazing and unique in the sushi elements. I had a reservation and saw a picture of an avocado specialty roll which was not on the menu. Upon asking about it, the waitress kindly took my phone and asked the chef if he could make it, he said yes! I HIGHLY recommend the Escolar, it's incredible. read more

We have been trying to dine here for a while and finally got in on a Friday early evening. Place is small, but super cozy. We grabbed a bottle of wine just down the street and brought it in for a $5 corking fee. As recommended by our server, first timers, we went with their tasting menu. This created a very unique experience that we both enjoyed. We tried things we would've never thought of ordering. Surprisingly, I liked the uni shooter, although I had to talk myself into trying it for the first time. The sashimi was out of this world, especially the white tuna and the portions were just right. Service was excellent, though we did feel a little rushed to finish some dishes so the next one can come out, but I guess it makes sense since they need to keep a certain pace. We walked out of there very satisfied and looking forward to going back. read more

You don't come to Kai Zan just to fill your belly, you come to Kai Zan for an experience! This is by far the best Japanese restaurant in the city. Every item on the menu is carefully thought out and then crafted to perfection. Kai Zan is not your ordinary sushi restaurant. Menu items are innovative, unique and with a twist. The quality of the fish is nothing short than perfection and if you sit at the sushi bar you can get a first hand glimpse of magic in the making. The restaurant itself is quaint and cozy perfect for a romantic evening or to celebrate with friends. My husband and I really enjoy sitting at the bar just as much as anywhere else in the restaurant. I really can't say enough good things about Kai Zan. If you are thinking about trying it I would definitely recommend it. Make reservations in advance though, this place fills up quick and once you dine here you will see why. read more

The best sushi in Chicago, hands down. No need to run to overrated downtown, when you have an absolute 5-star restaurant with phenomenal service. I took my boyfriend there for a celebratory dinner and he was stunned as much as I was. And, I'm hard to please, especially when it comes to sushi in Chicago, LA, or New York. We both had the 5 courses, every one was deliciously prepared, the first time I was happy enough to try sea urchin as well. I need to go back; now that I'm in LA, I know I'll be hitting it up if I'm anywhere close to flying back to cold Chitown weather. read more

Excellent. I have been limiting my out-to-dinner situations lately - trying to eat clean. I made an exception for a holiday dinner based on a recommendation. We ordered the chef's special ($60/person) - 10 courses. I was thoroughly impressed with the authenticity of the dish. No, I do not eat a lot of sushi but I could tell that they used excellent ingredients and didn't over season their dishes. This is very important to me as a food lover. I walked away feeling great - this is how you know food is done right, with great top-shelf ingredients. The environment was excellent, homie. The service was impeccable and natural - they were very helpful in recommending favorites and moving the process along. Thumbs up! read more

My girlfriend recently took me to Kai Zan for a special birthday dinner and we were nothing less than impressed! I would recommend the chef's tasting if you are open minded or adventurous as it gives you a great variety of what Kai Zan offers. Everything we tried was spectacular and so fresh. We were able to sit at the bar so we could see the chefs at work which I would recommend. It is on the more expensive end but very worth the quality and portion size. read more

I came here last week with a friend without a reservation. The receptionist ended up seating us down after a 10 minute wait after a table didnt show up. Im giving the place a 4 star instead of 5 because while she sat us down she informed us that we only had about an hr to eat because of another reservation coming in so we werent able to try out the chefs special. And also our server wasnt the best server. It took him a while to check up in us to see if we wanted to order anything else and it was our first time there so we didnt know the menu like that and while he was explaining the food on the menu he spoke too fast so i couldnt really understand what he was talking about and we ended up having to figure out what each items was by looking up pictures on yelp. The food was absolutely delicious. Everything was so fresh and marinated well. And our bill actually wasnt that much either. I would most likely try this place again hoping to get a different server. read more

Best sushi spot in town. Period.

Tried this place for omakase and it did not disappoint! There are 2 options, regular and premium omakase. Favorite was probably the oyster/scallop shooter and their nigiri. Food looked and tasted amazing! Server was nice and explained each dish that was brought out to us. Overall, good experience. read more

Best place I've been to ever for sushi and experience!!! Recommend the chef special, gives a great variety and experience of multiple tastes!! Will return again! read more

Best sushi I've ever had in the city. Did the chefs tasting menu. Highly recommend it

Fresh and delicious sushi. One of my favorite spots. The restaurant is chic and cozy. Make sure to make reservation though and they get booked up. They have you on a time limit since the space is rather small. This was only an issue once when a girlfriend and I ordered the Omakase and were chatting so much that our last few courses were rushed out. read more

Absolutely beautiful. Lovely little cozy restaurant. I am not even a huge sushi fan, so I just let my three girlfriends order, and absolutely loved everything I tasted. Orange rush was my personal favorite. Really is a must. read more

Great hidden gem and BYOB sushi spot. A little off the beaten path but food was excellent. Make a reservation because it's very small and you will have to wait. The green monster was an awesome sushi roll and I would definitely get it again. Escolar pearls were also good but I wouldn't have to get them again. Overall great date spot and great sushi. read more

A couple people have told me about Kai Zan and after going I can see why. It is amazing! The sushi is so fresh you can really taste the fish. It specializes in little bites more along the lines of nigiri and sashimi rather than huge rolls with lots of spicy mayo. So if that is what you like do NOT come here. We ordered so much it is hard to remember everything, but my favorites were the escolar pearls and the angry crab sushi! Beyond amazing! One thing to know is that it is BYOB for everything. I wanted a coke but they informed me that they only have water and green tea, but if you forget he mentioned a store across the street where you can get your libation of choice. It is also a bit hard to find. The sign is very small, blink and you miss it. But it is so worth it once you find it! Enjoy! read more

I found Kai Zan on Yelp and was intrigued by the great reviews. However, I was not thrilled by their sushi. It wasn't bad, just average. I would give another place a shot before going back to Kai Zan. On the other hand, the décor and atmosphere are great, very clean and modern. Also, the BYOB feature is awesome! read more

This place is really great, one of my favorite sushi places in the city and I'm a snob about sushi. Considering the quality of the fish-which was excellent-the menu is very fairly priced. My friends and I were sat in a cabana, the service was great, the ambiance comfortable and it's BYOB. Check it out! read more

I am still impressed with the quality of the food they serve here. I am in love with the Green Monster roll, Uni, angry crab, and anything they serve. The thought of this place still makes my mouth water. read more

Had the Omakase...it was incredible, and an amazing deal to boot. Don't forget it's BYOB!

You can be a purist, or you can embrace change. There's a lot of places that take traditional sushi and other Japanese cuisine and put a modern spin on it, but there's few that pull it off as well as Kai Zan, a nice spot in West Town that flies a bit under the radar because of it's location. Places like Japonais and Roka Akor get more buzz because of the chic decor and the River North location, but Kai Zan offers up similar food at similar quality, but at a slightly lower price point. Add in that it's BYOB and you can see why it gets the Yelp cred that it gets. We were able to score a same night reservation around 7pm. It sounds like they keep to a pretty tight schedule as we were informed we had a little over an hour to eat when we sat down. That put us off a little right off the bat, but ultimately after that, they never really pushed the issue and we ate without feeling rushed or pressed. The menu is split into cold and hot appetizers, sushi and rolls, and a few choice robata style entrees, along with a nice selection of seasonal specials. We got a pretty wide mix of everything, although we were tempted to just go with one of the omakase choices (next time!) We started with the angry crab roll and medium-thin sliced piece of maguro wrapped around a ball of fresh lump crab meat mixed with a spicy mayo and topped with pankos. A solid mix and a good way to start the meal. The tuna was more meaty and tender than fatty and melded nicely with the crab. As someone who's always on the lookout for good fried chicken, karaage is tough to pass up. While good, the karaage was one of the more forgettable dishes of the meal. A bit salty on the batter and a bit overcooked. The hamachi kama, taken from the neck/collar of the yellowtail, was the highlight of the meal. The grilled char gave the cooked fish a nice smokey flavor and the fish itself had a nice meaty texture. Cooked yellowtail is quite different from the raw hamachi most of us are used to and has a very fishy flavor, almost like mackerel. The portion size was very generous for the price. These apparently are in somewhat limited supply so if it's in stock, I highly recommend grabbing one. Next up is the takoyaki - the skewer comes topped with just a touch of wasabi mayo, bonito flakes. These little fried octopus balls were solid and the bonito flakes, the wasabi mayo, and the touch of teriyaki gave it a nice mix of sweet, salty, and spicy. Feeling like we had to sample a few things from every portion of the menu, we next ordered a few pieces from the grill. First, the slightly fatty cut of pork belly, served with a small side of kimchi, and the second, a large prawn,which was just a bit undercooked but massive in size. To finish the meal off, we moved on to the raw fish portion of the meal. The salmon was superbly fresh and well cut to a nice thickness, and the escolar simlarly so, although it lacked a bit of the usual crisp, moist bite that bursts when you bite into it. We ended with a pair of raw ama ebi shrimps - fresh and sweet and followed by the meatiest, most flavorful shrimp heads I've ever had. These almost made the meal in itself. Thankfully, the meal didn't necessarily need the extra support from the shrimp heads. Even before that, there was a number of dishes that put this meal into the upper echelon of Japanese meals I've had in Chicago. I'd put the sushi just a step down from Katsu, but still better than 95% of the joints in Chicago. And we can't wait to go back. Pics and more up at: http://chohschow.com/2014/07/14/kaizan read more

This is my favorite sushi place in the city hands down. I've been there about 4 times now and each time has been amazing. I've ordered off the menu as well as tried the Chef's Tasting. I'd highly recommned the Chef's Tasting. You get a lot of food for your money and it's all delicious. They now serve beer and wine but you can still byob for a corking fee. Parking is also very simple and free. read more

Solid food, great environment and the chef's choice was the way to go. I thoroughly enjoyed this spot and with the reasonable pricing, I look forward to going back. read more

LOVE this place. The omakase is unbelievable. Unique, beautifully-presented. Delicious and super fresh! LOTS OF FOOD! Save room for the sashimi course which is served toward the end! You will be full! Service is terrific - staff is very knowledgeable and friendly! read more

This place is great. Small and intimate. Great service and great food. We sat at the sushi counter which was cool to see the food being prepared. We tried the chefs tasting menu for $65 a person. Honestly it was too much food. It was ten courses, so I expected it would be literally a taste for each course -- one piece of sashimi or one piece of sushi roll per course. For half the courses they were giving two or three "servings". I was uncomfortably full by the time we were halfway done, and I didn't enjoy the second half of the tasting menu because of it. Several of the items on the tasting menu are on the regular menu so if so went back I would figure out what looks good from the tasting menu and then order a couple of those plates individually. read more

Dont come for omakase. Defintely not worth it. Their food is not fresh. The mussel makes me wanna puke.

hands down, best sushi i've had in chicago. like others have said, almost didn't want to share this news so that I can just enjoy it all to myself. we shared a bunch of different things. some of the favs were the escolar pearls, orange crush, danielle, and the uni. those were just the standouts - we absolutely loved everything. go there. now. before all of chicago does. read more

My wife and I went o Kai Zan tonight and had to write a review ASAP. We have been to just about every sushi restaurant in Chicago and have a new favorite. Kai Zan is terrific. The sushi is flown in fresh daily and is evident from the very first bite. The manager grew up in Japan on the waterfront and was charming and knowledgeable. The twin owners/chefs came by our table to say hello and are clearly proud of their work. Go to Kai Zan and you will not be dissapointed. This was an easy 5 star review. read more

Best affordable modern Japanese restaurant I've been to in Chicago. We got the Omakase and it was delightful. My favorites were the escolar pearls and the salmon belly sashimi. But when you get the Omakase, you just get the best of everything. So there is no need to order by taking people's recommendations on Yelp. The ambiance is beautiful. We sat in the sunny little patio up front but the wood interior is gorgeous. I hope to sit in a booth next time. One of the twin brother owner chefs walked around to ask us if we enjoyed our meal. The wait stuff was attentive and you can tell they love their food as well. As they should. Its so good. Make a reservation now. read more

Superb restaurant. Reserved a booth for the family. Unique atmosphere. My family commented on the unique lights overhead. I recommend the calamari and any of the sushi. Had complimentary appetizers due to our multiple orders of sushi. Amazing experience. If I had time, I'd try the omakase menu. Come early to search for street parking. read more

Mother of Pearl!!! This is worth every bit of time it takes to get a reservation and get in. These are very very bad men. Like bad in the MJ (both Jackson & Jordan) sense of the phrase. read more

Everything from the Chef's choice to the Kai zan favorites were fantastic! The angry crab and flaming tuna were my favorite. We ordered the Hotate, Angry Crab, Orange Rush, Beef Tataki, and the Char Siu. The only slightly disappointing thing was the beef....the chunks were big and chewy. They would've been better had they been a little more thinly sliced. Overall, we will definitely come back! read more

Love the uni here. Always fresh. The uni toro taretare is a must. Escolar pearls are also awesome here. My only complaint is that they recently added a corkage charge without giving notice. I would have opted out the $15 corkage and ordered their providing alcohol instead if i knew. read more