Visited this spot for the first time over the weekend while in Chicago. I went two days in a row because I couldn't get enough. I tried to talk the owner into opening a second location where I live. He was almost convinced, I'll keep working on him haha. Each item I tried was flavorful, texturally diverse, fresh, and comforting. I've not been to Hawaii but if this is what I've been missing I need to book a trip, stat! The shop isn't large but the vibe was chill and everyone I talked to was super welcoming and helpful. The Ube banana pudding is killer I'll be back for sure. read more

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Definitely coming back - tried their ube banana pudding and longanisa musubi, both were such fun snacks and sooo moreish The staff were so friendly and it reminded me so much of a fun neighbourhood tuck shop Would be coming here every week if I lived near read more

great spot to stop for a bite. Their brûlée brown butter mochi was delicious, and only a few dollars too! Very aptly priced, with a great ambience. The cashier was very friendly as well. read more

Kanin - brûlée brown butter mochi, tomato jam + egg, grand slam, and spicy spam - Hawaiian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

WOWWWW great vibes all around. Staff was super kind and friendly and the decor in there is top tier. Loved the flavors and definitely want to make it a frequent stop. read more

Kanin - Hawaiian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Delicious and amazing food tucked away off Damen Avenue. We ordered the sinigana shrimp musubi, tomato jam and egg musubi, spam and egg musubi, and the longanisa musubi. All of them were a 5/5, so fresh and warm. At the end we split the ube banana pudding (grab from the fridge) which was excellent and honestly better than the banana pudding downtown at magnolia bakery. There are three small tables inside but you can take everything to go. Line moves very quickly and interior is adorable. Will be coming back to try even more! read more

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Lovely new Filipino and Hawaiian joint in the neighborhood. The various musubis are a nice snack and they have quite a selection of imported goods. The folks behind the counter were very helpful and had a nice chat with them. Fun interior and a few tables if you want to try your snacks right there. Worth trying out! read more

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Been on my radar for a bit, got to grab a quick weekday lunch. Must get: Chicken Bento: smoky/grilled and the pickled radish, ginger, and furikake are a great touch. Ube Pudding: Wow, super fragrant and totally addictive! Classic Musubi: Always a winner, though others are tasty too. Definitely coming back to try pork bento! read more

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I work across the street and my students have been nagging me to visit Kanin... well, my bad, because I've been missing out since they opened 2 months ago. I had a shrimp musabi and the ube banana pudding. My coworkers eat here on a weekly basis. They offer a discount for teachers at our school. Kanin is also looking to partner with our AAPI club for AAPI heritage month. We love you!! You're such a great community partner and the food is DELICIOUS!!! read more

Cozy little Filipino & Hawaiian snack shop specializing in various musubi, grilled meats on a stick, and delectable pudding. They sell out incredibly quick so if you're looking to try something specific such as the longanisa masubi or the ube banana pudding I recommend you get there as early as you can. I've been there multiple times and some days I came looking to pick up a pint of pudding, only to find out they sold out in 4 hours. I would have love to come earlier but I was working. To me the prices for some of the items might be a bit high, I believe the pudding is just over 9 after tax, but they are still oh so good. They seem to function more like a snack shop as most of the items are either refrigerated or put out on the display under heat laps, compared to a standard food joint. There is a television playing Pokemon to keep you entertained while you try to fight the urge to buy everything. I only noticed stairs so I don't believe it is wheelchair accessible. No outdoor seating so probably no pets inside. Parking is only accessible on the street which is paid. read more

My first time in Kanin today, and I love the space and location. This spot is just what the city needs! I had to try the popular Ube Banana Pudding and it was out of this WORLD. I should've purchased two because the carton is almost gone. I also picked up some sylvies (assortment pack) made by CrumbsndCreams. I can't wait to try all of the flavors! Kanin sells musubi, skewers, and a variety of snacks and candies. Go check it out! Stock up! read more

Kanin - Hawaiian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Yet another establishment with fire longanisa. The fact that it's this cheap & this good in this day and age is mind blowing. We know other comparable places are costly & the lines are horrific however when I arrived which was around opening there was literally no one in the restaurant. The musubi is akin to akin to a sushi roll & although merely wrapped in plastic the thing was a flavor bomb. It as well as the Ube banana pudding are a must if coming here although they have other options. I'll be a regular here in no time. Parking can be tricky because it's adjacent to a school so be careful. read more

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Ube banana museum is good. Go try it. Friendly staff. Also tried the sausage masubi and that was good too. Go visit, good place read more

The service is amazing here. Really enjoyed the longanisa musubi I got but it is a bit pricey considering how small it was. Street parking only. It's located in front of Amundsen high school. The ube banana pudding was what I really wanted to try. Overall, I enjoyed everything I got. read more

Kanin - Hawaiian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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fun little spot with musubi and other asian snacks! i stopped in here for a quick bite with a friend. we both got the shrimp musubi. the employee recommended this one earlier in the day for maximum crunch. it was crunchy! i got a couple bags of chili kare snacks. i always have a hard time finding these at the asian grocery store for some reason, so i was happy to see it here. i'm not often in ravenswood, but i'd come back! i'm eager to try their bento boxes. read more

I loved the vibe and interior of Kanin, it feels cozy and fun. We dropped by at 11am on Saturday, and they were already sold out of some of their musubis, so definitely try to stop by early if you're looking to try out a wide range of items! The tamarind shrimp musubi was my favorite and had a good ratio of sauce:protein:rice, but the spam musubi was a bit dry and had too much rice for me. The chicken skewer was alright, but nothing to write home about. The ube banana pudding was a delightful treat. Overall I think this is a great addition to the neighborhood. read more

Kanin - Hawaiian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I had the incredible opportunity to check them out before their grand opening to try some goodies. My favorite bites were the inari bombs, longanisa and egg musubi and ube banana pudding. I kid you not, I finished the pudding in 2.5 days and it probably feeds like 4 people. The pork skewer was a bit dry and I noticed the ratios on some musbis were a bit off but overall I enjoyed most things I tried. The staff are all so welcoming and kind, plus the interior and decor are so cool. It's very small inside though and you will have to go early to wait in line because they run out of stock quick. read more

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I tried to hit up Kanin on opening day, but the line was down the block. I waited a week, and trekked out the following Saturday, and arrived at 8:30am. There was a line that went about 5 people out the door, but it was MUCH shorter, and moved super quick, so no problem. Parking is not what I would call plentiful in the area, but it's available if you are up for a little walk (1-2 blocks). The inside has that bodega feel, for sure, and in addition to their regular menu items they offer a plethora of snacks that you can't find in your regular stores. They have a variety of Oreo and Kit Kats in flavors that you can't typically find in the U.S. The fridge has their iconic Ube Banana Pudding, cucumber salad, pasta salad, and a ton of varieties of Hawaiian Sun soda. The one bummer about coming so early is that they didn't have the Umami bombs or the skewers available until 11am, but that just gives me a reason to come back. I had the Tamarind Shrimp musubi, which still retained a nice crisp even thought it was wrapped with warm rice. The tamarind sauce reminded me of a sweet & sour type sauce. The Longanisa and egg were a great combination, but my favorite was the classic Spam musubi. I wasn't a big fan of the pasta salad (It wasn't bad, I just have my own preferences). The highlight of the the menu for me is the Ube Banana Pudding. A great meld of flavors, without one overpowering the other. The price tag is over $8, but it is enough for two people (maybe one BIG portion if you're feeling hungry.... no judgement on my part). I will definitely be back to check out their Inari bombs, skewers, and to get another fix of ube banana pudding. The place was busy, but that's to be expected right after opening. Even thought they were busy, the staff were very nice and happy to answer questions about the menu. Not a lot of seats (maybe 6-8), but this will be a perfect place to stop and grab a bite before going to play at Admundsen Park once it starts to warm up. read more

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It's okay, confusing hours didn't know there's two buildings. Gave this place two opportunities. More of a to go order. read more

Kanin - Spam and soda. - Hawaiian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Finally got in to try authentic comfort food...open on a rainy Sunday. The 2 longanisa/egg and sinigang shrimp options were delicious! The bento boxes were not available until 11:00am...so may need to go back. read more

Kanin - Worth every bite - Hawaiian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yes, it's good but really nothing special for over price musubi.. in Honolulu musubi is $2.50+ not more than $5.. even the longanisa is ridiculous $7.50 for two bites.. market sell a pack of longansia for $4.50+ depending the brand.. read more

This place just opened up, but nonetheless the quality is immaculate! The spam musubi and longinisa + egg is soooo fire and yummy I highly highly recommend. Don't even get me started on the BBQ Chicken bowl... Essentially Kanin is similar to a Sari-Sari which is sooo cozy and vibes. Tri and Coral were so sweet helping me decide what to get, even during peak service hours If you get the chance please stop by,!! LIFE HACK: Get the Mac Salad and put it in your bowl it's soooo goated.. read more

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This was such a wonderful evening. Found in the basement of a Korean barbecue spot I found myself sitting at the bar which happened to also be the chefs counter. The staff is so delightful and kind. The food is beyond delicious, the lychee martinis were perfect. I really enjoyed the crab and wagyu hand rolls but everything was great! read more

Very cute place. Fast premade spam musubi - delicious!!! And you need to try the ube pudding. That's even better.

Service is wonderful! I love the decorative interior. The musubis and ube banana pudding are great. I appreciate that they have a vegetarian option for their musubis, its so hard to find from restaurants! read more

Kanin - Musubi - Hawaiian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Just went back to try it again. The Spam was much more flavorful than last time, the Longanisa was perfect and had a nice char, and the Tocino was terrific. The true star of the show was the Flying Saucer on this visit. It's a savory style of "uncrustable" made from King's Hawaiian bread that's filled with sloppy Joe meat, American cheese, tomato jam, and accompanied by a furikake mayo. EASILY one of the best things that I've ever put in my mouth! Please make this a permanent menu item read more

This quickly has become one of my all time favorite food spots anywhere, in any city. Simply put, every single item-- from the musubi, the poke, the desserts (the strawberry matcha pudding and flan, specifically) is outstanding. read more

service was amazing and food was even better. will be coming back daily and the little environment is really nice as well read more

Kanin - Hawaiian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Super duper delicious & friendly people!! We got our food later around 4 from the warmer at the counter and it tasted fresh and toasty! read more

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Cool little spot serving up Hawaiian quality musubi and they are authentic and delicious! The regular: just spam is great, with egg just as good, and I tried the tomato jam with egg as well - it was great. So imma go out on a short limb here and guess everything here is delicious! And the musubi is priced pretty low - go and have a couple! read more

As a Japanese-American, musubi is the comfort food of my childhood, and Hawaii is a special place where I have always felt welcome and seen. Driving home from my gym, I spied a Hawaiian flag and the word "Bento" - I don't need more convincing. This place - which I would describe as the Musubi Bodega of your dreams - is just the sort of joint that makes Chicago such a great food city. The musubi are delicious. The vibe - everyone is welcome and everybody eats - is wholehearted and sweet. They have Hawaiian sodas and Ito En iced green teas (if you know, you know - and I'll over look that Shohei Otani is their spokesman). They have Hi-Chews and Matcha KitKats and Prawn Crackers. This is my post-gym recovery spot and childhood memory food spot forever. read more

Quick snappy service and even better food. This places rocks. Had the famous pudding, cuke salad, and spam and Linguisa musibis. Loved it all. Dying to try a bento or do one of their popups next time. Try it out! I wish I caught the name of the young lady that took care of us, because she was super nice, helpful and guided us through things. Cheers to such a sweet place and people. read more

Love this place. Especially love the tamarind shrimp musubi. Everyone that works there is super nice, and all in all, it's always a fun place to stop for breakfast. At lunch they have rice/meat/pickle lunch boxes that are awesome. Highly recomend making a stop next door for coffee as well. read more

Kanin is tiny and often packed. But for good reason. It's serving absolutely delicious musubi. Every bite of these yummy little handheld squares is heaven. They're the perfect nutritious and delicious breakfast to give you some energy to tackle the day. The desserts selection is also heavenly. The puddings fly off the shelves. read more

No line (anymore? Generally?) around 9am on Friday! We got all the musubis and ube banana pudding. Everything was great, including the egg and tomato jam musubi that I wasn't necessarily expecting to be competitive with the meat toppers. I personally prefer seasoned rice but the plain rice in the musubis was nicely cooked and held well. Pudding was so creamy and beautiful ube purple. Big hit with our friends. Owners were cool and chill to talk to. We look forward to going back for bentos! read more

What a cute and special place! I feel like I walked into Brooklyn the moment the door opened. The egg/tomato jam musubi and egg/longanisa musubi were both delicious. Lots of delicious snacks/drinks for purchase, a few tables to hang. I'll be back! read more

Great food! I enjoyed the SPAM, sausage and shrimp options, and I also tried the purple banana pudding and it is fantastic as well.

The rolls were simply delicious. I tried the shrimp, spam, and sausage. The longganisa sausage was one of the best things I've tasted in a long time. The service was friendly and fast, which added to my overall experience. I will definitely be back! read more

Tamarind shrimp- yum! Longanisa- sign me up! Imari Bombs- Oh, Boy! Nice to see a local business thriving. They sell out, so make sure you have enough time to wait, but it's worth it! read more

Great service and delicious food. My favorite was the longanisa musubi, however I've enjoyed everything I've tried. I think the tamarind shrimp could have a little bit more flavor. Def recommend checking them out. read more

The flavor and hospitality go above and beyond me and my partner visited yesterday because we just moved to the neighborhood and they greeted us with so much kindness and warmth! Definitely recommend the Ube Banana Pudding and musubis read more