Getting close to living in the area for 30 years and had not been back to Kuni's until recently. Just had forgotten (unless things really changed) how cozy having a place this close to home is. Good wide menu with items that you don't find at your mainstream japanese restaurant. More like old school Chicago Japanese. (Thinking a blend here of old Ginza and maybe some parts Sunshine.) Maybe only with the departure of those favorites we appreciate more what has stayed on. Appetizer selection is long enough to just get small plates to share. Notables: - ebi snijo (homemade shrimp ball) - hamachi jaw (if you haven't had it) - hirame no cha soba age (fried green tea noodles and whitefish rolled with seaweed) - evokes the old Ginza restaurant for me - octopus sunomono Even after three recent visits without repeat apps, there are still more we haven't had elsewhere to try. Part of the reason for that is - we get entrees too. We've been happy with: - chirashi (curious how the sashimi D differs) - Salmon Bento (D) - so many different things fun to share! - Kuni's Special - gomaee and mixed seafood sunomono, then our choice of sashimi followed by saba - nabe yaki udon is reasonable here at $13 with two tempura shrimp Know there's lots of reviews here, but as long as there is room on weekends for us we're happy to share! read more

See all

08/04/25 - Kuni's Japanese Restaurant since 1986 located @ 511 Main Street in Evanston, IL. What a beautiful little traditional Japanese restaurant in Evanston. I love this place it has such a cool vibe w/authentic japanese decor. I ordered the bento box that came w/miso soup, salad, broiled chicken teriyaki, tempura w/2 pieces of shrimp, sweet potato, pepper, 1/2 California roll, 1 piece on Inari sushi, a couple of pieces of gyoza, 1 piece of kamaboko, tofu & spinach. This was a very enjoyable bento w/a nice variety of Japanese cuisine. The ambiance is very nice the food is good & it won't kill the bank read more

See all

This place is a very casual sushi spot that is very authentic and has great service. The staff is very nice and it was a good experience to sit at the bar and eat. My friend loves sushi and claimed this was the best quality sushi he'd had. The place isn't very vegetarian friendly though; they have some veggie rolls, but nothing is a specialty roll so it feels very basic. I ended up getting a side of mushrooms and had that with rice which was good, but of course not the most vegetarian friendly place. However, if you don't care about specialty rolls and just want really good quality sushi, this is DEFINITELY the spot and you won't regret it! read more

The food was tasty and homey, which reminded me of mom and pop Izakayas in Japan. Highly recommend the seafood here (both raw and cooked) they're fresh and well prepared. Miso soup was not bad as well. The other fried dishes were a bit heavy with breading (e.g., takoyaki, katsu curry, chicken drum sticks, etc.). Service was attentive and kind. If I'm in the area for a meal, I'd definitely swing back here! read more

See all

Although I've only been to the restaurant ones, even though it's just a block away, I'm handicapped and sometimes it's a little hard to get out. However, I have ordered from Kuni's many times maybe a dozen or more. They are by far the best value for Japanese food that I have discovered in years. I have been enjoying Japanese cuisine for a long time. I'm in my 70s and remember going to Japanese restaurant on Broadway in Chicago I hate to say it but back in the 1970s! Lol. I believe this is great Japanese food for a very reasonable price. I know they've been in business a long time. My friends told me and I hope they are here for another couple of generations, or more my best to them. read more

Kuni's Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Here is a long time favorite for sushi in Evanston. It's been around here since the 1980s, so that's a long time for a restaurant. Kuni's Bistro looks like it may not have changed that much in that time. Even though it may look outdated, the food is still fresh. This is like getting old school sushi without all the fancy sauces and some other crazy stuff. A pretty good menu and the prices are a throwback as well, pretty cheap. It has a few Asian beers including Asahi, the most popular one in Japan according to the label. The sushi is the main thing though. It's about $5 for hand rolls. These are like typical sushi rolls except these aren't cut and are thicker. Kind of like a long triangle shape. We got the Avocado and the Veggie Hand Rolls, and these were a pretty good value. Liked these. Packed full of rice and vegetables, in a pretty tough seaweed wrap. Good tasting and good looking. There's also the more common types of rolls. Best place for getting classic styles of sushi without being fancy. It's been around a long time and it's easy to taste why, as well as the good prices. There's a pretty good amount of choices for vegans and vegetarians. read more

Kuni's Japanese Restaurant - Asahi With The Avocado And Veggie Hand Rolls - Japanese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Honestly and without a doubt the best plate of food I have had in a long time when it comes to Japanese absolutely amazing. Perfect proportions care in every detail there's a reason it's been here this long people read more

Puts the Wasabi in the nigiri, which is traditional, but not often something I see. Straightforward sushi (nigiri, sashimi, and maki) and prices can't be beat! read more

Kuni's Japanese Restaurant - スーパードライ - Japanese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Truly, five stars. My partner & I live in Chicago. We have been to most of the well-regarded sushi restaurants in Chicago, as well as, most of the special omakases establishments. We make this trip because Kuni's has very, very high standards. From the quality of the food to the way they treat their guests. This is a family run establishment and they take pride in their fish. The temperature is always spot on, the sashimi is never cut too thick, the sake is delicious. They don't make sushi joints like this anymore, which is why we trek out here 1/2 hour by uber when there are fancy overpriced and underwhelming omakase nearby. This establishment cares so much about their guests' experience. The sushi is truly as great as any place in Chicago if not better. We've been coming out here for 10 years. Only place in town willing to do authentic sake pours too. We love Kuni's. Authentic all the way. read more

First time here. Dined alone because my ravishing wife doesn't like sushi. Service was great. Atmosphere was traditional and quaint for this type of restaurant. Had the miso soup as well as maki rolls of unagi, salmon, and yellowtail. They were all excellent. Would highly recommend this place. read more

Kuni's Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

This restaurant is cozy, casual, and cheap. The service was straightforward. I unfortunately ordered the tofu stir fry which was just a pile of cabbage with 4 pieces of tofu. The veggies had a bitter taste and I think the tofu was spoiled. Fortunately they took the entree off both the table and the bill when I brought up the concerns. The sushi was just okay, had a little too much salt and didn't taste very fresh. Overall I didn't enjoy the food and very likely won't be returning. read more

Warm, unassuming and welcoming restaurant with consistently delicious, authentic, traditional Japanese fare. Have dined here a few times since Kuni-San and his wife retired and still recommend it. The omakase doesn't have quite the same magic at a table as it does at the bar, but so I'll try sitting there next time for the full experience. Reminds me of so many happy times with my Dad, who was a regular. read more

Kuni's Japanese Restaurant - Scallop in the Omakase sushi was so fresh and seasoned just perfectly... Delight to the palate! - Japanese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

See all

A small hidden Japanese restaurant in evanston. I thought the service was good and attentive even when we had a large party. The food was really good/melts in your mouth. My favorite was the eel roll! read more

Kuni's Japanese Restaurant - nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

See all

The food was good for take out, service was ok; I have to dine in to give a better perspective but the food is good. I would go back.

I live in the area and saw positive reviews for Kuni's but I didn't set foot until this month. I love having sushi on occasion. Kuni's menu was appetizing so I bookmarked it for a future visit. My family visited a couple weeks ago and we were able to secure patio seating without a reservation. Although I appreciate that they offer patio seating, the chairs we sat on were stiff and wobbly. My parents shared a salmon bento box and my husband and I ordered sushi and rolls a la carte. We started off with a fried oyster appetizer and it was pretty middle of the road like much of what we ordered. I had a French maki and a spicy lobster handroll. They were edible but both kinda fell flat in flavor. The hand roll was spicy but there wasn't much depth to it and I wasn't wowed by the French maki either. My parents being elderly have small appetites but looking at their bento box, the salmon piece was a tiny portion. I would have expected something slightly bigger especially since the bento box was nearly $25.00. They didn't seem, to raise any issues with their meal and appeared stuffed since they weren't able to finish the other side dishes in the box. My husband said his meal was okay but nothing remarkable stood out. The service was good but if the food quality doesn't match the service, I doubt I'll return. read more

See all

Cute sushi place with great fresh Japanese food. The quality is Michigan avenue but the price is Evanston. The sushi is melt-in-your-mouth delicious and they make it in a very reasonable amount of time. I'm also an udon fan and they deliver. This is my go to place when I need great Japanese food. read more

We live nearby so we came for dinner. We were seated right away. Service was really great. We ordered drinks and gyoza. Then we ordered the French maki and I had the. Combination tempura salmon teriyaki and 1/2 California maki. The gyoza was good but the soy sauce was weak. Not salty. Weird taste. My wife loved the French maki and the miso soup. The salad had this weird thick dressing that was not creamy. Just no real taste other then ginger not much sesame taste. We left it. The tempura was fantastic. Crunchy and two small pieces of shrimp and a sweet potato. The sauce was forgettable. Not salty enough. The salmon was dry. The fried gyoza was good. The seaweed was amazing as was the gomae. There was a lot of food. read more

Kuni's Japanese Restaurant - Salad with a weird dressing. Won't order this again. Yuck. - Japanese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

See all

Kuni's is an Evanston treasure for anyone that likes authentic Japanese food. The quality of the fish was fantastic. Service was excellent. There are chicken beef and noodle dishes for those that don't want sushi or sashimi. If you're unfortunate enough to find yourself in Evanston this is your best option for a quality dining experience. It's enough to make you love the city. read more

Something tells me that the road and sidewalk work on Main St isn't good for our shops and restaurants. This occurred to me while I was enjoying Kuni's gorgeous sashimi with all the veggies and seasonings. Since my home is close by I wandered in around 5 to get an order to go. The sashimi D dinner, as I recalled had 8 slices of chef's fish choice, rice bowl, wasabi and ginger. Less than ten minutes later the Chef delivered his choices, the wait staff packed my bag with everything else and I came home. Edamame wrapped up, a bucket of fresh sliced seafood, shredded cabbage, seaweed, and matchstick carrot salad, pile of ginger and a knot of wasabi. I believe my new favorite chef gave me 16 pieces of his choice. The ambience at my place? Meh. But I know a great spot to get beautiful food! read more

The sushi at Kuni is excellent when you ear in the restaurant. However, the last few times we have carried out the sushi rolls have not been very fresh and fishy tasting. My suggestion is if you carry out demand the same freshness as the eat in customers receive. read more

Kuni's is really charming and has some of the best quality sushi I've eaten in a long time. The soba is also quite delicious. This was my first time trying a cold soba dish and it won't be the last! read more

See all

What a homey place to have sushi and traditional japanese dishes. It's a cozy setting where I'd be comfortable bringing friends or family to enjoy a delicious meal without a hipster crowd. Sashimi freshness is solid. We tried the sashimi omakase, sashimi combo, all types of hand rolls, maki rolls, deep fried soft shell crab and even beef sukiyaki. Really enjoyed all sushi and sashimi plus the soft shell crab. Can't wait to bring my family here to try and share more rolls. Street parking can be challenging on a saturday night so come early to look for parking. read more

I went to Japanese restaurant at first time in the US. I'm Japanese so I wanted to try to go. I ordered: -Agedashi Tofu $5.00 I love Agedashi Tofu in Japan. I tried the taste almost same and I love it! -Takoyaki $6.00 I'm from Osaka, Japan. Takoyaki is famous foods in Osaka. Takoyaki taste is really good! Same taste! -Sukiyaki $18.00 It was cold so I wanted to eat warm foods. Taste was fine. Need more soy sauce and sugar. And also in Japan dip in row eggs. I like this way so I was miss Japanese Sukiyaki. -Unadon $22.00 Unagi is expensive in Japan. But really good and price is okay too. I did't try to eat Sushi this time. I definitely try to eat Sushi next time. In Japan it is difficult to be Sushi chief because they have a long time training . I saw Japanese Chief made Sushi. So I should try. Of course prices are a quite expensive. But I had a good time at Japanese restaurant. read more

Kuni's Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

See all

This is a true gem. The sushi is excellent and so are the other dishes. Great atmosphere and not expensive, especially considering how good it is. read more

My favorite Japanese restaurant in Evanston. The quality of sashimi is very decent here, better than most Japanese restaurants I've been to in Chicagoland. I love their bento boxes, good value in general. Sashimi plate is always good. Their tempura udon is really worth a try, especially for the price. You can definitely taste a difference between their udon soup bowl from some restaurants that use frozen instant noodles. 2020 March update: I really hope Kuni can hold up through this pandemic. It's a very decent restaurant with authentic food and reasonable price and friendly service. Please consider ordering delivery if you can. For the owner: ever considered being on Grubhub or Uber Eats or Chowbus? read more

Kuni's Japanese Restaurant - Dinner Bento Box with Salmon Teriyaki - Japanese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Only Japanese restaurant that offers sukiyaki. Sushi choices are great. Have never had a bad experience.

Great food and service. Their sunomono is the best. Fish and veggies are super fresh.

Came here for a celebration dinner. Restaurant is relatively quiet, and can make for an intimate and slightly romantic dinner. Skip the takoyaki as it's a little bland and the octopus is over cooked. I recommend the scallop nigiri as it is delicious! We considered getting a couple of fatty tuna nigiris, but they're $8 EACH! Instead we opted for the fatty tuna roll which comes with 6 small pieces that were well prepared and easier on the wallet. read more

See all

Food here is awesome! Love their gf gyoza and all of the sushi rolls, sashimi and nigiri. Very traditional and I love that! One star off because they don't have any sparking water options so you have to get a soda. They have a great choice in sake as well! Yum! read more

If your looking for something a little more traditional for sushi(all about fish) then Kuni's is a place to try. The restaurant is named after the owner Kunii who was also the main sushi chef. Since covid that role has been picked up by his nephew. For the best experience try to get a seat at the sushi bar. You get to see the chefs in action and check out the fish. Do not expect rolls that are full of sauces or crazy gimmicks Kuni's is just going to give you good fish, with or without the rice. They do have a carry out menu, but not all items on the regular menu are available for carry out. Their showcase meal is Omakase. It is a generous spread of the chef's choice of fish either sushi or sashimi. The meal is presented with the chef's artistic flare and they have always been good. Comment on parking, there is street parking but it can be challenging. read more

Fresh fish, no frills and fireworks needed- the whole staff is Japanese and I love the simple authentic atmosphere. Everyone is super friendly and you feel comfortable right away- they are Asian and speak broken English. Don't take that as them being rude. The Omakase- choice of sushi or sashimi (market price currently $38) came with 11 different sushi and a 6 piece roll. I had a variety of fish from fresh Uni, Ikura, White super tuna, Salmon, tuna, eel, to tuna/avocado roll. Their Nabe Yaki Udon was amazing! The broth is so fresh and you can taste all the different seafood/dashi from the broth paired with Japanese style thick noodles, two shrimp tempura, fish cake and broken egg (egg drop soup style). It comes in the stone pot so the dish is pretty hot the whole time you eat it! Appetizers: Hamachi jaw (salted) is moist, the fish breaks easily and cooked with no fishy smell. Tempura- shrimp and vegetables (onion, zucchini, sweet potato) is fried well- not oily- light and crispy I'd skip the edamame next time (not as warm- less salty) compared to other places. It's a good neighborhood place to come to get your sushi fix. If you need to park- Kuni's patrons can park at the Bank located across the street. Or there are ample street parking- only need to pay the meter until 6pm so after that it's free. read more

See all

Place was pretty empty and had a little fishy smell when walking in. Everything was good. There must have been a little language barrier with the waitstaff as my food was not as ordered, but still ate and enjoyed it. Would go back but if in the area, but not a special trip. read more

I usually do not post low star reviews, but to be honest this restaurant was a major disappointment. I had expected the food to be above average when I saw that this restaurant had been open for over 30 years. But that was not the case. My friend and I ordered tempura, sushi set and miso soup. The flour on the surface of tempura was thick and uneven. The miso soup was pretty much just miso powder and tofu. The sushi rice was very sour, probably someone poured twice the usual amount of vinegar inside. The texture of the rice, the amount of wasabi, how the fish was cut were all problematic. Even sushi bento at department stores in Japan is better made. read more

Food is delicious and servings are generous. I ordered a sashimi appetizer and I think that would have been enough for dinner. I also got their version of sukiyaki and the flavor was on point. The beef was cooked medium just like how you would eat it in Japan since it supposed to cooked in the broth as it gets served to you. I really like this place and they are friendly so service alone is worth coming back for. During covid however they are adding additional taxes but seems like that's the new norm. read more

I just got take out from here and wow what a find. If you're a real sushi eater (as in the real stuff -uni, ikura, aji, etc) you have to try this place. I spent a lot of money on take out for one person ($90) but it was 1000% worth it. I will be back for sure. read more

Outstanding. This is absolutely our favorite, most truly authentic Japanese restaurant in the Midwest. The quality of the fish is remarkable for the price, and so fresh for a restaurant not in an oceanside city! Perfect miso, scrumptious mackerel teriyaki, awesome spicy tuna roll, and sashimi beyond belief... such a great restaurant to celebrate with! Recently tried their eggplant appetizer, and that also blew us away. Highly, highly recommended!!! read more

Order the omakase here! You won't regret it! It comes with 12 pieces of nigiri sushi and 1 roll. Very filling and the price is reasonable. The fish was fresh and sushi very authentically made. They were unfortunately out of uni (sea urchin) that day, but they gave us a different piece as a replacement. The fatty tuna and fatty salmon melts in your mouth! The appetizer they brought with the omakase was good too - it was soba wrapped in seaweed and deep fried. Will definitely be back for more! read more

Kuni's Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I think Kuni's might have changed ownership? Breaker my last visit I could've sworn it was owned by Japanese people but when I went it was owned by Koreans. I thought the sushi was mediocre. We tried the tonkatsu, chefs sushi selection and ordered a la cart. The food really didn't stand out. Service was excellent though. Very attentive and courteous. read more

See all

Kuni's is a nice spot on Main for a laid-back dinner. The staff was extremely friendly and the food was good. I ordered the Dinner combo b which came with miso soup, a salad, salmon teriyaki, a California roll, a breaded rice thing I wasn't a fan of, tempura and gyoza. The combo was around $20 and I had leftovers for lunch the next day. read more

Kuni's Japanese Restaurant - Dinner combo b: salmon teriyaki, tempura, California roll, miso soup, and salad - Japanese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

a hole in the wall authentic japanese restaurat! why didn't i know about you till now!! Def worth the drive to check it out. read more

Kuni's Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

See all