This was the best dining experience of my life!! $150 seems like it is expensive for a meal... and it is but it is so worth it. My girlfriend and I had been saving up for 3 months to go to dinner here for our anniversary and it exceeded expectations. This place might've ruined sushi for me. The chef makes everything right in front of you and takes such care. He literally paints on the soy sauce so every bite is perfectly seasoned! The setting is so intimate which makes the experience even better. We added on the foie gras which was the most delicious presentation I've personally had. If anyone asked me to pick their last meal this would be the place I would pick! If you are on the fence you will regret missing out on this restaurant!!!! read more

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Made the reservation two months ahead of time because I could only do Fridays. The food was awesome, worth every dollar. The pace was good, about 1.5 hours. Highly recommend if you are into Omakase. read more

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By far the best sushi I have had in Chicago so far -- small 8 seat restaurant with two omakase servings each night, starting at $125 before tax and tip with approximately 11-12 pieces of nigiri and a few other small dishes (miso soup and panna cotta for desert). It is not cheap, but you pay for quality and this is the best quality sushi I have had in town so far. The fish is mostly from Japan, but also sourced from other areas in the world and is no doubt fresh. The nigiri is seasoned perfectly with wasabi (so don't think about over seasoning with soy sauce) and the rice is very good. Some of the other a la carte options following dinner are also excellent. The experience is a bit quiet as Chef Park is quietly working to piece together the sushi for diners, but is engaging if you ask him questions about the sushi, where its sourced, etc. -- he has had a lot of experience making sushi and is an artist. BYOB right now, which is great and probably makes dinner a bit more affordable than it will be in the future. I hesitated to write this review as I wanted to keep this place a secret (apparently reservations are already booked for the next couple of months out), but also want to spread the word on great sushi in Chicago (which is rare). read more

So far the best I've had inside Chicago. Price is reasonable for quality and taste. The rice is perfectly made rivaling a few of the top places I've been to in Tokyo. Service was pleasant. We never felt awkward or rushed. The soft music in the background was a little too soft for my liking. It made me feel like I'm in the library. However, really no complaint. I will definitely be back. Actually, I can't wait to go back. read more

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At long last omakase has arrived in Chicago, the sushi is finally on par with what you could expect from NY/LA but not without its flaws. Omakase Yume is a small intimate experience with just eight seats. Chef Sangtae Park expertly slices nigiri behind the counter while his wife Kate Kim-Park welcomes and attends to the guests. Don't get me wrong, the nigiri is good, the best I've had in Chicago but when compared to say Sushi Nakazawa in NYC where 20 pieces run you $120, it was hard to say whether the 15 course meal was worth $125. At this level of dining, expectations are high. Chef Park works silently with precise efficiency, he's not keen on making small talk, aside from announcing each course. The entire meal was about 90 minutes which some people might complain about but I personally appreciated the pace and quietness. When it comes to sushi, I'm a purist and a few of the pieces were a little too extreme for me, specifically the liberal use of green onion on some of the nigiri but otherwise everything was delicious. I usually gravitate towards toro but the shima aji (yellowjack) was my favorite. The flavor and texture was perfect. I was also pleasantly surprised by the misoyaki (grilled miso black cod), I'm usually not a fan of cod, but the miso flavors melded with the buttery cod for an exquisite dish. The tamago was the least impressive and while the matcha panna cotta with red bean with creamy and smooth, there was no matcha flavor. After the set menu, we ordered wagyu which I highly recommend as it comes with two generous pieces, one for nigiri and another just to eat by itself. There's nothing quite like the smell of seared wagyu. The omakase was a solid meal and the atmosphere is lovely for a special occasion. This may be the best you can get in Chicago although I have yet to try Omakase Takeya, and I'm still skeptical about Kyoten. All in all, I'm glad true omakase has found its way to Chicago. Come while it's still BYOB! read more

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Dined here the other night and had an excellent meal. This is the place to go to for quality sushi. It is a set menu with the option to add on some individual pieces near the end of the meal. Out set menu consisted of 5 non-sushi courses and 10 pieces of sushi. The non-sushi items were good but the standout was by far the sushi. We added on a couple of the a la carte options, with the uni really being the standout. While the food is excellent it definitely is pricey. Chef Park is not the most outgoing individual so there isn't a lot of conversation unless you ask him some questions. Overall an excellent option but not one of those places that will be in the regular rotation given the prices! read more

Wanted to cancel reservations 1 hour within the 48 hour grace period because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The state of Illinois has declared a state of emergency and it is highly critical that people should avoid unneeded contact to avoid spreading the disease, especially to high risk people such as the young and old. The hostess who answered the phone when I called to explain the situation was cold and not sympathetic to the situation. I don't want to blame her because maybe she is just following the company policy. However this reflects extremely poorly on your business. You are unaware of the greater situation around you and carry on as if your above responsibility in helping the local community around you. This is irresponsible and dangerous. Honestly it stinks of snobbery and I see other reviews which reveal a similar attitude towards your customers. I am disappointed in your response to this situation and this shows that you value your bottom line over the health and safety of your customers and of the community around you. read more

Firstly, thanks to Chef Sangtae Park and his team for this dining experience. Overall fantastic. Now, some disclaimers for diners. We did a 5:30pm and it was my group (of 3) and just one other couple. The atmosphere was very quiet, there is no white noise, music...none of that. That can be weird to some. It's on the smaller side of places too. Super intimate. And Chef is all business. Personally, I knew what to expect but one of our diners didn't. So just letting that out there. That all said, watching Chef craft every dish was a serene experience. The stillness of the sound and the minimal surroundings hyper-fixated me to what Chef was doing. It was quite engaging for me as I found it fun to watch him do what he does best. Every dish was great. Fish was fresh and the flavors that Chef crafted were excellent. Memorable ones were the Otoro, Ebi (never had ebi like this), one of the bass that had a dash of sesame oil, and the foie gras. With the absolute favorite the foie gras. Or was the Otoro? Anyway, great experience overall! read more

Best sushi I've had! The fattened tuna was especially good. Great service and really friendly owners makes you feel right at home.

Food overall 3.5/5. Highlights: Red-snapper, golden eye snapper and Salmon are the best of the raw part. Unagi and Cod are the best of the non-raw part. The tuna trio and the others are mediocre. Jack amber and mackerel only 1/5. read more

Very intimate dining with close viewing of the chef and prep table. Exceptional sushi. Loved the three types of Maguro (Tuna): Fatty, Med fatty and standard. Certain pieces could be a little bigger in size. Charming and authentic dining place where it's ambience needed soft instrumental music to warm the dining experience. read more

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Hair in the steamed egg soup. Bug on the counter. Fish and cleanness no way near Michelin level. Money better spent elsewhere.

I've never had omakase in Chicago, so am super excited to have Omakase Yume in town! Very quaint place, cute ambiance. I loved that the chef put a unique twist on most dishes. Either a special salt or powder or veggie slice was added on top of most of the fish - this might not be a traditional practice, but I loved it! I also really enjoyed the few hot dishes, like the cod. Really tasty, and a nice surprise after the raw fish. We did two add ons - wagyu and the horse mackerel. The wagyu was fabulous...really tender and cooked right in front of us. I do wish the chef explained what each item was. He didn't speak at all - other than to tell you the name of each fish. I would have liked to know a bit more about each item. Great experience and very efficient. Take note, if you don't order any add ons, you have to wait for your dessert. So order some extras, and the green tea dessert is the perfect ending! read more

Omakase Yume was one of the best sushi experiences of my life! Chef Park does a phenomenal job. Went here for an anniversary dinner and every piece of fish was absolute perfection. I love omakase and it felt so special to experience a Michelin restaurant. Can't wait to go again! read more

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Excellent. Please go, it's the best sushi in the city. Worth every penny. We went to the 5.30pm seating on a Thursday. Only had to book a week in advanced. But every seat was taken. Tasting menu was amazing. Out of the 17 pieces+2 extras we ordered there were only 2 that I didn't enjoy. That was the wagyu and the shrimp. The wagyu was $16 per piece, and it was a bit bland. The shrimp wasn't fully cooked, which was a bit odd texture wise. Everything else was A+. Our favorites were the medium and super fatty tuna, the amberjack, and the salmon. But all the other pieces were still delightful. The sake we ordered was just ok as well. It was a bit sweet which I didn't care for. I also ordered the Belgium style Japanese beer that was tasty. A very unique dining experience where the chef makes each piece individually by hand and serves them. I plan to go back. read more

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Fantastic experience all around. I loved the intimacy of this eight seat sushi bar. The staff is very good. Personable, friendly, attentive. Chef Park is very nice. We had the 5:30 Saturday reservation. Meal lasted around 90 minutes including everyone ordering 2-3 additional courses. We had the included 17 courses plus 2 additional al la carte. The Omakase is some of the best I've had. Each course was uniquely delicious. Fresh high quality fish. I'm not usually a fan of rice. I feel it's just a necessary nuisance to help deliver whatever sushi I'm eating. Not here! I'm not sure what's going on with the rice, but it's amazing. I believe I've never truly had quality rice done properly until my visit to Omakase Yume. They have a small wine, sake, and beer selection. What they lack in quantity, they make up in quality. I'll be seeking out to purchase the wine and beer I had that night. Start to finish this was my favorite meal I've had in awhile. read more

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Great quality and great value! Personally I love here better than omakase takeya and Kyoten. The variety of fish is amazing and it tastes just right: the fish and rice both read more

Chi-Town has just elevated sushi to incredible and mind boggling levels I'm not really sure how to justifiably express what Chef Sangtae Park does. So I resort to following quotes from a chicagoreader.com article - "Park slices, molds, and paints his nigiri with the decisive fluidity of a croupier at a craps table. He works quietly, but opens with an audacious assertion of where he's from" This was not my first time Chi-Town Omakase experience but one that pretty much blows away the others.....way way out that is No point in describing everything I had as words cannot do justice to what I ate or what the roughly 90 minute experience was like. Get one of the coveted 8 seats and be mesmerized. The interior is minimalistic, quiet, small, and simply perfect. Chef Park is amazing to watch as he deftly works through each preparation. 17 course progression with options for add-ons. I loved everything! If you're up to it; I recommend at least 2 add-ons. There have been rave reviews about the wagyu beef add-on but it unfortunately wasn't available. Guess there's next time for that! My adds were salmon roe, uni, and the delectable foie gras; recommend them all. No soy sauce or wasabi but just pickled ginger slices as palette cleanser. I'm not particularly fond of ginger but this was so delicious, I had to ask for an extra helping Chopsticks are provided but not needed. Just let your fingers do the lifting and taste buds handle the rest My accompany was a "mystery" bottle of sake. It was a gift and as the label was entirely in Japanese, I had no idea what I was opening. Ended up being a gorgeous sake. No corking fee as they do not have their liquor license as of yet Omakase Yume clearly strives for perfection; the attention to detail was definitely not lost on me. Flawless service throughout the night including a warm welcome from the chef's wife Kate Kim-Park. Only 16 diners/night but Chef Park does this 6 days/week. My friend asked him if his hands hurt doing this everyday. His response - "I've been doing this for 30 years". Sounds crazy but I did read that he's been making Japanese food since he was a teenager Get ready for a whole lot of Open Table searching cos that's what it takes to get a reservation for this extraordinary experience. I just can't look at sushi the same anymore....it's raised up to indescribable sophistication. A little bit of Japan right here in Chi-Town read more

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Really amazing. Nothing else describes. The food was excellent, the quantity was right, the man behind the counter was right. The lady waiting on us - she was right, too. No left anywhere. Will be back for sure. read more

I had omakase at many other michelin star restaurants but this one is definitely on the top of the list. Fish quality was excellent and just melted as soon as I put them in my mouth. Toppings were unique and had hint of Korean-inspired taste. You could tell that chef did a lot of experiment and put a lot of effort to come up with such creative toppings that embrace the taste of sushi. Overall, amazing experience, excellent service, definitely would visit again. read more

What a delightful experience with amazing ingredients. This cute 8 seat tasting menu is perfect. Chef Park and his wife offer a beautiful dinner experience. There's a unique assortment of fresh delights and a great assortment of sake, beer and white wines. Do your self a favor and get the first reservation you get. It's worth the wait and the mula. read more

Omakase Yume - Squid negiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My wife and I had a great time at omAkase yume and the fish was fresh,tasty and full of flavor. And watching the chef work his magic was even better read more

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I dinned here last night and found out about this place through Eater. This is a very unique omakase restaurant that has only 8 counter seats in the entire place. For the food, everything was exceptional. We added on a few specials including the Uni, Ikura, Foie Gras, Wagyu, and Hotaru Ika. The Uni and Wagyu were my favorite specials out of the ones that we decided to try. As far as the omakase that is included in the $125 my favorite bites were the Akami, Otoro, and Sake but everything overall was delicious and the presentation of the fish was nice. There is something that this place lacked and it was warmth. The entire meal is very quiet. I think it would be helpful if the chef introduced himself and asked the customers if this was their first time dining at Omakase Yume. I think this would help make it feel like a more welcoming environment. Some soft music in the background might be helpful too. All in with tip, specials, and omakase we were in about $500 for the two of us. I think with that price some of the specials should be included in the $125/omakase. read more

This was our third omakase experience with the first second came from Osaka during our last trip. It is a very cute space but I wouldn't call it mind blowing. The ingredients are fairly normal with no surprise. Nothing memorable. read more

I made reservation 3 months ago for dinner at this place. It is only 8 seaters restaurant so it gets booked quickly especially on weekends. And plus they only take two groups of 8 per day. They close door when the last person comes for privacy. Food was defiantly great but little pricey. But every dollar was worth it. Chef Park and his wife are very friendly and staff is also very kind! read more

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Brought my wife for Valentine's Day. To start, the space is beautiful. Only seating for 8 people. They run 2 seatings per night. So only 16 people per day. Get your reservations in early. Chef Park and his wife were unbelievably warm and welcoming. Conversing with everyone and even though chef was dialed in on his preparation was always willing to answer questions. It's not very often that you get to speak with the chef for 90+ minutes. The food was exquisite. From temp to presentation to taste and texture. Chef Park was spot on. The 17 course tasting menu moved at a nice pace and never seemed rushed. I would highly recommend the wagyu special add-on at the end. One of my favorite meals in Chicago. You will not be disappointed. read more

Just around the corner of the Michelin Star announcement, we expected to be taken advantage, but it went a little too far. A glass of wine cost $21 FYI Temperatures were absolutely off with the sushi, harsh and unpleasant. Exception was the special menu, add ons after the $125 prie fix. The raw sweet shrimp was the worst dish of the night. Lastly, I respect pushing me as a customer. I don't have an allergy to nori but I can't stand it, it's ruined uni and other sushi for me. I told the staff I didn't have an allergy to it, that I simply didn't like it. I was told multiple times that I needed to have an open mind and accept it. When we moved on to the specials I asked once again, I don't want these specials if they come with nori. Guess what? The chef wasn't even serving anything with nori that night. All that arguing for no reason, the biggest input to my rating. This is not a place to be social, and sadly, not a place to be wow'd. read more

The people that run this establishment are dishonest. I purchased a gift certificate from them and was unable to use it. I called them and spoke to Alex. He assured me that they would give me my money back. They then went about disputing the charge reversal on my credit card. They are liars and are patently dishonest. I am taking them to court. read more

The fish was excellent. The sake options were grand. I highly recommend this place for an Omakase experience.

Great for an intimate night out! Went here for date night. Loved the experience! The panna cotta at the end was a great way to the end the dinner read more

Best sushi I've ever had in my life! Every single course was a unique flavor-bomb. Also the chef was very sweet and interacted with the guests whenever we had questions, took pictures, etc. read more

A few words: intimate, delicious, legitimate sushi, exquisitely prepared with attention to detail -- albeit a little spendy but worth the experience. The chef is seemingly an introvert, however, if you ask him about anything, he will answer you precisely -- like his sharp knife. His team of servers are so professional, nice, and astute with delivery. With three other couples dining the night we went, we enjoyed our omakase adventure. read more

A small omakase place with 8 seats，cozy，service is excellent and the food is delicious，17 courses and you can order a la carte after the chef menu. the best thing is they are BYOB at the moment， so dont forget to bring your own bottle for the meal. I have been to another omakase place，omakase takeya a short while ago， and to be honest just felt that the two places are very much alike， although Yume is also offering good quality of food but just nothing really WOW me， and personally speaking，I prefer the atmosphere of takeya better， thats the reason I took one star out. read more

Omakase Yume - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Not sure why anyone is excited for this place unless you've never been to a real omakase. The fish is all pre-sliced and too cold, leading me to think it was all frozen beforehand. There are no special dishes, no hand rolls or really any creativity here. The chef has no personality and is unable to have a rapport with the diners. Save your money and go to a real omakase elsewhere. Super meh. read more

Absolutely wonderful, each course built upon its predecessor. Can't think of a thing I didn't love, great experience, great service, lovely family. read more

I have no words to describe this meal. The best meal I've ever had. Everything delicately prepared and the freshest sushi I've ever had. Amazing chef and waitress making the experience top notch. Best dinner I've ever had in my life. read more

The sushi was great but not worth it for the price. It would've been if the chef was more interactive. We tried speaking to him many times, but only got one to two word responses. It made the whole experience felt unwelcoming. I would recommend if you're only going for the sushi because the atmosphere is not great. read more

Short answer: Omakase Yume was good but didn't quite meet my expectation. Long answer: Knowing Yume was ran by a Korean chef, I was kinda expecting something different from a typical Japanese omakase experience and hoping there would be a Korean twist to the traditional Nigiri sushi. However, there wasn't really much about it. The way they presented everything was pretty generic. In addition, their menu lacked the variety of ingredients especially when compared to their direct competitor Omakase Takeya. I was kinda surprised that Wagyu beef and Uni wasn't part of the tasting menu unless you ordered them as add-ons. We were still feeling a bit hungry after finishing the whole set so we ordered them anyway. But in Takeya we left feeling super stuffed without having anything beyond the set menu. Lastly, I need to give the dessert some credit as their Matcha Panna Cotta turned out to be the true highlight for the entire meal - very creamy and light at the same time. Overall the experience was not bad but also not the best I've ever had. read more

Not as good as I thought. Nothing about the food. it just about the stuff. There was someone in the room talking loud as I can clearly hear what they talking about, and stuff didn't do anything. I have to let them keep the voice down. If you want do a private dining that's so bad experience. The waitress fill up the water all over the table without saying sorry. I don't know if he had a bad day or something. Disappointed. Not recommend. read more

Hands down the best sushi I have ever had in my life. The quality of fish was amazing-- I didn't know sushi in Chicago could taste this fresh. Must try the Uni-- literally tasted like he pulled it straight from the ocean. The service was very attentive. Loved the intimate environment. While it may seem costly, you are paying for the experience; and this is one I will not forget! read more