LOVED IT! Great service. The sushi chefs are nice and kept a good pace. Every piece was exquisite and tasted fresh. It is a cute place. Small with a lounge feel. Will be back 10000% read more

Sushi by Bou- Gold Coast Chicago @ Claridge House - Sparkling yuzu lemonade - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sushi by Bou delivers a sleek, speakeasy-style omakase experience that feels both intimate and fun. The neon-lit bar, moody mirrors, and upbeat energy set the tone for a night that's as much about the vibe as it is about the food. The cocktails are a standout--beautifully presented and well-balanced. From crisp martini-style pours to vibrant, fruit-forward drinks, they're the perfect complement to the experience and great for photos too. The omakase itself is paced well and thoughtfully curated, with fresh fish and creative bites served right at the counter. The chefs keep things interactive, making the experience engaging without feeling rushed. Overall, Sushi by Bou is ideal for a date night, celebration, or a stylish night out with friends. Come for the sushi, stay for the atmosphere--and definitely don't skip the drinks. read more

Sushi by Bou- Gold Coast Chicago @ Claridge House - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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First time trying Omakase and it was delicious! My favorite pieces were Ikura, Unagi, Gindara. Truly everything was so fresh and delicious. Service was pretty fast. We did the $70 12 course tasting and it definitely wasn't super filling. Although it was delicious, not extremely very good value for the portion, came to around $94 with tax and tip. Definitely a great experience to try something new if you are willing to drop a little $$$ and try some extremely fresh, flavorful bites! Low lit ambiance inside of hotel. read more

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Great first omakase experience for myself at this Sushi by Bou location. There was one other couple that had a reservation for our seating so it was a small group experience with the chef. The menu was posted and also at the table so you could know ahead what you were getting. There was a good variety of nigiri to try for the omakase. Everything was done well and you had a good description of each dish and could see the chef making each one. The inside was quaint and darker interior with a soft feel from the bar stools to the mini couches. read more

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AMAZING! Each piece crafted and delivered equally beautifully and divine. Hamachi, hotate, & toro were our favorites of the night. The chef we had was amazing and took care of us the whole time and explained why each piece was crafted the way it was. A great omakase place and after dinner, you'll be able to hang out at the sidelines with drinks if you're not ready to leave yet. read more

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For someone that has mostly had sushi at AYCE restaurants, Sushi by Bou absolutely blew me away! My brother and sister in law took me to my very first Omakase experience and I loved every single bite and piece. First off, the venue is beautiful. The ambiance is dark and sexy and a perfect date night setting. We got the 12 course experience for $65. You get an intimate setting and are seated right in front of the sushi chef. You are up close and personal and get to see first hand how the chef meticulously crafts each and every sushi piece while he seasons it and rolls it for you. It is amazing and every single bite melts in your mouth. All pieces are delicious! Some of the best sushi I have ever had in Chicago! I highly recommend it. Our chef was amazing and even got me and my group a birthday shot on the house. I can't wait to come back and try the other locations. read more

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PIECE BY PIECE The omakase experience at Sushi by Bou is tailored for connoisseurs. I can already see people warming up their throwing arms based on that comment alone, but before you hurl an empty sake bottle in my direction, read on. There are tons of chill, budget-friendly sushi spots around the city (hundreds, probably) while a few of them, like SBB, offer something on a higher level. Sushi by Bou is a small operation at the back of the Claridge House on Chicago's Gold Coast. You can get a 12-course ($65) or 17-course ($100) omakase, which means "chef's choice". They ask about food allergies beforehand, but apart from that there are no options to pick from. No side dishes, no substitutions. Here's how it goes down: a highly-trained sushi master prepares one item at a time and *hands* it to you, as most items are a single bite. You're given a small mound of pickled ginger as a palate cleanser, however there's no wasabi and more importantly, no soy sauce. I don't recall what 5 additional items we were given as part of the 17 courses, but the 12 were as follows: Hamachi (yellowtail), akami (lean tuna), botan ebi (prawn), ikura (salmon roe), bincho (albacore), maguro (chopped tuna), hotate (scallop), gindara (miso cod), toro (fatty tuna), sake (salmon), wagyuni (surf 'n turf), and unagi (bbq eel). The prawn was my least favorite--I've had cooked shrimp nigiri plenty of times before, but I wasn't ready for the natural sliminess of raw prawn. I could describe the texture to you in greater detail, but I'd have to pause briefly to heave into a trashcan (sorry). The only other bite that didn't sit well was the "wagyuni", a piece of gently cooked Wagyu beef with uni (sea urchin) on top. The uni's strong, briny taste overshadowed the Wagyu to the point where I couldn't taste anything EXCEPT uni. This was the first time I'd tried urchin and, well.....not a fan. Whose bright idea was it to eat the insides of a spikey ocean ball?? Whether due to the limited counter space, placement of my cocktail, or the fact my wife was seated to my right, I wound up using my left hand the entire meal and never once picked up the chopsticks except to admire their design. The sake flight ($44) were 3 decent pours of high-grade 'junmai' sake. As others have said, the Roaring 20's vibe gives the venue a Great Gatsby feel, which seems more sensible than the flashy hip hop digs of West Loop's Sushi by Bou. We came here to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary but staff never said anything or congratulated us. Not that I expected a sparkler in my tuna, a simple mention would've been nice. * TL;DR * I haven't tasted fish this fresh since that time I fell off a Lake Geneva jetty. If you're the kind of person who enjoys a Philadelphia roll and miso soup, keep looking because SBB doesn't have either. You won't find edamame on the menu, nor will you see cute wooden boats packed with colorful maki. Sushi by Bou strips away all the chaff and what's left is a beautiful, solitary piece of nigiri intended for aficionados. Yes, this place is meant for sushi lovers who are OK with ditching the bells & whistles. Casual sushi fans may leave frustrated and hungry thinking, "is this it?", but bear in mind that Sushi by Bou is less about filling your stomach and more about fulfilling your sense of adventure. To that end, they succeeded. Come here to appreciate sushi in its truest, purest form. read more

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I was excited to come to Sushi by Bou and tucked in in the back of the Claridge house is this great pop-up. The venue is stunning. It's dark and moody, just reeling you in it. While waiting to sit at the bar, we sat around the corners, got our drink orders taken, and just kind of started opening up our pallette.We got the 12 course experience for $65 and you're seated at the bar with the chef, so they're basically preparing and serving you each course at a time explaining through each dish. All the pieces are delicious, super fresh and melt in your mouth. Truly appreciating sushi and it's pure form, the fish with some easy toppings would definitely come back, you should try too. read more

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We came here for their 5th anniversary celebration month and it did not disappoint!  The staff overall is so nice and super welcoming! You can tell they all love working together and really appreciate making the experience for the diners a fun experience.  The space itself has a speakeasy Great Gatsby vibe to it with the decor, velvet couches, and colors used.  The sushi was honestly better than I had expected! We opted for the 12 course instead of the 17 course. I love that each bite had a big piece of fish without having the rice overpower the fish bite itself. My favorite was the toro and spicy tuna. We ended up getting a handroll of the spicy tuna at the end of the meal. I wasn't super full after the meal but I also was not left starving or hungry.  The cocktails were all great. They were featuring a Matcha Spritz which was super refreshing. We were the last to be seated on a Sunday and we were given complimentary sake with our experience. The sake was nicely flowing and tasty.  I would love to try the different locations for their different vibes! The experience is definitely one of the more affordable omakase experiences. It isn't as formal as true omakase which was a great chance up from what my husband and I are used to. read more

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Excellent experience here !! Chef young was soooo attentative and made the perfect sushi! I had the best experience here!! Everything was perfection!! read more

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After spending over half of my life living in Los Angeles you can get spoiled to several things, like: Not owning a parka Having a desert, ocean and mountains less than a hour away Stunning natural landscapes Vibrant entertainment Diverse communities Robust economy And damn, the thing I miss the most - Sushi so good it rivals Tokyo's Ginza district Ventura Boulevard, from Studio City to Calabasis, a fourteen mile stretch, of over 100 of the best sushi restaurants in the world, can spoil the S**T out of anyone; me in-particular! This is one of the reasons I usually don't seek out this cuisine anywhere except SoCal. Last night my bride wanted sushi! Plain, cold and simple! I've had sushi in Chicago and it's very expensive, and or, just not that good. I've walked by Sushi by Bou here in the Gold Coast 1,000 times. The price seemed reasonable but........ I made a Resy and said my prayers. First and foremost, the "Speakeasy" type setting was unique and had a very nice relaxing vibe to it. The people running the show here were friendly, informative, talented and just down right fun. My I add, the sushi was very good. So, good, in fact, my "fussy" wife actually liked it? What? Yes! So much so, she's looking forward in coming back. Well, knock me over with a feather. I think we found a winner here. The entire meal was fun, talkative and congenial. Ok, as Sherlock would say, "the game is now afoot"! Thank you Sushi by Bou. read more

it's a very weird vibe -- omakase in a 1920s speakeasy style room. by far the cheapest omakase i've had at 65 per person, and with that comes the drawbacks. none of the fish was exceptional, some of the flavors had a strange modern twist, and the rice was too vinegary. i would rather pay more for better omakase. however, the chef and servers were all super sweet and gave us sake shots on the house! overall a cool spot for some cheap sushi,as you only get what you pay for read more

Sushi by Bou- Gold Coast Chicago @ Claridge House - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Sushi by bou is located on the ground floor of the Claridge hotel. We were immediately greeted by the hostess who was super friendly. The interior is dimly lit and swanky. It was a bit 1920's style and well decorated. We were a tad early, so we waited in the front waiting room and ordered drinks. We both got the sparkling yuzu lemonade with vodka. It was refreshing though a bit sour. We were seated shortly after at the bar which was about 10-12 seats all in a row. Our chef was nice and explained what each dish was. I liked watching the chef create each bite. My favorites were the: Hamachi (yellowtail) Botan Ebi (prawn) Hotate (scallop) Gindara (miso cod) Toro (fatty tuna) The star of the show was a piece exclusive to the location that wasn't on the 12 course menu. The Bou of Chi was UNREAL! One of the best bites I've ever had. It was wagyu, scallop, mayo, pickles truffle, regular truffle and fried shallot. A MUST GET! read more

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This is the third Sushi by Bou location I have been, and it was quite good! Like the other locations it's on the ground floor of a hotel. Vibe is intimate and modern, and the wait staff and sushi chefs were friendly and attentive! My partner and I made reservations for a Wednesday night using the deal that was 2 people for the price of one, and the seating was filled! Which makes sense because it was an amazing deal! Made for a fun ambience too. I think several others were also using the deal. We came several minutes late and it appeared that the chefs were waiting for us to start. Very considerate! We felt bad for being a bit late but everyone seemed okay with it and I'm glad they waited the few extra minutes. It made our experience more positive. Pro tip: make sure you get to your reservation a few minutes early if you can! Since the whole group will wait to start. We ordered the typical omakase set and it was all so fresh and delicious! I love the variety of flavors and textures. Every bite is truly a treat. We also ordered a few cocktails which were refreshing, and a spicy hand roll to finish off the meal. Highly recommend Sushi by Bou (at any location) for those who want to eat bougie on a budget! It's consistently good and affordable quality :) I will keep coming back! read more

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Always a great fun place to visit. Not my first and not my last visit at sushi by Bou. I've visited all the locations in Chicago and always have an incredible time. The chefs are always very personable and friendly. Even gave us one on the house and a special one not on the menu too! read more

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We visited for the 12 course omakase. Overall, this is a solid sushi spot for the price - the omakase is some of the cheapest I've seen in Chicago. The restaurant is located in a hotel and has a lounge vibe to it, which was cozy. My friend and I arrived late for our reservation due to road closures. While the meal felt rushed, we were the last reservation of the night and the staff was understanding about our late arrival. The chef was awesome and immediately served us. The food itself was about what I'd expected given the price. Definitely not as impressive as some of the other places I've been to, but on par with the cost. If you're looking for a more affordable omakase, this could be worth checking out. read more

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First off, the staff were extremely friendly!! They even offered us free sake. Ambiance was also really nice-- the restaurant is located on the first floor of a hotel, so it was pretty posh and very clean. We got the omakase-- the fish quality was good, but not great. I've been to a lot of omakases in Asia so it might not be fair to make this comparison, but I definitely did think that the rice quality could be a bit better. But overall, for the price, I think it's a pretty safe choice if you're craving some sushi! read more

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Not only is the omakase pretty legit here, shout out to Chef Bou for adjusting the rice when I mentioned I was getting full, but this is also a place I feel safe coming as a female solo diner. Thank you Chelsea and Maddie. That's worth its weight in gold. read more

Great sushi, packed with lots of depth and flavor, the $60 CRW Omakase was delicious. Cute spot at the Claridge Hotel, nice bar seating. Service was good, but I felt it went by really quick, so in some ways, it felt a bit rushed. I think we were done in 40 minutes. Having been to a few Omakase experiences, I'd say that flavor was great here, but the pieces are smaller than I've had at other experiences I've joined. Worth checking out because it truly is delicious overall. My favorite was the Wayguni. I paired my Omakase with a glass of Heavensake. Bill after everything + tip $100. read more

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Really cool speakeasy sushi joint. My fiancé and I came here with another couple to celebrate his birthday and we had an amazing experience here. It's very dimly lit inside with limited seating making it a very intimate atmosphere. We had the 17 course omakase and it was fabulous. I was full by the time I reached the 10th course so my fiancé had to finish the rest of mine but safe to say our party left with happy bellies. The 17 course omakase took about an hour from start to finish. Highly recommend! read more

Phenomenal experience! Non-traditional omakase experience but great quality of fish/sushi nonetheless. The chefs were attentive and accommodating, and really liked the short and to-the-point commentary they provided before each course. If made everything feel much less pretentious and more casual and comfortable - definitely highly recommend for a dinner date with friends! read more

This was my first ever omakase experience and the expectations are now set pretty high for my next one. I ordered a highball to enjoy the meal with. The drink was subtle and citrusy with a light hint of whisky. It paired really well with my nigiris. All of the nigiris were my favorite but what caught me by surprise was the scallop and eel. I haven't had anything like this before. The scallop sort of melted in your mouth...a delicious surprise to say the least. I kept wanting more honestly. I also ordered extra bigger hand rolls as well as I kept wanting more. The chef and servers were super nice and accommodating. The vibe was very calming and chill. They handed out a few on the house sake shots and we all had a great time celebrating such a delicious meal! I will definitely come back when I visit Chicago again. read more

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Walking into Sushi by Bou- Gold Coast is like walking into a set of Great Gatsby! The host and manager were extremely welcoming. We started our meal with a sparkling yuzu lemonade added vodka. This drink was just ok. The 12 course meal was great and we added on hand roll, Bou of Chi, at the end was the best sushi hand roll Ive had. Favorite pieces hamachi, botan ebi, hotate and o-toro. The Bou of Chi is a speciality to the Gold Coast location it has wagyu, scallop, truffle, mayo and fried shallot. read more

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This was my boyfriend and I's first omakase experience and it was so fun and the sushi was fantastic!! We were amongst the last diners and the staff were immediately so friendly. The previous set of diners were running late, so we did have to wait for about 30 minutes or so. However, they gave us plenty of free sake to make up for the wait! The chef was really nice and explained all the dishes. I think for $60, the 12 course menu we got was a pretty good deal, though the serving sizes do reflect the price as the pieces are a bit small! The wagyuni was probably my favorite! After the set amount of pieces, you can then order your favorites a la carte. We also got some free mochi since they were out of a lot of their flavors by the end of the night. The interior was so cool too and definitely gave some intimate vibes. Overall, an amazing dinner only made better by the extremely friendly chef and servers :) read more

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This omakase experience was 12 courses for $60. It was supposed to be an hour long but our omakase started almost half an hour later since they were running late. I thought maybe that meant our experience would run 30 min late as well but it ended up getting squeezed within 30 min... overall the entire experience felt super rushed. The pieces were all coming out too quickly and they were not only on the smaller side but also lacked the mind blowing freshness I usually find in omakases. There are definitely better omakase spots out there. read more

Sushi by Bou- Gold Coast Chicago @ Claridge House - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is a hidden BIG city gem. Great food. Great Cocktails! Great service. The food and drink is fantastic but the people are over the top. Every time I come to Chicago I'm popping in read more

what a wonderful first omakase experience. i had wanted to try omakase for a while, and at $60, this can't be beat. note that the restaurant week "deal" isn't really a deal because the basic 12-course omakase is regularly $60. i'm not mad though because this was the best sushi i've had to date. some highlights were the wagyu with uni, the fatty tuna with truffle salt, and the miso cod. the workers here are all very nice and will ensure your experience is a memorable one. the ambiance is also very swanky - i believe this location is 1920s themed? check out pics of 10/12 of the basic omakase menu (yelp only lets you upload 10)! i WILL return to try the bougie 17-course! read more

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Had a fantastic time doing omakase at Sushi by Bou! Each course was delicious, and the cocktail flight was amazing! The service was so friendly, but my one complaint is that we didn't get seated until 8:50pm for an 8pm dinner reservation, which was late for a weeknight. read more

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Second time coming here and they just deliver! I love the ambiance and the space of this omakase spot. They have beautiful couches and chairs for everyone in the waiting area. You get greeted by the enthusiastic front desk and they provide you your drink while you wait for the bar area to finish their previous reservation. It's a great experience watching the chef create each item off the menu. They do a wonderful job describing what's in each item and carefully create a masterpiece everytime! The fatty tuna and the salmon roe are to die for. We also appreciated the shot of sake at the end with the chef. My boyfriend and I came during restaurant week and it was about $170 including tip and tax. Highly recommend! read more

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My partner and I went for the Omakase experience at Sushi by Bou Goldcoast location. This is our 2nd time doing the omakase experience and we had such a great time. The space is beautiful, it's giving 1920s speakeasy / Gatsby vibes and the music was really good to. We received a warm welcome and enjoyed some shots of sake while waiting for our seats. The sushi was super tasty and fresh! Our fav was the fatty tuna- Toro (I think..). We loveeee tuna so no surprise that this one was our favorite. All the other pieces the chef prepared were delicious and each one different from the next- u never knew what to expect next haha (in a fun good way of course). If you are an adventurous eater and don't mind consuming raw fish/seafood, I would definitely recommend this experience. *the experience is $65 per person for 12 pieces. U can also order extra pieces afterwards at an extra costs. **they have 4/ 5 different locations in the city, the west loop location is more intimate than this one and has a hip hop theme, Goldcoast has a more 1920s speakeasy chilled vibe. We had a good time at both! read more

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I made a reservation at Sushi By Bou the day prior and was able to get a weekday slot at 5:45PM. I must admit, I did get a little lost trying to find the place since Sushi By Bou is in the same building as a few other restaurants. The ambiance was great; it felt very intimate. As soon as I arrived, I was seated at the bar to start my omakase experience. Chef Tarn was my sushi chef for the evening and he did an incredible job. He was friendly, personable, and always checked up to make sure I was doing okay. The other staff was also super friendly and constantly refilled my water. Super attentive! The omakase menu has an incredible value for $50! The sushi is incredibly well-prepared and very fresh. The one complaint I had is that the sushi rice was slightly crunchy, a little under-cooked. This isn't something I expect from a place serving high-quality sushi, but the fish was so good that it wasn't a big deal. My favorites were the o-toro and the sake. So buttery and delicious. This was a great omakase experience. I think for first-timers, it would've been nice to receive an explanation on what to expect and how to eat the sushi. But I thought this was a great experience for a great deal. I would come back anytime to eat Chef Tarn's sushi! read more

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Rice was very soggy, very surprised as it is the basics. Fish size was teetering on too small. Service was okay. Ambiance was mid, I think they could afford a bit more room, I was rubbing elbows with a stranger. Would not come back, I really wanted to like this place, but the rice was such a miss. read more

This Sushi by Bou is the best value you can find for an omakase in the the Midwest. You truly cannot pay less for such an amazing experience with amazingly fresh sushi, warm hospitality and an awesome venue. Venue -- Sushi by Bou's are usually inside hotel suites vs. actual restaurants. This happens to be an actual restaurant with a nice sized bar for seating. I've only eaten at one other location in MIA, and this spot is 3x the size. The décor is intentionally prohibition era speakeasy, and its extremely tastefully done. The lighting is perfect and the furniture is comfortable. Service -- You basically get 3 Michelin service at an absolute bargain, the host / bar even pushes in your seat! The executive chef, Chef Tarn is extremely personable and can tell you exactly where each cut is sourced from. Food prep -- Chef Tarn is a freaking magician with sushi. Everything is composed perfectly, and his handiwork is immaculate. He keeps the kitchen spotless and everything is lined up ahead of your seating. Food -- EVERYTHING WAS AWESOME. All the fish was incredibly fresh. Highlights for me were definitely the Uni (sourced from Santa Barbara), which was incredibly rich and not expected at this price point. The Scallop was a jaw dropper as well. Add-ons are a good value, my girlfriend absolutely loved the "Big Mac". Chef Tarn really piled on the uni!! Pro-Tip: Be cool and they'll hook you up with free sake. read more

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This is my section omakase at sushi by boy but first time at the Gold Coast location, we absolutely loved it. From the lychee martinis to each of the courses everything was fresh and so layered with flavors. Highly recommend read more

Bou is definition of Omakase! The fish was some of the freshest I've had. The service was personal and immaculate. The speakeasy atmosphere makes the experience even more amazing! Sushi chef Jin fabulous made the experience that much more. Everybody from hostess to the bar back are meant to do this. I highly recommend this experience!! read more

I was shocked by Sushi by Bou in the best way. When you see an instagram promotion for a $60 omakase deal, you kinda have to keep your expectations in check. But I was blown away by the quality of the food here. There was little presentation for each course but for the price, they could have thrown the sushi at me from across the room and I would have been pleased. I would go back just for the Miso Cod course alone it was crazy good. Its a quick meal, just an hour for the whole meal portion if you don't do any additional ala cart bites at the end, but you're free to stay in the lounge area and have a cocktail, which I appreciated not being rushed out. I was really impressed. Will definitely be going back! read more

Still dreaming about my meal here. Easily in the top 10 meals I have ever eaten but this is my first time doing omakase so I don't have much to compare to. You may not be full after the chefs choice but you are able to order your favorites and the chef will whip them up! The hamachi was so so so good. read more

Sushi by Bou- Gold Coast Chicago @ Claridge House - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Celebrated my promotion with a bomb dot com surprise @sushibybou_ Lincoln Park Chicago Great vibe, albeit a bit fast with a 1.5h seating, it was still a really fun and intimate seating the 12-course omakase just kept getting better and better with my favorite salmon roe, fatty tuna, salmon belly, wagyu uni, towards the end! Then we ordered their a la carte specials , the Big Mac & Bou of Chi. Big Mac as you can see is a huge hand roll with wagyu, toro, scallop, and uni. All my FAVORITES. Bou of Chi had wagyu, scallop mayo, truffle , & crunchy fried scallops. I'd say these are must orders We did the same pairing + champagne and ended with 4 awesome flavors of mochi ice cream OMAKASE: HAMACHI yellowtail AKAMI lean tuna BOTAN EBI* spotted prawn IKURA salmon roe BINCHO* albacore MAGURO* chopped tuna HOTATE* Scallop GINDARA* miso cod TORO* fatty tuna SAKE salmon WAGYUNI* surf & turf UNAGI bbq eel read more

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If you've been wanting to try and omakase but not ready to say screw it and drop $100-$200 per person, Sushi by Bou $60 omakase is a perfect way to dip your toes in the water. We went to the Gold Coast location inside Claridge house. All the fish was buttery and smooth, but definitely smaller pieces and not as creative as other Omakase's I've been too. I will admit I left a little hungry. But again, for a $60 omakase, it was still an enjoyable experience and great for beginners. When you get into the more creative tastings, you'll sometimes be eating weird combos that might scare you at first. I did wish they explained more about where the fish came from and the prep process. My favorite pieces were the Miso Cod and Unagi. I also like they write down the tasting menu for the night. A $60 omakase did accidentally turn into a $168 buck meal after 3 glasses of wine and tip and tax.... oops. Overall it was a fun dinner with my friends and would come back, 7.8/10 dinner experience. read more

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I feel like I've been baptized in Lake Sushi by Bou. Seriously. My experience with sushi has only been of the maki roll kind and I can't believe I've been depriving myself for so long. Well, actually I can. See, ordering a roll is easy. But ordering individual pieces is overwhelming for me because I don't know what's what. And also, and raw pieces of fish with no accoutrements (or so I thought) never really excited me. And also, I never had a sushi connoisseur take me on such a magical journey. Intro the handsome man who invited me to Sushi by Bou for a 12-course Omakase tasting. Since I think I know absolutely EVERYTHING there is to know about food, I was a bit flummoxed. I never heard of this Omakase before. I was running a little late for our 6:00pm reservation and he said he had to move our res to 7pm. Damn, we can't get a 15 minute grace period? He said it was a timed situation. Hmmmm...the plot thickens. We pull up to the Claridge Hotel and found our way to the super-sexy, super-intimate space that was Sushi by Bou. A whole entire vibe. I'll call it speakeasy-chic...and the music was the perfect accompaniment to a perfect de-flowering. We were seated by our amazing host, introduced to Chef Jane and the Omakase experience began. So, Omakase basically means chef's choice and this oarucikar tasting was an hour. Apparently some experiences offer more courses which take more time. So after ordering two luscious, mouth-watering cocktails (the kyosho cocktail for me and the yuzu honey bee for the gentlemen), I spent the next hour tasting flavors that were pretty much foreign to me. Each piece more delectable than the last. What caused me to pause, however, was the Otoro. As soon as I placed the tuna in my mouth my tastebuds were set in motion by a refreshingly umami surge. When I sank my teeth into it, I was undeniably, completely and hopelessly in love. Where has Otoro been all my life? The lively back and forth with Jane, describing the flavors in each piece, rapt attention paid to us by our host (I'm so sorry I can't remember her name but she was AMAZING) was above and beyond the call of duty. My date was the perfect gentleman which was the icing. After we finished our 12-courses, they said we could add additional pieces if we so desired. Oh, I desired. I desired another Otoro and the unagi (bbq eel). Sushi by Bou exceeded any expectations I ever had of sushi. I'm blown away and can't wait to go back. Jane even told us about an even more intimate Omakase experience at Hotel Lincoln. If you are a true foodie, you owe yourself this experience. I highly recommend and will be back!! read more

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