The restaurant itself is cute or whatever. The waitress was really trying to be nice, but suggested an appetizer literally 6 times throughout the meal. Even though we had already ordered and eaten our entree. It was almost like she was going to get in trouble if we didn't get this appetizer. The sushi itself didn't appear to be super fresh. We got 2 of the Mike's Special which was only 10 pieces and costs $25 each!! Astronomical for what it was. Much better places in the area for sure. read more

Absolutely awful experience! The food was ok but I was shocked to find out the server had forged my handwriting to get us to purchase more than we had ordered. When I confronted her she just blew it off and said she'd take it off our bill. I am completely appalled that a business would allow fraud like this. Completely disgusted. read more

We went to Tanoshii for the first time last night after hearing about this place and "Sushi Mike" from some friends. We live just down the street but never even knew of this place and how great it was! All I can say is that we have been to a vast amount of sushi bars in many cities and this was one of the best sushi experiences we have ever had! Needless to say we are hooked and the "Sushi Mike experience" and it was something that you should experience! All I can say is trust me ---- GO NOW. And put your trust in Sushi Mike! He is amazing we will be back for years to come. I have no idea of any names of what he made just try anything he does, its amazing! read more

Agreeance with all of the other fans of Sushi Mike. We didn't even bother looking at the menu. My friend, a Mike "regular," just told him "medium spicy" (you could say whatever) and voila! Just sit back and enjoy the delivery of delicious sushi goodness to your mouth. (In one case, quite literally: Mike spoon-fed our party of three some yummy raspberry sauce.) The great: fish n' chips. Went from merely good to great by the addition of a wacky, slightly rambling story about Mike's travels in Amsterdam. Also 2 out of three rolls he served us (wish I could be more specific, but when we asked what was in them, he replied "Fish. Rice. Sauce." Decide for yourselves whether that is charming or surly.) The meh: whichever roll had the Italian seasoning. Not gross or bad, just...meh. Mike took our criticisms well, though, and rebounded with a fantastic roll with sesame oil and tempura something. I'd be more specific, but "Fish. Rice. Sauce...." you get the picture. The superfantastic: The mango w/fish, avocado, onions and sour raspberry sauce we had for dessert. Totally messy and flavorful and delicious! Now, Sushi Mike's services can get a little spendy, so be ready for a little sticker shock. However, if you bring more people, you can split the costs and eat more. I'll just have to save up a bit before my next trip there, but there will definitely be a next time! read more

Flavor is king at Tanoshii. Sushi Mike guides you through is menu with different levels of spice and lots of tangy sauces. Generally, the sushi is of a high quality and he brings in fresh Uni which is worth the price of admission. he has a passion for sushi and you can tell Moke doesnt cut corners when it comes to getting the best quality fish in the area. It doesnt quite get the fifth star because I have had sushi in Seattle and San Francisco which is the best in the country. But for a landlocked midwestern city like Chicago, Tanoshii is a great choice for Sushi. read more

Mike is a-ok. We let him pick and choose and he did not disappoint. We finally had to ask him to stop, as we were all full and satisfied.

I enjoyed my rolls but overall, I dont think it was worth it. We ordered the chef's choice. Although the servers were relatively attentive, the chef was extremely slow. There were about 10-15 minutes between each roll that came out, rather than bringing them out all at once. There were 3 of us, we ordered 5 rolls and we were all still hungry because the rolls are so small. Even with the small rolls, our tab was over $40 each. I've eaten sushi just as good for less and felt full. read more

I took my boyfriend here who was very skeptical about sushi in the past. I convinced him this experience would change his mind...and it did! We started off with an order of the "fish and chips" which is essentially a Tuna Cevice on a fresh tortilla chip that will blow your mind. Then we ordered the traditional way by just telling sushi mike things we didn't like and to create whatever he wanted from there. we got 4 rolls and each of them was absolutely incredible. My boyfriend has since asked me when we can go back, and I am thrilled that Tanoshii was the place that made him a true believer in how amazing sushi is! Best in town...hands down. read more

Mike's Special is a must. Honestly if you don't get that you're doing it all wrong. Pretty pricey but SO worth it! Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Amazeballs! Love the Mike's Special, but all rolls come out really tasty! Rarely need any soy sauce because the flavor is amazing. Love this place!!! read more

Ask for the chef's choice menu! And no joke, the best sushi ever. "Fish and Chips" was my favorite dish.

I had a taste for sushi and was tired of the same old places, so I hunted Chicago Reader for establishments around work and found Tanoshi. Quaint little place; sushi bar or table seating. But what a surprise! Just tell the friendly waitress what kind of fish you generally like---it you like spicy or not so much---and they bring you a roll custom made for you. I was by myself but ordered two different rolls and they were both fabulous. The second one even had fatty tuna included in it and I walked out of there with a beverage and miso shiru for $40. I enthusiastically recommend Tanoshi! read more

My boyfriend and I go here any chance we get! Andersonville is a bit of a hike for us but absolutely worth the drive whenever we can. We always start with the same two appetizers, the "fish and chips" (amazing, it's like some delicious finely chopped ceviche that they put onto toasted housemade chips for you table side. Do not miss), and the muscles (so good, warm with some spicy sauce). Then we let sushi Mike do his thing. We both love super white tuna so we just give him that direction and added that we like spice. We got a roll back one time that had super white, oregano, strawberry slice (!) and something spicy. We don't know what all was included, but it melted in our mouths and we could have died happy, so we didn't care. He can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. Plus that all they play is '80's music and it's BYOB. read more

What is all the hype about? Our first disappointment was the single serving edemame appetizer. It was the smallest portion I have ever seen at any sushi restaurant I have been to. I was encouraged to have the "Mike's special roll" for $16-$22. They made me 3 small rolls instead of 1 big one and charged me $29!!! I didn't even get miso soup or salad. The only positive I have to say is that the rolls were definitely different. Small, but different. My sister had the sashimi and it was so rubbery she actually had to spit 2 pieces into her napkin!!! We both left STARVING! (for $70 & BYOB) We actually considered ordering a pizza when we left! There is much better, more reasonably priced sushi in the neighborhood. Total rip off!!!! read more

Truly delicious. Enjoyed every course and every bite. Loved the surprise of the chef's special and the truly unique "fish & chips".

Food was amazing!!!! The Sushi Mike special is a customized roll based on your own personal tastes and is well worth the money. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Will come back ASAP!!! read more

The chef's specials are wonderful if you don't mind that they tend to incorporate a variety of sauces. I very much do not mind, particularly because the sauces tend to accentuate without overwhelming the flavor of the fish, creating neat, new flavor combinations. The fish and chips and the spicy unagi are two of my favorites. read more

One of the best sushi spots in Chicago! Get the mike's special and ask for the fish and chips (not on the menu). It's like a Japanese version of ceviche. You won't be disappointed. read more

The best sushi there is, period! Sushi Mike is one of a kind! Once you eat this sushi, you will never want to eat grocery story sushi again. read more

The wife took me here for a random night of sushi craving. Blew. My. Taste. Buds. Away. This is one if the best sushi bars I've visited. I loved everything that Sushi Mike prepared for us. We told him the things we love about sushi and the things we did not care for. He was right on the money with each creation! If you're looking to be blown away, this is the place to go. Tanoshi is a must for sushi-lovers. read more

The best quality sushi in Chicago, hands down, and Sushi Mike will make you whatever you want. No frills inside and BYOB but Sushi Mike, who owns Tanoshi and can be found making the rolls much of the time, is friendly and funny and awesome. The quality is much better than Japonais or Coast and the service is always great. read more

This sushi place is my favorite. Chef's special is the only way to go. Not crazy about the roll with truffle oil and oregano but just asked not to have it. Fish and chips appetizer outstanding and a must have. Service is very good. BYOB is just the cherry on top. read more

Best sushi ever!! But you have to get the Mike's special, otherwise its just like any other sushi place. Trust it! it's amazing, I've never been disappointed. read more

I continue to love Tanoshii. The service is great, the food tantalizingly delicious and unique. The sushi chefs always put out a great product. I will advise that a typical night at usually lasts at least two hours, so be prepared to take your time. Is also BYOB, so that is another bonus for my favorite sushi joint. read more

Excellent menu and service! You can order the chef's choice, and I highly recommend it! The sushi truffle was amazing!

Terrible service, waiter forgot to put the order in, left after an hour and half of waiting in a freezing cold room with an empty tea cup.... read more

The Mochi was amazing!! We got the vanilla, green tea, and coffee!! So yummy:) great atmosphere and lovely service. The sushi was delicious and the bbq ribeye was also delicious. read more

This is the correct spelling; I notice there are more reviews posted without the extra "i". This place is fabulous! I will not go anywhere else for sushi. I am a vegetarian and was blown away by "Sushi Mike's" creation. My boyfreind was a little timid regarding raw fish but loved his as well. The BYOB aspect made the bill embarassingly small. The two of us ate lots of appetizers, sushi, and dessert, and spent around $40. It was nice to be around the obvious regulars but feel welcomed as newcomers. Waiter service was OK, you can't be in a hurry. Sushi Mike is worth the wait and obviously puts much thought and care into what he creates for you. Great food! read more

My wife and I have been to Tanoshii several times and have always walked right in (even at 7 on weekends). We haven't experienced the special, but really enjoy the rolls. read more

love this place... heard about it back in September and been dying to go ever since - it did not disappoint and I can't wait to go back! Sushi Mike is super cool and his rolls very inventive. arguably one of the best sushi joints in Chicago (and I have friends that will argue such all day long). definately worth checking out! read more

First, bad impression was that the place was nearly empty, but the staff seemed stressed out that we did not have a reservation (they had little signs on almost all the tables saying 'reserved'; however, only 1 of these filled up the whole time we were there). That was a little annoying... And this is a total personal preference that should probably have little bearing on my review but I can't resist - the music was some sort of awful 80's and early 90's rock selection and that killed our going out mood completely. I would almost prefer no music, but really I think they could do a better job of creating a whole coherent vibe with a better tune selection (the decor and sushi already support a little trendy feel, so why not go for it?) The service was decent, although it seemed like there was a 1-to-1 staff to customer ratio. Sometimes there is such a thing as too much service, but it beats the reverse scenario I suppose. The salad was sorely disappointing! I love getting a miso soup and salad with ginger dressing before my sushi meals so this part really sucks. The sushi was really good, though, and we took the recommendation of other yelpers and had Mike create us some rolls based on our preferences. If I did not live a block away, I probably wouldn't be too enticed to go here again; however, it is acceptable and has the potential to even move up a notch with just some small changes so I think we'll definitely be trying it again. read more

I've known Mike for years, going back to the Hama Matsu days. After I moved from the neighborhood I explored some other sushi joints around town. There are good ones, but Tanoshii has always remained my favorite. Mike is a true culinary artist and never fails to deliver a true work of art. He taught me how to savor sushi and has never led me astray. If you're looking for a hidden gem, look no farther. read more

We dined in there once and will never go back again. We were taken to sit down and had been sitting there for 25 mins and no one cared (I guess it was not the job of the one who took us to the table). We were almost going to leave then a staff dropped by and give us some water. I questioned at him" are we being forgotten?!!" He knew I was upset and had a weird look then walked away. At this point our table was not prepared at all - it's all empty but just the glass of water they just served. Was it busy? Probably, but we did see empty seats available. We ordered a deluxe sushi combo, and that was so not Japanese sushi at all, my wife is Japanese, she could tell they made this for foreign people. read more

So, I haven't been here in a while, and it is around the corner. It never made an impression, but it has now! I walk in at 6:50, and the place is moderately busy. My friends arrive a few minutes later. First, the jerk behind the counter yells at a waitress and some people hop in the table she was was bringing me toward. Ok, bizarre, but I'm an adult and not some middle-aged status seeker on my city day. Some green tea after a bike ride will make me happy enough. My friends arrive, and, well, we sort of sit there. Plow through a bottle of wine and a few gyoza... Order whatever the drunken chef decides to make for us, the reviews say he makes the bestest ever sushi, and wait. There was apparently little reason to who got food in the place. People at the bar were fed individual pieces. Lovely. Others got rolls. And, I decide that maybe the waitress needs to know we've waited long enough for the master. This isn't friggin' the Tokyo fish market, it's Andersonville. Apparently, a roll is finally on its way. OK, maybe it's good, and the master drunken jerk is an idiot savant at sushi. Nope. B grade roll. Nothin' special. Fish: B as well. I signed up for Yelp just for this review. The rancid burrito at Bryn Mawr and Broadway didn't even get me to do that! Afterwards, we walked down to our favorite Japanese kitchen-food place in the whole city. Sunshine is a fantastic choice if you are stuck nearby and have read this attempt to strike sanity into your hungry sushi craving stomach. Need sushi still? Go to Sai on Sheffield. Go to Tank in Lincoln Square. Go anywhere and wait less for mediocrity. If this is your idea of sushi, enjoy. I know what I like. Frankly, this is the first time I have ever walked out of a restaurant. The waitress apologized and charged us anyway. Good sushi is definitely difficult to find. But this was never it anyway. Hopefully, somebody good will get up to this neighborhood soon, and put this guy out of business. read more

My favorite sushi in town. Beyond. Everyone is right. Get some sake at Jewel right across the street. They'll put it on ice for you at the table. Come with a big appetite. Start with their gyoza. Then order the 2-roll iteration of Mike's Special. Tell them what you like and don't like and stand back--such a great concept for sushi. Don't use soy sauce with the Mike's Special; the sauces that come on them are deliberate and perfect as is. Ask for one of the rolls to come with strawberrry and jalapeño. I would never have thought to ask for this but they sprung it on us and it was the hit of the meal. Nothing like you'd think. read more

I have eaten here numerous times over the 7 years i lived in the area and it has generally been good. Last night, I asked for a Mike Special using salmon sashimi. What I received was special alright! However, special in the sense it was over priced,the sashimi itself lacked flavor and the three different sauces lacked creativity and flavor on top of the 40 minute wait for the order. What was presented was three types of sauces over three pieces of salmon (9 peices total) for $36.00 which is a far cry from the $15-$22 listed for Mike's specials. I would have expected to be informed of the extra cost (I do not mind paying for good sushi as I frequent Katsu). The server never asked how my food was and it was all very transactional! It was beyond disappointing and a total waste of money and time. Lastly sitting at the bar,I got to listen to Mike chew out one of his Sushi chefs for about 8 minutes. Yes,it was in Japanese,but dude,take it in the back. I think I am done with this place as my experience last night was a waste of time and money. read more

Some of the best and fresh sushi I have ever had. I love Mike's special and being surprised with what we are going to get. You have to get it! You just tell the server what you do and what you don't like and they surprise you with a dish. BYOB is awesome too. The only reason I am giving it the three stars is because the service was bad, really bad. They weren't even that busy. We constantly had to ask our waitress to come over (i.e. she never stopped to ask us what we wanted, besides when we first sat down, and never came to check on us or see if we needed anything), and they both seemed really unhappy and not pleased to be serving anyone. Cheer up! read more

To start, I wish I could give this restaurant ZERO stars. I'll keep this short and sweet: The service was AWFUL. My wife and I literally had to FLAG DOWN a server to take our order after we waited 20 minutes for someone to even come to our table. She never checked up on us once. We had to flag her down if we needed ANYTHING. The sushi was subpar at best. Not only that, but they rolls were TINY and overpriced. Oh and they don't take discover, which she was very rude about. My wife and I will definitely not be returning to this disappointing spot. read more

Sushi Mike is a Dr. of flavor. The fish is the freshest available cut with skill and precision. The presentation is artful and made with the appropriate Asian flare. But the flavors are outstanding. 9 out of 10 fish surveyed agree, we wann go to Sushi MIke's! read more

THIS IS the place! I have followed Mike Hamn (owner) from almost every place he has been. The food is art... beautiful, extraordinary and well presented. I have yet to find another sushi bar that is as welcoming and as desirable as this. I can say and have said when I walk thru the doors... "Honey, I'm home!" You are welcomed every time. I've told so many people about this place that I can hardly get a seat now! His employees are the best and have learned from him. I know there is no place better! Love it. I let Mike create. His creations are worth waiting for. BYOB and one for Mike. This is my first review for any place! Ever! I never even knew I liked sushi until Mike. This IS an Epicurean experience bar none. If you've never tried sushi this is the only place you should trust. A friend said she likes sushi. I'm sharing my experience. I haven't been in a while but it has always been memorable! read more