To go orders are amazing!!! We love this place and our favorite upscale sushi place in Chicago. At this time they only have to go orders because of this virus situation. But the to go order is perfect! Everything was packed perfectly! read more

It pains me to rate TSM 2 stars. Previously, as in 1-2 years ago (near when they opened), I would have had no problem giving them 4 stars. We came in, sat at the sushi bar, and ordered the omakase. Unlike previous visits, the chef did not speak to us at all. No conversation about our flavor or fish preferences. That was half the fun of the TSM Omakase experience! We received two appetizers, one of which was the Fish & Chip(s), which is still delicious and fun dish. Then, we were on to the rolls. Each roll was way too rice-focused. It was hard not to notice how thin the pieces of fish had become. In fact, discussing the meal later, we decided that each roll was a combination of RICE, too little fish to make a difference, and then a sauce poured over the top to give it flavor. As much as I do love TSM's truffle oil sauce, I can't help but feel like this is a boring and cheap approach to sushi rolls. All of this would have earned TSM 3 stars. I have to drop this review to 2 stars for one reason: THE BILL. I get it: when you order omakase you're accepting that you're going to spend a bit more than your average customer. You're not even considering the price of each roll, but instead entrusting the chef to provide you with an excellent meal, regardless of the cost. As I've established above, the rolls we had were decidedly average. Once we got the bill, I almost couldn't believe it. Taking out the cost of the sake we drank and what would have been the cost of the apps we were served, they charged us, on average, $25 per roll. That is OUTLANDISH. Sushi Mike, you've lost a local customer. For the benefit of your business, please address the quality of your rolls, the quality of the omakase experience, and the value of your restaurant. read more

Comically small portion sizes across all boards and very expensive for how little food you actually get! Waitress was very nice and attentive though! Would not recommend- literally go anywhere else... read more

SUPER FUN sushi place. I've eaten tons of sushi, in new york, japan, Toronto Canada. I am def a sushi expert. I was wondering, is this just another crazy roll place... I say not, the fact that they can "create" some rolls based on some preferences is really cool (though I'm sure they have some staple stuff). I definitely experienced some flavors and combinations I have not before. A must try for sushi lovers! read more

Second and last time here. The food is average at best and can't justify the prices. Service is slow even for basic dishes. Really there's nothing here to recommend. Just keep walking west on Randolph, there's plenty of good food to find. Anyway, to the food... Chicken Yakatori was very pedestrian. Honestly I could have made better. Some grilled chicken chunks on a stick with peppers and onions covered in a teryaki sauce. At these prices I expect something much more flavorful and unique. This is how Denny's would cook and serve it. The sashimi platter featured tuna with a truffle oil sauce on top. One of the issues I have with this place is their misguided effort to dress up sushi in various oils. While this truffle concoction eas better than the "italian" version I had last time I was here it's just a mistake. The rest of the sashimi was fresh but there wasn't much of it and the chef's selections were uninteresting. I'm not sure how this place is sveraging 4 stars at the moment. read more

I would like to give this place a 4 or a 5. I cannot. Really I want to give a 2.5, but I had to round down. We have been a few times. The food is terrific. I have literally zero complaints. The service, well, was poor. We have been when their "chefs special" was a pushed menu item (New Years is a good example). It was clear the chefs where whipping out these rolls in a factory fashion. They were delivered about 3-minutes after ordered. Which is ok, I get wanting turn over. But. We ordered wine. They didnt have that bottle, they said they had a different one that was to replace it. When asked same price range, it was called "similar". We ordered rolls a bit more bespoke than the factory ones. About 52 minutes later we still had no rolls and had finished our, not too bad wine. We ask for the check frustrated and were going to go somewhere else for dinner since 52-minutes of sitting led us to a mini-buzz and nothing more. We were told that the rolls were ready- I said I didnt want them. Bill comes, the wine is $36 more than the original choice. Mini argument ensues. Bad service. Bad waitor. No food came. Likely I wont be back to give it a shot. 52 minutes people. read more

Tanoshii is one of Chicago's worst sushi restaurants. Taking price into account, it is easily the worst. From service to food, it is a total failure. If you like sushi, you will hate this place. AVOID. The room has a suburban hotel restaurant feel to it- not particularly cool or inviting. The place was maybe half full at 8pm on a Saturday. There is absolutely no energy or excitement in this place. The main dining room has large windows all along the highway exit ramp. This may be one of the most unfortunate restaurant locations/layouts in the entire city. We were seated for 40 minutes before we got our drinks and it took forever to place our food order. This place prides itself on omakase but apparently has no idea what that is. Our version included 2 appetizers we selected ourselves plus 3 mediocre rolls which our server consistently described as "best sellers." If something is "specially created" for us (as all of Tanoshii's marketing materials claim), how can it be a best seller? "Omakase" does not mean "bring me three rolls from the menu." Also, since when is omakase just rolls? The rolls were all between $20 and $25 (among the highest prices for rolls anywhere in Chicago), which were terrible values given the quality. Each was drenched in sauce-- one so awfully sweet it could be served as a dessert, the others were incredibly salty. The signature "fish and chips" appetizer was so bland so as to be instantly forgettable. These 4 and 5 stars reviews are truly mind-blowing. Tanoshii is complete garbage. I cannot comprehend how this place is in business. Spend your money at Yuzu or Macku instead. Better yet, go to Whole Foods for sushi, which is an appropriate comparison for Tanoshii's quality, albeit at significantly lower prices. read more

Our favorite neighborhood sushi spot. The server we usually have (also named Mike) is knowledgeable and polite. The "fish and chips" is one of the best raw tuna dishes I've ever had. The special rolls are very good too. read more

Somebody downthread mentioned lackluster, and I think that perfectly sums up my experience at TSM, unfortunately. I had some decent sashimi, but the rolls were very average. Even the chef's "surprise roll" was so overloaded with fresh wasabi that it bastardized the fish. The "fish and chips" was a tasty concept -- I liked that. Their ventilation is non-existent; even on a Tuesday night with only 5-7 tables occupied, I left that place smelling as if I were working in a kitchen, on top of fryer grease. Service was average albeit friendly -- there seemed to be quite a disconnect among staff. Put another way, there are far better sushi experiences in the city. Hopefully, for TSM's sake, I happened to visit on an "off" night and they're capable of much more, otherwise I'm not sure how long the doors can stay open if my experience was reflective of the status quo. read more

Best sushi of my life. In addition, truly amazing and personalized service. You have to participate in the Omakase selection and have the server and sushi chefs tailor your meal. We let them know we love tuna and hate truffles (overpowers any other flavor.....yuck!). The two chef's selection special tuna rolls we had were to die for. Also, the sake we had was incredible! When you don't receive individual bowls of soy sauce to douse your sushi rolls in, you know you're getting some super fresh seafood and ingredients. Not cheap, but hands down, easily the best sushi I have ever had. read more

I have been dying to eat here since it is so close and has gotten such great reviews. For starters we had the Shrimp Gyoza and it was phenomenal! The flavors were head on and the dipping sauce was the perfect blend of sweet and tang. For dinner we went with the Omakase menu which means we have no idea what we ate but it was damn good!! They make all their sauces in house and serve with no soy sauce. At first I was skeptical that I could eat my sushi with out the assistance of some soy sauce but it was not missed at all. I wish I could remember the names of the rolls but I can't and I can only say we requested spicy and were willing to eat any kind of fish. The rolls definitely did not disappoint. I knew going in that this would be a pricey meal but 3 rolls, gyoza and a glass of wine set us back about more than $50 per person. I may recommend to just order rolls of the menu rather than letting the chef pick and plate since each roll was over $20. Overall this spot is sexy inside with great service and food. read more

Why, oh why did you already change the lunch menu at this location? Now I can't get the two roll chef's choice maki on special! I went with the bento box this last time with the pork katsu and while it was fine, it was nothing like what I was hoping for -and had the hated oniony dressing on the salad. My friend eats nigiri (I do not) so he could get the special that came with one roll and a bunch of single pieces. Alas, I don't think I will be back for lunch unless this changes. read more

Trendy is an understatement in describing this snazzy new West Loop sushi joint. Tanoshii looks like a goshdarn fun place to be at and eat at, and it is. The menu is purposefully sparse. That was confusing at first, but it turns out (thanks to some Yelp sleuthing), that ordering "omakase" is the way to go here. It's not a traditional omakase in the prix fixe sense. Rather, you can order anything you want omakase, and anything you want a la carte. The a la carte pricing is listed (and is the same price if it's delivered omakase-style), while Sushi Mike reserves his most special of specialty rolls as omakase-only. Confused yet? I was. You're allowed to order apps and nigiri or sushi omakase-style. That just means instead of picking out your appetizer or fish, the chef will pick it out for you. I wouldn't suggest this. We went this route and received the "fish and chips," a house specialty appetizer, and a rather standard plate of nigiri (sake, maguro, hotate, and escolar). The fish and chips is quite good, if pricey. It's essentially a tuna relish, or if you like, a playful tartare/ceviche hybrid, eaten on a chip that's made table-side. It's a fun dish not necessarily in line with its price (a common theme). Of the nigiri, the tuna was divine, perfectly buttery and tasty. The rest were fine, but nothing special. Given the price tags, I strongly suggest picking out the fish you really want, or at least asking for the freshest cuts rather than getting a standard fare plate. As for the nigiri roll, it sure was good. It comes with a special something-something that's made of ponzu or yuzu or eel sauce or truffle or chipotle mayo or whatever fancy-schmancy stuff sushi chefs use on fusion rolls. It wasn't, however, $23 good. And therein lies the rub. For this trendy ambiance and playful menu, you pay top dollar and feel kind of ripped off in the end. Not that the food isn't good. It's just not good enough to make my wallet satisfied come the next morning. read more

My boyfriend and I went to Tanoshii on Friday, 01/31 night. We sat at the Sushi Bar in front of Sushi Chef Mike. Best seat in the restaurant! This is obviously his place! It was a great evening starting with cocktail drinks, Truth Be Told. A unique drink with a kick! Then we had our phenomenal rolls by Sushi Chef Mike. We had our rolls with sake called Mirror of Truth, Seikyo. It was definitely smooth. We told Sushi Chef Mike we liked spicy and he was an artist in creating every roll. It was amazing in presentation and delicious! He made three freaken amazing rolls! We're not sure of the names because they were off the menu items. We also had the seaweed salad which was tasty! The peppers appetizer was great as well! OMG, the Fish in Chips appetizer is definitely a MUST HAVE item ! You can't go wrong at Tanoshii! Glad they're in the West Loop! Megan and the rest of the staff we're beyond amazing in service. They were attentive and very helpful when we had questions. We'll definitely be back! We hope you enjoy Tanoshii as much as we did! Take care and enjoy! read more

Very disappointed. Had high hopes about this place based on other reviews. If you are seeking out true Omakase....go to Kai Zan or Katsu. This is a "commercialized" version of Omakase. Most places that do a good Omakase will leave it up to the chef (which this place does) however, the chef will work off of the things you like and do not like. I had heard that Sushi Mike gets involved with his customers....he never once acknowledged our presence and there were maybe 15 people in the restaurant. Everyone in the place got the same things and they were being made by the other sushi chefs. Everything that was served to us had an obnoxious amount of sauces. Other than the sashimi, I never once tasted the fish in our rolls. The service and ambiance are also lacking and the prices are way too high for what you get. A place charging $19-22 per roll should not be putting imitation crab meat in their rolls (2 of my 3 had it). Furthermore, the sake selection was minimal and the cheapest 720 ml bottle option was over $70. I'm sure Sushi Mike is a great guy and has some impressive abilities, I just don't see it working in this setting on Randolph. The servers are all prepped to sell the omakase option to everyone. The restaurant is equipped to serve over 100 people. You will not feel special here unless you are sitting up front at the sushi bar. read more

This place is amazing! I actually salivate every time I think about this place again. We read some reviews that suggested getting the Fish n Chips and we do not regret it! It's not your typical American Fish n Chips with fried fish and tartar sauce. This is fresh tuna with avacado, pico de gallo, tobiko and your server will prepare the dish for you by mixing it all up and dividing it onto however many chips you ordered. Get this. Then we did the special chef rolls where you just tell the server what kind of things you do not like to eat (think about things you really can't eat, even if you think it doesn't usually go in sushi) and the chef would make a surprise sushi roll for you. I can't remember what was in all of our rolls, but I think the one with mushrooms really stood out for me. The chef who does this is ONLY AT THIS LOCATION, so get your ass over there! read more

Didn't even think to take pictures because we were too blown away by the rolls. Our server Cayley was so great, incredible service! 10/10 recommend the special roll where they make it for you - just tell them what you don't like & they certainly deliver! Will DEF be back! read more

Don't bother! Prices are ridiculously high for over sauced rolls and pushy service. The server was incredibly pushy that we allow them to decide what rolls to get. She suggested a roll with mushrooms, I told her that I don't like mushrooms. She offered another option and I said fine. They then brought us the mushroom roll. When I told her about it, she said sorry and offered to bring the other option. She then charged us for it!!!! It was her mistake and it wasn't cheap. It was a $23 for a roll with just mushrooms!! Her logic was that we tried the roll but we had to try it to discover that there was mushrooms in it. The rolls have soo much sauce on them that you can't even determine the filling. Definitely skip this place. read more

INCREDIBLE! Friends recommended this restaurant and said to do the "chef's special", which consisted of various rolls that are no where to be found on the menu....and were absolutely amazing! I love sauces on my sushi and these rolls were so good i did not touch the soy sauce, wasabi or eel sauce! Hands down my favorite Sushi restaurant because of the Chef's Special, the wonderful service and knowledgeable/friendly staff! I crave it weekly! read more

We arrived for an early reservation.....around 5pm on Saturday. The restaurant smelled like a toilet, they had just sanitized with a strong disinfectant. I couldn't eat there as I would have been nauseous if I stayed. We ordered an Uber and went to Tsukiji. What's wrong with these people......nobody wants to eat in a toilet!! read more

Came here for lunch with a few friends from work. Based on the menu on the table, thought the restaurant didn't really do rolls. It was after questioning our server that he provided a separate menu with their roll options. Small rolls (6ct) run for about $7-9, and the larger rolls (10ct) are $12 or higher. Ordered Red Caterpillar, spicy salmon, unagi, and spider rolls. Rolls were good, but wasn't too different from other sushi places. The service was extremely slow- we waited almost 30 minutes and waived down the server when our food didn't come out. He went to check, then came back to say the chefs were starting our rolls now. Not the best work hour lunch if you have meetings. May come back for dinner- bit pricy for lunch. read more

if you are looking for Omakase experience Mike is your Chef!!! We followed Mike from Clark to Randolph. Start with Fish and Chip, follow by seared tuna and then enjoy the rolls. I would also highly recommend Mango hand rolls - served with seasonal mangos only. Personally, I prefer the old location, it is smaller BYOB and much more cozy. But, as long as I can seat on the bar and enjoy Mike's Art of sushi, any location goes. Good luck Mike with your new adventure in downtown! read more

My wife and went here as it was recommend by a friend. We were fairly disappointed. The service was good but nothing great. The selection seemed okay, but pretty high price. We let the chef bring us his recommendation and neither of us loved it. I don't recall all that was in it, but it had mushrooms which is odd. I would not be opposed to the concept of mushrooms in a sushi roll, but the mushroom flavor dominated it. We also had a standard Philly roll and it was average at best. Biggest reason we won't go back is bang for buck. I know I can get better or at least as good for a heck of a lot less. read more

Food was fine but didn't compare to any of the sushi restaurants in California. Service was slow since they were understaffed. But what I appreciated about that was that the waiter gave us the heads up on that when we first got seated. read more

Its been a while since I have written a yelp review, but after dining here last week I feel compelled. 1st off- the food was top notch we tried the Omakase, which was some of the most creative sushi I have ever had. This definitely lead to trying some sashimi and rolls that I would typically not have ordered and it was all amazing. The fish was fresh and the menu appealed to various tastes. They were even accommodating to food allergies. So, no complaints on food or service. I am only giving 3 stars because this place is ridiculously expensive. There were 5 of us and our tab was 400$, with tip. 11$ for beer and white wine for 15$, we eat out quiet a bit, and do not mind spending money on a great meal, so it would be a better spot if they offered some more reasonable drink choices. That being said, I'm not sure if I would return because $80 pp for sushi on a weeknight seems pretty high. read more

I've never had better sushi. I feel a bit silly because I once wrote a review about a, inexpensive rotary sushi restaurant in Lombard and said something to the effect of "this sushi was so good that I see no reason to ever try anywhere else." Well, with apologies to that rotary bar, my anniversary with my girlfriend rolled around and I thought I'd treat her to a fancy pants sushi experience and I must now rescind that sentiment. This sushi at Tanoshii Sushi Mike's was so good that I cannot stop thinking about it. Not only was it the best sushi I have ever had, it was some of the best food I have ever eaten in my entire life. Only once before have I eaten food that gave me something of an out of body experience, and that was when I ate at KC Joe's Barbecue in Kansas City which, supposedly but also credibly, has the best barbecue in the USA. It nearly brought a tear to my eye and I simply could not believe that food could taste so good. It left me in disbelief and I wondered if I would ever experience that sensation again. I experienced that sensation again at this place. And to be clear, I have literally dreamed of the calamari no less than 3 times since I ate here with my girlfriend, and it was only 11 days ago that we ate here. This place is not cheap, and I am a stupid broke loser who can never afford anything nice. I had to bite hard when I paid my check, but it was worth it. My girlfriend and I got two rolls of specialty custom sushi (which was phenomenal - one had a brown honey (truffle?) sauce of some kind that had a flavor I will never forget as well as pickled onions, and the other had softshell crab, which I had never had before and that I am happy I tried for the first time at this place) and their spider roll. We also got calamari and their edamame on a lark, which we did not regret because it was also fantastic. This all clocked in at about $90, including tip. For a destitute schmuck, this is admittedly a lot. But for a sushi place, and for the rather generous and filling meal we had, this is a price that is beyond reasonable. And - I REPEAT - this calamari was life changing. I CANNOT stop thinking about this calamari. This calamari is like a drug that gave me a high I will forever chase. And to top it all off, they gave us a complimentary mochi dessert for our anniversary, which was a very kind and appreciated gesture. In all, I loved this place with my whole heart, and my life will never be the same after that calamari. read more

I rarely give 5 stars, but I was blown away by the sushi here. When our waiter greeted us, he described the menu and then an option off the menu. I was immediately intrigued by what is essentially a mystery menu. You tell the waiter any allergies or preferences and the chef creates unique sushi rolls for you based on the freshest fish he has gotten at the market that day. We initially ordered 2 "mystery" rolls and were so blown away by the freshness and flavors we ordered more. We tried rolls with chive oil, truffle, honey, strawberries, chili, the usual ingredients, and some of the freshest fish I've had. The experience was fun and delicious. This place hasn't had their grand opening yet, but this place has to be a hit. I can't wait to go back. read more

Love this place!!! The sushi was awesome and so fresh. Location clean, hip and trendy looking. We read through the reviews before going to Tanoshii for the first time and we were very excited because they had pretty good reviews. We had the shishito peppers, which were outstanding. It has a sweet sauce with a hint of lemon. So good! We also had the fish and chips that were to die for. If we didn't read the reviews about it before going we probably would not have ordered it...thank goodness we did because they were perfect! Its sort of like a tuna tartar on top of a chip. A must try! We also had the maguro sashimi, which is tuna with truffle oil....hmmmmm soooo good, the hamachi kama, which is the cheek of the fish that they grill. So tender and ate every piece of it. We didn't do the Omakase sushi even though that is what they are about... we just wanted to try the randolph street roll (shrimp tempura, crab, cream cheese, unagi, avocado, cucumber), a spider roll and of course sashimi! We are coming back soon!!!!! read more

Went over lunch with a group of five and we were blown away by the overall experience. Our waiter (Silent Jay) was awesome. We showed up at 150pm and they close for lunch at 2pm. They didn't rush us at all and the service was fantastic. Jay encouraged us to let the chef make our selections, which we did. First thing I'll mention is that is a completely stress free way to order for 5 people. The sushi was amazing. Super fresh, interesting, unique, beautiful, and delicious. Off the charts. This and Kai Zan have been my best Chicago sushi experiences. Will definitely be going back. I don't know that the roll is called, but the Tuna/shiitake mushroom roll with the chive sauce may be the best piece of sushi I've ever had. read more

Tanoshii West Loop - Tuna/shiitake roll with Chive sauce. Dope. - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Probably not the best sushi you'll have, but certainly not the worst. Good of it: The service was attentive and were sure to accommodate our gluten free guest. Atmosphere is clean and bright. Decent sushi. I agree with another yelper who said rolls were bland. Honestly I didn't do any of the ordering so I ate what my friends ordered. So it could have been their choices. Everything was fresh. My only negative is the edamame appetizer was rather small. And again not exceptional My advice is give it a try and make your judgement. read more

With the disappearance of Sushi Wabi and Sushi Dokku, it's replacement being met with mixed reviews, restaurant row has been longing for a solid sushi joint to stand up with the likes of Steph Izard's joints, Au Cheval, Grange Hall, and other standouts along the hottest restaurant strip in Chicago and possibly the country. Enter Tanoshii Sushi Mike's - a West Loop outpost of an Andersonville staple. After a few weeks of a soft opening, my fiancee and I happened to stumble upon Tanoshii on their official opening night - and I'm glad we did! My thoughts on Tanoshii is that it will stand up among the best in the city - first and foremost, the freshness of the fish is top notch, although not quite at the level of Katsu (and the recently closed Masaki). The rolls and sauces are inventive without hiding the quality of the ingredients. The staff is knowledgable and friendly, and Mike himself was extremely engaging during the meal. While it's not cheap, it won't break the bank either. I think it's easy for a restaurant to get lost in the madness that is restaurant row, and the place hasn't been getting a huge amount of hype, but hopefully the word gets out enough that Tanoshii can remain a staple in the area for years to come. More details and pictures on my blog at http://eatinginchicago2014.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/tanoshii/ read more

So, the sushi here is good for a place that's not close to an ocean. Here's the unfortunate part that people should know about: we came in and we're told about the omakase. I hadn't heard of that before and it sounded like a great idea, albeit a little expensive. The one thing that the server said was that if we didn't like any dish, we should feel like we can send it back and ask for a different one. So, as we were having various dishes (all good...or interesting, like the savory onion and mayo covered sushi...oh, Chicago...) we get a tuna sashimi served. It didn't look quite right, maybe a bit bumpy like the texture was off. Then when we took a bite, the texture was definitely off. It was sandy or gritty, kind of like when you mush up Jell-O to tiny pieces and try to eat it? Except with more firmness? Does that explain anything? Anyway, we told the server that it just was not good and he took the majority of it back. Then things changed. The server went from friendly, happy-go-lucky, to completely turned off. He didn't bring any other plates, he didn't fill our waters, and after 20 minutes he left on his break without saying anything. He was sure to pass us off to someone else, and we left without saying anything to him...it seemed so strange. Why promise that people can send something back when you'll be angry when they do? read more

Excellent sushi selections with the Toro being my favorite. Great service but the most noted aspect of this restaurant was its impeccable cleanliness!! I'm in restaurant business 40+ years and this is one of the best I have seen period. For this I give 5 stars read more

First thing since i don't see this mentioned anywhere: $40 CORKING FEE. So you will certainly be drinking off their wine list. Having said that, going here and ordering Omakase is one of the better dining experiences you can have. Their wine and beverage list is solid. There are decent wines listed and the place has a modern, clean look. The service was good, our waiter was decent and made an effort to stop by and see how we were doing fairly regularly. We ordered the Omasake and started with three rolls and an appetizer of vegetable dumplings. Each roll that came was outstanding, there was home made soy sauce and wasabi, chive sauce, spicy tuna, I had to stop myself, we could have kept putting those away. Took a little while for them to pick up the check but overall, I left satisfied. I may be back but that corking fee is a bit of a turn off when I could get the same sushi at Andersonville and bring my own bottle. read more

Visiting Tanoshii is more than a meal, it is an experience. In the Omakase tradition of 'leaving it to the chef", we sat a the sushi bar to be served by chef Mike. Simply put, the sushi was delicious. Our whole party left feeling not only full but like we had been treated like celebrities. If you want to impress a date or show your customers a great time - this is the place to go! read more

Both locations rock. Mike's creativity has translated well to the new space, and this is the classic "Tanoshii" experience in a trendier setting, with the added benefits of a full bar. Special shout-out to Michelle - ask for her if you hit the Randolph location and aren't sitting at the bar. She's been a fixture of Tanoshii (both locations) since I started going a few years ago. And her impeccable service, expertise, and cheerful funny attitude make everyone feel welcome, every time. read more

Just had an incredible meal here. Words can hardly describe it. We sat at the sushi bar and Chef Mike served us. If you can request to do the same, I'm sure you'll be extremely pleased. We ordered the chef's menu, and it was one of the best meals I've had in Chicago--up there with Alinea, Next, Grace, etc. The rolls have amazing flavor yet still complement the natural flavor of the very fresh fish. Visit this place as soon as you have a chance!! I know we'll be back. I suggest visiting now before it starts drawing the big crowds and you can't get a reservation. read more

5 stars for the best, most unique and memorable sushi and Japanese fare in town! At 39 weeks pregnant last week I developed an insatiable craving for sushi so we headed over to Tanoshii since it's basically the only sushi place in the hood we haven't yet tried. Now we ask ourselves WHY? Why did it take this long!?!? We arrived somewhat early for dinner, 6pm on a Monday, thus the ambiance was calm and welcoming. Our server was very attentive and explained that they offer omakase dining (chef selects dishes for you) which of course we chose because, what's better than the chef selecting their very best options of the day with you? This is not mandatory but I highly recommend trying it. The server asked us about any food allergies or restrictions - obviously no raw fish for me - and went along to tell the chef. We started out with the vegetarian fish and chips (regular order comes with tuna and tobiko). Two heaping portions of avocado, pico de gallo, and I want to say sweet potato atop a large, fried wonton were prepared table side and already our taste buds were exploding. So much flavor! After that came our rolls - shrimp tempura and crab & veggie. These may sound standard, but instead of wrapping in sticky rice, the rolls were fried in rice paper and topped with delicious sauces that tasted so incredibly thought out. These were not your average two-three ingredient sauces, these were SAUCES. There were so many different flavors in each bite that it felt like we were eating a new kind of sushi! I guess it was new to us... so damn delicious! And then, the pièce de résistance, the grilled hamachi. %$!&%@()*&&!@^*!&^@*&%@*&!^*! Never have I had such perfection when eating fish. Not only is it awesome that they utilize each and every part of the fish after slicing it for sushi meat (the grilled portion is the neck area) but they cook it to absolute complete perfection. It was flaky on the outside, perfectly tender on the inside. I don't think my husband and I really partook in conversation at this point. Just a lot of ooo's and mmmm's. Highly highly highly recommend this dish. Had no idea hamachi could be just as wonderful cooked as it is raw. Then of course we had some mochi to end the night, which was also very delicious. As tasty as it was, we had no choice but to leave the place gushing about the dinner. Absolutely one of the best meals we've gone out for in a while. And definitely the best sushi we've had in the city, not to mention so reasonable for the unique experience and quality of food! Can't wait to go back in a couple weeks to try a broader selection of the menu. read more

Sushi is always fresh and delicious. Love the "fish and chips". Restaurant can get pretty loud but service is solid so makes up for it.

god this place is good. bigger than the one in ravenswood. i dont remember his name, but the waiter there was AWESOME. really nice guy, really funny, and really tried to make sure we had a really good time! get the omasake... the sushi mike special. can't go wrong. one roll had 19-year aged peach balsamic and truffle honey. and i learned i really like this fish escolar with shitake mushrooms. god, i'm drooling right now again. their fish and chips are really amazing. such a little chip can hold ALOT of fish. amazing amazing amazingggggggggg read more