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    Yaba

    4.9 (17 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 3:00 pm, 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM

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    Matt W.

    New Japanese sushi place near the AMc theater. The sushi was very well put together and fresh. We also tried their honey walnut shrimp and coconut curry with chicken. Both dishes are probably more Chinese influenced and tasted great. Service was friendly and prompt. The interior was clean with brand new furniture. Will definitely come back.

    Drea S.

    They have a great variety of rolls to choose from. The ones we had were all great. Service was great, and cute inside.

    Such great quality sushi and a beautiful presentation Favorite place for sushi around here!

    Ate here twice since it opened. Once for the lunch specials and once for dinner. Service was great and food was delicious. Will definitely be back soon.

    Tnt roll, butterfly roll

    Everything was really good quality and the restaurant was very clean, I will definitely be back, Lili was so nice and gave great suggestions, wonderful appetizers, sushi and meals, the boba was authentic flavors.

    Dragon roll Shrimp fried rice

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    1 month ago

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    8 months ago

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    3 months ago

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    30 days ago

    Lotta food. But I have tasted better. Ordered takeout so I can't comment on the ambiance very much.

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    8 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    2 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    8 months ago

    Wonderful food and service! The fried rice was delicious, and the Monster roll was great as well. Highly recommended!

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    3 months ago

    The service was good, great food. This will be our go to restaurant. It is a local treasure

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    7 months ago

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    Review Highlights - Yaba

    The dragon roll pieces were perfect wrt their rice to non-rice ratio.

    $16.95 Dragon Roll

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    Blue Sushi Sake Grill - San Marcos Maki

    Blue Sushi Sake Grill

    4.2(722 reviews)
    5.0 mi
    $$

    A fantastic dining experience in downtown Naperville. We came in with reservations, highly…read morerecommended on a Friday night as the wait was 1.5 hrs without. We were seated promptly and our service was great. We tried so much delicious food. Crispy brussel sprouts, spicy garlic edamame, miso soup and a ton of the vegan rolls. Also the crispy vegan rice cakes were a favorite. I honestly loved all of the rolls. Each had such unique flavors and textures. The chocolate spring roll dessert is a must. So is the chocolate torte for vegan diners. Also the HH had so much, several of our rolls were on there!

    Starting with the good first - the food was fresh and delicious. You could tell that the fish was a…read moregood quality. The main issue here was service. We sat 25 minutes before we got water, and that was after we had gotten an appetizer of edamame. We waited 40 minutes for our other appetizer and our actual dinner came out around the 55 minute mark. We had asked timing on the food, and our server was very dismissive. They did make a comment saying that they weren't expected to get this busy, but the restaurant was about 60% to 70% capacity at max. After our appetizer came out and we scarfed it down, they made a very strange remark, saying, "Sorry, I didn't know you were that hungry." Of course we're hungry - we came out to eat at a restaurant. (It wasn't a joking manner that they said it.) Overall, the vibe that we got from the server was so strange and uncanny, it took forever to get our food, and we left disappointed. The restaurant looks really cool and the food was good, so it was disappointing.

    Photos
    Blue Sushi Sake Grill - Cool ceiling and bar area

    Cool ceiling and bar area

    Blue Sushi Sake Grill - Crispy Rice Cake vegan

    Crispy Rice Cake vegan

    Blue Sushi Sake Grill - Various vegan rolls

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    Various vegan rolls

    Chef Soon Contemporary Sushi

    Chef Soon Contemporary Sushi

    4.5(686 reviews)
    8.1 mi
    $$

    Amazing sushi, cool vibes. Ate here last week and had an…read moreamazing time, the sushi is a next level, culinary experience. The chefs signature rolls are so innovative, I've never had any rolls like them anywhere else! The flavors were surprising and delicious! With flavors like a truffle vinaigrette, garlic sauce and strawberry and mango featured in maki we were blown away with flavor! It was all so good. And it was beautifully plated. Also unique, Chef Soon has nigiri that also features unique flavor combinations an we had several that were so so tasty. I want to go back and try more! My favorite bite of the night is a tie between Chef Soon's Special Maki and the Zuke Salmon signature nigiri. The vibes of this restaurant are so hip for being in an unassuming location. We felt like we were downtown Chicago with the quality and atmosphere! We can't wait to go back!

    We ordered drinks, salads, sushi, and dessert. I'd honestly skip the dessert--the cheesecake was…read morethin, dry, and just disappointing. If you're a cheesecake fan, it's a pretty sad way to end the meal. Thankfully my last sushi bite was the Zuke salmon, which is always excellent. We spent around $350, which normally isn't an issue because we've had great experiences here in the past. But this visit was frustrating. My sister-in-law has a serious allergy to seeds and peanuts, and we were crystal clear about needing no sesame. In the past, the staff has been extremely careful and accommodating. This time, two rolls came out with sesame. We were willing to let those slide and said it was fine. But then they brought out a third roll with sesame--and that's when we got agitated. At that point, it really ruined the shared meal we were hoping for. What was safe tasted great, but the repeated mistakes took the enjoyment out of the experience. We weren't in any rush, but it definitely felt like the kitchen was winding down for the night. Chef Soon also wasn't there, which was disappointing because it genuinely felt like the attention to detail wasn't the same without him. And not to sound cheap, but after that many allergy-related mistakes, there should have been some sort of acknowledgment of an apology, actions speak louder than words. In my opinion a small discount, a complimentary dessert or app, something should have been offered. Instead, nothing. Chef soon is my favorite sushi restaurant. I often tell anyone in Illinois it's the best I've been to here. Normally this is a solid five-star spot for us, but tonight was a three out of five at best. Mistakes happen, and I'll be back... but this visit was honestly pretty upsetting. I think I may be on a search for a new favorite sushi place for my sister.

    Photos
    Chef Soon Contemporary Sushi
    Chef Soon Contemporary Sushi - Daily special

    Daily special

    Chef Soon Contemporary Sushi - 4 separate Zuke Salmon Nigiri One for each person. Best way to end the meal and start it really...

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    4 separate Zuke Salmon Nigiri One for each person. Best way to end the meal and start it really...

    Meson Sabika - Profiteroles del Pirineo ($11)

    Meson Sabika

    4.2(1.5k reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$$

    BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY…read more Mesón Sabika is a truly beloved restaurant with whom I have a complicated history. ______________________ ***REVIEW #1,300*** ______________________ As hundredth milestone reviews go, this one is deeply personal -- I was supposed to have my wedding & reception here in March 2020.  That never happened due to things far beyond my control (damn pandemic) and I've been not-so-secretly pining for that moment ever since. I wound up tying the knot with the love of my life at a nearby park but without any of the fanfare, guests, food, liquor, live band, florist, or photographer.  We had already placed a sizeable deposit on a food & bev package, so when Mesón management abruptly raised the prices on us by 20% due to "volatile market pricing", we accepted a buyout in the form of gift certificates. Between dine-in and carryout orders, over the next 18 months we ate here a LOT.....I'll admit it was fun treating family & friends to dinner with reckless abandon.  Each experience was great, from the service and ambiance to the small plates and sangria.  We did get pretty ill following one visit, although I suspect it came from another guest in the vicinity, rather than a bout of food poisoning. The picturesque mansion - built in 1847 - is elegant but cramped inside, so I recommend dining on the gorgeous patio if weather permits.  Prices for tapas are the same regardless of lunch or dinner, although they do have entree specials unique to both meals (and their delicious paella is exclusive to dinnertime). Without going into crazy detail about each cold dish (of which there are 15) or hot tapas (of which there are 23), I'll call out a few highlights: the bacon-wrapped dates ($14), the duck confit ($16), the cold garlic potato salad ($15), goat cheese w/poached pear ($15), cured salmon in dill cream cheese ($14) and grilled skirt steak ($19). Their paella is great and feeds 3-4 people; I recommend the 'campesina' ($25 with chicken & chorizo) unless you're big on seafood, in which case the 'mariscos' ($42 with shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, and octopus) might be up your alley.  Desserts are splendid, especially the crème brûlée ($12) and the pear tart ($12). The servers are all male (it's a Catalan thing) and very attentive.  Order a pitcher of white or red house sangria and let all your troubles melt away until you're set adrift on memory bliss.  Or until they kick you out. * TL;DR * Just like the 'tarta de chocolate' on their dessert menu, Mesón stirs up feelings in me that are poignantly bittersweet. On one hand, I've been here 10 times and have nothing but praise for the kitchen + atmosphere.  On the other hand, whenever I see the staff prepping the adjacent event space for a wedding, I get wistful and cry a teeny bit inside.  Couldn't the COVID outbreak have waited one more month, until after my nuptials? The restaurant biz is tough with plenty of overhead, but Mesón is still chugging along and serving the same excellent tapas since 1990.  Anyone who's ever dined here can attest it's a gorgeous venue with spectacular food and professional service. I highly recommend Mesón Sabika for lunch or dinner, and if you're considering having a wedding here, do it.  Hopefully you'll have better luck than me.

    Let me start with the setting because it genuinely earns its reputation. The grounds are stunning…read moreand you can immediately understand why people book weddings here. It's a beautifully converted old mansion with manicured outdoor spaces and an elegant interior. The white tablecloth atmosphere delivers on the promise of a special night out. That said, if you're coming expecting a transportive Spanish dining experience, temper those expectations. A few decorative plates on the walls aside, the space reads more traditional Southern manor than Iberian escape. Charming, yes. Spanish, not really. Now the food, because that's where things get interesting. The cream of rice soup was a genuine highlight. Buttery, brothy, deeply comforting. The kind of dish that makes you lean in after the first spoonful. The baguette served alongside it though? Stale. Sliced too far in advance and the butter arrived ice cold, straight from the fridge. At $100 plus per person, that is a detail that matters. The Queso con Pacanas had beautiful individual components but suffered from what became a recurring theme of the night: strong flavors competing rather than collaborating. The pungent cheese steamrolled everything else on the plate. The wine soaked pears showed up again later on the Chuleta de Cerdo, and while the idea is lovely, serving a pear half unsliced in a fine dining context means you're asking the guest to do compositional work that the kitchen should have already done. The Jamón Iberico is the most expensive item on the menu and the meat itself is worth every penny. Nutty, buttery, exceptional on its own. But the parmesan blanketing the flatbread crisps overpowered it completely, and a lone raw garlic clove sitting on the plate with no instruction is not fine dining. Our server was sweet enough to explain you're meant to rub it on the cracker yourself, and she handled it with grace, but that explanation should not have been necessary. The Patatas Bravas were well seasoned with a solid aioli but landed mushy rather than crispy. A miss. The Gambas a la Plancha was the clearest win of the evening and not by coincidence. It was the simplest dish. Well seasoned shrimp, bright lemon butter, nothing fighting for attention. Sometimes restraint is the whole answer. The Chuleta de Cerdo had a beautifully cooked, smoky and peppery pork chop and a mushroom sauce that genuinely complemented it. But then the cinnamon heavy root vegetable puree pulled the whole plate in a completely different direction. Our server was genuinely wonderful, funny and warm and attentive even while training a new hire. She was the clearest bright spot of the service experience and the one thing we left talking about fondly. We left the rest of the meal a little baffled. The head chef hails from Valencia, and we were told that influence shows in the food. Maybe it does and our palates just weren't reading it. But between the confused flavor profiles, the inconsistent execution, and a cuisine identity that felt more scattered than intentional, we walked out laughing and scratching our heads more than satisfied. Beautiful place. Lovely server. The food just never quite found itself.

    Photos
    Meson Sabika - Dessert table (wedding)

    Dessert table (wedding)

    Meson Sabika - Chocolate cake in a caramel crust

    Chocolate cake in a caramel crust

    Meson Sabika - Marinated Olives

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    Marinated Olives

    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

    3.9(281 reviews)
    5.1 mi
    $$$

    We went at 3:30pm and got seated right away, especially because of reservations. There are plenty…read moreof seats and the service is quite efficient. We ordered the Gyu-Kaku Feast (for 6 pax). It was plenty of food, topped off with smores for dessert. The meat was fresh. Lots of meat, good beef, some pork, and a few shrimp. The salads were good... might be better if we'd asked for the salad dressing on the side. The sukiyaki was surprising in that it was more like fried rice. Spicy chiggae soup was yummy, nice and spicy. So much food. Super yummy. Park in the structure around the corner on Chicago Ave.

    Came here in a Monday for lunch. We had a reservation for 230. We arrive at 215 and there is no one…read moreat the host station. Ahead of us is a couple and another guy waiting. After 10 minutes the host comes and tells the couple they have tables but they aren't cleaned yet and he's waiting. Mind you the restaurant isn't packed, but there are a few tables dining. I'm guessing they were understaffed. Anyhow, after another 10 minutes the guy ahead of us gets seated. Nothing was said to us. Another party of two came and they were also waiting and they flagged someone down. The host said the same thing as earlier, they have tables that haven't been cleaned. 10 mins later he goes to try to seat them knowing we were there first. The lady even told him, well they were here first. He went ahead and seated them anyway then came back and got us. It's 245. I told him we had a reservation for 230. The lack of communication from the host was off putting. We were hungry and my son really wanted bbq. I would have gone to SGD, but they are closed on Mondays. Anyhow, we wait around a good 10 mins before a server comes to take a drink order. Again, they weren't completely packed, I counted 3 servers and a host. We order ribeye, chicken, filet, kalbi and the hirami in a pot for our meats. We also got corn, spinach, a salad and the fried rice and an order of white rice. I ask him if that's enough food and he says yes, but you can keep a menu in case you want more. Our table was 2 adults and 2 kids who are 11 and 9. Fried rice comes out first and the meats. I ask him to bring the white rice too for my son. He said he forgot and will grab it right away. Let's just say he brought the white rice a good 15 mins after...and I had to remind him. So my son is sitting there eating his meat with no rice. The hirami in the pot was a good size but there were 5 pieces of ribeye and 5 pieces of filet and 5 pieces of chicken and maybe 8 pieces of the kalbi. How is this enough for 4 people? So we order another 2 orders of kalbi. I don't know the happy hour portions are tiny. We also needed refills and that took a couple reminders. We also ordered another order of rice. We are pretty much done eating when I ask him what happened to our rice order? He said he will check and that he ordered it awhile ago. He comes back within 2 minutes with our rice saying there was a mix up in the kitchen? Was it really a mix up or did you just forget? By the time we get our check it's 445. Why did this take so long? We have been there before and we are usually in and out in an hour and a half. So they took the fried rice off our bill. Then for tip, it's asking if we want to tip 18, 22 or 22%? Are you being serious? This guy had to constantly be reminded of everything, service was so slow and he had only two other tables. Someone else was picking up our dirty plates and bringing us the meats. I've never had a bad experience here until now. The visit wasn't worth the $180. Food was good except the filet. That had no flavor at all and had to be drenched with the sauces on the table. We have gotten delivery from here before and the portions were bigger during delivery. One other thing to note, the server never even changed out our grill...they usually do that half way through.

    Photos
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
    Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

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    Yaba - japanese - Updated May 2026

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