Itto Sushi

Recommends

Mary H.

Joined 1 year ago

Sushi - Not For Me. I had never been to a Sushi restaurant, never really taken my fancy but on a recent visit to Chicago my friend insisted we go there, he loves it. I still don't like Sushi food, I did try, but not for me. Nice restaurant though.

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tamalechica

Joined 2 years ago

Authentic Japanese food. If you prefer authentic Japanese food in a relaxed, casual atmosphere, Itto Sushi is where you want to be. What is isn't is a super trendy, nightclubbing hotspot. What it is, is simply good Japanese food and Sushi.

The owner is from Japan and has been serving food and condiments that would be found on any Japanese dinner table. Aside from inviting yourself over to a dinner at someone's home, where else are you going to get home cooked authentic meals like this?

Also, as pointed out by nickaleck, this is a place where you can have a conversation. I like the fact that you can have a quiet conversation and not leave with your eardrums still talking nasty to you because of the sound level.

I happen to love California Maki rolls, but I avoid it at almost every restaurant because they use fake crab, which contains things that I cannot eat. At Itto Sushi I can indulge myself with California Maki as much as I want, because they only use real crab meat. Their futomaki rolls are very good, too, with more traditional vegetables in them. Futomaki is a lot of work to make because so many of the vegetables need to be prepared well in advance, and Itto Sushi has a good one.

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nickaleck

Joined 3 years ago

Where the fish is always fresh!. Don't be fooled by Itto Sushi's discreet location, tucked away on Halsted. This place is one of the few sushi establishments that continually has very good, fresh fish. The wait staff is friendly and accommodating and the restaurant is always impeccably clean.

I found the menu to be expansive in the items they serve as well as affordable. A great place to go with friends when you want to be able to have a conversation and not be blasted out by music or ambient noise.

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joanbob

Joined 4 years ago

GREAT Sushi, wonderful atmosphere. This is the perfect place to go if you want to have an authentic sushi experience... The food is amazing and the help is very kind. The atmosphere is very authentic, not like your average Chicago sushi restaurant. The waiters/waitresses speak limited english, but the experience is worth the food. It is some of the best sushi I have tasted.

Doesn't Recommend

rocko1027

Joined 5 years ago

itto sushi the worst sushi in chicago. I recently tried sushi at itto sushi for the first time, and it was not worth the trip nor the low price they claimed. I went with a friend and we order miso soup which was the only thing that was good. we also ordered the seaweed salad which can be bought from any asian mart for way cheaper and a bunch of maki's, the chef's suprise, dragon roll, shrimp tempura,tuna avocado, spicy tuna. the fish did not taste fresh, almost immitation. Their rice was dry and there were no taste to it at all. The shrimp tempura was not fried properly, it lack the "tempura" and the spicy tuna and tuna avocado were super slim and all unevenly cut, it all lacked presentation. We also ordered an appetizer of deep fried white fish with steak leaves, that tasted like something off the floor, it was not worst $8.00 for an appetizer. The service on the other hand was not so great, the waitstaff did not know no more than a few words of english and the chef was too busy talking to a friend than to make our order. Over all expeirence of itto sushi is the smell when you walk in, it was very difficult to describe, just weird. Never again will we ever go there.

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jwhipkey1288

Joined 5 years ago

Best Service. The sushi is wonderful and the service is great. My boyfriend and I have been there several times and the service has continued to impress us, along with the food. A waitress greets you at the door and asks where you would like to sit (depending on how many tables are available). Almost immediately after being seated a drink order can be taken and menus are placed on the table. The staff is efficient and kind. This restaurant is highly recommended.

Doesn't Recommend

leoulas

Joined 6 years ago

It is over priced. First time there with my girlfriend and two of her friends we found it just ok. not worth it for the amount that we paid. will not go back, more for your money else where.

Recommends

fredsox49

Joined 6 years ago

Itto veterans. My wife and I have been eating at Itto Sushi since it was on Clark Street. It is the only sushi restaurant we patronize on a regular basis, which is notable because we can't walk there since we moved 9 years ago (o.k., the free parking helps).

The food is always fresh and varies with what's in season. The head man has been there for years (yes, even back to Clark Street). I always order the Spanish mackeral when it's available and also end each meal with an uni. The beer selection is excellent. Service is fast and courteous and the price is reasonable, especially if you're a Rewards Network member.

We never been disappointed, and I doubt that you will be either. Autographed menus by Michael Jordan, Ichiro, Shingo Takatsu and Tadihito Iguchi prove that you don't have to be glitzy to attract both the famous and local favorites.

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cardnexus

Joined 7 years ago

Not the best in IL but certainly best in Lakeview and Lincoln Park area. Itto sushi is the best sushi house in the Lakeview and Lincoln Park area.

It is probably the third best sushi house in IL besides two Sakuras in the west.

Therere tons of Japanese restaurants on Halsted and Broadway but, the truth may hurt you, none of them are good.

Itto sushi isnt for general American customers. It is for customers who know at least a little bit Japanese food/culture.

For instance, the knowledge of knowing if a Nigiri is in the right shape, if the firmness of the rice is right and if the chef is taking extra steps to finish a Nigiri.

So if you think one of the dishes you ordered from one of the Japanese sushi house in that area owned by Thai or Korea which you cant tell and who drizzles soy sauce on top of the sushi is very cool, then dont even step in Itto sushi.

Having said that, Itto is not the best in IL, they are struggling with some dishes. They have problem with the presentation and the freshness of the fish is not always satisfied.

So avoid dishes other than Sushi and Nigiri coz its not their strong side.

Recommends

Peter Behle

Joined 10 years ago

Fresh and generous cuts of fish have made this a neighborhood favorite since the early '90s.. The Scene
Seating-wise you can sit up front the counter, or grab a table in the quieter back room. This is a family-run affair where the chefs run the show, the waitresses welcome regulars as soon as the front door opens, and everybody swivels to watch TV. It's like eating in your living room, only with buttoned-down young professionals for company and a top-notch crew preparing the trays. And free parking--a shocker in Lincoln Park--in the back. Drop in before 7pm and expect to find a good number of families with kids chowing down on tempura and pot-stickers.

The Food
A unique appetizer is the generically named grilled scallops. When the dish arrives at your table, however, you'll be wowed by the healthy portion of plump scallops and green onions in a mild soy-garlic sauce, kept warm by a magic flame that burns out just as you finish the dish. Try the spicy tuna rolls (with the Tabasco-drenched mayonnaise) or the chef's special rolls--which change nightly according to what's fresh available, but your server will be happy to describe.