Usagi Ya

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tracy_in_chicago

Joined 6 years ago

the best sushi in Chicago!. Wow! I love this place! It's my favorite in Chicago. The sushi is absolutely delicious and the prices are good considering the larger than average portion sizes. I go at least once a week if I can. This place puts Bob San and Sushi Samba Rio to shame. The quality is as good as Mirai but you get more food so it's a much better value. My favorite thing on the menu which you must try is the "Summer Roll" which has tuna, avocado, peppers, and cilantro with a spicy oil dripped on it. It's so good. I have brought lots of friends and family to this little restaurant on the edge of Wicker Park and they have all been very impressed. Can't wait to go back!

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slobahon

Joined 7 years ago

great sushi, if uninventive. poor location notwithstanding, i have enjoyed the above average food everytime there and i am honestly surprised its not busier. free parking and relatively inexpensive sushi brings me back once or twice a month.

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tc8433

Joined 7 years ago

Subpar across the board. I live a few blocks from Usagi Ya so I have tested it out a few times. I wanted to like it, because the other reviews seemed promising and its proximity is very convenient. Unfortunately, each time I've eaten there (3 times now) I have been disappointed. The fish is subpar in freshness and preparation. The usagi I just ate was overcooked, the hamachi was stringy and mushy, and the sunshine roll was falling apart and lacked flavor. Had I bought these at the grocery store, I'd rate them as average (and kick myself for knowing better)...though in a Japenese restaurant with corresponding prices, it's just a real disappointment.

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rebeccabuster

Joined 7 years ago

The Real Deal. I was very impressed with the quality of sushi and authenticity of Usagi Ya! I lived in Japan for three years and understand the importance of a well trained sushi chef. Usagi Ya's sushi chef is one of the few real sushi chefs in Chicago that has been trained in how to prepare sushi the traditional Japanese way. He is also trained to prepare blowfish if customers are interested in trying it. The toro was of medium grade and it had been brought into the restaurant minutes before we walked in! It melted in my mouth! We were also impressed with the appetizers, desserts, and decor. The whole package is intimate, friendly, and embodies what any excellent restaurant strives to have. I am now a regular there and still haven't found another restaurant that compares to it in Chicago.

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jstraw17

Joined 7 years ago

Usagi ya is Ichiban!. Uisagi ya has been always my favorite restaurant since it opened a year ago. Very artistic decor with funky paintings, large variety of maki rolls, yet still has Japanese authentic atomosphere with a Japanse sushi chef and Japanese servers. I'm taking Japanese lesseons, and my server often helps me practice my Japanese. She is also very knowledgeable about sushi and sake. I enjoy her service and with the restaurant's food I'll keep coming back.

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joan69

Joined 8 years ago

Best Japanese restaurant in Chicago!. I came across this restaurant by accident and was very pleasantly surprised after having a meal there. The sashimi was melt-in-your-mouth fresh and good-sized. The miso soup was full-bodied. The service was attentive and friendly. My friend and I went for lunch adn for $10 (what a deal) got a bento box with lots of goodies (tempura, California roll, teriyaki chicken, rice, pickles!). We will definitely be going back again and again. I don't know what restaurant the reviewer in November went to. Usagi-ya is outstanding and deserves to be better known.

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phillamb168

Joined 8 years ago

Great Bucktown Sushi!. I had just moved into the area and decided I wanted to see what the local sushi spots had to offer. My first stop was Usagi Ya, and I was not disappointed. The sushi was fresh and had wonderful texture. Even the Miso, so often watered down by other places, was great. I rode my bike over for carry-out, and the owner came out and gave me my food!

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j_wiech

Joined 8 years ago

First time I ate sushi. Purely because of the service and atmosphere will I eat sushi again.

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Jennifer Olvera

Joined 10 years ago

A feng shui feel, fast service and oodles of fresh-from-the-sea sushi, sashimi and maki make this East Village spot a choice haunt.. In Short
Though it's situated at the busy intersection of Milwaukee, Ashland and Division, this eatery is serene and hushed. The dining area is an intimate, earth-hued space with two elevated, pillow-filled tearooms and a small sushi bar lit by chopstick-fringed lanterns. Between pleasant conversation, the all-ages crowd noshes on tuna and yellowtail nigiri, plus spider rolls, crunchy shrimp-tempura maki and inventive firecracker rolls bundled with deep-fried whitefish, cucumber, avocado, jalapeno, masago and spicy sauce.