Top Best Japanese Restaurants in Magnificent Mile

"Restaurants Japanese River West/West Town. Although you can order a la carte, the affordable omakase menu at Melvin and Carlo Vizconde's restaurant is the way to go, and includes more food than you can eat—rich oyster and uni shooters doctored up with ponzu sauce and egg yolks disappear in seconds, seared tuna maki adorned with truffled scallions and takoyaki, a fried dough ball with a nugget of octopus inside. While these are all fun, utterly delicious takes on Japanese food, the decadence stops short of overwhelming the great fish in the maki and sashimi."

"When Melvin & Carlo Vizconde were working at various sushi restaurants in the Chicago area, they both had regulars often asking them to make “something special.” So expect something special at Kai Zan, the twin brothers’ first restaurant of their own. For example, one of their popular dishes, scallops wrapped in salmon, is lightly seared with a citrus glaze and when you bite into it, the contrast between fatty salmon and lean scallop makes perfect sense. Also, there’s a Do-It-Yourself uni and toro hand roll, which comes with a quail egg yolk, as if the uni and toro were not rich enough already."

"For an incomparable Omakase experience, KAI ZAN is a Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in Chicago specializing in wholly authentic and traditional Omakase dining. The restaurant is the brainchild of the notable sushi twins Melvin and Carlos Vizconde, who wanted a creative space to invent intricate dishes."

"Serving some of the city's best sushi, this warm, cozy room in West Town seems to encourage you to stay for hours, sipping sake and Japanese whisky. Start with appetizers like the chrunchy chicken karaage or the decadent roasted bone marrow served with ribeye tarare before moving on to sashimi, nagiri and maki selections. You'll find everything from bluefin tuna to Alaskan king crab on the menu, along with speciality items that can be accompanited by optional caviar supplements."

"After recouping from a recent fire, Arami is back in business serving fine sashimi, nigiri, and maki, as well as tasty ramen, and other large and small plates. Presentation is not an afterthought here; each dish is beautifully plated. They recently received a Michelin Bib Gourmand nomination for the fifth year in a row."

"And none of us would exhibit our robust appetite full-on while a potential lover is across the table. Arami is the perfect eatery where the nigiri and sashimi are as good as it gets. The menu at Arami is far from fancy, but the food is authentic."

"The New York outpost of this trendy Asian fusion restaurant made a splash because of their gorgeous interior and their incredible food..."

"This Lincoln Park restaurant is frequented for chef BK Park’s omakase menu, a dining experience featuring a generous array of appetizers, nigiri, sashimi, and hand rolls. Start with tastes of Kumamoto oysters with Japanese mignonette or king crab dressed in Kobe butter, and save room — more than 20 courses are offered in total. Those ordering off the menu can do so with signature bites, such as the smoked hamachi (Japanese amberjack sashimi smoked in a glass dome) and the uni shooter (accompanied by orange zest, cucumber, and wasabi tobiko)."

"High-end, artistic presentations of what's certainly among the best sushi in Chicago defines the dining experience at Juno in Lincoln Park. Chef BK Park's legendary omakase menu re..."

"Exposed brick and warm lighting give Komorebi in Wicker Park an inviting vibe, and an emphasis on excellent sushi for an affordable price makes the restaurant even more enticing."

"One of the most awarded restaurant groups in the country, Boka’s portfolio includes plenty of James Beard nominees and Michelin Stars. You’re guaranteed a solid meal at any of their restaurants although Girl & the Goat (Stephanie Izard, Top Chef winner’s original spot) and Boka are personal favorites."

"Located within sister steakhouse Swift & Sons, Cold Storage aims its harpoon at seafood and its efforts result in towers of shellfish with oysters, scallop ceviche, clams, mussels, shrimp, and lobster. The space feels a bit like one of the old ice storage rooms that populated the Fulton Market neighborhood up to just a few decades ago. Chef Chris Pandel steers this light-filled ship that offers a compact yet nonetheless alluring menu."

"Diners looking for lunch in Fulton Market often head to Cold Storage Seafood: a chic but casual seafood restaurant that also serves strong artisanal cocktails. Diners call the lunc..."

"Then a visit to Cold Storage Seafood at West Fulton Market is on the agenda. Oysters on the half shell, chowder and mussels are crowd favorites. With its industrial d..."

"For a one-of-a-kind experience that is unrivaled by traditional sports bars, check out Bounce Sporting Club. We’re a fresh take on old favorites, and it’s evident in everything we do."

"Flub A Dub Chub's Hotdog Emporium is a small, family-owned, good ol' Chicago dog shop. Customers can get fries or tots with their Flubby (100 percent Vienna Beef) or Chubby (quarter-pound grilled Vienna Beef) dog. Not much beats the perfect simplicity of this hole-in-the-wall spot."

"Most Popular: The Flub BLT ($7) or Chicago’s Best BBQ Pulled Pork Hot Dog ($9). Here’s a confession. Flub’s is probably the most overlooked, best-kept secret in all of Chicago."

"At Blaze, you can completely customize your pizza and have it cooked in under three minutes. The build-your-own pizza options offers unlimited toppings free of charge, so if you’re really adventurous you can add every single topping on the menu. However you eat your pizza, you’re sure to have it your way at Blaze."

"Restaurants Indian West Ridge. Carnivores seem to think that without meat on their plates they’d starve. But this 100 percent vegetarian South Indian spot puts an end to that theory with its famous dosa—a gigantic cumin-, potato- and onion-filled rice and lentil crêpe that comes in a dozen varieties."

"After Art Smith lost the lbs., he turned his attention to a casual chain serving food that fit his new, healthy lifestyle. That meant the fried chicken had to go, and was replaced with an un-fried version served alongside roasted Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and cashew cream sauce that maxes-out at 566 calories."

"While not an exclusively vegetarian restaurant, Lyfe Kitchen's locations promote a healthy lifestyle by placing vegetables above all else in their menu. Try their vegan beet poke or Beyond Burger to see what we mean."

"If you find yourself hungry in the Downtown area, then chances are high that a Freshii is not far away. The Toronto-based chain stakes its claim on fresh food fast with wrapped filled with vegetables, bowls overflowing with brown rice and detoxifying juices."