River North
10-course | $45 | 10-seat
Located in the heart of Chicago’s lively River North, it is easy to see why Sushi San has become such a go-to for food and fun. But how does Sushi San’s fish compare to that of the top sushi spots in town?
We have dinned at Sushi San many times over the years but have always struggled with the consistency of our visits. Some nights would be so great, leaving us craving more, while other evenings have left us less-than satisfied. Like many of our sushi-loving friends, we have been curious about Sushi San’s omakase seating. We decided it was time to give the official omakase counter a try before casting a definitive opinion on the sushi joint.
We have heard a lot about Chef Kaze Chan. Having worked at many top sushi spots in Chicago, including Kaze and Momotaro, it is clear Chef Chan has earned his reputation. It was recently announced that Sushi San would now be offering a more accessible omakase seating – 45-minute omakase available any day of the week, with seating on the hour from 4 to 11 pm. While the new hours and frequency meant more opportunities to dine omakase style at Sushi San, we quickly realized that this meant not every seating would be served by Chef Kaze Chan himself. With this in mind, we arrived at the counter with open minds..
The first thing we noticed when we arrived were the fun place mats providing information on the set menu, as well as information on their fish sourcing. Receiving daily fish shipments from their partners over at the Toyosu Fish Market in Japan, we immediately perked up in anticipation of the quality sourcing. We looked over the menu thoroughly and were pleased with the fish selections as well, especially given the extremely approachable price point of the night.
As expected, Chef Kaze Chan would not be our chef for our six o’clock, Tuesday seating. Instead, Chef Brandon Wilson stepped out, quickly easing our worries with his passion, focus and notable knife and sushi forming skills. It was clear Chef Brandon knew his stuff and we enjoyed his unique take on the omakase.
The omakase is a set menu, and likely wont change too often. However, for the price point, quality, and volume, we were extremely satisfied the entire meal.
Omakase Menu
Hirame – Fluke
Kanpachi – Amberjack
Hamachi – Yellowtail
Zuke sake – Soy-marinated salmon
Kani + uni – King crab + sea urchin
Unagi – BBQ eel (substitute: triggerfish nigiri)
Akami – Lean bluefin tuna
Chutoro – Medium fatty bluefin
Otoro – Fatty bluefin
Hotate – Scallop handroll (substitute: tuna handroll)
Add ons: Scallop nigiri, Shima Aji, and the works
We cannot emphasize enough how amazingly accommodating Sushi San is with allergies. Chef Brandon substituted an amazing piece of trigger fish for my Unagi, as well as a tuna handroll for the baked scallop handroll (due to gluten/Celiac). Small details like this really matter, and we were very impressed.
One of the standout pieces of the night was the baked crab and sea urchin. The combination of creamy uni with the warm crab and the cold and crunch nori was out of this world. It was a struggle to fit in our mouths, but everyone knows the rules, one bite! All of the nigiri had great flavor profiles and sauce/garnish accompaniments. The fish may have not been the absolute, hands down, best pieces we have ever popped in our mouth, but they were pretty damn good, and again, for the price… just unbelievable.
Overall, we were pleasantly surprised with the quality, consistency, and deliciousness of our Sushi San omakase. Our advice? Next time, skip the regular dining and go straight for an omakase reservation. The price will likely be comparable, but the quality control will be on point.
Sushi San Omakase at a glance
Rice: This was one of our biggest surprises of the night. The rice was spot on. Good texture, temperature, and flavor. Definitely makes a difference at their omakase seating versus getting the nigiri delivered to the table.
Fish: The fish was pretty good. Flavor was great, and texture was decent.
Vibe: Since the omakase currently takes place in the middle of a bumpin’ river north bar and restaurant, the vibe is very different from that of a traditional omakase. As long as you enjoy a lively environment, the vibe will not fall short.
Experience: The new, quick and accessible omakase seating does not fall short of it’s promise. You get good food, a fun time, a shorter-than-normal time commitment, and some sushi knowledge from the chef, should you seek it out. Chef Brandon was great at checking-in throughout the meal.
Value: Value is up there with that of our favorite Juno Chef Selection of 9 pieces for $40. It is hard to find good sushi for such an accessible price, yet Sushi San does just that.
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