Abashiri

My boyfriend and I were in the area when he decided that we should have sushi for lunch. I opened Unilocal and this place was the closest to us and we decided to try it. We ordered 3 sushi lunch combinations. The rolls were decent but the spicy tuna tasted funny, kind of sweet. The miso soup that came with the lunch combo was fine.

Happy to not have gone for the «AYCE». As it was our first visit, we ordered a few staples to see if it would work… Nope.
It was dead and kind of a strange ambiance and terrible aftertaste.

My friend bought my lunch here for me once and I had a chirashi to-​go. Not sure if it would’ve been better if i had dined in at the restaurant, but i wasn’t too happy with my dish. They also did not give me soup and salad with my order :(bummer.

Go for the all you eat option! Loved being able to try so many rolls. The service was great and loved the all atmosphere.

Just had the all you can eat and it was great. Service was good and the sushi came quickly after ordering. I would definitely recommend Abishiri.

The owner is very kind and friendly! She let us in 40 minutes before they opened. The food is pretty good. I would recommend this place to anyone who enjoys sushi.

It was great, everyone seemed nice. I got my rolls, it was wonderful. I got my last Philadelphia roll and it was very sloppy. The roll did not have any symmetry, so the bite was too big for one, some are small, some was lacking ingredients, it was a basic roll but daymn it was not a pretty roll. I had the eat all you can, i think they don’t want me to come back.

Amazing food, good price for all you can eat. Gave ⁴⁄₅ stars because it’s very unorganized. Waitress verbally takes the order, you do not write your order down. You don’t know what counts as an all you can eat item because all the menus are different. And had my order forgotten. The only reason I gave a good review is because the food was that good

Great sushi! AND it’s all you can eat
I am upset I hadn’t found out about this place sooner

I have always been skeptical about sushi but my friend recommended this place (they have been going there for several years and swore by it). For my first time experience, it was great. We ordered the cooked rolls and I loved everything they put in front of me. I am now a fan of Unagi (always wanted to try it after Rachel and Phebe mentioned it on the show: P) and their dynamite and spider roll. I will certainly be going there again and taking anyone who loves sushi with me! Their service is excellent– our waitress was extremely attentive and friendly. They make a great effort to make everyone feel welcome. The walls are covered with pictures of patrons and even autographs from some famous people. Don’t forget to try the mochi ice-​cream!

Still a very satisfied customer :)

Came here on a weekend and it’s almost a full house. We did the AYCE which is fairly priced at 25 bucks. We may have picked some of the more complex rolls which had us waiting for a good 20 minutes. Cooked rolls are more time consuming (I assume). Our waitress was very nice and kept our table tidy as much as she could. Just says «SUSHI» outside on their signs but its wonderful! Located in a small strip mall by a bar and grill and matress store. The busier it is the longer the wait for your sushi is.

This is an interesting place nestled in a little strip mall across the street from portillos on Lake St. It’s pretty easy to miss as I’ve worked in the area for over 15 years and this was my first time stopping in. Interior is clean and quaint. When I stopped in for lunch there were a few actual Japanese patrons eating here which was a good sign. The menu is pretty extensive and they have a lot of good lunch combos. I ordered sushi combo B which came with miso soup. The soup was hot and tasty. My combo came with 5pcs of sushi and I upgraded to spicy tuna roll instead of California roll. Sushi was tasty fresh and well prepared. Service was prompt even with one server handling 6 tables. I will return and possibly try the all you can eat menu.

This place is located in a strip mall and offers All-​You-​Can-​Eat (AYCE) sushi. The sushi here is A-​OK, not necessarily the best I’ve had, but A-​OK.
The food we ordered included miso soup, which was «meh». It had maybe a couple of small itty-​bitty cubes of tofu and a tiny bit of seaweed, mostly liquid. Maybe it’s because we came there somewhat late, and we were literally getting the bottom of the barrel.
Service is slow when they aren’t even that busy we were seated for about 10 minutes before we got our sushi ordering paper and pencil
I do like the menu though — each item comes with a picture and description, although the pictures can be somewhat too small to really give you a good visual of what the food item is.

The Good:
I’ve visited twice since my last review. Maki (roll) presentation is clean/​attractive and portions are good. They haven’t been heavy on the rice the last two times I’ve visited; ingredients are much more balanced. Ingredient quality is also decent.
Oh, and it’s a cute, clean space (bathrooms included). It’s Japanese-​owned, which I was surprised about, since all the ones I’ve been to have Chinese or Korean owners and/​or employees.
The Meh:
Service is slow when they aren’t even that busy (tonight at 8:30 it was 3 tables of 2 – 5, including ourselves). We were seated for about 10 minutes before we got our AYCE sheets, and had to ask for them. Apparently you now have to ask for the (super salty!) miso soup, too. They’re stingy with wasabi and ginger, again, unless you ask. Good luck flagging down the owner (‘s wife?), though — she’s often behind the counter and doesn’t really scan the dining area. She’s not very welcoming or warm, but I feel she’s a teensy bit more attentive after you’ve been there for a bit.
The pictures on the menu are a general representation (stock photos?), but we’ve been surprised (sometimes pleasantly, sometimes not) by some variations. This last visit we shared 6 rolls between the two of us and it was perfect. We typically get the Tempura and Fresh variety, and skip over the Hot/​Cooked ones.
To Sum:
«A-​OK»: we only come here if we can’t make the hour round-​trip drive to a different (and $ 6 cheaper per person) AYCE sushi joint.

SO GLAD WE WENT WITH Unilocal REVIEWS AND FOUND THIS PLACE.
It’s tucked back in a strip mall and just says «Sushi» that is visible Lake Street. Looks a little sketchy– but don’t judge a book by its cover!
We had been going to 8000 mile almost on auto-​pilot every time we wanted sushi. BUT NOW we have options! Abashiri offers a much more intimate dining experience and a much wider array of sushi options. It is also much more authentic Japanese cuisine.
Additionally, if you stuff your face with enough sushi, they will automatically roll you over to the unlimited sushi plan. Which is about $ 25 a person and includes UNLIMITED SUSHI. If you plan on going with the unlimited plan, might as well start and continue with the premium rolls.
Staff is so friendly and attentive-​definitely, highly recommend.

This is just about the only thing I miss living out by Carol Stream. Husband and I used to frequent Abashiri a few times a month and leave with our bellies full of sushi food babies. The all you can eat price is great:$ 25 per person and they have a huge menu of items you can choose from and most, if not all, are delicious. One time we ordered a whole plate of Lion King rolls. They were as glorious as Simba’s kingdom and then some.
I also like that there’s free green tea with the AYCE special. I hear tell there’s also free miso soup but why fill up on that when you can stuff your face with more sushi? Give me more rolls and then roll me on out the door.

Three stars for the food but the atmosphere is what makes me a fan. It’s a small strip mall place that somehow gives the impression of being a hopping, happy place. First time I went it was a weekend night and the place was packed and very high energy. We had their all you can eat roll special, which was nice but…3 star, y’know? Second visit was on a quieter night. Slight disappointment here in that they have raw dishes mixed in on the cooked section of the menu. That didn’t go over with my dining partner and it always is a downer to send something back.
Service is nice.

Abashiri has been bookmarked for far too long. The husband has taken a liking to sushi and so we are working the circuit. We pulled up in the parking lot on a week night intending on all you can eat sushi. At least that was the plan.
When we walked in, we were promptly seated and given menus to review. I really liked their bento box options, so I went that route while my husband placed an order for a few rolls to start his AYCE adventure.
The food took a while. A lot longer than he expected. I was prepared having read the reviews over the years. The waitress was pretty focused which meant that eye contact didn’t really mean anything. If you want something, ask for it when she’s at the table. She was the only one working the room, so she was busy.
The sushi made my husband happy. He filled up way too quickly since the food was taking so long. I enjoyed my teriyaki chicken, the tempura veggies and shrimp, the salad and the California roll.
When he decided that he just couldn’t eat anymore, we asked for the check and the waitress just charged us for the rolls he ordered instead of the AYCE price since it was less that way. I appreciated that move on her part. I can see going back, but might try for an off time in the hopes that the food hits the table quicker to make the AYCE worth it.

I’ve visited this place numerous times and you’re probably asking why I haven’t reviewed it yet… well I wanted to make sure that service and sushi was consistent. Overall, it actually has been.
The first time I visited was for a UYE AYCE sushi. I had no idea what to expect but between 7 of us we managed to eat A LOT of sushi.
For those of you that don’t know the « Unilocal Lingo» yet, UYE — Unofficial Unilocal Event and AYCE — All You Can Eat. Ughhh… I just became one of THOSE people, who say Lingo. lol
Since the first time and to the last time I visited, it still stands, my favorite is the Lion King roll, I just can’t get enough. Whatever sauce they put on top is on POINT! My second favorite would have to be the Mango & Tuna rolls. Yummmm-​O! (As Rachel Ray would say, is she still around?)
I’d have to say the oddest thing I’ve tried at Abashiri is their shrimp boat… sounds cool doesn’t it? No, it actually doesn’t. At all. lol
Well, I’m not going to lie, I had to talk myself into eating this. It’s a piece of open faced shrimp, topped with white rice, a quail egg and caviar. NEVER in my life would I have tried that but I’ve learned that in life, you should always try things at least once. So I closed my eyes, inserted the boat in my mouth and closed it. To my surprise it was SOOOOO good! I could not believe that I, Osiris V, liked that slimy quail egg caviar topped thingy. haha But the combination gave it an exquisite flavor. If you visit, you should definitely try it for your selves.
Just remember, AYCE sushi is only from Monday through Thursday and it runs around $ 25/​pp. Which is not bad at all considering if you order one plate it runs you about 12 – 14. So it’s very worth it.
Plus they have really good Japanese beers!
Update: I guess they have AYCE sushi everyday except Sunday now!!! WHOA.