Ai Japanese Restaurant & Lounge

AI get an A-​ok from me.
He and I went here on a whim after we purchased a $ 50 deal on
. Coming in, you can expect a trendy décor, a super friendly hostess.
We ordered three rolls. They were small. In a hungry fashion, we had to order more. The server was cute, and meek.

Alert! One of my favorite places for lunch (but they don’t serve lunch anymore) and ramen appears to have been sold. The space looks like it’s being renovated, and so far there’s no note or sign of what happened.
Here’s a note that I found:
4 – 4.5 stars when they’re open, especially for their tonkotsu ramen.
1 – 3 stars when they’re not.

We came here to use a groupon, which was good for the place because I would have never known it existed otherwise. When we walked in, I exclaimed how pretty and romantic the atmosphere was and the hostess retorted that the name means «love.» Oh, pardonez moi, missy, I was not aware that I needed to know Japanese to eat here. I didn’t bother also remarking how completely empty it was and their ability to seat us at a 6 person cushy table when there were only two of us.
Our server was nice and honored both my groupon and my friend’s foursquare deal for free edamame. The rolls were a little too inventive for my taste. Give me fish and tempura, but hold the fruit, please. The spicier ones I ordered were good, but nothing special and the prices didn’t reflect that. Given that there are so many fantastic places for sushi in the city and that this is in an out of the way spot for me, I will likely not be back. Sorry, luv.

The Tuesday night Samurai Sushi Comedy Hour was really fun, I had a blast.
I had the california maki and the philadelphia maki, both were very good. I go to this place often and never leave disappointed. It was a real fun time to be there for comedy hour, I truly had a great laugh.
Totes going back for more!

This place is more like a 3.5 stars.
Such a weird location for a nice, swanky Japanese restaurant/​lounge downtown. If it weren’t so far, I would probably come back here for drinks.
Food was good. The sushi was fresh and everything was pretty tasty. I’m giving this a 3 because there are SO many other sushi joints in Chicago that are better tasting and cheaper. So I don’t think this place is worth the price.
My favorite here is the Salmon don (originally Tuna don but I ask them to replace Tuna with Salmon and they have always been incredibly accommodating). Different cuts of Salmon on top of sushi rice with Tamago. Very refreshing, very delicious but also at a price (as expected).
They had a buffet option on the weekend at some point but I’m not sure if that’s still available. Seems like it would be good to try considering the quality of the food is good and I can’t turn down unlimited amounts of sushi and sashimi.
Overall, ok experience. May come back if I’m around the area.

Took a cold stroll around River North over the weekend, and decided to try out this place. She and I realized we’ve been here before but for an event after set about 5 years ago, so we never got to experience dining in.
Judging from this experience, it seemed like a good place to hold a meeting, a dinner date, or a low-​key time with family. Décor lights surrounding the sushi bar elegantly mimicked tea light candles. We’ve noticed other customers lighting their menus with their phone, but the dim lighting gave us no trouble. Music didn’t really match the atmosphere and I wasn’t sure what they were going for at times (Salsa, then something with a Techno beat, etc).
Friendly staff and our waitress really knew the menu.
I started with a Junmai Sake flight:
* Aramasa
* Kurosawa «Black River»
* Hakutsuru
The set came with a sheet that described the drink and taste of each one. All three of which I would recommend.
Rolls:
* Spicy Tuna
* Soft shell crab
* Avocado Tuna
Honestly not the best sushi we’ve had; Presentation was decent, but nothing ultimately stood out to me with flavor or color.
* Mochi dessert: peppermint, tiramisu, and espresso
We were content with the fill and amount of food, but I’m sure others would say the portions are slightly smaller than today’s standard. The chefs didn’t make our sushi at the same time, so we had one sushi roll after another. They honored our $ 25
deal. Not sure if we’d eagerly come back here unless we had another coupon

Friendly service. Came here with a
cert.
Had the ramen, miso and tonkatsu, surprisingly decent and a good value. Noodles were cooked perfectly. Will definitely be back.
Had a sushi roll which was typical of sushi rolls. Also the Agedashi is good as far as agedashi goes.

Would I come back here? No.
— The fish was fresh, but the portion that you’re given in comparison to other restaurants is probably half. Yet, it also costs more…
— I took one bite of the unagi cucumber roll, spit it out, and didn’t try another.
— The soft shell crab… I love soft shell crab so I ate it, but not very good. The tuna that was on top of the Red dragon was flavorless and paper-​thin…
— The food came out fast, but why does it take 10 minutes to make 1 drink?
— Overall, didn’t like any of the maki sushi rolls. And everything was very overpriced. Go somewhere else if you want good sushi.

So disappointing.
Casual décor
Decent service– nothing spectacular
In short, as a table of 4 we tried several menu items and we were not overly impressed with any of them. We all left thinking it was mediocre at best.
Miso Soup– average
Corn Soup– good. Thick and creamy.
Hamachi carpaccio– yellowtail with ceviche– quite good. Possibly the best thing I tasted all night. Fresh. Light.
Gyu tataki– searing beef– just average. Not memorable
Chicken teriyaki– bland. Boring.
Chef Hemmi spicy tuna– while the idea that each piece is topped with something different is fun and enticing– it lacked flavor and overall appeal. Bland.
Yuzu dragon– can’t even remember it
We also ordered 2 more specialty rolls, but I can’t remember which ones.
All the sushi was bland and boring.

Surprised with how good it was! Their Sea Bass has won awards and rightfully so bc its delic! Great service and our server was helpful. Spacious and not loud. Sushi options are vast and tasty. The lobster roll was unique and memorable.

Ai’s Sunday «All-​You-​Care-​to-​Eat» menu is superb. I’m surprised it hasn’t attracted more patrons.
Simple math = $ 31.95 + 10% tax + 18% gratuity ~ $ 40.00/person
The menu is vast. Allow me to give you an «excerpt» of what we had:
Starters: miso soup, kabocha corn soup, seaweed salad, goma ae, spicy tuna shooters, toro tartar, beef & ebi tobanyaki, tempura moriawase, edamame, harumaki, gyoza, and tako yaki
Entrées: tanuki udon and nabeyaki udon
Nigiri pieces: sake, hamachi, hotate, tamago, akami, etc.
Maki rolls: spider, garden, dragon, crazy jalapeño, tempura satsumaimoi, etc.
Dessert: green tea ice cream
Yes, we ate as if we’ve been famished for weeks if not months. But I can also assure you, Ai is not one of those typical sushi buffets that would merely leave you stuffed and parched. For $ 40 per person, one can be happily stuffed while at the same time, enjoy dinner served with fresh seafood complimented with quality and presentation.
Plus, the 18% gratuity is definitely well worth it. Our server was very attentive and quick. Each order was handwritten and she did not miss or forget a single item. She was very patient with answering questions and our glasses were constantly filled.
The atmosphere was clean, serene, and welcoming. The dim lighting made it the more classy. Perfect for group dinners and dates! Street parking was fairly easy and valet is also an option. We opted for self-​park.

I have come here quite a few times now. I don’t know why it’s not busier because it’s great! Well, except the street is a one way and it’s at a very strange intersection. The first few times we came here, we got onto the damn highway by accident. Haha!
But now that we know how to get here, the boyfriend and I love this place!
My first time here was for a girl friend’s birthday. The food was delicious! And the drinks were fun. I do believe I might have had a few too many of these ‘fun’ drinks that night. We also extended the birthday party over to the lounge where it was reserved for the night. The party was pretty big but the bartenders kept up! Good service. I love good service! :)
The next few times I ate here was with my boyfriend. Their sushi is always good and tastes fresh but I prefer their ramyun (ramen; esp the tonkatsu ramen). It’s a big bowl and cheaper than a few other more popular ramen places. Mmmm! Not too salty nor bland.
The Japanese ramen is a new addition to their menu but a great addition! Fresh sushi, delicious ramen, light sweets, and fun drinks… what more can a fat girl in a skinny body ask for?
:D

As far as lunch goes… this is my favorite spot hands down. The bento boxes are amazing and none cost more than $ 14. You get soup, two pieces of sushi, two pieces of sashimi, potatoes, salad, a protein, and small egg rolls. Then you also get a bowl of rice and green tea ice cream. It’s a great deal and I’m pretty amazed how quick we get our food each time and how good the service is. The quality was good too.

It started well, we arrived before the lunch rush, had a nice meal. The service was great and food was pretty good, a solid 4-​star Unilocal review.
As we were wrapping up I finished my green tea, only to find a cockroach in my mouth. Yes. I had been drinking green roach tea for the entire meal. The waiter was apologetic, and informed us that because we had already paid and the manager was not in yet there was nothing he could do at the moment, but dutifully took our information to give to his manager.
About an hour later I received a call from an apologetic manager who explained that they had recently discovered an infestation in the building that corresponded to a new neighbor and that they were going to close temporary and have the restaurant gassed. She comped the meal and promised to have us back after the issue was dealt with. I was waiting to write the review until we revisited – I have worked in my fair share of restaurants and am sympathetic. However, we never heard back.

Hmm hmm OK place… much too expensive for the quality. I won’t be back.
Tough to rate but as I think back over dinner the whole experience wasn’t necessarily ‘bad’ but it for sureeee wasn’t anything ‘good’. With that being said, it’s a mediocre. FYI 2 – 3 star rating with $$$ prices is not cool!
I arrived a little early so headed to the lounge in the back for a drink. Let the confusion begin. It was about 8pm and the sun was still out so walking into a nearly pitch black lounge is quite the adjustment… I could barely read the drink menu. I tossed that nonsense aside and just ordered a Red Bull vodka. There was a TV in the corner and the bartender was watching Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsey. Again, confusing for a lounge but hey I love that show so I watched as well hahaha.
Once seated, the waiter starting going over the specials. After what seemed like 7 minutes of this guy talking… I still had no clue what the hell the specials were lol «umm yea why don’t you just give us a little time». We ordered, we drank, we ate… overall not a very memorable experience. What I do remember is that the waiter took wayyy too long to bring us drinks and once brought the wrong drink ughhh (the place was empty so no excuse for that). The sushi was OK at best. I am no sushi snob but I enjoy quality and can spot mushy rice. Don’t charge $ 15 a roll then fake the funk on quality and technique. BOOOOO
This place needs to lock it up and get its act together. If you are going to charge premium prices for sushi, you can’t offer an all you can eat special for $ 30 bucks… its confusing and leads me to believe you should not be charging premo for your sush. The interior of the restaurant was nice but then there are these very cheap ads posted all over the place and in the bathroom. Looked like something you see while taking tinkle in a pub or something. I DO NOT want to see a flyer for all you can eat sushi Sundays $ 30 when I’m having dinner and paying $ 150.
OK place… much too expensive for the quality. I won’t be back.

Girls’ sushi night was rerouted from Roka Akor to Ai. For a weekend evening, the main dining area was romantic, quiet with a handful of people. We were seated awkwardly in a «U» shaped booth with a view of the entire place.
SEAWEED SALAD
Refreshing, not as crisp as I would’ve liked. Came with chunks of tofu… interesting, but it didn’t really add much to the dish.
We ordered a variety of sushi to share:
WHITE FISH FLIGHT
ORANGE MAKI
DRAGON
HOTATE VOLCANO
ALASKAN
All of them were decent in construction and taste– not quite the caliber of «melt-​in-​your-​mouth» amazingness. Out of all of the sushi ordered, the orange maki stood out in terms of its citrusy accents. I was expecting more out of our fish flight but the dabs of covertly hidden wasabi left me with an inadvertent sinus cleansing and not much appreciation of fish.
Probably should’ve kept my reservation at Roka.

Ended up at Ai on the Sunday evening kicking of Chicago’s Restaurant Week 2012 for a sushi date with a friend. Loved the circular sushi bar and the set up of the restaurant. Made me feel like I was in an episode of Top Chef or something the way they were in the spotlight. Really cute booths alongside the walls as well– but would only recommend if you want to put your arm around the person you’re dining with.
Planning Ahead…
1. Call the restaurant to make reservations. Open Table reservations don’t seem to be all that accurate. Only reservation time available on the Sunday kicking off Chicago Restaurant Week 2012 was 5pm. From 5−7pm, it looked nowhere near fully booked.
2. All You Can Eat Sundays for $ 32 is the way to go. Yes, it does too include appetizers and desserts and it’s a $ 1 cheaper than restaurant week deal! Trust me, it’s worth it.
Highly Recommend…
–miso soup: I really enjoyed it for some reason. Even after being informed that, no, they did not have agedashi tofu. That says something.
–firecracker: spicy tuna, tempura crunch, jalepeno
–crazy jalapeño: akami tuna & hamachi with avocado, cilantro, jalapeño & wasabi tobiko (this was probably my favorite actually)
–green tea ice cream (if you’re a fan)
The service… was «meh». And to me that can really take a toll on my overall experience. Don’t get me wrong, our waitress did a great job explaining every glass of sake in our Super Flight (also a must-​try to figure out your sake-​self), but once it got busy, we nearly lost her. There were long periods of time when we wouldn’t see her, and she served me my green tea ice cream with 30% of it already melted (although that’s how I prefer it, but that’s not the point). Although, I must say, big ups to the bus boys!
Minus 1 star for mediocre service, minus another star for the fact that I wasn’t a hardcore, bandwagon fan of nearly half of the sushi we ordered (dragon, madai ceviche, scorpion).
I’d return for the all you can eat and lounge menu buffets– but I’ll admit I’m a bit sketchy about the thought of paying full price for trying hit or miss rolls.
P. S. Sake Tip: Try Daiginjo & Junmai Sake! My faves from the Super Flight!

My friend and I came here on a Sunday (during restaurant week– expecting to go the restaurant week menu route). To our surprise, Sunday is «all-​you-​can-​eat» day– like, not only sushi but other entrees as well. So being the sushi lover that I am, I figured you couldn’t go wrong with the all-​you-​can-​eat for $ 32 (now mind you– I am not able to put away a ton of sushi, this is more fun if you have another adventurous/​sushi-​loving dining partner). Ok– so I between the two of us my faves were as follows: rainbow roll (as always), firecracker roll, crazy jalapeño (I think that was what it was called), and the toro tartar… Also, we tried the sake flight, which was good as well as fun to try multiple (4) kinds of sake. All of it was top notch and absolutely delish!
In regards to service– our server was very nice and so were the gentlemen refilling our water glasses and cleaning the table (our water glasses never got below ¾ full– which is important to an avid water drinker). I do have to say, the only reason I am giving 4 stars and not 5 is due to the scarceness of our server– now mind you being a Sunday, the place was not packed… She very infrequently visited our table, and took forever to come back with my friend’s green tea ice cream (which was completely melted– I would never serve someone completely melted ice cream– what a waste). We spent over 2 hours in this joint– I mean, I hate being rushed, but I also don’t want to spend more than 2 hours sitting on my tuches!

I went here for Sunday Brunch to celebrate Mother’s Day with the fambam for $ 31.95/person AYCE Sushi! YAY.
You can order 2 items at a time and there are several different makis, appetizers & entrees to choose. I definitely reccomend ordering the Hamachi Kama (yellowtail collar) the meat is super tasty & it’s actually a big enough portion to share. The Tekka Don (tuna bowl) is really tasty too… fresh tuna sashimi w/​sliced cucumbers & sushi rice. The Japanese sweet potato fries are a tasty appetizer & you can’t go wrong w/​shrimp tempura.
I’d pass on the chicken kara age, but that’s b/​c I don’t really care much for fried chicken. Also stay away from the Natto Maki. I was feeling particularly adventurous & heard of natto before, I remember seeing a «Hard Gay Cooking with Kids in Japan» youtube vid (
) and even though the kids didn’t like natto I still was curious of how it tasted. omg… there is nothing I can even compare the taste of this fermented bean too, it was so gross. ;(
Other than the natto maki I really enjoyed everything that we ordered. I stuffed my face w/​sashimi, sushi, & rice and it was super oiishi!!! The overall experience was nice, the food came out promptly & our server was pretty attentive. Also they gave free lychee bellinis for the moms since it was Mother’s day. (I got one too lol. who knows maybe i’ll be a MILF one day, KAMPAI to that!)

2.5 stars, rounded up cause of good service.
Very average is all I can say about this place. The sashimi was decent — a bit on the small side for the cuts of sashimi, while the prices were high for a sushi place. However, the fish for the most part seemed fresh, which was good. We ordered this dinner plate for $ 30 which included 10 cuts of sashimi (so about $ 3 a piece) — not good value at all.
We also had the kaisen tobanyaki, which was basically shrimp, scallop, squid, shiitake mushrooms cooked in a seashell — for $ 16 bucks, the it was 2 shirmp, 2 small scallops, and a few pieces of squid. Actually, this appetizer was a total rip off and thinking about it now, I can’t believe it was $ 16.
The habenero lobster roll was also mediocre. Nothing to write about here. Also $ 16.
Service was very good, so this place definitely gets kudos for that. However, given the cost of the meal and the little mediocre food we received, I don’t think I will be coming back here again (even with $ 25 off on a
gift certificate, this place was way too expensive for what it is).

I’ll admit it – I’m a sushi snob. So my review is probably a bit more harsh than it should be. Ai is a solid 3.5 stars.
We had a reservation here for 8:30pm on a Friday night, though it looked like we didn’t need one. There were plenty of open tables. First thing I notice: the ambiance. I was definitely digging the whole vibe of the restaurant – dimly lit, warm, and modern. Nice array of tables and booths. Having the sushi chefs out in the middle of the restaurant is a plus, and it’s great to watch them prepare. In addition, the service was friendly and attentive.
I judge a sushi joint by their sashimi: the pieces must be ample in size, fresh, and flavorful. Ai hit on two of the three – fresh and flavorful, but I was a bit dismayed at the size of the pieces. Granted, I may be spoiled from living in Seattle for years, but I didn’t feel like I got much bang for my buck. $ 30 for 10 pieces of sashimi isn’t bad, but I was definitely still hungry afterwards (which I’m not used to).
I’m not big into gaudy rolls with tons of mayo and extras (blech blech blech – in my opinion, totally missing the point of sushi), but those appeared to be Ai’s forte. So if you are big into specialty rolls, you may want to check them out.
I’d say it’s a great date spot – it’s very quiet, dimly lit, and if your date turns awkward, you can always distract yourself by watching the sushi chefs.
Glad to have it in the neighborhood, but I’d still prefer Naniwa for sushi in my neck of the woods. Ai has better ambiance, Naniwa has better sushi.

Half stars please Unilocal!I don’t know if this place is worthy of 4 stars, but our server was so kind that the lack of half stars bumps this place up to a 4. I have only dined here once and it was for lunch. The place is by no means cheap, but it’s not horrifically overpriced. They offer a nice selection of lunch specials from sushi to more traditional Japanese entrees.
The rolls were large, but somewhat flavorless. I thought that the spicy tuna was missing something, but it was filling with a ton of fish packed inside. Our meal came with soup and desert. The total bill was under $ 30, which isn’t horrible for a business lunch for two. I’d come back here again if I was craving sushi at work.