Kikuya Japanese Restaurant

This is my go to place for a California roll! It is the best in the city! They have great customer service! It’s a bit small for my taste. That’s my only complaint. Prices are very reasonable and it’s BYOB!

Nice relaxing calm environment, very small but food is good!!! BYOB can’t get any better… clean!!!

My boyfriend and I went here for a late lunch today and I was pleasantly surprised as at how great this place was! We both got miso soup, house salad with ginger, and then we got a california roll, a spicy tuna roll, an Alaskan roll, and the spicy scallop roll. For all the food we got, it was only 26 $. The sushi was averagely delicious, but for 26 $ it was amazing! If I’m ever around hyde park again I will definitely stop by, even if just for the 1.25 $ miso soup (which was very flavorful!)

Definitely my favorite of the two local Japanese restaurants near me. Their sake is absolute wonderful, and the sushi rice here is much less sweet compared to the other restaurant and overall a better flavor in my opinion. The only downside is that they’re not on Unilocal24, and you can’t order online.

Decent place for sushi, especially in Hyde Park. I’ve been here multiple times, for lunch, dinner and takeout and they’ve never disappointed. I usually get the tonkatsu (pork cutlet) and ask for the spicy mayo sauce instead of the usual one (you should try it if you havent! its a surprisingly good combination). The tonkatsu is crispy on the outside and usually juicy and tender on the inside. Out of the many times I’ve ordered this, it was only overcooked once. Out of the sushi roll, I definitely like the Kikuya roll the most since it feels like it has the greatest amount of fish. Their –dons are really good too; I would recommend the unagi don if that’s what you’re looking for. The udon is also very good, especially for the cold Chicago winters. After all that, if you still have room for dessert, get the mochi ice cream! I recommend the green tea and strawberry ones. Service is always really good here; staff is very friendly. The prices are also very reasonable.

I am a fan of this place for LUNCH. This is a LUNCH review.
Honestly for dinner this place is too expensive for what it is. It’s not a good dinner spot. Factoring in dinner, we’re talking two or three stars at most. But if you ever eat out or grab takeout in the neighborhood for lunch, Kikuya’s a nice place to try because their lunch special is a really great deal — rice, soup, and food! They do a good job on the sushi and with the tempura, and have nice sauces.
If you eat in, it’s BYOB, which is always a plus, I love that this is such an institution in Chicago. I’ve never eat in though. Just takeout, just lunch specials.
I have vague memories of their seaweed salad also being pretty delicious.
What you should expect: good-​standard American-​Japanese fare, boxed and ready in a takeout form for a good price (for lunch).

Unagi don was well done. Didn’t have hard bones in my eel which was a plus. Their price is a little more than Lawrence fish market for maki rolls by around 50 – 75 cents each roll, but I guess they’re trying to cover the cost of good ambiance. We also had some seaweed and the octopus dish as an appetizer, which I thought was kind of overpriced, cause I can get the same quality of seaweed in flushing for about 2 dollars and a lot more of it whereas here, it costs 4.50 for a smaller portion. Their specialty soda was 2.50 a pop which is 1.25x more expensive than you’ll get in a flushing supermarket. But otherwise it’s a pretty good restaurant. Downside is trying to find parking. you’ll have to pay 2 dollars every hour for parking.

This is such a cute little restaurant with a really healthy menu. It’s a great place for Japanese food in Hyde Park. The miso soup and salmon teriyaki are my favorites.
The sushi and sashimi are decent (though I must acknowledge the Sit Down on 53^rd is better). I must echo the excessive rice comment, in that the amount with sushi has increased and is too much rice, lowering their otherwise higher quality menu standard.

My girls and I came here for one of our friends birthday. Is a really cute place and very small. We all ordered sushi and it was pretty. Not the best sushi I ever had, but still good. The pot stickers are a must try. It is also BYOB which is a plus. And the prices are very reasonable. I plan to go back again and next time try a noodle dish.

My first visit here was pretty good. I had the sweet tofu (kikume?) udon and wife had unagi over rice. While I did not care for the tofu on my dish I feel this is due to personal preference. The udon and the broth was excellent. The unagi was good as well.
I would dine here again.

I have had the best eel rice so far in Chicago. Really surprised me with the sushi and Japanese cuisine.

Kikuya is probably my favorite HP restaurants. I used to dine here or take-​out at least twice a month. They are fast, efficient and not expensive.
Their dinner menu is rich and tasty. My favorite thing is the sushi. Soo good and fresh!
I think that their maki are not worth. There is too much rice. I noticed that over time the amount of rice increased, this is why they are getting 4 stars and not 5 anymore.
Also, the salmon and the beef taryaki dinners are very good. They come with salad, rice and miso soup. Really nice!
Among the appetizers, the maki beef, the gyoza and the tempura stand out. Do not order other things. I dont think they are great! Overall a nice HP spot.

Yay Kikuya! My daughter (5) loves you. You have the freshest sushi around. You make excellent sushi boats, and California rolls. I’m not sushi expert, but I’ve had some good stuff on the coast. I was always reluctant to try to find the fresh stuff in landlocked Chicago, but Kukiya is wonderful, a family place, with nice family waitstaff, an elegant elderly gentleman who gets a kick out of my daughter, and place with really good food.
I’ve only ever had the sushi, but the sides that go with the sushi boat, the miso soup, and salad, I’d put up there with the good stuff from Seattle, and SF. I love this place. I“m even charmed by the bright 80s style décor. Try the macha iced tea and moshi ice cream.

Best sushi place in Hyde Park!
This was the first restaurant I’ve visited in Hyde Park and I wasn’t disappointed.
Staff is friendly, kitchen is fast, quality is very decent and menu is varied enough.
I have become a regular at this place that offers good sushi at a moderate price.
My advice: non-​fried Crazy Tuna Maki!!!

It was ok. Nothing special.

When you become a regular, all they’ll do is confirm your normal order after glancing at the caller ID, a sign of intelligent, efficient service. The place is clearly family operated and likewise, is very family friendly when dining in, catering to my 2 year old daughter (who fell in love with sushi because of this place) by immediately bringing a bowl of miso soup when we sit down. The décor is very «80’s Japanese» with fluorescent shapes and stage lighting from the ceiling. Much like an old Chicago diner, it actually adds to the ambience and charm.

I’ve eaten at Kikuya at least 15, maybe even 20, times. I love it.
Service is awesome! The food is great and cheap, especially if you avoid the sushi and eat meals like tonkatsu, usaki don, katsu don, salmon butteryaki or udon.
Problem is a lot of folks see Japanese and think sushi, but try the other stuff. For $ 9 you can get a salad, a miso soup, one of those hearty cooked meals, and unlimited hot tea. A bargain.
I love the décor, it’s very peaceful and the restaurant is quiet, as it should be. Open until 9.30pm.

DO NOT GET SUSHI FROM HERE! Absolutely disgusting. You are better off getting sushi at a gas station than wasting your money here.

I see no reason for me to come back. Other commented on the great service… my experience was not.
First, food:
–sushi was sup-​par. Just didn’t seem fresh.
–Edemame was overcooked so the soybeans didn’t «pop» out of the shell but rather the shell fell apart in your mouth as you tried to get the soybean out.
— Even my lemon for my water looked suspicious…
Service– Our server was decent, though definitely seemed a bit uncomfortable in his role. We did wait for nearly 20 minutes after we finished eating for our check. Granted, I was just talking with my dining partner, but not once was the check brought out until I specifically asked for it.
Price– Decently priced, but, again, the food is sub-​par.
No need for me to come back to this place.

Kikuya is my home away from my home.
Kikuya’s owner is the friendliest owner I have ever met in my life. He has the sweetest smile ever, and reminds me of my grandfather who recently passed away. He remembers most frequent customers’ names and their needs, which always makes me coming back again and again.
Although Kikuya’s food is not the best, its service is top-​notch, and is as good as, if not better than services in Michelin stars restaurants.
Kikuya, you are the best!
Food: 3
Décor: 2
Service: 5