Mizu Yakitori Sushi Bar & Sake Lounge

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*Shakes head*
For a little over a year Mizu was my favorite restaurant. Sure, I had been to some nice swanky places, but Mizu was awesome. It had great waitstaff that brought the Starbucks remember your customer and their favorites approach to dining. The menu was full of tasty dishes that I loved like Spicy Calamari that was spicier than any that I’d ever tasted. The decorations were romantic, elegant and impressive for the price.
I visited Mizu in October before it officially went out of business, and I wasn’t surprised when I attempted to go back there on 11/​24/​2012 only to see the doors locked and furniture moved around. First, somehow the owner became tired of people ordering the same thing, so she took the customer favorites off of the menu with hopes that they would try her new dishes! The staples that brought customers into the place and convinced them to order multiple items were taken away and for what to attract them to try something that they never had interest in before — BAD business move!
Second, the dedicated experienced waitstaff resigned one by one resulting in a completely new staff that did not know anything about sushi or customer service These people couldn’t make wine recommendations nor could they answer simple questions about the new menu. They didn’t have that service niche that’s required to encourage customers to buy.
Third, almost every struggling restaurant knows that the best way to increase business is to use
,
and etc. Mizu’s owners not only failed to purchase these services they actively told their customers that they would not participate in this and their delivery area was limited. *Slaps hand on forehead* Not only did they lose customers by failing to increase their delivery area, they also failed to acquire the new business within a 5 mile radius, how foolish!
Lastly, the romantic decorations were taken down and the walls were plain and bare. The seating arrangement that once allowed a more private dinner setting looked more like everyone was sitting in the middle of the floor, which was pointless since it didn’t add any additional space or seating.
I use to order $ 60 and up from Mizu when I lived in Old Town, once I relocated 2 miles north of Mizu they were not willing to deliver to me. *Shakes head* What a big mistake for a business to make. So long Mizu Yakitori… and your old way of doing business.

Average food but GREAT SERVICE!
First of all, I am impressed by the amazing service at Mizu Yakitori. Although I have changed my reservation three times, the host did not complain and was still very friendly to me and my friend. She also was attentive during our dinner.
Although the yakitori in Mizu is not as good as those in New York, it is one of the few yakitori places in Chicago and thus still worthwhile to go. The yakitori is also comparatively less oily. In particular, I like the tomato yakitori, which was very juicy. The Japanese green onion is quite refreshing too.
Despite the fact that food in Mizu is not particularly flavorful, it retains the original flavor. Neither a huge amount of salt nor sugar is added. I am also impressed that no msg is added. In general, the food in Mizu is relatively healthy, not only in the standard of restaurants in the US, but also in that of Japanese restaurants.
While the food in Mizu is average, it is much cheaper than most Japanese restaurant in Chicago, and the service is impressive. The décor is homey, and you feel like you are at a Japanese home.
I also ordered food to-​go, and I was surprised that the chef still made traditional Japanese food decorations. Props, Chef!
Since Mizu is quiet, I would consider coming back for gatherings, girls’ talk and a date.
Food: 3
Service: 5
Décor: 3

Having lived in the SF Bay Area for for over 25 years… I can understand why Bay Area tourists gave a low rating. Japanese resturants in the Bay Area cater to please the palate and the pocket book but I must say… I enjoyed the ambience and the food.
It’s open late, the food is very good and the service is excellent.
I found this resturant by accident late one week night after shopping at Crate & Barrel. I have only one complaint… it was so dark I could barely read the menu but I’m definitely going back again!

This place has a different spin of Japanese cuisine by specializing in yakitori tapas size plates. They have about 20 varieties on the menu, my favorites is dark meat chicken which has amazing tenderness and the sauce is wonderful. The sushi menu is pretty extensive and pretty good.

Absolutely the best sushi I’ve had in years. Large portions and well worth the price. Yes, it’s pricey, but it’s not ‘cheap’ in any sense of the word.
They have sake flights and a wide variety of sakes which the waiter could actually describe to us.

The next stop in my yakitori journey was Chicago. I Unilocaled around and Mizu was the choice for me. So my buddy and I made a reservation for a Thursday night dinner and was looking forward to see what Mizu had to offer.
Our server, Sean was very courteous and understanding in all of our requests, a very big plus. We started off with the uni shooter, it had ponzu, uni, and a raw quail egg I believe. I think there was too much ponzu in the glass which made it a little overwhelming but the freshness of the uni made up for the difference. An order of negi hamachi and toro was also requested. Both the hamachi and toro was very fresh and tender. We next moved on to their yakitori selections. We pretty much ordered everything on the yakitori menu so I can compare apples to apples. I was very specific with the way I wanted the chicken cooked, a slight of hint of salt, nothing else.
The thigh and breast were the first to come out and they were a little bit dry. The skin was overcooked a little as well since it was burnt on a couple sections of the skewer. The gizzard was tough and overcooked. The chicken meatball was cooked well of all the items since it was moist and tender. The cartilage is triangle shaped and it is from the breast section, cooked well also. I also had the ebi which was very disappointing since it was about 3 or 4 small typical shrimps on a skewer. The ebi I was imagining is the whole ebi including head and takes up the whole skewer. I also had the chicken tail and that was cooked well. The mushrooms were also overcooked and a little dry. The items were spaced out so we weren’t bombarded with a bunch of food on our table. Yakitori must be eaten hot off the grill or it loses its distinct flavor.
Overall I would say the chef needs to work on their skill of the grill because most of the items that came out was on the dry side. I also wonder what type of charcoal they were using since most of the items were overcooked. I would say this would be a good restaurant to start out if you are new to yakitori. But if you are a hardcore yakitori enthusiasts then you can skip without missing much.

My favorite Japanese restaurant got their Celebrities Visit. I was there on Sunday and here came Lady Gaga and her company. They were casual and relaxed, didn’t want to make a big deal out of it and Mizu and staff treated them like any customers. The fact that they came with their own body guards, would anyone even dare to get close to them? Looked like she enjoyed her sushi and cold sake as much as we did.
This is the exact reason why I Unilocal,she must’ve read my previous reviews on Mizu when she decided she needed her sushi fix while in Chicago.

Mizu, I’m bringing you down. This was one of the worst meals I’ve had in my life and being an out-​of-​towner, I was even more disappointed. I was here a week ago and it actually took me that long to compose my thoughts and figure out how to tackle this joke of a restaurant. I should have known as soon as they said «we’re low on Menus» that this place was a disaster.
Food– 2.5 stars. No one raved about the sushi or yakitori. One of my friends didn’t feel too great after eating the rolls. The miso soup was foul. Portions were minuscule. Why was cheesecake the highlight of a meal?!
Service– Atrocious. Aside from being placed in a sunken hell hole of a table at the back of the restaurant, it took about 25 minutes between each interaction with the server to get anything (water, appetizers, soy sauce). Then, this clown has the audacity to point out that our miso soup will be served with our main meal. WHAT?! You’re better off admitting you forgot our order and just apologizing. Our waiter said several times «its a busy night, sorry our service is off» but it was futile. After an entire meal of inconveniences and poor service he offers to comp our dessert. Thanks for the $ 6 bro but that’s not gonna change anything.
Ambiance/​LOGIC– 0 stars.
1) As a party of 6, we were placed at a «private table». To get to this table, you have to take your shoes off and enter a curtained off area. Already sounds stupid. Furthermore, I have never seen a sunken floor in a restaurant so I completely lost my footing and toppled onto the table itself. They could have at least posted a sign or mentioned this architectural defect to us. To use the restroom, you have to get up and walk across the slippery benches, put your shoes back on, and then go walk around the corner. WHO DESIGNED THIS SHITFEST OF A CONCEPT?
2) This private table had no walking room for the waiter so we had to hand off our food/​drinks to one another as the server brought it out. While sitting down. Barefoot. How did they not see how much of an inconvenience this is to not only us, but the staff? I actually felt bad b/​c one of servers (not the main waiter) was super attentive and did his best to get us our food, but the logistics of the table made it impossible.
3) Miso soup was served in small clay pots where the opening was not even big enough to fit the large spoon they served it with. Why do you serve something to patrons that’s not even plausible to use?
The only redeeming thing was the prices weren’t too bad, so I only paid $ 40 to have a horrible meal and a raging blue/​purple bruise the size of a baseball.

Based on location, stars and the mention of what Yakitori is, we decided to stop in. I parked in the lot next door, it’s usually $ 5 or $ 10 depending on the time. Didn’t want to battle with street parking which can be as expensive but if your willing, the side streets here offer more metered parking spaces.
We were the first couple that walked in on a Saturday night. It was chilly outside and chilly inside, so, not the best first impression. Also they seated us in the next room closer to the front windows, I guess because the spaces nearer to the sushi bar were reserved or that’s how they start to fill the place. Cute enough space with nice décor, perfect for a date. Not so much for large groups, I think.
Service was over at our table often and did a good job of keeping us informed of wait times and checking in for additional orders. Ordered a couple different sushi plates and a few different Yakitori’s. I was here before this new sushi chef started, per a recent November review it’s mentioned there is a new chef as of 11÷07÷11. I hope his skills with the knife are better than the last guy. Presentation of our sushi was boring, as if a person straight out of sushi school presented it for our judgment. Taste was there, but it was nothing special. The Yakitori was the clear draw. A couple dishes of sushi, Yakitori and two rounds of cocktails and the bill went over a hundo easily. I wasn’t trying to impress my date either, I do remember her saying she didn’t eat all day. Hungry ass. Don’t you hate it when you get all spiffy, take out a hottie but know it’s not going to go anywhere. I mean, you know this person is not good for you but you still go. I’ll chalk it up to helping a Chicago business stay in business. Longer.
On another note I was discussing this place with a buddy which said, sushi is expensive and great sushi is more expensive. This sushi wasn’t anything extra special and I have had excellent sushi at lower costs. What matters is location and I’m sure here in Old town the rent is high. Usually not something people think about when choosing a place for a meal. I’m kind of indifferent about the experience.

My husband and I stopped at this sushi place after a whole day at the beach. We were exhausted and just wanted something fresh to eat and quick service… and that’s what we got!
The service was outstanding and the food marvelous. We ordered about 4 makis and soups, and didn’t even had to wait too long. The place is clean, has a nice vibe, and the people there are very nice and welcoming. We intend to go back for more.

We’ve been looking for a sushi spot that will satisfy our cravings on a routine basis. After a mad hunt around the city with a lot of disappointment and heartache, I think this may be the one…
Service was impeccable. Atmosphere was cozy.
Candied Ginger Martini was super good. Shitake mushroom yakitori and bacon wrapped tomatoes were great to start! (Though, can anything be bad with bacon?) The New Mexico roll was definitely memorable.
The pricing is spot on for the ambiance, level of service and quality and variety of the menu.

Truly awesome – anyone who doesn’t like this place should be boiled in oil. The sushi and sashimi is good, made by a slightly gruff-​looking old guy, as it should be, but it’s just not about the sushi here – it’s all about the yakitori, which is excellent. The yakitori menu’s huge – if you can imagine it, they probably have it, and will happily grill it on a stick for you. Duck, chicken, chicken gizzards, short ribs, beef, it’s all good. But do try the beef tongue – thin sliced, unbelievably tender, they actually make the stuff look elegant. If the only place you’ve ever had tongue is late-​night lengua tacos (which are admittedly great) – try it here, you’ll like it.
And the sake flight – three totally different sakes, all pretty good. The Masumi is good, really good, but the Dewazakura is seriously a revelation – had no idea sake could taste like that, like a dry Riesling or something, floral, earthy, not-​sweet, wow.
And the staff is super-​attentive, very, very nice, very helpful. You can’t go wrong. But do go here for the yakitori. We need more yakitori in Chicago, and putting this place on the map is a good place to start.

After eating nothing but fattening fare for what seems like weeks over the holidays, my husband and I ended up here the day after Christmas looking for something healthy for dinner.
The service was impeccable. My water and tea glasses never went empty and beyond that, the waitress even filled up the soy sauce dishes for us… that’s what I call service. I half expected her to offer us delights of the flesh but alas she never did.
My husband got the usual, Miso Soup but I started with a mushroom soup in dashi broth. It was delicious and made even better by a shaker on the table marked, «? spice» which imparted a lemony cayenne like spice into the broth. I was particularly impressed with the number of mushrooms in the soup, especially the large clusters of Enoki, one of my favorites, which don’t come cheap around LA. The soup cost a mere $ 4.50 and I felt like I was robbing them.
My husband and I shared a seaweed salad (delicious and texturally one of the best I’ve tasted), then we each had a piece of Yellowtail Sushi, and one of my favorites, King Crab sushi which is a rarity and was delicious.
We progressed on to the rolls. At many sushi places I feel that there are far too many rolls with tempura elements or otherwise cooked elements. I prefer something that is raw and fresh. Mizu had an abundance of fresh, raw rolls on their menu in different combinations than I’d seen before. We had spicy tuna (our staple) which was good but nothing special, the other two we chose were called «Pink Roll» and «New Mexico Roll». They were both craaaazy delicious. Pink Roll had Salmon, White Tuna, Krab, scalllion, roe, and some sort of sauce. New Mexico Roll had Tuna, Yellowtail, White Tuna, Spicy Mayo, Jalapeño, Cilantro. Heavenly.
We paid only around $ 60 for the whole meal and were sufficiantly stuffed (especially after eating stuffing and potatoes for days).
Mizu, I will Missssyouuuu when I return to LA. :(

Meet Mizu, my new Japanese love.
Fresh and generous nigiri and sashimi portions and delicious appetizers. The uni and hamachi are always superb. I love that you get the shrimp head, fried, with your ama-​ebi!
And the specials are totally worth trying! Some of them, like the monkfish liver, are only in season during part of the year, and are experiences not to be missed.
Yakitori with duck, bacon, chicken, and veggies. Amazing green tea concoctions, including a perfect iced green tea (unsweetened, no additives, potent flavor) and a melt-​in-​your mouth green tea mousse cake.
The key players know what they are doing. Chef Matsumoto keeps flavors authentic. Ruby, our most excellent server, keeps us happy tableside. I can’t ask for much more than that!

My review may be a bit skewed, give or take 1 star, since me and my buddies did some pretty heavy pre-​drinking before the meal. We arrived around 7:30 on a Saturday night without reservations and didn’t have to wait because the place had not filled up yet. We sat down and started off with 2 big bottles of Sapporo beers and each of us get a sake flight containing 3 premium sakes. The sake was good and went down smooth but too fast so we decided we would get another one for the each of us when our other friend shows up so we could enjoy one with him.
Since we were waiting we get another big bottle of Sapporo and some apps and put in a order. Sushi comes and it has a nice presentation and taste pretty good. Was it the best sushi, no but it wasn’t bad and that’s what counts. We all seem pretty happy with our roll choices, I ordered a roll called the New Mexico which had tuna, yellow tail, avocado, chile oil, jalapenos, and squeeze of lime. I liked it and so did my buddies who are known sushi swippers. It’s almost a gift how fast my one buddy can take a piece or two before you can block his chopsticks. Other friend shows up, we order another sake flight for all and probably 2 more big bottles of beer. He says he already eaten so he’s here just to drink with us, but we all know that if you sit a table where sushi is being eaten you will eat some no doubt. He does.
The waitress, hostess and staff were very attentive and always happy. They really made sure we were looked after despite having to deal with a table of 12 or so people sitting next to us. The hostess seemed impressed by our consumption of alcohol and sort of encourage us to strive for another sake flight but we knew better and we also wanted to go to the bar next door. I will definitely visit this place again whenever I’m in my buddies hood and craving sushi. The cost was pretty reasonable for what we consumed even when excluding the alcohol cost. It is definitely another good sushi alternative to have in that area other than Kamehachi.

Mizu — with a 27 from Zagat, I had just expected more. I am having a hard time finding sushi I really love here… and when you start of with just plain *bland* miso soup — that is not a good sign… how is it even possible, I ask you?
We got an appetizer of the salmon ceviche — salmon w/​avocado, tomato, jalapeño, cilantro, onion, and green pepper. (I asked for extra jalapeño instead of green pepper)… it was just Ok. No real kick to it, not a great melding of flavor.
We also ordered the ‘New Mexico Roll’ as it sounded excellent:
Tuna, yellowtail, tobiko, cilantro, avocado, jalapeño, spicy mayo, chili oil, & a squeeze of lime
I asked for wasabi tobiko also, and lots of jalapenos. I htought this would be spicy, delicious, and creamy… I can give them props for the large portions of yellowtail and tuna being extremely fresh and pleasant in their own rights,… but there was hardly any spice to this dish at all, despite having asked for it… and not much on the jalapeño front.
We also got half an avocado with some crab meat thrown on top. No need to go into detail there.
The hunt for great sushi continues.
We left dissatisfied and starving.

Went here for Chicago restaurant week as we wanted sushi and almost all of the other places seemed to be French. Also, the fact that they have yakitori worked as well.
Luckily found parking not far from the restaurant as it does seem like it would be hard to find since it’s Old Town.
Didn’t have to wait for a table and we ordered the prix fixe menu and let the dining experience begin.
Service: This was really, really good. I drink water like a fish so it was nice to always have my water filled promptly! The waitress and hostess also were really nice.
Décor: It’s a sushi place in Old Town. Of course the décor has to be nice. It’s a nice setting for a first date I think.
Food: Had the hamachi carpaccio, trio of yakitori, pink maki, spicy tuna crunchy, island shrimp roll, and one other roll that I can’t remember right now. Really liked the carpaccio, but thinking about the price on the menu, it’s kind of pricey. Really good though. Yakitori was good. Never had before so can’t compare, but I thought the chicken was done nicely. The sushi itself was fresh and it was delicious. Really liked the pink maki and the island shrimp.
Overall, I really liked this place. Definitely will come back to try more of the yakitori!

This place is gorgeous. Whoever designed it certainly has some taste. I can’t really comment on the service as we were the only table there, so it wasn’t really a challenge to take care of us.
On to the food.
We started off with some sushi and didn’t get fancy with it. Neither did they, but the quality was solid and delicious. I’d definitely go back for that.
Having never had yakitori, I decided it’d be a good idea to get a half dozen delicious skewers. Womp womp.
The skewers were literally morsels. Two 1″ in diameter mushroom caps for $ 3 makes me grumble. Even more so when they’re not that good. The White Meat Chicken was pretty good. I enjoyed the Pork and Asparagus while my date did not. Please, for the love of god, do not get the Beef Tongue. It was not only tough and chewy, it tasted like I was chewing solid grease. No flavor, just grease.
I’ll be back to Mizu for the sushi, but I’ll definitely skip the Yakitori, because of both the lack of flavor and value.

I love that my valiant and yet unsuccessful attempt to uncap a sake bottle that had accidentally re-​sealed from the heat of the alchohol earned me a free shot! Nevermind the fact that I hate drinking sake by itself, I’ll drink almost anything for free, almost.
Food-​wise, nothing amazing but for nothing amazing, the price was a tad high. I personally couldn’t justify paying ~$ 3 – 4 for a couple teeny pieces of meat on a stick because I’ll need about 15 of these to fill me up. So Yakitori isn’t really for me. The rest of my group did enjoy those bitsy meats though so the orders kept coming. The group consensus was that the beef tongue was the best, and then the chicken skins.
Sushi-​wise, sizes were also teeny and thus we had to order quite a bit of rolls but all pretty typical so there’s not much to say about them: rainbow, chicago, spicy tuna, dragon (pretty much anything with avocado).
Here’s a full list of the menu:
Ultimately the super friendly service was the biggest stand-​out for the restaurant.