Yuzu Sushi & Robata Grill

Delicious and flavorful food beautifully presented in a comfy and cozy atmosphere. Small and busy, so reservations are a must! Also, the fact that it’s BYOB is a great boon. Would reccommend!

Sometimes hip is not enough. Our sushi was no more than ok but Jesus Christ the pieces were cut so big it was impossible to fit them in our mouths– that’s not a good thing. It actually ruined the whole experience for me. The robata is good albeit pricier. Another downside– every time I come in with a reservation or not the hostess makes it a point to let me know how much time I have to eat before the next party arrives. Really?

Came here on a whim one Sunday night having heard good things. The rumors were confirmed! Standard dine-​in sushi prices for larger rolls than we expected. My bf and I ordered our standard 4 rolls and we could hardly finish them. The specialty rolls were creative and the presentation was fresh and young, as was the atmosphere.
This wasn’t a 5 star review because our starter of sweet potato fries disappointed. It’s hard to mess up fries! But they were a bit off.
However, that won’t keep me from coming back to Yuzu for some rad rolls!

I came in on a Monday night an hour before closer to find the restaurant full. I knew it must be decent if it’s that busy on a Monday. The art and music aren’t your typical sushi style which was a nice surprise. More urban style. We ordered a few apps and rolls which were all good. When I’m down in the city again I’ll stop by.

I just left and I already can’t wait to come back. The sushi here is great, and the presentation is second to none.
Starter
— Tuna Poke — MUST Get, this is sooo good!
Robata
— Quail Egg Bacon skewer brushed with organic maple syrup — why did I only get one? YUM!
Sushi
— Monster Spider — the only thing that wasn’t great. The presentation was bland and so was the taste, feel free to skip over this option
— Over the Rainbow — WOW, Amazing, sooo good and such an amazing presentation. This should be a staple of every order
This ranks as one of my favorite sushi spots in Chicago, and unlike some of the others won’t break the bank. Awesome atmosphere, amazing presentation of food, and Great taste makes this an easy 5 star rating in my book!

Ugh, I so badly want to LOVE yuzu. But, it’s just ok… with the potential for great.
I’ve been for both lunch and dinner a few times. Let me lay this out.
1) Lunch was good! I got the spicy tuna bento box, and the chef decided to ALSO give me a tuna roll. That’s a lot of tuna, I wish the chef had decided to do something a little different.
2) Dinner is better. The specialty rolls are FANTASTIC, but the regular (california-​esque rolls) leave a lot to be desired. We got two specialty rolls which were great and the sauce-​y design they make is adorable. BUT, the california roll we ordered literally tasted like it came out of a refrigerator. It was much colder and almost icey. Seriously disappointed in that one. The robata also came out luke-​warm.
I might return, but only for the specialty rolls. If they start making their non-​specialty maki fresh, I’ll be a happy camper.

Nothing special here. I love sushi have it probably 2 to 3 times a week all over the country especially la Nyc and Miami. Average sushi edamame wasn’t even good lol asked the server if he salmon was farm raised and she pretended not to understand me. I mentioned It again to the server and all of the sudden the manager comes by and tells me all their salmon is farm raised.
Sushi needs to be premium select and cut. I refuse to eat farm raised fish. I mentioned I would leave a Unilocal review and the manager refunded my whole meal. Sounds a little to desperate for me
Probably won’t return ! Cmon chi town who has some real sushi

Yuzu gets really crowded for dinner so make a reservation if you can!
I was really craving Robata which is basically Japanese bbq (usually in skewer form). Not many places have them but Yuzu does offer some. The beef short rib is absolutely delicious but I wish they had more adventurous meat options.
I just went for lunch because their facebook photos were so enticing. I really enjoyed the poke bowl because the spiciness of the fish went well with all the pickled toppings. Their spicy tuna is definitely more Sriracha than mayo so it’s got a really strong kick to it. A bit spicier than I like but I love that they use big chunks of tuna and not just scraps.
We also tried the wagyu beef broth ramen but I thought it was ok. The broth kind of tasted like Taiwanese beef bowl broth to me. The meatballs were dry and felt like they wanted a meat in there but didn’t want to add anything expensive. I really enjoyed the dried mushrooms and noodles though.
All in all, it’s pretty delicious.

I was desperate for Asian cuisine after having greasy New American food for the past few days in Chi town. My handy dandy Unilocal app thus led us here as it fit the bill of everything I had the hankering for at that moment — rice, hot soup, and sushi.
We walked in to a half-​filled restaurant so me, calling in for a reservation on our way here deemed unnecessary. The majority was a young clientele of Asians and so was the staff and chef. I believe this is Chinese-​Vietnamese run, not Japanese so it’s not a surprise that the authenticity of the food was questionable.
We had the BLACK SEA ROLL ($ 10) and 100 YEARS ROLL ($ 10) which were both fine with fish fresh enough. The main issue for me was the sushi rice used. It was dry, cold, and had a funny texture. Between the two, the Black Sea was better. I didn’t like the sour mango in the 100 Years Roll.
I wanted the MISO SOUP ($ 3) to warm my stomach initially before anything else but this became dessert for some reason. I had to ask our server twice for it and I would have cancelled it any other day but again, I really wanted soup that night. At that point, I was thankful it was served hot and served its purpose.
I was excited to get some RED SNAPPER but to my dismay they ran out, of course. I feasted on some UNI ($ 6), SALMON ($ 4), and HAMACHI ($ 4) nigiri all night instead. Fish was fresh but again, the rice texture and temperature was the issue for me. It didn’t taste right.
I understand how Yuzu Sushi & Robatra Grill can be popular amongst the younger crowd with the hipster vibe of the place and affordable pricing. Plus it’s BYOB.

Yuzu was good and I will return but, I will have a different take on the menu.
We ordered the short rib and baby potatoes from the robata grill, both were very flavorful and wonderfully done. Then we ordered the muscles with the chili garlic sauce. Wow — this gave yuzu my 4^th star! The broth was steaming hot and not too spicy but spicy enough. Muscles were large and the sourdough bread in the broth is amazing!
Then we started on sushi rolls. My number one pick was the Black Sea roll. I could’ve had 5 of these. The fish is tossed in the spicy mayo and the black tobiko crunch in your mouth. Perfect size and pleasant to eat. Next, the Boston Crunchy… Same size as the Black Sea, simply done and the tempura crunch on the outside adds that crunch without the roll being fried.
Last was the giant rolls. We loved the flavor of Born to Chill, loved it. Just too big to eat and enjoy though. And we ordered the Summer Breeze and Ocean. Not for us, I think by the menu I didn’t know what was on top of it. I was told it was squid. Very tough, chewy and thick. So, we ended up taking it off and eating the rest of the roll. Not that it was bad just wasn’t for me.
All and all I’d go back and order mainly from the robata grill and the small sushi rolls!

I’ve been here a handful of times, and it’s a pretty solid dining option. A lot of diners like this place because of their maki options and the way they decorate the boards, but I’m indifferent to this. I’m not a huge fan of Maki– I prefer to order sushi/​sashimi/​grilled options here.
My favorite robata meat is the beef short rib, and I like to dip it in the sauce that is usually served with the ribeye. The sauce is so good that my mouth is watering right now just thinking of it. It’s like a kicked up ponzu, citrusy, salty, and fantastic!
I recall being able to order beef tongue here at their old location, but I haven’t seen it on the menu in recent visits. Bring back the beef tongue please! The chicken satay (something I wouldn’t normally order) is also quite good (I’m more of a red meat kind of girl haha). The grilled shishito peppers are also a nice addition. (Omg I’m still thinking about the yummy ribeye sauce– I could literally eat that on a bowl of rice and be happy).
As far as the rolls go– I’ve tried a few of the special rolls but they’re all just too busy for my taste. Also, I don’t like fried things in my roll, or too much sauce– I’m more appreciate of the simple, more traditional rolls. Everyone else seems to like them though!

I enjoyed this sushi spot! I ordered a ca roll and chicken kebobs that were deliciously coated with peanut sauce. In the future I’d skip the rolls and focus more on kebobs. My meal was decently priced as well. I look forward to returning.

Came here with a friend for lunch. We were pretty impressed. The place was decorated nicely and very chill.
The sushi was fresh and very flavorful.
I ordered one of the lunch special bento box. It was a lot of food for the price.
They have a large menu with so much to pick from and the prices are very reasonable.
Is also BYOB which we all love!
The staff was very friendly and helpful explaining items on the menu.
I think I just found my new favorite sushi place!

Mellody and I arrived first thing when the doors open as this place gets PACKED. We started with the robota mushrooms which were excellent. Rivaled the wood grilled mushrooms of Jordan’s.
Next was the robato sampler plate with bacon wrapped asparagus, chicken scallion, and prawns. The asparagus was perfectly cooked and tasty, the chicken was good (nothing too special) and while the shrimp was flavorful, having to peel and de-​head them was too much work. Flavored were overall great though and i am liking this robotic grilling.
For our entres we had the Motown and Riverwalk rolls. Presentation was out of this world, beautiful! The Riverwalk was fresh, clean and spicy tasting. The Motown was a little too heavy and rice/​breading. Good flavor but I’d go with something else next time.
All in all, I’d say this is very good sushi, worth a visit, make a reservation and order lots of the robo grilled stuff. Since its BYOB, the value is there and you can’t go wrong.
PS. Service was good so all the other reviews stating else wise.. . We didn’t experience that.

Definitely a cool place. Great music, décor, atmosphere, etc. sushi was pretty good too. I would recommend this place if you have family or friends in town and want to show off! Make reservations– it was even busy on a Monday night.
The sushi is worth the price. Give or take $ 15 for a roll but they are HUGE and you get 10 pieces! I got the Motown effect and pier 69. My only complaint was the pier 69 was cut too thin and fell apart which obviously makes it difficult to eat.

More of a 3.5.
Came Thursday around 9pm and place was still quite bumpin’! Our group of four was seated promptly. The manga walls esp. the DBZ one were pretty neat. It was very loud in there though and not because of the music or people. Every noise just kinda echoed and stayed in the place, so it wasn’t the best place to converse.
We got the avocado mango salad, baked mushroom, sweet potato fries, and a wagyu beef app to start. The salad was good with the dressing being quite tasty. The mushrooms were yummy and flavorful as well. The mini beef skewers had gold flakes on top which were cool. These were also good but the flavors did not quite suit my preference. It was a little too punchy/​gingery for my liking. The fries were surprisingly good. They were reminiscent of churros but were not overly sweet.
I got the #thuglife2, summer breeze & ocean, and a very spicy tuna maki rolls. All of our food came out pretty quick. We were lucky to have an empty table next to us since we ordered so much food. To note though, each roll comes out on one plaque of wood, since they beautifully design each one with sauces. Their signature rolls are massive! Their rice to fish ratios are still appropriate though. With even having a big appetite like myself, I recommend only getting two rolls pp, with one of them possibly being a regular roll which are smaller (e.g. very spicy tuna).
The notable designs on the dishes were a crab, squid, and a bird. These were super awesome and definitely makes Yuzu a standout. However, I can’t say that the sushi itself was all that memorable. The rice especially was disappointing. It lacked the traditional sushi rice taste. Perhaps, some more vinegar or sugar could have been used. The fish and rest of the flavors were fine.
Our service was top notch. Our sever was very helpful and tended to us regularly. The whole staff was efficient and friendly.
On another note, I got a sushi burrito from Yuzu via Ubereats some time ago. This was probably the best one I’ve had so far in regards to the sushi burrito concept. It held together well and had a good amount of avocado and tuna. However, the wrap they used was sweet and reminded me of a fruit leather, which I did not quite enjoy.
Overall, Yuzu wouldn’t be a top choice to go for a sushi craving but I might come back if already in the area and want something that is Instagram worthy.

This has officially become my top 3 sushi restaurant in Chicago (I’d even say the country!). That’s how ecstatic I am about this place. Now that I have hyped up your expectations, let me explain my stance.
Service was great. Despite the place being packed with over an hour wait on a Friday night, the wait staff stayed friendly and knowledgeable with suggestions. We ended up ordering probably half the menu and the food kept coming out impressively fast. Kudos to the efficient chefs and servers!
Our group of 5 ordered mostly rolls. The rolls were fairly large, fresh and rolled with quality ingredients. Rice to fish ratio was consistent in that there was adequate amount of fish/​veggie. I felt like each roll was executed with care and finesse. I hope I didn’t get hypnotized by the pretty designs they create with the colored mayo/​sauces which I find frankly wasteful.
This place also offers BYOB with no corkage fee. The hosts did request that we give up our table in 1.5 hours of us seating but they didn’t enforce it since by the time 10pm rolled around, the place wasn’t as packed.

The sushi roll is very creatively presented with the sauces made into different shapes, it makes good picture :) the food is just so so and it does not feel very authentic
the service is great and the environment is good for groups of friends

After 8 visits to Yuzu since Feb this year, our dinner last night compelled me to edit my review and drop a star. Why, you may ask or not?
Miso soup came bland and watered down and when I shared this feedback with at least 2 individuals, their response was less than stellar — one mentioned how the miso paste must have got left at the bottom of the pot when it was ladled into my bowl, while the other claim that a lot of folks prefer their miso soup ‘less intense and bland’, really?
We had a vegetarian friend visiting from NY join us and we had got her to Yuzu the last time she was visiting in May. She had absolutely loved her Green Dragon roll on her last visit so she got it again this time but it wasn’t anywhere close to the quality of taste she remembered. On the contrary, it was dry because they missed the spicy mayo, a key ingredient in the roll. She had to ask for it on the side. Once again, our feedback fell on deaf ears and all we got back in response was defensive excuses. Everyone has a bad day, so Yuzu can you too but pony up and accept feedback, rather than defend and deny. I offered our server to try both the soup and roll, but she declined :).
We also ordered a piece of masago and unlike previous occasions it wasn’t topped to the brim. Small observation but on a night such as yesterday, every little thing stands out.
Oh well, Yuzu will continue to flourish but perhaps, it’s time for us to take a ‘break’ and try and some other great Chicago sushi haunts… forward and onwards!

Easily the best sushi I have ever had in my life. I just really appreciate when a business takes a unique and fresh approach to food. I especially love it when they show their appreciation for art. The sushi masters at Yuzu are remarkable. Not only were all of our platters delicious, the artwork was so perfect I didn’t even want to touch the food.
For an appetizer I ordered the chicken satay. If I had any issue with Yuzu it was the fact that I paid $ 3+ dollars for one skewer of marinated chicken. That is crazy. I visit other places in Chinatown and you get 3 for $ 4-​$ 5. However. The chicken was SUPERB. I loved the sauce they put on top. It was sweet but curry infused I think.
For sushi I ordered the Motown Effect. Upon first bite, my eyes literally rolled to the back of my head. The smoked salmon mixed with the creamy cream cheese and avocado, paired with the eel and jalapeños, and spicy mayo… seriously, orgasmic. It was spicy. It was love. It was life. Whoever thought of the ingredients to be in this roll, I love you. My friends wanted to sample each others rolls. The Chicago spring roll was great too. Nowhere near as great as my Motown effect. The pier 69 was interesting. I was not a huge fan of it. Maybe because of the crab. Definitely because of all the crab. Had the main ingredient been shrimp in the Pier 69 roll instead of crab, I would have loved it because it of the coconut flakes.
I had no issue with the service. It was a Thursday afternoon so it wasn’t crazy packed like I hear it is.