Kuni’s Japanese Restaurant

Ok, so you guys know that I’m a sushi snob. AYCE rubs me the wrong way, and don’t even get me started on people who think that grocery store California rolls are «good.»
Kuni’s is the real deal, and dare I say, the best sushi I’ve had in at least 3 years. And that includes dinner at Morimoto in NYC.
Kuni’s is no joke. It is authentic, no frills, great service, great atmosphere, and the sushi is amazing.
We came in a few nights ago to celebrate a birthday, we had a group of 11. In most cases, service would lack a little bit with such a large group, but not here! We were treated like absolute royalty.
Appetizers included edamame, gyoza, seaweed salad, and a deep friend spring roll of sorts which was filled with glass noodles. All were delicious, and we were all very hungry!
Everyone ordered ala carte sushi, and after talking to my dining partners who had been to Kuni’s before, as well as watching what was coming from the sushi bar, I knew I was going to do the same, and was in for a great treat. I definitely over-​ordered, but it was SO worth it. I even tried things I’d never had before!
I enjoyed:
rolls:
— Negi Hamachi
— Spider
nigiri:
— Aji (horse mackerel) new to me — I really enjoyed it!
— Hamachi (yellowtail) one of my all-​time favorites
— Ikura (salmon roe) — my absolute favorite
— Sake (salmon)
— Toro (fatty tuna)
— Uni (sea urchin) my first time, and I was really scared — but I didn’t hate it!
Everything was obviously extremely fresh. All of the fish was so buttery. This is the real deal, good rice/​fish ratio with a hefty amount of wasabi.
I would absolutely return to Kuni’s… every single day of the week. The food coming out of the kitchen looked divine as well. Can’t wait. Thanks, Kuni’s!!!

3.5 rounded down for unenthusiastic server who won’t take away empty plates.
The decoration of this restaurant feels hearty and vintage. I love how they kept the traditional Japanese elements at the restaurant. What a gem.
As for food, It’s a little pricy for what you’re getting. I guess since you get a salad and miso soup as appetizer it’s okay? I also really like how they offer traditional Japanese dishes at this restaurant in addition to sushi.
I came here for a late dinner with a friend and we ordered:
Sukiyaki (3.5÷5):
The beef is overcooked and lacks flavor. Other than that, it’s pretty good. A very hearty dish for the harsh winter.
A piece of yellowtail (⁴⁄₅):
Fish is fresh. Great fish: rice ratio. Their sushi rice is probably the best among Evanston sushi places, but not the best I’ve had nonetheless. Oh. They also put wasabi in it. Can we not. I don’t like wasabi. You don’t need wasabi to freshen up the flavor. Always gotta preserve the original taste, bruh.

One of my favorite Japanese places in Evanston. Love the authentic feel and food of this restaurant! I got some sushi a la carte and combo box and everything was fresh and delish

This is my favorite sushi place bar none. It’s not fancy, and the service is not fast or impeccable (and sometimes the language barrier is pretty strong), but the sushi is always so tasty, and there’s something relaxing about the experience — sorta like a sushi diner.
The white toro avocado roll is my favorite roll of anyplace anywhere — although all the rolls are great. They’re small, compared to the jumbo rolls you can get so many other places, but tasty and fresh and consistent.
My husband always gets the chef’s sashimi and is never disappointed. Admittedly sometimes the fish is a tad better than other times, but, well, it’s fish. No one is the same. He also learned about uni here, thanks to a recommendation by the waitress, and now it’s one of his favorite orders.
Bottom line, I’m certainly not Japanese, but it feels «authentic» and I’m never disappointed in the quality of the fish. I hope you like it too :)

The fish is amazing. This is authentic incredible sushi. Not the place to go for complicated fried cream cheese rolls. 100% the place to go for flavorful and subtle salmon, miso, and classic Japanese favorites.

I think the owner was changed or something as all the food we ordered were way below the standard quality Kuni used to have. They didn’t have some basic quality for scallops, rolls, and Omakase sashimi (this is the same quality as the belt Lauren sushi). I guess this is the last time I will be here after a couple of years visiting this only «authentic» Japanese restaurant (used to be).

There is nowhere more consistent than Kuni’s. I have been eating here for 20 years and not much has changed. Everything is in its right place at this restaurant and the first indicator is Kuni san himself greeting you upon arrival. This place is understated and laid back, but don’t let that fool you: This is the second best Japanese restaurant in the Chicago area (next to Katsu) and it’s worth the trip to Evanston.

This place was recommended by the head chef at Boltwood so my expectations were quite high when I had dinner here.
The good: very fresh fish at a super reasonable price point. My friends shared a couple of maki rolls and tofu and they kept raving about how delicious everything was!
The not as good: The service was ridiculously slow. We waited about ~25 minutes for our food. Also, I had the Chirashi and while I really enjoyed about 80% of the bowl, the other 20% were misses (particularly the tamago and the shrimp).
All in all, I recommend this place if you’re in Evanston and really craving some Japanese but don’t want to head all the way to Chicago for some quality fish. Just don’t come when you’re in a rush!

Ordered sashimi dinner and chef’s favorite sushi. They came with rice, salad and miso soup. The combination was enough to feed two people. Fish was marvelously fresh and tasty. The store has a nice family restaurant atmosphere. Food is not fancy, but what’s more important than quality of fish when it comes to sushi?
These days, restaurants try hard to overwhelm your tastebuds with favors and spices, only to make you drink glasses of water or feeling oily afterwards. Kuni doesn’t seem to make an effort of being impressive, but my mouth is sweet and my stomach feeling ever so peaceful the rest of the night.
Bravo to Kuni!

This is the most authentic and traditional Japanese restaurant I feel in Chicago area so far! Sashimi is really fresh… uni tastes so sweet! The food price is not cheap but really worth!

I have been here a couple of times. The first time, we ordered a few traditional Japanese dishes. I also had their horse mackerel. The only reason why I even ordered it was they had a little note about it that it was shipped directly from Japan, etc etc. so I went ahead and tried it. Oh my gosh it was like one of the best fish I’ve ever tasted. I’ve always wanted to come back since that first visit. And I had the opportunity to do that a few weeks ago.
I ordered the omakase sashimi and asked if horse mackerel was included. She said no. The omakase isn’t really a true omakase, it was pre-​fixe. Ugh. So I ordered the mackerel in addition to the omakase. When the sashimi came, there was no explanation on what fish we got. Granted I could recognize the more common fish but I didn’t know all of them. We asked the waitress but she didn’t have the clue and she was just like, yeah I think that’s this and that’s that. What a turn off. Also my mackerel was not fresh. The first time I had it, it blew me away. This night, it was fishy and u can tell it’s not the freshest.
So disappointed with my second visit. I love that horse mackerel. Wondering if I should go back. Maybe next time I’d have to call them and see when their fish arrives so I don’t get stuck with not-​so-​fresh fish.

Pretty good can’t co plain it’s old school and good quality meat! Yum

The best Sushi this side of the Pacific Ocean. It may look like a hole in the wall from the outside, but let me tell you, the food and service trumps anything you’ll find at one of the trendier joints, and it isn’t even close.
Pull up a chair at the Sushi bar for the best experience. Kuni will often offer up samples of new and interesting cuts and dishes. Years ago, he offered me a strange looking appetizer he simple called «green tea noodle.» I was skeptical of it at first. Now, I search high and low for something similar and have yet to find something.

We loved our dinner! Great portions, presentation, prices and flavors! What else could you want in your sushi restaurant? I had the unagi roll which was warm, savory and delicious. I also had the spicy Tekka Roll which was actually spicy! Hooray! The miso soup was a really nice start, too. With great prices and great food, I’ll be sure to come back!

This place has been consistently excellent for years… But I’m a nisei so had to consult with the experts! My issei dad frequents this wonderful restaurant weekly and it’s always delicious. My issei sister also visits Japan two or three times annually and says its «like being in Japan». Omakase is amazing and a must try if you love authentic sushi. Can’t miss this place. Friendly and gracious service.

We’ve have been eating at Kuni’s for over 10 years. Its the freshest sushi I’ve ever had. Their maki rolls are simple. No plantain, cream cheese or asparagus here. Its all about the fish. Some of Chef Kuni’s fish is flown in from Japan. They receive fresh fish daily during the week. He buys fresh fish whole and dresses it from scratch. Many of the sauces that flavor the dishes are prepared in-​house by Kuni San. For apps, I enjoy the gyoza, especially for the homemade sauce that accompanies it. I lift the plate and drink whatever sauce is left. I agree with other reviewers, the grilled hamachi jaw and the octopus salad are great. My favorite sashimi are the Aji, Toro (when available), Hamachi, Salmon and Uni. When in season I order the fried soft shell crab. If you are looking for sushi/​sashimi/​nigiri, this is the place. Fresh and thick portions.

If you like simple maki rolls and sushi then this is your place to eat. I personally like sashimi and like trying different kind of makis. Their sushi menu is not extensive so you don’t have too many options. This can be good or bad at the same time. I ordered the Chirashi dinner. It came with assorted sashimi on a bed of vinegary rice. The sashimi was good but the Chef included two pieces of what I heard was ‘fake fish’ and tamago, which I personally don’t like. :(my entrée was a big portion though so it will fill you up!

One of my fav Japanese place!
I love:
*Grilled Hamachi Jaw (special appetizer)
*Sashimi/​sushi are well priced and fresh
*Japanese Enka music ambiance
*Japanese chef
Just try their grilled Hamachi Jaw. So good.

We talked about our meal the whole way home! Exceptional sushi!
Great neighborhood atmosphere.
Sushi bar was very comfortable and the chefs were approachable and welcoming. We were gushing about the green tea noodles appetizer, and the head chef must have overheard us because he sent over another order for free! This appetizer is a must try! We also got complimentary edamame at the start of our meal, not sure if this is standard. The octopus salad appetizer was very tasty — large slices of octopus atop seaweed/​veggie mixture.
We ordered 5 different maki rolls and 6 nigiri pairs. Our favorites were the standard tuna/​salmon rolls for ~$ 6. Very good fundamentals — nothing wacky, just flavorful ingredients with very satisfying texture.

I went here on a Friday afternoon because it was cold and I was craving udon noodles. My friend and I ordered some hot water and hot tea.
For some reason, the hot water smelled a little fishy, so minus 1 star for weird smelly water.
Besides that, the hot green tea was really soothing and warm.
I ordered the Kage Udon noodles which was $ 9. The portion size was small for the price. In terms of taste, it was average. Good, but nothing particularly special about it. I liked how they really filled the bowl with a variety of vegetables though.
My friend ordered the bowl of Katsu don and it was defeinitely served differently. She got a small bowl of miso soup and salad as an appetizer and then her pork katsu came in a bowl on top of rice. Very interesting presentation. She is a huge fan of this place, so she thoroughly enjoyed her lunch. It was too big, so she had to take the rest to-​go.
The staff is genuinely friendly and the restaurant is fairly clean. I liked the place and I would go back, but nothing made it seem super special. Seemed like what a typical sushi restaurant should be, but note, I did not try any of their sushi.