Hamachi Sushi Bar

Kosher Sushi?!?! What's that about?

Pretty much means that you aren't going to get "real" shrimp nor crab... They do have the "substitutes" and I honestly DO NOT get imitation crab nor shrimp... Just as I, for sure, do not get Turkey Bacon (and I know pork ain't Kosher either).

Trust me, the imitation stuff DOES NOT taste ANYTHING like nor has the mouth feel of the original... And what the substitute protein has to go through, to resemble the faked product... I wouldn't bother with having the substitute/ imitation.

That being said... I appreciate the effort that this place puts forth and I hope for this place to do well.

Came in when it was fairly new and had their Miso Soup (very good) and the Hama Tuna Tower.

Good sized portion of tuna paired up with mango, avocado... A bit of spice but nothing that overwhelmed the tuna. It was really good.

Staff is very nice and chatty. Figured me for being "not of the tribe" and were asking "why did you decide to come in" and "welcome" and discussed a bit of Kosher law.

Thought the place was very cool, welcoming and offering a very solid product. Personally, I wouldn't bother with the faux crab/ shrimp... But i wish this place well and I will be back.

The prices are fairly reasonable.  The presentation is excellent.   The sushi is good, not great - Shallots has better sushi (better rice and fish tastes more fresh), but Shallots is much more expensive, making Hamachi a more attractive option if you're just in the mood for sushi.

The menu is a bit overwhelming, and the waitstaff has generally only been able to recommend the "blue man group sushi," which wasn't very tasty.

My biggest problem is dining in: there is no entryway or double-door, so each time the door opens, the restaurant gets extremely cold in the Chicago winters.  This makes the food cold-- sushi should be eaten at room temperature (or, if ordered tempura, it should be a little warm).  There is already very limited seating, and Hamachi has 3-4 tables right next to the door -- each time I've been in the restaurant, people have been wearing coats.   They need to fix this problem or else people will not want to eat there during the winter months.  

Also did not like the "crunchy shrimp" appetizer -- because it's a Kosher restaurant, all the "shrimp" and "crab" is made out of the same stuff (a white fish or cod substitute).  It's clear that Hamachi buys the same store-bought version of this that is served in sushi sold by Hungarian Kosher and Kosher Jewel -- I'd expect a higher quality from a sushi restaurant.  Hamachi shouldn't just deep fry these store-bought non-Kosher-fish-substitutes.  They should either make their own, or take this off the menu.

Overall, good sushi, bad physical space, and too big a menu.

I've gone twice and ordered the sashimi assortment both times.  The first time was a lovely presentation with nice-sized cuts of fish.  The second time was an over-the-top presentation with TINY cuts of fish.  While I certainly appreciate the artistry, I am still going in for a meal.  The selection of rolls is pretty extensive.  Many are either vegetarian or contain cooked fish, so those leery of raw fish will have plenty of options.  I think it is a bit pricy.  While I certainly understand that a kosher establishment has additional costs, $4.50 for an a-la-carte miso soup is ridiculous. We also ordered a tempura appetizer that was kind of anemic.
I'll give it another shot in a few weeks since they're new, I LOVE sushi, and they're walking distance.  I'd like to see tamago added to the menu, and a mirror added to the restroom!