We came here with a Groupon and ate like kings.
We tried three of their specialty rolls: the spicy snowball (on their appetizers menu), the creamy, and the dynamite. The dynamite roll stole the show. I also enjoyed their sweet potato roll while my boyfriend noshed on a California and New York.
They're BYOB, which is always great. There's a $5 corkage fee, but it's hard to beat a BYOB discount sushi spot in Lincoln Park.
Our server was extremely friendly, and the entire staff was wonderful.
It's a bit dark inside, since it's (slightly) subterranean, but it's still a fun atmosphere for groups or dates.
This is the spouse's favorite sushi spot. Â Or, to be more precise, this is where they make the spouse's favorite sushi roll. Â He really, really likes their Creamy Roll, which is crab and shrimp tempura wrapped in avocado instead of nori and then given tempura crust. Â At $17, it is the priciest roll that they offer, but he thinks that it is worth it, so who am I to quibble.
The place works for me as well. Â I like that they offer several veggie maki rolls to choose from, including a couple of larger, more complex rolls. Â Kappa maki will always remain my favorite (Yummy, yummy cucumber. Â Yes, I'm odd, I know. ), but it's nice to be able to try some new things. Â Â Â
Their veggie gyoza are pretty good, and come with a nice dipping sauce, Â but I though the goma ae was a little bit lacking on the sesame. Â Not bad, but I doubt I will order it again. Â
I didn't notice much ginger in the ginger crème brulee, which was a crushing disappointment after the buildup it received from the waitress.  But in my world, even bad crème brulee is still pretty good , so I had no problems  scrapping the dish clean.
Personally I don't like sushi... so why go to a sushi restaurant you ask, well my wife likes it and I can usually find something else on the menu that sounds good. This is the 2nd time we'd been to Kyoto and seeing as how it was so good the last time we were there we were expecting more of the same, but instead we got a stoned waitress/kitchen staff who were so slow that it took almost an hour for a plate of Chicken Teriyaki to come out. By the time it did come out the rest of the group had already eaten the 4 sushi rolls that had made it's way to the table.
Now I don't care if you smoke weed, but don't do it at work. It was obvious to everyone at our table that the waitress was high, and the overwhelming smell of pot didn't help either. She kept blaming it on the kitchen being backed up, but I really think she just forgot to put in our kitchen order when she put the sushi order in... maybe I'm wrong and maybe it was just a busy night for the kitchen, but that's still no excuse for reeking of pot.
I'm not sure if we'll be back again after this visit, which is a shame because the food is actually really good, but the lack of service can make the best food taste like crap.
I had been to Kyoto months ago and had a wonderful experience. Â Sadly, last night's experience was not at the same level of quality or taste. Â The nice thing about Kyoto is that they are always offering Groupon deals and it's nice to switch up our sushi rotation.
We started with the spicy snowball appetizer and it was delicious heaven, just as it was before. Â A delicate torched taste that blends perfectly with the dash of truffle oil and eel sauce. Â My only complaint is that we always just get one order and regret not getting 2 orders later on.
Unfortunately, this is where the enjoyment stopped. Â We ordered 3 rolls - Creamy, Crunchy Salmon, and Fiesta. Â The rolls were completely different from the last time I was at Kyoto. Â The tuna and salmon were mushy and did not taste fresh at all. Â The rolls were cut into huge bites and assembled a bit sloppy. Â And the flavors were not crisp or sharp, everything tasted old and mashed together. Â The Crunch Salmon roll was probably the best of the 3. Â Mostly because the tempura flakes helped to hide the overall mushiness of the rest of the ingredients. Â The Fiesta roll had tuna that had the consistency of grape jam and the Creamy roll was wrapped in avocado so old and mushy that we couldn't even pick up the pieces with chopsticks.
It was a very disappointing visit. Â I'm not ready to write Kyoto off yet, because as I said, my first visit was delicious. Â However, I will tread cautiously next time and only with a Groupon. Â I'm not sure if last night was an off-night or the norm, but it will take a third visit to break the tie.
Other notable items: Â The restaurant is BYOB, so be sure to bring your favorite beverage. Â The atmosphere is a nice underground vibe, relaxed and dim. Â The service is good and friendly, but the place was quite packed last night and they seemed to only have 1 or 2 servers working, so we waited quite a bit for everything. Â Parking is easy to get right on the street outside.
Went to Kyoto on a Tuesday night to use a Groupon we had for a while. I really enjoyed my meal and the overall dining experience.
The restaurant is underground which is unique and also pretty nicely decorated. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. BYOB was also a plus, and there was no corkage fee.
The sushi was some of the more expensive that I've had, but also some of the tastiest. I must say that if I was paying full price, I would have been a little disappointed by the size of the rolls.
Based on reviews, we ordered the snowballs for an appetizer. They are delicious, and the truffle oil plus the delicate white tuna is really what makes this dish awesome.(Go with the spicy snowball) We also ordered the Miami roll, the sweet potato tempura, summer dragon maki, and the creamy roll. The Miami roll was our favorite with the creamy roll not too far behind.
Overall, Kyoto is a worthwhile sushi spot especially if you have  Groupon.
Unlike the other reviews, I enjoyed the taste and freshness of sushi. Â Yes, they were bit small and pricey. Â However, all kitchen foods were way below average includes appetizers. Â I also had $40 (not sure about the exact price) special menu for fresh uni. Â It came with tiny 4-5 piece of uni with the shell. Â It was a total ripoff. Â It was worth $15 max. Â I didn't really like the service neither; servers and busboy's attitude was below average.
Review Source:Kyoto is truly a hidden gem and has become our go-to sushi place in the city, specifically Lincoln Park. The service isn't spectacular, but the venue and food is excellent.
Try the Dynamite appetizer, the tuna sashimi, and the Tuna Tataki Maki roll. You'll walk away happy!
Oh! Even better! They are a BYOB!
My boyfriend and I came here for the first time on our anniversary, and we've been in love with it ever since!
First off, the service at Kyoto is amazing. They let you leave a voicemail to make a reservation and call you back to confirm - so easy! And while they are very busy on the weekends, we've never had to wait too long for food to be served.
While the prices are a bit steep, they typically have Groupon deals which keeps us coming back. I would describe Kyoto as on the higher side of mid-range sushi. The quality of the fish is always good, and the variety of rolls is great.
Some of the deliciously unique rolls are:
- Creamy: yes, expensive, but worth trying! Instead of seaweed, the rolls are wrapped with avocado. Yum.
- Spicy Tuna Tataki & Snowball - both seared with a blow torch, which adds a nice twist to raw fish.
- Party Roll: like a Miami (deep fried) but tastier - not my fav, but a winner with the bf.
You also can't go wrong with the Rainbow, Caterpillar, Crunchy Salmon, or the Love boat!
Just ok. Sushi is not bad but not great. Service is good. Decor is a bit tired. Tables are packed. Can hardly move between them. For how many sushi restaurants there are that serve alcohol this one which is BYOB isn't worth a return trip. Not sure why there are so many high ratings by others. The flat screen behind the bar was incongruous.
Review Source:Kyoto is a hidden gem for byob sushi in the area. It is literally sort of hidden, it's on fullerton but you have to look for it. I first came here for my girlfriend's birthday, and they have a semi-closed off section with a large table perfect for a big group. I was encouraged to try the 'snowball' which I am definitely glad I did.
I have a semi-serious addition to truffle oil, which they put in a variety of their rolls. Truffle oil + sushi= sushi heaven. The ginger salad is also pretty big compared to other places, and definitely one of the best I've tried. The place isn't too big but doesn't feel overly crowded. The only downside is the corking fee, but when you're drinking a $5 bottle of wine like I usually am, you def can't complain.
really good ginger dressing and generous size side salad! you also get cucumbers in rice vinegar and sesame seeds when you sit down, which are delish! the sushi is always fresh and has a beautiful presentation. only reason why this place isn't 5 stars is because there is a somewhat steep cork  fee.
Review Source:Kyoto is my go to sushi place in Chicago! Â If you are looking to find a reasonably priced Sushi restaurant, it's one of the freshest places around. Â I would recommend making a reservation if you are looking to go on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday because otherwise you probably won't get a table. Â You only need to book a week in advance though.
My favorite rolls are the orange sunshine(has a slice of orange on top so its really refreshing). Â
The Miami (definitely heavier but delicious).
The Snowball(under appetizers) is also amazing!
On top of the food, the staff is fabulous and super friendly!
I love this place! It feels like a hole-in-the-wall because from the outside it looks like it would be a crappy restaurant. But the sushi here is really fresh. They have some interesting appetizers, like oyster shooters (which comes with a raw yolk) and ahi tuna flatbread. This place is BYOB. I wish it was easier to get here from public transit, but all in all, I would definitely come back here.
Review Source:The sushi was just fine, really nothing special but the place was packed. Â My friend had been trying to make a reservation for 7 at 7 on Friday all day, he left a message and it wasn't until 630 that they called and told him they could squeeze us in. Â The waitress had told my friend that we needed to leave by 830 so they could have the room for another reservation, fine, no big deal. Â Service was pretty terrible. Â She didn't take any orders when people first started arriving, I had to ask multiple times for a wine glass and when she dropped our food off, she said "any last call for food orders?" Â Uhhhh, we just got our food how are we supposed to know? Â So, my friend ordered two more rolls and turn turned around to see if anybody else wanted anything...and the waitress just took off. Uhhh, OK? Â
When she came back we tried to order some more food, and very rudely said "Um, well I know I told your friend that you had to leave at 830...." Luckily another friend said he did not appreciate the way she was talking to us and that we were doing them a favor by coming in as we would have just taken our business elsewhere, and he asked to speak to the manager. Â He spoke with the manager and we were able to get a few more orders of food and were out shortly after, all we wanted was a little more food.
Very disappointed. I ordered the chirashi sashimi, as I am an avid sushi consumer. I also ordered a spicy salmon roll. The chirashi sushi comes with sushi rice & miso soup- they forgot my sushi rice. Very annoying when you're paying $22 for a dish. The sashimi portions were stingy at best, and the fish quality is mediocre at best. I will never order from this place again. I've never written a Yelp review, only use them for guidance. This place was so disappointing, I felt the need to share.
Review Source:This place has a really hipster and romantic feel to it. I think it melds in with the neighborhood. Though finding parking was a bit difficult, this was a pretty good experience.
The service was friendly, yet confusing because the waitress who took the order was different from the one who served... and was also different from the one who gave us the tab. We were checked on by two different waiters/ waitress and got our water filled in no time :)
The food was pretty good, though a lot of the items were overpriced (know how business roll.. the more expensive it is, the more frequent it is ordered by patrons).
I tried the oyaku noodle dish (spelling?) which had crab meat (imitation...), mushrooms, and some other veggies in there. It was pretty good considering the soup was more like broth. What got me disgusted was the noodles since it melted in my mouth and left a powdery feeling. I was quite dismayed by that. I'm not sure if the soup and noodles were a good combination since it started to taste like soap.
As for the tempura, this totally win my heart. It was dredged in oil (tissue paper) but was tasty with the sauce that complimented it.
This place won't be good for people who care for the environment. I smelled some chemicals radiating from the one-use chopsticks while I ate. This was particularly displeasing.
All in all, the service was awesome along with ambience. The tables were pretty close to each other so it can be pretty difficult to have a private conversation.
I spent my night eavesdropping the neighboring table on their plans and calculating the tab. LOL.
Stumbled into a random sushi joint to grab a bite to eat before we headed a few blocks over to see a jazz show. Â
Thumbs up for the good service and overall cute, low-key, hip ambiance of the place... but the FOOD: why was the sushi so tiny? where was my salmon on my salmon roll!? salmon hand roll... more like salmon finger roll!!!!
This place is BYOB. Â Something different I've never experienced! Â Maybe I should've downed some and trick myself into thinking I was paying for good quality sushi...
Kyoto is on the pricey side depending on what you order, but it's sushi, so you have to expect to drop some extra cash.
What you've heard is right: the spicy/creamy snowballs are their thing, and it's worth it  if you're stopping in.
What I liked most about Kyoto was their staff. Â From our server to our runner to the manager, everyone stopped by our table to make sure we had everything we needed, and shared their expertise and favorites. It was clear they had a passion for well-made sushi, and it made it more than just dinner, but a dining experience.
This was one of the first sushi places I went to and although my boyfriend raved about it, I was not impressed. The atmosphere was good and the fact that it's BYOB is a plus. Our server was nice and attentive and even suggested some rolls for us to try, Â but the sushi itself was just OK. I literally cannot even tell you which rolls I had as they were completely unmemorable!! Due to us having a groupon for this place we will be going back, and I will update the review if I think the sushi is better the second time around.
Review Source:'Woohoo' is right, Yelp.
We had a group of 16. Yes, 16 human people.
Kyoto is a tight fit to begin with, but we wedged in and they completely accomodated us. While we waited they chilled our bottles of wine (BYOB) which was nice, then seated us at a long table where we received cucumber salads and our opened wine in ice buckets. When the time came, we ordered a lot of sushi (literally, very much) and it came at a leisurely pace which was a nice way to stagger our sampling.
I can safely say that everything I ate was delicious. My only problem is that we all ordered something, then shared, so I have no idea what exactly I ate off the menu. I'm already making plans to revisit to keep track of what I eat. I can recommend the spicy roll boat because a. It tasted good (the food, not the boat) and b. the presentation is very surprising for newbies. I was a newbie.
To mention again, Kyoto is BYOB so be sure to equip yourself properly. I did have to venture out into the urban jungle to hunt for more wine, not that we were ill-prepared, I just forgot how much I like to drink. I also don't believe there is a corkage fee which is awesome.
Go with a group or in a pair, it doesn't really matter, go by yourself if you want, just make sure you visit and bring an apetite...and booze.
If you like mushy sushi, go here. Â Twas not even worth my Groupon bucks. Â It was pretty packed on the Friday night that we went...not really sure why. Â You would think that crappy sushi would mean cheaper prices - guess again. Â
This is definitely your college campus style sushi joint - complete with jocks slamming their Sapporo beers in the back.
Cute little Japanese restaurant by century mall. There is parking in the back of the restaurant, kind of tricky to get to the parking lot. You will have to drive through the alley under the train tracks to get the the parking lot behind the restaurant.
The sushi is always good and fresh here. Rice is nicely packed and the fish slice is the right thickness. Very nice and private ambiance. Excellent and genuine people working here.
Big fan of sushi, big fan of BYOB, put them together and you have a winner in my book. Â I have come to Kyoto a few times (mostly for birthday celebrations) and have always had a great time and great food. Â The first time I came here I almost missed it as it is tucked downstairs and not surrounded by too much else.
There is plenty of seating, but it gets busy on weekend nights so a reservation is recommended. Â I have had a variety of rolls on the menu and all have been great. Â If you are in a group that likes to share, I recommend getting a boat so that you have lots of variety, and who doesn't love a sushi boat?
This is a such a gem and a default when friends are looking for recommendations.
I am in Love with this place! Tucked away this unique looking almost underground shopping mall, is a true gem. I came here mainly due to the good reviews by fellow yelpers and the fact it is BYOB! Three friends and I got down and dirty with the spicy boat, some edamame and good ol bottles of Pinot. The place offers gluten free options which is a huge plus as my old roomie had a gluten allergy. We were estimated and hour wait due to our half regular and half gluten free boat and to our surprise we got it at a fraction of the time!
Great service and even greater food! I cannot wait to come back!
We went here on a Sunday night with a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> coupon. Â I have to say that I don't really think this place is a good value for your money especially if you like sashimi. Â The slices are paper thin, you heard me I can see through it. Â Dont order sashimi here, its a rip off. Â Ive been to more expensive and upscale sushi places and the sashimi servings are fair. Â If you want the best sashimi value then go to Oysy. Â The rolls were ok, nothing special but not bad. Â
The worse part is the service, it was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too slow. Â I had to hail my server every time to follow up order, order more, get check, etc. Â OMG, it was a long grueling wait. Â Never again
My friend and I came when they just opened and were the first ones there. It took us a while to check out the menu. I was really excited to try the Unagi Tempura. So, we tried to place our appetizers of Unagi Tempura, Agedashi Tofu and Yaki Tori. Then she tells us they have a issue with the kitchen and they can't make the tempura or the yaki tori. Ummmm.....ok. Some of the rolls we wanted to order had shrimp tempura or fried stuff and we asked if those were ok and she had to go ask. So, we settled on Agedashi Tofu, Kaki Fried (oysters) and Pork Gyozas. We then order 1 piece tobiko, Shrimp Tempura Roll, Spider Roll, Unagi Roll and Tonkatsu Entree.
The Kaki Fried and Pork Gyozas came and both were fine. I guess she didn't hear us about the tofu since we never received it. We were thinking it's weird that you can fry some stuff and not others....oh well. We did hear one waitress tell (I'm guessing the owner/manager) they had no tempura....that's not a good sign if you guys just opened and don't have one of the most popular item on the menu.
Then the sushi arrived and they were ok. Weren't bad, but nothing stood out. We were starting to get full by the time the Tonkatsu came. I tried the Tonkatsu and it was fried nicely, but I didn't really care for the dipping sauce.
Overall, wasn't too impressed with the overpriced food or service. Go elsewhere!
Delicious sushi that delivers!
I got a small order of just the spicy snowball and house salad. The house salad was very big and had a great ginger dressing. The snowball was a bit weird, but it was different and had a lot of flavor.
I would order again from here in a moment! It is also BYOB so I would like to dine in the restaurant next time.
This is one of those places were you have to lead with the groupon otherwise you get screwed with the 1/2 price maki deals but other than that its great! Â And they often have groupon like deals. Â I am not a huge fan of byob sushi places only b/c I want a lychee martini but I can cope. Â The number one cool thing about this place is the free parking in the back. Â Oh yeah and the rolls and apps are really good! Â I love the one with the truffle. Â Its amazing. Â Everything is really fresh and quick service.
An all-round not fancy solid sushi place.
Solid sushi place, minus the SLOW service and long wait for the food.
Great location, byob and very yummy sushi rolls!
The creamy sushi roll, although expensive is worth every penny. Â The other rolls were pretty good too - spicy shrimp, spicy tuna, california and one of my all time favorite rolls - the sweet potato! Â So good. Â
My gripe is the slow service, we actually had to ask when our edimame would be ready. Â Which is weird because that should take minutes to serve. Â Owell, the food is so good I will def be back!
I'll get the bad stuff out of the way first. It takes a long time to get your food and it is rather pricey. Ok now that we got that over with on to the good stuff because sometimes you just have to be willing to wait and pay a little extra for some great food.
The sushi here is awesome. I came here with my girlfriend and ordered one House Specialty roll and four normal rolls for our meal then we got one more Specialty roll for dessert because we wanted more tasty goodness!
The highlight of our meal was definitely the Creamy Roll. The price point may steer some people away at $17, but let me tell you it's worth every penny. In fact this may be the single best sushi roll I have EVER had. If you come here you MUST try the Creamy Roll.
Some other highlights of our meal was the Spicy Tuna Tataki (When they say spicy the mean SPICY), the Shrimp Tempura, the Philadelphia, The Dragon and last but not least my 2nd favorite Maki roll of the night the Sweet Potato.
If you're in the mood for some real good sushi then search no further than Kyoto Sushi.
I really don't understand what all the buzz is about.
When I went to eat, I got:
-inattentive service
-blatantly imitation crab meat
-dry, wilted cabbage
-bland, overcooked edamame
Considering how much I paid, it was unacceptable. To be honest, the combination platter was the most disappointing thing I've seen at a Japanese restaurant. I've gotten food way better at half the price point. I won't be back.
Sumptuous Sushi!
Me and a few pals were here on a crowded Friday night. I strongly suggest a reservation during the weekends. They have a large menu with plenty of vegetarian options. We got the Vegetable gyoza (the potstickers) and the Veggie paradise... It was very tasty. It was so good that my husband who is not a huge fan of sushi exclaimed with delight. Our friends who got the Rainbow and the Orange sunshine maki loved it too. Its another BYOB gem in the neighborhood.
You suck, Canada! Why did you ave to go and denounce the Kyoto Protocol on climate change?
Back on topic, this sushi joint offers up a solid (if somewhat expensive) menu of sushi to Lincoln Parkers. I tried the creamy, the spicy tuna, and the avocado rolls. Heck, I even ordered the namesake Kyoto! All were good.
But all I could think of while dining at Kyoto was about the weird building I was in. The restaurant is in the basement of one of the oddest structures in the city. It's like an apartment complex resembling a cruise ship with tennis courts on deck. Super duper 80's. I want to know what drugs the architects were on when they designed this place!
The acoustics in here are pretty loud. I had to shout at my dining partners for most of the evening.
Overall I liked the food very much. The prices, not so much.
My dude and I have been having many a date night here, thanks to Groupon. Â I used to come here back in high school and WOAH, the atmosphere has changed, definitely much more modern now. Â Modern yet approachable and comfortable.
The sushi is solid. Â Very good, very fresh. Â The service is always great. Â Gotta love BYOB too. Â
DEFINITELY make a reservation. Â There is *no* room to wait for a table so especially in the winter, you're left standing in the cold.
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