Sushi by Chef Soon

Best sushi I have ever had.  Seriously. Not the best location I have ever eaten sushi in.  Bummer.  The fish here is really something else, like better than any place I've had in the Chicago area, including downtown.  Reading other reviews, I'd say you're best off going on a Friday or Saturday night.  The waitress we had was awesome, the chef was firing on all cylinders, and we had a meal that blew us away.  If the tables in here weren't so flimsy and the ambience were a step up, I would definitely give them 5 stars.  Still, if you ignore the surroundings the sushi is incredible.

We started out with the tuna sampler, which was 2 pieces each of three different kinds of tuna.  There was ahi, yellowtail, and super white, served over a small bed of rice noodles.  The dish presentation was nothing special, but to taste the raw ingredient was enlightening.  Of the three, I thought the yellowtail tasted the best, but the super white was interesting, to say the least.  I'd never tried super white before, and I liked it- maybe not quite as much as yellowtail (or bluefin when you can find it), but I liked trying something new.  After that, we decided to try the super white prepared, so we ordered the Ecstasy appetizer.  This was sublime.  It was thinly super white in a spicy vinagarette.  There were some spicy peppers and scallions on the plate.  Amazing dish.

For the main order, we mixed it up with some basic Maki rolls (veggie, tuna, and California).  We also decided to try the Ocean Drive and the Summer Rolls as everyone on Yelp raves about them.  The basic Maki rolls were fine, I don't get inspired by the standard maki.  Most places use the "less than ideal" stuff for the rolls, but I still like to order them to gauge quality.  The Summer and Ocean Drive were freaking amazing.  The lemon-covered salmon on the Ocean Drive was some of the best tasting fish I have ever had.  The Summer Roll was reminiscent of sushi that you'd get on a beach in Mexico.  What?  You've never had sushi on a beach in Mexico?  Me either- and this stuff made me feel like I was there!  That's how overwhelming this food can be on your senses.  Far and away the most delicious rolls I have ever tried.  I'm craving more as I type this!

Cocktails were reasonable.  We ended up getting a bottle of Pinot Noir, I also had a Sapporo Beer and my GF had an extra glass of wine (I only live about 1/3 mile from this place, so no worries about drunk driving).  The total bill (with tip) came to $150.  I thought this was reasonable given the drinks and the amount of sushi we ordered.  Overall, I thought the cost of the fish was justified by the quality.  Our waitress was great, and the food blew my mind.  If they could dress the place up a bit I wouldn't hesitate to give them 5 stars.  Regardless, I will be back for more.

My reaction to the food: STAY AWAY FROM THE MAKI. If you're looking for authentic sushi and not Americanized flavors, either steer clear of this place or only stick to the nigiri. Reading the rave reviews on here, my boyfriend and I were expecting great sushi, but after 2 maki rolls (Ocean Drive and Tropical), we were overwhelmed by the overpowering sweetness and the soaked rice from the mixtures of mayo, vinaigrettes, and chili sauces.

I will say that despite the strange flavors in the maki, the chef's signature nigiri was good while maintaining some unique and interesting flavors, and the traditional nigiri was decent. They're also decently priced. The service was also good, but the waitresses will recommend the maki so be careful.

Had a great time there, I like the many options and the sushi is good, great Maki rolls