Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Â We arrived early for our reservation and were seated right away.
Ashley likes a little crunch with her sushi, but they said they try to stick to all healthy foods. Â We then ordered a double chocolate cake for dessert....soooo.......
Sushi was good, place was nice on the inside. Â They participate in <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a> gift certificates (can be used on Saturdays and BYOB!) so that's a huge plus.
They even turned on the IU game! Â Yay Sushi Pink!
This place practices FISH FRAUD!!! The staff is DECEITFUL, the food is DISGUSTING & the service at best is DEFICIENT.
The list of disappointments at this place is so long that I'm not even sure where to start. Â For starters, I think the giant gnats that were swarming around the dining area should have been a huge tip off as to what we should have expected during our visit. Â I ordered the Spicy Cajun Red Snapper after confirming with the waitress that the fish was in fact Red Snapper and that it was served butterflied (skin on with bones in and cut down the belly then opened up). Â However, once my meal arrived I had 2 small fillets that looked and tasted very much like Tilapia on my plate. Â After bringing the apparent substitution to the waitresses' attention she insisted that the fish was Red Snapper and that it was even the same fish they use in their sushi. Â Since I wasn't sure how that fact added any credibility to her denial of fish fraud and I was pretty sure that I was looking at and eating a piece of Tilapia and not Red Snapper I asked to speak with the chef. Â The chef's explanation was that the Red Snapper that they use is a Japanese Red Snapper which is different from the Red Snapper sold in the US. Â Although I felt this story was doubtful I let it slide, but I could not get beyond the fact that the supposedly butterflied fish was now fillet ...hmmmm something to hide maybe??? Â If you don't want to be overcharged for a cheaper type of fish while being lied to about what you are actually being served then I would strongly suggest ordering a non-fish option from the menu... or better yet just don't go here.
substandard sushi at best.
Ate here several times out of necessity and their food never tasted fresh. The octopus was chewy, the tuna was fishy and they drowned the food in mayo and sauces to mask the not-so-fresh ingredients.
The prices are OK and the delivery was average but it just didn't standout (in a good way). Shame
I don't really get the 3 star average for this place. Maybe the take-out/delivery experience is different, but in the 6 months I've been in Chicago, I've been back a half dozen times or so for their Saturday happy hours (11am-3pm, 33% off your bill!!!). This is by far the best value for sushi in Chicago (including the plethora of AYCE places which actually cost me more to get to the same level of full with crappier, more rice sushi).
First the non-food praise. For a sushi joint, the decor is very chic and trendy. I'm used to hole-in-the-wall sushi joints in Boston, though I'm sure Sushi Pink's location in the West Loop has something to do with this. The waitstaff are attentive and cute (if you're into that, I'm engaged). The presentation of the food is also snazzy and "modern" (if you're into that, I could care less, the fiancee likes it). As for the sushi itself, they have enough variety to satisfy everyone and the fish is fresh with generous cuts. What more could you ask for? They have this appetizer called "dynamite" which is basically shredded imitation crab meat with spicy mayo with a slight char. As simple as this sounds, I've tried making it several times myself at home, but they just do it so much better here (and I'm no amateur in the kitchen haha).
Anyway, I'm lucky to have such an awesome sushi place that's super affordable just steps outside my place. Maybe people don't know about their happy hour discount on Saturdays since it's usually quite empty whenever I go. I'll have to be more active in promoting this place to make sure they stay open for my benefit.
The food is very "meh". Not bad but just okay. They are pretty pricey and need some combos that are a bit cheaper as options. The bento box at Ai is a much better deal. Biggest turn off? Their tempura shrimp is the same frozen one that one can find at Trader Joes and Whole Foods. Really? A Japanese place that can't make their own tempura?
Review Source:This is my new favorite "take myself out on a date" place. Â I was just walking by, killing time, but also looking for something to eat and stumbled on Sushi Pink. Â Didn't even think it was open because it's so dark and with the neon lights of the businesses around it, it seemed closed...which was perfect for me! Â I had been having a rough week and wanted to be somewhere dark and quiet.
The atmosphere is quaint. Â Black and red and kept dark. Â I had the advantage of being seated so I could watch the Food Network...I was in heaven! Â My server was VERY attentive. Â Knew just when I needed something and when I was just enjoying the moment and relaxing. Â She even gave me a nail file when i asked where I could one nearby for a nail I just broke!
The sushi was really, surprisingly, good! Â I like a thicker cut and the rolls were reasonably priced and delicious. Â The seaweed salad is HUGE! Â I would also recommend the sake-tini :) which went amazing if you like to add a lot of wasabi.
I also LOVED that they bring you an entire huge bottle of distilled water right away. Â I went through the entire thing...which brings me to the lady's restroom. Â One way mirror!!!!! Â It's awesome! Â Would be great for a first date, ladies, so you can see what he's doing while you step away for a moment. Â
I will be back!
Sushi Pink is "okay" and if you live in the Downtown area the free delivery doesn't hurt. For a long time, I was a regular customer, but after a strange run in with the delivery driver and a lack of apology on the owners or managers part ended our business relationship.
Cons -
The edamame is served cold and it tastes like they thawed it out and threw it into your bag.
The delivery driver is rude - with a 20% tip to just bring my food upstairs I'm not sure why he kept insisting that I come downstairs to get my food especially since, he could park in front of my building while he delivered my food free of charge.
The menu is limited
The sushi is cut so thick that you need to request a thinner cut just to keep from feeling like a caveman when you eat.
Pros
If you request a thinner cut your sushi will be perfectly sliced
It's fresh
Sushi Pink is clean and offers a dine in discount if you are a delivery customer.
The sushi here wasn't anything special. I checked it out because I had a groupon and I would not go back. The atmosphere was awkward and quiet. Also the women's bathroom only had a black light for a light and it also had a two way mirror so you could see the entire restaurant while you did your business. This was the worst and most creepy bathroom I have ever used. I was completely disturbed and grossed out.
Review Source:The food is decent. Nothing is wrong with the sushi, but the japanese noodles are pretty flavorless. My major problem with this place is that they don't have any decent sushi combinations. Ordering sushi al'a cart is extremely expensive, especially if you just want some carry out for one person. AND...the only decent combo that they have ($15 Pink Bento Box) they refuse to do to-go for some reason (not cool). The only other sushi combo they have is $25. I'm not about to spend almost $30 (with tax) for some carry out sushi. And if you order two small rolls a'la carte, you're already at $15. In other words, this place does not provide value for the solo, carry-out diner.
I live super close to this place, and despite the convienence, its so unimpressive that I walk 10 minutes to Butterfly Sushi on Madison.
Ever since the closing of Sushi Wabi on West Randolph finding exceptional sushi in an uber-cool place with superior staff has been all but elusive. When my trust sushi-friend and I decided to kick the economy in the rear end and venture out for sushi after a respite, we decided to give Sushi Pink a shot. Little did I know that it would be Sushi Pink that need a shot ... a shot in the arm. What a disappointment. At least I was with friends
We went in the middle of the week, a Wednesday, and while you wouldn't expect a hot summer night the busiest night of the week, the place was teeming with people. But wait, there is barely seating for 20, the other half milling about was the staff. To be fair we were greeted outright and asked if we wanted to sit inside or out. As I am not a fan of sitting in traffic (chairs next to parking meters) I spoke up immediately and said 'inside' ignoring anyone else in the party who, I think, might have been asking to sit outside. Â The waitress was friendly and efficient enough. We ordered edamame and cod cakes. The edamame were smallish and required some vinegar or lemon and, fortunately came with the latter. The cod cakes were deep fried tender cakes abundant with flavor. They were really the stand out of the evening, and I don't attribute that just to the fact they were fried to perfection. Deep golden brown, tender, incredibly flavorful and perfectly seasoned! Exceptional
My Limoncello "Martini" came on the rocks in a rocks glass. My dining companions each ordered a bottle of sake, one served cold and one served warm. By the end of my 'martini' I was ready for another and didn't mind the confusion. The sweet lemon flavors, I thought, would go with the sushi
The nigiri was, overall, a disappointment. The yellow tail (my favorite) was old (as characterized by the flesh falling apart) and the tuna didn't have much flavor, even though it was approaching room temperature. The real problem though was the 'supermarket' rice. You know what I mean: that rice that was made some time ago and is losing its gleam and getting hard. My tuna fell off the rice ball when I picked it up due to the poor quality of the old rice. The soy comes in an olive oil bottle, so don't mistake it, and our bowl of empty edamame shells sat on the table for a while, but, as with many sushi places, clearing the platters comes swiftly when there is still some pink ginger on the platter. You better be quick if you don't want it going back to the kitchen
As noted, the place is tiny and there is no sitting at the sushi bar because it is covered by the same high top tables that fill the space. We were a table of 3 as were the other tables and it was definitely crowded. Of course after our cocktails we had designs on what they could do to make room for more people, but if the quality of the rolls was typical, they don't need to worry about making room for more guests
There was a bit of banter back and forth about whether or not we liked spicy or not. It was determined that if we liked the Ecuadorian roll at Sushi Wabi, we liked spicy and so we ordered the special roll of the evening, which was allegedly spice, and the other two spicy rolls on the menu. There was definitely an amateur artist in the kitchen because the rolls came out looking quiet beautiful ... however, even the Bloody Mary that was touted as being "very spicy" was not hot. Not only wasn't it spicy, it lacked any flavor at all. The sad truth came with the other two rolls. No spice and no flavor ... nevermind no texture. We kept 'insisting' one another that they were behind in getting their fair share. We literally chocked down the last of each of the three rolls. If this had been a great sushi place, that would have simply been the start, but we were done before we were done. I won't be going back to tiny Sushi Pink for old fish, old rice and flavorless maki
Sushi Pink is pretty good. Â It is a cute little restaurant with very good sushi. Â The service, though, was a little on the slow side. Â Still, I left pretty happy.
The main way I get my Sushi Pink, though, has been through GrubHub, and it was perfect until tonight. Â The minimum order of $20 was ok when delivery was free, but all of a sudden, they've started charging me a $5 delivery fee. Â I was pretty unhappy that my formerly free sushi delivery was now $5 more expensive, and I ordered from somewhere else instead (Tatsu). Â While I enjoy their food, the extra money made it just not worth it to order from them anymore.
The food is good, but beware when you order from Grubhub or for delivery that apparently "delivery" just means in the general area of your building. Â They don't want to risk a parking ticket, so they parked on the side of my building and called me to come down. Â I did not realize this was going to happen, and had no idea where they were (as I have had delivery people stopped at the front desk, but never outside the actual building). Â After checking the dock area and the front, I decided I should walk to the street and there he was. Â I guess now I know......but still. Â I would rather they charge a delivery fee and bring it in rather than send me on a goose chase!
I got a bunch of rolls - duck, shrimp tempura, spicy tuna and a veggie roll, all were okay, Â but as noted by a bunch of other reviewers, the rice does fall apart easily.
I went here for lunch for a $13 for $20 GroupOn for it is close to my work. I was not impressed. Maybe living in Lakeview with so many good Sushi places, inclines me to expect a lot. I am not a sushi connoisseur, but it is my understanding  that the roll should stay together when you grab it with your chopsticks, instead of falling all over the plate, table. You have two choices then, leave it or pick up the contents of the inner part of the roll that never made it to your mouth, I chose to leave it.
My coworker had tea, she let me have a sip, very weak and no taste. My noodle dish was too heavy laden with some starchy sauce of sorts.
The decor is cute and I have to say the service is VERY good. The wait staff is friendly and attentive. If I could rate it on service alone it would get 4 stars.
Delicious sushi at great prices! I'm a fan.
I deducted one star as the decor leaves something to be desired. I'm not a huge fan of watching the Bulls while munching on delectable raw fish, and the waitresses don't seem to enjoy wearing the mini kimonos. However, these are minor quibbles and the food more than compensates. I'm hoping to try their delivery service soon!
This place was amazing. I came here on a Thursday at around 3, it was slow but thats ok. The waitress and the bus-girl were both super friendly.
Me and my friend started off with the Maki bomb (spicy tiger shrimp, octopus, crabmeat over california), rainbow (tuna, yellow tail, salmon over california), and chili spicy tuna (fresh tuna with chili sauce). Â They were all exceptionally delicious. The chili spicy tuna was a bit spicy but I like that way and it wasn't too overwhelming. Â It is a nice alternative to the the spicy tuna. I wanted to try something new. We had miso before the rolls came out and it was simply delectable.
Second round: we got the spicy hamachi avo (fresh yellow-tail, avocado with spicy mayo) and the Philadelphia. Â spicy ebi avo (shrimp with avo, spicy mayo).Again absolutely delicious.
I highly recommend this place. You will love it.
Not a bad sushi joint. Decent value and some delicious rolls.
I had hot sake and a bunch of different rolls and the only roll I wasn't in love with was their mexican roll which sounds terrible but isn't actually that bad it's just that the cilantro taste and the crunch inside are too overpowering. (the crunch is from the jalapeno or the cilantro stem or a combination I believe).
Also I thought the waitresses were dressed a little ridiculous for a sushi restaurant.
p.s. they have some pretty cheap sake
Ahh Sushi Pink...I have no idea how this place isn't more busy. Â It's a small place but I have never had to wait even without a reservation. Â I live near Wrigleyville and have made special trips to go to Sushi Pink. Â They constantly have groupons or youswoops...seriously within a day or two of one expiring there is another you can purchase. Â This concerns me that they may eventually close if they can't bring people in without a deal.
The Shiroi brown and S2 are my favorite rolls and a must every time I go. Â The seared tuna on the shiroi brown makes it fabulous and worth the trip. Â I've had several other rolls and everything has been good. Â To be honest my typical dining partner and I tend to get the same thing...so much for variety being the spice of life!
Most of the times the service is good every now and then it can be a little slow especially if is it busy. Â Once it took way to long for our drinks to come but the server apologized so not a huge deal. Â If you realize things are taking longer than they should and own up to it, i'm not going to make a big deal out of it.
Like other reviews have mentioned the women's restroom is odd with the two way mirror and being dark. Â Very odd for sure.
Overall I recommend trying Sushi Pink if you're in the neighborhood.
Very meh. Â I went on a nice day and sat outside with my girlfriend, so I can't comment much on the decor, but the HDTVs they have displaying custom animations about the restaurant as well as the menu are kind of cool.
I found the service to be good, but there were several things that were on the menu and either a) weren't available or b) weren't accurately described. Â Let's start with inaccurate descriptions. Â I ordered a sake flight, which I like to do occasionally when eating sushi. Â The description says that you can pick three of a half dozen or so sakes. Â So, we get to ordering and I start requesting a few I wanted. Â At that point the waitress stopped me and said that I didn't get to choose what I wanted. Â I didn't have a huge problem with that at the time, but it was a bit annoying.
Anyway, we then get to ordering food. Â Everything was fine until I tried to order the "Pink Set Combo for One". Â It's described as basically some chef's choice sushi, a california roll, and miso soup. Â The waitress again stopped me to say that I could not order the combo. Â What? Â It was clearly on the menu, so I wasn't sure what was up. Â Outside the california roll and miso soup, it's their choice what the combo consists of. Â I can't imagine a sushi place running out of miso soup or the ingredients for a california roll, so this was frustrating. Â On top of that, I was hungry. Â I just wanted a lot of sushi in my mouth, and I wanted it fast.
I was forced to search through all the individual rolls and such to piece together my entree as the waitress stood there not being helpful.
Anyway, the food came, and it was fine. Â The seaweed salad was good. Â The udon noodle dish my girlfriend ordered was fine, and my sushi selections also met my expectations. Â I was, however, very disappointed with the sake flight. Â All three sakes they chose were very similar. Â First off, that defeats the purpose of ordering a flight. Â Secondly, sake has so much variety from dry to sweet, cloudy/clear, and hot/cold, etc. that it makes no sense to offer a flight and then serve three very similar sakes (all fairly dry, all cold, all clear). Â I left Sushi Pink with a full stomach, but all of the frustration with trying to order combined with the subpar sake flight really ruined the experience. Â If I go back, I won't be ordering any sake and will come prepared with a backup order in case the first thing I want is mysteriously unavailable.
MY NEW FAVORITE sushi place!!! :)
well i still love sushi para II on clark st. but this one is my current obsession. went here last week with my bestie when i bought the groupon (25 bucks for 50 dollars worth) and although this place is small and doesn't seat a lot, i didn't mind the 30 minute wait. since i parked right outside of the place i just waited in the car w my friend. :) and left my number down so they could call me when they were ready for us.
and since today <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> is having 90% off their things I just saw sushi pink on there and i bought a few! for sure coming back to this place.
I would recommend coming earlier. I went around 9pm last time due to getting off late from work. :)
#1- They have this crab appetizer that is AWESOME! It's kinda spicy, and oh so yummy.
#2-I think the sushi is good. I have my few items I always order, and they keep me happy.
#3-The decor is nice. The servers wore wife beaters (AKA tank tops) or t-shirts. Not the epitome of classy, but whatever; I'm there for the food. The servers are OK, but not spectacular.
#4- I've had a few of the drinks, and they are OK too.
Good atmosphere, good food, friendly service. They don't have the best food around, but for the location and price you pay, it's definitly worth coming here for! and they deliver for free too! My favorite is the lemonade roll.
@Elizabeth A. - 1. if you didn't like the food, why you order more for yourself to eat tomorrow?
2. I highly doubt any restaurant would know who you're ordering the extra food for...it could be for your dying cousin who wanted sushi for their last meal for all they know.
3. putting sushi away for 10 hours and complaining that it's spoiled and have the guts to call the restaurant back is just bad common sense, who doesn't know sushi is not good if you keep it over night?? have you ever even had sushi before?
I will not be returning. Enough said?
The sushi here is sub-par. The atmosphere is sub-par. The customer service is sub-par. All in all, there are WAY too many sushi places in Chicago to waste your time at this one.
As a sort of P.S., my boyfriend and I ordered some sushi to eat while at the restaurant and then also ordered about $20 worth of extra sushi to take home. I opened it the next morning (about 10 hours later) and it was disgusting -- completely spoiled. I wish someone would have told me that I need to eat that shit within like an hour unless I wanted to throw $20 down the drain. I mean really, if you just saw me eat a bunch of sushi and then saw that I ordered a meal's worth of extra sushi, don't you think you could have said something? Â I called the restaurant about this but they never returned my call.
What a pleasant surprise! Connected to my building which is one perk, but quick service and pretty trendy ambiance. I didn't venture too far away from my standard dragon roll with miso soup. it was too my liking.
Moderately priced, and pretty comparable to other sushi restaurants in the area in terms of taste.
They don't have a lot of space inside so on a weekend I would presume there is a long wait. (I've only grabbed a quick bite here during the week so I can't speak on the weekend rush). Plenty of metered parking out front since it's off the beaten path from Randolph street chaos.
Love the water they put on your table. Random, yea I know....but it was one sexy ass bottle of water and I couldn't help but take note!
As a sushi fanatic, I'm always on the lookout for a new favorite spot...Chicago may have plenty of sushi restaurants, but only two have consistently provided excellent sushi and service - and Sushi Pink is one of them.
I LOVE THIS PLACE. New flavors, new combinations, excellent martinis, and excellent service - a MUST go if you love sushi as much as I do. Personal favorites from last night: S2 and the Saketini.
Went with my friend and pretty easy parking. Place is small, but didn't really seem like it since it wasn't busy when we went. High chairs with the tables and booths are cool, but makes it not as kid friendly. Though they did have a patio area outside.
Dynamite - It had a kick to it, but it felt weird just eating it like that. I felt like I needed rice or something to go with it (probably the chinese side in me).
Maki Bomb - I thought it was ok, but lacked flavor.
Wild Animal - My friend liked this because of the scallions whereas I thought it was too overpowering. Just felt like a chinese dish in a bite.
Craby Dragon - I like this the most. Yummy!
Curry Chicken Ten Don - Had a nice curry flavor, but it was just ok.
Bathroom - I was prepared from reading the reviews. It is weird and thank god no one was sitting at the table right next to the window because that would be SUPER WEIRD! I don't know if the light bulb was out of it was suppose to be that dark in there. I don't like going in dark restrooms....boogey man might pop out of the mirror!
Service was good. The waitress was nice. I came with a youswoop and I didn't even have to ask her and she took it and when she gave us the bill at the end - everything was taken care of.
Overall, it's not the best sushi, but also not the worst. Prices are fair, but honestly, I probably would not return unless I had a Groupon/youswoop/you get the point.
I usually order from this place all the time and the food is good.
My 1 star is for non-English speaking drivers. Â I had my food deliver to my work, i was busy in a meeting when i received my delivery call. Â I asked the guy to leave it with security at the front desk. Â He started yelling "come down, delivery", i kept repeating he didn't get the point. Â when i finally left my meeting and went downstairs to get the food I asked why didn't he leave it with security. Â He said parking, parking ticket. Â The guy obviously didn't get the point. Â He would have been in a better position and wouldn't have to deal with parking had he understand what I said in the first place. Â It's okay to delivery food at bldg security, they pickup delivery as courtesy all the time. Â
My worse situation, he was yelling at me - in front of my co-workers..... Â
The owner here needs to hire people who can speak English.... you're in Chicago downtown how can you surive without speaking English? Â If you want more corporate business - service has to improve. Â
You lost my business forever.
A really cute Japanese restaurant! It was definitely more trendy and smaller than I expected, but had a very nice and comfortable experience here. Their high bench seats were very plush and super comfy! I loved it! The high tables were very nice as well.
Service was EXCELLENT here! We were seated immediately and our waitress came by quickly to take our orders. We ordered:
miso soup (delicious, not too salty)
cucumber with seaweed in vinegar sauce (yummie! not too vinegary)
teriyaki ten don with shrimp tempura
dragon roll
crabby dragon roll
spider roll
The rolls tasted good and were covered in sauce. Maybe a little too much sauce? We definitely didnt need soy sauce to eat them. Good food, just a little pricey. Between the two of us, the bills was $64 dollars!
A group of us wanted to do sushi last night so I took reins to choose a new place - we wanted to try something outside of LP so we decided on the West Loop...we were in the mood for trendy, fancy, sushi. Came across Sushi Pink, thought it looked interesting so we called on Thursday for a Friday night reservation. Ended up adding 3 people at the last minute but it was no problem.
I arrived about 10 minutes after my guy friends who apparently knew this place was BYOB (but they do have their own liquor license as well) and was delighted to see that they brought 2 bottles of wine for the group. The server was even kind enough to give us 2 different wine glasses so we wouldn't mix the flavors - way to go!
Between 8 of us we ended up with 20 rolls ranging from the basic California roll to something with steak and duck in it. I myself got the Bloody Mary (spicy) and a spider roll. The spider roll fell apart a little bit but the flavors were all there. The Bloody Mary had this delicious sauce on it and I found it just the right balance between spicy and sweet. I ordered a Ty Tini which was basically vodka, liqueur, and a lime twist - strong! It wasn't the most delicious thing in the world, wouldn't order it again, but it was exactly as what was described in the menu.
It's a small, intimate place. The music wasn't too loud, the lighting was dark but not too dark, and I found the service to be excellent. My only complaint - the women's bathroom has this 2 way mirror that allows for you to look out into the restaurant while peeing, but the people in the restaurant can't see you. Regardless, it's still creepy.
We'll be back because the prices were fair, the service was great, and they were able to accommodate our large(r) group even in such a small setting. Oh, and you can get a $25 gift certificate for $10 on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> (you can even get it for $3 if you use the right coupon code - PUMPKIN is what you can use at the current moment to get an additional 70% your purchases on there).
I don't know why it took be so long to find this place. It's right next to my favorite lunch-time nail place. Now for the review. Ahem...
THEY HAVE JAPANESE CURRY LUNCH SPECIALS FOR $7 and $8 DOLLARS WITH GIGANTIC SCALLOPS AND YUMMY JAPANESE CURRY THAT IS AMAZING IT IS SO GOOD OH EM GEE!!!!!!!!!!! nom nom nom
From the three star Yelp average, I lowered my expectations about Pink, but I gotta say I had a rocking meal. I'm all into creative maki and, at first glance, their selection of rolls doesn't seem that impressive, but somehow my party must have managed to order the most far-out selections they have. Lots of really bold flavors. In a couple of cases, the fish had a bit of a "fishy" taste.
But for me, the show-stopper was the Wild Animal roll.
Wait for it...
Wait for it...
BEEF.
DUCK.
PORK.
Beef, duck and pork maki.
It was the most impressive accomplishment I've seen on a menu in a long time.
And the roll itself was delicious. Beef and pork, we all know that works - bacon burger, sub sandwiches, SPAM, hot dogs. But the duck adds a really interesting undercurrent that takes a couple of seconds to reveal itself. It's actually quite magical.
(Except that one of the pieces actually had a bone in it. Yikes! But not mine, so if that knocks off a star, it won't be from my review.)
We had like sixteen rolls, so I'm trying to remember which ones were good. The Mexican, the Maki Bomb, and some standbys like Spider and Unagi all stood up to us pretty well.
Service was good, if maybe a touch slow at moments. Nothing too severe.
The techno beat of the music was a little annoying, too. The sound system was low and muffled. So throughout the meal what we heard was:
MMF MMF MMF MMF MMF MMF MMF MMF
like there was a party next door or something.
The minor annoyances would not keep me from going back, however. Not as long as they serve the Wild Animal. Seriously, I am going to be dragging my carnivorous posse here forever.
MEAT GOOD.
Well, let's start with the good, shall we?
Pro's:
1. Seriously close to Bon V, so my +1's headed here after the Yelp event!
2. Ample parking. Â West Loop, you rock.
3. Vast Selection of Maki - Crabby Dragon, Maki Bomb, White Snow and Fire Dragon were AMAZING. Â Delicious. Â A++ rating. Â We loved the different combinations of fish on these rolls. Â Creativeness!
4. Coupons! Â 20 bucks off 60! Â Not bad, not bad!
5. BYOB, ya'll - Â $5 corkage fee
Con's:
1. Service needs a little tweaking. Â This place is SMALL (maybe 25 ppl MAX), yet it took so long for us to be served and seated initially. Â It wasn't even crowded on a Friday night.
2. Mochi was $5! Â Overpriced!
3. The bathroom has one of those police station mirror deals - where you can see the tables from inside the bathroom. Â A little disturbing, if you ask me.
4. Sushi Pink isn't really conducive for large groups. Â 3 people is probably the most you should bust up in here with. Â
5. The $20 coupon was only valid AFTER tax, which wasn't stated in the fine print anywhere! Â Full disclosure is appreciated, people.
Food was REALLY yummy here. Â And, our final bill was only about $20 per person - which was pretty impressive considering we ordered about 5 rolls, edamame AND brought wine! Â Cute place in West Loop and I'd be excited to try this place again!
I was here on Sunday night with some friends, and it is a pretty decent spot for sushi in the West Loop.
If you enjoy reasonably priced maki and sashimi, you'll like this place.
If you are the type that is more interested in being seen by other people, while eating overpriced and over-hyped food, you won't like this place.
The ambiance was nice, with an outdoor seating area. The servers were friendly ("irrashaimasen !!!") and attentive throughout the night.
Their sashimi special comes with 15 pieces for $20, a reasonable value. We also enjoyed the Maki Bomb...er maki. A spicy combination, the octopus was just tender enough. We also had the catepillar maki, which I thought was more advocado on top, and not very interesting at all.
I do agree with some people that perhaps a different name, may bring in a different crowd, since it took me awhile before I gave it a try.
So, I had company this weekend. They were all supposed to jet tonight (Sunday), but the youngest got left behind when Chicago's version of Hurricane Ike dropped 6 inches of rain and blocked the Amtrak tracks...
So, here I am at Union Station with a very sweet twenty year old, in need of food and some entertaining.
Me: Do you like sushi?
Her: I've only ever had California rolls from the grocery store.
Me: Are you willing to eat octopus?
Her: Sure.
Me: Great, let's do a little sushi 101.
Obviously, Sushi Wabi is not the place to start...a bit pricey for an intro course. Sushi Pink is just a few blocks from Union Station, with easy street parking (meters), has a pretty cool vibe, and was not busy (it was empty, actually) on a Sunday evening...
As the only table in the house, we had great service. Attentive, quick, everything came out in a flourish. Well presented, perfect.
My stranded houseguest LOVED it, and really...that's all that matters, right? She ate some octopus, we discussed the challenge of stuffing an entire large piece of sushi in one's mouth without appearing "hoggish" and devised a plan to get her back to Michigan in one (dry) piece...
Sometimes, all of the world's problems can be solved with a little raw fish and some soy sauce. Low sodium, of course.
This place is darling, and about half the price of the sushi shops on Randolph. I enjoyed...though, they need a new ipod mix. Someone hook 'em up...and get there quick, they were dead, gotta keep 'em in biz!
Apps:
Edamame: served "blanched" aka COLD. Interesting. I like it hot.
Miso Soup: Large, with a little extra kick. $1.50...excellent deal.
Nigiri:
Tako (octopus): I think it was an entire octopus, VERY big pieces.
White Tuna: I didn't try it, but it got a welcoming reception.
Yellowtail: Very good, smooth finish.
Unagi: Don't look underneath it. Anywhere. Also very large pieces.
Maki:
Special, Dragon: Drenched in sauce, but pretty good.
Philly: The usual, but a bit lighter/fresher...
California: see above.
Unagi/Avocado: per the usual.
Spicy Tuna: "mulched," and I prefer whole pieces of tuna. Not terribly spicy.
This is our first review... The experience alone led us to open a Yelp account and share our dinning details.
After getting the mailer which after first glance looked like a new nail salon had opened (bright pink and black) further exploration and we have a new place for sushi! Â There are many great sushi places in the west loop (e.g. sushi wabi, Izumi) so what would make this place unique or for that matter good. Â Not much. Â
Shortly after placing our order I notice a pungent odor of something between garbage and rotten fish. Â After the odor subsided, our sushi arrived. We ordered a few pieces of sashimi and a few rolls. Â Although the sashimi was generous in portion size it was warm. Unforgivable. Â The two rolls sounded good in concept, but were below average. The tempura was obviously prepared much earlier than our arrival.
I think this place maybe working out their kinks.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
