Hubs and I met some friends here for sushi, with so many sushi places in the city, it is hard to really stand out. First off, it is soooo far from our house (totally not their fault) but I felt like I was in Evanston, ha.
The decor is great and the bar next door looks super cool, I didn't make it in there to check it out but you could kinda see it from the dining room. The sushi was good, I will say though, I am pregnant so could only eat the cooked and veggie stuff, which really limited what I ate. I liked it a lot though! Sushi is always pricey so not sure what others are complaining about. Overall a good experience, the place was packed by the time we left!
I'd probably give it 3.5 stars if I could, but I wouldn't go back unless I was in the area. if I was, I would definitely go there when I was craving sushi!
+ Great, fun location
+ Bar next door
+ BYOB
+ Modern decor
- Wait staff (had to flag 'em down couple times)
-Sushi rolls (Couple of the rolls we ate had some ingredients that did NOT work at all. Either didn't complement each other or was plain weird tasting)
  Bleh to Oedipus Roll  === asked the server what kind of herbs was in this roll, but she was unable to answer my ?. Can't put my finger on it, but the herb was a poor choice ingredient. Completely overpowered the taste of the others.
-spicy miso soup was luke warm & not spicy
-Price $$
Could be a 3 star, but with all the other sushi joints out there, I could get by without Wakamono.
Good sushi here and the space is very nice.
It's definitely not a good value however.  Did take out  last night and realized that their prices have been raised again!  2 simple classic rolls, 1 nighiri and a seaweed salad set me back 30 bucks!!  It seems to me that Wakamono and its sister across the street, Ping Pong, are increasing prices constantly.  They both have reached my threshold on price for value!
For equally good sushi--but not nearly as nice a space for about 20 %less money--try New Tokyo 2 blocks south on Broadway.
My fiance and I both really enjoyed our sushi at Wakamono. The rolls are large and the specialty rolls are creative. They don't overdo the mayo on the spicy rolls, which I appreciate. We received excellent service and enjoyed the ambiance. I took away one star for the price because I think it was a bit more expensive than necessary.
Review Source:This used to be our favorite restaurant in Chicago for sushi because the food is really good. However, Â food is not the only thing that matters in a restaurant. Â Customer service and ambiance are also important. Last night experience at Wakamono was terrible. Â
First of all, we ask if we can sit in a both because it was four of us. The hostess refused to sit us in  the booth because it was for five people.  Are you kidding me? It's Sunday night and your restaurant is empty. Don't you want to make your customer happy ? Â
Second the service was horrendous. The waitresses didn't come once to fill our wine glass or check on us and the restaurant wasn't busy at all. I tried to waive at the waitress several times but she seemed too busy chatting with the other waitress that were doing nothing at the sushi bar.
And last but not least the music. The music was so loud that everyone was screaming because we couldn't hear anything. I asked the waitress if she could turn down the music and maybe change it because no one wants to hear loud rap music on a Sunday night. Â The waitress respond was that it was their NEW CONCEPT.
I am sorry I didn't know that your new concept is to make your customer deaf and pissed off and give horrible service. Just a hint, your CONCEPT SUCKS.
Well its my new Concept, to not tip you or come back at your restaurant.
THE GOOD
*Cool looking place
*Outdoor space
*Responsive wait staff
*Designer take out soy sauce
*Tasty food
THE BAD
*The price
*Too much salt
THE UGLY
*The price
*Too much salt-I sent back an oversalted spinach dish and never saw a replacement
*Cold rice
*Could not tell me if the fish was wild or farmed, organic or not
RECOMMENDATION
*Need a family friendly menu with family friendly prices
*Need to reduce the salt in the sauces
Quickly becoming one of my fav sushi places in the city. Everytime I've been to Wakamono I've had a great experience (now 3 times!).
Appetizers
Edamame - like that it's flavored, makes it a little diff
Tuna Sampler - Super white tuna sashimi is yum! Also includes toro!
Rolls
Mango - REALLY good
Oedipus - Tasty but maybe a tad heavy on the sauce
Spicy tuna - some of the best in the city. BIG chunks of tuna!
Snow White - if you like super white tuna this is perfect!
They are generous with the fish here (not rice heavy rolls). Â Plus their cocktails are also delicious!
First off, let me say the food here is excellent and my friends and I love their drinks. This is the only reason I'm giving them two stars over one.
That said, their service is terrible. Last night my friends and I ate here and experienced several issues:
1) No one took our drink order until we flagged them down and told them we would like to order drinks.
2) After we received our sushi it was 45 minutes until anyone came to our table again. We seriously thought they had forgotten about us.
3) While we were asked if we'd like another drink while waiting for our sushi, which was nice, the entire 45 min we waited for someone to come back to our table we weren't offered another drink.
And the kicker...
My friends and I generally tip 20% everywhere we go. We feel that's standard. In this case we tipped 10% (on the entire bill, including tax and alcohol), which we thought was fair given the quality of our service. Our server immediately came to our table to collect our credit card receipts (so they did know we were there!) and cornered us to ask why we only tipped 10% when they are used to receiving 18-20%. Now, I can see if the server was asking to merely understand what our issues were, but it was obvious she was attempting to pressure us into leaving a better tip. It was uncomfortable. Furthermore, when we explained why we left 10% as opposed to 20% she simply disagreed with us. The conversation ended with her saying "Well thank you very much" and walking away while we were still talking.
It was surprising, to say the least. I would like to attribute the poor service to an isolated incident, but this was really just the ending of a series of visits to this restaurant where we encountered continually declining service.
But, the food is awesome...
Sushi places are popping up like crazy all over the city, so I depend on yelp to let me know where to go. Well, Wakamono stands out and I would highly recommend. Good date spot.
Note: There are 2 doors. One for the bar and one for the restaurant. I did not know this so if you walk into the bar area, don't be immediately worried of the dinginess. The restaurant area is nothing like this.
Appetizers sound delicious but we went with the usual... edamame and seaweed salad. The house blend for the seaweed salad was very refreshing and not store bought. Good start with the complimentary soybeans that are glazed with a teriyaki type sauce.
*wakamono roll 16 - lightly torch-seared tuna & salmon over shrimp tempura, unagi, spicy sauce, daikon sprouts
-A fatty roll, big pieces of lightly seared fish on top. Be aware for ppl with fears of 'raw' fish. This is not your typical Cali roll.
*kani chung roll 12 -king crab, tempura crumbs over spicy albacore tuna, torched
asparagus, unagi sauce, toasted sesame
-One of their most popular rolls, this was very good with the crumbled lump crag on top but I thought the albacore tuna had a weird color. This would bother some, but it tasted phenomenal.
*godzilla roll 14 - shrimp tempura, crab, avocado, cream cheese, spicy unagi sauce, tempura crumbs, wasabi mayo, scallion
-The combination of spicy unagi sauce and wasabi mayo gave this a slight kick that was quite delicious. One of our favorites of the night.
Dale Levitski was seated next to us, so I figure with all the choices for sushi in this area and a Top Chef runner up chooses this place, then it says something. Food was excellent and will be back.
This two star rating is the result of poor service. The food was good-- cucumber salad was delicious and the rolls we got were good as well (though perhaps a bit overpriced.)
My sister and I went for dinner around 6:30. The small dining room was about 1/3 filled so we got seated right away. But then we sat there for at least ten minutes without a server taking our order. Â I finally asked if we had a server, and someone came over to get our drink orders. There were about 10 people flitting around the dining room and everyone else appeared to be taken care of, so this may have been a fluke. If i go back and the service is better I'll change the rating.
My friend and I were seated by the pond. Â The waitress gives you a towel to clean your hands, the towel was cold, which was such a good idea since it was 100 degrees outside. Â We were given complimentary marinated soybeans with sesame seeds. Â It was hard and the taste was off-putting.
Chili calamari- they give you a bunch whole baby squid with tentacles, I liked it, but I prefer the salt and pepper calamari from their sister restaurant across the street. Â
Spicy scallop--I did not try this, but my friend said it was very fresh.
Spicy tako--this has always been one of my favorite rolls, diced octopus with fish eggs and green onions, not particularly spicy, but oh so good.
Gozilla roll--I've never had this one before, it was amazing. Â A lot of different flavors, it just worked.
Hotel California roll--this was my least favorite, you couldn't taste the crab. Â Half of the roll was covered in fish eggs which I liked, but the other half was covered in sesame seeds and had too much rice.
After waka-ing by Wakamono for about a year I decided to step in and give it a chance. I am a sushi lover that really enjoys creative sushi roll combinations when they are done right. First off, for calamari fans this place has a delicious twist on those love-able creatures. The daily sushi special I found to be original and imaginative, and the Peter Parker role was excellent. The atmosphere is relaxing and pretty intimate. Great place for a first date.
For sushi, the cost is about average, not cheap, not expensive. Expect to pay $9-$16 a roll. For two people expect around $50.
The food is delicious. There is a wide variety of maki rolls and every night they have a special one...which my boyfriend and I always try. Even if something is not on the menu (such as my favorite--Tiger roll), they make it for you. I have been to Wakamono at least 30 times and have taken most of my friends there--everyone raves about it and they often return for more.
Their drinks are well worth the cost and the service is efficient and courteous. The only reason why I am rating them at 4 starts, rather than 5 is because we have difficulty understanding the staff at times. If the restaurant is full and you don't want to wait around for a table, I recommend that you sit at the bar and enjoy watching all the sushi/maki making craft.
N'joy!
This gets two stars because the food is incredible.
Based on food alone, it would get easily a 4 star rating from me, yet the service was so mind-blowingly awful that I will never return.
The snarky waitress rolled her eyes at my friend more than once and was very rude to each of us. She took our orders, brought us said orders, then seemed like she was being tortured to do anything else.
Then when the bill came it was not split as we had originally asked and we had to find a different waitress to split our tabs apart (one couple had two bottles of wine and I was certainly not paying for that). The amounts were split properly but the "automatic gratuity" was split evenly, so I ended up paying $5.75 for my California roll (which again, was delicious) then $7.95 for a tip.... how does that make any sense?
I just wish they were a bit more hospitable in every way. I just don't even want to come back, especially with a large group.
I have walked by this place a million times. Â I think I was a bit intimidated by the cool decor and the funny doors, but I am so happy we came here! Â It's our new go-to sushi place. Â
I really like the atmosphere. Â I have a big problem with how gross most of the sushi places in the area look. Â I walk in most places and immediately get worried about the cleanliness of the place,but not here! Â It's so nice and cute! Â A tad more expensive, but worth it.
Enough with all the yuppie nonsense.... despite that being me....
Wakamono in Japanese means "Young Person." Â The place is filled with young people (like me, my friends, my cousins, my dates....)
The restaurant is VERY clean and ambiance is that of an upscale, modern Japanese restaurant. Â It is also great to sit at the sushi bar to watch the chefs.
The place has a full bar. Â A little bar is attached that you can wait in/have cocktails at. The custom cocktails are fantastic. Â I recommend arriving early. Â It is otherwise a long wait to get a table and nearly impossible for a large group.
This place gets credit for having good fish. Â Of the many times I've been, the fish is always fresh (huge points by my standards!) Â
The main reason for my three star rating is that this place is over-hyped, over-done and does not serve much of the classical Japanese sushi. If you are looking for crazy rolls covered in goop and strange things mixed with cheese than this is your perfect dream. If you want real, simple Japanese sushi, this is not your place.
While I'm still sticking at 4-stars, I felt the need to update my review. This really is my favorite sushi in the city... the ambiance of the place, the delicious crab rangoon, the fresh rolls and the amazing drinks (Geisha martini? Yes, please!) all make for a great place.
I take off a star because the wait staff can be a little snotty, the prices are more than I like to pay, and that $8 corkage fee they are charging is highway robbery. Other than that, I love Wakamono!
I made my account specifically to rate Wakamono, and unfortunately it's not favorable.
I ate at Wakamono about a week ago for dinner with my girlfriend, and we had a good time. The food tasted great, the wine was good, and the service was 100% on it's game (In fact, I don't think I could get my water glass halfway empty before the busboy came to refill it).
So what was the problem? Food poisoning! About 5 hours later, I woke up and had to run to the bathroom to vomit up my dinner.
My dinner  = 1 glass of malbec, 1/2 Godzilla roll, 1 Maki Mexicano, and 1 Kani Chung roll.
The only difference between my dinner and my GFs dinner was the Kani Chung roll. Â Thankfully, she avoided this king crab covered time-bomb and was able to take care of me for the next 24-30 hours.
If you want to roll the dice on this place, please avoid the Kani Chung. It could be hazardous to your health!
Wakamono is an OK place to grab some sushi and maybe some alternative dishes if you have friends that are not into sushi. Â I say "OK" mostly because of the location, at Broadway just north of Belmont. The place is attractive with lots of wood and simple decor that looks like it might moonlight as a club after hours. Â However, there is a crazy draft from the door that can really be nasty if you're sitting anywhere near it. Â And the chances of that are good since the place is quite small. Â
There are no reservations so be prepared to wait. Â The servers are *meh*, not exactly nasty, but not very nice either. Â They will, however, give your mother in law a fork to use and have the good grace to not make a funny face, we have learned. Â
As for the fish... well, I guess it's just fish. Â I am spoiled rotten by Sai Cafe which I maintain still has the best fish in the City proper that I've found. Â The pieces for nigiri or sashimi at Wakamono are pretty small, and the quality is just OK. Â They did not have Uni on a Friday around 8 PM, which is odd, but then again I don't remember having uni any time I've been there so perhaps they don't serve it. Â
The rolls are OK, but they are really just dressed up versions of regular rolls with flashy names and some extra sauce or toppings, such as the peter parker roll, which is a fancy spider roll (get it??), and the snow white roll, which is a gussied up tuna roll with some superwhite on top. Â Maybe if I go again we'll order more of the non-sushi items and enjoy the food a little better. Â
At the end of the day, this happens to be a restaurant that happens to serve sushi, but I would not call it a sushi restaurant. Â If you want a pretty place to meet your friends or a date and are OK throwing down some extra cash because you're eating fish, go for it.
I'm going to Sai.
They do not take reservations, so we waited about an hour before our table of 9 was seated. Â We were able to grab a table at Wang's and have drinks while we waited.
Wakamono is BYO Wine - even though they charge $8 corkage, it saves you money. Â They also have a full bar in Wang's - which is connected to Wakamono.
I am not a sushi eater, and I was glad to see that Wakamono had non-sushi options. Â I ordered beef and rice, which was quite good. Â My friends liked the sushi they ordered. Â It was reasonably priced and the service was speedy.
It is a pretty low key restaurant - except for the bathrooms. Â The music in the bathrooms was blasting.
wakamano is pretty good, but it still left me wanting more. Granted, I got takeout from here so I didn't have the chance to order up some more stuff, but that's just how it was.
I needed to itch a sushi scratch and so I called them up for takeout soon after they opened. They said 15 minutes, well, it was faster than that (and fine by me). I wasn't in as big of a roll mood and I wanted to focus more on pieces of fish. I got some hamachi and king crab. The hamachi was very good and they did a good job of giving me two nice pieces of crab. The cut of hamachi wasn't as big as I was expecting though. It was a bit of a bummer and there wasn't that much rice with it too. Still, it's hamachi and that is always a good thing for me.
While I did say that I wasn't in as big of a roll mood, that doesn't mean that I didn't order up some maki rolls. I got some spicy tuna and the sauce that was with it was really good. It had enough heat for me to notice it but not be overbearing. The tuna was pretty good, but it wasn't the best that I've had. The rolls were also on the smaller side as well.
Wakamono is pretty good. While I enjoyed what I had, I was wanting for more from the portions. Hard to complain as the prices were pretty good for the fish, but all I kept thinking is that I should've ordered more or that I should be more filled.
I really enjoyed this sushi restaurant! Great atmosphere and service. I went with one other person on a Thurs at 8:30pm--we were told ten min and only waited five.
Fantastic hamachi-- fresh, flavorful, and generous cut. The Wakamono and Oedipus rolls were unique and exciting, again with fresh ingredients, and were not overpowered with too much sauce. The presentation was appealing and also space saving (the tables in this place are tiny). A (small) bottle of sparkling sake set us back $10, but it was a very nice compliment to the meal.
They lose points for the over zealous water filling busers-- we had a pitcher of water on the table so there's no need to attack my glass every 3min while its still 3/4 full. It's also a pretty pricey restaurant, which I could see for some of the items, but every item on the menu is at least $8.
I recommend this place because of quality, but get ready to spend a pretty penny.
One word: Overrated.
I was so excited to finally try this place out with my friends. Â I have only heard of good things. Â Waiting I was looking at the food, it all looked great and the atmosphere is trendy and "tranquil", BUT after all of that I left with a bitter taste in my mouth.
The rolls were way over priced for my liking. Â I'm not cheap by any means but I believe rolls should be at least reasonable to the amount comparable to the fish/rice ratio. Â Another thing I didn't appreciate was the $8 cork fee for EACH bottle you opened. Â Needless to say, my friends and I didn't open any of the 5 bottles we brought there [good thing we live down the block].
However, my food was alright and I ate it although it was overwhelmed by the bitterness of prices and fees. Â The service was good as there were about 3 serving our table of 8.
Hatsu-Hana anyone?
1 Ginger martini, 2 Ginger martini, 3 Gin... Had to stop there- as they got progressively stronger. A perfectly balanced drink with just the right amount of kick. I'd come back for this drink alone.
This is definitely a place to see and be seen. People watching at it's finest (and I'm a coniseur of all places to people watch). The atmosphere is understated and sexy. Monotone wood grains and a simple host stand. I dined inside, but there is a patio with a decent amount of tables.
Service was a bit... Amplified. We had three people waiting on us who would all stop by and ask the same question within minutes of each other. But hey! A martini glass was never empty and a finished plate never sat for long. Â Hold on tight to that glass if you're not done! It'll be whisked away before you can take that last sip.
I had a seaweed salad, hamachi, and a Dragon Roll. I don't enjoy when eel over powers a roll... But this one was terrific.
Officially added to my list of top sushi destinations.
Bumpity bump to 5 fabulous fish stars!
Because I don't live anywhere near Wakamono, I haven't been back since my most excellent sushi experience in the spring, but I was at a friend's house in Lakeview last night and since I'm on this crappy diet, my dining out options are pretty limited. Â I can, however, have sushi (as long as it isn't the fried/cream cheese/mayo/tempura variety sushi).
One quick trip to <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgrubhub.com&s=c077f445c0f58c01f902dcc624c9eabb729cc1501e9105e88f0c900f5943d1fc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://grubhub.com</a> garnered the knowledge that my sweet, sweet Wakamono delivers! Â OMFG. Â Thank you, Grub Hub. Â You're off my shit list.
We dove into the spicy tuna roll and the California roll. Â Yeah, yeah. Â I know. Â Not the most exciting options, but I know they're good and they don't have all of the "bad" sushi components I'm trying to avoid. Â
I dug the California roll (yay veggies), but the real star was the spicy tuna roll. Â Just the right amount of heat combined with a most excellent, non-fishy tuna made for pure sushi bliss. Â Wakamono also does a great job of making sure their sushi roll slices are bite sized, so there's no issue with the roll falling apart while you're trying to eat it. Â Sloppy sushi? Â No thanks!
Finally, the take-out presentation was immaculate. Â Our fish arrived chilled, our miso soup was piping hot, the wasabi and ginger were in cute little tin foil packages and the soy sauce came in these teeny tiny little bottles. Â Much easier than dealing with ripping open packets of soy sauce, eh?
Wakamono - I give you 2 giant sushi thumbs up!
Well, well, well, my new favorite sushi place in Chicago (thanks for the suggestion Brett!). Â Sadly I am out of their delivery radios. Â Oh well, I don't mind making the trek up north to pick up Wakamono's yummy raw fish.
Like every other sushi place in Chicago, it is not cheap ($70ish for a full meal for two). Â However, the rolls are creative, the fish is fresh and taste is just amazing. Â Worth it, in my opinion, for a great dinner. Â
My favorites include their jalapeno miso soup, Â gyoza, sashimi platter (the large is nice for splitting), the yellow tail jalapeno maki and the spicy trio roll. Â My boyfriend was a big fan of the sweet potato roll (tempura sweet potato and cream cheese) and the yo lo mango roll (spicy salmon and asparagus wrapped with mango).
Yum yum yum. Â I am very happy to have found such a great sushi place where I foresee myself spending a good chunk of my paycheck. Â I am looking forward to my next experience here- take out or dine in!
When done properly, fresh, innovative spins on familiar classics are fantastic. Take, for example, Exhibit A: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DwE-St7cfoKo&s=e46c937c8ec1881c02f93b93e8d5c3f86c224a814cb14ce0321225b41397c1f4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
Now wipe the saliva off your chin. Videographer : Mariah Carey :: Wakamono : Sushi.
This review has been on my list to complete for months now. The highlights from my first visit: Kani Chung Roll with fresh crab meat hand picked out? Fantastic, and beautifully prepared. The Emerald Roll of yellowtail, asparagus, cucumber, avocado - again, great, and points for presentation. Finally, Wakamono Roll: lightly torch-seared tuna & salmon over shrimp tempura, unagi, spicy sauce, daikon sprouts. As their signature roll, I was a little disappointed because it wasn't anything unique, but it too was delicious.
Overall the fish was very fresh, the place was hopping, and we BYOB'ed like mad with a ton of wine. The corkage fee is $5/750mL, a small price to pay for cheap imbibing en masse.
On my second visit two girlfriends and I had some time to kill beforehand while we waited, so we had some drinks in Wang's bar in the left room. The Lychee Martini is beautiful and apparently a great drink. I settled for a Kirin Light.
For appetizers, we split a Crisp Shiitake Ravioli with Pork & Shrimp and some Edamame. The ravioli were savory, but definitely more like fried dumplings than "crisp" ravioli. As for the sushi, we ordered the Peter Parker Spider Roll, a Dragon Roll, and a Salad Roll...all of which were great. Don't be put off by the high price per roll, as each are pretty large in size. My personal favorite: the Salad Roll. Though it had no fish, it still tasted fantastic - tomato, avocado, spinach and brown rice in a fresh ginger sauce that was perfectly savory.
Music was fun but not intrusive, and it was a full house on a Sunday night (we waited for half an hour for our table). But when a restaurant executes and presents dishes well, it's understandably popular, just as this trendy Lakeview locale is.
I believe in second chances.
I believe that delivery does not indicate an overall dine-in experience.
I believe in the power of raw fish.
I believe I stand corrected. Sigh. Yes, you heard me.
MUCH improved when sitting at one of their rustic looking wood tables, surrounded by a buzzin' Boystown crowd. (Seriously, Tuesday night and not an empty table in the hizzzzouse, but not to fret...tables turn relatively quickly).
Ok, so elements not able to be derived/judged from delivery:
1. Swell martini selection from neighboring/adjoined Wang's. I sampled the Green Tea and it was...zen-magical, ooooo ahhhh, yep. Orchid to boot? Well done, Wangy's!
2. Decor: sleek, yet warm. Browns abound, classy, sophisticated. Indeed.
3. Still BYOB. Way to be Waka...offering a full bar and still indulging BYOB'ers scores you a few points most def.
4. Dance party in the bathroom. Seriously, they pump that music in full volume, so have some fun doing your biznassssss. ;) Joking, but it's terribly loud...and consequently hilarious juxtaposed to the chill vibe of the dining room.
5. Stellar service, friendly, knowledgeable, quick...
6. The sushi tastes good. Bonus! (delivery, no no). I had the Chef's Sashimi 10 piece: divine. I have no idea what most of it was, but the tuna, salmon and super white tuna baby was fanfishingtastic.
7. Hot hand towels before the meal, or if you spill soy sauce all over yourself...score!
8. Cucumber water. Why don't I do this at home!? It's so simple, yet perfect. Again, a great touch.
Ok, so yes...I stand corrected. I still will never order delivery but I would most definitely return to Wakamono....with a trip to Wang's before/after for the trifecta of taste.
Oh, Wakamono.
I hate do to it. Â Really, I do.
But, I'm downgrading you one star. Â *sigh*
Nadina D. decided she wanted to have her birthday dinner here. Â Yes, there were 11 of us. Â Yes, Wakamono is small and ALWAYS crowded. Â But, c'mon. They told us the wait would be '10 minutes' at 7:30. Â But, 10 minutes passed and another 10 minutes passed....Yeah, we were seated an HOUR later. Â
They originally told us that we could be seated at the two larger tables by the windows, but....clearly, that didn't happen. Â They claimed that our entire party wasn't there, even though we all were! Â So, instead, they sat people that were waiting significantly less than us. Â Shady.
Waitresses here are generally surly. Â That hasn't changed. Â Plus, they didn't give us menus until we were seated for like 10 minutes. Â But, they did make a nice gesture and gave our entire party glasses of champagne - on the house. Â
Food is good, though, as always. Â The Fire Dragon and the Mango maki (both $12) are really good. Â Plus, they gave us each a separate plate with our respective orders...so, that was nice. Â But, not nice enough to make up for the bitchiness earlier in the night. Â The hostesses really need to get a clue!
So, please don't consider coming to Wakamono is you have a big group. Â You'll just give yourself and your party huge headaches. Â A max of 4 people is best.
BYOB - $5 fee/bottle.
Hey, Wakamono? Â Thanks for the worst dining experience I've ever had. If I were being forced to come back, I'd find the nearest dull butter knife and stab myself in the sternum, repeatedly, until I punctured something important.
Â
Remember us? Â We were a happy party of six calm, eager, and hungry diners. Â We bought drinks (6) in the bar while we waited (30-40 minutes). Â Everything was going great. Â And hey, cool fog machine!
We sat down. Â "Corkage fee, ten dollars," the waitress said, pointing at our bottles of wine.
"It says on your menu that the corkage fee is $5?" we inquired.
"Your bottles big," she explained.
We point out: "There is nothing on the menu, or online, that stipulates different pricing for different bottle sizes."
Waitress shrugs like she has no idea what could be wrong with us, yeah because who wouldn't want to pay $10 to uncork a $12 bottle of wine? Â We're not idiots: if that were an established policy (Coast, for example, has a detailed BYOB policy on every page of their menu) we would have went with it, fine. Â But this seemed a little fishy, so we decided to ask about the 100% markup of what was PRINTED ON YOUR MENU.
So a manager comes over. Â We were all super intimidated by his giant dragon necklace and crossed-arms. Â "WHAT?" He yelled at us.
A brave member of our party stepped up to discuss the corkage fee with him. Â The rest of us carried on dinner conversation, leaving the two of them to work something out. Â
I'm thinking any more than two minutes is too long to be discussing a FIVE DOLLAR discrepancy of something that DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS what is printed on your menu. Â I'm also thinking hey, there's six of us, we're about to spend a lot of money on sushi, just spent money in your bar, do we really need to argue about five dollars? Â Why don't you work with us? Maybe we compromise, how about $7.50 corkage fee since you didn't print it on menu? Â
Nope, we're told (among other things) "You don't HAVE to eat here."
Although this was rude and he literally rolled his eyes and flipped his diagonal bangs at us, we didn't feel like getting up and starting the whole Friday night wait over again. Â So we agreed to the $10 corkage fee and sent one of our bottles off to be uncorked. Â
Then we laughed, and because they were so rude to us for asking about something, again, that was printed on their menu, we make jokes like "let's not try the blowfish ha ha" and "good thing gratuity is included ha ha." Â
At this point, the bottle has been uncorked, poured, and we are raising our glasses in a toast, discussing what to order and other relevant new topics, when a second manager comes over, and yells, "I'M GOING TO HAVE TO ASK YOU TO LEAVE." Â
This new, tight-flesh-colored-tee-wearing, manager shouts that he is worried about our "attitude" and some mysterious "threats" he overheard. Â
We are all floored. Â FLOORED. Â Half of the table didn't even know what was going on. Â Was this still about the corkage fee? Â Yes. Â Now he wanted to talk about it, as well as somethings he heard (while eavesdropping? what?) Â
A lot of things are said. Â We remain calm and still maintain having only one person out of the six speak at a time, trying to avoid a scene. Â I am silently sipping my wine and listening to things like: Â
US: Â "Are you kicking us out because we questioned something printed on your menu? You do realize that we just agreed to it? Â See we're drinking?"
MR. MANAGER: Â "We heard you were threatening to take the corkage fee out of the waitress' tip."
US: Â "How would we even do that? Â Gratuity is included."
Mr. Manager, meet Logic. Â Also, perhaps you should check your wiretapping devices?
US: Â "I've never been treated like this by a restaurant before."
MR. MANAGER: Â "Oh really? Â Maybe we've never had CUSTOMERS like you before!"
Oooh nice burn, Mr. Manager!
US: Â "I guess we should have listened to those yelp reviews about the rude service."
Mr. Manager: Â "YELP YOUR HEART OUT! YELP YOUR LIFE AWAY!"
Will do, Mr. Manager, thanks. Â
Meanwhile, during all of this, the waitress comes over and puts the $10 corkage fee bill on our table.
I shudder to think of what might happen if you say, send back a roll here. Â Has anyone done this? Â What happens? Â Do they cut off your hand? Â Do they listen to everyone's conversation and make accusations accordingly? Â Is this communist dining?
They ended up comping our $10 corkage fee, but considering I didn't even finish drinking one glass... I don't know, I guess that was the highlight of the experience?
Anyway, I'd rather spend an evening licking a public water park locker room floor clean than be subjected to this freakshow again.
Wakamono? More like WHACKamono!
I think I finally know whom the Godzilla Roll is named after.
Upon a recent visit to Wakamono -- a place I've frequented a few times, only because of its close proximity to my apartment -- I had my ass served to me by a snatchy little host who came over to yell at my entire table for taking too long to eat (a little more than an hour).
"NOT TO BE RUDE, BUT YOU HAVE TO LEAVE!" he screached. "WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE WAITING!"
When we pointed out that, actually, that is kind of rude, he responded: "NO, NOT REAAALLY!"
I don't know if he was feeling the pressure of not being able to manage his restuarant or if it was the pressure of his too-tight, mod-style man's kimono, but I have never witnessed (let alone been a part of) such a scene at a restaurant. Generally speaking, when a customer drops a Benjamin after three rounds of sushi and two flights of wine, you might want to treat him with a little respect.
Not this place. Its only redeeming quality is the bathroom, where you can feel like a teenager all over again, who, having just been scolded by Mom, runs away to his room to drown out the awkward tension through an overbearing bass.
Oh, and while you're there, just flush that hundred right down the toilet.
If you must wait for a table, be sure to grab a sexy drink at Wang's while you kill time. Â You'll enjoy yourself and in no time, be headed next door, literally, for some good sushi. Â
I was intrigued by the varieties of combinations and enjoyed that they had several "chef's choice" options. Â When I'm indecisive about what sushi I want, letting someone else make my choices is certainly the way to go. Â I was game for it and the sushi chef impressed me by the selection that was served up. Â All of it was delicious, fresh, and none of it on the skimpy side. Â I'd highly recommend going that route, especially if you're feeling a little adventurous and not a picky eater.
My favorite menu item was a fantastic take on miso soup. Â This version had jalapenos! Â I loved it even though the miso itself was not spectacular. Â The great combination of miso and jalapeno was a soy-spicy match for life. Â It added that perfect extra kick to ready me for plenty of wasabi later on!
The menu ranged in prices, many on the pricier side. Â I was pleased to see I could make it work on a budget without breaking the bank completely. Â The BYOB option helps!
This is a good spot to go with a small group or a date. Â Either way, I'll definitely be back with a bottle or two of my favorite beverage!
With a sushi-loving friend visiting from L.A., I finally had the perfect opportunity to try Wakamono. We stepped into the chic eatery and were seated within minutes. The muted lighting sets the stage for a romantic dinner or in our case, a relaxed atmosphere in which to catch up with a longtime friend.
Walking in with a brown paper bag (contents: La Crema Pinot Noir) felt a bit gangster considering the sophisticated setting, but it took me only about 2 minutes to get over it. Wakamono is BYO which presents the consummate excuse to splurge on a nicer bottle of wine. Spending $20-$25 is almost negligible when you consider you'd be paying in the $50-$75 range with the requisite restaurant mark-up!
We ordered the tuna dip with avocado and wonton crackers as our first course. Delectable, honest-to-goodness bliss of an appetizer. Next, we ordered two 'contemporary maki' rolls: the Snow White roll (super white tuna and avocado) and the Make Mexicano (yellowtail, cilantro, jalapeno, spicy sauce, avocado, and lime). Both were fresh and ingeniously divine-- the Mexicano was a little heavy on the cilantro but nonetheless fantastic.
Everyone was chatty compliments of their own heavy pours of vino, but the music was never overly loud (contrary to what many of the other reviews mention). Our server, while more than satisfactory, was a bit aloof and didn't refill our water once she dropped off the check. And I was parched, courtesy of the spicy Mexicano maki!
Can't wait to return and make my way through the beautiful Wakamono's repertoire of imaginative maki. Hopefully better service will catapult the experience to one deserving of 5 stars. Even their website is flawless-- check it.
Pretty place. Â I enjoyed myself thoroughly.
This was a "third date" location, and I was super nervous. Â I was all "does my hair look good?" "do I have on too much cologne?" "is he going to judge me because I eat kosher?"
All of that aside, I braved the evening when I started by ringing his buzzer. (no not that one, that was later). Â We met down stairs, and he had a great bottle of red wine from some trendy wine shop.
We walked there from his place, and a table for 2 had about a 5 minute wait. Â Lucky for us.
We are both tall, and thin, and gorgeous...sadly this place is small, and stout, and has close tables. Â Outside of hearing everyone's conversation (which is usually fine with me because I am so damn nosey) I tried hard to focus on us. Â He ordered, and didn't bat an eye when I said no to eel, squid, and crab.
The bathrooms are small and clean, and they had a coat check, which was good because I wear a big coffee colored wool jacket with horn buttons. Â It's totally cute, and everyone wants to steel it.
We had lots of good sushi, and they did cork our wine for us. Â They served us out of plastic cups, which surprised both of us...that aside, the music was good, the atmosphere was just right, and best of all the food was super delish. Â We started with edimame - and moved into our rolls - which I think we ordered too many of, but in a show of respect, we ate all of them. Â
Even though I worried he would think I was a pig. Â
He didn't. Â
And I got lucky after dinner.
I totally suggest trying this place out.
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