Best sushi I've had outside of Japan! Sometimes, omakase and high-end sushi spots try to get too crazy with their menu, but KND is simple, focusing on the quality of the dish. Our chef was very skilled and gave us a rundown of where they acquire all their fresh ingredients. The sake also paired wonderfully with the sushi. Our 16-course omakase was the perfect amount. A great place for a special occasion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Iza Noor
Amazing attention to detail. Great rice and other ingredients. Great people!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Matt Taflinger
The best omakase restaurant in the entire city. There is an immense focus on how the fish is prepared and where it is sourced vs loading it with toppings to elevate the quality which is common among other omakase restaurants in the city. Jorge our chef was extremely knowledgeable and friendly making the experience interactive and intimate. The ambience is amazing with a staggered service and only two rounds of service a night, so it’s never too loud and a great spot to bring a significant other. Could not say enough amazing things about Kyoten Next Door, will absolutely be coming back, worth every penny.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
C C.
Service was good and attentive. Place itself is standard but huge downside is the door opens up directly to the bar where you're sitting to eat, which I find quite strange. The sushi chef seemed like an amateur and I wonder if they do that on Sundays to test out new people. The quality of the fish was just terrible. It had that awful aftertaste that you get with poor quality fish. For the price, I definitely wouldn't return. Now I probably won't try Kyoten either out of fear that the even higher price tag may have equally bad quality.
Ann X.
I'll be dreaming about this for a while tbh. What a great experience and perfect spot to celebrate something special. Everything was delicious, fresh, (and more importantly for me with omakase), super filling.
Caitlin M.
There are other better omakases in Chicago. Having formally studied in Japan, I prefer my sushi to be very traditional. The sushi was too wet with vinegar. The rice, which is such an important part of sushi, needed more care. However, each portion of fish was very generous in size. The most disappointing part to me was the service. The chef was not very hospitable or cordial. He would start talking about a dish without first drawing the party's attention to him. If you asked him to repeat something or for a clarification, he would respond in an annoyed tone, "As I stated before..." The service lacked the showmanship that you would typically receive with an omakase.
Paul Solomon
Off the charts omakase experience. Great work Chef Otto! Sprint, don’t walk to eat here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Will Chen
This place is honestly on par with some of the best places in New York, and infinitely more affordable. Love the design as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Krystina H.
Over the weekend (in below freezing temps) we had the pleasure of dining downtown at Kyoten Next Door and enjoying the beauty and simplicity of Chef Otto Phan's 15-course Omakase. He not only walked us through each bite, but his knowledge and passion for his pure ingredients was evident. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and his personal anecdotes and conversations with us made the evening even more memorable. The flavors, presentation, and attention to detail make this $159/person culinary experience more than worth it (that's basically $10.60/course, not including our dessert bonus course)!
Jung L.
I love this place. Everything about this place is amazing. The store (kyoten) is also phenomenal place. This place is a gem in Chicago.
Everything about this experience was perfect. The best omakase I’ve had in Chicago!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eddie C.
I heard a ton about Kyoten as well as Kyoten Next Door and thought Next Door would be a perfect place to celebrate an anniversary with my lovely wife. The location was beautiful in it's simplicity and limited seating, so that was a real plus starting the meal! Also Mugi was a great sushi chef, patiently explaining what we were about to eat as well as how they prepared ingredients, including their rice, and his favorite Korean restaurant in the city (it's Cho sun Ok)! I'll just list out what I remembered the menu consisted of and provide some accompanying pics before I give my overall thoughts. -New Zealand salmon -Madai. Red snapper -Golden eye snapper -Shimaji. Strip Jack Makeral -Hamachi -Buri. Mature hamachi -Alamo. Blue fin tuna. Cold smoked -Otoro: My piece was tendony -A5 wagyu. Chewy -Hotate. Scallop cured in salt -Aji. Makeral. So tender -Saba. Black cod -Fudomaki -Shirashi tamagi. -Tamago. Maple syrup. Corn. Extra: -Uni Overall, I really enjoyed the meal, although the two things that prevent me from making it a 5 star experience are: 1) would have loved to see more creativity with what could be done with the fish/sushi. I know the style of sushi at Kyoten focuses on the simplicity, but with this many pieces, I personally would have appreciated a few that took the fish to another level 2) this is the bigger issue regarding the two sushi pieces that should have been the stars of the meal, the Otoro and the Wagyu. Instead of perfect pieces, mine's were marred by tendon in the fish and the less than buttery texture in the meat. Given this experience, I'm hesitant to shell out for the full Kyoten meal given its astronomical price, but I was happy this is meal, for the most part.
Vincent Y.
Amazing sushi classics! Refined tasting menu, top tier ingredients, and delicious. Chef serves on Sundays and I it's a treat to watch him work his craft.
Bessy T.
The last course was a HUGE surprise This is the sister restaurant of Kyoten , that's $440/$490. Kyoten is known for their rice, one of 3 chefs in US using a unique imported Japanese rice. They are also known to use ONLY wild caught & imported fish (that's why it's so expensive ) Kyoten Next, is much much more affordable at $159 for 17 courses (yes I counted). Sometimes they have 20ish courses depending on what's seasonal and fresh They opened in April 2023 I remember moving here and trying to figure out why sushi was so expensive yet have such a small selection here. In Hong Kong, I can have a whole sushi meal for $20 Then I had to remember, we don't live next to the sea. So it's going to be harder no matter what. To fly fresh fish from the sea here! Highlights of Kyoten Next Only 2 seatings per night, not too rushed huge pieces of fish Fantastic for first-timers , they explained everything really really well Imported selections from New Zealand, Japan Intimate beautiful decor very affordable for Chicago at this quality Scored fish to maximize surface area for soy sauce Whole meal King salmon from new Zealand Smoked ocean trout from New Zealand Japanese red snapper with lemon Shima aji (between Amberjack or white trivoli) Young yellow tail dry aged for one week Fully mature yellowtail wild caught , leaner & more Umami . Dry age for 1.5 week and cold smoke Wild caught blue fin from Boston Akami Otoro (w/ red vinegar rice aged 5 years ) Aged a5 Miyazaki Wagyu Hokkaido scallop , shito dashi, lemon juice, yuzu kosho, Aji Uni from Hokkaido Gindara sable fish Futoomaki "High end kimbap" Sushi roll, yellow tail tuna avocado The best Tamago egg custard I've had in my life. If you like Flan or Japanese Egg Custard, you're going to be BLOWN AWAY by this Book on Resy Kyoten Next 2513 W Armitage More food @biteswithbessy on instagram
Best sushi I've had outside of Japan! Sometimes, omakase and high-end sushi spots try to get too crazy with their menu, but KND is simple, focusing on the quality of the dish. Our chef was very skilled and gave us a rundown of where they acquire all their fresh ingredients. The sake also paired wonderfully with the sushi. Our 16-course omakase was the perfect amount. A great place for a special occasion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing attention to detail. Great rice and other ingredients. Great people!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The best omakase restaurant in the entire city. There is an immense focus on how the fish is prepared and where it is sourced vs loading it with toppings to elevate the quality which is common among other omakase restaurants in the city. Jorge our chef was extremely knowledgeable and friendly making the experience interactive and intimate. The ambience is amazing with a staggered service and only two rounds of service a night, so it’s never too loud and a great spot to bring a significant other. Could not say enough amazing things about Kyoten Next Door, will absolutely be coming back, worth every penny.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Service was good and attentive. Place itself is standard but huge downside is the door opens up directly to the bar where you're sitting to eat, which I find quite strange. The sushi chef seemed like an amateur and I wonder if they do that on Sundays to test out new people. The quality of the fish was just terrible. It had that awful aftertaste that you get with poor quality fish. For the price, I definitely wouldn't return. Now I probably won't try Kyoten either out of fear that the even higher price tag may have equally bad quality.
I'll be dreaming about this for a while tbh. What a great experience and perfect spot to celebrate something special. Everything was delicious, fresh, (and more importantly for me with omakase), super filling.
There are other better omakases in Chicago. Having formally studied in Japan, I prefer my sushi to be very traditional. The sushi was too wet with vinegar. The rice, which is such an important part of sushi, needed more care. However, each portion of fish was very generous in size. The most disappointing part to me was the service. The chef was not very hospitable or cordial. He would start talking about a dish without first drawing the party's attention to him. If you asked him to repeat something or for a clarification, he would respond in an annoyed tone, "As I stated before..." The service lacked the showmanship that you would typically receive with an omakase.
Off the charts omakase experience. Great work Chef Otto! Sprint, don’t walk to eat here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is honestly on par with some of the best places in New York, and infinitely more affordable. Love the design as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi
Over the weekend (in below freezing temps) we had the pleasure of dining downtown at Kyoten Next Door and enjoying the beauty and simplicity of Chef Otto Phan's 15-course Omakase. He not only walked us through each bite, but his knowledge and passion for his pure ingredients was evident. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and his personal anecdotes and conversations with us made the evening even more memorable. The flavors, presentation, and attention to detail make this $159/person culinary experience more than worth it (that's basically $10.60/course, not including our dessert bonus course)!
I love this place. Everything about this place is amazing. The store (kyoten) is also phenomenal place. This place is a gem in Chicago.
Restaurantji Recommends
Everything about this experience was perfect. The best omakase I’ve had in Chicago!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I heard a ton about Kyoten as well as Kyoten Next Door and thought Next Door would be a perfect place to celebrate an anniversary with my lovely wife. The location was beautiful in it's simplicity and limited seating, so that was a real plus starting the meal! Also Mugi was a great sushi chef, patiently explaining what we were about to eat as well as how they prepared ingredients, including their rice, and his favorite Korean restaurant in the city (it's Cho sun Ok)! I'll just list out what I remembered the menu consisted of and provide some accompanying pics before I give my overall thoughts. -New Zealand salmon -Madai. Red snapper -Golden eye snapper -Shimaji. Strip Jack Makeral -Hamachi -Buri. Mature hamachi -Alamo. Blue fin tuna. Cold smoked -Otoro: My piece was tendony -A5 wagyu. Chewy -Hotate. Scallop cured in salt -Aji. Makeral. So tender -Saba. Black cod -Fudomaki -Shirashi tamagi. -Tamago. Maple syrup. Corn. Extra: -Uni Overall, I really enjoyed the meal, although the two things that prevent me from making it a 5 star experience are: 1) would have loved to see more creativity with what could be done with the fish/sushi. I know the style of sushi at Kyoten focuses on the simplicity, but with this many pieces, I personally would have appreciated a few that took the fish to another level 2) this is the bigger issue regarding the two sushi pieces that should have been the stars of the meal, the Otoro and the Wagyu. Instead of perfect pieces, mine's were marred by tendon in the fish and the less than buttery texture in the meat. Given this experience, I'm hesitant to shell out for the full Kyoten meal given its astronomical price, but I was happy this is meal, for the most part.
Amazing sushi classics! Refined tasting menu, top tier ingredients, and delicious. Chef serves on Sundays and I it's a treat to watch him work his craft.
The last course was a HUGE surprise This is the sister restaurant of Kyoten , that's $440/$490. Kyoten is known for their rice, one of 3 chefs in US using a unique imported Japanese rice. They are also known to use ONLY wild caught & imported fish (that's why it's so expensive ) Kyoten Next, is much much more affordable at $159 for 17 courses (yes I counted). Sometimes they have 20ish courses depending on what's seasonal and fresh They opened in April 2023 I remember moving here and trying to figure out why sushi was so expensive yet have such a small selection here. In Hong Kong, I can have a whole sushi meal for $20 Then I had to remember, we don't live next to the sea. So it's going to be harder no matter what. To fly fresh fish from the sea here! Highlights of Kyoten Next Only 2 seatings per night, not too rushed huge pieces of fish Fantastic for first-timers , they explained everything really really well Imported selections from New Zealand, Japan Intimate beautiful decor very affordable for Chicago at this quality Scored fish to maximize surface area for soy sauce Whole meal King salmon from new Zealand Smoked ocean trout from New Zealand Japanese red snapper with lemon Shima aji (between Amberjack or white trivoli) Young yellow tail dry aged for one week Fully mature yellowtail wild caught , leaner & more Umami . Dry age for 1.5 week and cold smoke Wild caught blue fin from Boston Akami Otoro (w/ red vinegar rice aged 5 years ) Aged a5 Miyazaki Wagyu Hokkaido scallop , shito dashi, lemon juice, yuzu kosho, Aji Uni from Hokkaido Gindara sable fish Futoomaki "High end kimbap" Sushi roll, yellow tail tuna avocado The best Tamago egg custard I've had in my life. If you like Flan or Japanese Egg Custard, you're going to be BLOWN AWAY by this Book on Resy Kyoten Next 2513 W Armitage More food @biteswithbessy on instagram
Amazing omakase. Didn't disappoint.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5