Chicago | Japanese Charcoal Grill × Late-Night Eats × Karaoke!

Sharing a popular Chicago spot today — Izakaya Shinya, a cozy Japanese late-night eatery specializing in charcoal grills and yakitori! 🍢✨ It’s hard to believe this little place combines a late-night diner with karaoke 🎤🎶. 📌 Reservations are a must — the entrance is tiny, and without a booking, you might not get a table on weekends, especially with a group. There are only about 3–4 larger seats; the rest are small tables. 🏮 The vibe is super authentic and Japanese-style, but after 10 PM on weekends, karaoke starts — guests can sing along, so it gets pretty loud 🎵😅. If you prefer a quiet dinner, come earlier! Otherwise, you might struggle to hear each other talk… 📜 The menu is just one page, same with the drink list. Three of us ordered a ton! We got a bottle of Dassai 45 — here are the highlights: 🔥 Must-Tries: 🍗 Tsukune – Grilled chicken meatball skewer with a raw egg dip. Juicy and flavorful — 5/5 ⭐ 🥩 Wagyu Skewer – Served with a mini charcoal grill, tender and delicious — 5/5 ⭐ 🐔 Torikawa – Crispy yet tender chicken skin — 4/5 ⭐ 🍢 Kimo / Sunagimo / Hatsu – Chicken liver, gizzard, and heart. Clean, well-cooked, kept their natural texture — 4/5 ⭐ 🍚 Salmon Ikura Don – BEST DISH of the night! So fragrant, well-seasoned, highly recommended — 5/5 ⭐ 👌 Okay-ish: 🐙 Takoyaki – Decent but not outstanding — 3/5 ⭐ 🐂 Wagyu Gyutan – Beef tongue, a bit overcooked, lost that wagyu tenderness — 3/5 ⭐ 🐟 Unagi – Grilled eel, sauce lacked depth, not very aromatic — 3/5 ⭐ 🥞 Okonomiyaki – Looked like Osaka-style but was mostly bonito flakes, little substance — 2/5 ⭐ 🥬 Veggies we tried: 🍠 Satsumaimo – Sweet potato (small half) 🥒 Zukkini – Grilled zucchini, refreshing and good for balancing rich flavors. 💰 Total for three: around $190 — we were stuffed! Overall, tasty and perfect for hanging out with friends (aside from the loud karaoke part 😆). 📎 Menu and drink list attached for reference! #Chicago #ChicagoEats #JapaneseGrill #Yakitori #LateNightEats #KaraokeBar #Izakaya