Chicago Suburb Japanese Spot — Summertime Cafe 🏮

I stumbled upon this little place on IG — loved the handwritten Japanese “Today’s Specials” on the wall, giving off serious Midnight Diner vibes. So while I was in the suburbs, I dropped in to check it out. 🥗 Pickled Daikon – Refreshing, but the portion was huge. Four of us couldn’t finish half. 🐟 Salmon Salad & Salt-Baked Salmon – The salad dressing tasted similar to the daikon’s, so I preferred the salt-baked version — more flavor. 🍆 Miso Eggplant – Fried first, then stir-fried with miso and soy sauce. A bit salty, but super fragrant and perfect with rice. 🐟 Special of the Day – Striped Jack (Shima Aji) – Rich and buttery, though the knife skills showed — came with a few small bones. 🦪 Fried Oysters with Tartar Sauce – Standard izakaya fare, decent but nothing special. 🍗 Karaage & Tonkatsu – The tonkatsu was fried nicely, but the karaage was disappointing — tasted like frozen microwaved chicken, not crispy at all. Do not order. 🥢 Yuzu Soy Tofu – I expected silky soft tofu, but it was firmer. Still light and refreshing. 🐖 Buta Kakuni (Braised Pork Belly) – Sweet, tender, melt-in-your-mouth, but got heavy after a few pieces. Overall, it’s a cute little spot — most customers were Japanese. We were one of the only “foreign” tables (even the other American table was chatting with the owner in Japanese). Food was just okay, but they host live music and events every Sunday, making it worth a visit for the vibe. 📍 Summertime Jazz Cafe 1132 Elmhurst Rd, Mt Prospect, IL 60056 #FoodieCat #ChicagoLife #ExploreChicago #ChicagoEats #SuburbsEats #JapaneseIzakaya