Kaido Sushi — Restaurant in Elk Grove Township

I'm by no means a sushi expert, so this review is from a casual sushi enjoyer.

I ordered takeout on a Saturday night because the reviews were great and I've never ordered from Kaido before. I had a snafu with my order and received someone else's, so I went back and got most of my correct order. They were busy, they did their best to make it right and we are all human and I'm not removing stars because of something that is likely a rare error.

That being said, I ordered 2 rolls but only ended up with the Mad Shrimp. I also had 2 rolls I didn't order, the Tequila and the Chili Mango.

If you like an all cooked roll, the Mad Shrimp is very good. It was very well done and had a nice touch with the fried sweet potato shreds on top. Shrimp was not chewy and the roll was sliced thinner, which I much prefer over huge slices I can barely fit in my mouth.

Now I also received the Tequila and the Chili Mango... Which I did not order. I have to say... They were my favorites over the "safe bet" Mad Shrimp! The fish in the Tequila roll was super fresh and all of the ingredients fit together perfectly and were very delicious. I would typically order something with cooked crab, shrimp, or occasionally raw tuna or salmon. The Tequila had large chunks bluefin tuna and yellowtail that looked and tasted so fresh. The jalapeños and the cilantro with fresh lime on top was all so perfect together. Really excellent, I would absolutely order this again.

The Chill Mango was fantastic as well. I was eating it wondering what kind of fish this was inside... But I checked and it was vegetarian! The mango was super fresh and the sauce it came with was so so good. I typically think I always need to order something with a meat or fish but I would 100% order this roll again. This did not require soy sauce, Wasabi or ginger. It belongs just as they make it and it's so good to eat it as the chef intended.

Like I said, I'm no expert. But I do believe Kaido is a step ahead of many sushi places, the reviews are correct. This is the kind of restaurant where I would be willing to go outside of my comfort zone and order something different. Receiving the wrong order was eye opening and will encourage to try some new things the next time I order sushi. And I'm definitely going to Kaido. I've found my place. The roll sizes may be just a bit smaller than other places, but the quality is excellent and completely worth...

Do not come here for the omakase. You will be insulted.

I opted for the Kaidou “omakase experience” which was their most extravagant and expensive omakase option on the menu, at $93 per person. I even requested to sit at the bar hoping to get the full immersive omakase experience, but this was where the disappointments began. First, at the given price point, the chopsticks should not be cheap wooden chopsticks that you get in a grocery store sushi box. To add to that, the restaurant didn’t even provide a chopstick stand. At $93 per person — unheard of.

Next, the sushi rice was crumbling and hard. The rice was very obviously stale. I come from an east asian background and I have visited numerous omakase chefs at various price points, but at around $170 per person in a suburb with sake pairing, this was incredibly disappointing. Even a $80 omakase in NYC or Chicago prepares proper sushi rice.

I was initially drawn to the establishment by the professional photos, but it appears that they were taken for promotional advertising purposes and do NOT reflect their current quality.

Refer to the photos attached to see that the sashimi and nigiri are prepared without much decorations and garnishes.

Last and most importantly — the nigiri were prepared in ONE serving. ALL pieces were given simultaneously. This is NOT an omakase experience that should command this price point. Even the most modest omakases offer a hand towel so that each and every nigiri is offered consecutively, piece by piece, to be consumed by hand. This establishment does not understand the basics of omakase culture and yet charges omakase prices to its patrons. This should have been a $50 sushi deluxe set at best.

The service was neutral, nothing notable nor offensive, but the establishment was also almost empty during my visit.

I will never...

So. I’m just going to clarify this. The prices are not insane like someone said a month ago, prices are probably $$-$$$ depending on what you order. I mean it’s a premium sushi restaurant not all you can eat for $25. Only reason why I took off 1 star is because the waitress could have been a bit more attentive. It took the waitress a good 5 minutes before she helped us at the door. Then, after we got seated at the sushi bar, it took her 8-10 minutes before she asked if we’re ready. She could have filled my water more often. I know they’re short staffed but there were times when she wasn’t doing anything.

The food was splendid. We did the kaidou omakase. They didn’t have soup so we got salad. It came with 3 signature appetizers, 6 sashimi, and 9 nigiri. The quality of the pieces were exceptional as well as the price. $93 per person which is pretty cheap for omakase. I’m a avid fan of Michelin tastings and omakase’s. 3 appetizers were hamachi carpaccio, scallop with ikura, and hirame crudo. There was complimentary dessert at the end. Overall, I would come back to try the regular menu. It’s definitely one of the best sushi places...