Sushi Badaya Highland Park — Restaurant in Highland Park

Look no further for Michelin star quality sushi in the suburbs and for a fraction of the cost! I take my husband's birthday very seriously. I love to splurge on his birthday and spoil him, especially with the food. I was originally planning on taking my husband for a day in the city with omakase lunch and dinner at Bavette's. Unfortunately, our dog has been sick so I no longer felt comfortable leaving him home or having someone else watch him for a full day. Thank goodness for Chef Moon and Sushi Badaya for saving the day and creating the most incredibly beautiful and delcious platter of our dreams! About a week before my husband's birthday, I looked frantically for high end sushi tray options and couldn't find anything that fit my taste. I wanted it to look like literal omakase on a sushi platter. I have ordered sushi platters from every spot in the suburbs (so I thought) and I they didn't fit the vision I had for a fancy night in. I saw Sushi Badaya pop up in my searches but for some reason, I had connected it to a Korean restaurant that is no longer open and hasn't been for quite some time, so I just kept ignoring the page. Then, for some reason, the picture on the list of searches changed for Sushi Badaya, showing a beautiful sushi tray. I immediately clicked it, not realizing it was Sushi Badaya. I couldn't believe I had missed this absolute treasure of a restaurant for who knows how many years! I emailed a email address I had found somewhere with an inquiry but hadn't heard back (I think I only waited like a day though) so I called the restaurant. When I referenced the tray, they said they didn't have it so I was confused but said okay and tried to move on and find something else. The next day or maybe two days later I finally found a restaurant downtown that had a sushi box type of offering but it was no where near the beauty of the Sushi Badaya's platters, plus it would have been impossible for me to pick it up and get home with enough time to decorate and pick up the other things for my husband's birthday. I was so frustrated so I looked on the website for Sushi Badaya again and noticed there was a different phone number than I had called, so I called that one. Chef Moon answered the phone and I thought I had called the wrong number at first but quickly realized it was his personal number (what incredible dedication to his customers to share his person number!). I let him know my dilemma and that I really wanted the platter in the picture but was told it was not an option and begged for him to please help me. He let me know that it was indeed an option, but it was not a pre-designed platter, it was custom. I understood then that there had been a miscommunication and wished I had asked more questions instead of giving in so quick the first phone call. He let me know to text him what I was looking for, the price range, and the serving size. I let him know it was for 2 people and that the price range was $200-300. I let him know my husband loves otoro, uni, and salmon (somehow he also knew how much my husband loves fried shrimp heads too!). Chef Moon responded immediately letting me know he would create a tray for $250 and that he would use great fish for us. I was completely enthused and let me say, he did not disappoint! My husband was thrilled with the platter and was shocked when I said I got it from the suburbs. He agreed it looked like the nigiri we had at Michelin star sushi restaurants! I am so incredibly grateful to Chef Moon and the Sushi Badaya team for coming through and making my husband's birthday dinner so delicious and beautiful. I guarantee I will be sending my husband on sushi takeout runs to Sushi Badaya...

Was disappointed with my most recent experience at Sushi Badaya. I’ve been many times before, but this was my first time dining in since the new ownership.

Below are some pics I took to give a better visual of what I experienced. Ordered a sweet potato roll that unexpectedly had a 1:10 ratio of sweet potato to avocado + cucumber. Since when does a sweet potato roll include anything else other than sweet potato? If this is their version of a sweet potato roll then they need to specify the additional ingredients it includes on the menu. Totally misleading. Ordered a yellowtail scallion hand roll with the driest scallions I’ve ever seen in my life. If I wanted just a plain yellowtail hand roll then I would have just ordered that. The whole point of having scallions is to give another dimension of flavor to the roll which I completely missed out on because due to how dry/not fresh they were, the scallions didn’t deliver any flavor. The quality of fish was good, but I wish that was consistent with everything else. Ordered crispy rice with spicy tuna, except we requested a modification to sub the tuna for yellowtail instead. Waiter said she would ask, and came back saying they could do it but there will be a $3 up charge. That was fine with us…until it arrived like this. We were expecting it to be the same consistency as the original spicy tuna but it wasn’t at all. As you can see it’s just cubed up yellowtail rather than the usual whipped/tartar/paste type of texture. The presentation just seemed lousy, and to top it all off there was a mystery string/hair of some sort.

Overall, I think that this spot is good when it comes to the quality fish, but unless you’re ordering nigiri/sashimi, then everything else is hit or miss. Consistency throughout the menu is lacking, and for that reason I will not be returning...

Life-Changing Sushi Experience at Sushi Badaya Highland Park

I have to admit, I was never a fan of sushi actually, I had never even tried it until a friend invited me to Sushi Badaya in Highland Park. Little did I know, this visit would completely change my perspective on sushi and food in general.

The quality of the sushi here is beyond extraordinary. I tried eel for the very first time, and to my surprise, it was absolutely incredible! The variety of sushi they offer is unmatched, and every single piece is crafted with care and precision. The chef even prepared a special king crab roll for me, which was so unforgettable it has me planning my next visit already.

The freshness of the fish is something I’ve never experienced before it’s on a whole other level. The restaurant itself is impeccably clean and sanitary, making the dining experience all the more enjoyable. The ambiance is warm and inviting, and the servers are some of the most attentive and friendly I’ve ever encountered.

Sushi Badaya turned me, someone who had spent a lifetime avoiding sushi, into a huge fan in just one visit. This place is nothing short of amazing, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you’re a sushi enthusiast or even a skeptic like I was, this is the spot to visit. Thank you, Sushi Badaya, for opening my eyes to a whole new world of...