Tanoshii Andersonville — Restaurant in Lake View Township

My wife is a huge fan of sushi, and because of that, we are constantly trying different sushi spots around the city. We came across Tanoshii when searching to top sushi in Chicago, and decided to stop by for a Saturday dinner.

We were greeted by a friendly waitress/host upon entering, and were attended to pretty quickly. A standout of the meal was the service provided, as the waitress never allowed my glass of water to be empty prior to refilling it, and was consistently pouring more when I finished about half, so kudos there! The place was neatly and purposely decorated, providing a very authentic Japanese feel to the restaurant. After a few minutes reviewing the digital menu, we decided to start with the cheekily named Fish and Chips (an original creation from the Executive Chef, Sushi Mike), and I had the Spicy Roll (another Sushi Mike special) as my main entrée along with a scallop nigiri and chutoro nigiri, while my wife decided to go with an Andersonville Roll and Spider Roll.

I didn't really know what to expect from the Fish and Chips, and was even more bewildered when the dish itself was brought out. The waitress asked us if we had the dish before, and we said no. She took the reigns and began mixing the ingredients of the plate together, creating wonderful mishmash of tuna, avocado, red tobiko, and pico de gallo, which was then split and placed on top of two formidable tortilla chips. The appetizer tasted delicious, and in particular, I appreciated the additional texture the tobiko provided to each bite. After we cleaned up our appetizers, the Maki was brought out. I was excited to taste the Spicy Roll as I was a fan of the Fish and Chips, and wanted to see what else Sushi Mike's mind came up with. The roll tasted fantastic and had a perfect heat to it; no additional Wasabi or soy sauce needed. The fish tasted fresh, the roll held well together, and all together made for a great bite!

I tried the Andersonville and Spider rolls my wife had, and they were fairly typical of what you would expect, with an added freshness to it. The same can also be said about the nigiri, where the chutoro was my preferred of the two. While good, the rolls and nigiri did not have the "wow" factor Sushi Mike's concoctions had, though, you will pay a premium for that creativity compared to the other rolls on the menu.

Overall, our meal was delicious and left satisfied. I would love to come back again to try more of Sushi Mike's specialties, as the two we had were unique and flavorful. A second visit might be in the...

We had a reservation for a party of around 10. The size of our party, combined with a busy Friday night, may have played into our experience.

The table decided to do the omakase menu. The server provided an excellent explanation for those who were unfamiliar with it and answered all of our questions. Two rolls, about 10-12 pieces per roll were brought to the table every 15-20 minutes -- each person ate 2-3 pieces per course. I ordered additional nigiri that I had to ask the server for a 2nd time before it was brought over.

The sushi was excellent, well-balanced, and the temperature of the rice and fish were perfect. I was underwhelmed by the lack of nigiri and sashimi present in this particular omakase. It has been my experience that omakase consists primarily of nigiri and sashimi with rolls being served sparingly. However, as omakase means "I leave it up to you" I cannot hold this against them.

The rolls we received were delicious -- unfortunately each course was sent out just a bit too slow for our liking. In almost 2 hours each of us had only eaten 5-7 pieces. It was a busy Friday night and we were understanding, but we were also very hungry and after the 3rd course we made the decision to ask for the check and head down the street to Parson's.

I gave 4 stars because the potential for this to be a great sushi restaurant is there. I believe it already may be, and probably does live up to its reputation. Our experience was soured by long wait times in-between courses, small portions for our group's size, and unfortunately, poor service from our server. While he was knowledgeable, he was not very attentive and we had to track him down several times. I have a great deal of respect for waitstaff these days but I felt he saw our table as an easy tip and neglected us for his other tables.

That said, I will be revisiting Tanoshii for another meal and expect to revise my rating to 5 stars. Dining with large groups is tricky and I truly believe this was a one off incident. I'm certain sitting directly at the bar and avoiding having to deal with the waitstaff will drastically improve my...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tanoshi Sushi had been on our radar for quite some time, and with the added bonus of the InKind promotion, we knew it was the perfect opportunity to finally pay a visit. Nestled in a space that radiates rustic charm, this restaurant has an undeniable soul and quiet charisma.

We began with the Fish & Chips — a clever and elevated twist on the classic. Though portioned for one, it set the tone beautifully. The Spicy Tuna Mix Tartare surprised me, especially as someone who doesn’t typically gravitate toward tartare. With creamy avocado, fresh pico de gallo, tobiko, and a balanced heat, it worked harmoniously. The Gyoza — deep-fried vegetable dumplings — were impressively large, satisfyingly crisp, and unlike any others we've had elsewhere.

For entrées, we explored a selection of Mike’s signature rolls. The Spicy Roll (Snapper, Spicy Tuna, Avocado, Cucumber, Crabstick, Mango Balsamic, and Spicy Mayo) was bold and vibrant. The Shiitake Roll stood out for its unconventional ingredients — a thoughtful pairing of escolar, shiitake mushroom, avocado, and crabstick with a delicate chive sauce. While it was one of the more intriguing offerings, it was my personal least favorite, simply due to preference.

The Softshell Crab Roll was rich and satisfying, with layers of spicy tuna, cucumber, fried softshell crab, masago, and rakkyo brought together with a punchy chili sauce. But the true star of the evening was the Toro Truffle Roll: a decadent mix of tuna, avocado, and oshinko, crowned with otoro, chopped wasabi, tobiko, and a sublime wagyu sauce. Each bite was indulgent, complex, and unforgettable.

Service was attentive and unobtrusive, adding to the tranquil ambiance — no unnecessary noise, just a peaceful, elevated dining experience.

Tanoshi Sushi has certainly earned its place among our favorites. We’ll be back soon — and next time,...