Nikko Sushi Izakaya — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

Sugoi, ne? I was so excited to see Nikko Sushi Izakaya open on Division. It truly blows every other sushi restaurant in the immediate area out of the water. Why? One, the rice is good. Two, it has an inventive and creative menu that goes beyond Americanised maki.

The AYCE menu is streamlined and servers explain how many of each section comes with the meal to start. I think this is really smart in order to get a taste of an appetizer, yakitori, maki, nigiri, etc while still having room to order another round. The AYCE menu is $32.99 per person.

What sets Nikko Sushi apart starts with the incredible array of carpaccio and tataki. The Walu Tataki complemented by a homemade wasabi yuzu sauce was so incredibly buttery and bursting with flavour. Our server noted that all of the sauces were made in house and you could tell that there was a distinct freshness and creativity.

The handrolls are small enough for two bites so you are able to sample a few different fillings as you make your way through this culinary journey. Having such high-quality fish in addition to lovely, tender yakitori was a beyond pleasant experience. The negima toriniku yaki was particularly tasty.

I did find that the signature rolls were quite large (8 pieces) and while I don't often order rolls beyond a simple futomaki, it was nice to try for the first visit. The Green Devil and Tuna Tartare rolls both used soy paper over nori and were well-balanced.

The nigiri are well-sized with well-seasoned rice which shows a higher level of care than other AYCE restaurants. I really hope Nikko keeps that up--it will continue to set them apart from even other restaurants on the street that have let quality and taste slip in order to turn tables.

The beverage program is robust and they carry large format Japanese beers like a proper Izakaya. The interior and place settings are beautiful as well, and there is lots of space in order to accommodate any size of party.

The service was very lovely as well, our main server Henry was very jovial and happy to talk through some of the more unique options on the menu that set Nikko apart. He also had previous Izakaya experience and you could tell by how comfortable and confident he was.

All in all, I am elated to write this review and cannot wait to go back and try more things. I wish Nikko Sushi Izakaya much success....

For an AYCE joint, Nikko surprised me in a very pleasant way. Most of the dishes I got to try were delicious and fish was of decent enough quality like Lawrence Fish Market (although not as thick cut as Lawrence). Rolls were well proportioned (vs. other AYCE joints that add too much rice and/or drown it in sauce). The pork belly skewers were tasty too, but IMO could use a tad of finishing flaked salt to bring out the meaty flavors better. Only thing I'd skip is the beef skewers which were tough and overcooked. Soft serve matcha and vanilla ice cream was an lovely way finish off the meal - it creamy and not too sweet. Matcha flavor could be stronger for my preference, but I can't expect that much from an AYCE place.

Other notes: Ask the server to explain the ordering limits / rules. It's to help prevent food waste or over ordering which I appreciate. What appears to be a downside is that the Nikko's AYCE menu seems less extensive than other AYCE places, but they make up for that by with higher quality, fresher ingredients and better execution in the flavors and dishes.

Service was top notch. Food came out fairly quickly. Can't remember the name of the gentleman that served us, but he was appropriately attentive and made sure everyone in our party had drinks and foods we wanted.

The place is huge and has 3 floors, which each floor having a different vibe. I hope this place thrives! It deserves more attention and business so I can return for as...

Brand new izakaya and sushi in Wicker Park with slightly sleek vibes and fusion-y sushi (which I'm down for) along with sushi and izakaya classics. Overall: the sushi seems to be their strong suit. Definitely 5 stars for the sushi!

We had a light dinner with a couple orders of yakitori, some nigiri, one signature roll, and a couple of cocktails.

The nigiri and roll were great. Quality fish, very tasty. I liked the fun touches for the roll (with aji amarillo and a yuzu sauce).

I thought the chicken-and-onion yakitori could have used a touch more seasoning and char. The pork belly was nice but I thought it was a little overcooked, so it was a little tough (for what it's worth, my husband thought it was par for the course for grilled pork belly).

The cocktails looked great, though the old-fashioned seemed watered down that day and my drink (the Jade Shima) was sweeter than I like.and the lemongrass in it didn't come through, but I feel like almost all cocktails I've been getting in Chicago have been on the sweet side, so 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Service was a little off on timing (they were understaffed/new) the night we went, but this place is brand new and that's expected. Servers were warm and took things seriously and I would bet that they'll have consistently great service once they get going.

What to get here: nigiri, Seasons Catch Roll

I'll definitely be back to try more rolls, their sushi appetizers, and their hand rolls looked...