Omakase Shoji & Izakaya — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

Last weekend my wife and I were able to have the 20 course Omakase dinner at Omakase Shoji. It was a great experience!

First, a few days before the reservation we received a call from the restaurant verifying our reservation and that we wanted the full 20 courses. My wife has a few dietary limitations (gluten and mollusks), which they seemed happy to accommodate. I did mention that, due to the type of experience we were signing up for, if there was a couple courses they couldn't deal with those limitations we were totally understanding, but they assured us it'd be no problem at all.

We arrived a little early and sat at the bar for a cocktail, the bar staff was friendly and the drinks were good. The dining area for the Omakase is only 10 seats, so once everyone had arrived they seated everyone at once. It appeared that there were two other groups of 4 persons each, then the 2 of us. The chef on our end confirmed he knew of the dietary limitations and had alternatives ready to go on a couple of items (mostly using gluten free soy on a couple of things) and off we went. I did get the sake pairing, and Kikisake-shi/sommelier was great. She clearly explained each sake, what to expect, and once or twice gave some refills above and beyond the normal pairing.

The food itself was fantastic. It was a great experience to see them doing everything from grinding the wasabi in front of us to filleting the fish and assembling the pieces of sushi. I'm not going to bore everyone with pictures of every course, but there was a nice mix of sushi, sashimi, and other courses. The entire experience was a little over two hours, and we left satisfied but not uncomfortably full. The only miss for us was the sea urchin, and that was due to personal taste preference, not due to anything wrong with it. The fish was incredibly fresh tasting and all of the presentations were beautiful. The chef working our end (there were two, Shoji was on the other end) spoke enough English to explain things, answer questions, and was very gracious any time we engaged him in conversation, asked something, or commented on the courses. It was a really fun time.

We'd highly recommend this to anyone who wants to explore Japanese culture and food, loves sushi, or is looking for an outside the box dining experience. My guess/hope is that this place will soon be one of those really tough reservations to get (already somewhat is for prime weekend dining), so I'd suggest booking and trying now before it gets even...

Omakase Shoji was the most incredible omakase experience I've ever had. Coming from NYC, I've had my fair share of omakase, but Omaka Shoji was next level.

The ambiance was perfect - a cute bar outside with dim lighting, and the omakase room was clean and spacious. Chef Shoji was extremely personable - you can hear his passion for the food just by the way he describes each cut of fish. Finally, the servers and staff were extremely professional and made for a warm and comfortable environment.

Food wise, the meal was perfection. Every cut of fish melted in your mouth, and the kaiseki dishes were purposeful and flavorful. Even the plating and the cups were something that my girlfriend and I noticed, which just shows how much intent this restaurant puts into the small things.

Omakse Shoji is about providing the perfect dining experience for its customers - and this restaurant did just that. If you're looking for a cheap Omakase place, look elsewhere. What you get out of Omakse Shoji is the most ideal blend of freshness, flavor, and a curated dining experience that made for one of the most memorable meals I've ever...

Beyond 10/10 experience at Omakase Shoji. We got back from a 5p reservation and the first thing I needed to do was write a review. The experience across the board was beyond fantastic.

The space had a brilliant balance of refined but unpretentious atmosphere - that allowed everyone to relax, enjoy themselves, but also be in deference to the absolute artistry that was on display throughout preparing the omakase.

Speaking of the omakase itself - the food was phenomenal. Front to back, it was beautifully made, tasted wonderful, and had a thoughtful quality to it that is hard to put into words.

It is honestly shocking how well buttoned up and running this whole place was from front to back of the house on day ~6 of being open. Genuinely impressive and major kudos to everyone involved in the ops here.

I am so proud and so happy to have this spot open in West Town (as someone who lives in this neighborhood) and would encourage everyone whether it be a “treat yourself” night, celebrating something or you’re just looking for a great meal - to check...