Naomi Sushi — Restaurant in Wheeling Township

"Sushivana" - Best Sushi Value in the Northwest Chicago Burbs! (So Why Does Their Marketing Suck?)

We went to this place last night based on the glowing reviews we read on here, along with a friend's referral. Sushigasm? Try "SushiOrgy" or "Sushivana." (Hey, I like "Sushivana" as a name for a restaurant :) We ordered all of the specialis, shared a bottle of house (hot) sake, and an asparagus beef roll. Everything was wonderful, but what stood out from the pack was the red dragon roll - made with red rice (well, really red-brown, but perfect for the fish), along with tuna and masago. These are really great portions for the price, which like one other reviewer said, comparable to what you pay for at a supermarket but much MUCH better quality.

We came late around 8:30 pm on a Friday night, without any reservations, yet managed to be seated in the best place in the restaurant. I love the canopy setting for what I call 'casual romance." We only waited a few minutes for a spot, and enjoyed the leather couches in their lobby area, with a good assortment of recent magazines for men and women.

The service was impeccable from beginning to end. I didn't expect everything to be timed so perfectly with delivery of all dishes to the removal of each one while another was made room for. And yes, the manager personally delivered some of our dishes like it was a movie premiere.

I hear a lot about how people miss this place when they drive by. That certainly makes sense because nothing on the outside decor really stands out, and you just don't expect a sushi restaurant next to a bike shop in an unimpressive small strip-mall right on the highway to be anything to go out of your way for. Well, this is definitely the place you should go out of your way for, without question. We are going to be going back again, and again, and again, and...

Like I said, "Sushivana."

These guys would benefit so much from have even a basic website, not to mention a facebook page. But their only business weakness is that they seem very naive to how to market or advertise their restaurant. (Not to mention they really don't appear to have a clue about the Web or social media, or search. How many other similarly-named restaurants show up when you Google them?) The photos on here from other patrons really help us with choosing what we wanted off the menu, but I really would have liked to gotten something from them in advance on what their specials were so we could have planned ahead. (Although we did end up ordering every single special, and I got my spouse to try seaweed salad for the first time - and she...

The interior is pretty, although it's quite a hodgepodge of different styles, paintings, sculptures, a swordfish, a monk at a wishing well with goldfish, and far more. I always check out the restroom and this one was very attractive and clean - they even had lovely olive oil hand lotion.

Perhaps the sushi is good here, but the non-sushi dinner selections are paltry. We made a reservation and were seated within 5 minutes. In the beginning the service was brisk, so I wondered what people were talking about as far as slow service. We presented the Groupon to the waiter and he said he would take it later - nothing whatsoever was said about the terms.

The tiny salad and Miso soup were mediocre - two pieces of tofu, one or two chives, and no seaweed whatsoever. We waited a long time for the entrees - chicken teriyaki and beef teriyaki. The presentation was quite lovely, but a few pieces of cauliflower, broccoli, and a ball of rice with slices of meat is rather uninspiring. Huge chunks of fat were left on the beef, although it was tasty. Renga Tei and Minami have far better food and more entrees, although they are more than sushi restaurants.

When we asked for the check, the same waiter said, by the way, you cannot use this because you need to spend $40.00! No such terms were listed on the voucher, so an argument ensued. He walked away and the other waiter came by, basically telling us how stupid we were because everyone who buys a Groupon for this restaurant knows they have to spend $40.00. He kept mentioning a $22.00 Groupon and ours was for $25.00, with no mention anywhere of having to spend $40.00.

After about 5 minutes of heated discussion, he came back again and said we couldn't use it unless we spent $40.00. The sushi chef was staring daggers at me - I thought he would go Samurai Delicatessen on me - for those of you old enough to remember the SNL skit with John Belushi! So we ordered the asparagus beef to go - surprisingly, we only waited about 10 minutes instead of 30 as for the other entrees. I do not recommend this dish - the beef is tough and stringy - an inferior cut. The Groupon misunderstanding aside, this place is very overpriced for the quality of the food. Needless to say, we...

Looks are deceiving... From the outside Naomi Sushi doesn't look much like anything, but as you enter through the door, you are greeted by smiling faces, elegant decor, and soft soothing music. The seating is spacious and really allows for an intimate dinner setting. The waitstaff are the perfect type (ones that only are there when you need them). But when the owner is your server, she takes extra care in attention to detail. And if you are unsure what to order, just ask her, she makes perfect recommendations.

I have been their many times and have yet to find an item that I am unhappy with. I can honesty say that I've loved each item I've ordered. My favorite is the Baby Godzilla, it is the owner's "baby" as she calls it. It is what she recommended to my boyfriend and me the first time we visited Naomi Sushi. I definitely recommend this to any sushi lovers! Just like the other reviewer said... try the stuffed...