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Japonais |
 600 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago
Tel: (312) 822-9600
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9 Review(s) Total
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food guru cont. says:
On Friday 2/15/08 10:04 AM
First came the rock appetizer which unique but very tasty.Next, the sushi came out which had an added bonus a piece of hair in between the pieces of ginger. I “explained” that we no longer want their “fresh” sushi. The manager came over to inform us that we were no longer required to spend the minimum of $75 a person and asked if we wanted anything else and my girlfriend asked for the house soup. Moments later our server informed us that they ran out of their soup.After waiting another 30 mins our server explained that she didn’t know what was taking so long with our entrees, she went to investigate. 10 mins after she left our food showed up only to be wrong. My $68 Kobe Ribeye was rare even though I ordered it medium-well.After sending it back the manager returned again and explained that he was once again sorry and offered to buy us dessert. My girlfriend’s filet mignon was good but was disappointed that I had to watch her eat instead of enjoying a meal with her on Valentine’s Day. After the Kobe Ribeye made its return I was so disgusted with Japonais I only ate 2 bites and asked for the check.They removed the sushi (which we ate 1 piece) and the rock from the bill because of our bad experience which I felt still didn’t rectify the problem, but I was so disappointed I was not about to argue. I would not recommend this restaurant to anybody and would highly suggest going elsewhere for Japanese type cuisine. I would be embarrassed to be the owner or an investor in Japonais.
food guru says:
On Friday 2/15/08 9:52 AM
If you’re looking for a place to go on a holiday with a special someone avoid going to Japonais. Starting with the reservation process I had a feeling that we might not have the experience we were expecting. After sending the reservation fax multiple times failed we resorted to an email to confirm our reservation. There were a list of restrictions and guarantees that were required by Japonais from their customers(i.e. $75 a person minimum, $100 reservation cancellation fee, 2 hour maximum table time), which is somewhat understandable from a 3 star restaurant on Valentine’s Day in Chicago. After arriving 45 minutes ahead of our reservation we were corralled into the bar/lounge area to wait for table. Here is where we waited for an hour and 15 mins before I went to the host and asked approximately how much longer till we can get a table. She responded with an estimate of 15 mins. Another hour passed and I decided to check on our reservation again the host responded “…we have been looking for you, where have you been?” I explained I haven’t moved from the area in which you instructed me to be in. After waiting 2 hours and 15 mins at the $12 a cocktail bar we were finally ready to be seated. We ordered a variety of food including the rock appetizer, 2 rolls of sushi and 2 chef specialties entrees.
Jesse says:
On Saturday 10/13/07 10:41 AM
My wife and I dined here and we ordered several of the more eclectic / special plates. The fish was exceptionally fresh, which for the price one should expect. The restaurant has an L.A. / Vegas vibe and the dining room was bustling with sleek, low seating and densely packed tables.
For the traditional sushi fans, most of the non-sushi entree's / appetizer dishes were very heavily seasoned. The Lobster Spring Rolls were so salty and spicy, we really didn't taste any lobster. The special Aji (Blue Bass) Tartar was so covered in spicy chili oil and garlic the fish flavor was lost. However dishes with more of a traditional sushi slant were splendid, fresh and bursting with ocean flavor.
The wine list had several good choices from around the world. There are several wines at all prices, a ‘fine vintage’ list and a per glass list. A word of caution, the Champagne selections have a near 400% mark up from retail.
To sum it up, Japonais has a trendy fun atmosphere, fresh fish and a good wine selection. It is more of a hip / see and be seen place than a romantic fine dining restaurant. Service was good, maybe a little hurried in an attempt to turn tables. Food comes staggered as it is ready so opportunity for confusion is high. The menu has options for sushi lovers and sushi haters, but a traditional sushi fan may be disappointed with over seasoned fish. The atmosphere is what drives up prices, especially for the Champagne.
az says:
On Tuesday 7/18/06 1:51 PM
The food and setting were amazing. The service however, could be a little more polished to say the least. Like the reviewer before, we experienced the servers taking our food to the wrong table and then doubting us when we claimed it to be ours. For the price you pay and how highly this establishment seems to regard itself, you would think they'd pay a little more attention to the service.
S H says:
On Thursday 7/6/06 12:24 AM
We had reservations for July 2nd, 2006. Food was excellent; service was poor. I found a gnat in my glass of wine. The waitress gave me a new glass but did not comp the price. Food servers were confused putting the orders on the incorrect tables. One of my dishes was placed on a different table and remained there for a while until the waitress discovered the error returned and simply moved it to my table. It should have been returned to the kitchen and a fresh one made. She had no idea if the other table tasted a portion of the dish or not. This dinner doesn't even fall into one of my top dining experineces and I expected it to.
Anne D says:
On Tuesday 1/24/06 10:36 AM
I dined at Japonais this past weekend with 4 of my closest friends for a birthday dinner. We had 7:30 reservations, and were quickly ushered downstairs where we had to check in again so that we could get a seat in the lounge. We waited until 8:30 to get seated, and until 9:30 to get our food that we ordered. The waiter didn't write anything down - which I told him he should, as we were ordering very large quanitites of food. Sure enough, the Miso soup and oysters were forgotten and we didn't get our soup until 1/2 way through our dinner. The food was very good - but the service was terrible. We didn't finish our dinner until midnight, and that's not because we were slow eaters. I had to ask for a dessert menu, and it arrived 15 minuetes later. For 300.00 for 5 people, I'd expect better service. Would not reccomend. There are other places to get good sushi and better service for less money.
D A says:
On Thursday 9/8/05 4:40 PM
If you are in for dining at a very contemporary venue, and don't mind spending the big dollars for a nice meal, this might just be the place for you!!! Whenever I go out for sushi I always try to order maki rolls from the special house roll menu. These always seem to be unique and a lot larger than the regular maki rolls. At Japonais this theory held true. We were a bit disappointed with the traditional maki rolls such as the spicy tuna. It wasn't bad, I guess we just expected more. They were extremely small and not filling at all. As for the special house maki rolls, they were great! We really enjoyed the Spicy Mono and the Tuna Tuna Salmon. We tried a few of the small plates as well. We liked the yaki yaki which has squid and shrimp. It was good, but there were a lot more appetizers and small plates that looked good too, we just didn't have room!! One thing, if you ever visit you must have the iced green tea with lemon. It was great!! I must of had five glasses. Our waiter was also very good to us and paid us a lot of attention. (although we were in for an early dinner on a monday) He also answered all of our questions and asked us what we normally like so he could find us something parallel he thought we would enjoy. This place is pricey but most sushi places are. You must try, at least for the experience.
michelle cotton says:
On Thursday 6/16/05 5:40 PM
i think japonais is one of the best sushi restaurants in Chicago. Japonais has one of the best service and consists one of the best staff. They are polite and willing to get anything you want. The atmosphere inside the restaurant consists more than one, such as a regular dining place and a bar on the lower level. Also, can't forget the food...wonderful and tasty! i recommend people who love sushi to go to Japonais...best pick!
Justin Turner says:
On Wednesday 9/29/04 5:43 PM
Japonais was full of the most arrogant, overbearing staff I have ever been around. They were not competent enough to get my bill correct. The waiter took it upon himself to add 20% gratuity to my bill, after I left him a 15% tip, which was generous, as he was delinquent in service and not able to do his job in a timely manner. The management has been very un cooperative at returning my double-charge bill and seems uncooperative at wanting to help me with this issue. They are overpriced, overrated, and quite frankly, extremely rude to their patrons, and I will never go there again, and would recommend against anyone else from visiting them. One word best describes the attitude of the management staff, arrogance...
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NOTICE: This is NOT the OFFICIAL Japonais website. These reviews are a forum for opinions about the venue that other Centerstage Chicago users may want to know, not to order merchandise, apply for a job, etc.
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