Where passion becomes purpose, When purpose becomes profession
A River North neighborhood dining spot serving an authentic Japanese-style tavern food and high quality sushi and omakase. Using only fresh seasonal and natural ingredients, our chefs take pride and great care in making everything in-house from scratch on a daily basis in order to create the most delightful and flavorful dishes. With its warm ambiance, Ikigai is aiming to create a casual and friendly neighborhood atmosphere with unique flavors of Japan where the beverages are always cold and the food is full of flavors. You will feel absolutely right at home
*** WE ARE NOW OFFER BEER, WINE AND SAKE***
Hannah
THIS IS THE BEST SUSHI RESTAURANT IN CHICAGO. Honestly it might be the best restaurant in Chicago. The staff is so friendly, the food is out of this world delicious, and it’s very reasonably priced for high quality sushi. If my husband and I could go every week, we would. We’ve dined outdoors when it’s nice out on the nice patio, we’ve dined inside, we’ve taken friends, we go for date nights, it’s an amazing spot we highly recommend. Must gets: hamachi crudo, futo maki, chili Hama, otoro, akami, karaage, shishito peppers. You’ll love it!!
… moreValeria Sperandini
This spot is a great choice for fresh sushi and flavorful small plates. The rolls are well-prepared with quality ingredients, and the menu has plenty of options to share. The atmosphere feels modern yet cozy, and the service is friendly and attentive. It’s a nice place for a casual dinner or a night out with friends.
… moreaudcharaporn vinitsrikaroon
Ordered the nigiri with a few special add-ons, and everything was excellent. The fish was extremely fresh and full of flavor. The salmon belly and o-toro were my favorites — rich, buttery, and absolutely delicious. Would definitely order again ✨♥️
… moreVanesa Tovar
I had 2 rolls for takeout and the simple salmon came with a ton of wasabi inside :(. I couldn’t eat it and it looks intentional. If it was intentional I wish they would mention it on the menu. Will never order from there again unfortunately.
… moreLilly Nguyen
We came here to eat the toro don but we actually like the skewers better (they are super delish, juicy and not dry – totally recommend. One bowl of don is a lottt of rice so you can even share between 3 people.
… moreJiyeon Portnoy
Great food and good atmosphere! It’s a nice Japanese restaurant with delicious food. I ordered takowasa, adamame, chicken katsu bento, unagidon and it was all delicious! Especially chicken katsu bento was amazing. It had so many types of food in it including california roll and gyoza. I really enjoyed it so much and all the meals came with miso soup. I’d love to back next time!
… moreZhilin R
The chicken heart and beef tongue were very tender and delicious. The eel rice also tasted good, but the texture of the rice was just average.
… morekayleigh
went for restaurant week and sad to say that our experience was underwhelming. service was understandably not the best – it seemed like the restaurant was understaffed with only one server for the whole restaurant, but the food unfortunately did not make up for this
we tried:
• drinks: yuzu sake bomb
• course #1: shishito pepper, hamachi crudo, karaage
• course #2: chili hotate, tsurai sake, butabura, harami
• course #3: doteyaki, chicken katsu entree, chirashi donburi
• dessert: yuzu cheesecake, mochi
• extras (happy hour): sake avocado roll, amai roll
the hamachi crudo and karaage were honestly quite good. hamachi crudo had citrus flavors, and karaage had lime flavor added, which made them interesting. everything else was just okay, and even their happy hour pricing seemed high ($8 for a basic roll of sushi). i wouldn’t say that i’d never come back again, but i don’t think i would come back on my own dime
… moreNancy S
Pretty decent Japanese place for river north area. I do have to say their food iso n the saltier side. We loved the izakaya selection. Especially their kushiyaki selection! Strony recommended the pork belly and prawn and chicken skewers selection ! Their service was amazing too
… morekiekypvn
Ikigai Sushi is my favorite sushi spot due to its exceptional service, fresh and delicious sushi, and lovely pet-friendly patio. The staff is attentive and knowledgeable, making every visit a pleasure. The inviting outdoor space adds to the dining experience, making it perfect for enjoying a meal with my furry friend. Highly recommended!
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