312 Reviewer

Uzumaki sushi opens October 6th at Yorktown Center in Lombard, and it's a different take on revolving sushi. Think toro with black truffle, sea bass with caviar, gold flake plates, the kind of stuff you don't usually see gliding past you on a belt.

You can do all-you-can-eat on a tiered setup, where each tier opens up more of the menu, or just pay as you go and grab whatever catches your eye.

All-you-can-eat tiers
Genin $34.99
Chūnin $44.99
Jōnin $54.99

Late night omakase isn’t common in Chicago, which is part of why this one stayed with me. Seven courses, forty-five dollars, about an hour start to finish.

Chef Danny works the counter himself, and every roll goes straight from his hands to yours. Nothing sits, nothing softens, and with handrolls that timing is everything.

Late night omakase timings
Sun to Thu, 8:30 onwards
Fri and Sat, 9:30 onwards
$45, prepaid on Resy

Eggsperience sits right in the middle of Wheeling Town Center, which has quietly turned into one of the better spots in the north suburbs to spend a weekend. Concerts in the warmer months, new housing filling in around it, and a walkable stretch that actually gives you a reason to hang around before or after brunch.

The menu goes deep. The Royal Toast was the standout, but the chicken and waffles held their own too, hand-breaded chicken with a jalapeño maple syrup that brings a little heat to cut the sweet. Add the chilaquiles and the tres leches French toast, and you get why this place never goes stale.

NADC Burger, short for Not a Damn Chance, comes from the pairing of a professional skateboarder and a chef who teamed up to build one simple, really well executed wagyu smash burger. Started as a dive bar concept and has since spread to multiple cities, including two spots here in Chicago. No frills menu, just single or double patties done right, and it lives up to the hype.

Shoutout to Yumwalla for putting me on

Wiener Wars might be one of the coolest Chicago summer traditions. Throughout the summer, Perilla fare brings together some of the city’s best chefs on select Mondays to put their own spin on the Chicago hot dog.

This round featured Crying Tiger vs. Thattu, with Chef Thai Dang taking home the belt.

There’s just one Wiener Wars left this season, so if you haven’t made it out yet, this is your last shot. Big props to PERILLA fare | Premium KBBQ | West Loop, Chicago for putting on such a fun series.

Also thanks to Yumwalla for the awesome company

Bobby’s Fried Chicken opened this July and is currently operating out of The Hatchery Chicago, a West Side food incubator that gives local entrepreneurs the kitchen space and resources to get their ideas off the ground.
You can see the effort here. The French influence isn’t there just for show. It comes through in the sauces, the technique and those thousand-layer fries, while still keeping the food grounded in what it’s supposed to be: a really good fried chicken sandwich.
More than anything, this feels like someone who genuinely cares about fried chicken and is putting that enthusiasm into every detail.
If you want to give Bobby’s a try, you can order directly for pickup at BobbyFriedChicken.net, or find them on delivery apps such as DoorDash.

Meet Bobby. Self-taught fried chicken enthusiast bringing French technique into his cooking, including these thousand layer fries inspired by mille-feuille. Running a ghost kitchen out of The Hatchery in Chicago. Orders can be placed on bobbyfriedchicken.net or through delivery services like DoorDash, though direct pickup orders from his site support him more directly. One guy building something real out of one small kitchen.

Autea Sweets and Eats in Chinatown is known for these massive snow ice desserts, mine came stacked with mango and hidden red bean at the bottom, easily enough for two or three people.
They’ve also got a full food menu, dumplings, noodles, the usual spread, nothing fancy but a nice option if you’re not just there for dessert.
If you’re in the area with a sweet tooth, this one’s worth keeping on the list.

kasama has some of the longest lines in Chicago. Two Michelin stars, a feature on the FX show The Bear, and a menu that weaves Filipino flavors into French pastry technique in a way I haven’t seen done quite like this anywhere else.

Order ahead online and you can walk right past the line. Genuinely one of my favorite bakery experiences in the city.

Sankyu Sushi and Izakaya in Mount Prospect has been around for decades, but it just changed hands and got a refresh, including a private tatami room where you take your shoes off and sit low to the table if you want a more intimate setup. Small strip mall spot from the outside, but don’t let that fool you.

1176 S Elmhurst Rd, Mount Prospect