Momotaro

Holy. Though I haven’t been to many sushi spots in the city, I very well believe the rumors that this is the best one. The fish is outstandingly fresh and fatty, service is excellent, and the lack of empty space was very telling also. Momotaro definitely provided an amazing sushi experience.
I had a monks journey to drink. It was quite refreshing with the rest of my meal. The rolls we had were the momomaki (my favorite), Kani jomaki, go Takara, and negi toro. All amazing. We also had the wagyu donburi, which was also delicious.
I had a perfect meal here and would love to be back. Unfortunately my wallet may need some time to recover though!

5 stars all around! Service, food, ambiance, everything! Love the way the liquor and wine is displayed behind the bar on wooden plaques and the bartenders are quick and friendly! Our server, I wish I remembered his name, was amazing! Attentive, extremely knowledgable and gave us an excellent run down of the entire menu after learning it was our first time. There are some signature sushi options and some very inventive and delicious options. The crab legs were amazing and we went with the chef’s choose for sashimi – great decision! They have a large selection of wine, and our server was great with suggestions there. Our entire experience was basically perfect!

My party of 3 had reservations here, and I had called ahead of time to ensure that they could accommodate vegetarians. They have a separate vegetarian menu, which is extremely helpful, especially if you’re not a connoisseur of Japanese cuisine.
The waitress was extremely friendly and attentive. She took the time to explain the dishes listed on the menu, pointing out those dishes that were her favorite, the spiciness level, and which dishes were already vegetarian on the main menu and which could be made as such. Super helpful. Most of the dishes were sharable.
The age dashi tofu was delicious as was the chahan fried rice. But my favorite was the 1 in 20 roll, which had come highly recommended by the waitress and was absolutely delicious. It’s vegetarian, but even my meat eating friends enjoyed it.
To top it off, when we were offered the dessert menu, I off handedly mentioned that we were celebrating my friend’s birthday, so along with the dessert we ordered, we got some homemade Pocky sticks with a birthday candle on the plate! Great gesture from our great waitress. I’d recommend this place to anyone.

Ive been told to go to momotaro on numerous accounts, I finally gave it a shot.
The hostess was welcoming and honest of the wait time for a table. We were told an hour and a half but were seated before her expectations. While waiting we sat and drank Warlords Bounty cocktail at the bar. Would recommend.
We got seated, greeted by our welcoming server. Explained the menu in great detail. Orders roll by roll throughout the night. Was please with every roll we got.
Overall good experience. Boom.
Just one thing while spicy mayo is awesome … So is sriracha :)

I am not a fan of large restaurants with extensive menus. There is a bit of a mill effect. Momotaro falls into the category of large restaurant and does have a mini booklet for a menu. However, the service seems to reduce the «get ‘em in and move ‘em out» feel.
From the sushi, to the nigiri, to the creamed crab, to the whitefish in orange gazpacho to the unagi don, everything is absolutely delicious. Because some dishes come to the table fast, I recommed ordering linearly: order a dish, finish it when it comes to the table, order the next dish, and repeat until you’re all done.
Momotaro is a popular restaurant and with it being in «happening» West Loop, it fills up quickly. Even during the middle of the week, it feels like a Friday evening after work. Yes, there is a lot of energy and this becomes evident when you have to talk loudly for others in your party to hear you.
Whenever I am in the West Loop and have a hankering for sushi, Momotaro will be the stopping ground.

The staff, ambience and food were wonderful!
We ate alot of things but the standouts were:
— Beef, foie gras, shishito pepper skewers
— The Baller: Sushi bite overloaded with amazing ingredients

Best waygu. Ever!
It’s a cute little place, Cozy upstairs for meals & funky downstairs for drinks.
We didn’t make a reservation but could order the dinner menu seated on the bar.
Our waitress was so knowledgeable about the drinks, their history AND the food. Her recommendations were spot on. The food was amazing. The wagyu was the highest grade marbling in the world. It was expensive but totally worth it. Crunchy on the outside with a dash of sea salt and it literally melts in your mouth. And the dessert to live for!
The service was of course attentive, friendly, efficient fabulous. The ambience was great for conversations and chilling out. Even at the bar seating. Downstairs is definitely worth a visit, which was what our waitress recommended us.

I think my problem is that I expect more authentic Japanese food when I go to a Japanese restaurant. In this regard, the Chicago «Japanese» food scene has been more disappointing than not. Great Japanese food is characterized by subtlety and clean flavors– something I haven’t really found in the more heavy-​handed Chicago «Japanese» restaurants. If you are not seeking true Japanese food (which perhaps most people are not), then your experience will likely be very different. I probably just need to drastically adjust my expectations when eating in «Japanese» restaurants in Chicago.
I would say that the food here is more 4 stars, but I just had to dock a star because of my totally subjective disappointment. Also I think it’s pretty expensive here for what you get.
Momotaro is very trendy– definitely a cool dining atmosphere. My dining companion couldn’t eat sushi, so unfortunately (or perhaps not) I did not get to try any of that part of the menu. We got Tsukiji Don Buri, Mentaiko Spaghetti, Alaskan King Crab, Bonito Tataki, Short rib, and Cedar Roasted Kurodai. Portions are pretty small (especially the the king crab!). The mentaiko spaghetti was honestly something of a disappointment (again, a far cry from what you would get in Japan). It’s nice to have more acid and a stronger fishy flavor from the roe, but I guess if you just want a creamy pasta dish…
If you enjoy the food here, that’s great, but if you are looking for more authenticity, I would try elsewhere to avoid disappointment.

My friend and I came here for a girls night out and enjoyed ourselves! We ordered several things, and most were a hit with one being a major miss. The sushi was super fresh and melted in your mouth — delicious! The washugyu was good, but literally one bite a person. The spaghetti — do not order. It was not something either of us had a taste for and actually sent it back. It tasted like they took the mayo sauce used in a spicy tuna roll and used it to coat the spaghetti. Not good.
Its definitely a trendy place, and the atmosphere was hip and fun. I am not sure that I would come running back here, though. I felt we spent a lot of money for the amount of food we actually received. I think I actually even ate a snack when I got home! I’ve heard the downstairs if good for drinks — maybe check that out next time.

Wow, I understand the hype now.
Emilio, our server, was absolutely endearing. Attentive, funny and thorough. He explained the whole menu in less than 20 minutes! (Inside joke)
The Ambience:
This restaurant is surreal. Trendy, modern, fresh and hip. The breathy lounge background music and bustling of the guests invigorates your dining experience. On top of that, the beautiful centerpiece lighting and airport timetable menu wall behind the bar, this place is impressively architected.
The Food:
Complete fan of their nigiri and maki rolls. What makes this place stand out from other Japanese restaurants is their fresh unique fishes. Emilio mentioned that they serve rare meats such as the aji and sailfish. Total fan of their tender sashimi pieces.
My Picks: (1) Akami to negi toro. A mouthful of fragrant, tender, unami invoking wonder. (2) Chili Hama. The fried potato straws on top of sesame-​oiled maki is A+.

Arrived for a special birthday dinner on a weeknight, we had never been here before. Despite the reservation there were a bit slow on getting us in, a little longer than the average wait, we were gestured to the bar to wait. However the bar was completely packed, in and around the seats, it didn’t look worth the effort to try to get anything. Sympathetic eyes back at the hostess were not met, we found a semi-​open concrete corner by the stairs where we could breathe a little bit. The flow isn’t good at the front door: you walk in to meet a slam of people waiting to be seated and as a result you block the doorway and the paths of customers and servers, this could be improved. The atmosphere was lively but on the very loud side. The tables are on the crowded-​together side.
Despite this disappointing prelude (we were tempted briefly to leave), we persevered and thankfully one of the hosts recognized us waiting painfully in the back and acknowledged us, these little things do save the experience. Things flowed better once we were actually seated, the service was attentive and enthusiastic, the food came pretty quick, the drinks were excellent. I have to admit I don’t know exactly what was ordered since I was not the Japanese food expert compared to my companion, but everything was wonderful. We were thoroughly full and then some, prices were not what I would pay for a regular dinner but only for a special occasion. If they can work on their entry flow it would be perfect.

This is my forth visit to momotaro and I took my siblings from out of town to momotaro. As expected, we were truly impressed with the quality of the food. This time, the highlights were the otoro that melted in your mouth, the hotate with purple uni and the unagi that was not drenched in excessive sauce. I will definitely come here again!

Glad we were able to finally check out Momotaro a few weeks ago since it’s been on my «best of Chicago» sushi lists to try. I was a bit nervous bringing the baby, but we snagged an early after work dinner reservation when it wasn’t too crowded yet. The space is beautifully decorated. The host and hostess were very welcoming, checked our stroller downstairs, and gave us the corner table across from the bar which was perfect for the 3 of us. Thankfully baby was great throughout dinner service and even flirted with the staff :)
The food was delicious. Hubby and I tried both the Chef’s Seasonal Selection of Sashimi and Nigiri. Don’t even play with the sashimi and just go straight for the nigiri. The sashimi pieces (12) were good, but nothing special and were cut super thick while the nigiri (9) were more creative and had great flavor profiles. Presentation was beautiful. Hubby and I also tried the Alaskan King Crab from the coals section which was super delicious! The crab was his favorite part of the meal. I was also pleasantly surprised with the dessert. The ice cream was great, but my favorite was the cookie with the green tea powder. It was delicate and decadent. I regret having to split it with Hubby.
Service was great. Everyone was accommodating to the baby and made all of us feel at ease. Thanks for a great early date night to end the work week!

We had dinner on a Saturday night at Momotaro with a group of friends and had an enjoyable meal.
Note: there is also a bar in the basement that I’ll describe in this review — not sure if it is a «separate» place or not…
Décor: As soon as you step inside this place you become a fan. The bar is right in front of you and the dining room is off to the left-​ish. The bar is cozy but the main dining room is massive and open. The center sushi bar is surrounded by tables of all sizes, with some booths along the wall, but nothing is too cramped or congested. The decorations/​styling is very enjoyable and cool, kind of an Asian fusion motif. Of all the cool little touches I most enjoyed the stone (or what felt like) plates — very neat.
Bathroom: nice, clean, and inviting
Basement Bar: We had a round of drinks in the basement while waiting for our table and it is also a cool spot. The lighting is very low, setting a chill and private mood, and there is ample seating at both the bar and tables/​booths. The whole place feels like a speakeasy mixed with a dark/​dank Asian cocktail bar that you’d see in the movies where gangsters hang out. It’s really a terrific spot.
Staff: Everyone was very friendly and great. Our bartender (s) downstairs were chatty and helpful with recommendations and our waiter for dinner was incredibly knowledgeable about everything on the menu. Additionally, water glasses were kept filled and dirty plates removed expeditiously.
Food/​Drinks: Starting with the drinks in the basement we kept it pretty casual with wine, beer, saki, and cocktails. Everything was enjoyable. Heading upstairs we went right into ordering dinner. Now, I cannot remember everything we had b/​c we let our friend, who is a self-​proclaimed Momotaro expert, order everything. What I do remember is: miso soup (standard), edamame (enjoyable), and Momotaro TarTare (which is absolutely AMAZING! This is a MUST TRY! SO GOOD!). After that, however, things become a little fuzzy… I remember lobster (which was enjoyable), some curry noodles (I’m not a big curry fan, but it was one of the «expert’s» favorites), and some kind of sashimi bowl (which was OUTSTANDING). We also had a dessert of some kind… Anyway, everything was very, very good. While I didn’t enjoy EVERYTHING that was ordered I’d say that overall I left full and satisfied.
Value: This trendy place commands a higher price than most but, for the most part, it is justified. The food (quality) is top notch and the service is the same. You leave paying a lot, but you don’t feel like you spent «too much.»
Dinner was an enjoyable experience that left my appetite satiated, however I think I’ll try other spots before returning again.

This place was awesome. Our waitress was great! Offered some great suggestions.
Some sort of Mackerel smoked with a 1000 year old cypress tree. Sweet!
Look forward to coming back when in town.

My favorite Japanese in the city, so good!
The menu is fairly complicated and broken into something like 8 – 9 sections and many of the sections have a LOT of choices. One could certainly end up with decision fatigue here, which is why both times I’ve gone we’ve asked the awesomely knowledgeable and friendly servers to help steer our order. Neither time have we ended up with anything that wasn’t loved and devoured. Fresh fish, beautiful, savory umami flavors. Mmmmmmm.
Highlights for us last night…
Cold — Tuna Kinpira
Hot — Kan Miso (think hot crab dip served inside a crab shell with very buttery (or oily?), toasted bread. mmmmm
Snacks — Goma ae (organic broccoli in a sweet sesame soy dressing, but don’t worry– it’s not too sweet)
Rice & Noodles — Chahan (fried rice — flavorful, much better than Duck Duck Goat. Had some very tender little squid or octopus in it… yum)
Chef’s Selected Nigirizushi — The Baller, Aburi Beni Toro
Regular Sashimi/​Nigiri — Chutoro was soooo good, we had a couple others I can’t recall that were also excellent
Makimono — Momomaki — one of the best rolls I’ve ever had. SO good.
The momotaro crunch dessert is like a little tiny ice cream sandwich dipped in chocolate for 1 person. Order it. Really fun and super delicious. I’d like one before bed every day for the rest of my life.
Add in great atmosphere and cocktails and you have a fantastic night out!

Think Japanese tapas.
Probably need to order about 2 – 3 plates per person. We had a 4 person party (my Mom and I didn’t eat much) and ordered 9 things off the menu. Granted the 9^th dish was definitely not necessary for us because we were all very full.
I was really impressed with every dish that was brought out. Each one was very intricately and delicately made. It’s hard for me to say something specific about each dish just because there were SO MANY. But my favorite would have to be the sashimi bowl. Really everything was fantastic, so you can’t go wrong with whatever you order.

Fiancé and I came here last night for our 9 year anniversary dinner. As usual, Momotaro did not disappoint! Our waiter was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. We did the sashimi omakase again and wow, did we get some tasty fish! I loved the uni wrapped in beef tartare and could eat a whole plate of that. We also had the chicken heart skewers, edamame, potato crusted calamari and chocolate mousse. I liked how the timing of our dishes was spaced. We had enough time to eat and didn’t wait super long for the next dish. Our waiter gave us a glass of prosecco and pocky to celebrate our anniversary. He was awesome and really made our anniversary dinner special!
This is the kind of dining experience I was hoping for when we had my birthday dinner at another Asian restaurant in the area. I’m not taking about freebies, but the attentiveness of the staff and quality of food for the price point. We never had to sit ignored for 30+ minutes without a drink or food.

Beautiful décor. The service was excellent. Very attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. We were seated upstairs which has a cool vibe with all the old yearbook style photos on the wall.
Everything was marvelous.
Edamame. I don’t usually care for it but theirs is special. Served warm it is moist and salty. The server said they marinate it in brine. It certainly makes a difference!
Miso soup was great.
Goma Ae. I found it a bit bitter but the sauce was good.
Shortrib mitoboru. Must have! Amazing how it melts it your mouth.
Curry Udon. Wonderful complex curry flavor. Noodles done nicely.
Chili Hama Momomaki – excellent rolls.
The server was knowledgeable and helpful for selecting a sake.

This update is for the main restaurant.
The food: ⁵⁄₅. We finally made it to Momotaro for sushi and it was hands down the best fish I’ve had in Chicago. We tried a variety of meat skewers, which were great and a fried tofu appetizer, which impressed my foodie in arms. I tried the three types of tuna they offer (akami, chutoro and otoro), as well as madai and hirami and basic negi toro rolls. The tuna was amazing, it was cut properly and the sushi rice had a perfect combo of vinegar and salt, very similar to what I’ve tried at places at the Tsukiji market.
The service: ⁴⁄₅. The service was generally very prompt and attentive. Our waiter was fine, but he got annoyed with us when we asked about the details on the chef’s sushi selection.
Overall: 4.5÷5. I highly recommend this restaurant to sushi purists.