I was taken to Mirai for my birthday last night and was quite excited to finally give this highly rated sushi place a try! Unfortunately, it was an extremely disappointing experience. Our visit... More

I was taken to Mirai for my birthday last night and was quite excited to finally give this highly rated sushi place a try! Unfortunately, it was an extremely disappointing experience. Our visit started off on the wrong foot. We arrived at the restaurant and the host was so hurried, he did not even make eye contact while greeting us and taking us to our table. It was as if we were interrupting him. We started with the tuna/salmon/white fish carpaccio which was so bland despite the capers. Had a seaweed salad which was standard. We also ordered the Unagi maki mono & a veggie maki...surprisingly both of these rolls lacked flavor. We were so disappointed we didn't bother trying anything else. Didn't even stay for a birthday dessert. The only positive aspect was that our server was very personable and attentive. Maybe it was an off night, but I will never go back there again. There are much better (and less expensive) sushi places in the city.
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My friend and I were here a few weeks back and I've neglected to write a review until now. We had a fabulous time. The service was top notch, the wine list had good selections and the sushi was... More

My friend and I were here a few weeks back and I've neglected to write a review until now. We had a fabulous time. The service was top notch, the wine list had good selections and the sushi was fantastic. Although the menu is more limited than you would find at some other places, each of the choices are delicious. In fact, my friend and I tried every one of the Chef Selections and loved them....so much so that we actually re-ordered a couple of them. As noted by another reviewer, they suggest not using soy sauce and they're exactly right. The flavors are perfect just as they are. Highly recommended! Pros: Sushi was fantastic and different than the norm Cons: none
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We heard that Marai was a great sushi spot and is close to us so we went for our first anniversary. (I made a note of this in the reservation and there was ZERO acknowledgment that I had informed... More

We heard that Marai was a great sushi spot and is close to us so we went for our first anniversary. (I made a note of this in the reservation and there was ZERO acknowledgment that I had informed them of this fact.) It's very noisy, brightly lit, and the tables are uber-close to each other. Service was fine, except for the fact that the server kept reaching in front of my wife to point at items on the menu, in the "closed" position, that is with his elbow in her face and chest, instead of the proper "open" position. My wife had to visibly lean back from his elbow being in her personal space. Limited selection of maki rolls and they were all more expensive. Bottom line, this place doesn't hold a candle to Coast as far as food, price or ambiance. Turn down the f*&%ing lights! Plus, Coast is BYOB! Pros: trendy, hot spot, young crowd Cons: pedestrian service, limited maki rolls, more expensive, bright lighting
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In short, the sushi is fantastic. Take to heart when the waiter tells you "the chef recommends using NO soy sauce." The beauty in Mirai's sushi is not the freshness of the fish (though it is a... More

In short, the sushi is fantastic. Take to heart when the waiter tells you "the chef recommends using NO soy sauce." The beauty in Mirai's sushi is not the freshness of the fish (though it is a plus), it is in the singular uniqueness of the sauces that accompany the fish. You will not be disappointed if you order the following: 1. Bin Cho (tuna salad) 2. Spiny mono roll (octopus+tuna) 3. Tuna Tuna Salmon 4. Kani Nigiri ? baked king crab (2 pcs per order) 5. Special Zuke 6. Gyoza Ravioli I've been 10-12 times over the past two years and have still not OD'd on it...happy eating! Pros: Great food, good atmosphere, location, opentable Cons: Desert isn't very good...but there is a gelato place right next door!
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After researching just about every sushi place in Chicago, we settled on Mirai for my boyfriends birthday. We had a reservation for Friday night for the second floor and were sat within seconds of... More

After researching just about every sushi place in Chicago, we settled on Mirai for my boyfriends birthday. We had a reservation for Friday night for the second floor and were sat within seconds of us arriving. The service was very prompt and they bring your sushi picks in rounds instead of all at once which was perfect. Definitely kept us from ordering too much. We ended up putting an additional order in and that came out just as fast. The best tuna sashimi we've ever had. My only complaint would be how noisy it was, it seemed the same on the first floor. Although the second floor had a nice lounge type atmosphere. A little on the pricey side, but completely worth it. The specialty martinis were great too!
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The food and atmosphere is good at Mirai but I think it's time to take our business elsewhere. Friends gave us a generous gift certificate to Mirai knowing our affinity for the restaurant.... More

The food and atmosphere is good at Mirai but I think it's time to take our business elsewhere. Friends gave us a generous gift certificate to Mirai knowing our affinity for the restaurant. Unfortunately, we did not use the certificate within the one year term. Almost every restaurant I know extends gift certificates..except Mirai. Notwithstanding our polite inquiries to the manager, the rebuttal was absolute...they simply would not accept the gift certificate. We frequented Mirai often but no more...they may have gotten paid on our gift certificate but have lost a customer.
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Mirai is quite simply the best sushi in Chicago. Coming from San Francisco, I was afraid I would not find comparable sushi here, but I was wrong. I have also been to a lot of sushi places here,... More

Mirai is quite simply the best sushi in Chicago. Coming from San Francisco, I was afraid I would not find comparable sushi here, but I was wrong. I have also been to a lot of sushi places here, and none come close to being as good. Try the fatty tuna. Oh my gosh, it's like buttah.
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How often do you go to a ?Trendy? spot only to have the atmosphere far outshine the food? It happens to me a lot ? but not here. This is a really cool, upscale trendy joint, and the sushi is... More

How often do you go to a ?Trendy? spot only to have the atmosphere far outshine the food? It happens to me a lot ? but not here. This is a really cool, upscale trendy joint, and the sushi is fan-friggin-tastic. I?d highly recommend being adventurous here, as it is almost impossible to get something that isn?t amazing. Definitely justifies its price tag (which can be hefty if you can throw back some fish, like me). Creative and unique rolls with perfectly complimented nigiri. Service can be really slow on the weekends, but the atmosphere makes it tolerable. If you love sushi, you gotta try Mirai. Pros: Trendy, creative, delicious sushi Cons: Crowded, sometimes slow service
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We've gone to Mirai on a number of special occasions & this place never disappoints. By far the best sushi in Bucktown, if not the city. Service has always been excellent. We love the spicy tuna... More

We've gone to Mirai on a number of special occasions & this place never disappoints. By far the best sushi in Bucktown, if not the city. Service has always been excellent. We love the spicy tuna rolls & the dumplings appetizer. Great drinks & a fun atmosphere for special date nights & evenings out with friends. Pros: Service, Great Food, Atmosphere
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You always here of those restaurants that have that real snobby attitude and poor service, and this is definitely not one of them. The staff has always been great and the food is AMAZING. The... More

You always here of those restaurants that have that real snobby attitude and poor service, and this is definitely not one of them. The staff has always been great and the food is AMAZING. The cocktails are great too. A wonderful place to get some great sushi and enjoy your surroundings. Pros: The lounge upstairs Cons: Nothing
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