I have made it my goal to find the best sushi in Chicago, so far Meiji tops my list. The decor is simple but comforting. The service is outstanding. After years of working in the food industry, I... More

I have made it my goal to find the best sushi in Chicago, so far Meiji tops my list. The decor is simple but comforting. The service is outstanding. After years of working in the food industry, I was very impressed by the entire staff. The server?s were very knowledgeable about the menu ?and not reading from a piece of paper- they could accurately recommend an entre based on what we said we liked didn?t like ect. Now for the food it was outstanding! The shogun is my favorite I can highly recommend the hye roller, the white dragon and the haru as well as the individual pieces of tuna and salmon. I brought my friends there and after we ate, two of them ordered food to go because they liked it so much. The drink menu is not something I care all that much about unless I am going for wine, but their cocktails are also delicious. Now it is not a cheap place but the money is well worth it for the food and service that you get at Meiji. Go and Enjoy!!! Pros: good food and service Cons: a bit pricey
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This simple aesthetics of this restaurant appealed to me immediately. Exposed brick walls with dried bamboo rods and thick wooden menus send off a message of earthiness and calm. The food,... More

This simple aesthetics of this restaurant appealed to me immediately. Exposed brick walls with dried bamboo rods and thick wooden menus send off a message of earthiness and calm. The food, however, was vibrant, spicy and fresh. The element of water from the fresh fish tied beautifully with the earthy atmosphere. The rolls were inventive and perfectly spicy! The menu was also impressive and not overwhelming. Everything was wonderful.
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One of the best sushi restaurants in town. Very small place with a lot of attention paid to each plate. The white dragon roll is to die for. Good atmosphere, great service. Looking forward to... More

One of the best sushi restaurants in town. Very small place with a lot of attention paid to each plate. The white dragon roll is to die for. Good atmosphere, great service. Looking forward to our next visit!
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I was pretty disappointed in Meiji. I had been recommended to the restaurant. And expected, perhaps foolishly, that the food would be memorable, esp. given the prices and the locations (right next... More

I was pretty disappointed in Meiji. I had been recommended to the restaurant. And expected, perhaps foolishly, that the food would be memorable, esp. given the prices and the locations (right next to acclaimed Blackbird). Don't get me wrong, nothing was bad. It was just not good. THe tuna was very cheap and had that terrible bright red color. The seaweed salad tasted artificial, as well. Overall, the quality was low. Clean, stylish bathrooms were the best part. And I must remark on the service. Everyone was very friendly and courteous. No complaints there. You won't have a bad time. Just don't go expecting anything above mediocre food and a high bill. Pros: nice service. stylish dining room and bathrooms! Cons: very mediocre, processed food
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So I ordered the Chef's Special. I only asked that I only have regular fish, not eel, clam, or anything of that kind. So I receive 8 pieces. 1 is Octopus, clearly not a fish, and the other is... More

So I ordered the Chef's Special. I only asked that I only have regular fish, not eel, clam, or anything of that kind. So I receive 8 pieces. 1 is Octopus, clearly not a fish, and the other is urchin. Moreover, the fish was dryed out and absolutely tasteless. The salmon and tuna could have been anything. Now it is a Tuesday night, so maybe they just had a bunch of old fish left over from the weekend. This is clearly the worst sushi experience I have ever had. This sushi was of an inferior quality to one of those "all you can eat" sushi places. You couldn't pay me to eat at this place again. I called to complain, since I picked up the Sushi, and the manager responded by taking a few dollars off. This sushi was $36 for the chef's special [sic garbage]. PS you may like the rolls cause they overload them with mayo and wasabi to mask the lack of taste of the fish. Pros: Looks nice Cons: Food is terrible and tasteless
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The ichigo maki is now my favorite roll in the city. Fantastic service as well. Decor very cool and chic; definitely planning on bringing my wife here for our next date night! Pros: Food,... More

The ichigo maki is now my favorite roll in the city. Fantastic service as well. Decor very cool and chic; definitely planning on bringing my wife here for our next date night! Pros: Food, Ambience, Service Cons: Price
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This is a great restaurant, nice atmosphere, good food, great location with good a staff/manager! I stopped in recently after work to meet a friend, and the waitstaff was courteous and attentive... More

This is a great restaurant, nice atmosphere, good food, great location with good a staff/manager! I stopped in recently after work to meet a friend, and the waitstaff was courteous and attentive plus the food was excellent. This is a top notch place I would recommend it. Pros: it's all good
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I stopped at Meiji with 5 other diners on a Saturday night. We arrived at 6:30, though our reservations were for 7 and were seated promptly. Big groups are accomodated wonderfully, in fact, I saw... More

I stopped at Meiji with 5 other diners on a Saturday night. We arrived at 6:30, though our reservations were for 7 and were seated promptly. Big groups are accomodated wonderfully, in fact, I saw a mix of both couples and larger parties. Our waitress was wonderful, recommending the salmon ceviche as an appetizer. It was fresh, colorful, and wonderful, as was the age dashi and the tempura. The ceviche was definitely the best. At the waitstaff's recommendation we ordered 2 types of sushi, the fatty salmon and the tuna, both fabulous, though the tuna may have been slightly better. Neither needed any soy, wasabi, or ginger, the flavors stood on their own. The rice almost took away from the wonderfully fresh fish. We ordered 5 different rolls, 8 pieces each, and were tempted to order more. The fire dragon and the shogun were my personal favorites. The sweet strawberry was an unexpected twist in the spiciest of rolls. The manager frequently came to talk with us, and even served us 2 complimentary desserts: a wonderful ginger creme brulee and something that resembled a Japanese version of a Napoleon (delicious, though I didn't catch the name). This restaurant is relatively new, but it is an absolute must. The chefs are warm and inviting, completely unexpected in a posh sushi joint. Pros: Waitstaff, sushi, maki moto (try the shogun) Cons: The music was a bit loud, strong techno vibe
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Food tasted absolutely fabulous and the service was fantastic. Two thumbs up. Their sushi and sashimi was great but their kitchen food was also unforgetable. Unlike other sushi restaurants where the... More

Food tasted absolutely fabulous and the service was fantastic. Two thumbs up. Their sushi and sashimi was great but their kitchen food was also unforgetable. Unlike other sushi restaurants where the lights were too dark to see the menu and walk around because of poor interior job, Meiji had nicely finished their interior work to meet customer satisfaction.
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Meiji (mA´jE), a new sushi restaurant named after the Japanese Meiji Period (1867-1912), has opened in the former d. kelly location. Currents owners have glammed up the space with a new granite and... More

Meiji (mA´jE), a new sushi restaurant named after the Japanese Meiji Period (1867-1912), has opened in the former d. kelly location. Currents owners have glammed up the space with a new granite and Brazilian steelwood semi-circular bar, a centerpiece sushi bar where you can chat up the sushi chefs, and dramatic steelwood installations above both the sushi bar and in the lounge area. The menu features premium nigiri and sashimi -- some selections are marinated in-house, like the amaebi (sweet shrimp) and saba (mackerel). The Makimono list includes standbys like the California and spider, plus signature maki rolls like the koto, with unagi, cilantro, avocado, jalapeno, masago and tempura crunch. Sapporo-style tempura, here made with wild Japanese mountain vegetables instead of ho-hum produce is an appetizer standout (executive chef Ishi spent 15 years cooking in Sapporo, Japan). Entree highlights include teriyaki salmon and tempura udon.
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