Kyoten Next Door

Kyoten is one of Chicago’s best sushi restaurants, so any sequel to this Logan Square spot comes with high expectations. But Kyoten Next Door is more The Empire Strikes Back than Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2. It’s a fantastic option for a straightforward, classic omakase without the creative small plates (and possible second mortgage) unique to a visit to the original Kyoten.

photo credit: Veda Kilaru

Aptly named “Kyoten Next Door,” this restaurant is a more low-key and less expensive version of its neighbor. It still costs $159 per person (not including tax, drinks, and an automatic 18% gratuity), and you’ll need to make a reservation weeks in advance. But considering the original experience is a three-hour ordeal that costs over $450, Kyoten Next Door is more casual.

After finding the nondescript papered-over entrance, you’ll sit with nine other people at a sushi bar that stretches across the art gallery-esque room. The setting doesn’t feel solemn, though. The quiet intensity of the chefs preparing ingredients is broken up by a couple’s enthusiastic questions about wasabi production, or by two friends gossiping about their least-competent coworker over salmon nigiri. And there’s a good chance that more than one of your seatmates is wearing sneakers.

photo credit: Veda Kilaru

But there’s nothing casual about the food. An early indication? A reservation confirmation will come with a request to “avoid heavy use of perfume/cologne so that you and those around you can fully appreciate the taste of our sushi.” A meal at Kyoten Next Door involves phenomenal nigiri made with high-quality fish, heavily seasoned large-grained rice, and a piece of blowtorched wagyu that puts your favorite steakhouse to shame. Enjoy each methodically prepared bite unencumbered by the fragrance of Drakkar Noir.

photo credit: Veda Kilaru

All 15 courses display an incredible level of precision, from the knife work on a piece of seared gindara that looks like Sonic the Hedgehog, to the hand-grated wasabi used throughout the meal. If you can keep yourself from getting lost in a sea of perfectly formed fish, make note of what you like best. There’s an option to add à la carte pieces before dessert—and it will be a struggle not to re-order the whole menu.

photo credit: Veda Kilaru

photo credit: Veda Kilaru

photo credit: Veda Kilaru

photo credit: Veda Kilaru

photo credit: Veda Kilaru