Tanoshii

while the ambiance and food were nice...there were numerous problems with our experience. first, the waiter took our order before getting us a wine opener and we had to ask 3 times before we were brought one. second, all four of us got the 'mikes special' in which we were to tell the waiter what we like and don't like. the waiter only asked us what we don't like and didn't write anything down. third, two of the meals came and then another 10 minutes later a third meal came. the last one came another 15 minutes later. the waiter was not apologetic for this large gap in time between all our meals. forth, the sushi, while good, did not match what we had told the waiter in terms of amount of spice. also, we thought we were getting mikes personal creation for us, but looking around we saw a lot of other people with the same rolls as us. We read such great reviews, but ultimately were disappointed by the service and the overpriced sushi.

Posted 01/31/09

Seriously, anyone who wrote a bad review just doesn't get the experience with Mike. Please, sit at the bar, watch him work and try to understand where all the flavors are coming from. Tell him spicy or not, he will listen to you! Everyone seems like they are in such a hurry! Sit back and enjoy life and your food for once! So what if it takes 2 hours to eat! Your with friends! Bring a great bottle of wine or two!!! He can make a sushi lover out of anyone!

Pros: Creative and wonderful Sushi !!!

Cons: I don't have any, he is worth every minute of my experience!

Posted 01/01/09

If you are into infusion food then Tanoshii is for you. Sushi Mike is a genius when it comes to combining unique flavors to create something out of this world. So next time you are in the Andersonville area belly up to the bar and tell Sushi Mike you are there to be impressed and let him handle the rest.

Pros: Unique Sushi Creations

Cons: Slower Service at Tables

Posted 12/03/08

The much vaunted Mike's special was so spicy that the heat completely overwhelmed the fish. It was a big mish most of fish and spicy mayo. Next time I'll just go get a Filet O Fish sandwich and put Tabasco on it. The service was incredibly slow and unresponsive. My first and last visit to Tanoshii!

Pros: BYO and average priced

Cons: Terrible service, Mike's special's too spicy

Posted 04/09/08

Ya the service isnt the fastest but if you sit at the sushi bar and let Mike and company do there thing its quite the experience. If you are lucky he might even start doling out the sake. Its a cool place to hang out and meet the people around you. I've eaten sushi all over town and this is for sure my favorite. Go there take your time and have fun

Pros: sushi chef, origanality

Cons: ambience

Posted 04/09/08

I am not sure the people who have written reviews for this restaurant went for the right reasons. You do not go to Tanoshii to order off the menu. (Don't get me wrong though- everything is good) The REAL reason to eat at Tanoshii is for the Mike special- heavenly creations that take maki to manna!! The food comes at a pace to make you slow down and enjoy it. This experience is meant to be mindful. Call for a reservation and ask for the sushi bar- then tell Mike if you have allergies, love or hate spicy food, what you're in the mood for and then let him take control.

Pros: Mike's Special Maki

Cons: Crowds

Posted 04/01/08

I went with a group of 8 people. First, we received only one menu. When we asked for more, they brought only two. I still don't get that. The appetizers we ordered came in a timely manner. The one person who ordered an entree got his about 30 minutes later. And then things went downhil fast! Our plates of sushi arrived in 20 minute shifts over the next hour. Of course it made for awkward dining! Every time we asked, one person's plate was whisked out. We sat hopeful the rest would soon follow, but that wasn't the case. We expressed our dissatisfaction to our server and eventually asked for a manager. There was no apology, no offer for a discount next time, nothing! I don't even remember how the food tasted because we were upset and hungry by the time it came. I highly recommend you avoid this place! It was the kind of night you regret having to pay for.

Pros: location

Cons: service, service, service!

Posted 11/30/07

I eat a lot of sushi and have eaten at many many sushi restaurants in Chicago. I have never experienced service as slow as Tanoshii, for sushi or any other kind of food. Just getting the menus took a long time, and even then we were given menus for only half our party. Then after we placed our order it was an hour before we saw any food and two hours before we saw all of it. The sushi was good, but absolutely NOT worth the wait and the hassle of trying to get served. They are completely disorganized there and the management doesn't seem to care. They are so in love with their artistry with the fish that they can't manage and don't seem troubled by the length of time it takes to serve people. This was my first and LAST visit to Tanoshii!

Pros: High energy atmosphere, reasonable prices

Cons: Slower service than you can possibly imagine.

Posted 11/25/07

That's the question you'll be asking if you go to Tanoshii when there are other people in the restuarant. They made the sushi well enough. But they simply cannot get their act together to get it out of the sushi bar in any reasonable amount of time. And reasonable means less than 90 minutes. The comments of other diners and even the servers indicated that this is a typical experience. When we expressed frustration with how slow the food was taking and that there were dishes missing long after ordering, they asked "Haven't you ever been here before?" The answer was no, and we're never going back.

Pros: Good sushi, mellow vibe

Cons: Terrible and very slow service and unapologetic to boot

Posted 11/23/07

I saw this restaurant on Check Please and visited with my family at 6:30 on a Friday night. After 2 1/2 hours, we still did not have all of our food - no exaggeration. When we asked the manager what was going on, he was totally unapologetic and kept saying - 5 more minutes. We finally just told them to cancel the remaining order. They brought the check with no apologies or discounts for our experience. If they would have recognized the horrible experience we had in any way, I would not take the time to write this review. I eat a lot of sushi in this town and I've never experienced such bad service in the 20 years I've lived here. Their service should not be rewarded with customers. I strongly recommend you find a different sushi restaurant. This place is not worth the time or aggravation.

Cons: worst service I've ever experienced

Posted 11/22/07

I do not believe that Tanoshii is authentic Japanese fare. It is a blend of spices and flavors, which were delicious, but not necessarily Japanese style. I have been to many Korean owned sushi restaurants that were quite good and authentic. But Tanoshii is more "fusion" sushi. This is a place where you can go for sushi-like rolls, but not sushi rolls. Because the rolls were so heavily spiced and flavored, it was diffidult to decipher the individual flavors, such as the marinade of the rice and the simplicity of the raw fish. Overall, however, the rolls were good, and the staff was friendly. I don't think I would bring my father here, as our family prefers the traditional sushi, but I would probably bring a few friends who are not acclimated with sushi here for a beginner's course.

Posted 03/17/07

Our party of four sat in the back room, went with the chef's choice menu, and, for seven plates and two hours, took an amazing ride. Sushi Mike's creations are edible art, pure and simple. Watching him create is like peeking in on Rembrandt in his studio. From an amazing Asian pear/soft shelled crab number to a wild mountain of ceviche-type sushi, Mike delivered one magical experience after another.

Pros: wildly inventive sushi

Posted 11/19/06

I live near Tanoshii, and I've eaten there several times. It's true, the service can be inconsistent, but often it's fine. However, I've always found the staff and chefs to be extremely friendly, and I enjoy the food. Mike's special is generally very good-usually you are asked what foods you like and Mike creates around what you suggest. This explains the inconsistent reviews here. I have young children, and we try to arrive at 6PM or earlier, which works well-I've always found my children welcome there.

Posted 06/20/06

We went to Tanoshii last night for dinner. After about 10 minutes, somone brought us water and told us that another person would take our order. The other person stopped by about 10 minutes later and asked us if we wanted mike specials. We responeded yes, but tried to ask some questions because we had never eaten there. The guy seemed confused and said mike would talk to us. After about 45 mins and no food, we asked the waiter if we were going to get any food. He said that they were working on it. We left at the one hour mark.

Pros: nice atmosphere, friendly

Cons: terrible service, clueless

Posted 02/14/06

While not to be thought of as traditional, "Sushi" Mike offers a hand-crafted menu of some of the most creative rolls in Chicago. He successfully blends flavors of Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean in a gastronomic explosion. On top of this, Mike creates a personal, friendly, and comfortable environment for his customers. The service is not the fastest in town, but the experience is well worth the wait.

Posted 02/11/06

The owner/sushi chef was extremely rude during our entire dining experience. The "mike's special" was expensive and not very good. If you go to this place I would suggest taking advantage of the BYOB policy because being extremely intoxicated may be the only way to enjoy this excuse for sushi.

Posted 01/13/06

this is the place to go if you are a "safe" sushi eater, meaning you eat only rolls and cooked sushi, that is assuming you actually get your food. the incompetant wait staff lost our order but kept assuring us our food was coming. the food is tasty and creative but would make most japanese people cringe. they drizzle all of their rolls with some kind of gooey sauce. if you like authentic japanese style sushi go elsewhere. this place is korean owned and operated. we canceled our order, the rest of our party got their food, and we went to white castle up the street.

Pros: fun for groups

Cons: slow, inauthentic

Posted 06/16/05

This is simply the best sushi I've ever had. The freshness and taste of the fish, the unusual and brilliant choices of vegetables and even fruits to create amazing taste combinations, the sauces, the overall intricacy of taste and presentation: it is fabulous in every respect.

Pros: food, atmosphere

Posted 06/13/05