JaponaisService was the highlight.Service was the highlight. We had an awesome bartender in the lounge area while awaiting our reservation. We were taken to our table promptly for our reservation time. The waiter was great. The spicy mono roll was a show stopper.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AM2nd time here and it was just2nd time here and it was just as we remembered. The food is unbelievably excellent and we look forward to coming back again as soon as possible!6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMsomething for everyoneWe had a great meal at Japonais. There were great options for my husband who doesn't eat fish or seafood. The food was delicious but was served a bit too quickly. We were warned that it might happen like this but I still prefer to be service a bit slower.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMSouped-up SushiJaponais is an Americanized version of an up-scale Japanese restaurant. If you want very good sushi, tempura, and beef dishes, this place is just the ticket. If you want to recreate an exciting and exotic eating experience you had in Japan, you may find the menu a little common-place. They have some pretty nice variations on classic sashimi presentation, they also serve New York strip steak or Wagu to cook with a hot rock at the table which is always fun and delicious. The food is very nice, but I suspect some patrons will feel that the premium paid for very carefully prepared food, fancy decor and attentive service is just a little too high. What is missing is surprise.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMVery nice decoration and environmenVery nice decoration and environment. Food was amazing!5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Anniversary spot!Had an early reservation (6:30 PM), moved to an outside table upon arrival. They were ready for us, and seated us right away. Service was good! We ordered from both the sushi kitchen and the main kitchen.. all food was excellent. Great experience overall!5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMJumping for Japonais!We arrived a bit before our reservation, so we sat at the bar downstairs. I got the Floating Orchid martini, which was really tasty and the fact I could eat the orchid gave it an extra point (I love edible flowers!).
Dinner was an adventure. We had the Tuna flatbread, which was amazing, the pork buns, miso soup and lobster sprint rolls. I wasn't blown away by the pork buns or lobster rolls, but I could have eaten the entire flatbread by myself! We also tried the sake sushi (kind of ordinary) and the spicy mono, which was a hit for me. For dessert, I had the coffee and donuts, which was just ok and the hubby had the chocolate mousse cake, which was really much better.
We'll be back to experience the signature sushi for more adventure!5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMReliable, go toGood reliable option, good Japanese fusion, nice decor, and service.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat ChoiceBeing in town for the NRA show we also wanted to experience the variety of dining options in the city. We made a great choice in coming to this restaurant. Thank You5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMHad a great experience, serverHad a great experience, server was great, helpful!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMThe place is just greatThe Rock is the signature dish. A Must have. The spicy Octopus roll is fantastic. Any Hamachi sashimi or roll are definitely great here. Our service was excellent. Also had the lamb chops which were cooked perfectly. A great dinner. It is not cheap. This kind of fine sushi is never that cheap.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat service, attention toGreat service, attention to details, wonderful staff and excellent food. Very engaging staff and the food was superb! I would highly recommend.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing Amazing AmazingMy first time dining at Japonais and I loved every minute of it. The food is amazing. The portions are small, that you are not overwhelmed with the amount of food. You are left satisfied, but not overly stuffed. I recommend the Floating Orchid drink, pure delish :-)5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMJaponais is OutstandingOutstanding food, great atmosphere, excellent service!!! Did I say outstanding food?!! I highly recommend Japonais to all food lovers. The rolls (and I typically only eat sashimi) were delicious. The presentation and flavor of the food was top notch!! They have a solid wine list and a great drink list as well. Thank you!!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMGood Sushi with a nice vibe!The staff is great, the food is awesome and for some reason this place is a better fit in Chicago than NYC. I really like the location along the river and during the summer sitting outside is a treat!5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMDeliciousMeal was delicious. I really liked the ebi ebi roll, and the short ribs.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMWhen we arrived they didn'tWhen we arrived they didn't seat us but sent us to the bar lounge down stairs and as soon as we reached the bottom of the stairs the lady sent us back up because our seats suddenly became available. Drinks are very delicious and the food is superb! However teh portions are small. The enviornment is beautiful and the chairs are very comfortbale; however we did get seated right by the door. That wasn't the best because I'm prone to being cold and the draft from the door was a bit chilling. Aside from that it is a very beautiful restaurant that has very strong and delicious unique cocktails (the floating orchid is a good one for the ladies), and a very fine dine menu. We ordered the Salmon Japonais and Seabass that came witha bit of caviar4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMOh what an experienceEverything was great, it's been a while since I've had such a great dining experience. My date hasn't stopped talking about what a great place for a wonderful evening out.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMI love this restaurant andI love this restaurant and always have but the only complaint I have is that when I checked my online banking I noticed my account was charged 3 times the amount of my bill. They rectified the issue but it took them 4 days.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMReliable. Went for quick lunch,Reliable. Went for quick lunch, told server of our time constraint and he recommended the Business Prix Fixe. Good call! Sushi starter was very good, and Asian stuffed chicken was perfect.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMThe overall experience wasThe overall experience was very good, the staff attended us very well. The only things we didn't like were the shrimp head decorations on the Japonais salmon plate, they make the dish less attractive and the salad plate is too little to share. The desserts and quality of the food are awesome though. It is a great place for any night in Chicago.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat for a dateWe had a wonderful time! Fresh sushi and you must try "the rock"4/3/2013 12:00:00 AMA great place to eat!!!This is my second time here and both times were very good! I will say their steaks are extremely thin which just makes them look like they are under serving you buy really its plenty of food! The Hot Rock app is great, the first time I had it the steak was cut very thin, the last time it was thicker and wasn't as good. The staff is extremely nice, great bar below, amazing decorations and the taste of the good overall was very good! Finally the price was slightly lower than I thought it would have been, a nice surprise!3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMI'm in love with the yellowI'm in love with the yellow tail roll and the Ebi Ebi roll we ordered....and re-ordered probably 5 times each. Delicious! Thanks for the great food!
My only complaint is the price is super high and the wine list price options are a bit extreme. $50 for a bottle I can get at the grocery store for $15?3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMThe BEST mashed potatoes (pureedThe BEST mashed potatoes (pureed they call 'em) I've ever had, as well as the BEST pumpkin cheesecake to grace my tongue. Really pleased by Japonais as many high-end restaurants tend to be over hyped. They deliver (not literally).3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMOur experience was incredible.Our experience was incredible. The food was over the top, as well as the service. We are definitely returning.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMDavid HExcellent as always. Food was superb. Try the hot rock/beef appetizer - it's delicious and fun. Of course this is a pricey place, but I still think worth it. Enjoy!3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent food and service!!Excellent food and service!! Love "the rock"....we try to make it here each time we travel to Chicago!!3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMIf you like beef, try TheIf you like beef, try The Rock. Thin slices of prime beef that you cook on a blazing hot stone at the table.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic dining experience!Fantastic dining experience! The food was really interesting and delicious!3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMStill amazing after all these yearsThis was the third visit in the last month after re-discovering Japonais following a too long hiatus. The food and service is better than ever and still as creative as I remember. The bao buns are surely the best in the US.3/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways excellentThis is my go to place when I want a great meal. I recently took a couple of out of town guest there. They loved it, as did I. This is my second review of the place, and if you have not tried it, you really should! Fun appetizers, like the rock, solid sushi and entrees, and my favorite dessert.....coffee and donughts.3/8/2013 12:00:00 AMRarely do I give 5 stars,Rarely do I give 5 stars, but Japonais deserves 5 stars. This was an excellent experience. We got there about 15 minutes early (reservation), so they directed us to the bar downstairs. This is not your ordinary bar. This was complete with comfortable seating and the like. I ordered the Laphroaig (sp?) scotch, and, to my surprise, it came in quite a huge glass. This is rare because usually scotch comes in a small glass so I got my money's worth there. We get to our table, and, even though it can get bunched together, the people around us were not insanely loud, which was nice. The sushi and my salmon entree was outstanding, and my sake flight was really good. I definitely recommend, although I want to see how this place is during the summer.1/26/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Rock is very cool.This was our 3rd visit. This time we tried the appetizer called "The Rock", which was very cool.1/12/2013 12:00:00 AM