My wife and I have been coming for years but tonight was a real disappointment. We did omakase for 2. Food quality was mediocre, we felt rushed as dishes were served one after another. At one point I had to ask the server to slow it down. No one was there to pour sake I ended up doing that myself. Overall it felt like we were rushed to finish our meal in 1.15 minutes so they can serve the next seating. No one asked how we liked the food it was served as quickly as possible. Instead of feeling like it was an exclusive and intimate experience it felt like you were in a cafeteria. Very disappointed and won’t be back anytime soon
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Carlos Espin
Always a great time here. They have one of the best omakase I've experienced in Chicago. The staff is always super friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. If you love sushi, Kai Zan is a must try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kristin Elliott
Hands down the best omekase we've had in the city. Service was more attentive and the pace of the courses was better when we sat at the sushi bar last time. This time, it felt a bit rushed where courses were coming out before we'd finished the last. But honestly, it needed to because with 11 delicious courses in a reservation slot, you have to stay motivated. We've spent the last 3 special occasions dining here and will definitely return. The restaurant is an hour drive from us in traffic but so worth it. You'll often find parking on the street out front, as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maggie Lafratta
Beautiful omakase with both rich & clean flavors. The atmosphere is intimate, pacing was perfect, great value for quality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Victoria Watkins
Excellent. Excellent. Excellent!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Faisal Wajdi
Food was incredible and everyone was incredibly friendly!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joshua Cameron
Best sushi I have ever had. Easy answer on the 5 stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tomer Kogan
Had the omakase menu. Probably the best meal we ever had. The dishes came at a great pace beetween each one, and everything was fresh and so good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
May Tsai
Best Sushi takeout in town! Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mee KC
Disappointing Service Marred a Special Celebration at Kai Zan
We were excited to celebrate a close friend’s 50th birthday at Kai Zan. The three of us have been friends for 25 years, and we chose this restaurant for what we hoped would be a memorable evening. Unfortunately, what should have been a joyful celebration was overshadowed by poor and frankly uncomfortable service.
The evening started off well. Our initial server, Brian, was warm, attentive, and made us feel welcome. However, after we placed our orders, service unexpectedly switched to another server named Daniel — and that’s where things took a turn.
Midway through dinner, the birthday girl ordered a second glass of champagne. We were deep in conversation and didn’t immediately notice that the glass she received was only half full. When we politely pointed this out to Daniel, his response left us stunned. He paused, looked unsure, and said, “I’ll go check the cameras.” He left us in silence — and shock.
When he returned, he brought another half glass, not even a full pour to make up for the short one — and then handed it to her with a visible dirty look before walking away without a word. Not only was it unprofessional, but it also felt accusatory and disrespectful, especially given the occasion.
We brought this to the attention of the manager and requested to have Brian return as our server. Although Brian did come back to our table, the mood had already shifted. The rest of the dinner felt awkward, especially with Daniel continuing to serve surrounding tables and casting occasional glances our way.
It’s disappointing that a place known for its food and atmosphere would allow such a sour service experience to happen, especially during a milestone celebration. The food may have been good, but it's hard to enjoy a meal when you're made to feel uncomfortable — or worse, distrusted — by your server.
The omakase experience was great! Definitely recommend even if u just want to do the regular menu. Really enjoyed the pearls. Fish was fresh. Great staff. Enjoyed the private booths!
Isa (Chavy)
it’s a iykyk type of spot. loooooove.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carin Weingarten
Definitely worth the hype. I’m not one to go spend $100/person on a meal — however, I’ve done that here twice. The Omakase is chef-chosen multi-course (10?) experience perfect for a special event or celebration. The only bad parts are that it doesn’t come with their Orange Rush, which is one of the best dishes I’ve tasted in my entire life, and that they finished it with a hand roll with shrimp tempura that was not up to par with the rest of the courses. Still — we’ve done it twice and I’d do it again!
My wife and I have been coming for years but tonight was a real disappointment. We did omakase for 2. Food quality was mediocre, we felt rushed as dishes were served one after another. At one point I had to ask the server to slow it down. No one was there to pour sake I ended up doing that myself.
Overall it felt like we were rushed to finish our meal in 1.15 minutes so they can serve the next seating.
No one asked how we liked the food it was served as quickly as possible.
Instead of feeling like it was an exclusive and intimate experience it felt like you were in a cafeteria.
Very disappointed and won’t be back anytime soon
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Always a great time here. They have one of the best omakase I've experienced in Chicago. The staff is always super friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. If you love sushi, Kai Zan is a must try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hands down the best omekase we've had in the city. Service was more attentive and the pace of the courses was better when we sat at the sushi bar last time. This time, it felt a bit rushed where courses were coming out before we'd finished the last. But honestly, it needed to because with 11 delicious courses in a reservation slot, you have to stay motivated. We've spent the last 3 special occasions dining here and will definitely return. The restaurant is an hour drive from us in traffic but so worth it. You'll often find parking on the street out front, as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Beautiful omakase with both rich & clean flavors. The atmosphere is intimate, pacing was perfect, great value for quality.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent. Excellent. Excellent!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was incredible and everyone was incredibly friendly!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best sushi I have ever had. Easy answer on the 5 stars.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had the omakase menu. Probably the best meal we ever had. The dishes came at a great pace beetween each one, and everything was fresh and so good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best Sushi takeout in town! Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Disappointing Service Marred a Special Celebration at Kai Zan
We were excited to celebrate a close friend’s 50th birthday at Kai Zan. The three of us have been friends for 25 years, and we chose this restaurant for what we hoped would be a memorable evening. Unfortunately, what should have been a joyful celebration was overshadowed by poor and frankly uncomfortable service.
The evening started off well. Our initial server, Brian, was warm, attentive, and made us feel welcome. However, after we placed our orders, service unexpectedly switched to another server named Daniel — and that’s where things took a turn.
Midway through dinner, the birthday girl ordered a second glass of champagne. We were deep in conversation and didn’t immediately notice that the glass she received was only half full. When we politely pointed this out to Daniel, his response left us stunned. He paused, looked unsure, and said, “I’ll go check the cameras.” He left us in silence — and shock.
When he returned, he brought another half glass, not even a full pour to make up for the short one — and then handed it to her with a visible dirty look before walking away without a word. Not only was it unprofessional, but it also felt accusatory and disrespectful, especially given the occasion.
We brought this to the attention of the manager and requested to have Brian return as our server. Although Brian did come back to our table, the mood had already shifted. The rest of the dinner felt awkward, especially with Daniel continuing to serve surrounding tables and casting occasional glances our way.
It’s disappointing that a place known for its food and atmosphere would allow such a sour service experience to happen, especially during a milestone celebration. The food may have been good, but it's hard to enjoy a meal when you're made to feel uncomfortable — or worse, distrusted — by your server.
We expected better from Kai Zan.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
The omakase experience was great! Definitely recommend even if u just want to do the regular menu. Really enjoyed the pearls. Fish was fresh. Great staff. Enjoyed the private booths!
it’s a iykyk type of spot. loooooove.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Definitely worth the hype. I’m not one to go spend $100/person on a meal — however, I’ve done that here twice. The Omakase is chef-chosen multi-course (10?) experience perfect for a special event or celebration. The only bad parts are that it doesn’t come with their Orange Rush, which is one of the best dishes I’ve tasted in my entire life, and that they finished it with a hand roll with shrimp tempura that was not up to par with the rest of the courses. Still — we’ve done it twice and I’d do it again!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing dishes. Omakasa at its best
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Kai Zan always delivers!
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