Sensational… Never eaten such good meat. Starter was also TOP. We
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gabriela Clemente
Absolutely Amazing. I highly recommend doing the omakase. The food is well worth the price. I recently came back from Japan, and this was so authentic and mimicked the freshness and flavors of Japan. Best Japanese I have had in the United States by far.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Toro Tartare with Osetra Caviar Quail Egg and Taro Crisps, Sashimi Chef's Selection, Wagyu Beef and Kimchi Dumplings with Soy Vinaigrette, Sushi, Chef's Selection Dessert Platter, Prime Beef Tataki with Fresh Shaved Truffle Truffle Jus and Pickled Daikon
Julia Ajith
Where do I begin. I never write reviews. Matter of fact this is my first review I’ve ever made. I came here for my birthday along with my boyfriend and the customer service was impeccable. They gave us a small appetizer along with champagne for free. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was warm. But my favorite part of the whole experience was my waiter. Gary was wonderful. THE best waiter I’ve ever had. And I’m from nyc and I go out a lot. This gentleman was endearing, and helped us out with the menu and our selections. Not only was he wonderful to talk to, he also gave us a an extra scoop of desert, compliments from him. He’s amazing at what he does and I truly hope he does well in his future endeavors. We even got to chat with him for a bit. This experience was very personal and enjoyable. 10/10 experience when it comes to customer service. Roka Akor give this man a raise. He deserves it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cindy Hao
i’ve been here twice - last time we did the omakase (the pricier one ?) and it was actually a decent amount of food and i was actually full, which rarely happens for omakase for me.also have ordered sushi a la carte and everything was really good. tbh probably preferred ordering a la carte over the omakase just because there weren’t many sushi dishes in the omakase we gotgreat vibes like not too loud and they were really attentive (kept refilling water without us ever having to ask) dinner lasted 3ish hours i think for all of the courses
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shahnil Merchant
I truly believe this is the best calamari I’ve EVER had!
Eman Almaher
The food was exceptional and service was excellentHighly recommended :Crispy rice spicy tunaLobster tacosDynamite scallops rolls
Charissa H.
Omakase is the way to go. Husband and I did the Decadent Omakase, and we both loved it! Some items were on the menu, and some were just created by the chef. This was such a fun experience! The service was great, both the waitress and the man that changed out the plates were excellent! The decor is a modern vibe, and there's an open kitchen with a charcoal fire. First course was Prime Beef Tataki, Toro Tartare, and Tempura Oysters. The first two are on the menu, and the third is a new creation. My favorite was definitely the toro, but the other two were great too. Everything was devoured happily. Second course was nigiri and sashimi. It was a mix of tuna, toro, and king salmon. Everything was fresh and delicious. Third course was sea bass with cherries, charcoal grilled broccoli rabe, and tempura lobster. This surprised us, but the broccoli rabe was spectacular. If you did this to every vegetable, no child would ever say they hated vegetables. I love lobster, especially tempura is my weakness, but that broccoli rabe was the star of this course. It's not on the menu, and it definitely should be. Tempura lobster was delicious, and the sea bass was good too. Fourth course was Mishima American Wagyu Sirloin (6oz), Bone Marrow, Truffle Aioli, Japanese Mushroom Rice Hot Pot with Black Truffle. The sirloin had the wonderful charcoal flavor, and that was scrumptious. The bone marrow toppings made it so good, but I have no idea what crack they put on it. The truffle aioli was a nice complement to it. The rice pot looks small, but it's all a trick. It's like the Harry Potter trick where you reach into a bag and can pull out a house. There's an abundance of mushroom rice, and this put us over the top. The rice was nice and very filling. Fifth and final course was a dessert platter. Molten Chocolate Cake with Nuts, Creme Puff with Matcha Cream, Sorbets, and Assorted Fruit. I absolutely loved the chocolate cake, because it was perfectly balanced. It's not too sweet, but wonderful chocolate flavor, and the nuts hidden on the bottom added the perfect texture. (I'm definitely stealing that idea when I make molten cake at home.) Cream puff was interesting, and I liked the matcha filling. The pastry could have been a tad bit softer, but I'm just being picky. The sorbets were both fantastic, especially as a palate cleanser. My favorite fruit was the dragon fruit. Very wonderful way to end the meal. This place is amazing. You should definitely do the omakase. Highly, highly recommend.
Mark McGarry
Went for the omakase decadent and it was definitely that! $145 per person, good quality. Ambiance quite nice / hip. Toro and red tail sashimi very good quality, others in the selection were ok. Filet mignon, Seabass and corn all roasted on robata grill were excellent! Portions were generous, I was very hungry walking in and could not finish everything.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sashimi Chef's Selection
Jessica A.
Had the absolutely worst dining experience I have ever had last night. I'm not typically one to complain about service. But the service I experienced at roka was so bad last night. I and my husband were invited to roka for a friend's birthday. They had a reservation for 12 people. We showed up right after they were sat. So we get to the table and there are no menus and not enough plates and chopstick for the table. I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant where I was sat without a menu before. The server comes to take our drink orders. But we still have no drink menus. So we don't order drinks yet. Eventually server returns with drink menus and we are able to order our drinks. More time passes and we are finally given food menus. (Still not enough plates and chopsticks.) The server returns to take all our orders. Food starts arriving (still not enough plates and chopsticks). However, there are three of us at the end of the table that don't get our food. Eventually the appetizer we ordered comes. But we don't have any plates or chopsticks to eat it with. We have asked for more table settings multiple times at this point. Finally, we get enough table settings. And eat our appetizer. More food keeps coming to the table, but three of us at the end still don't get our entrees. Our drinks/waters at this point are also empty, but of course, no one ever bothers to refill or offer more. We inform the server that we still haven't received our entrees. Eventually the server comes and starts clearing away our plates and chopsticks. We have to tell him again that we still have not gotten our food. Finally, after what totals to be over an hour we get our entrees. But we again need more chopsticks since the server cleared ours away. Also, my husband ordered his steak medium rare. The steak they gave him was so rare it was blue. He never sends food back to kitchens or complains. But he had to send this back because it was too rare for him to eat. Of course, the food tasted fine. Definitely overpriced for what we got, but I knew that would be the case going to roka akor. After all that, the server brings us our check. Never asked if we wanted dessert. Our drinks/waters have been empty for a while now. To top off the wonderful service we've had for the past two and a half hours, our check has items on it that we never ordered. So we have to inform the server that our check is wrong. We never got an apology for the horrible service. There was no attempt to make up for their terrible service. There are too many good restaurant options in the city for me to ever waste my money at roka akor again. The steaks are good but overpriced. The sushi doesn't particularly stand out and is also very overpriced. And for the cost, I expect way better service. If you're considering going here, I would recommend literally any other Japanese steakhouse in chicago.
We celebrated our anniversary and they made us feel special! They brought out a special dessert on the house and wrote a card. The food was incredible! Highly recommend the lamb chops!
Another excellent experience! Drinks were delicious, food came out fast & absolutely every dish was perfect. MUST get the pot de creme for dessert! You won't be disappointed!
Sai Klein
Great date spot! Tasting menu was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First time ever going to Roka. It took 1 hour for our appetizers to come out and our server was extremely busy so it was always hard to get a drink. Our server was friendly and cordial and I think he just had too much on his plate. I could hear someone yelling at the chefs in the kitchen and it looked like they were all over the place which explained why everyone's food was taking so long. Not the first time experience I was expecting and I don't foresee a return in the future.
Sara
I drive from Tennessee 8 hours and got a flat tire on the way just so I can come eat here. It's my third time and It's the best food I've ever had and the quality of everything is amazing. I have yet to try something I don't like. I love it.
Sensational… Never eaten such good meat. Starter was also TOP. We
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely Amazing. I highly recommend doing the omakase. The food is well worth the price. I recently came back from Japan, and this was so authentic and mimicked the freshness and flavors of Japan. Best Japanese I have had in the United States by far.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Toro Tartare with Osetra Caviar Quail Egg and Taro Crisps, Sashimi Chef's Selection, Wagyu Beef and Kimchi Dumplings with Soy Vinaigrette, Sushi, Chef's Selection Dessert Platter, Prime Beef Tataki with Fresh Shaved Truffle Truffle Jus and Pickled Daikon
Where do I begin. I never write reviews. Matter of fact this is my first review I’ve ever made. I came here for my birthday along with my boyfriend and the customer service was impeccable. They gave us a small appetizer along with champagne for free. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was warm. But my favorite part of the whole experience was my waiter. Gary was wonderful. THE best waiter I’ve ever had. And I’m from nyc and I go out a lot. This gentleman was endearing, and helped us out with the menu and our selections. Not only was he wonderful to talk to, he also gave us a an extra scoop of desert, compliments from him. He’s amazing at what he does and I truly hope he does well in his future endeavors. We even got to chat with him for a bit. This experience was very personal and enjoyable. 10/10 experience when it comes to customer service. Roka Akor give this man a raise. He deserves it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
i’ve been here twice - last time we did the omakase (the pricier one ?) and it was actually a decent amount of food and i was actually full, which rarely happens for omakase for me.also have ordered sushi a la carte and everything was really good. tbh probably preferred ordering a la carte over the omakase just because there weren’t many sushi dishes in the omakase we gotgreat vibes like not too loud and they were really attentive (kept refilling water without us ever having to ask) dinner lasted 3ish hours i think for all of the courses
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I truly believe this is the best calamari I’ve EVER had!
The food was exceptional and service was excellentHighly recommended :Crispy rice spicy tunaLobster tacosDynamite scallops rolls
Omakase is the way to go. Husband and I did the Decadent Omakase, and we both loved it! Some items were on the menu, and some were just created by the chef. This was such a fun experience! The service was great, both the waitress and the man that changed out the plates were excellent! The decor is a modern vibe, and there's an open kitchen with a charcoal fire. First course was Prime Beef Tataki, Toro Tartare, and Tempura Oysters. The first two are on the menu, and the third is a new creation. My favorite was definitely the toro, but the other two were great too. Everything was devoured happily. Second course was nigiri and sashimi. It was a mix of tuna, toro, and king salmon. Everything was fresh and delicious. Third course was sea bass with cherries, charcoal grilled broccoli rabe, and tempura lobster. This surprised us, but the broccoli rabe was spectacular. If you did this to every vegetable, no child would ever say they hated vegetables. I love lobster, especially tempura is my weakness, but that broccoli rabe was the star of this course. It's not on the menu, and it definitely should be. Tempura lobster was delicious, and the sea bass was good too. Fourth course was Mishima American Wagyu Sirloin (6oz), Bone Marrow, Truffle Aioli, Japanese Mushroom Rice Hot Pot with Black Truffle. The sirloin had the wonderful charcoal flavor, and that was scrumptious. The bone marrow toppings made it so good, but I have no idea what crack they put on it. The truffle aioli was a nice complement to it. The rice pot looks small, but it's all a trick. It's like the Harry Potter trick where you reach into a bag and can pull out a house. There's an abundance of mushroom rice, and this put us over the top. The rice was nice and very filling. Fifth and final course was a dessert platter. Molten Chocolate Cake with Nuts, Creme Puff with Matcha Cream, Sorbets, and Assorted Fruit. I absolutely loved the chocolate cake, because it was perfectly balanced. It's not too sweet, but wonderful chocolate flavor, and the nuts hidden on the bottom added the perfect texture. (I'm definitely stealing that idea when I make molten cake at home.) Cream puff was interesting, and I liked the matcha filling. The pastry could have been a tad bit softer, but I'm just being picky. The sorbets were both fantastic, especially as a palate cleanser. My favorite fruit was the dragon fruit. Very wonderful way to end the meal. This place is amazing. You should definitely do the omakase. Highly, highly recommend.
Went for the omakase decadent and it was definitely that! $145 per person, good quality. Ambiance quite nice / hip. Toro and red tail sashimi very good quality, others in the selection were ok. Filet mignon, Seabass and corn all roasted on robata grill were excellent! Portions were generous, I was very hungry walking in and could not finish everything.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sashimi Chef's Selection
Had the absolutely worst dining experience I have ever had last night. I'm not typically one to complain about service. But the service I experienced at roka was so bad last night. I and my husband were invited to roka for a friend's birthday. They had a reservation for 12 people. We showed up right after they were sat. So we get to the table and there are no menus and not enough plates and chopstick for the table. I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant where I was sat without a menu before. The server comes to take our drink orders. But we still have no drink menus. So we don't order drinks yet. Eventually server returns with drink menus and we are able to order our drinks. More time passes and we are finally given food menus. (Still not enough plates and chopsticks.) The server returns to take all our orders. Food starts arriving (still not enough plates and chopsticks). However, there are three of us at the end of the table that don't get our food. Eventually the appetizer we ordered comes. But we don't have any plates or chopsticks to eat it with. We have asked for more table settings multiple times at this point. Finally, we get enough table settings. And eat our appetizer. More food keeps coming to the table, but three of us at the end still don't get our entrees. Our drinks/waters at this point are also empty, but of course, no one ever bothers to refill or offer more. We inform the server that we still haven't received our entrees. Eventually the server comes and starts clearing away our plates and chopsticks. We have to tell him again that we still have not gotten our food. Finally, after what totals to be over an hour we get our entrees. But we again need more chopsticks since the server cleared ours away. Also, my husband ordered his steak medium rare. The steak they gave him was so rare it was blue. He never sends food back to kitchens or complains. But he had to send this back because it was too rare for him to eat. Of course, the food tasted fine. Definitely overpriced for what we got, but I knew that would be the case going to roka akor. After all that, the server brings us our check. Never asked if we wanted dessert. Our drinks/waters have been empty for a while now. To top off the wonderful service we've had for the past two and a half hours, our check has items on it that we never ordered. So we have to inform the server that our check is wrong. We never got an apology for the horrible service. There was no attempt to make up for their terrible service. There are too many good restaurant options in the city for me to ever waste my money at roka akor again. The steaks are good but overpriced. The sushi doesn't particularly stand out and is also very overpriced. And for the cost, I expect way better service. If you're considering going here, I would recommend literally any other Japanese steakhouse in chicago.
Excellent steak, salmon, sushi!! Highly recommend!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We celebrated our anniversary and they made us feel special! They brought out a special dessert on the house and wrote a card. The food was incredible! Highly recommend the lamb chops!
Another excellent experience! Drinks were delicious, food came out fast & absolutely every dish was perfect. MUST get the pot de creme for dessert! You won't be disappointed!
Great date spot! Tasting menu was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First time ever going to Roka. It took 1 hour for our appetizers to come out and our server was extremely busy so it was always hard to get a drink. Our server was friendly and cordial and I think he just had too much on his plate. I could hear someone yelling at the chefs in the kitchen and it looked like they were all over the place which explained why everyone's food was taking so long. Not the first time experience I was expecting and I don't foresee a return in the future.
I drive from Tennessee 8 hours and got a flat tire on the way just so I can come eat here. It's my third time and It's the best food I've ever had and the quality of everything is amazing. I have yet to try something I don't like. I love it.