So you're hungry — and you're ready for some Asian food. Good news: we've found the freshest spots to satisfy your appetite. Here are the newest places to check out the next time you're in the mood for Korean, Japanese, Thai or Asian fusion cuisine.
Gorilla Sushi
3407 W. Lawrence Ave., Albany Park
Gorilla Sushi is a small sushi bar chain that also offers nigiri and sashimi. Menu offerings include the classic California Roll with crab meat, avocado and cucumber; the specialty Tigger Roll with spicy salmon and avocado topped with tobiko; and the signature eight-piece Crazy Roll, complete with tuna, yellowtail, salmon, crab and lettuce. The full menu can be seen here.
Gorilla Sushi currently holds 4.5 stars out of seven reviews on Yelp, indicating good reviews.
Yelper Sean H., who reviewed the eatery on July 3, wrote, "I'm impressed and delightfully surprised with how inexpensive it is. Service was on point, the place is clean and the fish was really fresh. May be my new go-to spot being that it's so close."
Joseph Carlo V. noted, "Gorilla Sushi is my favorite sushi joint in the whole city. They serve great priced, high-quality rolls of sushi."
Gorilla Sushi is open from 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 5–10 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 11:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and 5–10 p.m. on Tuesday, and 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 5–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Iron Lotus Smokehouse
1443 W. Fullerton Ave., Lincoln Park
Iron Lotus Smokehouse is an Asian fusion spot with a large menu that includes ramen, sandwiches, brisket and Korean chicken wings. Expect dishes like smoked baby back ribs, smoked salmon filet, pulled pork or turkey ramen and a number of libations such as signature cocktails, red and white wine and domestic and international brews.
Yelpers are generally positive about Iron Lotus Smokehouse, which currently holds four stars out of 18 reviews on the site.
Kelly M., who reviewed the restaurant on June 23, wrote, "Really nice new restaurant in the neighborhood! The staff is very kind and the food is delicious. We sat outside on the beautiful dog-friendly patio. The ice cream is amazing! We're definitely coming back."
Iron Lotus Smokehouse is open from 3:30–11:30 p.m. on Tuesday-Friday and 11:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m. on weekends. (It's closed on Monday.)
Passerotto
5420 N. Clark St., Andersonville
Korean restaurant Passerotto, whose name translates to "little sparrow," comes courtesy of chef and owner Jennifer Kim.
"The food draws on Kim's Korean heritage: paying homage to the traditional and, occasionally, not-quite-traditional dishes she grew up eating with her family, adding a few minor touches from the Midwest and Central Italy," the eatery says on its website.
Look for menu options like raw tuna with snow peas; cavatelli with butter, potatoes and shallots; and pork shoulder for two served with pickled radishes. Take a look at the full menu here.
Passerotto is off to a promising start with four stars out of 33 reviews on Yelp.
Yelper Arielle A., who visited the restaurant on June 21, wrote, "What a great addition to the neighborhood! Ordered the Kalbi for two. The short ribs were cooked perfectly. I loved that it was seasoned minimally, so you could really taste the quality of the meat itself."
Passerotto is open from 5–10 p.m. on Tuesday-Thursday, 5–11 p.m. on Friday and 5–11 p.m. on Saturday. (It's closed on Monday and Sunday.)
Ruk Sushi & Thai Edgebrook
5419 W. Devon Ave., Edgebrook
Ruk Sushi & Thai Edgebrook, which has two other locations in the city, brings together Thai and Japanese cuisines. The Japanese menu offers a la carte sashimi and nigiri, as well as sushi rolls like the Godzilla with shrimp tempura, cream cheese, avocado and mayonnaise. On the Thai menu, look for popular dishes like the tango mango fried rice with egg or classic pad Thai. (You can check out the full menu here.)
Ruk Sushi & Thai Edgebrook has opened to rave reviews with a current rating of five stars out of 20 reviews on Yelp.
Yelper Jenny H., who reviewed it on June 21, wrote, "Delicious Thai food and sushi! This small restaurant serves up some seriously good food. We met some friends here and ordered a bunch of things to share and everything was fantastic."
Yelper Adam K. wrote, "Wonderful addition to the neighborhood! I ordered delivery via GrubHub. Food was prompt and tasty."
Ruk Sushi & Thai Edgebrook is open from 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and 11:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.)
Kai Sushi Lakeview
3819 N. Southport Ave., Lakeview
Kai Sushi Lakeview is a sushi bar and Japanese spot with an extensive menu of sashimi and sushi staples and a variety of noodle soups, appetizers and platters. Its original location is in the South Loop.
If you're looking for sushi, expect choices like the Dynamite roll with shrimp tempura topped with baked scallops; the Caterpillar (unagi roll topped with avocado); and the Chicago Cubs (hamachi, albacore, salmon, jalapeño, cucumber and avocado rolled with fried shallots). (Take a look at the full menu here.)
Kai Sushi Lakeview's current rating of 4.5 stars out of 29 reviews on Yelp indicates positive feedback from diners.
Yelper Mirella G. wrote, "Second Friday in a row for date night! This place really is delicious. We tried new options and we were not disappointed! This time we had one of the specials of the night, which was some of the best tuna ever; the Super Crunch and the Citrus Salmon. Everything was very tasty and the mix of flavors was perfect!"
Sam L. noted, "Indoor and outdoor seating! Highly recommend the Citrus Salmon and the Special Spicy Tuna! Comes with eight pieces each."
Kai Sushi Lakeview is open from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. on Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Friday, noon–11 p.m. on Saturday and noon–9 p.m. on Sunday.
