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Forgive me, maybe it's just me, but for some reason that salmon photo has me thinking of Georgia O'Keefe...

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...Pedro

Griffin and I tried T-Spot near the Lincoln/Damen/Irving Park intersection Sat night.

This is another sushi place that I was afraid would be too hip for us, but it actually turned out to feel like a neighborhood spot. The atmosphere was dark and the decor leaned toward modern/glass/black, although there was one comfy seating area with upholstured chairs on the left side as you enter that softened the room. The wide screen TV above the sushi chefs added a Blade Runner overtone.

They had a specials card that listed a couple high-end rolls and the chef's plates. Then the waiter told us about a crab cake appetizer that I ordered on the spot as soon as I heard it. In addition, we ordered the special "hot spot" roll, a spicy yellow tail roll and a spider roll. They were out of Uni so we ordered a piece of super white tuna (that probably makes no sense, super white tuna is perhaps the anti-Uni, but we were looking for something not represented in the hot spot roll which already had everything but the kitchen sink)

The crab cakes were very good. Fried in panko, nice crab flavor and a good amount of meat to filler. Served with grilled asparagus and the orange spicy mayo. Four silver dollar size cakes and 6-8 spears of asparagus for $16. A great starter.

The hot spot roll was a real gem -- the roll was topped with mixture of shrimp and crab, covered with a slice of eel, a slice of jalapeno and then topped with the red roe shown on the chicago roll. Inside there were shitake mushrooms and a slice of something with the texture of tofu/egg. Maybe there was supposed to be tuna in there too? Not sure, but there were crunchy bits of something somewhere.

The result: no single fish, taste or texture was identifiable. The roll was greater than the sum of its parts. Great balance, great mouth and flavor experience.

The roll came cut in 8 good size pieces around a flaming bowl of something (the hot in "hot spot'). We asked if we were supposed to do something with the flaming center, and the waiter said no -- its just for effect.

However, just being near the flaming bowl may have warmed the roll slightly (and brought out oils) which can be a very good thing with fresh fish (and a not so good thing with not fresh fish). In this case the presentation worked.

At $17 this was an expensive roll, but it was a truly wonderful flavor combo.

In all our dishes, the fish was very fresh. The super white tuna was sweet and meaty. Both the spicy yellowtail and the spider roll were fine (not superlative, not bad).

Our friend had the sushi plate (6 pieces and a roll) said all of his fish was very fresh as well ($20).

We were all still a little hungry after our order, so as a compromise we got a final smoked salmon roll for "dessert" to split 3 ways. Cream cheese in sushi is not usually my cup of tea, but the salmon was excellent and had a strong smoky profile that allowed the cream cheese to complement it.

All in all, a fine meal -- the regular rolls are $5-7 which is pretty good pricing. The signature rolls are much more expensive ($16-20). Dinner for 3 was 100 including tip. That's a little pricey, especially without sake or miso, but I can't fault the quality of the fish.

We didn't attempt to BYOB due to reports of unreasonable corkage fees, and instead just decided to continue on to Resi's for a stein of Optimator after the meal.

T Spot Sushi
3925 N. Lincoln
http://www.tspotsushiandteabar.com/

Is this place still around? Is it still owe by the same owner?

I have not been back there since the issue with dept. of health... How's the food is it is still owe by the same owner?

It's still around, I work next door. I've been once. I have no desire, whatsoever, to go again. Nor do any of my coworkers.

I don't understand how it stays in business.. the food has never been anything but wretched.

edit: I, and I think the person I'm replying to, am talking about Pacific Cafe at about 1621 N Damen.

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Ed Fisher
my chicago food photos

RIP LTH.

We stopped a T-Spot for an early Friday dinner and I found it to be good, if not a little imbalanced. The octopus salad is ridiculously over-priced considering it consists of about two tablespoons of octopus and some noodles. The same goes for the martini-glass of super-white tuna tartare. Neither is something I'd order again.

On the other hand, their maki rolls worked rather well for me. Nouveau maki is very low on my list of foods I enjoy, but their "Chicago Fire" roll was well-balanced and tasty. Also the una-kyu (eel-cucumber) was satisfying.

I did enjoy the tea list and the fragrant green tea that we chose. For me, this place works more as a tea house that has some sushi rolls than as a restaurant that has a tea list.

Even though I was reasonably satisfied, I couldn't shake the feeling that I would have rather spent my sixty bucks at a place like Renga-Tei or Akai Hana.

Best,
Michael

I had a great meal at Agami last night. This is currently my favorite sushi place in the city.

I started with the spicy tuna rice crispy, which is chopped raw tuna on a rice crisp, sliced jalapeno on top and served with two different hot sauces decorating the plate. Amazing dish. Just enough heat to elevate the flavors without overwhelming them.

Then, red snapper sashimi and super white tuna nigiri with a thin bead of sesame garlic sauce and a slivered jalepeno, both super fresh, and served with freshly grated wasabi. Freshly grated wasabi is night and day different from what passes for wasabi in most sushi places. It has a citrus note and good heat, but it's a more complex heat if that makes sense. The menu has 8 different specialty nigiri sushi items that each have a micro topping designed to enhance the flavors of the fish. No soy sauce necessary. The super white tuna was from that part of the menu.

Finished with an Ocean Drive roll which is tuna, yellowtail, avocado, green bell peppers, cilantro and spicy masago mayo wrapped with soft cod fish sheet drizzled with chili oil and fresh lime juice. I asked for red bell peppers to be substituted, and they happily complied. So many different flavors that worked so well together.

Cool atmosphere, friendly service, and superb food.

Agami
4712 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL
773.506.1845

No props for Sai Cafe?!?! I've hit dozens of sushi places across the city, in the past, but can't quite keep up with all of these trendy sushi places popping up all over. I mean since when did thumping techno go hand in hand with raw fish? In any case, Sai has been my old stand by. I haven't found better unagi anywhere - with the exception of the unagi don at Sunshine Cafe. The spicy tuna crunch is absolutely addictive, and the nigiri pieces are always fresh, flavorful, and not skimpy. The service - welcoming and attentive. I really can't ask for more and have pretty much given up trying all of the new places. Where's the love?!?!

I'm with you on this. I've had better, more interesting, sushi at many places. But, I got to Sai when I want to be assured of good quality, fresh fish at somewhat reasonable prices.

Mike G owes me, himself and Steve Z $3.95*

T-Spot Sushi


Not only less tasty, but, given the flat lifeless grocery store quality of the fish, ridiculously overpriced. For example, T-Spot's specials Sashimi Supreme 12-pieces Chef's Choice, market price. Texturally incompetent yellowtail, texturally incontinent tuna, dried out red snapper and not-bad-at-all salmon for $25.



As egregious as the Sashimi Supreme was it had nothing on Hamachi Jalapeno. 10 pieces of virtually flavorless yellowtail set upon, once again, virtually flavorless jalapeno moistened with, virtually flavorless ponzu sauce.

Hamachi Jalapeno $16


Miso soup was fine, though $3 per bowl, and our shared pot of Magnolia Oolong was initially quite good with a soft delicate flavor, though became undrinkably tannin. By the end of our $100 w/tax and tip for 3-people lunch we were laughing at the absurdity, we knew we were in a train wreck so decided to relax to try to minimize damage upon impact.

T-Spot is nicely decorated, in a hip for hip sake fashion, service was, if not well informed, at least enthusiastic, and Lincoln Ave people watching a treat.

Enjoy,
Gary

*In the early days of LTHForum convention was if you posted a bum recommendation you ~owed~ anyone who took your advice $3.95

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Sauce on the side, always, implied, axiomatic..........never a doubt, BBQ sauce without.

Low & Slow

A while back on a movie site there was a discussion of which movie had lost more money than any other in history. Most people would throw out the name of a famous runaway-costs epic like Waterworld or Cleopatra, but in fact people usually come out to see those movies-- just not enough of them to break even. (Sometimes they're even hits, to everyone's surprise-- like Titanic.) No, the real all-time losers are the movies that somehow spent way too much money in pursuit of an ordinary mediocrity so forgettable that they vanish from theaters in an instant, swallowing up an ungodly nine figures with them. Cutthroat Island... The Adventures of Pluto Nash... Sahara... Town and Country... these are the kind of movies in which 150 or 200 million bucks was sucked into a hole in the earth which immediately closed upon itself, leaving no trace anything had ever happened there.

G Wiv, Stevez and I had the Pluto Nash of lunches at T-Spot. Not the most expensive disaster any of us had faced-- since all three of us were at the infamous Devon Seafood Grill dinner, to name one, it couldn't be-- but in terms of sheer money burned, $79 before tip, for absolute nothingness returned, this really could be the all-time, Matthew Modine as a whimsical pirate, Matthew McConnaughy as an Indiana Jones type, Eddie Murphy in space champ.

Now I swear this place was not always so overpriced. And I know the fish didn't suck like this fish sucked-- not in a fish gone bad way, just in a so-flavorless-you-can't-tell-where-the-fish-ended-and-the-rice-began way. I can only think that as traffic has picked up with places like Sola and Mrs. Murphy's and so on doing well, and with no immediate competition, they have gone insanely greedy, charging absurd Wicker Park prices for quality which-- G Wiv mentions grocery stores but I've bought sushi at the Jewel on Ashland and it was better than this.

I'd tell you to stay away, but... hey, nobody needed to be told to stay away from The Adventures of Pluto Nash, that's the point.

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I have to disagree with both GWiv and Mike G about one aspect of our recent t-spot sushi lunch. I think the sushi chef is an absolute master! I have never experienced a presentation so beautifully made with artificial ingredients. Oh wait, you guys think they served us real fish? No way. That couldn't have been anything more than facsimile fish made out of gum paste. It had absolutely no taste. Even the jalapeños on top of the hamachi-like substance we were served had no taste whatsoever. I've always wondered what the artificial food on display in the windows of some Japanese and Chinese restaurants tastes like. Now I know.

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Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

BWAHAHAHAHAHA. You (and a 3 course lunch @ Custom House) just made my day...

I've been to: Naniwa (mediocre), Bob-San (mediocre), Katsu (twice--seriously, all I can say is WTF, this place sucks), Sai (many times, not good), Matsuya (smelled like fish when we walked in, should have just left), Wabi (can be good, definitely above average), Kamehachi on Wells (bad), Kamehachi on Ontario (great at first, then bad), Oyso (mediocre), Morida (couple of decent maki), Dee's (good chinese, bad sushi) and a couple other "neighborhood" places, all of which tasted just like you'd expect.

Nothing in this city even comes close to Mirai. I've been probably two dozen times, and it's fantastic. I seriously wish I could find someplace else, but I've just about given up. At some point I suppose I'll hit Tank and Heat.

These are some of the ugliest photos of food porn I have ever set my eyes upon; Thank goodness I had already eaten. I feel your collective pain. That sashimi platter was especially egregious... Not only in color, but cut of fish - certainly not trained sushi chefs.

Yeah, there used to be a Romanian (I think) guy who was the sushi chef, a dough-faced guy with short stubby fingers that hardly looked like the fingers of a sushi chef, but he was really good at it and his work came out very nicely made (see old pictures higher up in this thread). I agree, the moment the roll arrived, about to pop open from too much leaf inside it, with random shapes of fish atop it, I knew we were doomed.

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I have to ask, Basis... what do you typically order? I've been to Mirai even more than you (it was my go-to place for a couple of years), but I happily ditched it for Bob-San... which I'd happily ditch for Katsu if it weren't for the huge price jump. I suppose I can understand somebody preferring Mirai over the other two, but by such a wide margin? I find that... odd.

(I do miss the Yukke Toro, though)

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-Dom
www.skilletdoux.com

I'm a sashimi guy mostly, with a few things on the side for fun. I don't get too wild: unagi, anago, hamachi, maguro, amber/yellow jack, snapper, toro, kani, etc. I can take or leave tako and uni.

Bob-san (and Naniwa) have both just been wanting on this score in the roughly six times (added together) I've been to them. I called them mediocre because it wasn't *bad* (and some of those others are), but just not particularly good cuts or fresh fish.

My two experiences at Katsu were remarkable. The first time I was sent by a friend of the owners', and they were delighted to have us. Then probably 75% (!) of what we ordered was wrong, or requests weren't met, etc. Things like a half bottle of champagne instead of a whole. Green tea ice cream instead of green tea. Forgot to skip the mayo on a roll, and then took literally thirty minutes to replace it while everything else got eaten (to be fair, they were busy). The food was ok, but nothing special.

Recently we returned, because I figured it just had to be an off night. Again, the service was just plain bad. The owner happened to be near our table while our server was taking our order, and she was having so much trouble, he just took over (and got it right). But the fish was expensive and nothing special at all. We got the "special" blue fin sashimi, and while pretty, it just wasn't that good. Other dishes were similarly disappointing.

I just can't figure out why people like it so much. I keep telling my wife we need to go back and find out what we're missing, but she just rolls her eyes at me.

Looking for high-end sushi in Chicago. Don't want rolls--if someone tries to feed me a Chicago Fire Roll I might actually spontaneously combust. Don't want scene. Don't really care about cooked items. Price isn't an issue. Based on what I've read here, I can't say any one winner comes out.

I've heard good things about Tanoshii, but it still seems like a place that's based on new-age "creations." Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's just not how I like my sushi.

What do you recommend for an undisputedly delicious, and ideally traditional, sushi experience. Omakase, at the bar, yes please.

Have you considered Heat?

http://www.heatsushi.com

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Chicago Craft Beer Week!

In fact, I have, but I've also heard very mixed things, bordering on horror stories. A chef acquaintance tells me of meals of monkfish liver and pristine fish, all awesome stuff. Then I've read reports of a contrived gimmick and a mainly empty restaurant. I've also been told the sister restaurant, owned by the same people but whose name I'm now forgetting, is better.

Where to go?

We enjoy sushi, but are far from experts on the subject. Any comments on Butterfly Sushi & Thai on Grand & Racine?? We've been frequenting it for their sushi.... as far as we're concerned Yum Thai & Spoon Thai are tops in the Thai area (haven't had the chance to head up to TAC yet though!)

I love Butterfly Sushi & Thai for its local convenience for me, as well as the BYOB factor. It is a welcome addition to our neighborhood. I think the owner and staff there are some of the friendliest we've ever been served by. Sushi Wabi probably has just a little better sushi, but Butterfly's is certainly nothing to sneeze at. And their (Butterfly's) prices are a lot more down to earth than many sushi places, including the Wabi. Add the BYOB savings, and you can have some nice sake and good sushi without it costing an arm and a leg (or a fin and a tail). We keep on saying that next time in we need to try their Thai food, since the owner and staff are Thai, but we love sushi so much that invariably we turn to the sushi once we are inside. Maybe the next time...

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...Pedro

I've been cruising alot this spring to find a regular sushi joint, preferably in my hood. I found T-spot to be pretty bad, rolls so gussied up that the flavor of the fish is completely buried, though I am not a fan of "specialty" or "fashion" rolls in general. No tempura crunch for me please- it reminds me of that youtube video with the Japanese deep fryer/ fish tank combo where the goldfish nibble at the sinking fryer detritus. Anyway, back to the hood. Butterfly made no impression on me, I am fairly sure that it is owned by the owners of second rate Logan Square Thai place, Sai Mai. Bob San was pretty awful on my last trip. The fish was fine, many pieces quite fresh. The fried offerings were the real offense. Fried oysters fried all the way through, arrived room temp and laden with oil, same with the shrimp head of the amaebi. I have to say that Aki has made the best impression as of late- nigiri is served room temp, the rice is hand formed, fish pieces larger than four fingers wide, and last time all but the super white were so pristinely fresh that I am almost certain that they had not been flash frozen and thawed.

Forgot to mention that the Thai escargot at Butterfly is absolutely sinful!! It comes immersed in a red thai curry sauce, nice spice to it and is served with garlic bread. The first time we saw garlic bread on a sushi/thai menu, we thought it was a bit out-of-place, but it enables you to soak up every last drop of the delicious curry!!!

BrianZ, have you been to Mirai?

Personally, I am a huge fan of Heat. I've had two really outstanding meals there. Both times I've gone with their top tier tasting menu. Fresh kill sashimi is definitely a bit of a gimmick, but on my last visit it was included in the price of the tasting menu so we tried it. The fish was tilapia and it was about as unexciting as you would think. The only problem with Heat is that it can get really really expensive so it's more of a special occasion place than a regular sushi bar.

I still think Tsuki and Mirai are the best places in town (haven't been to Katsu), but as a whole Chicago's sushi leaves a lot to be desired.

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-Josh

I've started blogging about the Stuff I Eat

I haven't been anywhere. I've been in Chicago for but a day. My significant Chicago experience in past trips has encompassed a couple trips (read: pilgrimages) to Alinea, and my meal at Blackbird last night. I've eaten very extensively in NYC, my home area. I've also eaten a lot of sushi throughout Japan on many, many trips, so I like to think I know my stuff in that regard.

What's Mirai like? The website isn't up.

How much is a top level meal at Heat?

While Chicago sushi has improved dramatically over the past decade and there's some really good fish to be had, if you've eaten around Japan and NY is home base, it would probably be wise to adjust expectations

That said, I think Mirai, Bob-San (for the basics) and Katsu (though pricey) are all excellent picks. Can't say I've been to Heat.

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-Dom
www.skilletdoux.com

I just have a hard time eating at a sushi place called Katsu, much less, Bob-san.

The other restaurant is called Kaze and it is not a sister restaurant. I think there was a family squabble and Kaze was the result of that. The fish quality is very high, but the style is not old school. There is use of various dressings that I like but that are not in the strict Japanese manner.