Kamehachi: Chicago-area Japanese Food

Kamehachi, as you may be able to figure out, means 8 turtles, a traditional Japanese symbol of long life. Kamehachi is a Japanese sushi-bar/restaurant with 5 locations around Chicago. We went to the Streeterville one at 240 East Ontario, about 6 blocks Northeast of the Grand Ave. Red Line stop. The dining room there was really cool, it was spacious and well lit, and had trees or some plant life all around the outside. The tables and chairs were also pretty neat and the overall atmosphere was very nice.

That being said, almost all of the wait-staff was non-Japanese, so I didn't get to indulge in all the small things that make going to a Japanese restaurant fun like saying gochisousama deshita (it was a feast) to the waiter or ordering in Japanese. It's not a big deal, and I certainly don't condone obnoxiously thanking everyone in the restaurant just to show off your Japanese (you look like an asshole), but it's definitely nice to be able to talk to your waiter and host in their native tongue. No luck here.

Alright, on to the menu, starting with appetizers. Tonight we had the Gyoza, Shumai, and Sauteed Scallops. The Shumai and the Scallops were pretty good, but the Gyoza were amazing. Best Gyoza I've had outside of Japan. They were so good that we ordered another plate. You have to be careful with these guys though, they're extremely tasty and go down real easy, but they don't fill you up at all. For the sake of your wallet, don't order more than enough for everyone to have 2.

Alright, on to Sushi, I tried out two pieces of my favorite Ika (squid) sushi. Nigiri per piece was really expensive, $2.55 for one piece of Ika. The Ika was good, but I've had better for less. I'd recommend the maki (rolls) instead. My brother got the Unakyu maki (eel and cucumber roll) and loved it. That seems to be the way to go.

Entree. I had Nabeyaki Udon, which is Udon noodles in a pot with broth and green onions, fish cake, chicken, and an egg inside. There was also Tempura on the side. The Udon was about standard for America, but sub-par by Japanese standards. I enjoyed because I just like eating Japanese food, but it was really lacking in flavor, so I had to bombard it with shichimi (spicy powder mix, lit: seven tastes). The tempura was ok I guess, but I've never been a fan of tempura and this did nothing to make it stand out. It cost $12, which isn't a bad price for Japanese food in America, and it did fill me up. Still, I felt it could have stood out more like the Gyoza did.

Dessert. We had Mochi Ice Cream, the only Japanese item on the Dessert menu, to finish off the evening. We ordered Mango, Green Tea, and Red Bean. They were all really good, but the red bean stood out in my mind. I love red bean paste, but I hadn't had a red bean ice cream I really liked until this one. Mochi Ice Cream is a really refreshing way to end a meal. It's cold, and the mochi feels like it sticks to your teeth and pulls the gunk off them. I'm pretty sure that's not what's actually happening, but that's what it feels like.

Ok. Final Score.

Appetizers: 9/10. Gyoza is amazing.
Sushi: 6/10. Not bad. Not great.
Entree: 6/10. A lot of food, sort of bland.
Dessert: 4/5. Mochi ice cream is fantastic, but the only Japanese thing on the dessert menu.
Price: 6/10. 10 being cheapest. The sushi was way over priced I felt. The rest was pretty reasonable for a fancy restaurant.
Environment: 4/5. Great dining room. Too bad there aren't any Japanese waiters.

Overall: 35/50. 3.5 stars. I'd probably investigate some other places before going back, but still a pretty good meal. And those gyoza.