Kaminari
| Address: | 2124 W Algonquin Rd, Lake in the Hills, IL 60156, USA |
| Phone: | +1 847-854-4909 |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 5–9:30PM 4:30–9:30PM 4:30–9:30PM 4:30–9:30PM 4:30–10PM 4:30–10PM 4:30–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
A
A Private User
When I pulled up to the shopping plaza, I almost thought I made a bad decision. The plaza looks kind of run down, but the moment you step inside, you forget about the exterior. Kaminari is very stylish and hip; I felt like I was at a sushi place in Chicago. I love the music. Personally, my favorite kind is electronic and Kaminari plays in the trance/ambient range. I find myself moving my body to the beat every now and then but it is not overpowering or intrusive to conversation. The booths are very nice. The first time I was there, the light in the place was such that it seemed like the booth didnt end as the walls are painted very dark. A pendant hangs over the booth and they have a tealight candle. The tables are nice too. A long booth is along one wall that is lit up by strategically placed track lighting. Opposite is the sushi bar where all the rolls are prepared. The food is excellent, some of the best Ive had. You must try the calamari equivalent (I forget the name of the dish offhand). It is grilled, not fried, and absolutely delicious, but you cant go wrong with any other starter. Ive been ordering from the flip side of the sushi menu, where resides many rolls, including "supreme rolls," ones which are larger and elaborate. Try the Princess Fiona, TNT, or Shrek. Very tasty. My goal is to try every one. I usually end up spending around $90.00 for two, which includes a starter, a couple supreme rolls, and a couple drinks (wine or beer). Definitely worth the money. My only critique is that the place resides in a run-down looking plaza. I fear that many people might decide to stay away if the outside is any indication of the inside (which it is not). Please, dont judge a book by its cover because although Kaminaris binding might look frayed, the inside is made with gold paper!
MI
Mike Marchi
We decided to try it based largely on the positive ratings. Walked in around 8:30 on a Friday. The restaurant appeared half full. We had to wait for a clean table. When we were seated at a booth in back, the table was still wet. When it dried, the table, seats, and even the menus felt sticky. After a while, we still had no water, and nobody had checked on us. As we waited, we had a chance to look around. I remember going there for lunch shortly after they first opened and thinking it looked pretty nice, but tonight it felt run down and dirty. Most tables still had clutter from prior patrons. The person at the table behind us flagged down the busboy and said, "I know you guys are busy, but we ordered appetizers ... an hour ago ... and only one of us has any food." We gave them a couple more minutes, and then decided it was probably best to cut our losses and just leave. Nobody even seemed to care or notice as we left...except the man at the table behind us who seemed to silently beg us to take him with us. Maybe we caught them on a bad night. We didnt stick around long enough to try the food.
MI
Mike Marchi
We decided to try it based largely on the positive ratings. Walked in around 8:30 on a Friday. The restaurant appeared half full. We had to wait for a clean table. When we were seated at a booth in back, the table was still wet. When it dried, the table, seats, and even the menus felt sticky. After a while, we still had no water, and nobody had checked on us. As we waited, we had a chance to look around. I remember going there for lunch shortly after they first opened and thinking it looked pretty nice, but tonight it felt run down and dirty. Most tables still had clutter from prior patrons. The person at the table behind us flagged down the busboy and said, "I know you guys are busy, but we ordered appetizers ... an hour ago ... and only one of us has any food." We gave them a couple more minutes, and then decided it was probably best to cut our losses and just leave. Nobody even seemed to care or notice as we left...except the man at the table behind us who seemed to silently beg us to take him with us. Maybe we caught them on a bad night. We didnt stick around long enough to try the food.
79
79lpcustom
This was our go-to Sushi spot in the NW suburbs. We had moved an hadnt been there in a couple of years. Surprise, surprise....not even close to what it used to be. The atmosphere, condition of restaurant, food preparation and quality are all gone...same prices for substantially inferior dining experience. The original Kaminari is no longer, thats why all of the reviews going back more than 3 years or so are stellar. The place WAS stellar, but they have obviously changed ownership and the old place is sadly gone forever. Will not go again. Much better places around for less. The original was expensive but the food was fantastic, so I was willing to pay more. When we walked in tonight first thing I smelled were urinal cakes...I should have just turned right around and left.
SA
Savi Chadha
I live in Chicago and have frequented numerous sushi restaurants in the city. I was in the Northwest suburbs visiting relatives and decided to try out this sushi restaurant. It definitely lives up to the hype. Food, plating and service are all excellent. The food is excellent (the sushi bombs are delicious), plating is phenomenal (the apple garnish is beautiful), and the service is prompt and courteous. The restaurant decor is also fantastic. Its definitely as gorgeous as any of the best sushi restaurants in the city. Overall, this restaurant is right up there with the best sushi restaurants in the entire Chicago-land area.
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A Private User
I eat sushi quite a bit, but its hard to eat anywhere else after trying Kaminari. This place is absolutely phenomenal. The service is very professional and courteous, and atmosphere is perfect for a date. The food itself is on an entirely different level than any other sushi joint Ive ever been at. Seriously, I find myself extremely judgmental of everywhere else I go, and constantly compare it to Kaminari. Even the simple Spicy Tuna roll is far and away better than most places. I highly recommend the Billy the Kid and King Crunch rolls.
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A Private User
My wife and I dinned there last night for the first time and were very pleased. Their service was great, the food was even better. I would highly recommend a glass of the Plum wine with the spicy tuna crunch roll and the Madam Butterfly. The Madam Butterfly was hands down the best Maki I have ever had. Expect to spend some money here though. You can easily spend $80-$100 without much trouble.
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A Private User
***** Great Sushi! ***** This is a great sushi restaurant. They always have really good dishes and serve my favorite, Sake Don. The atmosphere is very modern and intimate, great for dates. And believe it or not they have a stellar presentation of the food, even with take out! I was impressed with my original dining experience, then even more impressed with take out.
KI
Kim LaPak
Sounds like a Great place, but there downfall is not having a full menu or website to click on. I wanted to place an order for pick up and it was impossible to see what they had.. So I had no choice, but to order from Bistro Wasabi. They really need to get a web-site with pics and prices, once that is done I will be happy to try it out.
