IKKAI

Hands down best sushi I have ever had. It was fresh, tasty, and personal. Jay the owner is behind the sushi bar working hard right along side his team, but makes time to have fun and connect with his guest. The small intimate location is right up my ally but does come with a wait which is the only downside so come early or plan to have some free time. Plenty of things to do near by so this isn’t really a concern but if you don’t like to wait keep that in mind. Can’t say enough great things, can’t wait to go back. New favorite sushi.

MUST GO RESTAURANT!!! Authentic Japanese restaurant with high quality food options you can have in America. Chill, deemed environment to relax and enjoy your food. I just love so much😭 it is sooo good. Tastes same as eating in Japan.

I came to IKKAI on memorial day weekend on a Sunday with two friends for lunch. It was surprisingly not too busy and we were able to be seated immediately. We were able to order from the dinner menu when we visited. Note: Outside drinks are not allowed -- but the staff stored our drinks in the fridge as we ate. We ordered the Ikkai Sashimi ($40), the Main Street Roll ($13) and the Sake don ($35). The Sashimi and Sake don came with a salad and miso soup which were decent. The Sashimi was overall good and plated beautifully, although the cuts were smaller than average. There were two different kinds of salmon -- my guess is salmon and ora salmon. The ora salmon (fattier) tasted especially fishy, as if it wasn't super fresh; however, everything else was great. The sake don came with a lot of pieces of salmon and some baked salmon with mayo on the side, which was a nice surprise. My friend said that the main street roll was the best crab roll she has ever tried (she loves crab). Overall, I would say that the value of what we ordered was not bad. The taste of the sushi was also good for the area. The portions are definitely smaller, but the presentation was definitely a nice touch. I will definitely return to try other dishes in the future!

Hands down the best sushi I have ever had and I have tried lots of places. Everything was fresh, tasted amazing and was just as advertised. Daily specials and monthly specials available. The servers will tell you all about them. Definitely try everything crab that they have. Second best would probably be the salmon options. Also great drink options. Ask for recommendations since the servers are really helpful and nice. Tell them about celebrations or special occasions ahead of time as they can use some of their magic to make it even more special. It says online that they don’t take reservations but we were told that one of the table was reserved so maybe call and ask. We were lucky to get a table right away and then 15 after us there was already a line with an hour wait time. They have a handful of tables and some bar seating but it is a small place so keep that in mind. It’s downtown Naperville so parking is a hit or miss depending on the time and day you are planning on going. They get busy in the evenings and weekends are probably even busier. Awesome place!

Whenever I’m craving really good sushi, this is my go-to spot—they never disappoint! The ingredients are always incredibly fresh, and everything is bursting with flavor. It’s consistently delicious and clearly made with care. The only downside is the limited seating, which can make it hard to get a table sometimes. But honestly, that just speaks to how popular and amazing this place is. Highly recommend it to any sushi lover!

IKKAI was a really good sushi restaurant. Anytime I go to a new sushi place, I usually get a salmon roll as a test to see how good to fish quality is. IKKAI had a great salmon roll. We also ordered some other items but unfortunately I can’t remember exactly what those were… all the food was very good! The atmosphere inside was a great vibe and we had great service as well. IKKAI is a bit pricey, but, the quality is great and they do claim to be a premium sushi restaurant so it makes sense. Really good experience and a must try if you like sushi!

We waited for a free table for 40 minutes, that's the only downside. The portions are not big. The rolls are very tasty, our leader is the wabisabi rolls.

Excellent sushi restaurant, hands down the best I’ve tried so far in the west suburbs. Amazing flavor, freshness, and creative presentation. It’s a very small space and intimate setting. Highly recommended: you are in for a treat.

Love love love Ikkai Best sushi in town hands down! Whatever roll you pick is delicious, anyone I bring here makes it their #1 sushi spot. You can tell how much the owner loves his restaurant it shows in the atmosphere and the food! The Main Street roll is the best!

I came to IKKAI on memorial day weekend on a Sunday with two friends for lunch. The place looks more suited for dinner as it's dark and a small space, super intimate. It was surprisingly not too busy and we were able to be seated immediately. We were able to order from the dinner menu when we visited. Note: Outside drinks are not allowed -- but the staff stored our drinks in the fridge as we ate. We ordered the Ikkai Sashimi ($40), the Main Street Roll ($13) and the Sake don ($35). The Sashimi and Sake don came with a salad and miso soup which were decent. The Sashimi was overall good and plated beautifully, although the cuts were smaller than average. There were two different kinds of salmon -- my guess is salmon and ora salmon. The ora salmon (fattier) tasted especially fishy, as if it wasn't super fresh; however, everything else was great. The sake don came with a lot of pieces of salmon and some baked salmon with mayo on the side, which was a nice surprise. My friend said that the main street roll was the best crab roll she has ever tried (she loves crab). Overall, I would say that the value of what we ordered was not bad. The taste of the sushi was also good for the area. The portions are definitely smaller, but the presentation was definitely a nice touch. I will definitely return to try other dishes in the future!

Randomly popped into this Japanese izakaya in DT Naperville and was pleasantly surprised. The fish seemed sourced very well and at a quality better than most Chicago suburban sushi spots. I got the Ikkai weekend special. A bit pricey but actually well worth it. As you can see smoke was part of the dish (for special effects). The regular rolls were good too. Menu was well-rounded and service fantastic. I would recommend Ikkai to anyone in the DT Naperville area.

Very small portions. Very dirty Floors. 90% cabbage in the chicken stir fry. Rather expensive, all things considered. Taste was good. Music was obnoxious.

A hidden little sushi place in Naperville... blink and you might miss it. We really enjoyed this restaurant. The service is friendly and appreciative. The sushi chefs are clearly enjoying their work. I loved the little telephone prop in the middle of the sushi bar. My review is from August (sorry I'm late) - the shrimp tempura is awesome. We ordered some nigiri and rolls and everything is fresh. The presentation is very fancy. It is a tiny restaurant but super good quality food. It's a bit loud in here though so hard to hear one another. A bit pricey overall but a nice dining experience.

One of my work friends is a regular visitor here and he suggested this place for lunch meet up. This place is nice and cozy spot in Naperville downtown. Staff is super nice and attentive. Our food was excellent - all the sushi options were so good. I prefer vegetarian options and this place didn't disappoint. Highly recommend it if you are sushi fan.

First time but not the last for this place. Wow, amazing flavor profile throughout. A very small restaurant in downtown Naperville best to make a reservation as we got seats at the counter, but by the time we were leaving, it was filled up. It was fun, watching the sushi chefs, making all of the rolls, using a blow, torch, etc. We ordered the edamame as a starter, which was fine then we ordered a few sashimi pieces as well as three rolls. The Ikkai roll, the Wabisabi roll, and The Ex, all three of them I would highly recommend. I tend to go for the spicy rolls and these all hit the mark.

Great food ! Especially the miso soup and avocado salad. Sushi rolls were tasty and plentiful. Wait staff were very helpful on ordering. It had the bar lighting effect, kinda dark. Not a place I would bring kids.

We have been here a couple times now and I can say this is so far our favorite sushi spot. It's fresh and we haven't had a bad roll yet! It is a smaller place, but we usually are able to get a table.

The sushi is delicious, which is obviously the most important part. The atmosphere it's just OK. They have music blaring so you can't hear to talk and it's a little dark. But overall, the sushi makes up for it! If the atmosphere was better, it would definitely be five stars. Service was good, she was very sweet.

The service and food are amazing! There's something for everyone on the menu. There's an extensive sushi menu, a dinner menu with entrees like teriyaki and salad and more! We ordered sushi and loved it!

The restaurant is located right across a parking lot and street parking. The restaurant is not very big but comes with some great personality with its decor. Server and staff are very friendly and attentive. Food comes out fairly quickly. We went with a few nigiri and not disappointed. The board came with not much wasabi but we soon realized that each nigiri are all well seasoned so there are not reason to drown them in soy sauce and wasabi like some other utility sushi places. The scallops were tender and Smokey, salmon had a perfect brush of soy sauce and other seasoning. Everything was tender, fresh, and perfectly seasoned. We should've ordered more salmon because when we tried to add more they ran out because of a huge order that came in while we ate. The blue fin otoro was brought over in a container and once you lifted the cover to allow the smoke to clear, your met with tend otoro that is brushed with lite soy sauce and ponzu. Melt in your mouth tender. They also have a special of the day menu, be sure to ask about it. Today was x3 different types of flounder, rock fish, and sea bass. We opted for the rock fish since the other two we've had often and we were right to go that route. The rock fish had a very fresh taste with a meaty chewy texture but it wasn't tough at all. The beers are all large so for those that are offering just an fyi. I hear they also do an omakase but will have to check it out another time. All in all, a fantastic way to introduce someone to great sushi, if you want to set the bar high from the start. For anyone that enjoys sushi, this is a must try!

Tried 4 rolls. Can't remember the names. They were good. Very nice presentation. The restaurant is small, i would not go during peak times.

It's a snug and tiny place in downtown Naperville that serves absolutely delicious sushi! The people there from the chefs and wait staff were friendly, attentive and delivered some absolutely decadent sushi! If I still lived in the area, this would definitely be a place I would frequent regularly. So I did something special and went with an omakase meal that's a bit off the menu. It's a Japanese experience where you basically trust the chef to put together an awesome meal and boy did they deliver! I took a photo of everything as everything was a work of art that tasted as good as they looked. Everything was prepared to perfection and the only criticism I have about the place is how tiny it is. This place earned its 5 stars easily and I'm looking forward to returning the next time I'm in town!

Food is good. Terrible experience with wait. We were told 45mins wait which we accepted. Came back after 45 mins, were told another 15 mins and that cycle repeated 3 times! Wanted to give up and go eat anywhere (even Mc) So either come in at 5pm or may be after 8pm and you may be lucky!

Every single time I come here, I leave a better version of myself simply because this is one of my happy places that experience for me would be impossible if the vibe was not in alignment with my own Dr. Loren

Worth the drive to Naperville. The best sushi restaurant in Chicago land area. Nice atmosphere. The sushi is always fantastic. Never had a sushi taste fishy.I always brings guests from out of town here.

My husband and I visited IKKAI for his 30th birthday last summer and it did not miss! Every roll we had tasted SO fresh and so delicious! We have yet to find a better sushi spot in the Midwest. We enjoyed watching the rolls being made, as the restaurant is a little smaller but it made the experience more intimate and lovely! Service was always attentive and pleasant. We had to wait a bit to be able to be seated but it was 10000% worth the wait. Plus you can always go explore around downtown Naperville and grab a drink beforehand at another spot while waiting. Definitely will come back here again!

The restaurant was busy with a wait when we got there. We intially considered going elsewhere but decided to wait. It didn't take long before we were seated and it was worth the wait. The service was great and the food was the best sushi my Japanese colleagues and I have had stateside. The presentation of the toro sushi was impressive and awed us all. i will strongly recommend IKKAI.

This was our first time trying IKKAI sushi. The restaurant is small, cute but not very welcoming. We made a reservation in advance and were seated promptly. For the appetizer we ordered spicy tuna gyoza, which was delicious and miso soup which was super salty. For our main course we got five rolls: spicy tuna, Ikkai, wabisabi, this, and shenron roll. The pros: the quality of the fish was phenomenal, the presentation of the food and the chef's craftsmanship was at the highest level. The presentation was aesthetically pleasing with many small details highlighting the skills of the chef. The cons: our server was not very friendly. At some point during our lunch she refilled my tiny water glass spilling the water all over the table and just walked away. I had to tear half of the napkin that was on my lap to clean up the mess. Speaking of tiny glasses, they should either leave a carafe of water on the table for patrons refill themselves or provide larger glasses to eliminate the need to constantly ask for a water refill. I felt like we ordered a variety of rolls to try but they all tasted the same. I could barely differentiate between the rolls that were supposed to have so little in common. In addition, the prices are kind of steep, we paid $120 for 5 rolls, one gyoza and one miso soup and no drinks. This is way too expensive in my opinion. I will give this place another try in the future but it's definitely not of my favorite sushi places.

Great spot. Very quaint and the sushi/service is amazing. Probably my favorite sushi spot in Naperville.

My friend told me IKKAI was the best sushi Naperville has to offer so we stopped by yesterday for dinner with two others. It's in the newer part of downtown Naperville and definitely one of the fancier and pricier options in the area. The interior was modern and sleek, and it would definitely help to make a reservation in advance. IKKAI REGULAR W/ TUNA ROLL - 30 Each order comes with eight pieces of nigiri, a tuna roll or California roll along with house ginger salad and miso soup. The house ginger salad was OK - thought the dressing was too sour. The miso soup was too salty. I was really excited for the sushi to come out and the nigiris looked fantastic. There wasn't too much rice but the slab of fish was huge, a ratio I prefer. The tuna roll looked kind of like mini swiss rolls which was too much rice for me. The soy sauce they have here is too dark which wasn't enjoyable as a lighter and sweeter soy sauce would complement the sushi better. But the nigiris were so good!! My favorite was the piece next to the wasabi, as it was lightly seared on top with a slight glaze smeared on. All of the nigiris here were wonderful and I'd highly recommend it. Overall, 3.5/5 but will bump it to a 4/5. It's pretty expensive and I was shocked to see this pricing here in the suburbs. But the nigiris definitely made up for it.

This is a tiny little sushi bar in downtown Naperville. Only about 6 tables and a handful of seats at the sushi bar. But they seated our table of 4 in about 30 minutes. The decor and music is a bit hipster, but also classic minimalist sushi bar. It's a little dark, and the music is slightly loud, so you don't hear all the other tables talking. The maki rolls were delicious! We had the Hangry roll, Mango Tango roll, Philadelphia roll, Naperville roll, and THIS roll. I enjoyed Hangry, THIS, and Mango especially.

WOW! Delicious food and the friendliest service. I HIGHLY recommend making a stop here. It is a fairly small little place with only about 6 tables and 6 seats at the bar, so unless you come in right when it opens, there will be a wait, BUT it's so worth it. We ordered 4 rolls, The Naperville, the Hangry, The Grinch, and a salmon roll. Each roll was extremely fresh and perfectly crafted. Wonderful pricing as well, we got 4 rolls, a soda, and hot green tea for about $60! We will definitely be back to try their other food items as well!

Fantastic sushi spot, hidden gem! It's almost easy to miss but this is one of the best sushi spots in the western burbs.

This is GREAT sushi at a very nice price. The best sushi I've had outside of the City. The lunch menu is great and no wait when we got there around 12:30 on a Weds. Amazing staff who takes their time to answer any questions you have about the menu. Green tea is steeped to perfection.

rolls were delicious; eel was stunning; servers were very nice and kids were very happy!

Extremely underwhelming. I will say that the food is tolerable. Wasn't blown away. The unagi tastes slightly off. The space is small and if you're a big group you feel really crammed and the tables are so small. They should rethink the dishes they serve them on for more long plates instead of massive plates that take up the whole table. I heard great things about it but I thought it was not worth it. There's a lot better sushi for a better price point out there. I think that because it's downtown Naperville, they just get people in the door no matter what. The rating may seem harsh, but I'm rating based on the price for the quality that was given. Service was decent they were polite but a bit clumsy, spilling stuff on me. Don't get me wrong, I grew up overseas listening to music from every culture... Their music choice was unbearable this weird stuff that's hard to talk over. Why do that when you could play something like Japanese Jazz to elevate the vibe? They played something that sounds like Japanese kids bop or Nickelodeon for the whole experience. I just expected more for the $40 per person minimum they told our party had to do to reserve on weekends, so naturally at that price I'd expect them to outperform a hole in the wall place in a strip mall.

My favorite sushi spot in the area! Small place but worth the wait. It never disappoints! The sushi is fresh and staff is always friendly.

Pretty good sushi! The 109 roll we got was delicious. The second one we got was called "go out with me" which features a smokey vibe. I wasn't really a fan of that one. We sat at the bar so it was a little cramped being elbow to elbow with strangers but the staff was friendly and we were excited to get in and try regardless!

Amazing sushi, very cute and small spot. Kind of hidden, you miss it sometimes while walking or driving.

We were in the area and was in the mood for some sushi. Little did we know what a gem of a place we would discover! If you want boring, run of the mill sushi, just stay home. The chef here is clearly here to create a Gastro experience for you! We saw him use a blow torch and even place gold leaf on some pieces. But really it's the pop of flavor that will have you coming back. Often rolls with spice have a lot of punch that takes over the flavor. But this chef has figured out the PERFECT combo of flavor and spice. In fact, I usually avoid the spicy rolls. Instead I was prepared to lick the slate plate it was served on. We kicked off with the gyoza which were my personal favorites. I could see this being dinner. We also ordered multiple rolls to try - the hangry was excellent. From the eclectic old-school tape recorders, typewriters and record players on the wall to the delish treats, don't miss this tiny gem that's big on taste.

Solid choice for great sushi! This place never fails and sushi always tastes fresh. Small restaurant with limited seating so might want to call in advance. Retro themed props like old typewriters displayed which are sort of interesting but the food is on point!

I love this restaurant! One of the best sushi restaurants in Naperville. Main St and Naperville roll is one of my favorites. As well as the crab gyoza tastes like no other. The service is great and the staff is all so kind.

Food is decent, small, pricey but good. What's lacking is the service giving there are only handful of tables. It seems like they had quite a bit of takeout orders...but still! We didn't get water till we asked. When we asked, they gave us 1 glass while we had a table of 7. We looked around and patrons at other tables all got water...so why did we not? Also had to ask a few times and waited for a while to get the kids bowls and forks so the starving children can eat.

Amazing place for sushi! Small place But so fresh and friendly service. A little hidden gem, love the unique rolls

The only restaurant in Naperville that feels like you're in downtown Chicago. Excellent quality sushi. I especially recommend the Chef's sampler, available Thursday-Sunday, which is a selection of fish freshly flown in from Japan each day. We've taken many guests here, and they're always impressed.

IKKAI is a gem in the heart of Naperville. Having been open for 3 years young, this restaurant has a lot to offer to its community. I stopped in during a Tuesday afternoon. The waitress/host who helped us was incredibly friendly. I love the attention to detail from their moody dark ambiance to their cute short water cups, eco friendly napkins, to their hip music selection. Thr aesthetics was completely up my alley. We tried the Ocean Prime and That rolls. Both were delicious in their own ways. I felt the dining room and bathroom were very clean and did not smell funky like when you first walk into some cafes and restaurants.

I live about 90 minutes west of Naperville but happened to be there during the evening. I had read recommendations for this place and it delivered. It is a small haven tucked between larger tourist-oriented eateries. The staff was attentive and kind. I say at the counter and had uni nagiri (amazing with generous portions) and two specialty rolls, which also delivered. Everyone was kind and the food was exceptional. I look forward to eating there again!

Food was good! The people there are amazing and vibes are great! Overall a great time! Also great location! I highly recommend the Naperville Roll and Tree Hugger. Also the Chicken teriyaki is definitely a lot of my friend's favorite! Overall anything you pick is going to be delicious! Place is a little small so just a heads up but food 100% makes up for it!

3 star due to the fact the service was pretty bad in my opinion. When we got seated, it took a good 10 minutes for the waitress to give us a menu and a good 30 minutes for water/plates/utensils. I understand cleaning up the tables after customers leave is important but shouldn't you serve your customer who have sat down before cleaning especially when there were 2 waitresses? Why make a customer wait? One waitress could of cleaned up the table and the other could have brought us water at least. Other than that, the waitress was very kind and checked up on us often after we got our food which was kind of her. Rolls: 2 spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, uncle yoo, & this. All the rolls were very delicious especially the uncle yoo. I love the interior designing with all the vintage materials hanging from the wall. The atmosphere is very cozy and smoothing. Definitely a great spot to come with friends, date night, or just yourself.

Ikkai is one of the best sushi joints I've ever been to. Located in Downtown Naperville, it's a bit hard to find because the sign is tiny. It's right across from a parking lot which is very convenient. Walking in, it really isn't that large of a restaurant. The vibe is set with intimate lighting and rustic decor. I was given a hot towel for my hands. The menu had quite a few selections. My friend and I started with two rolls, Hangry ($14) and Ocean Prime ($23). We came in around 6:15 PM, had our order in by 6:25, and only those two rolls came in at 7:15. It was definitely dinner rush but the place wasn't overcrowded by any means. It took so long and we were so hangry at that point that we placed in more food so that hopefully it would be ready sooner while we still wait for our first round. We put in the 109 ($13) and Naperville ($13) which did come a lot quicker. The sushi was divine. The first two rolls were impeccable. The second round, I mainly preferred the 109. Overall, each sushi roll is crafted for perfection. The wait really was the only frustrating part. I would definitely come back but only during off hours! Please support this local business.

If you're in the downtown Naperville area, come here for great dine in service and as authentic as you can get sushi. The quality of fish is the best I've had in the area. Presentation is always on point. I'm not sure if this is still happening but earlier this year, the chef would give complimentary appetizers and dessert which was always appreciated. A note: THEY GET BUSY. Phone/take out orders usually take a while, especially during peak lunch and dinner hours. It's recommended to do it ahead of time if you don't want to be waiting. The actual restaurant is small as well and dine in could also have a wait time. We usually go right when they open or at an off time to be able to fully enjoy IKKAI. I have yet to try their rolls but so far, I really like their dons. Mainly the tekka and chirashi dons. Big cuts of fresh fish are my favorite. They don't skimp on anything. A bit pricey for each bowl, but if you're willing to treat yourself once in a while to sushi - it's worth it! Highly recommend supporting this family owned business.

Really happy to have had ikkai sushi this afternoon. The restaurant is a small place in Naperville downtown. The sign isn't that easy to see. We found parking nearby. Once inside, we were seated by the window. The menu has a good selection of vegetarian rolls and I appreciated that they go nicely behind your basic cucumber and avocado. So the funyun roll was great. This was my fave. We also had one which was rice less. It's wrapped in a thinly sliced cucumber instead of the rice. There's less umami flavor in this roll, because it is all crispy veggies, but it's crispy and fresh. It was interesting how the cuke was drinking up the soy sauce. Lastly we had one of the deep fried rolls, which was also good. Very rich and creamy cheese in that one. The only thing I'd say is that the sushi took way too long to come. It felt like 25-30 mins. Maybe they were short-staffed, but with the restaurant not very full, I don't know why it took that long. There are a few more veggie roll options which I'd love to try next time. Looking fwd to my next visit.

Great spot in downtown Naperville for sushi with a cool, modern vibe. Ikkai offers a wide variety of fresh rolls and nigiri/sashimi, such as the Ocean Prime roll (a little bit on the pricier end at $23), which featured a relatively generous portion of unagi/soft shell crab per piece. Service was great, especially since we love eating ginger with our sushi -- the staff was kind enough to give us extra when we quickly ran out of the ginger that was originally included on our platter. An FYI though -- we walked in at around 4:00PM on a Sunday and the place was already full (there aren't too many tables inside the small dining room), so I would highly recommend getting a reservation in advance because at there was already a small crowd of people waiting outside the restaurant for a table.

Incredible. Very understated and sushi is some of the best I have ever had. Jay is very nice and made excellent recommendations. We'll be back for sure.

We've lived in town for over 20 years and never visited this place. It is good, really good. The vibe is great, soft electronic "mood" music (something I don't usually like) set a nice, mellow, urban tone. Very busy on a beautiful summer night in downtown Naperville. We ordered a selection of sushi and rolls. The fish was deliciously fresh and sauced perfectly. We took our server's advice and refrained from using the soy sauce and wasabe - good call. Each piece of sushi had its own unique subtle sauce. The sauces are a perfect compliment to each piece. The tuna sushi was unremarkable, but everything else was terrific! Service was exceptional and the chef comped us a beautiful piece of fatty tuna sauced just right. A new favorite for our family. We'll be back!

This is our 3rd time eating here and Ikkai does not disappoint! Tonight we sat at the bar area and got to watch Jay work his magic prepping food. (5/5) Service: Service was great. Everyone is attentive and professional. (5/5) Food: If I could, I'd rate this a 6 out of 5, the nigiri and sushi tastes so fresh. Our favorites are the This and That. (5/5) Ambiance: We've had dinner and lunch here. Tonight we were there at 8:30pm with no wait. The music and ambiance definitely makes you feel as if you're out on a night in Japan.

All the great reviews for this place really made me look forward to eating here. IKKAI is hidden in plain sight on Main St as the signage is very subtle. This is a small place, but service is very friendly. My group ordered a wide variety of rolls to try. It took some time to get to our table, but the fish tasted great. Unfortunately, the rice tasted undercooked and grainy. I'm not sure if that was intentional, but I've not had sushi rice like that and was confused why this was the case. We had nigiri, regular rolls, and more, but all the rice was a little crunchy and undercooked. The ambience of IKKAI is very dark, and the music is loud, but the presentation is very upscale. I wish the experience my friends and I had was better.