Kurumaya Japanese Restaurant

Kurumaya is a very unique place to enjoy authentic Japanese food. It is not fancy at all, which honestly adds to its charm. The focus here is clearly on authenticity, quality and flavor. The restaurant is closed on Sundays. On Saturdays, there is usually a wait time of about 20 to 30 minutes, particularly before 1 pm. Make sure to add your name to the waitlist located at the entrance when you arrive! Service is fast overall, although sushi orders can take a bit longer. The food quality is excellent. I cannot recommend the udon soup enough. Even though it is very simple and comes without fancy toppings, the flavor is deep, comforting, and very fulfilling. It is especially perfect during winter. The gyozas are also really tasty and always a good choice. We usually order the katsu curry, served with miso soup, rice, pickled onions, and salad. The portion is large and can easily be shared between two people. That said, if you have a big appetite, it can absolutely be enjoyed by one person. Most importantly, it is truly delicious. Overall, Kurumaya is a wonderful spot for authentic Japanese food, and we always enjoy coming back.

This is real Japanese home cooking in the heartland of America. Don’t be misled by the humble location and simple interior—this is an authentic Japanese establishment run by a Japanese family who truly honors traditional home-style cooking. Don’t just come for sushi or sashimi. Be sure to try their homemade udon, comforting Japanese curry, and small plates like tender Japanese eggplant and perfectly prepared beef tongue. Everything tastes like it came straight from a Japanese home kitchen.

This is an excellent, inexpensive Japanese restaurant in a nondescript strip mall. When I came on a weekend, there were two $13 lunch specials offered. I also came one time for dinner for sushi, pork katsu, and grilled squid.

Let me start out by saying.. my hubby is half Japanese.. so he likes almost ALL Japanese restaurants! He had the curry pork.. I had the tempura vegetables.. for an appetizer we had the tempura shrimp and vegetable combo. He really liked the curry.. it wasnt spicy and tbey only have white rice.. not as good as his or his Mom's but good... he liked the soup .. he said he'd come back and order it again. Let's go to my plate.. I love tempura.. most of the time.. its onions.. broccoli.. sweet potatoes and carrots.. which i am good with.. first.. the tempura wasn't cooked long enough and it had zucchini (i can't stand zucchini) mushrooms.. I don't eat them and two little slices of sweet potato.. I tried to eat the salad.. but I didn't care for the ginger dressing.. not as bad as some I've had.. and I didn't care for the soup. The water i asked for was tap.. I'm ok with that.. but this water tasted like chemicals.. so.. it's 50/50 here.. hubby enjoyed it.. I did not!! I guess you should go try it.. he would say.. yes go.. I would say.. don't waist ypur time. I will say.. they are a very busy place.. maybe it's just me...

Japanese Kitchen Kurumaya – Hidden Gem with Amazing Hospitality Don’t be fooled by the modest shop sign - this place is a hidden gem offering authentic flavors, and a warm dining experience. The ambiance is cozy yet refined, with gentle lighting and a neat, welcoming setup that sets the mood for a relaxed meal. We started with the Teba Saki (crispy chicken wings)—crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. A good appetizer to kick off the meal. The staff were very helpful, guiding us through the menu, and good knowledge of the dishes. The Bento box was the highlight—a well-balanced variety that included fresh sashimi, tender grilled steak, a flavorful dried veggie soup, and more. Every component was thoughtfully prepared and delicious. As a courtesy, we were served hot green tea, which added a comforting touch to the meal. The sake shot glasses and green tea cups elevated the dining experience. This place features house specials and a rotating lunch menu, making it worth revisiting to try something new. The entrance faces north, and the restaurant is clean and well-maintained throughout. Restrooms were clean. I genuinely recommend this place. I’ll definitely be coming back for more!

An absolute Hidden Gem! Everything we have ever tried on their menu it's delicious. Our favorite is the chirashi, unagi box, clam soup and their Kaisen salad. Their Bento boxes are generous with lots of options as well. We come weekly, that's how much we love this place. The staff are also so good. Super attentive and sweet. They are usually pretty packed around dinner time during the weekends so we usually come during the week.

The best place around where you can get high-quality authentic Japanese dishes. You can enjoy so many kind of side dishes for your drinks at dinner time. My recommendation is Chirashi Sushi at lunch time with full of different kind of sashimi for $15-16. It's a real bargain. Their Katsu Curry is also good. At dinner time, you may want to try these for your beer and sake - - Goya Champuru (Bitter Melon with Tofu and Pork) Goya (= Bitter Melon) is really bitter. Don't give it to your kids ! - Dashimaki Tamago (Japanese Omelet with Broth) - Gyoza (Pork Pot Stickers) - Agedashi Tofu (Tofu Tempura in Soy Sauce Broth) You will like them.

Kurumaya Japanese Kitchen is a hidden gem just 20 minutes from ORD, perfect for a comforting, authentic Japanese meal. The moment we walked in, we were greeted with warm, attentive service that made us feel right at home. The Chicken Katsu Curry was perfectly crispy yet light, with a rich, savory curry that didn’t overwhelm the senses. The cold Soba noodles were refreshingly simple and spot-on, just the way you'd get them in Tokyo. Portions were generous but well-balanced—enough to satisfy without overdoing it. What stood out most was how clean and delicate the flavors were; you could enjoy a hearty meal and still feel great after. The fried dishes had that airy, golden crunch that’s so hard to get right. Dining here genuinely brought me back to memories of small Tokyo eateries—humble, flavorful, and full of care. If you're near O’Hare and craving Japanese cuisine that’s both authentic and comforting, Kurumaya is a must-visit.

If you always go for lunch to this place, you are missing the half of the deal. Authentic Japanese food is here. Not at Chicago downtown! The fish was fresh, the portions were satisfying, ambiance was lively, but conversation friendly. Servers were attentive, but not overwhelming. There's enough parking in front of the restaurant.

We were in the area and I had Kurumaya bookmarked for awhile so decided to finally try it out. We came on a Saturday around 6 PM for dinner and were able to snag one of the few tables left. Shortly afterwards there was a line out the door. There is no kids menu so we ordered chicken karaage (3 pieces), salmon onigiri (fully cooked), and croquette (4 pieces) for our toddler which was more than enough food. I had the chirashi don which came with a side salad and miso soup. Hubby had the Kuramaya bento box which came with choice of meat (he chose beef), tempura, assorted sashimi, miso soup, and salad. Everything was good but probably enjoyed the few bites I had of the chicken karaage (flavorful and juicy) and croquette the best. The chirashi was good but would have liked it if there were more fish pieces rather than shrimp, tamago, and imitation crab sticks. Overall, the food was good and I would like to come back and try other menu items.

Delicious, simple lunch spot. Hard to beat Kurumaya given the quality of food, volume of food (especially lunch trays!), and price point. We came for mid week lunch. Was relatively crowded - we had to wait 15 mins for a table for 4. Ordered four different bento boxes. Each was delicious. Highly recommend for tasty and filling meals at a reasonable price point.

Very popular with the lunch crowds, Kurumaya Japanese Kitchen provides a very focused menu specializing in Bento boxes, all with very low prices and large portions. Our aunts invited us to a Thursday lunch , so the five of us met around the time the kitchen opened for lunch (11am). It has its own dedicated parking lot, which got pretty crowded by the time we left. Our aunt had been there before, so they specifically asked for seating near the back where there is seiza style seating (floor seating with leg crossed)...though we all sat with our legs dangling...since the seating is a bit elevated, a group can sit together with some choosing to sit cross-legged style (I can't do it very long...my legs fall asleep). I couldn't decide between the Chirashi and the Maki plate, so my aunt encouraged me to get both. The Chirashi ($15) was a sample of nine different ingredients, served on a bed of sushi rice. All the sashimi was of decent quality with good mouth feel, sliced thin. As expected, i really liked the sweet shrimp and octopus with the smoked salmon being the one I would want more of. The Maki plate ($10) allows you to choose 3 rolls out of choices of California, Boston (check), Alaskan, Philadelphia, Spicy Tuna (check), Shrimp Tempura (check).. It's a mini roll (so 4 small slices), and all tasted similar to me. Both came with a small salad (fresh vegetables, ginger salad dressing), and bowl of miso soup (large pieces of seawood and tofu...really enjoyable on a cold day). Both are a great bargain. My wife got the beef teriyaki bento ($12), which came with rice, miso soup, side salad with iceburg, a california roll, 1 piece of shrimp tempura, potato croquette, an egg roll, and seaweed salad. The egg roll was out of place here, and wasn't very good...but the rest was spot-on. Note the portion of the beef teriyaki is small, comparable to the other dishes, really meant to be sampled. Other choices were daily special B: grilled salmon cheek, fried squid, beef on tofu, and pork and vegetable soup (along with white rice)...all for only $12. Shrimp Tempura ($12) came with various vegetable tempura, rice, miso soup, side salad, and macaroni salad. Chicken teriyaki was similar to the beef bento box, and was also very much appreciated. There was so much food, that a lot of it wasn't finished, but nobody left hungry. There really wasn't anything that we ate that wasn't prepared well, and everything LOOKED beautiful. The variations of textures, temperature, and sweetness really does make a Japanese bento box a go-to choice if you want rice but also variety. I did end up finishing both of my platters completely and got to sample other dishes. The sushi rice was excellent, and my aunts commented how much they liked the regular medium grain white rice. Everything was good. Service was excellent throughout, making sure our tea carafe was full for self-pour and that our food tasted good. With great value and very good tasting Japanese cuisine, Kurumaya is a great choice for a Japanese themed lunch.

We came here as a group of 7 on a Saturday for lunch around 11:30 AM. The restaurant was already filling up fast at that time. Service itself was good and quick. We got our items ordered and food delivered pretty rapidly. However, it seemed like the servers were pretty busy so one of them let me go grab a to go box myself since she did not have any hands to do so. The lunch menu was a bit limited but they did have a couple of specials in the front. I ordered the SABA SHIOYAKI KURUMAYA BENTO BOX. The box came with a lot of variety of items. Everything was very tasty. However, the saba was a little dry unfortunately. All in all, a great, affordable option for Japanese food in the area.

Three words: UNAGI PASHIMAKI TAMAGO (the egg rolls with grilled eel). Get this appetizer -- you won't regret it. Hands down my favorite part of the meal. The pieces are pretty big and it's a little brothy and it's just so good. We got the beef bento box and the cold soba with tempura and both main dishes were also solid. The bento box is big portions and very filling (see pic). I'd like to go back to try everything else. But for me, the tamago was the show stopper!

12/01/23 - My wife and I celebrated our 27th anniversary here on the recommendation of my buddy. Very good food Japanese owned. This area around Arlington Heights & Elk Grove Village are home to many Japanese Companies & Nationals. Many of the people in the restaurant were speaking Japanese. All of the Entrees come with/miso soup, salad & rice. My wife ordered the chicken teriyaki entree for $15. I ordered the Kurumaya Gozen Bento Box. As an entree it comes with/your choice of beef, salmon or chicken teriyaki. I chose the beef teriyaki along with/the miso soup, salad & rice. In addition there 8 pieces of sashimi (3 maguro), 3 hamachi & 2 pieces of sake. I also got a small order of shrimp & vegetable tempura, all for $25 (Such a Deal I have for you). I found this to be a very nice relaxed ambiance. The food was pretty good but the service was a little slow. Overall I give this restaurant 4 1/2 stars 5 for the prices 4 1/2 for the food 4 for the slow service Will I go back again? Absolutely when I'm in the area. They have a lunch & dinner serving

Well, I came here for many times and didn't have a chance to write a review for this restaurant. It is located in a small plaza right off Higgins and Lively. The staff were friendly and quick service. One thing I love about this restaurant is the daily specials just $12. Every day they have different offers for their daily specials. The food was worth compared with the prices you paid. I would love to come back here to try their daily specials.

Finally back after a few years and these bento are so impressive. Had the steak bento and I lost count of all the dishes that come with it: tempura, sashimi, potato croquet, salad and rice, noodles in mayo. Saba was very delicious and meaty. Loved the karaage, grilled eggplant and tonkatsu which was so perfectly crispy. Lots of parking

This is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in the suburbs. It's really close to Mitsuwa so you can get your shopping done too after dinner. The quality of their food is unbeatable. The sashimi, tempura, steak, and sides were all excellent. You know this place is legit if there's Japanese people eating here and having a beer together after work. There's lots of parking in the strip mall area and plenty of seating in the restaurant. It wasn't too packed for dinner on a weekend. I'll have to come back here for their other dishes and the skewers!

I've only been here once but the chirashi was very good quality. Service was great. We went during lunch time on a week day, so it wasn't packed. Plenty of parking. Prices were very affordable and you get good size portion. I would have to come back here to try more items.

Sashimi Appetizer had very fresh, delicious fish, however, I do not think it is worth $20, more of a $15 dish for how much sushi it came with. Again, fish was very good though. Tonkatsu dish came was very filling and came with a lot of food. One surprise that the dish came with some sort of sweet n sour eggroll that was insanely good. The actual pork was very crispy and amazing with the sauce. Salad was more on the bland side and the miso soup was as good as anywhere else, however, I wish it was a bit hotter when it was served. The rice was good in terms of quality, but wish it came with a little more rice for all the pork cutlets. This dish cost less than the sashimi appetizer just for reference. Overall, the food and service was great. I definitely plan to come back again to try the Kurumaya Gozen (Bento Box)!!

Kurumaya is a hidden gem for those who love Japanese cuisine. How does Kurumaya stand up to some of the other Japanese restaurants I have been to? Let's find out: Ambiance Kurumaya is a well lit restaurant. They seem to have two areas of dining where the smaller tables were in one side and the tables for bigger parties were in the other. Some of the tables had chairs, while others had cushions on tatami mats. Service Service was good. Our server seemed pretty busy with a full house at the restaurant, but we were able to get our order in at a timely manner. The wait staff themselves seemed friendly as they greeted us and bid us a goodnight when leaving. Food Ika Sugata Yaki This grilled squid was cooked perfectly. I usually get rubbery squid from restaurant. This squid was very tender and had great flavor. Agedashi Tofu This fried tofu was accompanied with a seasoned soy broth. The had a light fry with a slightly salty sauce that works really well with the tofu and with the next dish as well Dashimaki tamago This rolled up egg dish was light a fluffy has a pleasant and mild flavor. Goes great with rice. Miso Kushi katsu (I think...) The fry on this item was so light. It had a great crisp and paired great with the shredded cabbage and kewpie mayo underneath it. The sauce on top was a slightly sweet sauce. Sashimi mon This is a dinner which comes with a side salad and miso soup. The cuts of the sashimi were nicely well done with the fish tasting very fresh. Matsu sushi dinner Again the sushi, was delicious. The cuts for the fish were clean and also the rice had a nice mild flavor. It is nice, because it gives you a variety of flavors. Sushi Tempura roll The tempura roll is a mild sushi. It has a nice crunch and the rice again has a nice mild flavor. Kurumaya roll This is a more advanced version of the tempura roll. It had slices of fish that decorated the top of the roll along with different sauces Spider roll This is one of my favorite rolls and this one is done very well. The crunch of the batter fried soft shell crab has a nice creaminess to it Overall This is definitely a gem to be revisited. The food is delicious and the staff is friendly. I had a great experience at Kurumaya and hope this review will encourage you to try it. My party also tried other dinners but it did not seem fair for me to comment them since I have not tried them.

Wow what a great place! Found this place with from a family friend. Love the lunch special. I recommend everything that I ordered. Here's what we ordered: -$12 beef teriyaki -$12 salmon teriyaki -$12 ton katsu -$10 3 maki rolls -$15 chirashi -$13 sushi lunch (8 piece California roll & 6 piece nigiri) Service is excellent. Food is great. They're genuine people. I love this place So much. We'll be back more often!

The last time I went to Kurumaya was shamefully 10 years ago, so on a recent trip to the burbs we decided we needed a lunch revisit. Glad to see they still have great affordable lunch specials like the $12 bento boxes. On this specific Saturday they had a special bento where one of the side dishes was a mapo tofu which was super random, but actually pretty tasty. The Tenzaru Soba was good enough, and we also ordered an assortment of maki and nigiri. If you like Negi Hamachi like I do, they prepare it nicely here, i.e. they actually chop the scallions together with the hamachi, so as to get all the flavor out of the scallions (so many places skip that step!). We came right at 11am when they opened and they quickly filled up afterwards, so I'm happy to see it's still popular.

Ultimate comfort food. Loved their left side dining hall tatami area. Service is attentive yet not overbearing. One of the best long standing Japanese restaurants in Chicagoland. Long live Kurumaya! I absolutely adore this place.

At first glance, Kurumaya looks like a small, nondescript restaurant in a tiny strip mall. Walking in thru the doorway, we enter the main restaurant and to the left is additional seating so as they say in Dr. Who, it's bigger on the inside! We went during lunch and it got very busy around closer to lunchtime. While waiting at the front door for a table, I could see the beautiful harmony of service happening between the kitchen, the servers, and even the patrons. The kitchen staff was working very quickly at preparing meals and the servers never let anything sit too long before being whisked away to the table. We were quickly seated. The menus were already at the table, laminated and ready for diners to look over. During lunch, their menu is limited to what is available. We didn't ask for anything else that wasn't listed so I don't know if it was even an option, though it would have been nice to start with some edamame or gyoza. We ordered the bento boxes. I ordered the salmon teriyaki, hubs had the steak teriyaki, and big son had the chicken teriyaki. Hubs and I had green tea and bigger ordered a Sprite which came in a nice bottle with a cup of ice. The bentos came with California Maki (best I've had in a long time), a piece of shrimp tempura and a piece of veg tempura (meh), a croquet (not too bad), salad with ginger soy dressing (not enough dressing), miso soup, and rice. We were really hungry so I totally forgot to take pictures of it. Overall, it was a tasty Japanese bento box lunch. Hubs steak teriyaki came with 4 thin strips of steak and probably could use one or two more, but all the other items sort of helped fill him. My sons chicken teriyaki was a smaller, thin chicken breast sliced in 5 slices and he was quickly hungry despite eating everything including my Cali Maki (but he is a growing teenager). My salmon was the perfect size for me, but given to both men would have the left them looking for a bit more. - Feels like Goldilocks and the Bento Boxes :) Overall, it's a great value and the food was very good! I did find their teriyaki sauce a bit too sweet for my taste, but that's just a personal preference. Both hubs and big one liked it a lot. Service is great! They're friendly and attentive, even when they were at their busiest with a full tables and a line at the door waiting. Yes! I think we will return again to try other items on the menu and try their dinner menu too! Can't wait!

This may be one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in the burbs. The lunch menu gives very generous portions, and the food is delish. I got the katsu curry, which was huge, came with miso soup and 2 different types of salad. The curry is tasty and not spicy at all, which is a good option for kids too. The katsu is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Our party also got the chirashi bowl, but it had a lot of non-raw fish items in it (tamago), so maybe a different dish would be better if you want purely raw fish. The servers are nice, but it's hard to get their attention since there's a lot of customers but not a ton of staff out and about. Nonetheless we came for the food and that definitely exceeded expectations, so we'd come back again!

Wow. Where have I been all these years? I visited Kurumaya for the first time and I was blown away. Great prices, large portions, and great food! We ordered the Katsu Curry, but first asked if their curry was spicy (if our kids could eat it) and they immediately came out with a tiny bowl of the curry for us to try. Already, this was a very warm and generous start to our experience at this restaurant. Turns out the curry is not spicy, and our kids (and baby) enjoyed eating it along with the Katsu. The Katsu Curry was a decently big portion compared to the sushi boxes. It also came with salad and miso soup (for only $12 during lunch). I'm not sure if the dinner portion is the same size, but the lunch portion was a good size and at such a great price. I'll definitely be ordering this again. I ordered the Chirashi bowl, which also came with miso soup and salad ($15). Also a great price compared to other chirashi bowls I've had. The bowl was decent, but I was slightly disappointed at the amount of raw vs cooked items in there. I'd like to see more raw sashimi in my chirashi bowls. Still, it tasted great. But I may look into ordering the sashimi appetizer (on the dinner menu) for $14 next time if I wanted sashimi. You get more sashimi, but you don't get the miso soup and salad. We also ordered the maki sushi combo for lunch (choose any 3 rolls) and got the spicy tuna shrimp tempura, and alaskan. The rolls were extremely tiny with no end pieces (but I expected them to be small already) for only $10 for 3 rolls. The spicy tuna was tiny but tasted really good. It was a good addition to our meals though I might try other things on the menu next time. Staff was friendly and very accommodating. We got a table when we arrived at 12 (but they kept asking if we made a reservation), so maybe next time we'll try to reserve to make sure we get a table. About 10 minutes into our meal, the place was packed! We'll be back for sure. Thanks Kurumaya!

This was our second time at Kurumaya - first time was for lunch and this time was dinner. This place is a true, hidden gem hidden in an industrial area in a small strip mall. So, if you're looking for fancy schmancy, this isn't it. If you're looking for authentic Japanese home-cooked food in a comfortable setting, this is it! For appetizers, we ordered grilled calamari (served whole and sliced) and eggplant- both outstanding and with that delicious charred taste. For the main, I ordered the tenju or tempura covered rice. The tempura was hot and crunchy, and the sauce wasn't overpowering. My tenju had three pieces of shrimp and several other veggies, including Japanese kabocha (sweet acorn squash) and zucchini. My meal also came with flavorful miso soup and a small salad with ginger dressing. All delicious. My husband had steak and veggies (mix of onions, bell peppers, carrots and mushrooms) - perfectly cooked and flavorful. His meal came with miso soup, salad and a macaroni salad. He loved everything. Customer service was great! Price is also very reasonable. I had a glass of plum wine and husband had Sapporo beer. Because we went on Valentine's Day, we each received a chocolate-covered strawberry on the house. Perfect since we were both quite full. I can't wait to go back.

Great food, amazing value, lunch special available even on Sat. Efficient service. Highly recommend if you are in the area. Please support this small privately owned business.

Good food, good service. Nice atmosphere. Authentic menu items. Little gem stashed across the street from Lou Malnatis.

I came for the chawanmushi, a savory Japanese egg custard. Fantastic. I also wanted to try ochazuke, a comfort food made from rice, green tea, salmon, and seaweed. Likewise delightful. I stayed to finish my Sapporo and bento sashimi. I had to take quite a bit of food home, I was absolutely stuffed and had a memorable meal.

Solid sashimi (amaebi / red snapper) Amaebi on the small side, but hey they fry the head for you here! Snapper mmm. Takoyaki was very good. 4 pieces for 8$ is on the pricier side relative to other local Japanese spots, but ball for ball, they were the best I've had in Chicagoland burbs. Solid size pieces of octopus. If they add a little cabbage accompaniments...this would be perfect. Our entrees were the beef teriyaki and unagi jyu. Daughter loved the unagi dinner...wife barely got a bite in. The teriyaki flavor is not bastardized! Lean cut of meat though, so wished there was a order option of medium rare. Assuming it's not an option as the server didn't offer. Nitpicky issues. The nigiri were not the best hand formed. The side salad has lots of water in it, so not sure if it's from the washing or if the ginger dressing is that watery.

A hidden gem indeed! The food from this place made me feel like I was in Japan. The food and placement of dishes were all carefully put together and this is definitely a great place if you wanna go for lunch because of their lunch specials.

Great food and good value. Always a different lunch special. Sushi looks great but I haven't tried it yet since the lunch specials are so good, so are the Bento boxes.

I tried Kurumaya Japanese Kitchen for the first time today for lunch - it was really good! They have a $12 dine in lunch special for Bento Box - you can get chicken, salmon or beef and it's a huge plate of fresh food. It's a great value and really tasty and is a sure way to be full after a lunch, I would highly recommend stopping in for the lunch special, you can't beat the value of this dine in price for a Japanese restaurant. Really great food, good prices and friendly service.

Wow!  The value here is outstanding.  For whatever reason, I haven't been back in 4 years, but a review of the current menu and the subsequent actual dishes confirm that the prices here have hardly budged in 4 years.  This place is truly a hidden gem, like it always has been and still is.  The dining room was calm, relaxed, and homey and uncrowded for our weekday dinner.  Our party of 4 had: - grilled beef tongue appetizer, $9 - Tamago rolled egg omelet, $8 - beef teriyaki Bento box (mine), $25 - salmon teriyaki Bento box, $25 - sashimi dinner, $23 - Tonkatsu, $17 KC was our friendly and attentive server.  We also had complimentary green tea with our dinner.  Check the photos against the prices.  You get delicious meals and a great value here, and they also have nice lunch specials if you can make it in for that.

Highly recommend it!!! Came here for lunch on a Saturday and the restaurant was jammed packed which is a GREAT sign. Although the sushi did arrive much later but the waitress did warn us ahead of time. All of the foods were deliciously and very affordable as it would cost like $12 for a burger nowadays and you could get a whole meal here for $12. I definitely will come back and try dinner!!

Authentic Japanese cuisine. Excellent food and reasonably affordable. We travel from Chicago because it's our favorite.

Wow! Am a fan. Came across this place bc I was looking for a Japanese restaurant similar to an izakaya but not too far from the city! This place hit the spot. Had the pork katsu, cabbage with miso sauce- all very flavorful and cooked well. Great service and ambiance. Would come back again!

Authentic style Japanese restaurant. A bit small, but never disappointed. Been here a few times so surprised I never wrote a review. Bento boxes are a nice way to have variety and get full. Appetizers like the Takoyaki and Squid are very good. It's been a few months since I last ate there, but it is always a treat.

Hands down the best Japanese restaurant in the north west suburbs of Chicago ! Fresh quality food that you can taste the TLC that goes into it!

My wife and I came for Wednesday lunch. She had salmon teriyaki bento box and I had sushi lunch. All so good, fresh, and reasonably priced. Must come back.

Excellent food! Every plate is served fresh from sushi, tempura, ton katsu curry, miso soup to be to boxes. Service is great too. Interior is clean. Located in a small strip with a parking lot.

The best sushi! One of my favorite Japanese restaurants! The value here is outstanding. Highly recommend it!

Love their lunch specials, especially the saba bento! It's always consistent and only $12! Everyone who works there is super friendly!

Great, friendly, attentive service. We received a very warm greeting from our server and although the interior was somewhat Spartan - we were here for some authentic Japanese food and sushi - that was our main focus. Having arrived at around 11:00 a.m. - I try to skip breakfast and just eat a big, early lunch on Saturdays. Plus there's less people to contend with and you have the restaurant's full attention. So we dove right in - the steak bento was a good deal and so was the chirashi. There were so many pieces of fish crammed into that box, the cost was so reasonable. The ikura and masago were fresh and the futomaki was missing the gomae but that's ok. The sliced beef tongue was a little tough but the chicken karage was crunchy and tasty - the amount of chicken is less than Kitakata's. The green tea made me feel like I was back in Narita. We loved the authentic food and this is a great alternative to Mitsuwa and Tensuke, we can hardly wait to come back.

Really amazing! Definitely recommend!!! Fish was fresh and staff was on point! Will be back! Lunch specials are extremely affordable!!!

Came for lunch during the work week. Service was quick and polite. Saba Shioyaki Bento was plentiful and good. Feels pretty authentic.

I love their lunch special every day it has a different menu and it never disappoints me. in the end, I always leave a cash tip, which is equivalent to 50% or higher but today I ended up paying by credit card and wanted to round it up to the nearest so I had to leave a little less than usual but the server approached me, demanding more tip! I was very baffled. Leaving tips to the server is the customer's choice not by their demand. I was very shocked and disappointed. They should retrain how not to approach customers asking for tips

Hidden gem of a restaurant in Elk Grove! Kurumaya is tucked away in a light industrial section of Elk Grove, but it is definitely worth going out of your way for it. They offer a wide selection of authentic Japanese cuisine, including their house specialty: sushi. Their fish is fresh and portions are generous. Honestly, it is some of the best sushi and sashimi outside of Japan, though you wouldn't know it from their prices, which are quite reasonable. I had the Kurumaya Gozen (Bento Box) and it was delicious. I ordered it with beef and it also came with sashimi, shrimp tempura, potato croquette, small salad, miso soup, and rice. My dining companions had the chirashi, a large bowl of assorted fish over rice; and the sashimi mori platter. All of the fish was fresh and delicious. I'm looking forward to returning and sampling more of their extensive menu. I can see myself becoming a regular.

Went here with some local friends and enjoyed the fresh sushi. We ordered a few appetizers including fried oysters, shishito peppers, chicken meatballs and ordered Chirashi plate for main course. Lots of fresh fish variety and roe on a bed of rice. Delicious. We also got Red Dragon roll and Kuruyama roll and they were good also. The only negative is that they were shorthanded and one person was doing multiple tasks and therefore was not able to give us the best service. However it is family style restaurant so we took it in good spirit. Overall a great place and I will definitely go back to it when I'm in Chicago.

Really fantastic experience for a bustling lunch. I dined solo and was seated at the bar where I watched a Japanese samurai drama. I really overdid it with ordering chef's choice nigiri and the katsu curry, but I made a really good effort with finishing. It's been forever since I've had a nice curry like this, and I loved the shredded cabbage they served on the side. The breading on the chicken was super crunchy and not too thick. I loved being generally left alone during my work lunchs, and the sushi chef only checked in after devouring my nigiri. The bill showed up quickly after I showed signs of slowing down. Awesome, unassuming spot with fresh, tasty, and quick Japanese fare. Loved it.

Absolutely love the lunch meals at Kurumaya, a small Japanese restaurant located in a quaint plaza off of Higgins Road. The staff are super friendly and immediately greet you with an offering of hot green tea, and the lunch menu (offered from 11AM-2PM on Saturdays) have a variety of generously portioned bento boxes (e.g. salmon teriyaki, saba shioyaki) and lunch sets (e.g. tonkatsu) that come with a nice variety of sides (e.g., salad, miso soup, california rolls) all for $12! What an incredible value! It's so hard to find these types of prices for as much good quality, authentic style food as that given by Kurumaya - highly recommend!

Really nice local sushi place. It reminds me of small food stalls in japan. Sets are affordable. Has tasty miso soup in it

Food is great! Authentic Japanese family style restaurant. The Japanese waitress super nice and check in on us all the time. Food is great comparing with the Chicago average level. Ambience is cozy! Very family friendly. I will definitely go visit this place again, it was a great experience!

The food was great. Everything was fresh. I would recommend going early as this place gets super busy and they only had 2 waitresses so the service wasn't the greatest but that's expected when you are super busy and only 2 people taking care of everyone.

Great food, reasonable prices. It's like being in Japan. The waitstaff are excellent and take care of everything

Authentic. Delicious. Welcoming. Will come whenever we can. They have many dishes you can't find at other Japanese restaurants.