Kyōten

"Ambitious chef Otto Phan left his lauded restaurant in Austin, Texas to come shake up Chicago’s sushi scene in 2018. His eight-seat spot provides guests with an omakase experience that showcases deft techniques and top-quality fish imported from markets in Tokyo and Fukuoka. The nigiri is composed of premium delicacies, such as Osetra caviar and fatty toro, and larger-than-standard rice grains seasoned with aged red vinegar. Kyoten’s menu is currently priced at $440 to $490 per person, inclusive of service. In 2023, Phan opened Kyoten Next Door, a neighboring sister restaurant with slightly more casual omakase at $159 a head." - Naomi Waxman

"An omakase restaurant in Logan Square where Otto Phan, Chef of the Year 2025, showcases his culinary skills." - Ashok Selvam

"Austin, Texas-based omakase spot Kyōten only provides eight counter spots for those willing to pay $440-$490 a pop, but offers some of the most remarkable techniques and ingredients in the city. In 2022, the restaurant was named among Michelin’s “New Discoveries” in Chicago. Chef Otto Phan has opened a more casual and affordable restaurant, Kyoten Next Door... next door." - Ashok Selvam, Eater Staff

"Until this year, high-end omakase sushi wasn’t something Chicago was known for. So when three places opened up within months of each other, we started to wonder if there was some new, secret ocean nearby that we didn’t know about. Of the three restaurants, Kyoten is the most expensive and elaborate (a 20-course meal here is $220) - but it’s also the most interesting and impressive. No other spot fed us rendered beef fat over rice topped with freshly shaved truffles, or uni risotto that was the color of a Cheeto but tasted like ocean butter. Which is a long way of saying that, despite the incredibly high price tag, we can’t wait to go back." - adrian kane

"Long ago in 2018 — before Chicago saw a glut of splashy omakase spots from out-of-town hospitality groups — eccentric chef Otto Phan left his lauded restaurant in Austin, Texas to launch Kyoten, an intimate eight-seat sushi den in Logan Square. In the years since then, Kyoten has joined a small club of standard-bearers that underpin the city’s high-end Japanese dining scene thanks to Phan’s lauded technical skill and thoughtful use of premium ingredients, from robust Osetra caviar to succulent fatty toro. In 2023, Phan opened Kyoten Next Door, a slightly more casual and less pricey sister restaurant." - Naomi Waxman, Eater Staff