Ryota

I’m so impressed. The food is so good and super fresh. Our server, Jen and Gigi are very nice and take great care of customers. Every suggestion she made was excellent. I totally recommend this sushi place.

Came here to get the premium set and wasn’t disappointed. Very fresh and delicious. Jen and Wilson took good care of us and made sure everything was pleasant for us. Would recommend!

Had a great experience here! The food was amazing, and our server Chihiro was honestly the highlight of the night. She’s super friendly, professional, and made us feel really welcome. She recommended a few dishes for us and every single one was delicious — we loved everything we ordered. You can tell she really knows the menu and cares about giving great service. Really enjoyed this place and Chihiro’s service. Would definitely come back!

Stumbled upon this restaurant prior to going to a concert at the united center. My family and I were pleasantly surprised at this quaint and cozy Japanese restaurant that offered some unique and very fresh food options. The uni bowl was so incredibly fresh with the fish eggs a nice pop that wasn’t too salty. The veggie ramen was so rich and tasty - I don’t normally chose a veggie ramen, but it was great! The cocktails and drinks were also quite tasteful. The service was excellent. Staff were kind and attentive.

came to try the ryota premium set after seeing it constantly on my tik tok. we also got two other rolls and some sashimi to try. we were pleasantly surprised by how fresh the fish was, especially the fatty tuna. the fish to rice ratio was also just perfect for our tastes. while we enjoyed the premium set, we did feel like the salmon roe was making everything taste a little too salty. overall, we’d come back just for the rolls

Came during lunchtime and it was an amazing choice! Originally chose this spot for the ryota premium set but everything was so good, it was hard to choose a favorite! The staff was also super sweet and welcoming, shoutout to Shihiro and Jen for the great service!! Highly recommend the mazeman!!

Thank you to our waitresses Jen and Chihiro for being so attentive and welcoming. This was our first time and we will definitely be back. The quality of the items and service was amazing.

Came in for lunch, not only is the food absolutely delicious but the service is awesome! Our server Jen, such a wonderful person, wondered if we had any questions on the menu along with checking on table, 10/10 will come again.

FANTASTIC experience! I was so excited to try Ryota after seeing the hype online and it did not disappoint. Service was great and restaurant is clean and cute. There was lots of metered street parking when we went on New Year's Eve. We tried the chirashi bowl, mazemen chicken kaarage, shima unagi, negi toro maki. It was all so delicious and plenty of food for 2. My boyfriend and I eat sushi pretty frequently and we both thought the fish was fresh and well-balanced. The shima unagi was yummy, but smaller than I expected so keep that in mind. Chirashi had great presentation and the variety is good. My boyfriend loved the negi toro maki! Definitely get the mazemen with the chicken kaarage for the extra $1! Adds a nice crunch, and the dry ramen is comparable to Kajiken in my opinion. We look forward to coming back!

The dishes we ordered were just as delicious as they looked! Our go to maki order at any sushi restaurant is always the negi toro. This one at Ryota is so generously packed with fish! The rice to fish ratio is PERFECT. This is definitely something I'll order over and over again. The second entree we ordered was the sashimi set. Everything was beautifully plated. It's nice if you just want to try a bit of everything. The ambiance here is very moody with modern decor. They have individual lamps on each table where you can adjust the lighting if you'd like :)

Delicious neighborhood spot in the West Loop! Fish was super fresh and yummy. Decor was cute. Service was ok, but this is more of a casual spot. Amazing option for lunch or date night!

My friend and I stopped by for Ryota for dinner last week. Service was fantastic, and we were seated right away. We shared the Salmon Ponzu, Umi Tuna roll, and Shoyu ramen. Both the salmon and tuna roll tasted really fresh. The ramen was only okay for me because the chashu pork was quite fatty in my opinion, but the broth was rich and not overly salty. I'd love to come back to try more of the items on the sushi menu.

All the fish was super fresh, apps were very crisp and had great sauces, noodles had great chewy texture! The salmon and tuna rolls were very complex in flavor, not like anything I've ever had (each had a sweet/pickled element that really made the dish stand out)! We ordered: - kawa salmon roll (my fav!) - shima unagi - umi tuna (chutoro was so tender) - karaage (perfect amount of breading) - calamari - mazemen (solid portion size) was a group of 6 and we shared everything family style, left feeling satisfied but not super full. service was solid and the restaurant is small but not loud.

If you're looking for an under the radar sushi spot with special attention to excellent sushi, you're in for a treat at Ryota. This spot in the West Loop is approachable and has a menu that reflects the attention to detail in sourcing quality fish. There's bench and chair seating with lighting dimmed to create an intimate dining experience. Service is friendly. My server was happy to answer any questions and make recommendations which were accurate and pleasing to the palate. The chicken karaage was highlighted as someone's favorite online so I had to see what the hype was about. They weren't wrong! The breading is very soft and the chicken deliciously tender. There's a slightly spicy aioli that comes with it, but I was happy to enjoy the karaage by itself. The sushi was a revelation given where we are in the middle of the country. Minimal rice and large cuts of salmon and tuna were par for the course here. The chefs know how to prepare and cut the fish perfectly here. The difference in texture, sweetness, and presentation was nicely assembled in the umi tuna and kawa salmon. I very much enjoyed the mazemen ramen with ground pork and poached egg. I was expecting to dip it into a broth, but this dish was self-contained but still in the mazemen style. Once the poached egg was mixed in, all the ingredients blended together for an umami profile. Ryota is a place I would frequent just to enjoy all the sushi. Very much a cut above the rest in the Midwest.

Heard about this spot through TikTok, so we decided to give it a try! I wanted to note that all of the staff who assisted us were really nice and patient, and gave us great recommendations as well. We decided to order the premium set, which looked very appetizing, along with a salmon avocado roll and kashi shrimp roll. Out of everything, I liked the kashi shrimp roll the best and I think it's worth to try more of their specialty rolls. The salmon avocado roll was pretty common and I am not sure if it's that worth to get at this restaurant. The premium set was also very tasty, as expected, but I think for me personally, it's a one time experience dish, not something I would order every time, just because of the hefty price tag. But the quality of the fish, especially the uni, was great! Slightly sweet and not very ocean-y at all. Overall, this is a great spot for a date night or a friends' gathering. (:

This place was quiet early on during a weeknight but started to fill up a little more after 7. Lots of seating (with booths on one side of each table) and a small sushi counter. Fish/sushi was tasty and fresh. The chirashi was very pretty and the matcha martini was tasty. Portions were a little small for the price except for the salad which had an amazing dressing. Service was decent (attentive, smily) but it took a bit to get our change when we were ready to leave. All in all tasty though.

Stopped by this newer Ramen & Sushi spot in the West Loop and has the perfect vibe. Casual but intimate, with excellent service and incredibly fresh food. We ordered the Chirashi Bowl and the Ryota Premium Set. Both came with a great portion of beautifully fresh seafood over seasoned sushi rice. The Premium Set was the star with Otoro, Uni, Caviar, and Ikura. Easily some of my favorite bites of the night. The Chirashi Bowl had Salmon, Tuna, Yellowtail, Scallops, and more. All super fresh and delicious. I'd definitely come back again for the experience and the quality of the food.

This place is very cute. The menu is easy to navigate. We started with the fried gyoza and seaweed salad. We order a few pieces of nigiri, otoro, snapper, and medai. All very fresh and tasty. We ordered the eel sushi roll which was super yummy. Ordered the pork ramen which was the most underwhelming thing I had there. Serbia was great and they were very accommodating.

A friend was in the mood for ramen at a BYOB spot: A very challenging task, but we discovered Ryota. Very contemporary and modern, yet minimalistic decor that I feel gives the place an upscale feeling, like the "cute neighborhood date spot". We started with the fried chicken gyoza and chicken karaage. The gyoza was fresh (you can tell) and the sauce a bit on the sweeter side, which I enjoyed. The karaage wasn't overly oily and was hit with the table. Now came the ramen: I have the vegetable ramen (make it spicy...which they do charge you an extra $1). But wow, talk about a filling and delicious ramen bowl, with fresh veggies, tofu that wasn't too firm to break apart and mix in the bowl, and a portion so large that I brought half of it home to eat for dinner the next night. Definitely will keep this ramen spot in mind for the future. (They're BYOB until they get their liquor license, so hurry to it out, if you can!)

First time stopping by Ryota & truly was not impressed. The ambience is extremely underwhelming, it is a very boring looking dining space. The service was also not that great. It took over 5 mins for someone to come over to ask us what we wanted to drink, and by that time we were already ready to order. The restaurant only had three other tables filled, and no one came to ask how our food was. The sushi wasn't bad, but also wasn't great. 3/5, nothing I would ever come back again to order. Too expensive for only six pieces and mediocre.

3.5 stars overall. I like the revamped space compared to its predecessor Sumu- intimate with a slightly more elevated vibe. Although the restaurant was busy, service was attentive and quick. However, food was a bit underwhelming. We ordered the calamari, scallops, and the maguro trio. The calamari was a little bland and had some fibrous parts. The maguro trio set was fresh and had a good fish to rice ratio. My only complaint with it would be that the rice is heavy on vinegar. Scallops were decent with a nicely seared top and soft inside. Potentially would go back if the premium set with uni was available- unfortunately it wasn't during this visit.

On 6/4/25, we ordered: Ryota Premium Set - Otoro, Uni, Ikura, Caviar Nigiri Set Tokyo Style, Pork Broth, Shoyu Ramen Karaage Karaage starter was excellent and probably my favorite karaage in the city rn. My friends liked their ramen and Nigiri. I could tell, from looking, the Nigiri was fresh and high quality. I was disappointed with my ryota premium set. If you look at their Instagram and compare with what I actually got, they gave less uni and roe and no caviar for the SAME PRICE. Later, I asked them about this on Instagram DM and they kindly explained they had to change the portions because the original formula was unsustainable for the price. However, as of this review posting 6/10, they still have not made any corrections to their Instagram nor menu about this change. They had one waitress servicing the whole restaurant - not good.

Great revamp of a neighborhood spot! I came here with my mom the day after they opened and we really enjoyed our dinner. The ambience is much more contemporary and sleek than it was before. It's nice because this is still a neighborhood spot but has a more upscale vibe to it now. Good for family or a date! They did not have their liquor license when we went yet so we tried two drinks off of their non-alcoholic menu and really enjoyed them. My mom had a jasmine tea and I had a Thai tea with a cold foam top that was amazing. For food, we got a scallop appetizer and then a couple of sushi rolls. We mixed between the classic rolls and the more specialty ones and enjoyed everything. The staff here are so friendly and attentive. We will be back!

Food was amazing, had a great time. Thank you to Wilson for their great service. Would love to come again.

Service here is really good and relaxed. The restaurant was bright and ambiance was casual. I came here for lunch around 1 pm. I got the premium set and my fiancé got the ramen. Fish was really fresh and it was filling (can be shared with another person). They made their own soy sauce and I appreciate that it was lighter and it didn't overwhelm seafood. The Uni was fresh and sweet. Otoro was buttery. The ramen was not very salty which I like and the noodles have a good chew.

Unbelievable restaurant with very fresh fish! Chihiro, adilson, Koko were beyond attentive and had an amazing experience! 5 stars!!

Food is awesome and we love Jenn the waitress! Ramen is the perfect amount of spice and meat was cooked perfectly.

Ryota is a nice addition to the west loop. The selection of sushi was pretty nice, but service is a little slow. I think the food is tasty, but maybe more pieces should be incorporated with the pricing. The restaurant is small so be prepared to sit close, but it's not uncomfortable. I really liked the bluefin tuna roll.

Have been wanting to check out this spot! Prices are quite high for the dishes, but makes sense since it is west loop. Particularly really enjoyed the soup-less ramen dish! Was the highlight of the meal for me. The chirashi was also beautiful to look at and eat! Would recommend coming here with a group to try all the different dishes!

Traveled from CA to Chicago and this place was our first stop! 10/10 The food, the service, the ambiance was incredible! I cannot wait to revisit! Thank you

I didn't realize this was the old Sumu restaurant before coming in. When I went to Sumu it was alright. Ryota is so much better by a mile!! The thai style drinks we're fabulous i am addicted to the mango one. The roll we ordered was tasty but the fresh sashimi and Ryota premium set are what really showed me how great this place is! The fish truly is so fresh and the premium set is worth the hype! Service was great! It was busy and we still got our food in a reasonable amount of time and recommendations were great! We had the perfect amount of food! The ambiance is more upscale which matches the quality of the dinner. Can't wait to take my sister back to try their vegan ramen!

The ramen is the same as Sumu's. Their menu is more condensed now since they removed some of their rolls. Service was nice enough. The space is also brighter with a few replacements.

The food was so fresh! We ordered the Kaarage, Edamame, Avocado Roll, Umi Tuna, and the Ryota Premium Set. The customer service was excellent, and the food tasted great. The lighting really brings out the food and vibe of the restaurant as a whole. Planning on coming back to try the coffee bar drinks! I would be interested in seeing some cocktails in the future.

This place is so cute and very relaxed vibe. The service was a bit slow, but it's a new spot and still working out the kinks so I think that'll fix itself with time. The sushi here is SO good. I got the chirashi bowl and the fish is so buttery it melts in your mouth. Sushi rice was the perfect consistency and flavorful. I cannot wait to come back to try the rest of the menu!

Jen is the best worker I have ever came across. She is so nice and helpful. The food was amazing and the the Mango aloha drink was amazing. Jen checked in on us every five minutes and that what more restaurants need. Cone in and eat and meet Jen.

Must get the Tan Tan Ramen and the brothless ramen! Jen was our server and she was wonderful.

Jenn was so amazing, kind, and helpful. W restaurant definitely coming back!!!!! WE LOVE JENN. Definitely get the mango aloha

Friendly service and strong air conditioning. Felt good at Ryota on a 93 degree day. The kawa salmon sushi roll hit the spot. Beautiful boba. I'll go again and try the ramen.

I am very happy with our experience at Ryota. Having been to all the Japanese restaurants in WL. I found this to be my favorite. We had ramen on this visit and it was wonderful but the service was really what stood out the most - truly felt like a neighborhood place without the attitude and extra cost.

The sushi was fine but I probably wouldn't get it again. Maybe I'd try the ramen. The rolls were just too basic and small. I got 3 and the gyoza and was still hungry. The fish quality was fine but literally just salmon and avocado in it.

This place needs some work. Smells really gross like dead fish inside, service was slow even though we were the only ones there, and sushi did not taste fresh. I doubt they will survive in this neighborhood long.

Ryota'a predecessor "Sumu" was an OK sushi and ramen place that really just served a casual neighborhood craving for sushi. It was not worth it for people to drive to West Loop for. They closed down, renovated, rebranded, and revamped the entire concept and menu. They retained the head chef but unleashed his ability to design a much more serious sushi menu with high quality ingredients including high quality fish and fresh microgreens. The result is a very unique maki menu with very high quality toro offerings, as well as fun Thai elements (there is Thai ownership) such as a menu of Thai street drinks (cafe yen, lychee iced tea, blended mango etc). The result is a night-and-day improvement over the old menu and atmosphere. They even elevated the ramen offerings to be more traditional/refined. If you've been to Sumu before, I recommend you now come check out the new Ryota because it is a much-needed improvement over its predecessor.

Came across this small and cozy sushi restaurant in the West Loop. Was craving for Uni and so was delighted to find their Ryota premium set. This was served in a cute oval wooden box with a bed of sushi rice seasoned with furikaki topped with toro, generous amount of Hokkaidō Uni, and ikura. The toro was also garnished with caviar. This was delicious! The Uni especially was fresh and creamy. Complete fan. The host told me later that I actually ordered the last set of the premium set for the weekend. Sorry guys. If you're looking to order the premium set please wait until next week. But it's totally worth the trip. Their Uni comes directly from Hokkaidō Japan.

5 stars for this awesome gem in the west loop. The service was above and beyond what I expected especially because I showed up less than an hour before close. I was shocked they have only been open for a month or so! They didn't rush us at all, and even recommended a place to get some Prosecco down the street since they are BYOB! We walked there to grab some and when we got back they brought out all of the delicious sushi we ordered and it was so mouth watering. We were so blown away by the quality of not only the delicious and fresh food but the service! We got to meet the owner of this restaurant and she was very awesome and grateful for the business. I will definitely be back! The staff were extremely friendly and great at what they do and really contributed the the awesome ambiance of this place!

Absolutely loved my meal here! Sat at the bar alone - service was great. Some of the freshest sushi I've had in Chicago.

This restaurant was good. It was advertised to me as great for the price but when I went, I didn't see anything different in prices compared to other West Loop / downtown sushi restaurants. Admittedly, the fish is good and service is excellent. I'd recommend going as long as you know it's BYOB and that it's not "cheaper" like some of the advertising suggests.

I visited the place wanting to try the uni/sashimi bowl as posted on Ig. Unfortunately, they didn't have it that day so I ordered the chirashi bowl instead. Cute presentation for photos but lacking in quality. I was given odds and ends, tiny pieces of fish hidden in the rice box. I was very disappointed as the menu states 14 pieces of fish. I was not expecting to be given bits and pieces of sashimi for a $49 rice bowl. The fish were cut in small and irregular shapes for the chirashi and the tuna bowl. I agree with the other reviews that I find the rice a bit too acidic for my liking.

The service was amazing and the food was delicious. We got the Shoyo and Shio Ramen, chicken karaage, and fried pork gyoza. Very generous noodle servings in the ramen. Every dish was a 9/10. We also tried the Jasmine tea and Mango Aloha, both were spectacular. Easily our new favorite ramen spot in the city.

10/10 The service and staff were so nice and obviously passionate about every detail going into their restaurant. We started off with the Chicken Karage and thai milk tea and immediately knew this was going to be a favorite spot in the city. I had to get the salmon nigiri as a personal favorite dish and was BLOWN AWAY. The chef made a point to mention the house soy sauce but I honestly didn't even need it for the nigiri -- both were excellent. For entrees I got the shio ramen and my husband got the shoyu ramen and both of us agreed that this was our FAVORITE RAMEN IN THE CITY! Please understand I am a Ramen Fanatic/Snob (my husband and I traveled around Japan for our honeymoon in January) so take that under consideration. The chashu is NON-NEGOTIABLE. They are new to the neighborhood and business so show them some love!

Waited 25 minutes for a long-empty table to be cleared so we could be seated. Appetizers came out after all the entrees and most of the sushi. One sushi set came out 20 minutes after we had finished eating everything else. Sushi is overpriced for the amount of fish you get, and the ramen is mediocre at best. The staff was running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Would not recommend, spend your money at a place that gives you a respectable amount of fish for your dollar like Dodomi or Sushi Hall.

We just moved to this area. And we are already frequent visitors of this restaurant. Food and service are consistently excellent.

Overnight my neighborhood ramen/sushi place was gone. Ate at the new place on day1/2. Note the menu once filled with a large selection is now significantly reduced of just some of the steaming bowls of ramen and sushi rolls. They say same chefs. New look, new feel interior/exterior. My bowl seemed smaller as well. Hmmmmm.

Had the sashimi set, the scallop appetizer, and the mango aloha drink, all were fantastic. Great service. Highly recommend and intend to return.