Absolutely spectacular! I was in Chicago for two nights and had accidentally booked my reservation the day after I would be leaving. The lovely staff and head chef however were able to accommodate me and the food was spectacular. I strongly recommend the wine/sake pairing as well.
Absolutely amazing, you get what you pay for in food, vibe, and service. On the wine pairings: I felt most of the pairings were pretty good, even when I didn't love the actual drink but I'm not particularly into alcohol. I did really enjoy the tea my friend ordered, for me it was even better than most of the wine/sake (but again I'm no connoisseur in that area)
What a special experience. I cannot recommend enough!
What a disappointment! Not sure why or how this place got a michelin star but it sure as heck is not deserving of it. Even after a 17-course meal, and almost a G out of pocket, we were still hungry and eventually ended up at McDonald’s to curb the hunger. We’ve been to several restaurants globally for tasting menus and NEVER have we left hungry. Mako has so far been the exception. Each course is a tiny half-bite of sushi or sashimi—some of which were really nothing special. There were, however, some pieces that absolutely melted in your mouth—they had a fish from Scotland that was so well-paired with other flavors, but I’d say overall, we liked 3 of the 17 courses. Anywhere you go, a score of 18% would be considered a fail.Not only was the food abysmal, the service was low key a let down. The server would bring the dishes to our table, drop them off, and simply walk away. No explanation was ever provided beyond “this is bluefin tuna” (which by the way, was on a little menu paper they gave us). I want to know, how is it prepared? What other ingredients are involved? Is there a specific way to enjoy this course? Nothing. Our server wasn’t knowledgeable about sushi beyond that which was on the menu, and even then she couldn’t answer questions beyond that which she has likely memorized. If you’re paying over $250 per head, you expect service that is knowledgeable, informative, and efficient. The service here was none of the above. We came to celebrate a birthday and felt like we made a mistake doing so. It was truly a disappointing and sad experience.
Best Sushi I’ve had outside of Japan. We sat at the counter and had a lovely few hours. Every bite was delicious and interesting. It’s not cheap, but if you’re a sushi fan it’s a must try omakase spot.
walked into the very nondescript west loop location, trembling with excitement as the scent of divine sushi overtook me. I was expecting a grand dining room, but the entire experience is very small and intimate. My girlfriend and I sat at the sushi bar, where were served one tantalizing course after another. The presentation of each course was out of this world; just as much of an artistic experience as a gastronomic experience. The sushi MASTERS were extremely elegant in their preparation and delivery of each piece. Will definitely be back!
Food is pretty. Photos look good at instagram. That is all. 80% of dishes are sushi. Do you know what is most important for sushi? That is rice. And unfortunately, they do not really know how to cook rice. Besides, chefs are very frugal about fish. fish is cut extremely thin. You can barely taste it.I do not know why this place could earn a michelin star. Do not waste your money. I will not return. I gave two stars, one for the interior design, one for the service.
Definitely one of the better omakase experiences I have had in Chicago! Courses are varied (not just nigiri) which makes it worth the $$.
My girlfriend and I had the privilege to experience mako last night (2/20/22). I had been extremely excited since making the reservation and was getting nervous that my excitement could possibly be setting the bar too high for what was to come. I’m happy to say I’ve never been more wrong in my life. MAKO was everything I imagined and more, surpassing my expectations and leaving my self and my date in awe the entire time. From beginning to end the orchestration from the chefs, to the servers, to the tables was perfect. The platings were beautiful and the flavors were unexplainable. The burnt scallion ponzu is perhaps the best thing I have ever tasted(my mouth is watering the next day thinking about it). The freshness of the nigiri and the sashimi was out of this world. At the end of the course, all I could feel was complete. I didn’t expect more, I wouldn’t want it to be any less. Taking everything into account, I can’t think of any rating to give to MAKO besides 5/5. If you enjoy Japanese cuisine this is a MUST experience. Even if you don’t enjoy Japanese cuisine, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much of a difference quality ingredients make. Thank you to chef BK and the entire team for providing us with an amazing experience.
The quality of food isn't there to match the price. The presentation and atmosphere is all very lovely, however I was very disappointed by the wine pairings that didn't work well with the food, and the lack of freshness and taste in the dishes.The cuts of fish in my sashimi was not good. You can see the tough scales on the fish on the chunky piece and the salmon didn't have that high level of freshness to it that I get in some more authentic sushi restaurants.I'd say this place is great if you want to impress a date but not a place to hit up if you want the full fine dining experience.