Lincoln Park
16+ course | $150 | 7-seat
Located off Lincoln Avenue in the heart of Lincoln Park lies our all-time favorite Chicago sushi spot, Juno. With their mouthwatering — amazing value — 9-piece Chef’s Choice Nigiri, Juno has quickly turned into our number one guilty pleasure.
After stumbling upon Juno one night for a quick pre-night-out dinner, we immediately fell in love with the charming neighborhood sushi spot and have been back regularly ever since. So much so, that when valentine’s day came around, we immediately called up Juno for a spot at their omakase seating. As our very first Chicago omakase experience, we felt it appropriate to wait to write our review. Now, having been to multiple Chicago omakase restaurants, we feel we can finally review Juno’s omakase with the proper confidence and weight it deserves.
If you are big on the Chicago sushi scene, then you have heard of or dinned with Juno’s founder, Chef BK Park. Originally from South Korea and a former chef at Chicago’s Marai and Arami, Park has had years of experience mastering his craft. While Park now spends his nights at Macku, Juno’s sister restaurant focusing solely on omakase, we were lucky enough to experience our Juno omakase with Park as our chef.
As we walked in on the night of our omakase reservation, we were excited to see how the night would compare to our regular order of smoked hamachi appetizers, salmon trios, and chef’s choice nigiri. We were seated in the corner and immediately greeted with warm hand clothes and drink menus.
The courses started off strong and continued to please throughout the night. Plates were small, fun and kept us on our toes. Presentation was outstanding for each and every dish. Every plate, minus the nigiri and sashimi, were all unique to the omakase experience, and cannot be found on the regular dinning menu. It is always such a treat watching talented sushi chefs prepare each piece of sushi, and Juno’s omakase was no disappointment. While many items were prepped prior to the start of the night, each dish was so masterfully crafted that we could not fault the chefs for their consideration of our time.
As we anticipated, their nigiri selection proved to be the star of the night. Each delicate piece delivered a magical burst of flavor and dimension. I was desperately praying that each piece would not be the last.
While Juno remains our favorite Chicago restaurant, and the omakase experience was out of this world – I will likely be returning as a regular diner. While the non-sushi dishes were delicious, omakase-only treasures, we immediately realized that we could still get our nigiri fix during regular dining, for a fraction of the cost, without losing any quality or fish options. While this was a little disappointing from an omakase perspective, it says a lot about the integrity and quality of each and every piece of fish offered at Juno, no matter which dining experience you select.
Juno Omakase at a glance
Rice: Good temperature and flavor. Didn’t amaze nor detract from the amazing fish.
Fish: Some of the best nigiri I have ever put in my mouth. I don’t know what is going on behind that counter, but it is as if each cut of fish is literally kissed by the sushi gods before being handed to you. I have no doubt that most of this magic comes from Chef BK Park’s methodical fish sourcing and selection. And to top it all off, many pieces are lightly brushed with Juno’s homemade soy sauce. With a deep flavor profile including hints of sesame and sweetness, it is truly Juno’s biggest differentiator amongst the competition.
Vibe: Being both a regular dining and omakase restaurant, Juno has a typical sushi table and sushi bar layout. While Juno lacks the intimate atmosphere of its’ omakase-only counterparts, they provide a fun and social feel. The dark interior mixed with the warm wood makes for a trendy yet classic sushi spot vibe.
Experience: While a little less personal than some of the top Chicago omakase-only restaurants, Juno was a great and classic omakase experience. The dinner is a show in and of itself, with no shortage of mesmerizing rice handling and knife skills.
Value: While Juno is far from the most expensive omakase option in Chicago, it is still up there in pricing. The delicious food does not disappoint and is well worth a visit, but we would recommend taking the regular dining route unless you are celebrating a special occasion.
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