Sushi Suite 202

Feb 24, 20204 min read

Lincoln Park / Hotel Lincoln

17-course | $150 | 4-seat

As of Valentines day 2020 the Chicago food scene just got a lot cooler with Chicago’s first ever hotel room-turned sushi omakase bar. Sushi Suite 202 is located within Hotel Lincoln, a funky boutique hotel on the edge of Lincoln Park. Sushi Suite 202 is situated on the second floor of the hotel. The new restaurant concept comes from Chef David Bouhadana, a Jewish New Yorker and sushi chef who co-owns multiple Sushi Suite and Sushi by Bou restaurants in New York and beyond. Sushi Suite differs from other omakase joints in many ways, one of which being it’s non-traditional – or non edomae – take on preparing and serving sushi omakase.

With that in mind, we feel Sushi Suite is something every sushi-eating Chicagoan needs to try. Upon arriving at the hotel, diners must go to the front desk and “check-in” for their omakase reservation. From here you are taken on a fun speakeasy journey, receiving your “room key” and instructions to the second floor. Once at Suite 202, guests will need to swipe their room key in the door for restaurant access.

Arriving a little early, we were shown the bar and treated to the curated cocktail of the night, a gin and yuzu concoction topped with whipped egg white. We highly recommend coming 10-20 minutes early to take in the atmosphere and enjoy the space a little longer.

Once our reservation was ready, we were shown around the corner to the omakase bar, eager to see Chef Kinzang (Kin for short), whom we met during our Sushi by Bou experience in New York,

Click HERE for our Sushi by Bou, New York review.

Many dishes were similar to that of Sushi by Bou's set menu in New York, likely due to sharing the same fish distributors and being sent what is in season for that week. Some of our favorite fish made their appearance such as shima aji and king salmon. The neta (fish) prepared were tasty. Preparation and nigiri toppings were well thought-out and well-executed such as yuzu dressing, fresh grated ginger, pickled daikon, and truffle salt.

We truly love small omakase seatings where we have the opportunity to get to know our fellow diners, as well as the chef. Sushi Suite is a fun and social experience no matter who you come with or who you are seated with, which is one of our favorite parts about the experience.

Overall, we cannot stress enough how enjoyable our night at Sushi Suite was and were honored to help welcome Sushi Suite to the Chicago sushi scene.

Sushi Suite Omakase at a glance

Rice: Perfect temperature and texture.

Fish: The fish was amazing. Over our three different visits, each seating had better and better quality fish. The team and chef know their stuff and have worked hard to procure the best quality fish from the source. updated 2/26/2021

Vibe: Total speak-easy vibes. Entering a hotel, getting a key to the “restaurant” / room is so unique, setting the stage for the dark, lovely interior.

Experience: The most fun we have ever had at a sushi counter. Not only is the whole experience CRAZY unique and an adventure in its’ own right

Value: The incredible experience of dining in a hotel speak-easy completely raises the value tag for us. We would absolutely recommend Sushi Suite for anyone interested in a crazy and unique dining experience. You won’t regret it.

Third Visit Update [2/28/2021]:

We have absolutely fallen in love with the Sushi Suite team, food, and experience. We have never met such an inspiring group of people so dedicated and driven to make each night the very best. Between Moni's contagious energy, Marco's magnificently curated drinks, and Chef Jordan's way with sushi, each night is a night you will not soon forget.

Beyond amazing staff and vibes, the food has truly made it's way as some of our favorite bites in the city. What once was just good food and a great time has turned into a true culinary experience with unique flavor profiles, thoughtfully aged/cured/prepared fish, and extremely noteworthy fish procurement. These things make a huge difference and have been noted with each visit.