Sushi by Scratch Restaurants: Chicago

Came here for an early valentines dinner. It was fantastic! The food and service were top notch. The drinks were really good as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the yuzu drinks. The speak easy vibe and intimate atmosphere really enhanced the experience.

food: 5/5ambiance: 5/5 super cute initial drink with a appetizer and the downstairs room is super intimate. the little polaroid pic at the start is a nice touch.service: 3/5 I am someone who knows I don't like wasabi. I have tried so many times, even in Japan! When I do omakase, the chefs don't usually have an issue with taking the wasabi out. Although, while here, when I made my request, the sous chef proceeded to ask me if "I had ever had real wasabi before". I was definitely taken aback by this, as someone who has been to Tsukiji Market and tried it there and many other places in Japan (where I assume it is "real" LOL), I wanted to confidently answer yes, but was so taken aback, I allowed her to put it on my first piece as she insisted I try. After that uncomfortable encounter, I tried the first piece, and as expected, I still didn't like wasabi LOL. Just to appease the chef because I didn't want to argue, I had the rest of my pieces with wasabi. Feeling the discomfort of the initial encounter definitely put a damper on my experience. I enjoyed the food, so it's just unfortunate this had to happen at the start.

Had a phenomenal experience here. I have not been to many omakase experiences prior to this one so I didn't know what to expect upon walking in, but everything was absolutely amazing. My partner actually brought me here as a surprise for my birthday so the fact that this place is very hidden and in a spot you would never even guess was also very very cool. My partner and I both have had plenty of great sushi in California as I'm from there and he's been living there for over 10 years, but we were both very surprised at how good/fresh the quality of the fish was here given than Chicago tends to usually have less fresh options because of its location. He even mentioned that it might've been one of the best Omakase experiences he's ever had, and mind you, he's been to handful in both LA, San Francisco, and even NY. Our main head chef, Naomi, was absolutely incredible, super real and down to earth, and funny. She definitely made the experience more memorable, and the bartender and chef we had in front of us were also very professional and friendly. I loved everything about this place and would highly recommend it to others.

To start off, Sushi by Scratch is sort of like a speakeasy vibe. Before the appointment you're given a code to use to enter the establishment.At first we were directed to a small room with 5-6 tables. It turns out that was the waiting room where you are served a complimentary cocktail and 2 amuse-bouche. The first was a tuna roll and another was oysters. Both were great refreshing bites to start off.I must admit that I was so absorbed in the experience that I only took pictures of each nigiri presented but also wanted to focus on Chef Naomi and her team present each item.The whole omakase experience came with 19 sushi and all of them were sublime. I wanted every bite to last longer than the previous because it was that good. Unfortunately I could only post 10 photos for this review but have many more of the other nigiris.In terms of price point, I think compared to other omakase places, this is worth it for the amount of nigiris presented and the thoughtfulness put into the cocktails and sake options. Overall, for two, it was over $500, so definitely on the pricier side that is saved for a special occasion.Overall, for our omakase experience where I took my boyfriend for his birthday, Chef Naomi and her team definitely made the experience fun, special and lighthearted. My boyfriend really enjoyed this experience and Chef Naomi even gave him caviar to try for the first time so that was really nice of her. Lastly, the fish were really fresh considering we are having sushi in the Midwest. It was definitely an explosion of flavor for every bite. I would totally come back for another occasion!

One word that sums up the meal and the experience is INCREDIBLE! And here is why;Most of their fish is flown in 2-3 times a week from Japan, and both of a very high quality, and a little rarity, Creative - the fish is also seasoned and 'decorated' with appropriate sauce, seasoning to enhance the taste and texture. Of the 16 pieces served, I didn't like one that has a chili dressing which masked the fish for me.Service is excellent from the chefs (shout out to head chef Naomi) who engage and interact throughout the 2 hour service but also the bar keep. Water (bottled still or sparkling) is topped off throughout the meal. Nice touches with a personalized name plate, welcome drink and welcome amuse bouche to set the stage. Fun and intimate speakeasy atmosphere for solo diners and dates. Desert included! I have only been to 5-6 omakase and this was top 2 for me. It's only a matter of time before they earn their Michelin and I am rooting for them.

My favorite spot for omakase in the whole world!! Everything from the quirky entrance, attention to detail, hospitality, flavors, cocktails and staff is top notch! At first I was skeptical because to access the restaurant, you have to first enter a small bar and then punch in a secret code. You then go down a flight of stairs to a waiting room where you're served a welcome drink and the first 2 bites. Honestly, the first bite was a tiny oyster and it was on the fishy side and I was disappointed. HOWEVER, every bite, every sip from that point forward was . I look forward to going back soon in the near future. The main dining area seats 10. Make your reservations way in advance. Get the pairing.

Simply amazing. That's exactly how I would describe it. What an incredible sushi experience! Every course was special, unique and delicious. I flew into O'Hare on the night of my reservation and of course United Airlines delayed my flight. Fortunately, I hurried to grab a taxi and was only 15 minutes late for my reservation...after calling to let them know, they were super gracious and had my seat waiting for me (with my name plate to boot), which made my night!The best part about the experience is meeting the fellow sushi lovers seated beside you. I met such fun and interesting people and even got a drink afterward with my newly made friends!As I said, every course here is to die for. Imagine the chef blow torching bone marrow as the splendid fatty oils dripped over a tender piece of unagi creating a savory bite that tickled your tongue for minutes! Every sushi dish was expertly crafted and prepared to perfection. Every cut of fish was meticulously prepared and ingredients thoughtfully added in order to preserve the essence and organic flavors of the fish while complementing and accentuating the elements that made that fish special and unique. I would be remiss not to compliment that amazing cocktails and sake that I enjoyed too, which made my evening even more special.Sushi by Scratch was simply outstanding and one of the best, if not the best sushi I have had this year. I am sure Chef Phillip is about to receive a Michelin star here very, very soon!

This was a very special sushi experience as I came here for my birthday. Walking through the Drop In to come downstairs was tough as the burger smells were just so good!Def get there at the time the email specifies or even 5 minutes earlier. Got to enjoy some welcome cocktails and chat with others before dinner started, great experience.Once in the room, it's very private. Service is done from behind the counter mostly. Pieces of sushi are described and then you eat. Very casual, no pressure but you are def paying a lot for this experience. I had some free dollars on InKind through American Express that lightened the price a bit by $75. This is a great experience and the sushi is very good. Would have liked some composed dishes if I could offer 1 criticism. Otherwise, a great time, very special and the quality was superb.

Whoever does the marketing for the Sushi by Scratch chains DEFINITELY DESERVES A RAISE. This place got only my radar when there was about two weeks straight where I couldn't avoid it on my Instagram feed or getting shared it by friends on other socials. Since my brother and SIL are avid omakase fans, we opted to give it a try.Reservations were pretty tricky to get. They release the following month's reservation block the first of every month so you have to book basically book 1-2mo in advance. For more popular weeks of the day like Fri/Sat, it felt like the spots disappeared almost immediately, but managed to snag an early 5pm spot on a Saturday for a party of 4. Overall, if you really want to check this place out, would recommend trying to get on the site ASAP when spots release. Also, they require a $25/person deposit which will go towards the final bill.Ok onto reservation day. The spot is speakeasy style and has you walking through a very yummy smelling burger joint before entering a passcode to a door and going downstairs. They recommend coming as early as 30min before your resy just so you can enjoy a couple items prior to the beginning of actual service. The items consisted of a light drink and a couple pieces of seafood. Solid stuff! After that, you go down another flight of stairs to where the main seating area is. Once the main service begins, you get the whole spiel from front-of-house on drinks including some pairing options which sounded interesting. Opted for an a la carte cocktail which was pomegranate-based with a matcha sugar rim. It was okay. Nothing crazy, but still enjoyed it. As for the omakase itself, it was great! All the pieces I felt were thoughtfully put together and the sushi quality was high. Personal favorite was the eel that they melted bone marrow onto. It was super rich and the heat of the bone marrow really brought the eel to life. So many other great pieces though, too.Service was also excellent and chefs were super friendly/knowledgeable. Very attentive without being too overbearing. Considering one of their other locations has a Michelin star, it's clear this place is also trying to hold itself to the same standards.Price at the time of this review is $165/person pre-tax/tip. I think that's about what I'd expect for omakase in the Chicago area. I will say, at this price range for omakase in the city, the quality of the seafood is all going to be good. It's just a matter of how thoughtful you can be with highlighting the flavors of each piece. I think sushi by scratch does a great job at this, but there's also plenty of other spots in the city just as good.Overall though, I thought it was a fun experience and glad I tried it. It probably won't be the first place I think of when I want to go to a fine dining spot in the city, but everything was well executed. From the food/service to the overall ambiance, it was a great time. Would recommend it as an option for those looking at an omakase spot in the city, but certainly worth checking out at some point if you've lived in Chicago for a while and want to try something new.

Chiefs are very nice. Very intimate experience. Ambiance is great. But as far as the quality of fish and value is very underwhelming. Spent $700 on dinner and at that price you shouldn't feel that any cuts are not up to par and sadly that was not what we experienced. Wouldn't return. Drinks and bartender was great. Also wouldn't recommend their à la cart at the end of the meal. Thought it was a nice finishing touch but felt like rather a money grab.