Macku Sushi

How many sushi restaurants have you been to with your standard Philadelphia and California rolls? Well, Macku Sushi has those if you want them, but they're also doing much more. If you're an adventurous eater up for experiencing new flavors and varieties of fish, I would recommend trying the omakase, or chef's choice menu at Macku Sushi in Lincoln Park.

The BF and I stopped in on a weeknight to check out the menu and we had no idea what we were in store for. The evening consisted of 12 courses which sounds like a lot. It was. All of those pieces of fish really add up!

We started with a spoonful of marinated salmon roe with Japanese mint leaf and Pop Rocks. Yes, those Pop Rocks. It was a pretty big bite and the texture was not my favorite but I loved how the Pop Rocks really awoken my taste buds.

Salmon Roe with Mint Leaf and Pop Rocks

Course two was sashimi scallops with a motoyaki sauce. There was a ton of the garlic mayo sauce, a little too much in my opinion, so I pushed most of it aside so I could really taste the scallops which had a slightly sweet flavor. This was one of my favorite courses. The scallops were oh so tender!

Jumbo Scallop Sashimi with Motoyaki Sauce

This next course was another one of my favorites, a truffle mushroom soup with king oyster and shiitake mushrooms. It was served in a tea pot with a small cup used for sipping the soup. It was rich and creamy, and on the chilly evening we dined it was perfect.

Truffle Mushroom Soup

The next course kicked off a series of fresh fish dishes. This one featured slices of bluefin fatty tuna sashimi topped with soy sauce, caviar, and fresh wasabi. Talk about decadent! I loved how the tuna was served on ice; it made for an ultra clean taste.

Bluefin Fatty Tuna Sashimi

Course five featured slices of bonito with cucumber, ponzu sauce, and grated daikon. The presentation was beautiful and I enjoyed the acidic ponzu sauce.

Bonito Sashimi, Cucumber, Ponzu, Grated Daikon

Our next course was certainly the most interesting of the night, scabbard fish served with apple salad and garlic puree, in a daikon wrap. These were like little Japanese tacos. You folded the daikon wrap and popped the whole thing in your mouth. It was very refreshing! The whole fish was presented on a beautiful golden platter holding a cherry in its mouth. I couldn't help but stare at the fish as it stared back at me...

Scabbard Fish, Apple Salad, Garlic Puree, Daikon Wrap

Scabbard Fish

Scabbard Fish, Apple Salad, Garlic Puree, Daikon Wrap

The next three courses were nigiri courses, or slices of raw fish with toppings on top of rice. The first was bluefin tuna topped with shiitake mushroom and Japanese black pepper sauce. The mushrooms were super flavorful! We were instructed to eat all of the nigiri courses with our hands so the toppings wouldn't fall off if we tried to pick them up with our chopsticks. This was great advice! Plus, it made for a more playful experience.

Bluefin Tuna Nigiri with Black Pepper Sauce, and Shiitake Mushrooms

The next nigiri course was salmon topped with enoki mushrooms, truffle oil, and chives. The truffle flavor was pleasantly strong and was a great combo with the mushrooms.  One thing that's important to note is that Macku Sushi does not give you soy sauce for your sushi. The fish really speaks for itself and the toppings are so flavorful you really don't need it.

Salmon Nigiri with Enoki Mushrooms, Truffle Oil, and Chives

Course nine was yellowtail or hamachi topped with sautéed banana peppers and Japanese white pepper. This was one of our favorites; it tasted like giardiniera on top!

Yellowtail Nigiri with Sauteed Banana Peppers and Japanese White Pepper

The last nigiri course was white tuna topped with a banana wasabi puree. At this point, the BF and I were so stuffed, we could barely eat anymore! But we had to power through to dessert...

White Tuna Nigiri with a Banana Wasabi Puree

The omakase ended with two desserts, including Chef Macku's asparagus pudding with a strawberry puree, Hennessy cream, chocolate syrup, raspberries, and whipped cream. I loved the beautiful presentation and was intrigued by the dessert. It had the same texture as a chocolate mousse with just a hint of asparagus flavor. The sauces definitely helped balance out any savory notes.

Asparagus Pudding

The last dessert was a green tea mousse with raspberries, blackberries, and whipped cream. This was not our favorite, which we were OK with, considering how full we were.

Green Tea Mousse

Overall, we were both impressed with the presentation of the food, variety of flavors, and quality of the fish. Who knew so many thin slices of fish could be so filling! We enjoyed ourselves that night and loved how knowledgeable the staff was, especially Chef Macku who we chatted with on our way out.

Macku Sushi has the feel of a neighborhood sushi spot, but that's where the comparisons stop. If you're looking for an upscale sushi option with high quality fish and inventive presentations, check out Macku Sushi and the omakase menu if you're feeling extra adventurous!

Note: my meal at Macku Sushi was complimentary; however, all opinions are my own.

Macku Sushi
www.mackusushi.com
2239 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
773.880.8012