Omakase at Juno

There was no way I was leaving Chicago without a good sushi fix. There were a few choices when it came to sushi restaurants – a couple were Asian fusion and the others seemed to be more of a fixed menu. I just wanted a simple nigiri omakase. I came upon Juno. I called to make a reservation for Saturday night and asked if I could do a nigiri omakase instead of their usual omakase offering. They called back the following day and said the chef would gladly accommodate me. Nice!

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Dinner at Juno

The later omakase is offered at 8:30pm which was perfectly fine. I showed up, waited at the bar for a bit, and was shown to my seat at the sushi bar in the back.

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Front Dining Room

The sushi bar was a decent size spanning across half the size of the dining room. Chef BK’s section is towards the front and it turns out that I was the only one enjoying the omakase that night. Just me and the chef? Awesome!

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Sushi Bar

My waitress, Hyona, was so sweet. There was no need to go over the food menu since I was here for the sushi omakase. She went over any allergies and let the chef know. I asked for a sake suggestion and she went over the sake list with me.

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Menu

She suggested the Sugei Tokubetsu Junmai from the 300ml bottle section. A type of sake only made from rice, koji (fermenting mold), and water. It was just right, not too sweet and not too dry. Perfect.

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Sake

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With a full glass of sake and everything in place, Chef BK got to work. He placed a small pile of fresh ginger on the countertop and began assembling the first piece of nigiri.

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Chef’s Counter

The live scallop from Maine was incredible. It was so soft and tender. What a great start to the omakase!

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Live Scallop

The following piece was fluke from Korea with a sprinkle of sea salt. It had that distinct truffle flavor, must have been truffle salt. It was yummy.

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Fluke with Sea Salt

Chef BK managed to provide personable service while making other orders as well.

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Chef BK

The next piece was golden eye snapper from Japan. A delicate bite with mild flavor.

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Golden Eye Snapper

I was in my happy place being face-to-face with the head sushi chef and having freshly made nigiri placed right in front of me one after the other.

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Personal Omakase

Up next was amberjack from Japan. This is one of my faves. With a soft buttery texture, it practically melted in my mouth. So good!

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Amberjack

The Scottish King Salmon was up next. I love salmon and this piece did not disappoint.

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Scottish King Salmon

The salmon was followed by a nice bright piece of lean tuna topped with seaweed.

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Tuna with Seaweed

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After a bit, a tasty piece of pike mackerel topped with scallions and ginger juice was placed in front of me. It had a hint of sweetness that complimented the full flavored mackerel.

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Pike with Ginger Juice and Scallion

One of my favorites was up next. The chutoro (medium fatty tuna) was delicious.

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Chutoro

The salmon with yuzu was excellent. The sweet and sour flavors of the citrus fruit was perfect with the salmon.

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Salmon with Yuzu

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Salmon with Yuzu

I wasn’t sure how many pieces I was going to be served, and I didn’t care. I didn’t want it to end. Keep it coming!

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Salmon with Pickled Scallions

You really can’t go wrong with otoro. Chutoro may be my favorite, but I truly savored the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of the fatty tuna.

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Otoro

Another type of mackerel was served with some ginger on top. Yum!

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Mackerel with Ginger

The ikura (salmon roe) was superb with those small orange pearls bursting with salty goodness.

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Ikura

A couple pieces of eel soon followed. The first one was seawater eel with yuzu juice. It was simple, but delectable.

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Seawater Eel with Yuzu Juice

The second type was a special housemade eel with sesame. It was very tasty.

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Eel with Housemade Sesame

Chef BK began making a handroll. This usually means the omakase is coming to an end.

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Making a Handroll

The negitoro handroll was made with chopped fatty tuna and scallions. I was instructed to eat it right away. The seaweed was nice and crispy.

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Negitoro & Scallion Handroll

I wanted a few more pieces. I told the chef I would love another piece of chutoro and the rest was up to him. He smiled and nodded. More sushi meant I had to order more sake!

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More Sake!

The Kiku-Masamune is a dry sake that was clean and smooth.

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Dry Sake

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Another Chutoro

Chef BK delivered a couple excellent pieces to conclude my omakase. The first one was scallop topped with Santa Barbara uni. So good!

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Scallop with Uni

The last piece was amazing. A nice meaty piece of king crab topped with Kobe beef butter. Wow! It was so rich and tender. My omakase concluded and I was more than satisfied. The chef ended it with a sake shot! Cheers!

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King Crab with Kobe Beef Butter

My dinner was wonderful. Chef BK’s omakase was delicious and I really enjoyed the special nigiri. The pace was just right. Service was excellent and Hyona was lovely. If you’re looking for great sushi in the Windy City, give Juno a try. A big thank you to Chef BK and the staff! I’ll be sure to come back the next time I’m in Chicago!


Juno
2638 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 935-2000
Website

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