Sushi Dokku

One word… phenomenal! Mariano must be the best sushi chef out there!
What we ordered:
tuna truffle… mouth watering
Ecuador…orgasmic
King crab bites… husband said great
Allergic to shellfish therefore chef made dragon with salmon instead of shrimp… wow

With 3 visits under my belt now, Sushi Dokku just might have become my new favorite sushi go-​to spot in Chicago. I was so sad when Sushi Wabi closed but Dokku is even better in food and atmosphere. With the West Loop now booming with nightlife, the location of Dokku can’t be beat and makes it the perfect spot to start your night out (or the perfect place to end your night out with the Booze Box downstairs). The quality of the sushi is second to none and while you won’t find your typical menu of 30 roll options, what you will find is a smaller menu of very carefully created concoctions — both for sushi and other Japanese items.
My favorite starter is the shisito peppers — flash fried to perfection, seasoned, and drizzled with eel sauce and topped with bonito flakes. It’s super easy and I’ve made it at home with almost perfect replication. Emphasis on the almost. Order this. Half the fun is not knowing if you’re going to get a mild pepper or a mouth burning hot pepper. It’s pepper roulette, except that either way you win because it’s delicious.
The rolls are phenomenal, no question. But my favorite part about Sushi Dokku is the dressed nigiri. Brilliantly flavored and topped nigiri that adds a mind blowing experience with each bite. Even my «I typically just do rolls» husband couldn’t deny the amazingness. So far I’ve had the hamachi with grapefruit, black lava salt, and green onion… the suzuki (sea bass) with kanzuri, shallot, and chives… the tuna truffle with truffle sauce and avocado… and all 3 were absolutely amazing. Though the tuna truffle is super truffley so make sure you’re a fan before you eat it. Each one is perfectly topped with just the right amount of flavor blend without overpowering the simplicity and freshness of the fish itself.
As for rolls — you can’t go wrong. They are all amazing so just order whatever sounds the best to you and you will love it. The Ecuador is tasty but a little less original and a bit on the bigger side in terms of piece size and rice ratio. The Seared Salmon and Albacore is one of my favorites and the Crispy Maguro comes with a sauce that totally makes the roll. The Panko Onion is a vegetarian roll but a crowd pleaser for all and super tasty.
Favorite cocktails include:
Sakerita — for a dry, less sweet cocktail that’s still refreshing. Right up there with any of the best sake/​cucumber combos I’ve had.
Saketini — a stiffer drink and great for the martini lover — the wasabi stuffed olives are brilliant
Last weekend I tried a cocktail that was bourbon, cranberry, and walnut bitters and was a deliciously citrusy version of an old fashioned. Excellent crafted cocktails and a vast sake selection as well.
The Booze Box is also awesome for a more fun atmosphere and energetic vibe. Highly recommend grabbing an after dinner drink down there if you can snag a spot. Service is top notch, atmosphere is great, and the food can not be beat. Dokku, please stay around forever.

3.5 stars rounded down to 3
I had really high hopes for Sushi Dokku. I read several reviews and looked over the menu before trying it out last night with 4 other friends.
We had a 5:15pm reservation (Chicago Restaurant Week + Saturday night?.. makes it hard to get a later reservation). The hostess was friendly enough when she got off the phone and addressed us (I was worried about bad service after reading the reviews). We were seated in the corner booth. It was extremely cold the entire night. I noticed that one by one all of my friends and I started putting our coats back on.
LOCATION
It might get hard to find parking, but they do offer valet. You can even download the valet app. & have the driver bring your car through the app. It’s located by Little Goat and a whole bunch of other hot restaurants. Inside, it seemed very dark and minimalistic/​trendy. It was hard to see what our food looked like without taking a flash photo of it. As I reached over and took a picture of all of my friends’ food, one of them jokingly thanked me for helping her see what she was eating.
FOOD
I was really excited to try Sushi Dokky for 2 reasons: it is Chicago Restaurant Week and I really wanted to try their Tuna Truffle (I mean, seriously? I love raw fish and truffle, but the two together? I couldn’t wait!). Overall, they have fresh, beautifully presented dishes. Some were better than others.
–Momotaro: Nigori Sake, Peach Nectar $ 11. This was really good. Light, refreshing, not too sweet. I refrained fro ordering another drink because nobody else ordered one.
–Gyu-​negima: $ 11 Strip Steak, Green Onion, Garlic Soy Sauce. Very very salty!
–Ramen: $ 15 Shoyu Miso Braised Pork Shoulder Broth, Star Anise, Spinach, Green Onion. Two of my friends split this and they both said it was very salty.
–Dragon: $ 15 Tempura Shrimp, Unagi, Avocado, Masago. Not bad. Not amazing. Just average.
–Fire: $ 17 Tempura Salmon, Avocado, Cucumber, Tobiko, Kaiware, Chili Mayo, Green Onion. This was my 2^nd favorite roll. I liked the sauce that it came with.
–Crispy Maguro: $ 13 Tuna, Red Onion, Fried Shallots, Maguro Flakes, Avocado, Togarashi Mayo. My favorite roll. I don’t understand why it had to come out with a separate soy sauce dish… maybe to fill in some empty space?
–Tuna truffle: $ 11 Seared Big Eye Tuna, Truffle Sauce, Avocado. I was slightly disappointed with this one. It lacked flavor. They give you two generous portions of tuna with some truffle oil, but it wasn’t very unique. (Try the Tuna Truffle at Starfish Sushi in Lincolnshire instead!)
SERVICE
Our waitress, Aracely, was nice enough. However, while talking to us, she leaned over and placed her hand on top of our water bottle. We were all slightly grossed out and taken aback, but nobody had the courage to ask for a new bottle in fear we might get our food spit on. My friends and I were talking the entire time, but I don’t recall Aracely ever coming to ask if the food was ok.
NOTES:
–If you plan on coming during Chicago Restaurant Week, you might have to ask the waitress for the Chicago Restaurant Week menu. We weren’t given this menu until we asked. Also, if someone orders from this menu, everyone else must order from it. It’s an «All or None» type of deal. I must’ve made a face when Aracely mentioned this because she stated, «I don’t make the rules.»
–If you bring a cake (we were celebrating 2 belated birthdays in our group), you will be charged $ 1.50 per person. Imagine coming with a large group. I don’t recall being forwarded about this charge.
OVERALL
The food was pretty good overall. The service was OK. I think you’re really just paying for the location and vibe (which I can do without).

Just stopped in for a bit. Were lucky to find two seats available at the sushi bar. Service was spot on. We shared a spicy tuna roll and it was fantastic; very fresh with a lot of flavor. I look forward to going back and having more sushi off their menu.

Very good. Sushi was filling and extremely delicious. However music was a little too loud and place has low lighting. Definitely will go again to this very trendy, restaurant. Hopefully waitress will be a tad more attentive.

Since I live close by, Sushi Dokku has always been my go-​to sushi joint when I don’t want to travel far. Prices are high, but it’s located in restaurant row, so that’s not shocking, Plus, the food has always been at least 4 star worthy. During my last visit, however, the service was disappointing enough that I may not return. I’m not normally one to knock a restaurant down stars because of service, but the waitress was really rude!
A group of four of us came in at 7:30pm for a reservation for my friend’s birthday. They seated us right away, took our drink order… and then 20+ minutes passed. No drinks, nothing. Finally, we asked to order food and the waitress acted like we had asked her to strip down naked and dance for us. We all separately thought it was one of the more awkward moments we’ve had with a waiter/​waitress. Not to mention the fact that she acted shocked and appalled by a few of our orders (we ordered four maki rolls, a few appetizers, a fish entrée, and a small soup… besides sharing the soup between the four of us, it wasn’t that crazy of an order). The night continued, our food came, we ate, they took away our dishes, etc. By the end of the meal, we had all decided that service was a two at best. And then to top it all off, they charged us for my friend’s birthday dessert! Sure, her boyfriend had asked for something to be sent out for her birthday, but that’s normal! If they don’t allow complementary desserts for birthdays, they should have said something! To charge us for a birthday dessert, which we did not choose (and was honestly pretty mediocre), was absolutely unprofessional!
I am typically very forgiving of bad service, but the audacity of the waitress to make us feel awkward and then to CHARGE US FOR THE BIRTHDAY DESSERT was pretty unforgiving. I’m getting angry just thinking about it.

My sister in law recommended this place to me and praised this place like anything. Ever since then I wanted to go here. The first time I went here, there was a wait for two hours… so we ended up going to some other place. This time I made sure I reserve a table beforehand.
Now the food– being a vegetarian, it’s difficult to really enjoy a sushi place but sushi dokku lived up to my expectations. They had only four vegetarian sushi (don’t remember the names) and I ordered all four of them. They were simply awesome. Omg, I really have no words to describe how good they were. It’s definitely a plc to try :)
I’m giving four stars n not five as the appetizers disappointed me… fewer vegetarian options n not worth ordering at all :/

Good not great sushi with a nice décor and solid bar. There are better japanese restaurants around but this is my favorite among the $$ price point and the west loop location is terrific.

I came here last night at around 1015PM. The basement was open which was pretty swanky. They had some cool decorations and nice bottles of japanese whiskey. My friend is vegetarian so a few limited options. Here’s what we order:
/​/​Snack Mix — $ 2 — This snack mix goes amazing with a beer or whiskey. It’s a little bowl of assortment japanese snacks are yum yum all around. try each one and figure out which one you like the most!
/​/​Jagaimo — $ 4– This is a mashed potato mix, it has some good flavor but wouldn’t order it again. They brought us out an extra one on purpose sooo Yay!
/​/​Cucumber Sunomono — $ 6 — This cucumber sushi this is amazing. Definitely worth trying, its just cucumber cut up all special but the sauce on there is bomb. I would order this again, its refreshing and delicious.
/​/​Spicy Tuna — $ 10 — I ordered this and it was reallllyyyyy good. Makes me really want to come back and do a full on sushi meal. The spicy tuna was plentiful and spicy-​iful! The rice was well prepared and had a good ratio of fish to rice.
/​/​Hakushu Whiskey — $ 25 — This whiskey is amazing but I dont think its worth 25 $. I am pretty sure the entire bottle cost like 70 $. oh well, didn’t realize it was so expensive till after I ordered it
The basement is a cool late night spot to eat and It is somewhat secluded. I would come back and I most likely will.

Prime spot for an awesome sushi experience. Fresh fish, sumptuous sauces, and friendly service. Highly recommend the makis.
During happy hour, the oysters are $ 1.

On a scale of 1 to Vātsyāyana, how subjectively great was my dinner? Definitely Vātsyāyana. I had a passionate awakening and wrote the freaking Kama Sutra the night I ate at Sushi Dokku.
That or I am fairly certain that there was an aphrodisiac crouching tiger hidden dragon in the ingredients. A synergistic culmination of things scandalously delicious. The perfectly textured nigiri that melted in our oral orifices upon contact, the amazing green tea cheesecake on a decadent, fall apart in your mouth-​brownie crust we had at the climax. Suffice is to say, Sushi Dokku, you got us feeling some type of way.

Another happy hour thing going on here as they have $ 1oysters which is right up my alley.
I showed up at 5:30 on a Thurs afternoon and it wasn’t too packed. I got a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of rose’ which was really good. My girl showed up and met me at the bar so it was time for shit to get real in reference to ordering some goodies. There was a couple of regulars sitting on the other side of me letting me know what was good and what wasn’t so that was helpful.
We got 8 oysters (4 each and what was on the happy hour menu) and the caviar which was very delicious. The Hot Daisy Roll (Albacore, spicy mayo, massage, cucumber, soy paper and lime) came highly recommended. Its reputation is well deserved as it was definitely the best roll we had. We also got the Dragon and the Tuna Microgreens rolls… very good as well. They have good sushi here… no doubt! The guy behind the bar, Kyle made us a special roll that was pretty good as well. The Chamomile Whiskey Sour drink was out of this world good… so good that we had 3 of them.
I definitely recommend coming here for happy hour or dinner as its really a nice place with good food and good service!

Small restaurant and couldn’t accommodate us so they sent us on their main floor downstairs to Booze Box. They allowed us to order off the menu, make up our own rolls! We love exploring the unknown so the flexibility is much appreciated!
Must get: truffle tuna nigiri! To die for good!
We made up our own roll of spicy salmon with avocado. They added sesame seeds to crust the rice. Such a great idea!
We also made up a second roll. Crab, spicy tuna, and eel. They made the most delicious roll ever! Crab meat wrapped on the inside with alternation spicy tuna chicks and grilled eel on top.
Loved the experience!

If a place has sushi that my husband tolerates then they get 5 stars. Sushi hating husband jokes aside, I do think that the quality of the food and the presentation are top notch here.
My friend suggested sushi dokku and went as far as saying is the best sushi she ever had. Whats left to do but waze it there, right? We called around 8 and they told us we would have a guaranteed table at 930. We didn’t, but it didnt matter. We had drinks by the congested bar area. Later on we sat down and ordered, shishito pepers, miso soup, fire roll, dragon roll and godzilla. Typical and safe but very delicious.
Their drinks and their food prices are a big on the higher side. A drink that comes from a 4 inch can should not cost 19 dollars, but hey i was in a good mood and it was Friday. However if this place can convert my husband into a sushi eater than it deserves a plethora of stars in my book.

This review is for the bar located beneath Sushi Dokku. (Booze Box) My friend was celebrating her 30^th birthday and we went here this past weekend. Like most people said once you find the restaurant that’s half of the battle. When I got there no one was standing outside in the alley so I just randomly found a door and went in. Thankfully it took me downstairs to Booze Box. The music was on point and the drinks were good. I would recommend the Momotaro. Very refreshing and not too sweet. My other friend raved about the Kurimi. There cocktails were all delicious! Loved the atmosphere. The bar is on the smaller side, but I would recommend it for an intimate birthday party.

This review is just of their oyster happy hour. They have oysters shipped fresh daily from both the east and west coast. The west coast oysters are smaller, less brine-​y, and more flavorful, and are $ 2 each naked. The east coast oysters are larger and $ 1 each naked. Any additional dressing or having the oysters fried is $ 1 more per oyster. Our waitress was very knowledgable about the oysters and when she didn’t know, she went to find out for us. Good experience, very relaxed, and not too crowded.

Cocktail on point — chamomile whiskey sour.
Service? Phenomenal. Attentive, not pretentious, genuine.
Fish is great quality, rolls were tight, presentation is beautiful and clean.
We will definitely come back again!

This review is for both what we had in the dining room upstairs and the drinks and snacks that we had in the speak easy bar downstairs, Booze Box.
For dinner appetizers, we started off with the usual: Edamame and Miso Soup, which uses White Miso, Tofu, Green Onion and Wakame
I know it’s a little strange that we ordered mashed potatoes at a Japanese restaurant, but this is probably one of the best mashed potatoes I’ve had: Jagaimo, which is Whipped Potatoes with Cucumber, Carrot, Egg & Japanese Mayo. Pretty sure that Japanese mayo might have crack in it.
$ 1 oyster happy hour from 5−7pm: They have East and West Coast oysters. For me… it’s West Coast all the way! They were these tiny little sweet morsels of delectable ocean-​y goodness. Not too brine-​y.
Oh, try the fried oysters too. It’s deep fried in a light batter and some other good stuff. Just try it!
For those of you who know me, you know that I LOVE UNI!~ So, of course, I tried the Uni nigiri, which was phenomenal. I’ve missed uni so much…
Here are the rolls in order of favs:
Hot Daisy Roll: Albacore · Masago · Spicy Mayo · Cucumber · Soy Paper · Lime
Ecaudor Roll: Maguro · Hamachi · Flying Fish Roe · Cilantro · Wasabi Mayo · Jalapeño
Northern California Roll: Fresh and Soft Shell Crab · Onion · Masago · Avocado
Now, for the fun! The bar downstairs is super duper dark, and exactly what you would want in a speak-​easy. There are no signs about any sort of bar downstairs, so you really have to know about it. They offer some GREAT snacks that go with your drinks, and the service is awesome. The manager, Linda, really wants to ensure that everyone has a great experience… thanks for taking care of us so well, Linda!
We got a few of the specials — Shot and Beer: Evan Williams whiskey and your choice of beer. We chose Kirin Lite to chase our whiskey. That always equals fun times!
I also tried their whiskey sour, which was nice and sour. I love sour!
Here are the bites in order of favs:
Pork belly — this comes with a poached egg on top, so when you break that yolk. OMG food egg porn!!~ This dish is rather savory, so make sure you maybe order something pickled on the side.
Drowning Tako — Octopus, vinegar, olive oil, lime, garlic, pickles. This dish comes out with each portion separately, so it’s actually a perfect dish to enjoy with your drink.
Chicken Karaage: Japanese fried chicken, rosemary & sage. This was very crispy but juicy on the inside. I think it might have had a little too much ginger for my taste. But for those of you who love ginger, go for it!
Okonomiyaki: Japanese pancake with cabbage, green onion, katsu sauce, and wasabi mayo. I like my pancakes pretty thin and crispy, and since this one wasn’t as crispy as I would like, I would have to put this at the bottom of my list of favs. Altho the flavors were definitely there!

My friends and I went to Sushi Dokku on a Friday night. I got there early and sat at the bar. What I liked about this place from the moment I walked in was how intimate and tiny the space was. I spoke to a very friendly and helpful bartender, and she suggested the perfect cocktail based on my preference.
Even with reservations we had to wait a bit for a table, which was fine because of how small the place is. The drinks and food didn’t disappoint, and neither did the service. We started the meal with Udon, Vegetable Tempura, and Pork Gyoza. The Udon had the most delicate and delicious broth ever and I could eat bowls and bowls of it! The tempura and gyoza were good as well.
We ordered a variety of rolls and they even made specially vegetarian rolls for one of my friends. They came with special sauces as well, including a truffle sauce. We also ordered raw and fried oysters ($ 1 each!) and they were delicious. The fried oysters were overpowered by the presence of too much wasabi, but good nonetheless. We ended the meal with fried green tea ice cream and an apple cake of some sort. I loved the ice cream — it was not too sweet and a perfect way to end the meal.
I would recommend Sushi Dokku for a fantastic sushi/​udon/​oyster experience. I will definitely be back for more Udon!

Okay, so I’ve been to the old Sushi Wabi and always thought it was just okay so when this place opened we’ve wanted to go for quite a while just to see if it would entice us in the Randolph foodie zone and well, it didn’t really entice us too much. I have to say, the atmosphere is sexy, its dark, dim lit, has that intimate trendy feel to it so I definitely think it’s great for a date night, however we sat by the windows where their long wooden booth is and I have to say that I felt like I was right on top of my neighbors which kinda isn’t ideal in my opinion. I don’t like to hear other people’s convos since I’m a little ADD so it’s hard for me to focus, especially when different kinds of sushi is being served.
We didn’t have reservations on a Saturday night so I definitely recommend you make them, but you can always grab some sake at their cute bar. The service was good as the hostess was able to sit us by a window which I asked for and our server was pleasant throughout our meal. They do have happy hour oysters every day for like $ 1 and they were delicious and $ 2 with the fixings so that’s as cheap as it gets and I definitely had some east and west coast ones. Now onto the sushi, the rolls in my opinion are very few and a little too much for me with their over the top ingredients. You can’t go wrong with some spicy tuna and spicy salmon rolls and I absolutely loved their dragon roll but for $ 16 it isn’t cheap but definitely delicious. My hubby got some tuna roll that was also on the pricey side and it didn’t have rice in it which I wish it said that since it left him hungry for a lot more.
So overall, Sushi Dokku is eh, I can’t see how it can compare to it’s neighbors like Girl and the Goat and Au Cheval but I guess if you want a sexy night out with your girlfriend and you want some basic sushi in a trendy environment then you can check it out. But I wouldn’t come here if I was so hungry, because you will end up spending a pretty penny and may leave a little hungry, or at least we did. Get the drinks though!