Shochu: User Reviews

a great new experience
By NewToChicago from andersonville, July 10, 2008

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I really enjoyed my dinner at Shochu : the shochu cocktail was unique , the lobster curry and blueberry terriyaki quail exotically delicious. Sophisticated cuisine as I had not experienced before in Chicago (and kind of missed after 20 years in France). Shochu really makes you travel.

Fantastic unique tastes in hip laid back setting
By niki from Southport, July 7, 2008

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The food at Shochu will leave your taste buds alive and you'll love the food. The chef's unique combinations of top-quality, authentic ingredients, combined in new and intriguing ways had us wanting to order everything on the menu. We were especially impressed with the quail and the kobe, but also the kampachi poke (what's that, right? just be brave enough to ask the waitstaff--unreal, delicate white-fish tartare--better than any sushi I've had by far). You can learn a great deal from the knowledgeable but approachable staff, who are happy to explain the dishes...meanwhile, you get to learn a little about unique authentic taste treats that you can't find anywhere else in Chicago... Don't miss dessert...especially the chocolate creation that looks a bit like a maki, and tastes like a combo of truffle and super-dense flourless chocolate cake...but is just enough for a few bites to satisfy your sweet tooth. A real guilty pleasure that won't kill your week at the gym. And definitely try the Shochu! Light & tasty and good for you. Take the time to do a tiny bit of research, and you'll know why the Japanese love it...and you'll learn that it really has more benefits than red wine. Cheers!

Smoke screen
By Lovetruth from Lakeview, May 26, 2008

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I am sad to say that our experience last week was disappointing. First of all, the ventilation system was not working. The restaurant smelled like a back yard BBQ and the smoke was overwhelming. I would expect a restaurant to apologize for this and possibly compensate in some way. If it was my restaurant I would have run to the hardware store for a fan that would have kept the smoke out of the dining room. The food was OK. The meat dishes were great and very flavorful. The wasabi fries lacked flavor. The desserts were tiny. Yes, they were cheap (I believe $3 each) but the portions were ridiculously small. The service was overbearing because she could not read our table. We hadn't looked at the menu by the 3rd time she asked if we were ready to order (it was a Thursday night and the restaurant wasn't full, so we weren't monopolizing the table). But later, our water glasses were empty - so much for attentiveness. The variety of condiments was unique and fun. Unfortunately, the flavors were just ok. They had unique flavors, but lacked punch. The most frustrating part of the small plates was that most of the dishes had 3 pieces of the item. Considering that most people dine in 2's or 4's, this was very akward. We asked the chef why they did this and he laughed and said it was so you would order more... And if we ordered two plates we would have had 6 pieces and still a problem for our 4 top. Not so funny when you are trying to share without cutting a skewer of beef in half. I wish I didn't chose this restaurant for this occasion and do not plan to return.

There's more to Japan than Sushi
By Wildcat2001 from Lakeview, May 17, 2008

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Having lived in Japan for about 4 years, I can say the food here hits the nail on the head. The 'Yakitori' was FANTASTIC (especially the Kurobuta Pork... though not technically yakitori, was excellent). The sauces were great, the creativity was good, service was extremely nice and prompt... only great things to say.
Definitely a place we'll head back to often.

Great New Restaurant in Lakeview!
By mlemonil from Lakeview, May 7, 2008

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I went to Shochu for the first time last night. I've been a huge fan of the owner's other restaurant (Deleece) for years. I thought Shochu was excellent. The perfect mix of great food, great atmosphere and excellent service. We sat at the bar and the bartender took a lot of time explaining the menu and helping us pick out great drinks and meals.Don't miss the bacon wrapped dates with all the sauces -- yummy! I highly recommend this great new neighborhood spot!

Terribly Small Plates
By MmkCms from Lakeview, May 4, 2008

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Living in the neighborhood, we were curious to see what would fill Platiyo's space. My finace and I both thought the concept of Asian tapas was neat and liked the look of the menus. Sadly it seems that the curse of bad food lives on.
We had a reservation and were seated right away. The waiter was very knowledgeable about the drinks and the food. I have to say that the drinks were the highlight of the dinner! Very inventive and good! We started by ordering 3 dishes each (typical of tapas places). My finace got the skirt steak and it was "cold, rare, and tough, the worst beef I have ever had in the city". I had the shrimp curry and the shrimps were tough and overcooked. The portions were quite small for tapas. There are many better choices in this area for both value and quality.
Maybe we'll give them a few months to get their act together and give it another try.

Wonderful Food, Great Service, Delightful Drinks
By nydreamer29 from Lakeview East, May 1, 2008

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The first thing we asked when we sat down, after perusing the drink menu was, "What's Shochu?" It's both the name of this cute new dive and the label on their feature liquor. The waiter was excited and could not wait to tell us all about it. It's a Japanese liquor which boasts no hangovers and the healthy properties of red wine (in other words, have a glass every night!). Their original cocktails all feature shochu and some also sport fresh fruit. They were excellent.

The food is tiny, but priced accordingly. It's best to try 4-5 of those little guys and leave nicely full. The choice of sauces has unique combinations of flavors such as, Blueberry Teriaki. I tried a few things I had not seen before and was delighted by all of them. For once, I got desert and the chocolate cake like dish that I got, melted in my mouth with the help of a wasabi anglaise.

I highly recommend this restaurant for their convenient location, intelligent and friendly waitstaff, and of course, the yummy tidbits of food. It's great because you want to try everything and it won't be long before you can!

fenominal
By dinner12 from lakeview, April 30, 2008

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What a great change...from a loud and wild place to a very comfortable lounge setting. I went there this past Saturday. Me and a friend sat at the bar and had drinks. The bartender was so nice and informative that we decided to have dinner. We originally had plans at a place down the block. We were reluctant because it was a new place, but we did anyways from the bartenders persuasion. Every martini that he suggested was excellent and the food were exceptional. Very friendly staff and by the way what a endearing personality from a bartender that is not common enough in todays new "hip loungie JOINTS" today! The dark hair and dimple was also helful in making the decision to stay for dinner!