Cocoro Restaurant
Tarek El-Ghazaly · 265 Google reviewsCocoro Restaurant — reliable japanese in River North that keeps people coming back. Casual, established, and unapologetic about it. Flavors that haven't been adjusted for mass appeal. "My wife had the Unaju which was pretty much the best I had ever tasted, with melt-in-your-mouth eel on rice" — Tarek El-Ghazaly [$$]
What 594 diners keep saying
What 594 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“We tried the gyu don and oyako don and they were delicious!!! Highly recommend these dishes, and can't wait to go back! Their miso soup was also amazing and we were pleasantly surprised with a cup of green tea at the end of our meal that was the cherry on top 💚”
“This is my favorite Japanese restaurant in the city. If you don’t want to drive all the way to Elk Grove Village for Japanese food that isn’t “fusion,” Cocoro is the place to go. The waiters are friendly, the sushi is great, but the tempura set is what really makes Cocoro stand apart. I can’t think of many places in the United States that has tempura that matches the quality of Cocoro. I love the old school, simple ambiance of the restaurant, reminds me of Seattle in the early 2000s. Another touch that I love is that they serve Calpico in a glass mug, rather than straight from a plastic bottle. Whenever I have wanted a comforting, cozy meal in Chicago, Cocoro has never disappointed. Cocoro has real 心 (heart)!”
“This restaurant is my favorite in the area. The food is always prepared with attention to detail. Coming here for lunch is a must!”
“Possibly the most true to Japanese cuisine I had in Chicago. Reminds me of mom n pop restaurant with a little bit of everything from ramen, sushi and bento boxes. My favorite would be their long list of izakaya style appetizers and nabe. Also the oldschool coffee jelly is available!”
“Definitely visiting again next time in Chicago. The food was delicious and the lady owner was too sweet. Loved it!”
“Having lived in Japan for years, this place brought me right back. I had the unajyu, which was very soft and delicious and the rice was fabulous, while my wife had the nabeyaki udon which was generous with the vegetables. Extremely authentic top notch Japanese food, if a bit pricey - but I've not found better quality for the price so it's good value to me considering we're in Chicago and not Japan.”
“Wow! We recently bought a place here in Chicago about two and a half years ago and have been searching for our go to sushi Japanese restaurant. We have looked in the city and in the suburbs and finally today we found our go to Japanese restaurant in Chicago! This restaurant is authentic the services amazing the food quality is spectacular it is elegant it is everything you want in a Japanese restaurant. The shabu-shabu presentation that I didn't order but I will next time is off the charts amazing! This restaurant has been in business I think since 1996. I can't say enough about how great our experience was at this restaurant. We will be back often!”
“Came here on a Tuesday evening with a party of three. We were seated promptly by the friendly wait staff. Their fryer was broken so we didn’t get a chance to try anything that required it. The seaweed salad, cold tofu with bonito flake sauce, and the various rolls were excellent! I finished off the meal with some fantastic red bean ice cream with the anko topping. Definitely recommend trying this place out!”
“Authentic Japanese Cuisine. No mango, cream cheese or avocado in your sushi. Real food, great experience.”
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