Best Japanese Restaurants in Old Irving Park

This was our second visit to Itoko, both experiences were fantastic! On both occasions we described our preferences to the server and both times, we were blown away with the selection and quality of each dish. It’s apparent that the restaurant’s staff is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their process and presentation. Some of the best nigiri I’ve ever had. I would recommend Itoko for any occasion you wouldn’t mind repeating.

For it to be very busy, likely at capacity, the staff managed well. The staff were very friendly. The food was delicious, overall. I love that they have a dedicated vegan menu. The Vegan Emerald Gyoza was my favorite! The Honey Bourbon Sesame Tindle sandwich was super creative and tasty! We enjoyed the vegan Buddha’s Garden sushi roll. The yuzu orange sauce was the only thing that wasn’t exciting in flavor. We will definitely return for the gyozas and to try some other menu items!

Finally got a reservation here 🙌🏽 And oh was it it worth it! We sat at the counter and got to see the magic happen. Ramen Lord himself even brought us our ramen which was pretty neat. Definitely will be fighting for another reservation to try the variations of ramen they introduce throughout the year. Shoutout to Mo, our server, for his kindness and cool demeanor.

Absolutely everything was A+. Definitely order the smoked sushi (outrageous in presentation and taste!) and if you're curious how good a hand roll could be, Juno answered that question.

BEST FOOD & BEST SERVICE. Will be back again, and recommending to others.