saiko

Has anyone tried Saiko. I received a $50 gift certificate from Sams Wines & Spirits last time I was there, but I'm not sure if it is worth going. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

I received the same gift certificate from Binny's. I previously received one to Marche from Sams. I was wondering the same thing; is it worth it even with $50 off. Oh, and you also get half price Vox drinks ... as if you really want to pound vodka with your Japanese surf and turf.

rien

rien wrote:I received the same gift certificate from Binny's. I previously received one to Marche from Sams. I was wondering the same thing; is it worth it even with $50 off. Oh, and you also get half price Vox drinks ... as if you really want to pound vodka with your Japanese surf and turf.

rien

I think $50 off would make a decent dent for two, and a significant dent for 1 (if there are no strings requiring a two person party or more). The reviews I've seen of Saiko and Marche have been positive, but I haven't had a chance to hit either.. Although I have a $25 gift certificate to marche sitting around ready to expire.

-ed

I ate a Saiko earlier this year and sampled a good portion of their menu ranging from sashimi to wagyu beef to fois gras. I had a very unfavorable opinion of the food, atmosphere, and the service. Everything was edible, and I wanted to enjoy my food, but I didn't. I am a huge fan of Opera, next door, and I was seriously disappointed in the flavors at Saiko.

The service was rushed, rude, and sloppy. I won't be returning.

Best,
EC

We ate there Sunday night after a Century bike ride. I was exhausted but still enjoyed dinner. That is really saying a lot b/c I usually can't eat when I'm tired. We also used the same Sam's certificate.

The dining room was decently filled for a Sunday night. To start, we had the steak and lobster sushi roll and the lobster bisque topped with tempura shrimp (the special), we both had the ribeye with wasabi potato cakes as our entree (usually we each get different entrees but we needed the protein) and the Yuzu poppyseed cheesecake for dessert.

Everything was quite good. They have several inventive sushi rolls but they're pricey. Most entrees seem basic with an asian flair to them. The service was good and hosts were very personable.

Weird note: there was a woman who got up 3 times from her meal to go to the bar and smoke...in a span of 30-40 minutes. The rest of her guests were finished with their food and waiting for her. Jeesh, how many smokes does one person need especially during the meal??? She was hobbling a bit so she must have been indulging in the 1/2 price martinis.

Anyway, we spent $47 after the $50 gift certificate was applied with no drinks.

We'll go back for 2 reasons:

1) We have 2 more $50 certificates and
2) We want to have more sushi

Without the coupon, we'd rather try a number of other fine restaurants in the neighborhood first before going back. If we did go back, it would be for the sushi only, then not paying $12 for a roll.

Try it. The gift certificate makes it worthwhile.

We ate there Sunday night after a Century bike ride. I was exhausted but still enjoyed dinner. That is really saying a lot b/c I usually can't eat when I'm tired. We also used the same Sam's certificate.

Was it the Apple Cider ride? (I did that one a few years ago, beautiful, but windy conditions) If so, you had a great weekend. Congratulations and thanks for your feedback.

Janey...yes it was the Apple Cider. It was a great day for it! It was my first century used in training for my first Ironman in November. I'll need more than a steak after that race!

Hope you enjoy Saiko!

I dined at Saiko a while back using a gift certificate as well. There were a couple of good things, but overall it was just okay. Not as bad as EC's experience, but aside from the foie gras sushi, which I remember as excellent, nothing else was really good. And the place is a zoo.

Marche, on the other hand, was quite good when I last dined there. Good food, quite well prepared, and a much more pleasant atmosphere. Need to go back and sample it again, but it qualified as very good and a tiny bit creative Bistro food for me on that visit. Deserving to be in my top tier of Chicago bistros, which is a small tier (maybe Le Sardine and Bistro Banlieue, can't think of any others that favorably impressed me in the last year, really).

And to the surprise of no one but Chicago Magazine's "Dish":

Dish wrote:Shock of the Week
Shock of the Week
We called to make reservations at Saiko (1307 S. Wabash Ave.; 312-922-2222) and were told by the hostess, "After Saturday we're closed for good." The place just opened 14 months ago, and was one of last year's best new restaurants. More details as the story unfolds.