Kameya

This place has really good ramen, and thats the main reason I go here. Only thing is there is no more entrée size ramen, and for the prices of this place I wouldn’t normally eat here. Bring the entrée ramen back.

Amazing food as always at this little hidden gem! Whether you feel like soup or sushi, the quality is far better than most sushi places. Love the cozy feel and always warm service from the chefs and staff. Looking forward to next time! Thank you!

This place is lovely. Tiny, friendly, clean and delicious! Upon arriving, you’ll be greeted by all the staff. If they can’t seat you without a wait, they honestly seem sad about it. The sushi is great, the buns amazing. The only thing I wouldn’t get again is the ramen, but my husband loves it, so who knows. I’d take everyone here if I knew I could get in, but given the size, it’s perfect for two.

Came here on a cold day for ramen and was at first very bummed out that there were none on the menu. Went for some sushi instead and got to say it was absolutely delicious. Very, very good sushi. One or two pieces may have been a bit heavy on the wasabi, but otherwise fantastic. Service was great too.

We ordered beef ramen. It’s not on the menu but they still make it. It’s only appetizer portion so everything looks squeezed, but it’s actually quite delicious. Although $ 10 for that small portion is a little bit expensive

I came here for my birthday, and the chef was nice enough to give my table a free order of the 911 roll… Which was fantastic!
I ordered the BBQ pork Ramen which was $ 15. The ramen was pretty good, not great, but it was good. This place should definitely be remembered for its sushi…
The sushi here is some of the best I have ever had… Every sushi order had a VERY pleasant surprise and left us craving more.
All in all, I’ll definitely come back here, but pretty much only for the sushi. The ramen was pretty good, but for $ 15 a bowl there are better places. Kameya SUSHI!!!

My wife and I stumbled upon this quaint little Japanese/​Korean place while looking for something new tonight. Small, beautifully set up restaurant run by the nicest people I’ve come across in the Chicago restaurant scene.
Let me get down to the most important part of any restaurant review: the food. Absolutely world class! We started with miso soup that would be reason enough to go here, it was that good. Followed that up with the galbi appetizer that was really entrée-​sized — absolutely stunning flavors; served on a delightfully dressed green. Also got the kimchi appetizer which was expertly prepared and delicious (my wife is half Korean, so I’ve had a ton of this stuff; I even make my own, but Chef John is a true kimchi master!)
Then came the sushi — we had several pieces of nigiri, all fantastic! Go with what’s fresh, but highlights this evening were sea bream, sea urchin (uni), and baby yellowtail. Oh, and a very unique serving of Kumamoto oysters (light soy added the uniqueness) — a perfect ‘desert’. My wife had the house special sushi roll (sharing a piece with me) which was a flavor explosion of various fish.
Everything about this little gem of a restaurant is a winner — we’re thinking of going back tomorrow :-)

I’m hesitant to write an honest review, because this gem deserves to have patrons lining up outside for its yummy treats. And I selfishly don’t want to have crowds at our beloved hole-​in-​the-​wall. That said, there are probably only 16 seats in the place, so make a reservation on peak-​days.
There are very few restaurants that create unique dishes that earn a spot on my cravings hitlist – the Tuna Tower is one of them. When the hankering comes it must be satiated. We’ve never been disappointed with the rolls, and the bibimbop is tops!
Only a family-​owned business is with this level of hospitality and care. After only a couple of visits, we were recognized and treated with a new saki on the menu. They have been known to giggle when I inevitably hit my head on one of the paper lamps, like old neighbors. I forgive them :)

My boyfriend and I came in tonight for date night. The place is small, dark and yet very intimate and cozy. We sat by the window, which had a nice view. We got a few smaller things and shared. I got the pork ramen and he got the beef ramen. It was pretty good, but a little bland for my taste and the pork in mine was a little dry. We also got the pork buns, which were super yummy! And we split the salmon nigiri, and the spicy tuna roll. The sushi was delicious, and fresh. That was a perfect sound of food for two people since the ramen bowl was half the size of regular restaurants since it was an appetizer portion. The service was great! Our server was very friendly and smiled the whole time, and Ina strange way she just genuinely seemed happy. It’s a cute little place, perfect for date night.
Oh and FYI. IT IS NOT BYOB anymore!

I originally came here because I was craving ramen but once I got there saw all the amazing sushi rolls. Our party of 5 really enjoyed the following: app; tuna tartare rolls; Ninja Turtle, Lava Roll, Red Moon Roll.
We were so full by the end we passed on dessert but after we paid the check they brought out to us homemade almond and coffee ice cream.
Great service & food!

Tuna tartare tower= amazing
Kameya ramen= fantastic
Beef ramen= mk
Service and ambience= delightful
:)

I really wanted to like this place… My first time here was with my husband and couple of friends. We had a great time there. Service was great and everything we ordered were so good. No disappointment at all.
Second time I called for to go and wanted to bring it over to my cousin’s house. I ordered a beef ramen, pork ramen, bibimbap, cheesy balls, and 4 different rolls. With traffic going back, it took me about 30 mins to sit down and enjoy the meal.
Unlike other ramen that I picked up from other restaurants before, kameya putted the broth and the noodle in the same container, when I got home, it was all saggy and mushy… Just doesn’t look nor taste good at all.
Then comes to the bibimbap, it was so salty… And I don’t think it’s that authentic… For $ 17 I don’t think it’s worth it at all… I’ll rather go to Korean restaurant for better and cheaper bibimbap.
Didn’t have too much expectation on the cheesy balls since its fried and they put them in an air tight container, so they all got mushy and soft after I opened the box. Maybe they should consider changing the way they pack their to go food.
Then the rolls… They were so sweet… The orange moon and dynamite were the same rolls I ordered during my first visit. But this time they were just gross, so much sauce on the bottom. In fact, I think those were some of the worst sushi rolls I tried in many years.
Finally… Sanitation… After eating that meal, my cousin, my sis and I all ended up having upset stomach and ended up going to the bathroom all night.
I still give it two stars, just cuz I liked it so much during my first visit. Maybe they are only good for dine in. I’ll never order to go from this again.

Great service~ prompt, friendly, polite.
Really cute, tiiiiiny restaurant in a great location.
Sushi was weirdly sweet~ even the ones that were supposed to be spicy. It was exactly what three stars means, A-​OK; not bad, but will probably look elsewhere for sushi.

Ooooof Kameya. Since my first visit, I’ve had many opportunities to revisit their food, and… I actually have no idea why it’s always packed. They are no longer BYOB, too!
That tuna tartare tower is still my favorite thing here. And really delicious each time.
But this is probably the worst bibimbop I’ve had in Chicago… and for like 2x the price of literally every other Korean place around town. Normally, bibimbop has a variety of vegetables, each seasoned and maybe cooked to create a harmony of flavors and textures when everything is mixed together. At Kameya, none of their vegetables have flavor, and their proteins are always dry. Maybe you’re supposed to drown it in sauce.
Their sushi is pretty fresh. The rolls are really tiny. I have gotten the bulgogi a few times since then too, and it’s the same every time.
Friends of LP, I swear there’s better Korean/​Japanese food in this city :(

When I think of Ramen, I think of Maruchan. So when we were looking for ramen recommendations online, I expected four flavors– beef, chicken, shrimp and tomato.
I ordered the Kameya ramen which had a robust, complex flavor which evolved during the meal. The pork belly was tender, and the broth was a delight.
If you ever get the chance to eat at Kameya, its worth a trip.

Pretty amazing, very small place. The sushi is so delicious and they have a big selection of Sake. The people here are very nice.
Definitely recommend it! The atmosphere is so pleasant!

Went here for dinner tonight, and it was an excellent choice! My friend and I tried the Bibimbap because the sign listed it as a top 25 must-​try from Huffington Post, and it was superb. I had mine with brown rice and tofu, and the sunny-​side up egg on top made the dish even more delicious. The serving size was plentiful. The dish was $ 18 but worth it, in my opinion. The restaurant is a little small and can only seat maybe 30 people total, so it’s cozy but still a fun atmosphere. The serving staff was also friendly. I’d recommend this restaurant to friends.

Re-​rated: Kameya is a stellar neighborhood spot that dishes up amazing food.
The only reason I gave this place four stars before was because of the long wait and prices, but I went again and saw things slightly different. First, there was no wait on a Saturday. Perfect service with complementary dessert. Second, the prices weren’t quite so bad when my girlfriend doesn’t get the $ 20 app.
Seriously good eats and great service!

Kameya is a cozy little sushi restaurant right off of Oz Park. The sushi was super fresh and flavorful and portions were decent. I had to try the Tuna Tower based off other recommendations, and it was definitely a great dish to split for two. The tuna + avocado tasted great, and my favorite part was actually the soft lightly fried tortilla strips.
We went on a Saturday at 6 and called for a reservation. I would definitely call ahead since there are only about 6 – 7 tables. The spot definitely seemed family owned and the two servers seemed to be Korean moms, whom were very nice.
The prices are a little high, but typical for Lincoln Park. I will definitely be back for fresh flavorful sushi!
NOTE: They are NO longer BYOB

My friends and I were looking for a restaurant to grab some dinner one night and we came upon Kameya. It states that they are a Japanese and Korean fusion restaurant, but it’s more like they offer Japanese and Korean food (nothing fusion between the two cuisines). The restaurant is extremely small with only about 6 tables, so I would highly recommend making a reservation.
For food, we decided to order a bunch of different items to share:
Tuna-​Tar Tar Tower: spicy tuna, masago, and avocado served with flour chips and sweet chichim sauce. This was one of the best tuna tartare I have eaten in a while. It had the right amount of spiciness, but what put it over the top were the homemade flour chips. The chips were light and airy, but still really crispy.
Gyoza — Japanese style pork and vegetable dumpling. These dumplings were small, but still full of flavor. The exterior of the dumplings were fried perfectly to give it a slight crisp, but the interior was still soft and chewy.
Kameya Ramen — bbq pork and vegetables with Japanese style noodles. If you are looking for authentic Japanese ramen, this is not the dish for you. Japanese ramen is usually hearty and full of flavor; this ramen was light and «healthy» tasting. This is not saying this was a bad dish. I appreciated this ramen for what it was: light taste, lean pork, and not so oily broth.
Beef Bibimbob — beef, rice and vegetables with hmaya soy dressing and spicy sauce. The flavors of this dish worked really well with each other, but I thought the rice was a tad bit mushy for my liking. Especially after I put the sauce on, I felt like I was eating wet rice which in my culture is a huge no no.
We ordered three different makis to share: orange moon (unagi, tempera, avocado, and cucumber topped with salmon, green tobiko, wasabi mayo, and unagi sauce), salmon avocado (salmon, cucumber, avocado, and mayo topped with masago), and Godzilla (cream cheese, unagi, shrimp, cucumber, and avocado with tuna, wasabi mayo, and unagi sauce on top). These were probably one of the worst rolls I have ever eaten. Yes, even worse than buffet style makis. The fish in each roll were extremely salty that it overpowered the whole roll. What were they trying to mask with the heavy hand of salt? Maybe the fish wasn’t fresh.
Overall, the food was split. We enjoyed the appetizers and the ramen, but everything else was a huge disappointment. The service wasn’t extremely on par either. They were nice, but not really attentive. I don’t really recommend you to come here unless you want to only snack on appetizers and have mediocre service. Also, since the place is so small, everything felt cramp and you can hear conversations from other tables.