Craving: Japanese food — from ramen to soba to yakitori to sushi, we’re eating Chicago’s best dishes in March

Editor’s note: If you have questions about whether it is safe to dine out, see our story here.

When it comes to Japanese food in Chicago, it seems like sushi and ramen get all the attention. But of course there’s a world of styles, flavors and textures out there if you look beyond your neighborhood sushi haunt — or the other side of the menu. For the month of March, Food & Dining is on the hunt for Chicago’s best Japanese food — from ramen and sushi, yes, but also soba and udon noodles, matcha drinks, mochi treats, kaiseki spots, taiyaki creations, okonomiyaki (savory pancakes) and more. Check back every weekday in March for a new dish or drink to put on your must-try list. — Joe Gray

Shiratama matcha crepe at B-Bee Crepe & Boba

Sweets lovers and those dear souls who identify as sweets haters can still find happiness together with Japanese desserts, because traditionally they’re not too sugary. Even the decidedly modern crepes and dairy-free boba drinks by B-Bee Crepe & Boba at the Mitsuwa food court in Arlington Heights. There they make a heavenly rainbow of signature snacks with fresh strawberries, adzuki beans, whipped cream and more. Try the grassy shiratama matcha crepe, garnished with green tea Pocky sticks. It’s a little tricky to maneuver your mouth around the loaded creation, until you abandon any attempts at modesty and just get right in there. You will be rewarded by the warm griddled crepe cradling a big scoop of matcha ice cream, surrounded by fat and chewy mochilike pearls, all with just a hint of sweetness. 100 E. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights; 224-875-7577, mitsuwa.com/ch

— Louisa Chu

THE ULTIMATE MITSUWA DINING GUIDE: Check out all 13 vendors at the Japanese marketplace, with our reporter’s picks for her favorite item at each.

Sushi boat at Shakou

There are minimalist, quiet, food-focused Japanese restaurants, and then there is Shakou, which is the antithesis of all that. A successful concept that has grown to five suburban locations (Arlington Heights, Barrington, Libertyville, Naperville and Park Ridge), Shakou effects a nightclub vibe with beat-driven music, glam-looking chandeliers and leather couches, video fireplaces and cobalt-blue lighting. The massive menu hits all the sushi/sashimi highlights, but also makes room for salmon teriyaki, steak and lobster and bibimbap, among many other dishes. With all this excess, the massive and sharable sushi boat, a 30-inch-long wooden vessel bearing six nigiri, 12 sashimi pieces and two “chefs choice” maki rolls (limited substitutions possible if you ask) seems to fit the party vibe perfectly. $90. shakourestaurants.com

— Phil Vettel

Beef teriyaki bento box at Sankyu Sushi Japanese Restaurant

The allure of the bento box, at least for me, is the ability to sample a range of dishes with varying textures and temperatures at one meal. That’s definitely the deal with the bento box at Sankyu Sushi. Order the beef teriyaki bento box and it comes with soothing miso soup, warm rice, cool sushi, multiple kinds of tempura, creamy potato salad and crispy korokke (Japanese croquettes). But even with all the options, the highlight is the beef teriyaki. Instead of sticky sweet, the teriyaki sauce delicately balances between salty, savory, aromatic and sweet. Plus, the beef has a nice char and smoky notes from the grill. Just make sure to go hungry, because this is a lot of food. $18. 1176 Elmhurst Road, Mt. Prospect, 847-228-5539

— Nick Kindelsperger

Binchotan-kissed skewers at Izakaya Mita

Binchotan charcoal is cherished in Japanese grilling because it’s smokeless, odorless and burns at a temperature three times hotter than most American charcoals. These properties are the secret to why the skewers at Izakaya Mita are exceptional. The cozy Bucktown restaurant uses a traditional Japanese kushiyaki grill to cook chicken, duck, pork, beef, seafood and vegetables either shio-style, with salt and sake, or tare-style, with a tamari-based teriyaki. The momo is a chicken dark meat skewer ($5), that is tender while retaining its bounce, and the buta buta kurobuta chashu braised pork belly ($10) is cooked to the point where its structural integrity is barely holding on and it immediately melts into a silky, fatty, savory and sweet mouthful. But the true dark horse of the roughly two dozen options is the gyu-tan beef tongue ($9) which I ordered with the tare sauce. It has just the right amount of chew that gives way to a rich, beefy flavor, while remaining luscious with a touch of char. Chef Brian Mita credits his Japanese sourcing, but we all know it’s the patience and skill it takes to create these small morsels of delight. 1960 N. Damen Ave., 773-799-8677, izakayamita.com

— Grace Wong

Chicken teriyaki with vegetable tempura at Midori

Chicken teriyaki and vegetable tempura are two of the most accessible dishes in many Japanese restaurants, but there’s nothing dumbed down about them at Midori, which has sat on the Northwest Side amid a stretch of mostly Korean businesses since 1990. Paired both on the lunch and dinner menus, the chicken and deep fried vegetables are ideal foils for one another: the char of tender chicken opposite the fresh crunch encasing the al dente vegetables. Both come with sauces that boost their causes significantly: a ginger-heavy dipping sauce for the tempura that’s not too salty and not too sweet and a fascinating teriyaki sauce with the chicken that’s so nuanced (that is, not too sweet and gooey) that it veers into lightly nutty territory. There’s a good reason that the duo are the first option under the heading “Everyone’s favorite combination” on Midori’s dinner menu. $10.95 at lunch; $15.95 (which also includes shrimp tempura) at dinner. 3310 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., 773-267-9733. midorima.com

— Josh Noel

Tonkatsu curry plate at Kurumaya Japanese Kitchen

The generally accepted history of Japanese curry is that it developed after British sailors brought curry powder to Japan from India in the late 19th century. How it then became one of Japan’s most popular dishes (it’s right up there with ramen) is crystal clear to understand after taking one bite. At Kurumaya in Elk Grove Village, the curry sauce is as thick and savory as a beef stew (it has potatoes and carrots in the mix), while also bursting with aromatic spices and a slight, fruity sweetness. You can get this sauce served with a huge scoop of rice, or do what I did and get it with tonkatsu, a crispy fried pork cutlet. I love the interplay of the creamy sauce with the crunchy crust of the meat. $10.95. 1201 E. Higgins Road, Elk Grove Village, 847-437-2222

— Nick Kindelsperger

Conveyor-belt sushi at Kura Revolving Sushi

At Kura Revolving Sushi in Schaumburg, sushi arrives not from some fallible human being, but from a conveyor belt that snakes its way around the whole restaurant. See something you like? Lift up the trademarked Mr. Fresh ventilated sushi lid, and take a tiny plate of food. When you’re done, just slide the empty plate into a slot, and start looking for something else to devour. While this kind of technology has been around for decades, I wasn’t quite prepared for how carefully prepared the sushi would be. I devoured funky mackerel, pristine hamachi and lusciously fatty toro without having to interact with a single person. Best part? Each tray is only $2.65. The shop even uses real wasabi, which is wildly more potent than the fake green-colored stuff that most places use. 1719 E. Golf Road, Schaumburg, 630-283-0654, kurasushi.com

— Nick Kindelsperger

Chicken katsu lunch box at H Mart

When you want to go to Mitsuwa Marketplace for Japanese food, but don’t have access to a car for the trek to Arlington Heights, head to H Mart instead. The downtown Chicago location of the Korean supermarket carries Japanese goods in addition to Korean ones and even has a food court where you can get Japanese food to eat in or take with you. Try Izakaya Yume Sushi, which offers anything from udon to sushi to katsu to onigiri. The katsu lunch box comes with your choice of tonkatsu or chicken katsu, plus a small salad, four pieces of California maki and some fried potato disks. I chose the chicken katsu, which was lightly breaded and drizzled with tonkatsu sauce, which lent its sweet barbecue flavors to the peppery chicken nestled in a bed of fluffy white rice. A satisfying lunch in a tidy box. $13. 711 W. Jackson Blvd., 773-362-8703, izakaya-yume.com

— Grace Wong

Momotaro Oyster at Momotaro

It’s pretty much one highlight after another at Momotaro restaurant, particularly chef Gene Kato’s delicious robata-grill work, but I’m going to focus on this one, perfect bite. The Momotaro Oyster presents a pristine Hangtown oyster (from Puget Sound) and dresses it with tosazu jelly (a sweetened soy vinegar infused with bonito flakes), razor-thin cucumber slices and a dollop of Calvisius caviar. One bite and it’s gone, so remember to savor. $14. 820 W. Lake St., 312-733-4818; momotarochicago.com

— Phil Vettel

Kyoto matcha latte at Hanabusa

Early adopters of Japanese souffle pancakes waited over an hour at Hanabusa when the cafe opened last fall. I was not among them, though the fat and wobbly stacks filled my Instagram feed from fans around the world over a year before they landed in the Loop. They’re good and worth the 20 minutes it takes to make them, but I don’t know about triple the time — unless you have a Kyoto matcha latte ($5.50) topped with a kawaii (cute) bear to keep you company. Seated at a chabudai low table in the window, I softly squeed before sipping the subtly sweet yet vegetal green tea, made with dairy by default or with plant milks by request. An order of takoyaki octopus balls helped hold off any hangry feelings, but do note that savory dishes are offered only on weekdays because they’re just too crazy busy on weekends. 29 E. Madison St., 312-584-0455, hanabusacafechicago.com

— Louisa Chu

Daruma sushi at Daruma Restaurant

It’s always hard to know from the outside whether random Japanese restaurants in strip malls are worth visiting. But walk into Daruma in Schaumburg, and it’s clear that this place means business. The dinner menu features Japanese dishes like zosui (a rice soup) and motsuni (a tripe stew) that are defiantly untrendy, but also comforting and homey. For lunch, the offerings are pared down to a single double-sided menu page. Go with the Daruma sushi platter and you’ll get eight pieces of freshly sliced nigiri, a tightly wrapped tuna roll and a side of miso soup. That’s a lot of food for the price, especially considering the quality of all the fish. (Don’t worry about any muted flavors or funky aromas.) The surprise hit was the shrimp nigiri, which featured sweet and delicate meat perched atop the warm and supple rice. $23.95. 1823 W. Golf Road, Schaumburg, 847-882-9700, facebook.com/DarumaRestaurant

— Nick Kindelsperger

Mentai butter udon at Sanukiseimen Mugimaru

Mitsuwa Marketplace patrons know you don’t want to shop when you’re hungry, because that’s how you end up with a cartful of extravagant Japanese snacks. First, stop at the attached food court in Arlington Heights, where every single stall rivals the fanciest food halls in the city. At Sanukiseimen Mugimaru, they’re best known for thick and slippery udon noodles served in broth. Order the mentai butter udon aka MBU ($6.45), and you shall receive a bowl lightly sauced instead of soupy, topped with a scoop of impeccable pollack roe and a pat of butter. Slide down the cafeteria-style line for tempura by the piece, possibly a piece of chikuwa, a fried fish cake stick (90 cents). At the condiment bar, add scallions and panko crumbs to taste, then dash to a table to slurp down the dish that’s so delightfully delicate yet evocative of the sea that you’re already wondering what you’ll need to buy to make it at home. 100 E. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, 224-875-7164, mitsuwa.com/ch

— L.C.