Some Like It RA

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Feb 17, 2006 6:05PM

With sushi restaurants popping up almost as fast as Starbucks, finding a new favorite can be overwhelming. Chicagoist decided to follow in Gold Coast footsteps and took the chic route. Even narrowing it down by neighborhood, we had a selection of trendy downtown sushi spots. Smack in the middle of one of Chicago’s most glittery neighborhoods, RA was our chosen destination.

Located at 1139 N. State, RA does not take reservations, so Chicagoist showed up on Friday night hoping for the best. We put our names down and were handed a pager to signal when our table was ready. It went off about 20 minutes later, and we were seated in the already-packed back room. RA’s loud club music made conversation a strain, and the TV screens were a bit distracting. The red-and-black décor, bamboo sushi bar, low-hanging lights and waterfall are concept-appropriate, if not cliché.

The drinks menu is extensive and features creative cocktails. Lushes that we are, Chicagoist ordered Screaming Ninja shooters, Sea Monkey martinis and Samurai Royale signature spirits. Unfortunately, drinks took a while to arrive because, according to our waitress, the bar didn’t have any clean glasses left. A slight setback, but we marched on and ordered a round of maki rolls – playing it safe with the shrimp and tuna rolls, but throwing in some adventure with the crazy monkey and dragon rolls. RA has a complete list of appetizers, nigri sushi, sushi combos, signature rolls and main entrees, but Chicagoist cringed at the liberal inclusion of cream cheese in several items. The selection is pretty standard, with a few specialties sprinkled in.

The atmosphere at RA is a bar-club-restaurant blend. We noticed two guys who looked like they were bound for Le Passage order a massive mound of assorted rolls, then proceeded to hit on the table of girls behind them. Chicagoist has reservations about a place where pickup lines like “Can I buy you a tuna roll” are heard. With the late-night kitchen and front bar open until 2 a.m., we’re sure the place is hopping until the very end. But we didn’t stick around to find out. Our waitress rushed us through the meal, and we passed on a fried ice cream dessert.

In its favor, RA hosts happy hour specials on weekdays until 7 p.m., as well as Tokyo Tuesdays, where it plays Godzilla and martial arts movies. RA is a chain owned by Benihana Inc., currently with three locations in the Chicago area and several others across the country. Although RA brings the energy, we’re not sold on the scene.

Thank you, Hanna