River North's Sumi Robata Bar To Close Next Week

By Anthony Todd in Food on Aug 24, 2017 6:22PM

There's yet another summer 2017 closing of a beloved spot to announce. Sumi Robata Bar announced Wednesday that their last day of service will be Aug. 28.

This tiny Japanese restaurant, helmed by Japonais alum Gene Kato in River North, was one of the first places in Chicago to do a wide range of authentic robata-style cooking—a type of Japanese grilling done over special binchotan charcoal. Guests would feast on a huge range of tiny skewers, all of which were simply seasoned and allowed the flavors of the ingredients to really shine through. Sumi won a Jean Banchet award in January for Best Neighborhood Restaurant.

The restaurant announced the closing on Facebook.

Before they opened in 2012, we sat down with Chef Kato to talk about why robata is so awesome, and he told us his vision for his restaurant.

"It's not so much me doing my version of Japanese food, it's about me giving Chicago something that is authentic. We're not going to try to do everything; ramen, tempura. There's a time and place for that, but i want to give customers something that's honest. We're not going to put shaved daikon and orchids and ginger and all that on everything. We want to put all that money into the product - a better, thicker piece of meat or fish."

He lived up to that original vision, and created an amazing product. We'll miss it.