Restaurant Mon Mar 26 2007

Oysy: Fine Sit Down Sushi near the Loop

Chilled Grilled Eggplant Salad at Oysy

Want sushi in the Loop? You can eat some tasty avocado rolls, miso soup and inari at the counters of either Osaka or Tokyo Lunchbox. Or you could cross the river to relax with table service in the clean, smooth space that is Oysy Sushi, designed by Garofalo Architects. Oysy means "yummy" in Japanese. The restaurant has squarecut wood tables, curvy orange chairs, food plated in clean white dishes or black red-outlined trays, hiply well-dressed servers and restrooms so clean-looking I really have no idea how they got the floors to shine so much.

The chilled salad of grilled eggplant, asparagus, mushrooms and spinach is brilliant. The eggplant is so tender it looks like it's melting. The asparagus is perfectly al dente and in bite-sized cuts, and the lemon dressing just a bit sweet. Or course, the miso soup is classic. Ganmo soup uses the same broth and adds yam noodles. And they serve te-maki (the non-sliced cone-shaped cousin of the hand rolled maki). The roll shape makes it ideal for mixing wasabi with soy sauce and pouring it in. I like to cry with a burning nose, so I poured all of mine down.

Miso Soup at Oysy

Asparagus Te-Maki at Oysy

Yam Noodle in Ganmo Soup at Oysy

Location reviewed: Oysy, 50 E. Grand Ave., (312) 670-6750

Additional location: Oysy, 888 S. Michigan Ave., (312) 922-1127

— Chris Brunn / Comments (2)