Wakamono is a Japanese restaurant on Broadway in Lakeview East. It’s an area that I have been hanging out in a lot lately. There are so many great shops, and restaurants in this area, but today we are focusing on a gem in the stretch between Belmont and Addison. Wakamono. A cool part about this restaurant is it has two options. Wakamono offers great Japanese dishes in a comfy atmosphere, while attached to it, Wang’s is a hip cocktail bar in case you are looking for a strictly liquid dinner.

When you walk in you are greeted by a cozy Japanese atmosphere, with an easy-to-miss koi pond immediately on your left against the windows facing out to the street. Decorations like paper lanterns and tapestries of fish hang from the ceiling and adorn the walls. Giving it a very authentic feel and letting you know that the Sushi and Soybeans you are about to eat are the real deal!

The music on the Wakamono side is able to be talked over, while the Wang’s side is a bit more noisy and nightlife vibed. 

Upon being seated, you are given a hot towel to clean your hands, and a Black Soybean appetizer to get you started. Free soybeans as soon as you sit down is a great start to this edamame adventure.

Unfortunately the water you are served is tainted with cucumber. And you know what they say, the only thing worse than cucumber is pickle. This really should be considered a crime in the city, to serve water with such a vile vegetable as cucumber in it by default. At least ask if we want cucumber, before tossing it in there.

But fear not, one small slice of cucumber is not nearly enough to hinder what will no-doubt be an amazing meal for you and your party!

I have had the Mayan Mai Tai. A cocktail consisting of Milagro silver, fresh lime, orange juice, and apricot liquor.

I’ve also had the Tiger’s blood. The Tiger’s Blood contains Letherbee organic gin, fresh lemon, raw sugar and Tiger blood – which is a flavoring syrup and contains no actual blood, keeping this cocktail vegetarian friendly!

As mentioned before, one of the cool things about Wakamono, is that if you are not feeling a full meal, you can head to the attached martini bar “Wang’s” this is the same building but with more of a darker lowkey vibe. It’s a relaxing spot to wind down after a meal, or just meet up for a quick drink. They have the same drink menu as what’s available in Wakamono.

Now, let’s get to the main event! There are a few different types of edamame served here! Cold (like my blogging skills have gotten), Hot with sea salt and sesame, and the house edamame. This comes sautéed in their house tsurai sauce. I went ahead and ordered both the spiced, and sea salt/sesame varieties in order to get the full picture of their edamame capabilities. 

My staff noted that this is “The kind of edamame that makes me feel like I could be a vegetarian.” A pretty high praise!

The spice is flavorful but not overwhelming. Each piece was cooked perfectly tender, the pods slid out of the pod as soon as you bit in with no resistance. The spiced edamame was well seasoned all the way through the bowl, meaning even the pieces at the bottom still had plenty of flavor!

The house edamame (Spiced) is messy and saucy, but not so slippery that you can’t still eat it with chop sticks, like my staff was doing. What do you think, readers? Are you an edamame with hands, or an edamame with chop-sticks person?

The wait staff is prompt with service to refill water when you are low. And provide any recommendations about the sushi rolls.

Below, you will see the angry caterpillar and the Peter Parker rolls (gotta support my boy Spider Man).

And below we have the Three headed Godzilla roll, along with their namesake roll, the Wakamono.

Every roll I have had here has been amazing. You can tell the chef’s really put their hearts into the rolls and there is no shortage of creativity when it comes to their ingredients.

The soy sauce at Wakamono is homemade. And it goes really well with the sushi rolls we had. Though, the rolls do stand on their own accord with no soy sauce or wasabi necessary, plenty of flavor without.
At the end of your meal you are given complimentary dessert cookies in the shape of fish. They are filled with chocolate and an absolutely perfect way to end your meal!

I’ve been to this spot several times now, and it has never failed to satisfy me. The food, drinks, service, atmosphere and most importantly the edamame! All facets of this restaurant are well polished and hold up to even the highest standards of an edamame experience. It was the perfect restaurant to renew this blog! I’m proud to give Wakamono a triple pod rating! Check it out next time you are in Lakeview East!