Updated September 2026. Dinner for two on a Friday night at 45 W. Golf Road in Arlington Heights. The bill is at the bottom.
Kaido sits in a strip mall on Golf Road, and if you did not already know it was there you would probably drive right past it. We know it is there. Vika and I have been at least four times before this one, probably more, and it has become the place we go when it is just the two of us.
This time was a Friday date night. We ordered at a quarter to eight, three specialty rolls and a spicy tuna maki to share, and walked out full and happy. How quiet the room was is really what this review is about.
If you are wondering whether Kaido Sushi in Arlington Heights is a good date night spot, the short answer is yes, it is ours. If you are wondering whether to bring the kids, we have an honest answer for that too, and it is probably not the one you expect from a family travel site.
The best thing about Kaido is what you cannot hear
The first thing we talked about in the car afterwards was not the food. It was that there was no music playing. If there was any, it was so quiet neither of us heard it, and we loved that. We sat, we ate and we had a real conversation.
That sounds like a small thing until you have spent a date night shouting over a playlist. At Black Pearl in Glenview the music ran a little loud for us, and at Furinkazan in Des Plaines too. At Kaido it simply is not an issue.
The room is cute and modern. There is a lot of wood, from the plank walls to a whole wall of end grain blocks with a pink neon Kaido sign on it, plus plants hanging everywhere and soft upholstered chairs. It is a small space without many tables. There are a couple of tables for four or five, and they can always push the smaller tables together.
One practical note, because it matters more than people admit: the bathrooms are clean and updated, and they carry the look of the dining room in there too. You would be surprised how often a great meal ends at a sink you do not want to touch. Not here.
The spicy tuna roll we almost ordered a second time
The spicy tuna maki came out first, almost like an appetizer, and between the two of us it was a ten out of ten. There is honestly nothing I would change about it.
The only wish is that it were bigger. It is about the size of a spicy tuna roll anywhere else, maybe a touch smaller than some places, but it was so good that we wanted more of it. We were nearly done with it before anything else arrived, and one of us came very close to ordering a second one on the spot. I am glad we did not, because that would have been a mistake given how full we ended up.
Why we skipped Salmon Mania and ordered the Garlic Salmon roll
The appetizer that caught our eye on the menu was the Salmon Mania: salmon, salmon tartare, ikura, scallions, fried garlic nuggets and a garlic ponzu, served as four pieces. Then, looking further down at the specialty rolls, we found the Garlic Salmon roll, with almost the same ingredients as a full roll of sushi, and a dollar cheaper.
More food for less money, so we went with the roll. The trade is that you get rice with it, where the appetizer would have been just the fish. Since the rolls here run on the smaller side, the rice never felt like it was crowding anything out.
The menu calls the sauce a garlic ponzu, but it was nothing like any ponzu I have had. Ponzu is usually thin, almost watery, and that is fine. This one was creamy, more like a mayo, and you could really taste the garlic without the heavy citrus you sometimes get with ponzu. The surprise was the jalapeño inside. It had a real kick we did not see coming.
The Azure Dragon is the roll I would order first next time
The Azure Dragon was my favorite of the night. Inside there is unagi, cucumber, spicy tuna and a chili paste, and on top a pile of charred scallion with unagi sauce over it. The whole roll has a smoky flavor, probably from the charred scallion, and I loved the flavor, the texture, all of it.
Some of the unagi sauce ran off onto the plate, and I caught myself dragging the other rolls through it. Which leads to the thing that surprised us most about the whole meal.
Nothing at Kaido comes drowned in sauce
A pet peeve at our table is sushi that arrives swimming in sauce. Nothing here tasted like it was sitting in sauce, nothing was soggy, and the sauce was never the centerpiece. The rolls get their accents from oils and things brushed on top, and you could taste every one of them without any of them taking over. There was none of the too citrusy note that sometimes gets brushed onto a roll.
The rolls do run on the smaller side, which we knew from earlier visits. Vika was honestly a little worried that three specialty rolls and one maki to share would leave us hungry. It did not. They get the amount of rice right, and we were both very full.
The Crabby Crab is the one we would cut
The Crabby Crab was a last minute add. It is soft shell crab, asparagus and avocado inside, with a crab mix on top, yellow tobiko and a house mayo that our server described as a Japanese mayo.
For me the asparagus was a little overpowering. I loved the crab and mayo on top, and there was nothing actually wrong with the inside. Vika told me, “I think I liked it more than you did.” The asparagus did not come through as strongly for her, and a little spicy mayo on it was what really made it for her. The yellow tobiko did not add much for either of us.
Still, if we were ordering the same dinner again and had to cut one roll, or swap one for something new, we would both cut this one. Not because it was bad. We just did not like it as much as everything else on the table.
Where Kaido’s spicy mayo lands on our list
I write about spicy mayo a lot on this site, so here is where Kaido’s sits. It is not thick and it is not watery, and it is definitely not the Thousand Island style some places serve. There is a smokiness to it that I normally would not go for, but with the spice level it all worked together really well.
To me the flavor reminded me of the spicy mayo at Wild Fish, just thinner. Vika flatly disagrees. She is not getting Wild Fish at all in the consistency or the flavor, even though she has always liked theirs too. On our own running list it lands right in the middle, as one I liked. It sits behind Sushi Para in Palatine, which is still our favorite, and ahead of Furinkazan and Black Pearl.
A negi toro hand roll for dessert
We were already full when I decided I needed one more thing. That was my dessert: the negi toro hand roll, one of their signature hand rolls. I love fatty tuna, and I thought it was amazing.
Vika is not really a fatty tuna person. She had two small bites and enjoyed them. “I would have probably put some spicy mayo on it if it were my choice,” she said, “but it came without, and I decided to honor that and eat it as is.”
We both noticed it was saltier than toro usually is. You know how I am with salt, and I did not find it too salty. It tasted like the natural flavor of the fish, not like salt had been added, and I liked it. Honestly, that hand roll is the best dessert there is.
An old fashioned worth every one of its thirteen dollars
Vika had the old fashioned and loved it. It came with the right kind of ice, one big cube, which means she has officially joined me on the ice bandwagon. It had the right balance of alcohol to bitters, with a persimmon liqueur they use as their bitters. “I had no complaints for $13,” she said. “I thought it was super reasonable.” I tasted it before she did, and it was clean, with none of the off note you sometimes get in an old fashioned.
I had a large Sapporo. Less exciting, but just as good. I like an Asahi or a Sapporo with sushi because it is clean and crisp, and it goes with the fish instead of covering it up. Vika is not a beer drinker, so she will take my word on that.
Would we bring Josh and Emily to Kaido? Probably not, and that is fine
This is a family site, so we talked it through on the drive home. Josh would be fine. He would be happy with a spicy tuna, a salmon roll and a California roll, and I doubt he would go for the specialty rolls. We disagree a little on the spice. One of us thinks he would like the flavors of the spicy rolls, and the other thinks they would be a bit much for him.
Emily is harder. She does not like raw fish, and there is no cucumber roll on the menu, although we are sure they would make one. A California roll with imitation crab would probably be fine, but for her it depends completely on her mood. Outside of the appetizers there is not really any food here that is not sushi.
Add a small room with not many tables, and our honest verdict is that we would not bring the kids just to bring the kids. We did see families come in during our dinner, including a little girl who looked about four, so kids are clearly welcome. We would just keep this one for date night.
Our verdict on Kaido Sushi
Kaido is our date night sushi spot, and after five or more visits it still is. The room is quiet enough to actually talk. The spicy tuna was a ten out of ten, the Azure Dragon is the roll I would order first, and nothing arrives buried in sauce. The rolls are on the smaller side, and we still left full, with room for a hand roll only because I made room.
If you are looking for a sushi dinner for two in the northwest suburbs that feels like a night out, this is where we would send you.
What dinner for two at Kaido costs
Our check came to about $116 with tax, for two people, with a drink each. That was a $13 old fashioned, a $9 large Sapporo, the Azure Dragon at $21, the Crabby Crab and the Garlic Salmon at $20 each, the spicy tuna maki at $9 and the negi toro hand roll at $12. Before tax the subtotal was $104, and the tax was $11.94.
Nothing on the check was comped. You could easily spend less by leaning on regular maki like the $9 spicy tuna instead of the $20 and up specialty rolls.
Kaido Sushi location, hours and reservations
Address. 45 W. Golf Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005, in a strip mall with its own parking lot.
Phone. (847) 258-3592.
Hours. Dinner only. Sunday through Thursday 4:00 to 9:30 pm, Friday and Saturday 4:00 to 10:30 pm.
Reservations. Booked through Tock, online for parties of one to four. Larger groups call.
Carryout. Online ordering through their website, plus delivery apps.
The hours come straight off the sign in their front window, which is the photo here, and they match the restaurant’s own website. At least one reservation listing leaves Sunday off. The window says they are open Sunday.
Does Kaido Sushi take reservations?
Yes. Kaido takes reservations through Tock, where parties of one to four can book online and choose between the dining room and the chef’s counter. For a bigger group, call the restaurant at (847) 258-3592.
Is Kaido Sushi good for date night?
Yes, and it is ours. The room is quiet with no loud music, so you can actually hear each other. Dinner for two with a drink each came to about $116 for us.
Is Kaido Sushi kid friendly?
Kids are welcome, and we saw a couple of families there. We still would not bring our own, who are teenagers. The menu is almost all sushi, there is no cucumber roll on it, and the room is small. A kid who loves spicy tuna and California rolls will be fine. A picky eater may struggle.
Does Kaido Sushi have omakase?
Yes. The menu lists four omakase options, from $60 up to $95, and Tock lets you book the chef’s counter. We did not order it on this visit, so we cannot tell you how it compares to ordering off the menu.
What should you order at Kaido Sushi?
Start with the spicy tuna maki. Then the Azure Dragon for the smoky charred scallion, and the Garlic Salmon if you like a little heat. If you have room at the end, the negi toro hand roll makes a great dessert. The Crabby Crab is the one we would skip if you have to choose.
Is Kaido Sushi open for lunch?
No. Kaido is dinner only, opening at 4:00 pm every day and closing at 9:30 pm Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 pm on Friday and Saturday.
More sushi around the northwest suburbs: Shakou is the other Arlington Heights sushi spot we have written up, and there is also Black Pearl in Glenview, Furinkazan in Des Plaines and e Sushi in Mount Prospect.
Nothing was comped at Kaido, and the restaurant didn’t know we were writing about it. Prices come from our own itemized receipt on the night.
