Mystery Diner: Mongolian grill a complete hit at Kawa Japanese Restaurant

GRAYSLAKE  – Why hadn’t I eaten there sooner?

That’s the question I struggled to answer after dining at Kawa Japanese restaurant in Grayslake.

Located on Atkinson Road near Center Street, Kawa has become one of this Mystery Diner’s favorite spots to grab a bite.

Large with a contemporary feel, Kawa serves sushi, sashimi, rolls, Thai food and other items. It also has a spectacular and fun Mongolian grill.

Though I had heard of Mongolian-grilled food before, my idea of what this actually consisted of was completely off base.

At Kawa, customers who order the Mongolian grill go up to a buffet-style line and fill up a large bowl with their choice of delicious-looking noodles, vegetables, meets, egg and sauces. The diners then present their bowl to a chef who cooks the food over a large, round stove-top of sorts.

Always eager to try something new, I opted to order the Mongolian grill when I stopped at Kawa one recent weekday. Off the lunch menu, one bowlful of the grilled food costs $6.88 and unlimited trips to the grill cost $9.88.

That’s a deal if you ask me, but as I also wanted to try an appetizer at Kawa, I opted for just one bowl of the Mongolian grill.

The appetizer that my dining companion and I choose was a Kani salad – crab meat, cucumber, lettuce and roe with spicy aioli. We ordered the salad after spotting it at another customer’s table. Boy am I glad we got to try the dish.

Packed with flavor, the Kani salad has a bit of a spicy kick, nice texture and is loaded with crab. The portion size for our order was decent, and both my dining companion and I loved it. Off the lunch menu, that rings in at $7.

As far as the main entre went for my fellow diner, he selected the salmon teriyaki at a cost of $10.
That dish came with a large salmon fillet that was cooked just right and paired with flavorful teriyaki sauce, my companion reported.

“I was happy I ordered what I did, although it was difficult to decide because of all the different choices on the menu,” he said.

I tried the salmon as well and also found it to be top-notch. The dish definitely seemed well worth the price.

And how did my Mongolian grill food taste?

Considering I picked the ingredients that went into it, just terrific. I had a blast watching the chef cook the food and was sure to throw some money into his tip jar before leaving with my bowl of steaming food.

For those looking for a dining experience that is out of the ordinary and close to home, I would definitely recommend Kawa.

The servers at the restaurant were extremely helpful and friendly during my visit. The establishment does offer take out and has a full bar.

• The Lake County Journal Mystery Diner  feature sends a staff reporter to local eateries of all kinds. The diner's identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. Diners visit a different restaurant each week. Contact the diner at lcjedit@lakecountyjournal.com.

If you go ...

What: Kawa Japanese Restaurant, 100 S. Atkinson Road, in Grayslake
Hours: 11 to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 9:30 p.m. Sunday
More info: 847-548-3838 or www.kawajr.com