No frills, some thrills at Seasons of Japan in Vernon Hills
At 7 on a Saturday night, we strolled into Seasons of Japan in Vernon Hills and easily got a table. The restaurant occupies space in a strip mall and serves no-frills food that matches the setting with fast-casual Japanese cuisine that appeals to all ages. Although few customers joined us that evening, the restaurant's central Lake County location makes it a perfect spot for a quick, inexpensive lunch.
Seasons of Japan offers a selection of bento boxes, cooked plates, rice bowls, sushi and tempura. Diners order from a cafeteria-style counter, then the food is cooked from scratch on the other side of large glass windows that showcase the chefs. The restaurant also offers a selection of prepared express dishes that the cooks complete once ordered. Families with persnickety children will be able to enjoy an easy meal here — the food is lightly seasoned, plus there's a selection of add-in sauces on a condiment bar so diners can customize the meal to their particular tastes. There is no bar, but fountain drinks and bottled water are available.
As far as interior decor, if your brain needs a little color stimulation, watch the food instead of the walls. The interior is plain and simple with little to no embellishment. But the food brings in striking color, whether it's the green and pink of the Mexican roll or the bright red and yellow peppers on the hibachi plates.
We began our meal with the edamame, Mexican roll, monster roll and avocado salad. The edamame was steamed quite well, not mushy but not too tough to chew either. I couldn't discern the seasoning that was used on the pods, but they had somewhat of a peanutty taste. Regardless of the other flavors, I thought they needed more salt, but one of my fellow diners liked the light-handed amount.
If you like avocado, then you will want the avocado salad. It follows the minimalist theme of the restaurant and has a base of regular salad mix topped with sliced cucumbers and a splayed avocado. It was simple but very fresh, with no brown in the avocado and a hearty crunch to the cucumber. The salad comes with ginger dressing on the side.
We tried both a raw and cooked roll. The Mexican roll piled avocado, raw tuna and cilantro atop a seaweed-wrapped yellowtail and broccoli slaw mix. The deep-fried monster roll featured tuna, salmon, yellowtail, eel, cream cheese and avocado. Although both rolls were packed tight with a larger-than-normal amount of rice, the fish was soft and fresh and the veggies were crisp. Cilantro adds a spiciness to the Mexican roll and the monster roll was covered with a sweet mayonnaise sauce.
For our dinners, we had the Angus steak and shrimp, teriyaki chicken yakisoba and teriyaki ahi tuna with fried rice. The steak was cooked to the exact temperature requested and had just a touch of teriyaki seasoning so the meat shined. On the other side of the plate, hibachi shrimp sat slightly overcooked. The dish came with a selection of vegetables including rice, zucchini and onion, all of which were clearly fresh and cooked al dente.
I was sadly unimpressed by the chicken yakisoba. Although the sauce had a nice peanutty flair to it, the meat itself appeared to be low quality and too soft. The yakisoba noodles were a bit overcooked but did have a good flavor. The dish comes with rice as well — I chose steamed rice; well-cooked and with a slightly sticky texture, it saved the plate.
The ahi tuna was the star dish for the night. It was soft and flavorful, and although it could have been more seared on the edges, it tasted great. The fried rice hit the minimalist mark, with a delicate flavor that could be enhanced by the self-serve sauces.
We finished our meal with fried cheesecake. Not traditional, I know, yet it is everything you want it to be — a completely unhealthy and delicious slice of deep-fried cheesecake. And to make it even better, I ordered a side of kiwi-lime sauce. The sauce was tart and thick, and tasted surprisingly like 7-Up. Ours was cold by the time we got to it. Don't make the same mistake we did; order your cheesecake after your meal is finished instead of when you order your dinners. That way, you'll have a warm and creamy slice of heaven to end your night.
• Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.
Seasons of Japan
700 N. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hills, (224) 206-8633, <a href="http://www.seasonsofjapan.com/">www.seasonsofjapan.com</a>
<b>Cuisine:</b> Fast-casual Japanese
<b>Setting:</b> Minimalist
<b>Entrees:</b> $6 to $10
<b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday