Torishin is authentic to the core

You might not have realized there was such an authentic Japanese eatery in your midst. But easy-to-overlook Torishin -- located in a generic strip mall nearby other equally standard-in-appearance locales -- is the sort in-the-know diners have been frequenting while keeping their fingers crossed that the average Joe remains oblivious.

Of course, that's not to say a loyal (and plentiful) following isn't already packing the rickety wood chairs during peak mealtimes.

Mind you, this isn't your typical-for-the-area sushi establishment. This one, by contrast, serves izakaya-style fare -- inexpensive "drinking foods" favored by Japanese workers who visit when off-the-clock. Typically, menus are either written on boards or brought to the table; here, you'll find both. Not everything (check out the whiteboard for recommended dishes and specials) is translated.

The restaurant does serve a small selection of sake to accompany meals, a fact that draws Japanese businessmen galore come nighttime. As is customary at izakaya, patrons can sit at tables or line the "bar," but the latter option does not afford glimpses of prep work in the open kitchen (a myriad of empty sake bottles prevents that). Decorative trappings are kept to a minimum, so don't expect to see more than a few tchotskes and signs handwritten in Japanese. Following suit, you'll bump elbows with your neighbor in the narrow, tightly packed room.

Despite its simplicity, there is something so welcoming about the place -- whatever your cultural background or level of culinary sophistication (or trepidation). Upon being (briskly) seated, you're given a cup of piping hot green tea that's replenished throughout your meal. This, needless to say, is a particularly likable attribute on the chilliest of days.

There are plenty of familiar items on the menu. To start, you'll find a long list of appetizers, including gyoza, a fine, meat-filled, pan-fried rendition of the favorite we heartily enjoyed. Also part of the lineup: shrimp and vegetable tempura, yakitori, wasabi-accented shumai and Japanese-style egg rolls.

Among the more unusual items on the menu is the maguro shiso age, pristinely fresh wedges of tuna that are wrapped in lightly minty shiso leaf, tempura-battered and fried. They're a super-fresh and interesting change of pace. If that's not your style, you'll be forced to choose between baby clams steamed in garlic butter, deep-fried tofu, broiled squid in ginger sauce and chicken meatballs in teriyaki sauce.

If you're into soup, the restaurant has plenty of options for you (since udon and soba selections abound). You'll find versions with Japanese curry, thin-sliced beef, tanuki (tempura butter drops) and vegetables. A step up, nabeyaki udon -- a mélange of chicken, shrimp tempura, veggies and egg -- is served in a hotpot.

We tried -- and savored -- the delightful, paper-thin beef sukiyaki served in a cast-iron pot with noodles, tofu, scallions, mushrooms and a star-shaped carrot garnish in a sweet, addictive broth.

Also winning was the simple pork shogayaki, a stir-fry of gingered pork with sticky rice that arrives with salad topped with ginger dressing and warming miso soup.

Japanese-style tonkatsu (fried pork cutlets); beef, salmon or chicken teriyaki; salted, grilled rainbow trout (niji-masu shioyaki); and fish and vegetables in broth (yose-nabe) round off the full-on dinners. Bento boxes are a popular choice in lieu of these, and there are a range of combinations -- from sushi and tempura to sushi, beef teriyaki and shrimp tempura.

There are bowl meals, too, including pork cutlet and egg (katsu-don), pork cutlet and curry (katsu-curry), and cooked eel and eggs (yanagawa-don). These all come with miso soup.

The sushi menu is very limited, and chefs bypass the prevalent frou-frou trend entirely. Nothing offered is out there -- at all. It's just familiar, fresh and well-prepared. Take the spicy tuna maki, for example. The nori-out roll was filled with ribbons of fish (as opposed to the commonly seen minced preparation) and crunchy green-leaf lettuce, and it was finished with a zap of creamy, mildly tingling sauce. No frills, for sure. But it was mighty good nonetheless.

Beyond that, there's a straight-up tuna roll as well as cucumber, Japanese pickle, scallion and yellowtail, eel-cucumber and saba rolls on hand. Of course, sashimi can be found, too.

While dining here can be a little intimidating -- there is a bit of a language barrier at play -- those who venture to this home-style eatery will be rewarded. The food is fresh and lovingly prepared, the clientele loyal for a reason. Our advice: don't be afraid to point, ask questions and patiently muddle your way through a meal. It's worth it.

Torishin

1584 S. Busse Road, Mount Prospect, (847) 437-4590

Cuisine: Izakaya-style Japanese

Setting: Bare bones, strip-mall centered storefront

Price range: Appetizers $4 to $8.25; soups $8.50 to $9.75; sushi rolls $3.50 to $12; meals $8.50 to $19.90

Hours: 5:30 to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Accepts: Major credit cards

Also: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday