Kyoto is located in the center of
Tacoma's Korea Town. It's a nicer
middle class restaurant w/ a koi
pond, sushi bar & tatami rooms.
Food is good, but more expensive.
The fish is fresh & well cut. The
combo sushi/sashimi platters are
definitely the way to go ($17+).
Bento was $18+, very tasty. Uni
was $9 - definitely high, tekka
maki was over $5. Solid classics,
but almost no innovation in the
maki category.
The hot food was very good, but
pricey....teriyaki dishes, chicken
& beef, ran close to $15. The
oyster dishes were particularly
yummy.
Service was polite, but seriously
lackluster for a place attempting
finer dining. I was never given
refills on my water or tea. I was
never asked how my food was, nor if
I wanted anything else & was given
the bill so unceremoniously that I
thought they were closing (nope!).
Kyoto is a good choice for a
quality sushi fix in a nice
setting....definitely on the high
end of Tacoma sushi dining
experiences.
After reading enthusiastic reviews for Sushi Town, I finally made the trek to have a taste.
What I like: flexibility & creativity all over the menu. Want a sashimi appetizer? Choose up to 3 types of fish, get 6 pcs for $7.95. Want to make up a roll? Pick up to 6 items, starting at $6.50. A nice list of over 25 maki, I had the Trapper - an Asian flavored shrimp salad on a roll of cooked scallop, onion & tobiko.
Downside: Most maki are cooked types, like Cally or Spider. Granted, we're far away from the water - so this makes sense. It's just worth noting. On this same note, the nigiri list is nice, but basic. Do not order sunomono - the dressing is very salty & the tako is finely diced.
I found sushi prices high for a restaurant of this type. Cally was $4.95. Tekka $5. Most deluxe maki are in the $10 range.
This is a fine intro to Japanese food if you're new, a good fix if you're in the area. Sushi Town is American innovation combined with Japanese food at its best.
You would never know that Shun is an old, converted KFC; the dining room is simple - clean lines & muted tones, with low lights & dark woods. A good place for a date or small get together.
One walks into traditional greetings of welcome & is served by an affable staff w/ an excellent undertanding of the cuisine.
Fish is beautifully cut & top quality. I had the chirashi zushi, about 10 pieces of luscious sashimi on a decent bed of sumeshi for $17. Items are well priced (uni $6.50, tekka maki $4). A large, nicely done sushi combo is less than $20. The nigiri list is long & all the standard maki is available. Omakase is offered, & the sushi chef will go out of his way to accommodate you.
The hot menu contains a wide variety of items, from chuwan mushi to hamachi kama. This is classical Japanese cuisine, you won't get any unwelcome surprises - or much innovation - from Shun. Every item we sampled was very good.
Open til 10pm, Shun is definitely worth a stop!
Kappaya is an exciting find, the kind of place you get nostalgic about very quickly. Don't let the very humble, spartan surroundings put you off...excellent down home food is here!
With a maki list containing more than 30 items, none topping $8, maki freaks are set to get their groove on. Everything we sampled was fresh & well-proportioned. A full list of nigiri & sashimi awaits as well. But DO NOT rule out the sushi donburi! Best selection I've seen - about 10 choices - incl a succulent negihama don ($13.50). Prices are excellent: tekka maki $4 & uni $5.75.
The hot menu is outstanding & fairly varied: nice ramen, udon, curry & donburi all in the $8-9 range. Croquettes & soft shell crab on the appetizer list. The bento is generous as well($15 range). Yummy pickles too!
Kappaya is not for people seeking the slick, high gloss sushi bar of the 80's. It IS for anyone who appreciates well priced, soulful Japanese food served by friendly, infomative folks. Enjoy!
Ichidai is a "transitional" Japanese restaurant, blending old school quality & selections w/ some more innovative maki.
Items were well prepared & fresh. A team of sushi chefs in snappy traditional white uniforms quickly prepared our selections. A new one to me: Spicy Devil Roll (tempura tuna, hamachi, sake & avacado); it was double rolled with fish in the inner ring & sumeshi outside. Prices were average. Uni is $6, most deluxe maki is around $9 & tekka maki is $4.25.
The hot menu is full of very traditional selections. Tempura was excellent w/ traditional veggies, incl lotus root & sansho pepper, for about $11.
Service was efficient, but a little condescending. The atmosphere is nondescript, like an office, but very clean & good enough for a date or the family.
Note: One could easily miss this place, it's tucked in a new, small office complex w/ minimal signage.
Worth stopping by if you're in the neighborhood...located near the site of the Portland Bon Odori!
"Mediocre" is the perfect one word review for Sushi Mania. The food, service & atmosphere are all just "passable". But Sushi Mania needs to be great because Marinepolis, Yuki & Koji Osakaya all have branches w/in a 5 block radius.
The menu is large with over 20 maki. Many are variations on a theme: California, baked, crunch. Prices are average: tekka maki is $4.75, Caterpillar $8.50. My negihama ($5.75) was disappointing, they dressed the hamachi w/ sesame oil. I tried to have uni or toro nigiri, but they didn't have any. Worth noting: the sumeshi didn't have much flavor & was a soft.
The hot menu is medium length & very standard. Small dinners (teriyaki, etc) averaged $12. The tempura: passable, but again, unremarkable.
Service was lackluster, efficient but not friendly. They didn't greet us coming or going.
Bottom line: while the food is "okay", Sushi Mania would be my last choice when in the Bway area. The competition beats on taste, service & value. OUCH!
Solid Food, Nice Atmosphere, So-So Service
(Sep 19, 2008)
Great Sushi Near the UW
(Aug 18, 2008)
Itadakimasu!
(Aug 12, 2008)
In the Middle of the Road in a Town with Great Sushi
(Aug 05, 2008)