This was our first visit here on a Sunday evening and we were excited to try. The place was…read morerelatively empty when we arrived but a few people trickled in while we were there. We started with the pan fried dumplings and the duck bao buns, both very good. Then we had a California roll and the fried noodles dish with chicken. The noodle dish lacked flavor and it would've been nice to see a few more veggies in the dish. It was a large portion. The service was friendly and attentive. There is a wrap around bar, tables and booths for the inside dining experience, and there is outdoor seating as well. The restrooms were clean and well stocked. Private spacious parking lot behind the restaurant. Prices a tad on the higher end. All in all it was a fine experience, but nothing from the food to menu options to the decor wowed us enough to want to return.

I've gotten asked why I haven't done reviews in a while. As you know, life gets in the way. Plus,…read moreI was on a months long streak of terrible food, and I figured why give bad reviews anymore. It's not very nice. But then today I guess the mean side awakens. Because I am fed up with paying a lot and getting inedible food! The ramen looked great when it came out, but was so salty it was inedible. The noodles too mushy. The pork was either all fat or too tough to eat. The General Tso's chicken was very tough and the goopy sauce had the worst flavor I've ever tasted in an Asian dish. None of us could eat it. Plus it was expensive. Really I should have complained but we all just wanted to get out of there and woke up the next morning with painful puffy eyes from all the extra salt in that ramen! To end on a high note, I heard the Japanese beer was good.

We went on a Sunday and chose the chef's counter in the tamaki-ya room hidden away in the back. We…read morewere fortunate enough to find Chef Taibe behind the counter on his otherwise night-off. I'm no foodie but I am Chinese/Japanese and can appreciate finer things in life when I see it. This place meet and exceeded my expectations. The wonderful speak-easy tamaki-ya room in the back is warmly lit and held at a nice volume, much quieter than the izakaya bar in the front. For small bites we had the Beet n Hijiki salad (highly recommend!), Agedashi tofu, and Torched Maine uni. For hand-rolls I had the Spanish Mackerel, Hokkaido Scallops, Ocean Trout, BBQ Eal & Foie Gras, and Cucumber ume. My wife had the Maine Uni, Hamachi, and Botan Ebi. Everything was good, but there were quite a few that were very good, and there were two that, for me, were the best that I've ever had in recent memory. For the Spanish Mackerel Chef Taibe put an interesting spin on it by topping it off with a traditional Chinese ginger and scallion garnish used in a tender chicken dish. It works, it balances out the briny taste of Spanish Mackerel... which is great... unless you LOVE the briny, savory, mineral, metallic, umami taste of fresh Spanish Mackerel :) The Hokkaido Scallops was, by quite a large margin, the best scallop dish I've ever had. The tender sweetness of the fresh scallop combined with a brown butter kewpie (how American!) and yuzu tobiko sauce swimmingly. Texture, temperature, taste, all perfect. I like eel and I love Unaju. But by far the biggest surprise was the BBQ Eal & Foie Gras (see pic). This dish alone warrants a culinary course. On the face of it, bbq, eel, foie gras all sets you up for something rich, filling, heavy. But when I bit into the unassuming hand roll, it was the lightest bite of Japanese rice/seafood/seaweed/liver/sauce combo I've ever had. Turns out Chef Taibe prepared the sauce from scratch using five+ different spices, and prepared the foie gras au torchon. I could go on, but suffice to say, this was one of the best bites I've ever had. By contrast, I thought I was going to close out with the cucumber ume roll, but compared to the eel and foie gras, the ume actually felt more overpowering. Perhaps if they cut back on the generous amount of ume paste... (Worthy mention: Chef Taibe presents the nori in a separate envelope. This seemingly simple step is crucial to the taste and mouthfeel of the hand roll. It provides a wonderful fresh crisp crunch to every bite and it does indeed make a difference. He mentioned he sources a special nori but I forgot the details, just know that it's really good) My wife loves uni, and I'll let her describe her experience (which she won't) but it was so good she had to order a second one. As if you need more convincing, we had a great experience and I think you will too. Bravo Chef, well done

We absolutely love Bar Bushido. From the moment you walk in, you can feel the intention behind…read moreeverything -- this isn't just a restaurant, it's a full experience. The cocktail program is seriously one of the best in the area. Creative without being gimmicky, balanced, and clearly inspired by Japanese ingredients and technique. Every drink feels thoughtful and well executed -- the kind of place where you actually want to work your way through the menu. The food is where it really shines. The chef-owner's love of Japanese cuisine comes through in every detail. The yakitori program is outstanding and deeply traditional -- using all parts of the chicken the way it's done in Japan. It's respectful, intentional, and absolutely delicious. You don't often see that level of authenticity and execution locally. The bar bites are some of the best around. The fried chicken sando is one of my personal favorites -- perfectly crispy, juicy, balanced, and craveable. And the ramen? No one can hold a candle to it. The broth is deeply flavorful and layered, the noodles are spot on, and every topping feels purposeful. It's the kind of bowl you think about the next day. Perhaps the best kept secret in all of Norwalk is the back room -- the elegant Temaki-Ya. Tucked away behind an unmarked entrance, this intimate hand-roll bar feels almost like discovering a hidden Japanese speakeasy. The atmosphere is quiet and refined, the kind of place that's perfect for a special date night or a memorable evening with friends. The temaki (hand rolls) are beautifully composed, with thoughtful ingredient combinations that balance texture, flavor, and visual appeal. What makes this place special is the dual experience -- lively izakaya vibes in the front, elegant hand-roll bar in the back -- all tied together by serious culinary skill and genuine hospitality. Norwalk is lucky to have this spot.

I got takeout but was really impressed by the quality. I got the gyoza and loved the cook on the…read moredumplings plus the taste. The sauce it came with was delicious. My only complaint was that the sauce was too little for the amount of gyoza. Would definitely recommend.

I always get Hashi delivered. I get the fiery roll, the pork belly bun and the Japanese spring…read moreroll. I also like their omakase every once in a while. It's not the best sushi, but it's good for the area.

Our friends took us to Kiku Sushi one night, and even though we used to live close by, we've never…read morebeen! Kiku is cute, it's decorated like a fishing village, almost. One of my most favorite photos on the wall is clearly AI generated and it's hilarious. The staff are all very friendly and quick. Our friends told us that it's family owned and employed. The food is exceptional. The sushi is super fresh, too. I would never have thought Kiku would be this amazing. Definitely don't judge a book by its cover!

Great sushi for a great price. The fish is fresh and they have a great variety. The inside is…read morepretty average with a good amount of seats inside. It is never insanely busy so you can typically always get seated. The staff is super kind as well. Their love boat is the steal of a century and I definitely recommend

I just got Ripped off!!!…read more I have spent my career working with and eating Asian, mostly Chinese food, my entire life. This was by far the worst example of any type of food in general. Unfortunately for Northern Westchester County we do not have what I would consider legitimate Chinese cuisine. In addition to the food not being prepared properly it cost a fortune. Nineteen dollars for fried rice that barely contained any beef...

I picked up sushi from here for lunch and everything was very good. I got the spicy tuna roll…read more(which actually had some spice to it), salmon avocado roll and yellowtail scallion roll. Each roll was very fresh and I would definitely return. The inside of the restaurant was also very nice.

This place is gorgeous. The interior is calm, cool, and very tasteful. The bathrooms are very…read morepretty and smelled wonderful. It's also very family friendly. There were several babies in attendance and the staff were so sweet with them. The Udon soup was delicious and much better than what we were used to. The menu is not your typical Japanese/Chinese American fare. There were fun twists on my old favorites - the hot and sour soup - offered with seafood was a mostly clear soup with absolutely gorgeous flavors. I think I've been ruined for hot and sour soup forever. The sushi was excellent. The old standbys were lovingly done and if I didn't live so far away, I'd definitely come back soon!

2/5 The food at Koku…read moreis generally excellent, but my recent delivery experience was extremely frustrating. I placed an order through their website using ChowNow and selected delivery. The estimated delivery time was 7:20 PM. By 7:40 PM, the food still hadn't arrived. I called the restaurant and was told that delivery is handled by a third party and there was nothing they could do. I then tried calling ChowNow through multiple phone numbers, but every time I selected the option for order assistance, the call immediately disconnected. When I called the restaurant back, I got the same response -- essentially that it wasn't their problem. I ended up calling the owner directly. His first question was whether I had left a tip on the ChowNow order. He explained that if no tip is shown, drivers often ignore the delivery request because they know there is little or no tip to earn. What bothered me most is that this was not new information to him. In fact, I had a similar issue in the past. The owner immediately knew exactly what the problem was, which tells me this is a known issue that customers have experienced before. Yet nothing has been done to address it, warn customers, or provide a backup solution. Whether delivery is handled by ChowNow or not, customers are ordering through Koku's website and choosing a service that Koku has decided to use. To me, that makes the delivery experience an extension of the restaurant's service. Simply pointing customers elsewhere when something goes wrong is not good customer service. To make matters worse, I eventually drove to the restaurant myself to pick up the food, only to discover that a driver had finally accepted and picked up the order while I was on my way. The food is good, but the lack of ownership, communication, and concern when a known problem occurs left a very disappointing impression.

Classy looking place in downtown. The service was prompt and the menu has some creative items on…read moreit. I have to admit, I thought it was a bit too pricey for the type of food they offer but it is New Canaan, so I guess that's par for the course. The mushroom tacos were tasty, though the mushrooms were a little more chewy than I was expecting. The veggie quinoa on the side and the green sauce were excellent!

Service was good. We went in the winter and it was a little small because it seems like in the…read moresummer it's meant to be an outdoor venue. My steak tacos were good and they had a bottle of water to refill glasses at your leisure. It's conveniently across from the Trumbull Marriott if that is where you are staying.

Excellent fresh sushi. Always delicious. Restaurant clean and employees friendly. Authentic food…read more Highly recommend.

Tasty new addition to downtown! I meandered over there for lunch today, picking up a roll and a…read moreside dish. Takeaway only - it's a small shop with various sushi rolls /dishes lined up to the right as you walk in. They also sell some Japanese snacks interspersed between some minimalist modern knick knacks. There's a few tiny tables for immediate consumption if you can't wait to get back to your car/house/park to chow down. They keep making stuff throughout the day and I was tempted by whatever the guy was boxing up behind the counter... as I was paying... so definitely fresh and made daily (they date every box). Wish they had a better seating area but generally happy there's good sushi in Darien.