Best sushi in Santa Fe. We're pretty uniform in our consumption of tuna roll (teka maki) and tempura. Service is excellent and hot sake is well prepared ... Kai is closed on Sunday. They just completed a remodel of their dining room that we've yet to see. Photo looked dated. read more

Great ambiance pretty decor! The sushi was fresh and very tasty - I got the spicy spider roll with albacore delicious. It helps to see Japanese sushi chefs! Definitely recommend read more

One of our go-to spots for dinner; good sushi and nice chill ambiance. The service is good and they just redid the dining area with new seating, looks fancier now :-) read more

Kai Sushi & Dining - Special rolls menu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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I love sushi! Sushi is the predecessor to Apple packaging. Compact, well organized, etc. So many wonderful flavors wrapped up in a roll that you can pick up with chopsticks. What has happened? Is this a post Covid decline of sushi? Ordered special rolls and they fell apart when you try to pick up with chopsticks. Disappointing. But the place is full of patrons, and it looks clean, so maybe we're supposed to expect Amazon packaging now? read more

While visiting Santa Fe, we decided to give this place a try. Food was pretty good. We ordered the sashimi platter and it was very fresh. We got 2 rolls and were ok. The soft craft was better, the Seattle was fell apart as soon as one touches it. The rice was super overcooked and smushy. Udon noodles soup was pretty ok. Service was average. The waitress was nice but a bit lost. The place had a nice ambience but in the middle of dinner some lights went off. read more

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My fiancé and I walked in at 8:35 p.m. They close at 9:00 p.m. I could see the displeasure in the chef's face, but hoped I was mistaken. The server approached us and informed us that the chef said we could only order take out. It is ridiculous to turn away customers at 8:35 p.m. on a Saturday night. read more

Not awful but not very good. I had the vegetable bento box for lunch and it was very greasy. Had an upset stomach after eating it. The vegetable sushi was slightly better but not great. read more

Food is not as good as before. Was it a new management? Serving was a little smaller compared to 5 months ago. Service was really good! read more

Consistently the best sushi in Santa Fe. I love sitting at the bar, I always meet someone interesting and get to try something new.

This was our first venture inside Kai. It was chill and cozy. Previously, we had just used takeout or delivery. So glad we popped in. We promised ourselves we'd try new rolls. We ordered two shrimp tempura ones, just in case the other three didn't work out. ; ) I'm so happy I was adventurous, because I now have a new go-to order. The Taos roll is BAKED! I had no idea I'd enjoy hot sushi so much. Also could have been because it was snowing and the warm food felt really good. I also had the Calamari roll. Both were delicious. My daughter raved about the Tootsie roll she ordered. Just the perfect amount of heat. Her shrimp tempura rolls were also enjoyable. Overall we thought the ingredients were fresh, prepared well, and met our sushi expectations. I have previously ordered their teriyaki salmon bento box and enjoyed it immensely. For visitors to Santa Fe, Kai is conveniently located just off St. Francis and St. Michael's streets in a shopping center with ample parking. It's worth a 5-minute drive out of the downtown Plaza area. Staff greeted us when we came in and were helpful with menu questions. You can watch your sushi being prepared if you choose to sit at the counter. read more

Kai Sushi & Dining - Taos roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Is there actually great sushi in New Mexico? The land of frito tacos, fry bread, and rough red and green smothered tacos to make a grown man cry?!? Yes! Actuary there is! I decided to try out Kai Sushi for the first time because it had a lot of great reviews. The first thing I noticed was the small, unassuming interior. It definitely has a small cozy vibe, not a big expensive vibe. The service was really good and the food came out quick! I went with the Kai roll, which was a good choice, I thought the individual components went together very well, and it was a little bit spicy, but not too much. I decided to get the original flavored Japanese Mille Crepe Cake as well. I thought it was fantastic. I'll be back! read more

Kai Sushi & Dining - Original Japanese Mille Crepe Cake - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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I have always had the freshest food and good service but the recent remodel has truly helped the atmosphere....

My husband and I have been craving sushi since our move to Santa Fe and this hit the spot! The AC seemed to be down when we arrived but thankfully we were sat next to the door and a fan. So it wasn't overly hot. Kai has a lot of options so if you are with the right people eat family style! Try you're interested in and then share across the group. This isn't the best sushi we've ever had but it was satisfying and reasonably priced. We will definitely be coming back to fulfill our sushi kick. read more

Delicious sushi! First time going here and was nicely surprised with the variety and freshness of the sushi. Also the dishes like katsu chicken looked awesome also! Will need to try those in the next visit. read more

Ate here tonight and were excited to order the Agedashi Tofu (our favorite) as the menu says it's vegetarian (There was a green V next to it on the menu). As we are both strict vegetarians, I had the waitress verify with the kitchen that there was no bonito (fish) in the sauce as 99.9% of agedashi tofu has it. She came back with the news that the agedashi tofu uses the same dipping sauce as the tempura and DOES HAVE fish in it!!!! WHY IS IT LISTED AS VEGETARIAN ON THE MENU?? That is lying to the customers who do not eat animals. PLEASE change your menu and be truthful by crossing out the green V next to the agedashi tofu immediately. OR make a separate vegan broth. I'm assuming all the vegetarians who are ordering vegetable tempura are dipping into your fish broth which is NOT OK. The four veggie sushi we ordered tonite were ok. The rice was cold which is not how it should be. I've been teaching Japanese cooking classes in Toronto Canada, Portland OR and Seattle WA for over 40 years and know very well how to make proper sushi. Cold rice is not the way to go. read more

My husband and I were at Kai's yesterday. I Ordered a the Mango Special roll for $25. Description described a role as having jalapeños, mango sauce and eel sauce. It Came out dry with only a minute amount of sauces with the jalapeños in place. The wasabi on the Other addition to this one was only about the size of a nickel and I requested additional sauces as described on the menu and was charged $2 each for the three different that equal no more than 2 tablespoons, $1 for extra wasabi and one dollar for a bit more ginger Since what was presented to us was so scanT. Instead of paying $25 for my roll, there was an extra eight dollars for "extras "of what was not there to begin with. The $25 cost me $33. The "extras was for what should have been on the plate to start with. They also finagle the price of quail eggs on the Manago sushi. In my opinion, they are scamming their customers. Not another sushi restaurant in charges for extras, except . read more

Perfect tempura, great selection of rolls & sushi always fresh & appetizing. The staff is helpful and polite; meals delivered to your table quickly. My favorite sushi restaurant in Santa Fe. read more

Just a little hole in the wall place in a shopping center but offered a wide range of sushi, rolls and appetizers. We needed a break from all the heavy Mexican food we had been eating on our vacation. Tried the Dancing Spider roll, gyoza, fried rice and the chirashi bowl. All were good! Be ready for spice with the roll though. Service was good as well- friendly and helpful waiter. Very casual vibe but it was busy with locals and people picking up to go orders. read more

I've been several there times I like the portion it's very generous, . and quality of fish is very good , fresh . owner is very nice . read more

I sat at the sushi bar and had the most wonderful meal. I did not expect such high quality, and would highly recommend this place. The fact I took the only remaining open seat shows I am not alone in liking this place. read more

Kai Sushi & Dining - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

We have frequented Kai Sushi now and then starting in pre-COVID times. For our most recent order, we placed it online via selflane.com. It suggested that our order would be ready by 5:51, which should have allowed us to pick it up before things got too hectic. When I arrived a couple minutes after 5:51 to pick up our order, somebody else had just come in to pick up their takeout. When I asked about our order, there was some confusion among the staff, as there was no order under my name or my wife's name. When I said that it was placed via selflane.com, one staffer asked, "Do we even have that?" The other person at the register checked on a tablet and discovered that our order hadn't gotten printed out, so our food was therefore not ready. The first person printed it out, took a quick look at it and said that it would be just a few minutes. I excused myself and went to wait back in the car so as to not be hovering over them and create stress while they put our order together. Almost 15 minutes later, I walked back in thinking that it should be just about ready (since our online estimate had been just over 20 minutes). I saw what I would later find out was our sushi (Baked Salmon Roll and others) sitting on the sushi bar getting cold as I sat down at the bar next to the register. After waiting another 15+ minutes, I finally asked if there was something wrong with our order and was told that they were still waiting on the Teriyaki Salmon. Shortly afterwards, the salmon and miso soup made their grand entrance and we were able to finally leave with our food. When we opened up our styrofoam boxes (yech!) we were none too surprised to find that the baked salmon roll was not even faintly warm, which did not do any favors for the flavor. Besides that, nearly all of the rolls we ordered were either falling apart or barely holding themselves together. Most noticeable was the veggie roll, roughly 50% of which appeared to consist of spring mix greens, which wasn't listed as one of the ingredients. When I left, I asked if I should always expect an extra wait for the teriyaki salmon (something we had admittedly never ordered in the restaurant or online), and was first reminded about the order printout snafu. When I explained that only accounted for the first delay, and not the nearly 30 minutes I'd waited since the printed the order, she said that sometimes when they're busy it can take longer. By way of apology, I received not even apology, let alone any token gesture to make up for the added delay and cold food. Apparently it was just my fault for ordering online. Although it is certainly less convenient to order from Jesushi for dinner (they close at 5:00pm), it has always been worth making the extra effort for in the past and will have to be our only choice in the future. read more

Food was excellent. I had a sushi platter and soup. It was busy, but the waiter was very attentive and took my order quickly. It was a welcomed change! I give it 5 stars on service, ambience and food. read more

We went to Kai on the recommendation of a local. It was busy on a Friday night, but we were seated right away. Service was slow, but the food was fresh and tasty. I ordered a Vegas roll and substituted tuna for salmon...the roll was on the small side but really flavourful. My companions ordered several rolls and soups, and they reported that their food was really tasty as well. Prices are reasonable, but the service needs to be stepped up a bit. read more

This has always been a decent place to stop for lunch. First time Ive stopped in for Dinner what a horrible mess. Sat here for 20 minutes no greeting nothing. Webhad to ask for someone to take our order. What terrible service. Sushi is sub par but again we are in the desert. This may be our last visit here and I've been here for lunch many times. Wasnt offered soup or appetizers had to call waitress back. The food is isnt free so service would be nice. The sushi is decent and I like that its open on a Monday. I dont think I qould recommend this place. Hit up another local sushi spot. read more

Kai Sushi & Dining - Monday night Sushi spot. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

The food, sushi chefs and service were all AMAZING!! I sat at the sushi bar and Tommy's recommendations and creations were awesome! If you want a place to have incredible sushi with a local and friendly vibe, this is the place!! read more

Very good food. Our waitress Hana was attentive. We will be coming back. Thank you and keep up the good work. read more

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I ordered two sushi roll to-go orders recently. Both were poorly made: there were bones in the spicy tuna; a Sara roll was sloppy and one ingredient was missing; a salmon skin roll fell apart; a calamari roll did not contain calamari and had to be remade; a salmon roll alternated salmon and hamachi as though it was a rainbow roll. Granted that Santa Fe is not the ideal region for sushi, but these kinds of rolls don't require that much skill. read more

WOW! What an incredible find... we travel a lot and find ourselves in many Japanese restaurants. LOVED this place. Customer service top notch and the food is by far one of the best we've ever had in the US! Fresh, delicious, and portions sizes are incredible. Easily 5 stars!!! We were in town for 3 days and ate here 2 times! read more

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Ordered lunch .... it's a decent size for Bento boxes. - salmon, chicken, chicken katsu, beef read more

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First time trying due to the number of great reviews posted. I travel ALOT with my 4lb, very well, mannered, Chihuahua. She stays in a sling on my lap, and never makes a move or sound. This place looked very promising because it has outdoor seating which commonly allows you to eat with your pet. Hostess had no problem with it, and was as nice as can be however, the Asian lady said absolutely not. No worries, it happens. Ordered to go, half of the items I wanted (regular rolls) like the rest of my order weren't allowed to be ordered to go. Unusual. But still no concerns. Very unpleasant sushi chef finally nailed it for me. Snapped at the hostess asking him a seemingly simple question. Waiting outside to get my food to go. Won't return here. read more

They say that strip mall/hole in the wall places often have the most authentic/tasty food. I think this is true of Kai Sushi. I wasn't expecting to find such good Japanese food in Santa Fe! I've been here twice in one stay now, and I haven't been disappointed in the slightest. For the price, this place is phenomenal. All the food we got was delicious, especially the Yam Yam roll, the Vegas roll, the Shrimp Yakisoba, and the avocado roll(which was especially fresh). The service was quick, the house sake was hot and delicious, and the patio provided a very nice atmosphere. I'd definitely recommend this place! read more

Kai Sushi & Dining - Shrimp Yakisoba - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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What a great sushi restaurant ! My husband had the Red &Red sushi roll .... Very tasty ! I had the Chirashi bowl .....the fish was very fresh and on the whole it was good ! I would recommend this place to anyone that enjoys quality sushi ! read more

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Unimpressive. The miso soup was good but nothing special. Seaweed salad was exactly like that from the Smith's grocery next door. The sashimi combo was solid and nicely though not amazingly plated. Spicy tuna roll was not spicy; did they mix our order up with the regular tuna roll? It would not surprise me, since we never got to try the edamame we ordered, and instead got an extra miso soup. I like a good cava with my sushi; sparkling wine and sushi go real well together. They had zero sparkling wine offerings. I like the cloudy, floral sake; the only such offering on their menu, they did not have. My partner ordered a single serving dry sake which was good but not my style. They had only one server taking care of the entire floor. She did as well as she could, but they need to hire her some help. My go-to sushi here in Santa Fe is the Jesushi food truck on Cerrillos. Definitely better than Kai. read more

I decided I wanted to try a new Japanese restaurant for lunch. This was my first venture into Kai Sushi & Dining - and I won't be going back. The restaurant is quite pleasant. I enjoyed the music being streamed and the mood was chill. The service was adequate, though quite diner-like. I really wanted to like the food. I ordered tamago nigiiri, as one does to check out the skills of the sushi chef. Instead of being a a soft, multi-layered omelette, it was a cold, rubbery, flavorless egg concoction sitting atop a mound of completely flavorless rice. I could not detect a trace of vinegar in the sushi rice. It tasted like, well, nothing. Clearly the tamago had been prepared at least the day before and sat for quite a long time in a refrigerator . At that point I realized ordering sushi at Kai Sushi & Dining would be a big mistake. I opted to order the Beef Yakiniku lunch special. The miso soup was good. unfortunately it was served in a wide, shallow plastic bowl that made drinking it difficult. The beef slices in the stir-fry were extremely tough. The beef did not seem to have been marinated with any sake, vinegar or other typical Japanese beef marinade. The beef was more chopped than sliced. I couldn't even chew some of it. The zucchini, broccoli and onion were cooked well, The sauce seemed to be soy sauce with little, if any, seasoning. Then there was the rice - again no flavor. No hint of salt or kombu, which most Japanese chefs use to punch up the flavor of the rice. Overall, I would say this restauraunt lacks authenticity. The sushi rice had no flavor. The tamago was a disaster. The meat showed no mastery of Japanese skills. And I really wanted to like the food! read more

Ok I know what your thinking... Sushi in Santa Fr NM. Let me tell you the sushi and it's crew are on point. I frequently stop by after a long days work and Kai turns my frown upside down into a smile. I tip my hard hat to Kai Sushi and if you find yourself in the area do yourself a favor and order up a round of great sushi and get service with a smile. read more

Kai Sushi & Dining - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

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I may never get used to non-Asians making sushi. But, hey, that just shows my bias. I ordered one of their signature sushi rolls and I've never had softshell crab in a roll that you could not taste the crab. The role was topped by tuna, not really ahi, that had been grilled. Yuck! Generally speaking, this might be why most restaurants in Santa Fe stick to various mexican menus. read more

As a sushi novice and FIEND, Kai is my favorite place in town and the large menu allows something new everytime. My husband, daughter and I go here at least once a month, sometimes more if I beg... lol!! The salmon sashimi is fatty, buttery and deliciously fresh! This place is the best sushi you can taste in Santa Fe. GO EAT THEIR SUSHI NOW!!! You're welcome! read more

Really good sushi at great prices. I had some sashimi that was so fresh and delicious, wow. Their yellowtail is amazing. There's so much on the menu, including yakisoba, fried rice options, veggie tempura (the green chile tempura is awesome), and bento boxes for lunch. Ariel is the best server; so kind! I will eventually try it all! read more

Such a nice little restaurant in the strip mall who Known. Helpful staff clean restaurant very traditional Japanese cuisine! read more

Kai Sushi & Dining - No wonder this place had so many stars on yelp - Sushi Bars Near Me - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Sushi was amazing! Had the rocker roll which was tasty and fresh! Staff was very friendly.