WOW...and not in a good way. I ate at the sushi bar here thinking hey, since all the rolls are buy one get one free, it was worth a try. Even with a free roll thrown in, SO not worth my time or money. First of all, it took 45 minutes for our food to come. 45 effing minutes, YEAH, that really happened. When I asked (nicely) the waitress 20 minutes in as to why the food was taking so long to get there, she said - oh, since it's a weekend, it usually takes up to an hour for rolls to come because of how busy we are. I guess I should have told you that before you sat down. Really? Really?! I looked to my left, no one at that table. I looked to my right, no one was at that table either. That's when I decided she was full of shit. When the food finally came, the rolls were poorly made. The chef who made them didn't wrap them properly, so everything inside the roll kept falling out. The fish wasn't fresh, but I guess I shouldn't have expected too much coming to a place that has to lure you in with a buy one get one free deal. Hopefully their teppanyaki is better, but I'm not willing to go back and try... read more

Our waiter didn't check on us once and we have been waiting for 50 minutes for our food. I could've driven to South Carolina and back and still not had my food. Fix this bs or close the damn restaurant. read more

Look, let's not skirt around this folks. You're not coming to Kanki to get the best sushi in the area, or the best hibachi, you're going there because it's convenient after a long day of shopping, or it's close to your house. I've learned this the hard way but I'll stick to it now: you don't go looking for sushi in malls. I don't care what kind of neatly packaged steakhouse clone it is, it's going to be mediocre. Don't deny it! So I was in the area in early May, and my friends were insistent that we go to Kanki to celebrate the end of classes with some hibachi/teppanyaki--and really, Kanki is the only place in the immediate area that we could think to get that. So in my head I'm saying "OKAY, it's just like every other Japanese Steakhouse you've ever been to... the food will be decent but overpriced, and the sushi will be meh." Yea, well, I should have taken my own advice a little more seriously. We decided to eat at the hibachi grill, which anyway you spin it is going to end up being close to 20 dollars alone for your meal... and some people think it's worth it, sometimes it is, but it wasn't for me. These kind of clone steakhouses don't really bring anything new to the table--it all just kind of blends together, and I don't mean to say it had harmony either. So let me break prose and get to the actual point. I ordered some sushi despite a previous experience that should have told me not to. What I did learn is a vital trick that you should employ at any such restaurant. ONLY GET THE SPECIALTY ROLLS--I know you've got an itch for nigiri, but this isn't the place you want to get it! If I'm going to be paying a pretty mid-range to high price for my sashimi, it better be really good, and it simply isn't here. I will say that the specialty rolls are creative and I'm sure they're enjoyable if you're into that kind of thing, but after trying their signature Firecracker roll and being thoroughly put off, I'm not crazy about it. Our "chef" was good but not very engaging--not even in the slightly awkward way that these hibachi entertainers normally are, where you're just begging for them to not single you out for anything. In some sense I guess that's a change of pace, but I don't think laziness can be called progressive in this circumstance. Service was pretty slow but polite. Prices were exuberant and not worth it. So if you're looking for one of those once-every-blue-moon hibachi dinners, I guess this will do, but don't set your expectations very high. read more

Food is good. Not excellent, just good. Service sucks. It gets worse every month. There is a policy to assign you to your table that you cannot be seated unless all your party is being held at the reception bar. It might work for large parties, but for a party of 4 or less is just stupid. It is not that it will take an individual that is next to you over 2 minutes to do something else. Or for a father/mother to take the children to the lego store (15 seconds away walking) while the other parent waits for the table. The policy is the most stupid thing. And the waiters are not nice either. The chefs are great guys. read more

Last few times I visited Kanki was before the renovation. The old look was more in-line with just about every single hibachi place in town (and beyond, most likely,) dim lighting, wood and bamboo decor all around. Now, I see the bright side of Kanki. Literally. A portion of the space in this corner of the mall is now turning into sushi restaurant look. No, sushi is not new at Kanki; as matter of fact, friends and I used to come here and get half-off sushi sometimes. If you come through the front or mall side entrance, you can see the brightly lit half of the restaurant, with high tables and booths, and a really impressive looking bar. However, gone are the days of half price sushi. What has replaced the awesome deal is now readily displayed on the sushi menu. For some of the rolls you can can either a full roll or a half roll, so for those nights where you want more than one roll but just cannot finish two, ladies and gentlemen, I have found the solution for you! read more

Good food . Some times the wait can be long I recommend having reservations definitely if it's 2 or more people

Wow...an average 3 start rating! How has this place been in business for over 25 years and seems to keep expanding? It's not the sushi, in my humble opinion. It must be the Japanese Steakhouse experience that keeps'm coming back. When they first opened eons ago and I was like 3 years old or something (heck, the place could be 30+ years old and technically the Old Wake Forest Rd location was the first), they WERE 'the' place to go in town. Every kid wanted a shrimp thrown at them by a chef with a tall hat over a stainless grill. Who didn't? Now, I'm just now that excited. You can get this same meal for half the price at any of the take-out hibachi places. Same sauces too. So, you are probably asking yourself...did you eat here or what? Tell me about your meal. Well, I shall. I stopped by on a Saturday for a late afternoon lunch and perched up at the sushi bar. My server was quick and efficient. She suggested I NOT chose the miso soup and get the other option. I forget what it was ...not hot and spicy or egg drop...it was fantastic. She knows her soups that girl. I asked about a sushi lunch box option, which wasn't on any of the menus they gave me and they showed me another menu. Perfect! It was plenty of food for $13 and it came reasonably fast. My only gripe really is that sushi should not be served warm. Why don't they chill the plates like they do in a really nice restaurants for the salads? Seems logical right? Anyway. The sushi didn't blow me away but it was fine. If you need a fix go. read more

A tremendous amount of food but pretty pricey. I took my girlfriend out for a date where we split the steak choice. It was more than enough being that we both received our own rice and vegetables. The chef was truly funny as expected from a hibachi grill. This chef was unique and polite with his humor as we were sitting with a family and children. The ambiance was super weird and it seemed like every single table stared at you while walking from the entrance to your table (sounds odd.. It was). The peach infused saki was decent and over priced. read more

If you shy away from the big elaborate hibachi table shows (ugh....too much food) you'll find that Kanki has a pretty good sushi bar! Nothing particularly fancy and no deals at all (I love a good bogo deal!), but the sushi was fresh and the price was still pretty decent! We had the Crunchy, Budokan and Sweet Dragon roll. While the Budokan and Sweet Dragon were both VERY good the crunchy roll was a bit more boring than I was expecting. For some reason thought there was more to this roll, but nope! We also had a calamari appetizer that was wonderful! Crispy and not greasy with a mayo based sauce which was good for light dipping. While everything was pretty good, the service was absolutely stellar. Our waitress was helpful, gave suggestions and made sure everything tasted good. Our drinks were filled and she was very funny while also being professional! Great job! read more

If you like hibachi-style Japanese food and sushi, this is your place. It's worth the wait for the group dining, but the sushi bar seating is first come-first serve and serves the exact same menu. read more

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Tonight, I placed an order for a to-go plate. I was already at the mall and planned to wait in my car until my order was ready. A few moments after I placed my order I received a phone call from the restaurant. There was a young lady on the phone whose words to me were "I need you here by 9:00 because we are closing because of the curfew" -- completely taken aback by here I let her know that I was already in the parking lot. She then asked if I was in a curbside spot yet, when I told her I was not she told me to call back when I was and then hung the phone up. Considering I was spending $30 on dinner for one I was not pleased with the rude way in which I was spoken to. I immediately called back and asked that my order be canceled. Considering the impact of COVID I would expect those in the restaurant industry to be much more concerned with customer service than what this young lady displayed tonight. read more

I'll say basically the same things I said for the other Kanki (on Old Wake Forest), but I'll also note that I hate parking at Crabtree Valley Mall, and this Kanki is weirdly located on the ground floor. The other Kanki has a much nicer exterior (complete with koi pond) that is much easier to get to, in my opinion. ---- Although it's a little spendy, Kanki is pretty fun every once in a while, and the service tends to be decent (especially since your food gets cooked right in front of you). It's even good as a vegetarian--I let my server know up front that I wanted my veggies cooked first, and they were happy to accommodate me. And they gave me SO many veggies. Usually I find hibachi cooking pretty boring, but I enjoy both of the two sauces Kanki provides, especially the pink one. I have no idea what's in it, but it's really good. The authenticity is questionable, I suppose, but it's still tasty if you're not super cultured. Also, little kids love the cooking show. The chefs are really good about making sure the little ones have fun, in my experience. read more

I've been coming here on and off for the last 5+ years and the quality in food and service have decreased over time. Today was the worst experience I've had. This was the second time the water cup had dirty particles in it. The manager assisting the waitress asked if our checks were going to be together or separate after our sushi....but we haven't even gotten our main entrees. When we sat down, our waitress didn't even greet us so when I said "hello" & "thank you" I still received no sort of response. read more

Kanki is kinda growing on me. It's been a while since I've been there for Hibachi, but I've been there twice in the past month for sushi -- once for lunch and another time for dinner. I've sat AT the sushi bar on both occasions as well. This provided for a little more intimate show just as when you have hibachi you're entertained with the audience interaction amusement as well. The service has always been great whenever I've been to this location. I think hibachi can be entertaining and a novelty, but it's not the best thing in the world. It's more the show factor than anything for me. I usually fill up fast and am hungry later on. The leftovers are okay heated up. Usually I'll get chicken and shrimp if I do the hibachi. There's rarely an empty table in their hibachi dining room and quite often a wait to go with it. Thankfully I've never really had to deal with that and had good experiences every time. Last time I had dinner there my friend and I shared a popular starter: Hot Rockin' Lava Shrimp or Tender shrimp, deep fried to a golden brown and tossed in our spicy lava sauce. Holy cow this was spicy terrific saucy lovingness in my mouth! I am not a fried foods girl generally, but this app was some super bites for my mouth! Since lately I've been somewhat of a sushi connoisseur I'll share the top 3 rolls I've enjoyed: - Spiral Ecstasy Roll made of Shrimp, krab and avocado rolled with salmon, yellowtail and tuna. Now, unlike a certain family member of mine who likes the actual stuff or despite how much energy I actually have, I've never tried real ecstasy, but this certainly gave me a little high because of how good it was! - Dynamite Roll made of Shrimp, krab, masago, and mayo, served futo maki style. Dammmmnn. This was good! Quite an explosion of goodness as well. As you may be able to tell I like shrimp and crabmeat...mmmm, mouth watering now. - Sheila Maki made of Butterfish, krab, avocado, masago and spicy mayo in a reverse roll layered with tempura drops and seasoned sweet soy. First of all, I really love it because it's got crab in it and lots of spicy flavor. I also love it because it's different. Reverse, reverse! Oh how good some things can be when done backwards or unlike how "they're supposed to be." I am not the one who even suggests Kanki when I grab lunch or dinner there with my friends, but I always enjoy it! The service is great and since my most recent experiences have been in the sushi bar of course I'm biased to those, but really. Superb Kanki. Keep at it! read more

They just completely renovated! What used to be a good sushi place with a pretty good atmosphere, is now a contender against some of the better sushi haunts in Raleigh. They now feature a separate sushi bar and actual bar, which is great if there's a wait for a table. There's a lot more seating if you're just having sushi and not doing Hibachi, which is a nice change. Everything just looks newer and fresher. They have a ton of rolls to choose from and all of the ones I have had were good. I don't know if I would choose Kanki over some of the other sushi restaurants in Raleigh, but it's worth a try. On a side note: I had a glass if Sangria and it was made fresh....yum! read more

My food was ready when I arrived but the food could've been season a little better. The hostess was really nice and offered great customer service. read more

THIS RESTAURANT IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF NEW MANAGEMENT. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. I tried to have a group dinner at Kanki on March 26th and it was one of the worst restaurant experience I've had. As with any group dinner, some of my party was not on time. Although we had a reservation, we were told we could not be seated with 9 of the 11 of our party present. Then, when I insisted that we be seated 30 minutes AFTER our reservation, I was told that in order for us to be seated we still had to have the orders of those coming. I'll spare the details of how we were eventually seated but after MUCH run around and poor customer service, we were seated only to receive the same old mediocre and overpriced food from a far from entertaining hibachi chef. My boyfriend and I did not order hibachi, but sushi from the bar instead. After watching all of our party eat their entire meals, approx 45 mins, we got word from the manager that our order was never put in!! So, with all that hassle I never even ate... and was offered "two appetizers and some coupons" for my time. I was thoroughly disappointed and will never dine here again. The restaurant was extremely over crowded and it only made me wonder if there was so much chaos out on the floor, what does the kitchen look like? DO NOT EAT HERE. Raleigh has so many better options to choose from! read more

This place has nice decor and the prices are reasonable. However some of the food tasted a little off and the hibachi cook was very boring. This is located in a mall which can get very busy and hard to find parking. There is a bar so if you have to wait for a seat you have something to do I ate here for hibachi. Their soup was good but the salad dressing they had on the salad was awful, not like other places. I noticed that there was only 2 Asian cooks and only 1 that was entertaining. Our cook almost put me to sleep and his method's of cooking was questionable. Also if you travel for business and have to turn in a receipt, be prepared to answer what type of place you went to. The name "Kanki" can raise a few red flags. read more

While we were at Kanki at Crabtree valley mall, my friends and I had an experience that was completely inappropriate. Our chef who was cooking in front of us came up to us after our meal and used a racial slur to talk bad about the black family sitting behind us. He used the n word and it was absolutely unacceptable. We immediately got the manager and she did not handle the situation well at all. Extremely disappointed in this restaurant and we will not be returning. read more

I'm sad to say this Kanki is not my favorite anymore. For the last several times we ate here, the service keeps getting worse. At least those other times, someone was there to greet us when we came to the front to be seated. Today, I had to look for someone to seat us! The only employee at the front desk was on the phone and didn't even acknowledge us. I wish I could give a better review, but at this time, I can't. I give 3 stars for the food & the chefs are always entertaining. read more

I'm updating my review NOT based on a dining experience. I'm sure Kanki is pretty much the same as the last time I visited- lackluster sushi, generic hibachi chefs and food.. unfortunately, I couldn't visit again to see how the experience would compare, because nobody in the entire restaurant will answer the phone. Apparently this is a case of "we're busy enough because we're at the mall", a common scenario where mall-located restaurants are worse than their stand-alone chain counterparts. I wanted to take my boys here to eat because they really love the hibachi experience. It's exciting for kids. Unfortunately, on both occasions I tried to call ahead and the phone would ring and ring and ring. I don't appreciate a location that only cares about the customers who are already IN the restaurant. Went to the Wake Forest location instead and had a blast. Your loss, Crabtree Kanki. read more

I give this place two stars for one thing, and one thing only. The Poseidon Roll. It is hands down, the best freaking roll i ever had in ever. However, the over all Hibachi/Teppanyaki experience was pretty dull. the first time i came here, the server didn't really speak to us at all, even when we tried to engage him in a convo outside of "ooooooohs and ahhhhhhhs". the second trip? we had to keep calling for refills and it wasn't even busy, at ALL. not at the bar, not on the grills. the third time was the same as the first. Each trip though? the chicken is ALWAYS DRY!!!!!!! ALWAYS! Also, i'm not sure if the cooks understand what medium rare is, because i always end up getting beyond well done steak. i wouldn't mind if it is well done, but there was no juice in that meat. Also, the drinks are so/so. And is it me....or has the prices raised significantly? read more

Food was great, our chef (Jesus) was great, and the environment of the restaurant was great. HOWEVER, they don't seem to care about our environment as a whole, as they gave each person opened straws in our drink, without us asking. The carbon footprint of this place is LARGE. I hope they adjust their options and really try to be more environmentally friendly. read more

Honestly, I think this place gets a bad and very undeserved rap. I've never eaten the teppenyaki, so I have no idea if it's good. But the sushi is consistently fresh and interesting. The rice isn't cold or squishy. It never tastes old or poorly cared for. And it's always busy, so you know the food moves (something that can't be said for other places in the area). I've seen many people complain about the service. I've been here 3 times and it's always been fine. Sometimes it's a long wait for sushi...again, busy. But at least they tell you ahead of time. So order a drink and appetizer, and relax. Maybe it was bad in 2006. But here in mid-09, it's my preffered sushi place, and I've tried lots of others in the area. Sushi-Thai? Awful. Haru? Average. Waraji? Overpriced!! I tried ordering a sake-avo roll. Kanki? No problem. Waraji? They looked at me like I had 6 heads and ultimately wouldn't do it. If you tried Kanki long ago, try it again. If you've stayed away because you think good sushi and malls can't go together, get over it and go. You'll be happy. I always am. read more

For some reason, I really like Hibachi. Granted, you are not truly paying for the food, but rather the ambiance and the chef's side show. My team decided to head out tonight to have Hibachi. Since it has been ages (like over 3 years), I decided to join them. It was packed! It did not help that they had a company dinner there taking up like 12 tables (I think they had over 100 people from a technology company). Fortunately enough, we came early. And, we squeezed ahead of this large group. By the way, the hostess and receptionist were very nice. In addition, they were really really cute too... LOL... man.. if i was single.. :) I ordered a diet coke, the sampler - as the appetizer, and the emperor's delight (chicken, steak, and shrimp mix). The sampler was about $9.99. It has two types of shrimp, buffalo wings, and some veggie side. It was really good. We finished the sampler in minutes. As for the entree, it was your typical hibachi. I wish I could have ordered a side of scallops... I love scallops ... yum The show was pretty good. The chef did a nice demo of a volcano, flips, basketball shots, and of course the "to go" aluminum swan wrap. It was very entertaining. Outside of smelling like a Japanese kitchen and the price (meal totalled about $50 per person), I thought it was a fun evening. I would recommend a Hibachi experience every so often! read more

Good, basic place, our go to for sushi. It's not the best sushi place in Raleigh, but they make what we like and it makes for a happy wife. We almost never go to steakhouse, even when that's what we want we sit down up front in the sushi and bar area. Basic and simple, there isn't much more to say. read more

Just did my son's Birthday party here. The service was just spectacular for a group of seven seven year olds. Funny story, the kids were banging chopsticks and we see the manager coming over. We tried to quiet them down before she got there only to hear her say "It's Kanki and it's his birthday, let them have fun". They kept all the kids drinks full all night and came through on the kind of strange requests kids have. The chef was excellent as well and was very accommodating to the kids. I think he must have squirted them with the fake ketchup/string bottle twenty times. And the jokes he kept telling were amazingly spot on for the age group. As someone that appreciates incredible Sushi and Japanese food from around the world, its not really about the Japanese food here, but their Hibachi is good and certainly filling. The new decor in the waiting area is nice and more open than before. Nice to see this space still kicking after the years they have been there. I give three stars for the food and five stars for the service. A very good place for a birthday party when you're in the mood for such Hibachi fun. read more

Food was pretty good... however I had better. Portions are small . Our waitress was slow and inattentive. If you eat here I recommend attempting the Hibachi Bar. read more

From me an amazing dinner. sushi was awesome and yes I have to say better then at Kaze even I am unfaithful now. Yummy food and good and simple restaurant. read more

The worst dining experience I've had in a while. I've been to way less quality places that walked all over this place. Terrible service from all wait staff, acted like they were annoyed to have served me. Honestly, the worst wait staff in Raleigh. Can't even keep drinks filled. read more

I love the Teriyaki noodle bowl. I always get extra sesame seeds with a teriyaki sauce. The best time to go during lunch time and you get a best deal and special attention when it's not so pack and you can enjoy a great meal. read more

I ordered take out over the phone and the food took longer than expected. The manager (Ms. Kimmy?)noticed this and let me know I'd receive vouchers for two complimentary appetizers plus an extra portion of delicious hibachi shrimp. Excellent way to ensure repeat business. read more

Out of all hibachi-styled Japanese restaurants, this particular one has to be my favorite, mainly due to combination of experience and food. It's hard to get, or find, a good chef that will entertain you and can strike up a conversation, no matter how dumb the topic. Our chef, R.D., was great at doing just that! He also made sure, with the waitress, that we were never low on water, and just enough (in my opinion, too much) to eat. The food, as always, was delicious, and as an added bonus, we had two birthday cakes given to us (by a waitress) on the house for one of our friend's birthday! And I hate myself for eating it, because now I want more.... read more

Literally one of my favorites restaurants until today. My husband had some form of paper in his soup. Not sure if it was tissue or a wrapping but it definitely killed our appetite. The manager brought us a fresh round of soups and then there was the same paper substance in mine. She examined it and determined it definitely wasn't food and offered $5 off our meal. We also overheard the wait staff at the bar mocking us and claiming it was only a mushroom when it clearly wasn't read more

We've been customers for many years and we usually request a chef. Today was no exception and our waiter told us that our favorite chef was available. We got our drinks, soup and salad, at that point the other party arrived to the table escorted by Lynn the evening manager...they also requested a chef, a different one from ours...they even told Lynn that they were willing to wait for their favorite chef... well, to our surprise, our request was denied and the request of the later party was met, but ours not. The food was good, and the attention from the chef was ok. Why the manager decided to fulfill the other party request and not ours that we arrived earlier and we were promised a specific chef, I'm not sure. We still paying customers like anyone else. read more

First time here at Kanki and I think the food is really good. I wanted to get steak, shrimp, n salmon but the server told me no substitutions so I ended up getting steak and salmon. The salmon was delicious and the steak was good but overcooked. The rice pretty much just tastes like fried rice.. nothing special. The yumyum sauce was good but not the best I've had. Altogether the meal was good. But I am comparing this place to my favorite Japanese place on earth (Kobe's 610-Garrisonville,VA) and this place misses the mark just a tad. Still good! I would definitely recommend! Thanx for the experience!! read more

Kanki - Fried rice, sauteed onions, salmon. Good Af - Japanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This place is overrated. Food isn't all that's it's hyped up to be. Very bland. Eggshells in my rice. Only thing that was good was the steak on my plate. Shrimp was salty. Was just very disappointed in the food. Service was great tho read more

I always use to have a great image of Kanki but I just feel like it's let itself go over the years. The service is okay. The food is good. The entertainment can be really...entertaining if you're lucky. It's nice to have the family around a good meal with a show to add. I've been here quite a few times because my husbands family likes it a lot. The new renovations that have been done in the last couple of years are really noteworthy. The sushi is good. Nothing compared to sono or mura but still good. It's a shame the food can't all be ready at the same time. I struggle with not eating the food while it's hot on my plate to spare myself being disappointed that I have a plateful of 1/2 cold food in front of me. I wanted to have something a little more healthier that the usual hibachi & fried rice. I went for the steamed veggies vegetarian platter with the tofu appetizer. the tofu was better than I expected. The steamed veggies were also fun to watch be prepared. Nearly the entire table got scallops & the chicken & steak were cooked to perfection. The soup wasn't hot like u expect soup to be. I ordered water without lemon & the waitress actually said, "I know you said no lemon but I figured, 'oh well'" ...seriously?!? It took a long time to get refills and one of the napkins was on the floor when we arrived. We asked for a new one and it didn't come till the food was already plated. The sushi has a :50 min wait which seemed like a lot for a Sunday night but it was good and worth the wait. The chef didn't play with the audience like we would expect, or do many tricks-he did make a volcano & then pick it up & dump the entire thing in the trash which I found odd. Aside from the floozy of a waitress, it was ok & I had plenty for lunch the next day. I'm sure we'll be back at kanki, but not willingly. read more

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Good stuff. The Poseidon roll is excellent along with anything tempura or hibachi. Very nice staff and very enjoyable atmosphere. read more

Kanki - Japanese Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

The Scottish roll is amazing. I love everything Bout this place and wish I had one in my house.