Food was excellent, reasonably priced and good quiet atmosphere. Definitely recommended.

The bartenders are still amazing!! I can't deny that but the food gone downhill...no oysters on the 1/2....when you put on the menu charred octopus it's supposed to be charred not rubbery and chewy and barely cooked ...our entrees such a disaster we order the same thing every time we come in quality has totally gone downhill!! We give them a year !! read more

Kitaro Surf & Turf - Supposedly charred Octopus.. - Steakhouses Near Me - Munster, Indiana

Kitaro is a well run and managed establishment that provides excellent quality food with friendly knowledgeable service. For every year since the place opened, I've watched the Super Bowel from their bar area with my family. It's not your typical bar and grill experience with pizza and buffalo wings in a noisy crowded bar but a more relaxed unconfined time with loved ones and friends, with one being able to watch the game and commercials on their two large TV's all awhile eating delicious healthy food and being kindly attended too by their well trained staff. They have game day specials which add to it being an excellent choice to watch the game. Super Bowl or not, Kitaro is a champion and great choice for anyone whom seeks winning Asian surf or turf with victorious service. read more

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My husband and I have frequently come here when we are craving sushi because they have the best egg rolls, dumplings and crab Rangoon!!!! The staff is knowledgeable and patient with me when I ask 100000 questions because I'm super picky about my sushi. The vibe is is somewhat dress but relaxed too and they have some of the best cocktails in this area! read more

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Well it's way over priced and the quality of food along with the inside of establishment was less than par. Had several items and it was not good. I love sushi and I was very disappointed. read more

So, I've been coming to Kitaro for some few years now and I highly recommend this restaurant because of the excellence in service‼ Rather reasoning inside or carry out this place is really fantastic‼ I have had an array of their sushi and some other things on the menu and it is exquisite‼ I have now done carry out numerous on occasions and a very pleasant, professional and knowledgeable young lady by the name of Amelia have taken care of me very well‼ I can appreciate excellence in customer service and Amelia is that young woman! Thank you for hiring such a magnificent professional‼ read more

I really enjoyed myself. The decor is beautiful. Great date spot. Definitely a hidden gem in my opinion. No complaints with service. I forget the young lady's name but she made recommendations and it was appreciated. The sushi was fresh and delicious. My friend had the sea bass and it was cooked to perfection. I enjoyed the short rib. It had great flavor and falling off the bone! I forget the drinks but they don't skip on the alcohol. My only complaint is the booths are too small. There's no leg room underneath. read more

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Took my mom here for Mother's Day. While I love the attitude of their servers and some of their food options. There is always a weird vibe with the owner. As if she's being bothered or inconvenienced. I thought I was the only one but after taking my mom there she didn't have to say a word and I knew why she was a bit uncomfortable eating there. We walked in and the owner asked if a seat at the bar was ok. Though there were plenty of tables and booths open. We asked for a booth. She said do you have a reservation. We advised we didn't. She said "mmm. Sit down". My mom doesn't really care for their food but she loved this ONE sushi roll we had there previously. Unfortunately it wasn't on the menu. Our server asked if they could still make it and told us they could. After a long wait she advised the head chef said they couldn't. At that point my mom was ready to go but I convinced her to stay. We tried a couple other rolls and a spring roll. The other rolls were OK at best. And my mom felt the spring rolls were overcooked. She also advised she gets the exact same ones from Aldi (triple the amount and 1/3 of the price) lol. Can you tell she wasn't feeling it? I thought the spring rolls were pretty good though kind of crunchy. However I do agree the whole menu is a bit over priced. Still love the ambiance but it's no longer a fav unfortunately. Maybe an every blue moon type of ordeal. read more

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We booked this place for our anniversary and were super excited to try it out after getting a recommendation. The interior is very nice and chic so we had high expectations. There was a lot of waiting involved which wasn't ideal. I wanted to try their lobster tail and my boyfriend loves Godzilla rolls so he got that and a Magic Tuna. The lobster tail was not tender and was pretty disappointing for a frozen, $62 tail. A little bit of salt or any seasoning whatsoever would have been nice as a side or on the lobster/in the butter. The lack of flavor in everything made it unenjoyable to eat. The veggies and the mashed potatoes were 10x better and were seasoned and delicious. The Godzilla roll tasted like a toned done version of a normal one. Also this one in particular had an extra amount of cream cheese. It wasn't the best one we've had but it wasn't bad. The Magic Tuna was definitely an interesting roll. I love crispy rice and my favorite is definitely tuna with jalapeño. Because of this, we thought it would be my favorite by far. The rice was not crispy and was weirdly flexible instead. But the oddest part is that it had a really good taste to me at first, but a second later I get the taste of strong dental anesthetic. Might be just a weird issue with the jalapeños that I've never had before. Overall, very overpriced and not worth the wait. Wish we chose somewhere else for our special day. read more

Kitaro Surf & Turf - Lobster Tail - Steakhouses Near Me - Munster, Indiana

Nice, pleasant atmosphere when entering, very nice.. Two visits, coming in alone so I sat at the bar so that booth-assigned servers could earn higher tip with filled booth.. Both times at the bar: passed over (ignored?) by bartenders perhaps because I, an older female, was alone--and maybe presumed to be unable/not educated enough to tip well?? Oh, so wrong. Blatant deference to neighboring couple with focus on the male. 1957 attitude?? Observed one server chatting up couple in a booth for 5 minutes--too long when other customers are waiting to be served.. Conclusion: "Upscale", or " Chicago-like" is service focused/accommodating, not aloof/selective. Need to hire more professional staff or to have restaurant rofessional train snippy, self-determined judges on the art of professional Service. read more

First, please see the review I wrote not too long ago about this spot. My second time here was just so great that I wanted to give them more kudos. I reviewed this business maybe even less than a month ago, but dined here again and had another wonderful experience! I'm pretty sure the very kind and personable owner greeted and sat me. As a single party, I was seated in the far back. At first I was concerned I would be neglected because of my seating, but Andrea was amazing! Despite having multiple tables, including a seven top, Andrea checked on me often and always made sure I was taken care of. Support staff also did a great job--always making sure my table was clean and clear and my water was filled. I had the steak again, which was same as last time--charred wonderfully on the outside; medium as requested on the inside. I got fries this time--so crispy and hot! The veggies were actually even better than last time. The watermelon martini special was super refreshing--the owner recommended in response to my last review! The Japanese mule was also light and easy to drink. And the passionfruit margarita was tart and surprising! I really liked them all! Another great visit to Kitaro. If I return (my business in this area is wrapping up)--I'll probably try some of their fish and appetizers. read more

Kitaro Surf & Turf - Steakhouses Near Me - Munster, Indiana

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Ask to see the kitchen. You'll never eat there again. Disgusting. Never had sushi that had a bleach smell to it. Could eat so we just left. Server didn't even ask us how our food was. read more

This place never misses! From food, dinner ambiance, and service, I don't think you can beat it in NWI. Although, seriously, it's better than most places in Chicago. I said it, fight me! Tonight we dined in for dinner and it was really bustling, but service never missed a beat. The monthly specials are always amazing, and even though the lobster fried rice looked so decadent, we went with the Dragon Mama and Korean Short rib. I'm not sure why the beef came with a knife because it was so tender we ate it with chopsticks. It was melt in the mouth. The freshness of the fish is always 10 so I recommend any sashimi or nigiri you're craving. I usually try the monthly specials and Dragon Mama was probably the best roll I've had. LOVE this place. read more

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The 3 star rating is mainly due to the very expensive price. The food and service were good and came out quickly ! It's not the best sushi I've had but it by far wasn't the worst. The building is newly finished construction so the place was in tip top shape! I have the $12 crab Rangoon, a $21 Firecracker roll and expensive Stella beer for a grand total of $52 which included tip. I was hungry again within an hour or so. read more

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The food was absolutely delicious. I had the truffle tuna flight, scallop dinner, and fatty yellowtail and fatty salmon nigiri. All were out of this world. My friend had the hibachi shrimp with teriyaki sauce and said it was also fantastic. We also ordered the lemon salmon maki but were too full to try more than one piece each. I will say it wasn't my favorite but that's a personal preference. It was still good though. Overall the ambience was gorgeous and calm without overdoing it and our waiter was very chill. Enjoyable time and highly recommend. Worth the cost read more

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Great service and food. I was looking for some sushi late night and they did not disappoint. Nice little restaurant in a shopping center: I was a walk in and was seated promptly in the bar area. It was nice and clean. The server was so nice the cocktails they have are delicious. Make sure you order some food to wash them down lol. I did order my sushi to go. Sad I didn't take a picture of that. But it was Devine. Don't take my word it. Go stop in and taste their delicious cocktails and sushi. Next time I'm in town I will have to try other items on their menus. read more

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Quality of the sashimi is outstanding. Menu offers many good choices. Atmosphere is friendly and service is first rate. If I lived closer I would be there often. read more

A Great Alternative to the Standard fare in the Area I stopped into Kitaro to try something different in the Hammond Area. I've been to the Brew-Pubs, the barbecue joints, the Asian restaurants, the pizza places, etc. I was intrigued by Kitaro's menu and decided to give it a try. The place is very well decorated and the staff is very friendly. I tried their Grilled Squid, which was very flavourful and cooked perfectly. My main course was their Miso Ramen made with Pork belly, egg noodles, soft-boiled egg, scallions, wakame, and sesame, in miso broth. This Ramen was on par with other ramen I've tried all over North America. For dessert, I had to try their Mochi, which was very good. I washed all that great food with an ice-cold Kitachino Nest White Ale, a very easy, drinking beer. The food was great and the staff was awesome. I enjoyed the food here and will be back to try some of their other dishes. read more

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My mother in law and I made a stop in for lunch and can't even express how wonderful our experience was. Our hostess was so kind and attentive and seated us near the bar area in a booth. The booths are actually beautiful to just look at and the atmosphere is cozy and modern. The restaurant overall is beautiful. Now let's get to the food. The menu is large and so much much more than sushi. We decided on maki lunch special with two rolls. We settled on the Hawaiian and Dragon roll. Both of these rolls.... Delicious .... But the Hawaiian was the star of the show here. Hands down amazing... get it his roll! The rolls took a while to come out but so worth the wait. The presentation and quality is fantastic. I will be coming back with my hubby very soon! read more

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This was the first time at this restaurant. We had a party of 6. I started with the Asian Pear Martini and an order of Shrimp Summer Rolls. My husband ordered a Sapporo and Kirin Ichiban. For dinner, we shared a Sashimi & Maki combo with a mini Kitaro Monster as well as an Ocean Drive Roll with a Kitaro Surf & Turf Roll. Everything we so delicious. The fish was so fresh. Both of our servers were so nice. So happy my sister in law recommend this place to us. read more

Kitaro Surf & Turf - Ocean Drive & Kitaro Surf and Turf Roll - Steakhouses Near Me - Munster, Indiana

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I've been here several times and have never been disappointed. Dinner and a show with my youngest. He loves sushi and this is a great spot for that. Drinks are always made well. No complaints. Very chic atmosphere. Music is good. Conversation still could be had. And the staff are always down to have small talk. Love it here! read more

Food is always great! 4th time coming here in the last 3 weeks! Cannot get enough of their food! read more

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I placed a door dash order for pick up, I ordered King Kong roll, asparagus fries, and house fried rice. Food was delicious but the customer service was awful. When I walked in I greeted cashier and told her that I was there for pick up order, she asked my name and I told her my name, she responds "Ebenezer", I corrected her and said name again and she says "oh I thought you were being silly", I looked at her confused, took my food and left. This was my first time ordering from this place, never met this lady so why would I be "silly" with her. My name is Ebonie, no way she thought I said Ebenezer! Do better! The star rating is for the service, the food deserves 5 stars! read more

Food is terrible and over priced. The rolls are not even rolled. The "fish" if that's what it really is, was just slapped onto the top of what the consider a roll; rice rolled in seaweed. I've never seen anything like it. The Server was polite and courteous, however not well versed in the menu, didn't understand enough to describe what is being served. Will never go back to this place. It's unfortunate as it's walkable from my home. read more

Kitaro Surf & Turf - So called spicy tuna roll - Steakhouses Near Me - Munster, Indiana

I've gone here and few times and I can say that the sushi is very good. The ramen, however, is incredibly mid and I would never get again. But the service, the ladies more specifically, our waitresses, were so very kind and welcoming. The last time I went here was last Friday for my boyfriend's birthday, and the staff and sushi made it memorable for us. :) read more

This was our first time visiting this establishment. Our server was very nice and attentive. The food was delicious! My only complaint is the menu description and what I received regarding my entree. The menu listed my entree as "Korean short ribs" which is plural and suggests more than one short rib would be served. I received "one" short rib. While it was extremely tasty I would have preferred getting what was stated as an offering on the menu. Pics below show one from the website depicting shorts ribs and my entree depicting one short rib. Again, everything was delicious however I would have preferred getting what was described on the menu as that is what I paid for. read more

Kitaro Surf & Turf - Korean short rib - Steakhouses Near Me - Munster, Indiana

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This restaurant was a delightful visit. We stopped by on a Saturday afternoon, and there were about 5-6 groups in the restaurant. The service was stellar, and the food was incredibly fresh and tasteful. It definitely hit the spot! They have plenty of space for a party reservation, and sometimes have live music as well. Julie was a superb server who was very attentive to our needs. She regularly refilled our drinks and gave us ample space for conversations. We will be back to visit sometime soon. read more

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This place is hands down the best sushi in the region....and dare I say the whole Chicago area? Yes. It's that's good. Try it! read more

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I've been about three or four times now. The food is always delicious. are usually get either orders of crab Rangoon, and fried rice or a New York strip and mashed potatoes and some sort of vegetable. I'd consider this restaurant to be a oriental American fusion steakhouse. The service is OK not the greatest. And one things for certain in the summertime it's going to be freezing cold in there... that air conditioner for sure works Baby! This restaurant has been open for a few years now and they're due for some minor interior upgrades and repairs but other than that it's an affordable nice restaurant almost just as good as any Chicago southland area steakhouse read more

Kitaro Surf & Turf - Crab Rangoon - Steakhouses Near Me - Munster, Indiana

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I was invited to Kitaro for a birthday party for a friend, and I was really excited to come to this restaurant. I enjoy Japanese cuisine and sushi, but I was highly underwhelmed by the food. I ordered chicken fried rice and California rolls. The California rolls were very good; they were fresh and flavorful. Unfortunately, the my fried rice on the other hand, seemed overcooked. The chicken was extremely dry, like it was overcooked and there was no seasoning on it. And the rice was mushy and under seasoned. For the prices of the food, I would expect quality food. My plate of chicken fried rice cost $20, and I feel I should have spent about $8 for it. Besides the food, the ambience in the restaurant was really nice. The lightening was nice, it was not too bright or dark in the restaurant, but just right. I believe this place is better for small parties, it's not really great for large parties. I would definitely come back with another person, but I would not go as a large group. But I'll recommend for the California rolls. read more

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There was nothing I loved about this place and there isn't much to make me want to come back. They stuck us in the back room with zero ambiance and a very blah, afterthought of a room. It would be fine if this was some casual dining but I'm dropping a pretty penny for a generic room. When it comes to the sushi, of the 4 rolls, there was one that I would say was good - the hangovers. The other options we had were either average or below. I wasn't thrilled about the service and maybe it was an off day for the them as other reviews say otherwise. read more

Food was really good, service was great, ambiance amazing. Will definitely go back! I'm going to try maki next time, looked amazing from eyeing others plate read more

Kitaro Surf & Turf - Hibachi Steak Fried Rice - Steakhouses Near Me - Munster, Indiana

Been coming here for years and we always order the lobster tempura appetizer. It is usually a decent portion for the 4 of us, enough for everyone to get 2 or 3. Went there last night for my daughter's 6th birthday, and decided on 2 orders of tempura ($25 each) since there was 6 of us there. One of the baskets only had 6 pieces! Knowing from experience that this was not the standard amount, we mentioned it to the waiter. His manager told us that they couldn't provide us with anymore because they are portioned. What? Complained again and he said he would take one off our bill. Bill comes and nothing taken off. Waiter said the manager decided to give free bday dessert instead of discounting the appetizer. We were earlier told the dessert was free anyway for birthdays. And there are reviews stating free bday dessert, and we have received it free ourselves on other occasions. We feel swindled. And on my daughter's birthday! On top of that, they added an $8 surcharge on top of the 20% tip. We weren't even asking for a discount but don't lie to your customers. All of this could've been resolved by providing us the correct amount of what we ordered. Dont short us AND make us pay $50 for it. Seems like they need money. We spend a few grand here every year, but wont be back for some time. My advice, if you go, cross your fingers that your orders are right. If not, you will deal with poor customer service. Probably new management:( read more

Was really looking forward to trying their salmon but the service was so slow and bad... we only stayed for appetizers and drinks. Our waiter kept talking behind the bar to his coworkers and left us waiting for 30 mins when he knew (I told him) we were ready to order. Ugh. I feel like kids these days don't care about doing their jobs!!! Please hire seasoned staff who know good hospitality! read more

They dropped the ball big time. From the moment we sat down , our server was all over the place . It was kind of busy for a Monday lunch. There were only two servers . For two drinks , two appetizers and two entrees , with a tip came to $140 for two people. That is insane for a 12pm lunch in Munster Indiana ... The crab Rangoon came out Luke warm , shrimp in the sushi was not peeled either .. hibachi chicken was not seasoned and well over cooked and came out cold... Tried to send my entree back because it's cold , overcooked, dry and bland . They told me the manager said they could remake it but i couldn't order anything on the menu. In my mind , why would I pay for the same meal which will be prepared the same exact way , instead of making something new that I order... doesn't make sense... what happened to guest satisfaction? The star of the day was the Asian pear martini... which is shouldn't be. I won't be back. read more

Kitaro Surf & Turf - Steakhouses Near Me - Munster, Indiana

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Fantastic! I went randomly on a Saturday evening , sat at the bar to watch the games. As soon as I walked in it was super chic and welcoming. The Bar Star Kyra was absolutely fantastic. She was polite, relatable, and well informed of all things on the menu. She recommended the chef's special which was phenomenal( dragon mama) I also had the Sea Bass with double vegetables and it was cooked to perfection. The portion was pretty large enough that I had enough to take home. Can't wait to return and bring a few friends to enjoy. read more

Kitaro Surf & Turf - Sea bass with vegetables - Steakhouses Near Me - Munster, Indiana

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An excellent meal with a few friends in an upscale Asian restaurant. The decor stands out with the vibrant colors and lighting.....: feels relatively new but has been in business for over a year at least. Our server happened to be the manager Marco, gave us great recommendations for appetizers and entrees. We had the jalapeño stuffed crab and Brussels Sprouts which were delicious. I had the Chicago bears sushi roll which was ok and we got the dynamite and another good roll along with shrimp fried rice which was delicious. Desserts we got the chocolate caramel soufflé which was finger licking good , the creme Brûlée I would skip next time. Overall a lovely COVID19 dining experience, I felt safe being in Indiana at a restaurant!! read more

Kitaro Surf & Turf - Dinner! - Steakhouses Near Me - Munster, Indiana

I don't even know where to start...this was the worst sushi restaurant I have ever been to. We waited for 1.5 hours for our soups and salad. The salad dressing was in a plastic container like we were at a cafeteria. THEN...we watched other people come in after us and leave before us before we even got our meals. Most of the food was under cooked and cold. What a horrible awful experience. read more

Was very disappointed with our salmon nigiri. As an avid sushi eater I have never seen the skin left on the fish. Horrible texture with the skin left on. Not sure if laziness of the chef or just how this restaurant prepares it. The rest of our food was delicious but this was a huge disappointment especially for the price of 2 pieces for $10. Upsetting. Don't recommend ordering salmon nigiri from this spot. read more

Kitaro Surf & Turf - Salmon Nigiri (skin left on) - Steakhouses Near Me - Munster, Indiana

Before I start my detailed review, let me just say that this restaurant is a definite MUST try. Food and service with the exception of one waitress is stellar. Now on to the specifics. My fiance at the time suggested we go here after a coworker recommended the establishment. It was a nice, sunny summer afternoon on 6/26/22 and we noticed they had an outdoor patio. SWEET! We were seated at the patio and were graced with getting Alyssa to service us! She was such a pleasant joy and made our dinner really nice. Our food, drinks and service were SUPERB! It was so relaxing which we needed because it was 7 days before our wedding and we were dealing with so much at the time. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we decided we would come back and definitely have Alyssa to serve us again. On 7/6/22, we were into our third day of our honeymoon and I decided I wanted to treat my now husband to a nice meal. We arrived at Kitaro and were excited about our meal. Yoko greeted us and I really liked her as she was so friendly and when we told her we had just gotten married, she seemed genuinely happy for us. She seated us outside, we asked for Alyssa and she told us she wasn't there at that time but that Lindsey (not 100% sure if that was her name) would take care of us. Although disappointed, we awaited Lindsey to come wait on us. Yoko gave us really good recommendations that we took heed to and she was on point on all of them. Lindsey seemed friendly at first but I could tell that she didn't have the kind and understanding personality that Alyssa did. I ordered the Watermelon Martini and it wasn't sweet enough. I asked if sugar could be put on the rim of the glass and Lindsey hesitated like it was a problem. She brought it back and the drink was fine. As we were eating our food, Yoko would come out with a sunny disposition and check on us which we really appreciated. There started to be problems with Lindsey - my husband would request a glass of water to which I asked for a refill also. She refilled his, not mine. She then began addressing us by looking at hubby when talking and not me. That was very unnecessary and rude. Not sure of why. When our meal was finished, she looked at my husband and asked if there be anything else. He said no and she brought the bill out. Thankfully, Yoko came out again to check on us and told us that we could stay as long as we wanted and to enjoy. I really wished Yoko could have waited on us but that's not her role there. My husband and I then got into a very serious conversation where we really didn't want to be interrupted. Lindsey kept coming over to us about paying the bill. I explained to her that we really didn't want to be checked on because we were having an important conversation. She did not listen to that as she kept coming over about the bill. I finally told her "you don't have to worry about the bill, we are good for it and will pay, just please leave us be". She said she would but unfortunately, the last straw was her coming over once again to say "hey, I have a doctor's appointment and need to leave so you need to pay". I was done by that point. I paid the $167 bill and gave her a tip but didn't feel she was really deserving of one. She took the bill from us and left. What started off as a nice meal outside with my husband ended with me personally feeling harassed. Let me clear: this establishment is deserving of 5 stars, hands down. I gave 4 stars because improvement is needed in that waitress. We did end up seeing Alyssa but by that time, we were leaving. We definitely will be back and will make sure Alyssa is there to serve us. Thanks Kitaro - see you soon! Recommendations: Cucumber Martini - so good and refreshing. Looks beautiful also. Korean Short Ribs - best I've had. Meaty, huge flavorful portion! Yakisoba - noodle dish with wonderful flavor, thanks Yoko Mochi - in the strawberry and mango flavor read more

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