This place is wonderful! We were there on Mother's Day, so it was quite busy. The sushi chefs were fun to watch, and the sushi was top-notch. They treated us so well. The presentation of the food was beautiful. We will definitely visit again. read more

Kyoto - Flaming volcano special roll, bento box, wagyu beef special roll. - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

Food and service was great!!! Everyone was very welcoming and service was super quick. Everything tasted great! I also love the fish pond by the entrance. read more

This place is beautiful as soon as you walk in, customer service is amazing as well. all the workers were kind & patient & willing to answer question, food was DELICIOUS, the bento box was enough for 2 & was perfecttt read more

We had an amazing experience here last month. The food is really good and the restaurant was very nice inside. This is a kid friendly place. My kids really enjoyed seeing the Koi fishes. The food was delicious. They have a buy two and get one free for sushi which was nice. The waitress we had was so sweet she overheard that it was my daughter's birthday and surprised her with some mochi. Definitely will come back. read more

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New ownership! Rolls were sooooo good. I haven't had good rolls in Tacoma in a long time. Owner and servers were really friendly and they even served banchan. Highly recommend if you're having sushi cravings. read more

Kyoto - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

Looking for a family lunch date, also needed some amazing chicken katsu! First time, was not sure if but was hopeful;thanks to other reviews we have it a try. Plus thankfully it was close to where we shop for grocery specialties. Greeted quickly, the host was very polite and friendly. Brought us over water and straws. Waiter, friendly-answered questions. Made sure the child's food came out first and it was great! Always looking for a decent, yet delicious restaurant that does not hurt our stomach's or make us stick later. This restaurant did not disappoint, the fish was fresh, the rolls were soft and sturdy, the miso soup plus side dishes were all a wonderful treat while waiting for our meals to come. Each time a dish came it was more and more amazing. We ordered the Jasmine tea and the ginger peach tea. We did not see a sweetener but also did not ask for any. The water and ice taste clean, if you care about those things. Tables were clean, the restaurant did not have an any strange orders and the restrooms were clean and well maintained. The only exception to how excellent the service was: Two dishes were forgot, the shrimp and the cheesecake. Also the menu says plain cheesecake but when it came out there was chocolate sauce and cream on the side. Next time we come back, I will ask for no sauce and also the cheesecake is not homemade or made in house. I am only assuming because I make cheesecake from stretch and it time plus you it cost for quality cheese. Though two items were forgotten, all the staff were in between having their own lunch and all the staff made to sure someone was being attentive to the customers that were still dining. My heart and stomach was filled with happiness to see them all eating and sharing conversations of their day and general life. I appreciate everyone who works here and I am looking forward to sharing this wonderful experience with others! As always stay safe and healthy out there and I will see you all at my next bite! :0) read more

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This restaurant is phenomenal. The ambiance beautifully displays Japanese decor and culture. The employees are very kind and welcoming, and the food was delicious! There are rooms where you can dine sitting on the floor, which I'd love to try someday. This is a staple and go-to whenever I am in the Tacoma and Lakewood area. Highly, highly recommend !! read more

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I always come to Kyoto for the chirashi bowl. It's fresh! Other menu items and rolls that I've tried are pretty great too but their raw items are always a shining star. read more

Kyoto - Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

A first time customer to this restaurant and kind of had a bad experience. We walked in right when the restaurant opened. Got seated promptly since nobody else was there for lunch. The server was friendly in taking us to our table and giving us the menus. Once we ordered our Sushi and a meal from the Children's menu, we waited about 10-15 minutes, which was fine. However, when we received the Kid's Chicken Teriyaki meal, there was a small piece of metallic steel type of thing in the middle of the rice!!! We couldn't believe it! Notified one of the other workers there and they both apologize, eventually, giving us just a 10% discount. If we didn't see it, our 2-year old could have eaten it and dangerously gotten hurt! Someone was incompetent enough to NOT check the rice?! It was obviously sticking out since WE saw it right away! And why is that kind of thing in the rice in the first place?!? Totally unacceptable!!! The other food items tasted alright. We probably won't go back due to the bad first dining experience we had.... At least we gave it a shot for a one time visit. Oh well... read more

Went to Kyoto today for the first time for lunch with a friend. We went on Memorial Day and they had a special of buy two rolls get one free. Which was a great deal! So we ordered the Crispy rice spicy tuna a for our appetizer and for our three rolls we ordered the Killer Salmon, Ultimate Dragon, and the Snow-Maggedon Roll. Over Al the food was really good for the price. The service was pretty good, the restaurant wasn't too busy even though it was a holiday. The server was nice and friendly. The ambiance of the restaurant was nice, the lighting was dim but was pleasant to be in for lunch. Overall my experience was really good! Would definitely come back for the buy two get one roll free deal. read more

Kyoto - Spicy tuna crispy rice Sno magnadon Killer salmon Ultimate dragon - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

The service is great, the food is delicious and the ambiance is wonderful! Not too loud and not too quiet. The servings are generous and the staff are very respectful and kind. 10/10! Edit (after eating dessert)** They have the BEST green tea Cheesecake. Definitely recommend ordering that. read more

Kyoto - Volcano Lobster Roll - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

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I wanted to like them. Super cute resto with a bridge and koi and private tatami rooms for larger parties. Service was slow in a half empty restaurant. 10 min before we had menus or water. While we ordered, we requested a fork for our young dining companion and when they brought out his food, we asked again. I asked after waiting 5 mins again. She said she was bringing it... but didn't. I asked at the counter. And waited and then at the sushi counter... I had to get the owner involved to just get a fork. It was then brought out with the other dishes. The kid had cold food now. The owner and wait staff then became overly friendly and touched and hugged me, like I was her friend... not ok... The food was not great. Sushi rice was sour, not seasoned appropriately. Katsu was good and the teriyaki was bulgogi with Will probably not go again. So many decent Japanese restaurants in the vicinity . read more

Kyoto - Veggie roll - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

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I just took my parents here for their 49 anniversary. It was a great choice! My parents were very impressed by both the food and service. Our server was friendly and joked with my husband while helping my mom make decisions on the food. Banchan: To start they give you what I think of as banchan. You don't order or select these, they just bring you little dishes of yummy. My husband loved the fried oysters, my favorite was the mushrooms, and I don't even like mushrooms! Sushi Rolls: They have a special buy two get one free on sushi rolls. We got Sumo, Snow‑Maggedon, and Rainbow roll. They were all very good. My mom thought they were the best she has ever had. I loved the cilantro on the Sumo. Bento Boxes: We got the regular, one with tofu and one with beef. I loved the fried tofu, it was crispy on the outside and custard on the inside, very good. My dad liked the beef. The tempura was crispy and even the salad was great. The Rainer bento was beautiful and so good. Nigiri: The regular bento came with four pieces of nigiri. So much care was put into each piece, not just fish put on rice. One piece had shaved green herb. It also had six pieces of tekke maki. Cost: We spent $250 with tip, which is a lot, but we did get a lot of food. read more

Kyoto - Rainer Bento - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

It's completely different from when it first opened. There was hardly any sashimi in the sashimi rice bowl, the vegetables were wilted, and it was mostly just rice; plus, the udon served with it was both salty and sweet. read more

I am very glad I beat you to this place! They are currently having their Grand opening and is offering buy 2 rolls and get 1 for free! Run! read more

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Been here few times. I love their buy 2 get 1 roll free promotion. Everything was really fresh and service was good. Definitely will go back read more

Kyoto - Sushi lunch set - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

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They have amazing deals if you want some rolls. We took advantage of the promotion to try their special rolls and it's surprisingly good. Friendly staff too. The have complimentary appetizers. read more

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Visited for the first time on 12/13/15 for dinner and was impressed. The atmosphere was beautiful, especially with the koi pond at the entrance and throughout the restaurant. Seafood quality was excellent - coming from Hawaii, my expectations are high and they were met. Our server was attentive all night, and the prices were fair for the portions and quality. Delicious food, great service, and nice ambiance. Will definitely be back! read more

Kyoto - Unagi nigiri, hamachi nigiri, ika nigiri, ikura nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

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Great service, AMAZING food, not one thing we didn't enjoy eating! The restaurant has a beautiful entryway with flowing water & fish to see! The sushi was 10/10. read more

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Great food and service! The ambience is authentic to Japan - complete with a koi pond Wide variety of sushi roles & interesting selection read more

The employees are great people, everything in here feels very authentic and the vibe is exactly what you want in a Japanese restaurant. And the food here is top notch. Would definitely come back again read more

Kyoto - The volcano lobster - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

This is the closest in washington I've come to California sushi. If you know, you know. Very kind server's, and very good food. The restaurant is also beautiful. I love this place. ​ read more

The food was incredible, the staff pleasurable, and the experience, unforgettable. Visiting the Tacoma area for the first time and this popped up on our radar for a nice dinner out. The moment you walk in everyone on the staff is greeting you with a smile, a genuine smile! Servers were very helpful in ordering, and the sushi was perfect! We also ordered the BBQ bone in short ribs (must order!) and the teriyaki chicken, both cooked to perfection. The chicken did include a salad which was nice! Highly recommend if in the area and to all the locals, please visit Kyoto next time you are looking for a night out, it will make your night!! read more

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Loved everything. They have all our favorites including some fun waygu dishes. Loved the black cod appetizer. We will be back.

Decoration edges on fine dining. Great service, really good ambiance. Menu is straightforward, most of which is seafood but it does have a couple of non sea food options read more

Absolutely phenomenal! Dropped in for Tacoma Restaurant Week, and I'm so grateful we did. Kyoto is now firmly on the list of favorites in the Tacoma area. Once you step through the doors, you're immediately greeted with the most serene and relaxing setting and a friendly welcome. Every single member of their team was beyond friendly and so knowledgeable about the menu providing great recommendations. We chose the house sake which was delicious and paired it with selections from their restaurant week menu which is just... perfection. The green apple hamachi appetizer is a must try! The Rainer box is not only beautiful but tastes just heavenly. Finally, we finished with the green tea tiramisu and again just so happy with the taste. Truly, everything we tried was amazing, and I'm excited to go back and try more! read more

"New Management" has completely flipped the menu and cuisine. I have nothing wrong with a fusion restaurant, but this felt more like a very bad attempt at cutting costs and adding a Korean twist to Japanese dishes. We wanted to take pictures of the food, but after seeing some of the wait staff being micromanaged (lots of helicopter monitoring by what we assumed was the new owner) and seeing the wait staff looking very stressed, we did not want to add to their stress. This is in no way looking down at the wait staff, as they were very efficient and friendly, but they looked terrified as if they were about to get fired, not just stressed out from a busy night. The menu has too many different, complex items for a restaurant like this. When a restaurant has a somewhat big menu of lots of complex flavored dishes, it is usually a red flag since they are more focused on serving a large quantity of dishes than a smaller amount of high quality dishes. Combination Tempura (2/5) The tempura came out at an almost luke-warm temperature. The taste and mushy texture gave the feeling of it being fried much earlier in the day and then kept under a heat lamp until ordered. The thickness of the batter on the tempura was also very thick. The tempura sauce had absolutely no flavor. Normally, one would expect the typical dashi, soy sauce, and mirin combination; however, this was completely watered down to nothing. Salmon Lover Roll (2/5) The salmon lover roll had a nice flavor of the soy mustard dressing with a little bit of heat to keep it interesting. The consistency of the salmon on top was very mushy and tasted old. Hamachi Sizzle (Basically a Hamachi Carpaccio) (1/5) We expected this to be similar to a Hamachi Carpaccio based on the ingredients being used, but with a slight twist. The Hamachi was flavorless and floating in chili oil at the bottom of the bowl. It was also supposed to be "seared", but it looked more like it was microwaved or had some warm water poured on top of it based on the gray top with no sear marks from a torch. The other typical ingredients were present in a very small quantity, with the thickness of the sliced jalapeno being smaller than the width of a dime and thinner than an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper. Overall, you can't taste any other ingredients in this dish since it is covered in the chili oil. The Dragon Roll that had the crab inside (3/5) The roll tasted like the flavor we were expecting, but the unagi slices on top were very, very thin. The overall flavor was pleasant, but I would expect more unagi on top of my roll for a $20 roll. The presentation of the alternating black and red tobiko was nice. We didn't really taste any difference with the replaced shrimp tempura for crab, but wanted to give it an honest try. Overall, I wouldn't come back. It looks like more money and effort was put into the presentation of the food than the actual taste. What is saving the rolls from being inedible is quite literally the sauce. The serving dishes all look new and the presentation of the dishes looked great, but I came for the food, not the ambiance and social media posts. When we left, we had heartburn and had to go to the bathroom. Again, the wait staff were fantastic, but it looks like the sushi and simple bento boxes are now a thing of the past. I hope the new owners take some time to review and taste their food, instead of focusing on the presentation and micromanaging. read more

Great food, service, and ambiance. Highly recommend for the Tacoma and surrounding area. read more

Kyoto - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

Delicious food, friendly sincere service. Tried side samples, yummy. Will continue to come back. Thanks! read more

Kyoto - Before our order, wonderful sides to try and miso soup. - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

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Delicious sushi nice and great new owner good deal I love the sushi rolls deal and free dessert

I love the ambiance and the koi pond when you walk in. Service is excellent and the food was delicious!! read more

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The Rock and Roll was one of the best sushi rolls I've ever had. Went here with my friend for lunch and we'll be raving about this roll every time we get sushi. My dragon roll was phenomenal and the red snapper nigiri was delicious. read more

Kyoto - Red Snapper Nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

Kyoto was an amazing experience from start to finish. The atmosphere is beautiful -- it truly felt like we were transported to Japan. The staff were incredibly welcoming, friendly, and made the whole visit even better. They have a great deal where you can order 2 rolls and get 1 free, which made it even more worth it. Here's what we tried: * Fuji - light, fresh, and perfectly balanced * Godzilla - bold flavors with a satisfying kick * Salmon Lovers - a dream for salmon fans, rich and buttery * Spicy Ninja - just the right amount of heat * Dragon - classic, smooth, and flavorful * Last Samurai - strong, savory flavors that stand out * Paradise - refreshing with a slightly sweet twist * Ultimate Dragon - beautifully presented and packed with flavor (my favorite) * Heartbreaker - unique and memorable with a great combination of textures Everything we ordered was delicious, but the Ultimate Dragon roll was easily the standout. We can't wait to come back! read more

Koyoto is one of our long time "go to" Resturants. First time with new owners. Food was excellent. They have added the Korean style appetizers which were great. We did variations on the bento box. All very good. The wait staff were friendly and welcoming. It was a very nice way to celebrate our 58th wedding anniversary. We will keep on coming back. read more

Beautiful place, I love the atmosphere, on top of that the service and food were great! read more

Kyoto - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

Been eating there for 30 years they changed the menu they changed the price don't have anything like it used to be so we won't be going back

pretty music, super yummy, fast / friendly service, and even had a BOGO sushi roll deal 10/10 will come again read more

Kyoto - A1. California Roll Rainbow Roll eel Roll - Japanese Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

Great service, food and atmosphere. Very clean! The prices are fair and the quality of the food is fantastic. The server we had, she was super sweet and attentive. You get a good amount of food for what you pay. 10/10. Oh! And the decor is beautiful. read more

Items were hit and miss on the menu-- great chicken teriyaki and salad, miso was weak, some pieces of sushi tasted more fresh than others. The waitress wasn't the friendliest, but it wasn't busy so we got quick service. Restaurant was clean! read more

I was heartbroken to learn Kyoto is under new management and the menu isn't the same but thought we'd give it a try. It just wasn't it. The food and service under the old management was great for years but now it's just fine I guess. It's just sad to see a long time local staple go down like this. If it wasn't broke then why fix it? read more