Popped into this place for our last meal before leaving AZ and it did not disappoint! We were the…read morefirst people in. When we walked in it had a very fishy smell, so it kind of made us second guess our choice. But we went for it anyhow. The greeter/server was very pleasant and sat us. It was very clean inside with ample space between seat. We browsed through the menu and started with our usual edamame and pot stickers. The edamame was salted well throughout where a lot of places just put the salt on top only. We ordered a couple varieties of sake which were both good. Out of all of the things we ordered the karange skewer was just a little more oily than were use to, but still good. The spicy salmon roll had really great flavor and the lollipop roll was probably one of the better versions that we have had. The musubi was giant to say the least, it was good, but offered a bit too much rice. Overall the food and service was great and we were very happy that we ended up here!

Awesome late night spot, for decent quality Japanese eats, and in the Tempe-Scottsdale area. Zu…read moreIzakaya was a solid post-study dinner spot when I was a student, and this time it definitely held up! We were nearby for a show, and decided to stop in on a Wednesday evening for a late dinner with some friends. They have a good happy hour menu, and my friends ordered off there, but I was craving sushi so I got the nigiri omakase. It came with miso soup, which I enjoyed, definitely hard to go wrong there. The sushi itself was decent, nothing crazy, but definitely better than grocery store quality. The tuna and salmon pieces were a little fishy, maybe not the freshest, but it was also quite late (~10pm) so I wasn't expecting too much. Beautifully presented, and the cuts were quite large which was nice! The food came out pretty fast, and the service was pleasant. The restaurant vibes are pretty dark, and moody. The bathroom was kind of scary personally, super dark and a little messy, so I decided to wait till I got home. Overall, a solid experience, and definitely a good choice if I am in the area.

The service was 20/10, the kindest people I've ever had waiting on us in the USA…read more We came late and didn't realize the closing time. They told us to please stay and we are so welcome and they were over the top accommodating. Everything was so good. The spicy miso wasn't my favorite flavor but that is just a personal preference. They gyozas were so delicious I will come back again. When we left the people who were working, were all enjoying dinner together like a home family vibe going on. It was so cute and they were some of the most kind people I've ever come across. Definitely give this place a try

We had been craving ramen for days--it kept popping up on our social media feeds over and over…read moreagain--so we finally gave in and decided to try this spot. They offer a nice variety of Japanese dishes, but we were definitely here for the ramen. I ordered the spicy miso ramen, and it came out just right--perfectly spicy with fish cake, green onions, and all the toppings. It was delicious and hit the spot. The tonkotsu ramen had a nice creaminess to it, but it could've used a bit more depth of flavor. One thing I really liked is that you can order side appetizers along with your entrée, almost like building your own bento-style meal. We went with the deep-fried gyoza and gyudon. The gyudon was a standout--definitely five stars. The gyoza, however, was just okay for me. Breakdown:    *   Spicy miso ramen:    *   Tonkotsu ramen:    *   Gyudon:    *   Gyoza: Service was friendly, the restaurant was clean, and overall it definitely satisfied our ramen craving.

Very friendly service, cool vibe in this place…read more Started with a round of vodka mojito and a bees knees. Both delicious. Apps were the Chinese long beans which very good and the avocado ragoon. They were crispy and tasty. The inside was a golden yellow which seemed a bit confusing for avocado but it still tasted great. It came with a sweet chill sauce and a pineapple mustard, both of which were great accompaniment. For dinner we split the shaking beef which was amazing. Tender beef. Loved the pickled red onions. We then splurged on the salted caramel gelato.

Let me start with a little tid bit about Downtown Gilbert. There is nothing really special about it…read moreoutside of the vibe is right. Always a lot of people there so it makes you want to be there. Restaurant wise they have really basic offerings. Places you can find in Mesa, and Tempe, and Scottsdale. Now.... What truly makes Downtown Gilbert special are the small shops that are hidden away from the "main strip". One of those places is Clever Koi. Hidden in the Parking lot space behind Shaq's Chicken spot is a small strip of shops. A book store, smoothie place, and my favorite Clever Koi. Our family has very different tastes when we move from one member to the next. So finding places that we all like gets tricky. Clever Koi makes that easy because we honestly have yet to run into something we don't like. Let's start with our favorite starter. The steamed buns (giggity). The pork belly is hands down phenomenal. An amazing bite that literally makes you want more and more. The lazy fries are just that, again pork belly is included, but that garlic aioli is what drives this dish. The tai salad is obviously classic. The short rib dumplings literally make you close your eyes and just say "Mmmmmm". My middle child is the hardest pallet to please at any restaurant as he only eats certain things, but the Chicken Katsu sandwich here is his second favorite chicken sandwich in all this world. The first time he ate it he spent the whole ride home raving about it. Mind you, we live in San Tan, so not a short ride. The shaking beef is always good. It has this firey kick that brings the heat upfront but does not linger. You cannot forget about the fried rice here. Rice is one of my weaknesses in life second only to pizza. Fried rice ranks right up there with my top favorite ways to eat rice and this ranks right up there with my favorite fried rice places. The main reason we come here is because of the noodles. Ramen, ramen, ramen. When you think of Ramen, I assure you this is what you are thinking of. The broth is oh so savory and reigns in the fresh veggies and proteins to meld them with the noodles for a flavor punch each time you have a mouthful. They have great drinks here as well, or so I've been told by the other adults I come here with. I always just get a sake and Sapporo so... LOL The service is always good here and we somehow always manage to miss the lunch or dinner rush which is awesome. All in all... this is by far my favorite dining spot in downtown Gilbert. Great food, great drinks, great service, great atmosphere, in the middle of a great little square. A must eat for me.

Man when i tell you this food is phenomenal, i mean it. The premium assortment of nigiri was some…read moreof the best fish ive had in my life for real. The area inside shocked me after seeing the outside. Also my server "Saeed M" was amazing he had helped with great options and gave me a great description of each fish, ill be back...

Food was absolutely delicious! It was Father's Day and…read moreMatthew was so helpful on changing my reservation last minute to add another person! V was one of the best bartenders I've had in a long time, very attentive and actually holds a conversation It was my dad's first time here and excited to come back again!

amazing food - even better service…read more the past two times i've visited the two servers have been exceptional. incredible reverse happy hour too!

We found this place by accident. My daughter and I arrived around 6pm on a Saturday. There were no…read morepeople there. Slowly others started to arrive about half hour later. I ordered hot sake and it did not disappoint. My daughter got a Ramune, miso soup, and shrimp tempura roll. No complaints! Miso soup was missing tofu that day. Apparently they were all out. Nevertheless the soup was very nice! I got two specialty rolls. The names escape me at the moment. The menu doesn't have a huge selection of rolls but I found what I like and both were VERY good! Good amount of fish vs rice. Everyone is very attentive. Service is very good. The ambiance is interesting :) nothing fancy but not too bland either. There are full moon/moon related decorations. The rolls are also named with the Moon theme in mind. Overall very nice and we will be back to try their ramen !

Race is the cutest and best bartender! She had our drinks ready in seconds and food to follow…read morepromptly. She is nothing short of incredible and the kind of bartender you hope for. We love her!

Back again! Really enjoy the food, service & people…read more Got the Ramen, sushi, sake, beer tempura. Our server Klara is wonderful. The only drawback is the volume, the acoustics reverberate throughout the dining room.

kuka sushi is my absolute favorite sushi restaurant in arizona!! the sushi, raw fish, and sashimi…read moreplates are absolutely heavenly and always so fresh. I've been countless times over the many years and I will always find myself coming back. I had it again recently after a while with 2 friends who've never been before and the seared tuna sashimi, sicilian hamachi, and surf n turf roll was delectable. the fish and sushi roll slices also seemed to be so much more bigger than I remembered, the portion sizes were hefty! I always love introducing my friends to kuka because of how good it is, and I have to tell them that after trying kuka no sushi restaurant will ever compare again lol sometimes the service is a little slow, so it's good to remember and get all your requests first thing in, or in the past I honestly have just gone up to the server myself and asked for whatever I needed. it's not super deterring for me though due to the amazing food that they have. I can't really speak for the quality of their non-sushi items however, as I do believe focusing on their sushi is the best way to eat here!

I recently had dinner at Kuka Sushi & Izakaya and was immediately impressed by the modern, chic…read moreambience. The space feels stylish and contemporary, with a sleek atmosphere that makes it perfect for both a casual dinner and a special night out. The menu is truly avant-garde! Creative, innovative, and full of intriguing options. That said, I have to admit I felt a little overwhelmed at first and wasn't sure what to order because everything sounded so interesting. In the end, I chose the Omakase Dinner "Buzz," and I absolutely loved the concept. It includes miso soup, 9 pieces of nigiri, a mini poke, and a 5-piece roll -- such a fantastic idea if you're undecided and want to try a bit of everything! I think it's a splendid option, especially for first-timers or anyone who wants a complete tasting experience without having to choose individual items. If I could change one small thing, it would be the roll selection. I wish there were an option to choose from the specialty rolls instead of only the basic ones. That extra flexibility would make the experience even better. Overall, the quality of the food was very good, and the overall experience was enjoyable. It's definitely a place worth visiting, and I'll certainly be back to try the curry and ramen next time!

Ordered food for me and my coworkers to our site on a Tuesday night this week. It was absolutely…read moredelicious for one! As has been the case for every Zu Izakaya venue I've been to, but? What made this experience above par, was the fact that even though they forgot to include the Miso soup, they were able to make up for it immediately. No hassle on getting refunded for the missing item, wonderful phone service, and delicious eats~

The food here was really great. I highly recommend the shishito peppers as an appetizer--they were…read moreone of the highlights of the meal. If you're not a fan of strong flavors, I would recommend asking for lighter seasoning on some dishes and a little extra water in the soups. That balance worked well for our preferences. Unfortunately, the service did not match the quality of the food. During the hour we were there, the restaurant wasn't busy. There were only a couple of tables being served, yet our drinks were never refilled, our table wasn't bused, and our rice never arrived with our hot pot soups even after our server asked if we wanted it. It seemed to be forgotten. What really stood out was that we ended up eating dessert with a table full of dirty dishes still sitting in front of us and empty drinks that had not been refilled. I also noticed that the table next to us appeared to receive much more attentive service. Their drinks were refilled, their dishes were cleared promptly, and staff regularly checked on them to see if they needed anything. In comparison, our table received very little attention. I don't know why there was such a difference in service. It left me wondering whether we were being treated differently, though I can't say for certain. Overall, the food was excellent, but the service was disappointing and significantly affected our experience. (Server was Dhillon T.)