Went here for lunch we were quickly seated and attended I ordered chicken gyoza for appetizer, the katsudon tempura roll and a small Shabu shabu plate for the main. the don was actually a bigger portion then I imagined so it ended up being quite a lot of food I really liked everything that I ordered. I feel tho if anything it's too many options but really really good definitely would go again.
Christopher C.
Stopped by on a Saturday night and it wasn't too busy so we decided to try it. After waiting too long to be seated for how empty it was, the hostess seemed to want to seat us outside. We started off with water that had a bit of an off taste and their egg rolls that were really quite bland. Our main course was the King Cobra roll and the Montecito roll. The Montecito did not seem that fresh and the King Cobra was full of shrimp tails and overall was a disappointment. I definitely won't be coming back until the reviews improve and the restaurant turns around. I really hope they find a way to improve soon.
Valerie K.
My favorite sushi spot in downtown. Fresh fish. Very yummy sushi, and nice price. I love the Deluxe Sushi Combo. Fresh yummy dish at a good price. And I got the Frequent Dining Card - have been here a few rimes and will come for more.
Yadira L.
Cancelled my DoorDash order without reason after waiting 45 minutes! All their postings say they are open and their phone just kept ringing and ringing. ZERO stars if I could.
Pauline W.
Chefs were not wearing masks. Made a reservation for 5:30pm and the restaurant didn't open til much 5:45pm, staff seemed apathetic as mentioned in another review below. Miso cod was good. Sukiyaki beef was tough. I had high hopes based on the website and given that the restaurant is staffed by actual Japanese people, but they just seemed like they didn't care. I wouldn't come back here unfortunately. I should have checked Yelp first instead of going off their own website. I hate to write a review that's not positive, but I was in. Santa Barbara for a vacation as I think many would be and I would want others in my shoes to have a positive experience given that eating out is a rarity for us in the pandemic with an unvaccinated kid.
Benton R.
Avoid this place. Went in on a Saturday and was completely empty. Not shocking due to how bad the quality of the food was. I left without finishing my meal and walked next door to bibi ji and had an excellent dinner. I had asked for a refund for the sub par food but was met with laughter from the Manager/owner. I forgot to look at the rating of this place perhaps it was my mistake thinking I could get a decent meal here. This place needs to be shut down.
Macy F.
I'll make this short- our food was so bland that we couldn't even eat it. At other places we've been, shabu shabu is done with broth that is already seasoned so the meat will actually taste good... at this place it is only water! We asked for more options to season it but were only given green onion and garlic to put in the water. Asked for a partial refund since we ate less than half but were denied. Huge waste of $46 and had to go to another restaurant after. skip this place
Martha d.
Very attentive staff and good sushi. They run a pretty good lunch special too. Recommend their dinner special so you can try different types of sushi.
Elliot H.
I'll preface this by saying I hate writing bad reviews. I rarely write them. We work in food service so we are extra understanding of staffing shortages and covid challenges, but tonight was just really awful - they weren't even trying. We had a little time to kill before a show at the Lobero but there weren't many restaurants open and Kai was mostly empty, so I figured it would be quick and I remembered it being pretty good the last times I ate here 15ish years ago. I have never felt so unwelcome sitting at a sushi bar. We were the only ones sitting up there and ordered 2 rolls from the chef within 2-3 min of sitting down, figuring that's all we'd have time to eat before heading back to the theater. The server came and took our drink order but never came back to ask if we wanted anything else off the menu or to refill drinks. It took over 30 minutes for the first roll to come out and another 10 minutes for the second one. The server never brought us napkins, chopsticks, soy sauce bowls, etc, so once we finally had our first roll we had to ask her to bring stuff so we could eat. Immediately after, I flagged her down to ask if she could go ahead and run my card so we could make a quick exit since I knew we were now on track to be late getting back to our show. I left a 20% gratuity hoping the experience would get better and finish off well. The rainbow roll tasted fine, but the fish was cut really poorly and the whole roll was falling apart so it was really hard to eat. The king cobra roll was just not good and super overpriced. We realized well after ordering that it was 20.95, the most expensive roll on the menu, which would have been fine since it said it had "crab meat" but it turned out to just be imitation crab, super disappointing and again rolled and cut so poorly that it was impossible to eat without making a mess. The two sushi chefs were totally apathetic and had zero sense of urgency about getting food out, and they weren't even wearing masks (I wish I'd noticed this before we ordered as I would have left). The total before tip was 44.00 for two rolls and a Diet Coke. I felt totally ripped off and bummed about the experience overall both while sitting there and after we left. I will never spend my money here again. Our sushi go-tos are Edomasa and Teru (newly opened on State and Victoria by a longtime chef of Sakana), both of which take pride in the quality of food they serve and the service they provide. There are a ton of sushi places in Santa Barbara and within walking distance from this place that you'd probably be better off eating at.
Eric G.
Good sushi in a great location. This restaurant seems small from the front but is actually quite spacious. In addition to the main room, there is some parklet seating out front along with a large back patio area which opens up to de la Guerra plaza. It's a hidden gem of a spot and certainly the place I'd recommend sitting. I haven't personally tried their shabu shabu but will say that their sushi rolls and bento boxes are exceptional. I feel the price is justified by the size as well as the quality of the food. It's presented well and really looks too beautiful to dig into! All items I've ordered have been winners. The location is prime as it's adjacent to Paseo Nuevo, de la Guerra Plaza, the true heart of downtown. There isn't private parking but there are numerous city lots nearby with the first 90 minutes free. If you happen to be in downtown Santa Barbara, give this spot a try. I hope to indulge in their shabu shabu the next time I visit.
Stopped by on Friday for some sushi and had a great time. Volcano roll was amazing! I could eat it everyday and will be back for this haha. Ask for Chef recommended sushi, they give u the most fresh fish they got.
D S.
The food is good, shrimp tempura roll the best!! Curry rice is sick too. Ps: the Japanese boy server is super friendly
Alex M.
Where do I begin. This place needs a new sushi chef. The rolls were poorly wrapped. We had to ask the waiter to take our food and drink order. After taking the order, the waitress proceeded to tell us that the Beef Udon was really good. Moments later told us that she forgot that they were not serving Udon. Minutes later a Broth bowl came out to someone Overall the worst sushi I have tried. Ordered a Yellowtail roll and they were all different sized cuts. One had next to no yellowtail Never returning here
Kimberly H.
Service was ok but i got annoyed that they dont give utensils and napkin unless we ask for it. I mean are we supposed to eat with our hands? I asked for straw for my water but never got it. Fish were not fresh. Rice was so old. There was hair on my curry. Food was not worth $15. Sorry but we are never coming back.
Went here for lunch we were quickly seated and attended I ordered chicken gyoza for appetizer, the katsudon tempura roll and a small Shabu shabu plate for the main. the don was actually a bigger portion then I imagined so it ended up being quite a lot of food I really liked everything that I ordered. I feel tho if anything it's too many options but really really good definitely would go again.
Stopped by on a Saturday night and it wasn't too busy so we decided to try it. After waiting too long to be seated for how empty it was, the hostess seemed to want to seat us outside. We started off with water that had a bit of an off taste and their egg rolls that were really quite bland. Our main course was the King Cobra roll and the Montecito roll. The Montecito did not seem that fresh and the King Cobra was full of shrimp tails and overall was a disappointment. I definitely won't be coming back until the reviews improve and the restaurant turns around. I really hope they find a way to improve soon.
My favorite sushi spot in downtown. Fresh fish. Very yummy sushi, and nice price. I love the Deluxe Sushi Combo. Fresh yummy dish at a good price. And I got the Frequent Dining Card - have been here a few rimes and will come for more.
Cancelled my DoorDash order without reason after waiting 45 minutes! All their postings say they are open and their phone just kept ringing and ringing. ZERO stars if I could.
Chefs were not wearing masks. Made a reservation for 5:30pm and the restaurant didn't open til much 5:45pm, staff seemed apathetic as mentioned in another review below. Miso cod was good. Sukiyaki beef was tough. I had high hopes based on the website and given that the restaurant is staffed by actual Japanese people, but they just seemed like they didn't care. I wouldn't come back here unfortunately. I should have checked Yelp first instead of going off their own website. I hate to write a review that's not positive, but I was in. Santa Barbara for a vacation as I think many would be and I would want others in my shoes to have a positive experience given that eating out is a rarity for us in the pandemic with an unvaccinated kid.
Avoid this place. Went in on a Saturday and was completely empty. Not shocking due to how bad the quality of the food was. I left without finishing my meal and walked next door to bibi ji and had an excellent dinner. I had asked for a refund for the sub par food but was met with laughter from the Manager/owner. I forgot to look at the rating of this place perhaps it was my mistake thinking I could get a decent meal here. This place needs to be shut down.
I'll make this short- our food was so bland that we couldn't even eat it. At other places we've been, shabu shabu is done with broth that is already seasoned so the meat will actually taste good... at this place it is only water! We asked for more options to season it but were only given green onion and garlic to put in the water. Asked for a partial refund since we ate less than half but were denied. Huge waste of $46 and had to go to another restaurant after. skip this place
Very attentive staff and good sushi. They run a pretty good lunch special too. Recommend their dinner special so you can try different types of sushi.
I'll preface this by saying I hate writing bad reviews. I rarely write them. We work in food service so we are extra understanding of staffing shortages and covid challenges, but tonight was just really awful - they weren't even trying. We had a little time to kill before a show at the Lobero but there weren't many restaurants open and Kai was mostly empty, so I figured it would be quick and I remembered it being pretty good the last times I ate here 15ish years ago. I have never felt so unwelcome sitting at a sushi bar. We were the only ones sitting up there and ordered 2 rolls from the chef within 2-3 min of sitting down, figuring that's all we'd have time to eat before heading back to the theater. The server came and took our drink order but never came back to ask if we wanted anything else off the menu or to refill drinks. It took over 30 minutes for the first roll to come out and another 10 minutes for the second one. The server never brought us napkins, chopsticks, soy sauce bowls, etc, so once we finally had our first roll we had to ask her to bring stuff so we could eat. Immediately after, I flagged her down to ask if she could go ahead and run my card so we could make a quick exit since I knew we were now on track to be late getting back to our show. I left a 20% gratuity hoping the experience would get better and finish off well. The rainbow roll tasted fine, but the fish was cut really poorly and the whole roll was falling apart so it was really hard to eat. The king cobra roll was just not good and super overpriced. We realized well after ordering that it was 20.95, the most expensive roll on the menu, which would have been fine since it said it had "crab meat" but it turned out to just be imitation crab, super disappointing and again rolled and cut so poorly that it was impossible to eat without making a mess. The two sushi chefs were totally apathetic and had zero sense of urgency about getting food out, and they weren't even wearing masks (I wish I'd noticed this before we ordered as I would have left). The total before tip was 44.00 for two rolls and a Diet Coke. I felt totally ripped off and bummed about the experience overall both while sitting there and after we left. I will never spend my money here again. Our sushi go-tos are Edomasa and Teru (newly opened on State and Victoria by a longtime chef of Sakana), both of which take pride in the quality of food they serve and the service they provide. There are a ton of sushi places in Santa Barbara and within walking distance from this place that you'd probably be better off eating at.
Good sushi in a great location. This restaurant seems small from the front but is actually quite spacious. In addition to the main room, there is some parklet seating out front along with a large back patio area which opens up to de la Guerra plaza. It's a hidden gem of a spot and certainly the place I'd recommend sitting. I haven't personally tried their shabu shabu but will say that their sushi rolls and bento boxes are exceptional. I feel the price is justified by the size as well as the quality of the food. It's presented well and really looks too beautiful to dig into! All items I've ordered have been winners. The location is prime as it's adjacent to Paseo Nuevo, de la Guerra Plaza, the true heart of downtown. There isn't private parking but there are numerous city lots nearby with the first 90 minutes free. If you happen to be in downtown Santa Barbara, give this spot a try. I hope to indulge in their shabu shabu the next time I visit.
Restaurantji Recommends
Great experience! Highly recommend
Stopped by on Friday for some sushi and had a great time. Volcano roll was amazing! I could eat it everyday and will be back for this haha. Ask for Chef recommended sushi, they give u the most fresh fish they got.
The food is good, shrimp tempura roll the best!! Curry rice is sick too. Ps: the Japanese boy server is super friendly
Where do I begin. This place needs a new sushi chef. The rolls were poorly wrapped. We had to ask the waiter to take our food and drink order. After taking the order, the waitress proceeded to tell us that the Beef Udon was really good. Moments later told us that she forgot that they were not serving Udon. Minutes later a Broth bowl came out to someone Overall the worst sushi I have tried. Ordered a Yellowtail roll and they were all different sized cuts. One had next to no yellowtail Never returning here
Service was ok but i got annoyed that they dont give utensils and napkin unless we ask for it. I mean are we supposed to eat with our hands? I asked for straw for my water but never got it. Fish were not fresh. Rice was so old. There was hair on my curry. Food was not worth $15. Sorry but we are never coming back.