The food is not bad. The hibachi chef was lovely and did an adequate job (just slightly underseasoned). The portions are good too. I got a side of gyoza and salmon Maki - also good. However service was dismal. We waited 15 minutes after seating before anyone even came over to say hi. Turns out our waitress and the host who seated us were chatting leisurely at the bar. For the rest of the night she seemed inconvenienced by us. She warmed up eventually but you can't replace first impressions.
(3)
Kristin S.
The only reason I'm giving this place 2 stars is because the food was actually delicious (filled with sodium, but yummy nonetheless), but our waitress ruined everything. She wasn't nice at all and actually made us uncomfortable and kind of scared when she walked by. So we paid and as we were leaving she actually stopped us to say we hadn't paid enough... as in the tip we left her wasn't enough. Honestly she deserved no tip but we were kind enough to still leave her a decent one. She actually looked disgusted that we didn't leave her more. I couldn't believe that happened! If you get a waitress that isn't a complete bully then it is probably a decent place to eat.
(2)
Lynnith R.
Best miso soup around. Prices are high and cuts of sushi small. The chicken katsu was flavorful and crisp. We arrived at 9 and the service was awful. No chopsticks brought so we had to get up, and she brought us our check at 9:20 (we had taken like 2 bites of food) and said they were closing in 10 min. It's 9:46 and we are across town already - I kind of regret tipping 20% on that one. (Posted closing time is 10, so we figured the kitchen would close at 9:30 but we could sit and eat for a few minutes.....but we were unwanted and she made it clear.) In short - tasty food, a little expensive, gamble on the service but don't bother going after 9.
(4)
April K.
This place is a little shabby. The decorations look a tad old and the lighting inside is a bit dingy. It's also very kid-friendly, so if you want a romantic/quiet night out, don't go here. I got the hibachi meal that comes with miso soup, a salad, and a shrimp appetizer. The miso soup was alright, but it didn't look like miso soup, it just looked like a clear broth with large chunks of mushrooms in it (it was missing that cloudy stuff in it). The salad was good; it was topped with a ginger dressing. The shrimp appetizer was decent, but the portion of it was tiny; I think we got one shrimp each that was cut into itty bitty pieces. For the main course, the portions were huge... I'm talking a ridiculous amount of food. However, I don't think the quality was that great. I got my hibachi with the noodles, and they were drenched in sauce- way too thick and heavy. It was also strange because the chef served the rice/noodles before the meat, so by the time the meat was done cooking, most people were already done eating the rice/enoodles. I got the chicken, which was fine but nothing spectacular. My boyfriend's beef was a little chewy. The service was sub par- a little slow and not friendly. Overall, the place was decent, but I wouldn't have a craving to go back. Much better hibachi places in the greater Boston area.
(3)
Carolyn O.
I've eaten here about a half dozen times now and overall I really love this place. Here are my thoughts: Pros: - very kid friendly & accommodating (my 4 year old always wants just one plain egg and they always make it for him) - excellent sushi at average prices - good selection of tasty hibachi options and combos (calamari, scallops, shrimp, and beef are the best) - large portions - decent drink menu - great for groups - there are several really really good hibachi chefs who put on quite a fun show Drawbacks: - pricey - there are usually several birthday parties and/or large groups so it can get noisy - this isn't really the place to go for an intimate romantic dinner - if you are a small party (like 3 or less), be prepared to sit with strangers - dessert selection is limited - it can get pretty busy after 7 so expect to wait if you don't make a reservation
(4)
Le T.
I didn't want to be too harsh so I decided to give this place two stars. Mainly for the food and the hibachi presentation. Our hibachi man (I don't know their proper title) was not enthusiastic in giving a show. He dropped his utensils a couple of times. Dude you needa go home.. The pics I took are a lie. It looks like a really great show but it only speaks for my amazing photography skills. The food were extremely salty. Felt bloated and dehydrated throughout the day- post meal. 2 stars for the name. KIKU....YAMAAAAAAAAAA!
(2)
Ambah P.
Great Coconut Mixed Drink With Passion Fruit Juice, Was great tasting with combination of California, Meki, & Cumcumber Rolls, the Miso soup was good, I loved it and the Steak with House Fried Rice & Veggies, was Delicious! The steak so juicy, We arrived at Lunch time! Definately coming back!
(4)
Caren B.
I love Kiku Yama. Had a scallop hibachi dinner last night and a mai tai. The show was fun. My boyfriend ordered the sirloin steak hibachi and it was cooked perfectly. My scallops were yummy as well as the salad and shrimp appetizer. The fried rice was delicious as well.
(5)
Punam D.
Came here last night. The restaurant is a massive, harshly lit place with no atmosphere and there were few punters for 8pm on a Friday evening. I hadn't tried hibachi since my last disastrous outing (see review passim), and was looking forward to the experience despite the lukewarm Yelp reviews. We were seated quickly and efficiently. Our drinks order was taken with some difficulty due to the language limitations of our server. Eventually our food order was also despatched and we were served with a bowl of soup and a salad. The soup was mildly flavoured hot water and the salad was unimpressively limp with a quite overpowering dressing. The sushi rolls were underwhelming. Then the hibachi chef arrived. We very much enjoyed the egg fried rice. The steak was the same whether it was sirloin or fillet but was tasty enough. I also tried to calamari which was alarmingly overdone and consequently tasteless and rubbery. Avoid. The chicken breast was okay. There were plenty of vegetables and bean sprouts served. I would recommend that you have two orders of meat or fish with your rice. Overall it was an acceptable meal, if on the bland side. The sauces did not add a great deal, lending a sameness to all the different elements. We ended the evening at the cavernous karaoke bar downstairs. Again it had no soul and few takers. We made the most of it but it was a damp squib to end a quite disappointing evening. This is not a solid 3. I though 2 would be mean but 3 stars is overcooking it. I'm not in a rush to go back.
(3)
Becca P.
I love this place though the service is so so. Came her for my birthday with 18 people. They let us do sake bombs and the food was delicious as always. You cannot go wrong with anything you order here.
(4)
Peter K.
Shitty place, good is extremely over priced. Ordered spring rolls here and they brought PEANUT BUTTER! Is this a joke? They don't have hoison sauce for them? Their Yaki Soba is equivalent to what a food court would sell. Sushi is at the most decent.
(1)
Sarah B.
I made a reservation for a large group for 8:15 over the phone and was reminded that they closed at 10 but that we could still come. When we arrived the waitress kept rushing us along reminding us continuously of the closing time. She even cleared some of our plates and wrapped them up to go before we were done eating. We finished at 10:02 and were standing in the lobby making sure we had everyone and a man at the counter (dressed like the manager) rudely said "what are you doing? We are closed" and continued to work on the computer. We asked him to take a group photo and he replied "no I am busy" so we had a person that was having a drink come all the way over to take it. For a group that spent approximately $700 I did not expect to be treated so rudely!
(2)
Olivia R.
The novelty of Kikuyama was great when I was a kid but has lost its shock factor a little bit since then. Their teppanyaki chicken and shrimp is what I typically get and it is quite good but not really worth the higher price. This is a fun place to come with kids or adults. The fried rice is excellent and if the chef is a good performer it is usually a fun experience.
(3)
Mark M.
We were probably one if the first people through the door when it first opened. It looks they haven't done any maintenance since. While the food is good it is on the pricey side. Two adults and a child that had two sides for dinner it came out to be $76 with tip. That was with just soft drinks. Also FYI they charge for refills!! The hostess was so rude. Approaching us while texting on her phone. When seating ya she threw the menus down on the table. Friends have gone in the past and have been harangued by the waitress for not tipping enough when leaving a 20% tip! This last time was the final straw. I'm not going back.
(2)
Chris M.
Wish I could give this shit bucket no stars. Mediocre food. Good not great. Karaoke is run by a lazy stoner shithead who doesn't play music. Waste of time. Waste of money.
(1)
Omer G.
I had a large Birthday party for my partner last Oct. 2013 with over 30 people and was amazed by the excellent service and great food offered. I have recommended it to many friends and family members. Keep up the great service. By, the way I am a Karaoke DJ and would love to perform there. Please keep me in mind. My email is omecongig@aol.com . Name is Omer Giguere. (617-323-1604.
(5)
Melissa W.
went for dinner the other night for my sister's birthday. everything was okay. not bad, not great. if the review was on our chef alone it'd be a 5/5. he was hilarious, interactive, and cooked us up a mean meal. I hate going to hibachi places where the chefs come over stone-faced, confirm your order in whatever english they can come up with, go through all the little showy hibachi things, say a few little japanese things, give you your food then bounce. this guy came over, guns blazing, and right off the bat when he was confirming the order back he started with my sister and purposely confirmed it back wrong to see if she was even listening. she ordered the steak teppanyaki, and he confirmed: "ok so seafood for you?" my sister went white. she hates seafood. I instantly got nervous, and then he said "NAH I'm kidding, steak teppanyaki how do you like it cooked?" I died. smooth, mr hibachi chef, touche.
(3)
Shana S.
This is where I got my nickname Mai Tai from. The drinks are really good they are reasonably priced, food is decent. I usually go for drinks and appetizers. Karaoke downstairs. Come with a group. There is a young girl there who evil. She's not nice at all. She is only looking for a healthy tip. She will remember you if you don't tip well. Maybe she should be friendly to her customers? Anyways, we all drink up and laugh and look forward to always seeing her angry face.
(3)
Nicole O.
I wish I could give "no stars." Facist Imperialistic monstrasities of humanity. We specifically requested to share a meal. This was confirmed on 3 occasions; however, the bill came and we were charged for 2 meals. The manager was rude, and threw away our leftovers in front of us. He accused us of being in the wrong, what happened to "the customer is always right??"
(1)
Steven C.
Love this place, they do karaoke and they have good Mai tais, I recommend the Sea of Japan it comes with lobster, shrimp, and sea scallops, a very delicious trio made on the hibachi grill
(4)
Andrew D.
To be fair, the food was good. It wasn't 'blow me away' good , but I'd happily eat it again. It's everything else, however, that will keep me from going back to Kikuyama anytime soon. I went the other week with 6 friends. I had never been to a hibachi restaurant, and was intrigued by the idea of it. Upon sitting down, a massive fireball erupted from the flat top behind me. I literally felt the hair on the back of my neck singe. That chef was working the crowd , laughing, smiling. Ours? Barely broke monotone when he made an onion volcano, let alone a smile. All we got was 'volcano. ooo'. Good god man, you just made an exploding volcano out of onion rings and flaming oil! Get excited! While watching the 'show', I went to take a sip of my beer, only to find some rogue fried rice in it. Still not sure how it happened, but threw me off quite a bit. All said and done, dinner for 7 set us back $325 for some okay food and a lame show. And that's when the real 'fun' began. The waitress began hovering round us. She stood and watched us do the bill, asking if we were done multiple times in a short period of time. I've NEVER felt so rushed before. It was to the point where I was starting to get anxious. It was 11:00 pm, and your establishment closes at 1:00 am. Step off and stop checking in literally every 30 seconds. You'll get your money. I left with a bad taste in my mouth, and the overwhelming smell of grease in my clothes, never to return again. Sorry Kikuyama, I can't say I'm willing to come back.
(2)
Ryan N.
Kiku Yama was clean. The decor was right up my alley. The sushi was delicious, especially the Red Sox rolls. The drinks were dangerously good and the service was top notch. The only thing that sucked was that I'm not from the area so I can't go back :(
(5)
Michael S.
Excellent service at the bar. Poly' drinks are strong and in fun glasses and garnish. Always showing live sports on the two televisions. I've only had the sushi, and it's good with a huge selection of specialty rolls. Prices are a little on the high end. Restrooms are big and clean, and almost elegant. Parking is plentiful. Overall, the sushi won't blow you away, but it is very respectable. I've never walked out of Kiku Yama unhappy.
(4)
Paul C.
Back in the area visiting and went to Kikuyama for the Sushi Boat for 3. Very good quality fish as well as quantity. The only down side was the Waitress was a little slow with the bill. Would go back in a heart beat !
(5)
Beth P.
My husband and I ate here at about 1 pm on a Sunday. We took a seat at the bar as we always do when its just us. It was cold outside and we didn't think sushi was an appropriate meal so we ordered warm dishes instead. The vegetable gyoza was very good, and fresh. I always enjoy the sauce that accompanies the gyoza. My vegetable and tofu with brown rice was pretty good, and when the bartender asked if I wanted hot sauces I, of course, said yes! She brought out a dish with 3 different kinds of hot sauce: a ginger based sauce, a horseradish based sauce, and a chili based sauce. My favorite was the chili based sauce. They seemed fresh enough to have been made in-house. My husband said his shrimp udon was scrumptious, though I did not try it. We did not have dessert as our only choices were cheesecake and fried ice cream. Sidebar: the bathrooms were very clean! I would like to come back for a hibachi style meal. Can't wait to try this place again!
(4)
Jay K.
The food was good, not great. The service was awful, slow and just not attentive. We did hibachi and our chef was completely disinterested in what he was doing, didn't speak to us at all, just going through the motions with a straight face. We saw another chef at a nearby table and he was rocking it, laughing and interacting with his customers. Shame we didn't have him. I will not be going back here.
(2)
Myisha F.
I Was downstairs at the function hall I accompany my cousins it was her friends birthday karaoke was great and the drinks were good and cheap. Why this place only get 4 stars instead of 5 is the bouncer . When the party was almost over around 10 minutes before closing the party was told by the bouncer quote " get the fuck out we are close "That was repeated numerous amount of times . I did see the owner asked him to stop and he didn't . He was trying to be intimidating but he ended up making the restaurant look bad. If this is how customer are treated I will not come back to any more functions. I will follow up with the owner on Monday to make sure the bouncer understand manners and respect because he obviously needs to be trained again !!!
(4)
Jane T.
Where do I start.... Dirty , nasty, smelly just to start! This place needs to be gutted and start over. The overwhelming smell of pure rancid fats permitted the air and never left throughout our entire dinner. The floors the walls the tables all encrusted with the remanence of other people's dinners! The lets top that off with the most awful service possible . My two little grandsons where so excited to bring me for 'the show' at dinner. Well, no show.... This guy pushed his cart up and never spoke. He thew the Sauces at us spilling one into the other and the rest of the stuff just thrown on the grill then onto our plates. Not even a look our way. If your that miserable.... Stay in bed! These types of restaurants are or should be about the experience not just the food . If it was only about the food..... Who would eat here? The entire menu is a salt lick! Nothing is that good unless you love salt more then any flavor on earth...... Stay away as this place is really gross and coupled with bad service!!
(1)
Jessica B.
This review is for sushi only, because... getting greasy rice flipped at me is not my idea of fun. We were the only table eating in the back room with the sushi bar. Asian people eating at an Asian restaurant is a good sign. Didn't see any of them. No one eating there? That is never a good sign. The menu is huge, but many of the items were poorly executed. I started with miso soup, which was fine. I had a bite of my friend's chicken yakitori which was fried, not grilled. Then I had Vietnamese Egg Rolls, which were just weird. The shrimp was scarce and the chicken-flavored tofu was mildly unpleasant. The rolls had a starchy consistency that ruined what I like about Vietnamese Egg Rolls, the fresh taste of the vegetables. They were bland, missing basil or cilantro. The dipping sauce was a HEAVY peanut sauce, too creamy for a Vietnamese Egg Roll. The overall experience was a starchy roll filled with tasteless sprouts and weird tofu. Not good. The sushi was unremarkable. They were able to make some of mine with brown rice, but not the roll I ordered. The waitress told me the fish would fall off. The unagi was good, but the rest was pretty bland. The smoked saki was particularly unremarkable. I don't need a fortune cookie (oh, I know it's Korean) to know that a return visit is not in my future. $112 for 3 people with no alcohol.
(2)
Becca T.
Great place to have a birthday dinner or go with a party of 8-9. If you in a small group you will end up sitting at a table with others if youre looking to watch the habatchi show, or private tables in back. Some of their habatchi chefs are more interactive with customers than others. Prices are a bit high but not anything shocking.
(3)
Bani M.
Tonight I just disappointed my entire family after selling them on this restaurant!! The worst customer service from both the waitress and the cook that we have EVER experienced! Not only rude and unprofessional but also lame. If you are going to have a cook "perform a show", please ask them to at least smile!!! This guy was cooking like he was on a funeral. And the waitress was "ready" to fight and extremely pushy! I'll make sure not only to tell my friends and family. Great concept. Wrong Staff!
(1)
Kerlyne J.
I've had better teppanyaki and the sushi options are pretty decent. We got the spider roll and a chef special to start. I got the samurai special which is a filet mignon with shrimp and loved that they had a kids menu for my guest of honor. Lots of kids present for a Friday night but there always seems to be some confusion with the tables. I've been here more than once but definitely not a favorite. If you go, must get the scorpion bowl!! Best part of every night.
(2)
Alexis G.
We always ask for the back room seating where the sushi bar and wooden booths are. The servers are always very kind and the food is great.
(5)
Molly B.
Food here is DELICIOUS which is why I'm giving it 4 stars. If the review were based on affordability and customer service I would give it 2 stars. It's a hit or miss with the chef you get. Some are very animated while others want to do their job and get out of their as soon as possible. The waitresses are not very attentive, it takes a while to get their attention once they're gone. I eat until I can't move when I come here the food is so good. The steak is to die for. The soup is tasty even if you don't like mushrooms (which I don't). I could drink the sauces they give you with your food they taste so good. One thing I don't like is they include their tip. I don't know if it was because I was with a large party or it's their policy. I felt that the waitress didn't deserve the tip that was included in the bill but didn't have a say in what she was tipped. She had barely done anything and was receiving a bigger tip than the chef who cooked my meal. Tip: Tip the chef yourself if you want to give him a good tip because the money you give to the waitress is divided up. I recommend the food here to anyone. You will leave full and satisfied. Try the fried ice cream for dessert.
(4)
Sara K.
I wanted to like this place, I really did, because we just moved into the neighborhood and it would be so convenient to like this place. We ordered all sushi for dinner, so maybe that was our mistake? The rice was congealed. Nothing was appetizing. People across the room seemed to be having fun with the Hibachi, given my experience with the sushi, I won't be back. Oh, and our server was pretty terrible. Yikes.
(2)
Khan A.
All my friends including me just love this place. I think the food there is awesome, stuff is very friendly, it's very clean inside and it' s very important and the show is great. It's seems like you are the main quest and all actors is only for you. Like cooking with show. If you seat near the grill then you choose the best spot. We went there first time on my friend b-day. Everybody got amazing tasty soup with salad and tasty dressing. I love that. And it was for free. like small appetizer. Then the chef came and the show begin :) We order rise with vegetables and some meat and seafood. All food was made in front of us. Chef was joking, entertain us, doing different tricks with food, doing great job. That was great. i love onion towel. He put something on top of it and after couple seconds u can see fire that coming up from onion towel. And the portions are HUGE. i really enjoy that evening. next time we order some sushi: California and Philadelphia rolls. Everything was tasty, really fresh and was melting in your mouth. I really recommend this place . You can bring all your family. Kids just love this place. and don't worry they have everything for kids. Even sticks for sushi made spacial for kids. Isn't it amazing? and in a front they have great looking aquarium with exotic fish. and it's very clean not like some places has. Visit that restaurant and then you will understand why i love it.
(5)
Kelly O.
It's a shame because I love me a good teppanyaki dinner, but everywhere I go seems to disappoint. The service here was awful. When initially ordering, a member of our party was confused about the whole teppanyaki experience, and our waiter was not helpful and actually was a bit condescending and rude. We waited and waited for far too long between each stage of ordering/each course, and the worst was waiting for our chef to come and actually cook our meal (we had to flag down one of the waiters and ask if the chef was on his way or what, apparently they were on a break leaving us stranded for about 20 minutes... we got no apologies). Our "show" was standard and on the lame side, the chef clearly didn't give a crap about us. The one redeeming quality that earns it 2 stars instead of 1 was the food, it was all really tasty and cooked well (I got the salmon dinner and it was a perfect medium). Shame, because in the last 6 months the 2 teppanyaki places I've been to have been a disappointment... stick to the one in Norwood or Natick for a better experience.
(2)
Sue S.
One star all because of the mean and poor business like manager. Was planning a large group gathering for a friend's birthday because of the karaoke downstairs. Called a few times and was led to believe that we could order a bunch of apps for downstairs and enjoy the karaoke. When the manager finally returned my call a week later, I was told this was not an option and that all people attending HAD to order a dinner upstairs first. Our group changed plans and we made reservations for 40 people instead. It all worked out, and the food was delicious but the manager was terrible to work and communicate with. My husband left his credit card there and returned 4x to retrieve it only to be told he had to get it from the manager. When my husband finally tracked down the grumpy o'l manager he was rude and told him he didn't have his card (after someone over the phone confirmed that they indeed had it). My husband insisted he look for it after manager refused and he found it in a matter of 5 seconds. This man should clearly not be running the place. Hate to think how he treats his workers.
(1)
Courtney B.
If I could give no stars I would have. We should have taken it as a sign when we had to wait 10 minutes to be acknowledged that this wasn't going to be good. I ordered a cup of tea and when it finally arrived I asked for sugar and the waitress scolded me not to put it into my tea. We ordered sushi, dumplings and chicken wings. I watched the sushi chef put our order up and it sat there for 15 minutes. Once our food (minus chicken wings) was finally delivered we didn't see our waitress again until 20 minutes after we finished eating. She came over to offer the check and we asked for the wings. She dropped them off in passing to another table and we didn't see her again. We had to flag her down finally to get the check. You should never have to wait this long anywhere on a Tuesday night. I can't say it was terrible service because we didn't receive any service.
(1)
Bean C.
I love this place! We always go with my extended family, and really enjoy the food and the atmosphere. Beside the teppanyaki, I recommend the chicken wings. And, for dessert, the fried ice cream.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Ginger R.
The food is not bad. The hibachi chef was lovely and did an adequate job (just slightly underseasoned). The portions are good too. I got a side of gyoza and salmon Maki - also good. However service was dismal. We waited 15 minutes after seating before anyone even came over to say hi. Turns out our waitress and the host who seated us were chatting leisurely at the bar. For the rest of the night she seemed inconvenienced by us. She warmed up eventually but you can't replace first impressions.
(3)Kristin S.
The only reason I'm giving this place 2 stars is because the food was actually delicious (filled with sodium, but yummy nonetheless), but our waitress ruined everything. She wasn't nice at all and actually made us uncomfortable and kind of scared when she walked by. So we paid and as we were leaving she actually stopped us to say we hadn't paid enough... as in the tip we left her wasn't enough. Honestly she deserved no tip but we were kind enough to still leave her a decent one. She actually looked disgusted that we didn't leave her more. I couldn't believe that happened! If you get a waitress that isn't a complete bully then it is probably a decent place to eat.
(2)Lynnith R.
Best miso soup around. Prices are high and cuts of sushi small. The chicken katsu was flavorful and crisp. We arrived at 9 and the service was awful. No chopsticks brought so we had to get up, and she brought us our check at 9:20 (we had taken like 2 bites of food) and said they were closing in 10 min. It's 9:46 and we are across town already - I kind of regret tipping 20% on that one. (Posted closing time is 10, so we figured the kitchen would close at 9:30 but we could sit and eat for a few minutes.....but we were unwanted and she made it clear.) In short - tasty food, a little expensive, gamble on the service but don't bother going after 9.
(4)April K.
This place is a little shabby. The decorations look a tad old and the lighting inside is a bit dingy. It's also very kid-friendly, so if you want a romantic/quiet night out, don't go here. I got the hibachi meal that comes with miso soup, a salad, and a shrimp appetizer. The miso soup was alright, but it didn't look like miso soup, it just looked like a clear broth with large chunks of mushrooms in it (it was missing that cloudy stuff in it). The salad was good; it was topped with a ginger dressing. The shrimp appetizer was decent, but the portion of it was tiny; I think we got one shrimp each that was cut into itty bitty pieces. For the main course, the portions were huge... I'm talking a ridiculous amount of food. However, I don't think the quality was that great. I got my hibachi with the noodles, and they were drenched in sauce- way too thick and heavy. It was also strange because the chef served the rice/noodles before the meat, so by the time the meat was done cooking, most people were already done eating the rice/enoodles. I got the chicken, which was fine but nothing spectacular. My boyfriend's beef was a little chewy. The service was sub par- a little slow and not friendly. Overall, the place was decent, but I wouldn't have a craving to go back. Much better hibachi places in the greater Boston area.
(3)Carolyn O.
I've eaten here about a half dozen times now and overall I really love this place. Here are my thoughts: Pros: - very kid friendly & accommodating (my 4 year old always wants just one plain egg and they always make it for him) - excellent sushi at average prices - good selection of tasty hibachi options and combos (calamari, scallops, shrimp, and beef are the best) - large portions - decent drink menu - great for groups - there are several really really good hibachi chefs who put on quite a fun show Drawbacks: - pricey - there are usually several birthday parties and/or large groups so it can get noisy - this isn't really the place to go for an intimate romantic dinner - if you are a small party (like 3 or less), be prepared to sit with strangers - dessert selection is limited - it can get pretty busy after 7 so expect to wait if you don't make a reservation
(4)Le T.
I didn't want to be too harsh so I decided to give this place two stars. Mainly for the food and the hibachi presentation. Our hibachi man (I don't know their proper title) was not enthusiastic in giving a show. He dropped his utensils a couple of times. Dude you needa go home.. The pics I took are a lie. It looks like a really great show but it only speaks for my amazing photography skills. The food were extremely salty. Felt bloated and dehydrated throughout the day- post meal. 2 stars for the name. KIKU....YAMAAAAAAAAAA!
(2)Ambah P.
Great Coconut Mixed Drink With Passion Fruit Juice, Was great tasting with combination of California, Meki, & Cumcumber Rolls, the Miso soup was good, I loved it and the Steak with House Fried Rice & Veggies, was Delicious! The steak so juicy, We arrived at Lunch time! Definately coming back!
(4)Caren B.
I love Kiku Yama. Had a scallop hibachi dinner last night and a mai tai. The show was fun. My boyfriend ordered the sirloin steak hibachi and it was cooked perfectly. My scallops were yummy as well as the salad and shrimp appetizer. The fried rice was delicious as well.
(5)Punam D.
Came here last night. The restaurant is a massive, harshly lit place with no atmosphere and there were few punters for 8pm on a Friday evening. I hadn't tried hibachi since my last disastrous outing (see review passim), and was looking forward to the experience despite the lukewarm Yelp reviews. We were seated quickly and efficiently. Our drinks order was taken with some difficulty due to the language limitations of our server. Eventually our food order was also despatched and we were served with a bowl of soup and a salad. The soup was mildly flavoured hot water and the salad was unimpressively limp with a quite overpowering dressing. The sushi rolls were underwhelming. Then the hibachi chef arrived. We very much enjoyed the egg fried rice. The steak was the same whether it was sirloin or fillet but was tasty enough. I also tried to calamari which was alarmingly overdone and consequently tasteless and rubbery. Avoid. The chicken breast was okay. There were plenty of vegetables and bean sprouts served. I would recommend that you have two orders of meat or fish with your rice. Overall it was an acceptable meal, if on the bland side. The sauces did not add a great deal, lending a sameness to all the different elements. We ended the evening at the cavernous karaoke bar downstairs. Again it had no soul and few takers. We made the most of it but it was a damp squib to end a quite disappointing evening. This is not a solid 3. I though 2 would be mean but 3 stars is overcooking it. I'm not in a rush to go back.
(3)Becca P.
I love this place though the service is so so. Came her for my birthday with 18 people. They let us do sake bombs and the food was delicious as always. You cannot go wrong with anything you order here.
(4)Peter K.
Shitty place, good is extremely over priced. Ordered spring rolls here and they brought PEANUT BUTTER! Is this a joke? They don't have hoison sauce for them? Their Yaki Soba is equivalent to what a food court would sell. Sushi is at the most decent.
(1)Sarah B.
I made a reservation for a large group for 8:15 over the phone and was reminded that they closed at 10 but that we could still come. When we arrived the waitress kept rushing us along reminding us continuously of the closing time. She even cleared some of our plates and wrapped them up to go before we were done eating. We finished at 10:02 and were standing in the lobby making sure we had everyone and a man at the counter (dressed like the manager) rudely said "what are you doing? We are closed" and continued to work on the computer. We asked him to take a group photo and he replied "no I am busy" so we had a person that was having a drink come all the way over to take it. For a group that spent approximately $700 I did not expect to be treated so rudely!
(2)Olivia R.
The novelty of Kikuyama was great when I was a kid but has lost its shock factor a little bit since then. Their teppanyaki chicken and shrimp is what I typically get and it is quite good but not really worth the higher price. This is a fun place to come with kids or adults. The fried rice is excellent and if the chef is a good performer it is usually a fun experience.
(3)Mark M.
We were probably one if the first people through the door when it first opened. It looks they haven't done any maintenance since. While the food is good it is on the pricey side. Two adults and a child that had two sides for dinner it came out to be $76 with tip. That was with just soft drinks. Also FYI they charge for refills!! The hostess was so rude. Approaching us while texting on her phone. When seating ya she threw the menus down on the table. Friends have gone in the past and have been harangued by the waitress for not tipping enough when leaving a 20% tip! This last time was the final straw. I'm not going back.
(2)Chris M.
Wish I could give this shit bucket no stars. Mediocre food. Good not great. Karaoke is run by a lazy stoner shithead who doesn't play music. Waste of time. Waste of money.
(1)Omer G.
I had a large Birthday party for my partner last Oct. 2013 with over 30 people and was amazed by the excellent service and great food offered. I have recommended it to many friends and family members. Keep up the great service. By, the way I am a Karaoke DJ and would love to perform there. Please keep me in mind. My email is omecongig@aol.com . Name is Omer Giguere. (617-323-1604.
(5)Melissa W.
went for dinner the other night for my sister's birthday. everything was okay. not bad, not great. if the review was on our chef alone it'd be a 5/5. he was hilarious, interactive, and cooked us up a mean meal. I hate going to hibachi places where the chefs come over stone-faced, confirm your order in whatever english they can come up with, go through all the little showy hibachi things, say a few little japanese things, give you your food then bounce. this guy came over, guns blazing, and right off the bat when he was confirming the order back he started with my sister and purposely confirmed it back wrong to see if she was even listening. she ordered the steak teppanyaki, and he confirmed: "ok so seafood for you?" my sister went white. she hates seafood. I instantly got nervous, and then he said "NAH I'm kidding, steak teppanyaki how do you like it cooked?" I died. smooth, mr hibachi chef, touche.
(3)Shana S.
This is where I got my nickname Mai Tai from. The drinks are really good they are reasonably priced, food is decent. I usually go for drinks and appetizers. Karaoke downstairs. Come with a group. There is a young girl there who evil. She's not nice at all. She is only looking for a healthy tip. She will remember you if you don't tip well. Maybe she should be friendly to her customers? Anyways, we all drink up and laugh and look forward to always seeing her angry face.
(3)Nicole O.
I wish I could give "no stars." Facist Imperialistic monstrasities of humanity. We specifically requested to share a meal. This was confirmed on 3 occasions; however, the bill came and we were charged for 2 meals. The manager was rude, and threw away our leftovers in front of us. He accused us of being in the wrong, what happened to "the customer is always right??"
(1)Steven C.
Love this place, they do karaoke and they have good Mai tais, I recommend the Sea of Japan it comes with lobster, shrimp, and sea scallops, a very delicious trio made on the hibachi grill
(4)Andrew D.
To be fair, the food was good. It wasn't 'blow me away' good , but I'd happily eat it again. It's everything else, however, that will keep me from going back to Kikuyama anytime soon. I went the other week with 6 friends. I had never been to a hibachi restaurant, and was intrigued by the idea of it. Upon sitting down, a massive fireball erupted from the flat top behind me. I literally felt the hair on the back of my neck singe. That chef was working the crowd , laughing, smiling. Ours? Barely broke monotone when he made an onion volcano, let alone a smile. All we got was 'volcano. ooo'. Good god man, you just made an exploding volcano out of onion rings and flaming oil! Get excited! While watching the 'show', I went to take a sip of my beer, only to find some rogue fried rice in it. Still not sure how it happened, but threw me off quite a bit. All said and done, dinner for 7 set us back $325 for some okay food and a lame show. And that's when the real 'fun' began. The waitress began hovering round us. She stood and watched us do the bill, asking if we were done multiple times in a short period of time. I've NEVER felt so rushed before. It was to the point where I was starting to get anxious. It was 11:00 pm, and your establishment closes at 1:00 am. Step off and stop checking in literally every 30 seconds. You'll get your money. I left with a bad taste in my mouth, and the overwhelming smell of grease in my clothes, never to return again. Sorry Kikuyama, I can't say I'm willing to come back.
(2)Ryan N.
Kiku Yama was clean. The decor was right up my alley. The sushi was delicious, especially the Red Sox rolls. The drinks were dangerously good and the service was top notch. The only thing that sucked was that I'm not from the area so I can't go back :(
(5)Michael S.
Excellent service at the bar. Poly' drinks are strong and in fun glasses and garnish. Always showing live sports on the two televisions. I've only had the sushi, and it's good with a huge selection of specialty rolls. Prices are a little on the high end. Restrooms are big and clean, and almost elegant. Parking is plentiful. Overall, the sushi won't blow you away, but it is very respectable. I've never walked out of Kiku Yama unhappy.
(4)Paul C.
Back in the area visiting and went to Kikuyama for the Sushi Boat for 3. Very good quality fish as well as quantity. The only down side was the Waitress was a little slow with the bill. Would go back in a heart beat !
(5)Beth P.
My husband and I ate here at about 1 pm on a Sunday. We took a seat at the bar as we always do when its just us. It was cold outside and we didn't think sushi was an appropriate meal so we ordered warm dishes instead. The vegetable gyoza was very good, and fresh. I always enjoy the sauce that accompanies the gyoza. My vegetable and tofu with brown rice was pretty good, and when the bartender asked if I wanted hot sauces I, of course, said yes! She brought out a dish with 3 different kinds of hot sauce: a ginger based sauce, a horseradish based sauce, and a chili based sauce. My favorite was the chili based sauce. They seemed fresh enough to have been made in-house. My husband said his shrimp udon was scrumptious, though I did not try it. We did not have dessert as our only choices were cheesecake and fried ice cream. Sidebar: the bathrooms were very clean! I would like to come back for a hibachi style meal. Can't wait to try this place again!
(4)Jay K.
The food was good, not great. The service was awful, slow and just not attentive. We did hibachi and our chef was completely disinterested in what he was doing, didn't speak to us at all, just going through the motions with a straight face. We saw another chef at a nearby table and he was rocking it, laughing and interacting with his customers. Shame we didn't have him. I will not be going back here.
(2)Myisha F.
I Was downstairs at the function hall I accompany my cousins it was her friends birthday karaoke was great and the drinks were good and cheap. Why this place only get 4 stars instead of 5 is the bouncer . When the party was almost over around 10 minutes before closing the party was told by the bouncer quote " get the fuck out we are close "That was repeated numerous amount of times . I did see the owner asked him to stop and he didn't . He was trying to be intimidating but he ended up making the restaurant look bad. If this is how customer are treated I will not come back to any more functions. I will follow up with the owner on Monday to make sure the bouncer understand manners and respect because he obviously needs to be trained again !!!
(4)Jane T.
Where do I start.... Dirty , nasty, smelly just to start! This place needs to be gutted and start over. The overwhelming smell of pure rancid fats permitted the air and never left throughout our entire dinner. The floors the walls the tables all encrusted with the remanence of other people's dinners! The lets top that off with the most awful service possible . My two little grandsons where so excited to bring me for 'the show' at dinner. Well, no show.... This guy pushed his cart up and never spoke. He thew the Sauces at us spilling one into the other and the rest of the stuff just thrown on the grill then onto our plates. Not even a look our way. If your that miserable.... Stay in bed! These types of restaurants are or should be about the experience not just the food . If it was only about the food..... Who would eat here? The entire menu is a salt lick! Nothing is that good unless you love salt more then any flavor on earth...... Stay away as this place is really gross and coupled with bad service!!
(1)Jessica B.
This review is for sushi only, because... getting greasy rice flipped at me is not my idea of fun. We were the only table eating in the back room with the sushi bar. Asian people eating at an Asian restaurant is a good sign. Didn't see any of them. No one eating there? That is never a good sign. The menu is huge, but many of the items were poorly executed. I started with miso soup, which was fine. I had a bite of my friend's chicken yakitori which was fried, not grilled. Then I had Vietnamese Egg Rolls, which were just weird. The shrimp was scarce and the chicken-flavored tofu was mildly unpleasant. The rolls had a starchy consistency that ruined what I like about Vietnamese Egg Rolls, the fresh taste of the vegetables. They were bland, missing basil or cilantro. The dipping sauce was a HEAVY peanut sauce, too creamy for a Vietnamese Egg Roll. The overall experience was a starchy roll filled with tasteless sprouts and weird tofu. Not good. The sushi was unremarkable. They were able to make some of mine with brown rice, but not the roll I ordered. The waitress told me the fish would fall off. The unagi was good, but the rest was pretty bland. The smoked saki was particularly unremarkable. I don't need a fortune cookie (oh, I know it's Korean) to know that a return visit is not in my future. $112 for 3 people with no alcohol.
(2)Becca T.
Great place to have a birthday dinner or go with a party of 8-9. If you in a small group you will end up sitting at a table with others if youre looking to watch the habatchi show, or private tables in back. Some of their habatchi chefs are more interactive with customers than others. Prices are a bit high but not anything shocking.
(3)Bani M.
Tonight I just disappointed my entire family after selling them on this restaurant!! The worst customer service from both the waitress and the cook that we have EVER experienced! Not only rude and unprofessional but also lame. If you are going to have a cook "perform a show", please ask them to at least smile!!! This guy was cooking like he was on a funeral. And the waitress was "ready" to fight and extremely pushy! I'll make sure not only to tell my friends and family. Great concept. Wrong Staff!
(1)Kerlyne J.
I've had better teppanyaki and the sushi options are pretty decent. We got the spider roll and a chef special to start. I got the samurai special which is a filet mignon with shrimp and loved that they had a kids menu for my guest of honor. Lots of kids present for a Friday night but there always seems to be some confusion with the tables. I've been here more than once but definitely not a favorite. If you go, must get the scorpion bowl!! Best part of every night.
(2)Alexis G.
We always ask for the back room seating where the sushi bar and wooden booths are. The servers are always very kind and the food is great.
(5)Molly B.
Food here is DELICIOUS which is why I'm giving it 4 stars. If the review were based on affordability and customer service I would give it 2 stars. It's a hit or miss with the chef you get. Some are very animated while others want to do their job and get out of their as soon as possible. The waitresses are not very attentive, it takes a while to get their attention once they're gone. I eat until I can't move when I come here the food is so good. The steak is to die for. The soup is tasty even if you don't like mushrooms (which I don't). I could drink the sauces they give you with your food they taste so good. One thing I don't like is they include their tip. I don't know if it was because I was with a large party or it's their policy. I felt that the waitress didn't deserve the tip that was included in the bill but didn't have a say in what she was tipped. She had barely done anything and was receiving a bigger tip than the chef who cooked my meal. Tip: Tip the chef yourself if you want to give him a good tip because the money you give to the waitress is divided up. I recommend the food here to anyone. You will leave full and satisfied. Try the fried ice cream for dessert.
(4)Sara K.
I wanted to like this place, I really did, because we just moved into the neighborhood and it would be so convenient to like this place. We ordered all sushi for dinner, so maybe that was our mistake? The rice was congealed. Nothing was appetizing. People across the room seemed to be having fun with the Hibachi, given my experience with the sushi, I won't be back. Oh, and our server was pretty terrible. Yikes.
(2)Khan A.
All my friends including me just love this place. I think the food there is awesome, stuff is very friendly, it's very clean inside and it' s very important and the show is great. It's seems like you are the main quest and all actors is only for you. Like cooking with show. If you seat near the grill then you choose the best spot. We went there first time on my friend b-day. Everybody got amazing tasty soup with salad and tasty dressing. I love that. And it was for free. like small appetizer. Then the chef came and the show begin :) We order rise with vegetables and some meat and seafood. All food was made in front of us. Chef was joking, entertain us, doing different tricks with food, doing great job. That was great. i love onion towel. He put something on top of it and after couple seconds u can see fire that coming up from onion towel. And the portions are HUGE. i really enjoy that evening. next time we order some sushi: California and Philadelphia rolls. Everything was tasty, really fresh and was melting in your mouth. I really recommend this place . You can bring all your family. Kids just love this place. and don't worry they have everything for kids. Even sticks for sushi made spacial for kids. Isn't it amazing? and in a front they have great looking aquarium with exotic fish. and it's very clean not like some places has. Visit that restaurant and then you will understand why i love it.
(5)Kelly O.
It's a shame because I love me a good teppanyaki dinner, but everywhere I go seems to disappoint. The service here was awful. When initially ordering, a member of our party was confused about the whole teppanyaki experience, and our waiter was not helpful and actually was a bit condescending and rude. We waited and waited for far too long between each stage of ordering/each course, and the worst was waiting for our chef to come and actually cook our meal (we had to flag down one of the waiters and ask if the chef was on his way or what, apparently they were on a break leaving us stranded for about 20 minutes... we got no apologies). Our "show" was standard and on the lame side, the chef clearly didn't give a crap about us. The one redeeming quality that earns it 2 stars instead of 1 was the food, it was all really tasty and cooked well (I got the salmon dinner and it was a perfect medium). Shame, because in the last 6 months the 2 teppanyaki places I've been to have been a disappointment... stick to the one in Norwood or Natick for a better experience.
(2)Sue S.
One star all because of the mean and poor business like manager. Was planning a large group gathering for a friend's birthday because of the karaoke downstairs. Called a few times and was led to believe that we could order a bunch of apps for downstairs and enjoy the karaoke. When the manager finally returned my call a week later, I was told this was not an option and that all people attending HAD to order a dinner upstairs first. Our group changed plans and we made reservations for 40 people instead. It all worked out, and the food was delicious but the manager was terrible to work and communicate with. My husband left his credit card there and returned 4x to retrieve it only to be told he had to get it from the manager. When my husband finally tracked down the grumpy o'l manager he was rude and told him he didn't have his card (after someone over the phone confirmed that they indeed had it). My husband insisted he look for it after manager refused and he found it in a matter of 5 seconds. This man should clearly not be running the place. Hate to think how he treats his workers.
(1)Courtney B.
If I could give no stars I would have. We should have taken it as a sign when we had to wait 10 minutes to be acknowledged that this wasn't going to be good. I ordered a cup of tea and when it finally arrived I asked for sugar and the waitress scolded me not to put it into my tea. We ordered sushi, dumplings and chicken wings. I watched the sushi chef put our order up and it sat there for 15 minutes. Once our food (minus chicken wings) was finally delivered we didn't see our waitress again until 20 minutes after we finished eating. She came over to offer the check and we asked for the wings. She dropped them off in passing to another table and we didn't see her again. We had to flag her down finally to get the check. You should never have to wait this long anywhere on a Tuesday night. I can't say it was terrible service because we didn't receive any service.
(1)Bean C.
I love this place! We always go with my extended family, and really enjoy the food and the atmosphere. Beside the teppanyaki, I recommend the chicken wings. And, for dessert, the fried ice cream.
(4)