Awesome bento box. Huge portion. All very fresh. Will come back to try the sushi next time. Very very happy to have them close by!
(4)
Liz H.
Awesome place! As soon as I walked in, I started to like this place. It was my groupon purchase try, but I think Im def coming back more often. Sushi is fresh and delicious but my favorite part was their takoyaki and nabeyaki udon. The closest tasted to original Japanese food. The staff is extraordinarily polite, they use some kind of phone? To put in your order so it comes out super fast too! If youre a doubtful person, buy groupon and give it a try!
(5)
Phil D.
This place is a hidden gem. I showed my colleagues this place and now we go twice a week for lunch. Prices and service are great!
(5)
Sari A.
I was in the mood for a fast flavorful lunch to ease my busy work day. I went to this very cute little Japanese place to get a takeout express lunch box, and it was so damn good. A lunch bento chicken Katsu was just what i needed to boost my mood. My bento consists of steamed rice, crunchy and delicious Japanese-style fried chicken cutlet, 4 piece california roll: my favorite, steamed vegi dumpling and a side of green salad with ginger dressing. Everything taste mmm-mmm good. Winner lunch!! Five Yelps!
(5)
Grace L.
I almost gave this place 1 star because I'm a sushi snob....but the place was clean and decorated nicely enough. My friend and I ordered the tartare, which looked pretty enough but tasted mediocre. We also ordered 3 sushi rolls, including a philadelphia roll, all of which were subpar and had a strange taste to its rice. The good thing was that I had a groupon for the business, which was easy enough to use and made the meal cheap. Our service was also pretty nice; the restaurant was very empty though, so the atmosphere was a bit awkward--just seemed like 3 waiters staring at me and my friend in our corner the whole time! Looked like a BYO place though, so might be a intimate place to go with friends for some beer and cheap sushi.
(2)
Yi C.
I recently went to Philadelphia to attend a conference. I would like to say that Kai is really a hidden gem. I first tried their sashimi set for dinner. All sashimi were very fresh which had the highest quality I have experienced in the country. The sashimi were beautifully presented in a nice plate. The miso soup and salad are very tasty too. On my last day at Philly, I went back to try their lunch. I took the suggestion from the chef and ordered the tempura udon and sushi. The shrimp tempura is the best I have in my life, the sweet potato tempura is very good, the taro and broccoli tempura tasted a little bland. The udon was excellent. lastly, the sushi is great. In summary, Kai is a very good Japanese restaurant in Philly and I would definitely come back.
(5)
Jennifer R.
I was a big fan of this place! It's cheap for great rolls ($10 for most specialty rolls), it's byo, and the service was great. It's small but decorated in a calm welcoming manner. We were a party of 10 and they were so accomodating to our rowdy bunch. They even gave us free edamame to start and split all our checks without asking. They had pretty different types of rolls with lime or crunchy pearls, many types of wraps besides seaweed. Thought they had some really cool ones going that were much cheaper than other special places like this. Our rainbow roll came with a very generous amount of fish, we got a delicious pyramid shaped roll, their special of the day that had pulled crab, tempura, and eel on top was so tasty. Even their spicy tuna from the regular sushi menu got fancified with the crunchy pearls which ended up being our favorite. Will definitely be back here soon.
(5)
Monica H.
Three stars for now cuz I have yet to try their sushi... So i would definitely be updating this again. Ordered their Chicken Teriyaki lunch. It comes with a side of soup or salad. The meal also has four pieces of california roll, 2dumplings, rice, and duh, chicken. I have to say it was quite delicious. The teriyaki sauce wasn't too sweet (thank god). The dumplings were good.. For $9 or so, it was a decent size lunch. The staff all seemed friendly. Wish i had my Jefferson ID with me then I would've received a discount! lol.. Gives me more of a reason to return i guess =)
(3)
Nazee Z.
Came here with a groupon and my boyfriend and we were pumped for some delicious sushi and Kai definitely delivered. It's BYOB for starters so we brought ourselves a couple beers (or you know, 10) to get things going. Ordered miso soup as an appetizer and it was probably the tastiest miso soup I've had in all of philadelphia. It was so flavorful, but not salty. And the seaweed was also really good. Slimy, yet satisfying. For sushi, we got the rainbow, pyramid and spicy tuna roll. All were really great with very fresh fish. I usually get sick of sushi after a while but here, it was easy for me to keep going. The spicy tuna roll was my favorite for sure!! Be warned, their crunchy is not your typical crumbled tempura batter, but it's more like small rice things. My boyfriend wasn't a fan, but I loved the texture of it. A nice break from the fish texture. Like eating Rice Krispies on sushi, but you know, it's not cereal. We also got ice cream for dessert which was vanilla, green tea, and red bean. I love green tea ice cream, but the red bean blew me away!! Sweet, but not too much. Really tasty meal and dessert! Our service was also excellent! Will return again and perhaps try those specials they had lined up :)
(5)
Allison B.
Four stars? You've gotta be kidding. While the interior of Kai is bright and clean, and the service was swell, the sushi was, well, sad. My yellowtail roll was fishy (!), my seared tuna roll was smoky (?), Zack's pork belly app was not actually pork belly (it was just...pork?), the veggie dumplings were soft and wet with flecks of red bell pepper (?) and the worst part of all- too much mushy, unseasoned rice on all rolls. I would not recommend this spot to anyone who enjoys high quality Japanese food.
(2)
Fam B.
I enjoyed this new addition to the neighborhood. It's a small space, but they really did a great job with decorations and furniture. The tables are spacious and it's a nice feel overall--love the fish lamps! The service was also comforting, everyone was friendly and helpful with questions. The food was pretty decent. Started off with edamame, which you can't really do wrong. Then we tried the following rolls: TNT, Naruto, Caterpillar, and Spider. The TNT was absolutely delicious. It's like a better version of the Philly Roll. We enjoyed that very much. The Naruto roll had great fish--it tasted fresh. The ratio of cucumber to fish was a little high for my taste.I've had cucumber wrapped rolls before and here, the cucumber definitely masked the freshness of the fish, which was disappointing. The Caterpillar and the Spider rolls were also just "okay" to us too. Overall, this place has great potential and I'm looking forward to returning and trying different rolls and updating this review.
(3)
AJ A.
Uhhhh.. okay so let me start that the place looks great and customer service was A+ but the sushi needs to have better quality fish.. I'll leave this as my initial review because I will give this restau another chance, looks like they have potential. Menu has a lot of offerings btw
(3)
Bill M.
When I was walking around Center City with a solid urge for sushi after realizing that its been a few months since I've had it, I decided to try a newer location that I've been hearing good things about like Fat Salmon or Roe, only to find out that both were closed for the afternoon. With my craving amped up to 11 I hit the trusty Yelp app which led me to Kai and a decent surprise. Kai is located in one of those locations that I've been unable to figure out throughout the years, That has taken on a hard to count number of Asian inspired restaurants despite being just a couple blocks away from Chinatown and the many similar and oftentimes better options that lie within. Its also a weird location for any restaurant in general given that its within close proximity to a McDonald's, parking garage, church, and all the random Market Street shops that don't exactly point you towards the direction of grabbing Japanese cuisine. But out of the many spots that I've seen come and go at this location, Kai could be the one with the most staying power due to its eclectic sushi menu and well rounded selection of other options. Since its been so long since I've had sushi at that point I was craving ALL THE FISH! So I was especially drawn to the Dragon Roll that combined spicy tune with shrimp tempura, eel sauce, jalepeno, and spicy mayo; and the Tiger Roll that touted spicy salmon and shrimp with masago, avocado, and cucumber. And while the Tiger did have a bit of a weird presentation, both packed some serious flavors that left me intrigued. Had I have known that that their was a Yelp Deal for a free edamame appetizer with a purchase sooner, I wouldn't have paid for mine (D'oh to bad timing!). But it still delivered the salty soy flavor that you'd expect to come with it. While you won't find better sushi options in Chinatown, you will still find them within a somewhat close proximity to Kai. But with the inventive special rolls, good lunch deals, and other not so fishy offerings; its still a good spot to dine or do take out at on a casual afternoon.
(3)
Nadia T.
This spot used to be Tea Talk 2, which was pretty dead (that could be an understatement). Now it's Kai Japanese Cuisine, a huge upgrade! I've been anticipating their opening for almost 2 months now, and Kai was well worth the wait. This place is small, not unexpected though for the location. But small as in there's a sushi bar and all the tables only seat 2 except for one that seats 4. I guess it's good for dates. We started off with the salmon tartare ($8). It was definitely worth more than the usual $5 for what, 2 pieces of sashimi? It was a pretty sizable pile of raw salmon on thinly sliced cucumbers topped with avocado pieces, scallions, and ponzu sauce. Definitely get it. There's also a tuna tartare option. We went with the White Tiger and Spider rolls. Each roll was 8 pieces, $10 each which I think is a good price for special rolls. The spider roll is pretty standard: soft shell crab, cucumber, etc. The White Tiger contained spicy tuna, cucumber, masago, and was topped with a generous amount of white tuna. Super tasty. I ordered a chicken katsu bowl ($12) for my little brother. When it came out, they didn't bring any miso soup or salad like the menu said it comes with. But it was whatever, I wouldn't have had room for it anyway (brother didn't even finish this dish so I gratefully ate it). The chicken was perfectly crispy and delicious! Surprisingly, only an appetizer, 2 rolls, and a chicken katsu was enough to fill us! Everything was extremely fresh and tasty! The menu isn't as extensive as most sushi places, but I don't mind that really. The service is good, although it's nothing particularly exceptional or memorable. This week they're doing a grand opening special: 25% off your entire meal! My friend and I only had to pay $20 each, including tips! I've been looking for a sushi spot in Philly and I think I've found it!
(5)
Khanh V.
I came here during the grand opening weekend and did take out. I ordered grilled squid and okonomiyaki. (I just love squid and seafood in general).. The food tasted fresh and was flavored well. The grilled squid was tender and juicy. Waiting for my order, I checked out the interior design felt in love. It is simple, clean with modern touch and a hint of Asia. Too bad the space is small or else it would be even better. This location used to be Tea Talk 2. I am glad something else opened up here. Overall, a good experience and would like to come back to dine and try other food on the menu.
(4)
Sarah K.
Price is good with a groupon. The place is small so large groups might be hard to fit everyone. The service was quick and friendly. Now the food was okay. Sushi rolls were simple and the quality of the fish was okay. The shrimp tempora roll is great though. We did get complementary ice cream so that was awesome. This place is alright.
(4)
Christine M.
I'm so glad I work so close to this new gem of a sushi place. A much needed renovation has been revealed with the opening of Kai, right on 10th street across from the Rothman Institute. I went for lunch with a friend, the service and food were exceptional. I really loved the twists on classic sushi roll favorites they have to offer, like the crunchy spicy roll! Yum. I will be back soon, maybe today for the Happy hour specials!
(5)
Lisa Z.
Considering that I was in Philadelphia for a few days, this was one of the spots I decided to have dinner at with people. The restaurant itself I hear is new and they even offered a "grand opening discount" to your check. I had no clue what I was in for, but I came here with four other members of my family preparing for what was ahead of us. Well boy oh boy, Kai Japanese Cuisine definitely left a positive impression on me. First of all, have you seen the furniture in this restaurant? Dang, the chair sure was heavy... but if you take notice of the design and its interior, it's fabulous! I looked passed the weight of it for its fine comfortable seat. Fasting forward to several months later, this is my second time here (considering that i am from New york). I love the concept of being able to see the sushi chefs make my sushi and how my fish is prepared. Their sashimi has yet to come out not fresh -- it's always fresh. I haven't received anything that isn't good. Here are some of the dishes that i would recommend for people to order, only because I can vouch for it : Unagi don, eel and cucumber roll, pork belly w/wasabi and soy sauce, and a salmon skin handroll. PS their salmon skin handroll is probably the most unique and strangest handroll i have ever tried. The wise one would always mention "quality over quantity," and honestly, it's true about this restaurant. They not only have nice chairs, you should see the teapots they use to serve tea. On top of that, the chopsticks aren't the disposable ones. It may be a little pricey, but i'd suggest to give this place a try. Must I mention their B.Y.O.B. policy with no cork fee?
(5)
Kyle G.
Went here on a Saturday night on a whim due to a Livingsocial deal. I was surprised to find the place completely empty aside from the hostess/waitress. I loved the decor, I found it very modern and it gave off a pleasant vibe. The sushi was average at best, although I was impressed with the unique flavor and texture of the pumpkin roll. The service was adequate and the food took a little bit longer than I was expecting considering no one else was there, however the presentation made up for the couple extra minutes we waited. All in all, Kai was an average place however I certainly see potential for another star in the future. I'll check back in another few months and see how it's progressing.
(3)
Joseph C.
My first time in Philadelphia, but this is the second Sushi restaurant I have visited. Very good sushi, even better service. They made a mistake on my order, and gave me the mistaken order for free. Will recommend the place to anybody who plans to visit downtown Philadelphia.
(5)
Hiya R.
Pretty standard sushi place, innovative decor. Tried the pork fried gyoza and was probably my favorite thing I ordered. Sushi was good, but standard. TNT roll was decent but I've had better. It's a good neighborhood spot for when you really need sushi.
(3)
Elizabeth M.
Secret treasure of philadelphia! Great quality at amazing prices! Service was great as well and the atmosphere was welcoming and relaxing at the same time. I will be returning very soon
(5)
Rong Y.
Nice environment, nice service, high food quality. One of greatest Sushi bar in the center city! Been here twice!
(5)
Doris L.
This place looks great and you are tempted to go in, but please don't. I would not recommend to anyone who likes Japanese food. The fish from the sushi is tasteless and dull. The way they make maki sushi didn't follow any essence of Japanese sushi making. The wasabi, tofu and tea are so ordinary that you can just stay home to enjoy your homemade meal.(and probably better than this) The waitress kept coming to take away my dishes and bowls even I have more than half soup and food in them. I never yelped before, but after this place, I had the urge to apply for an account to leave a review on this. It definitely not deserve 4stars. In fact, if I could leave no star, i would. I just wanna let people know what they are expecting from this place is incorrectly reflected on Yelp.
(1)
Carla D.
We stumbled across Kai on a weekday evening. The sushi quality is solid and the place has nice clean decor and attentive wait staff. We will definitely be back!!
(4)
M L.
Tried Kai today all around exceptional place!! Will continue to go as much as I can. Great food, place, and prices!! Good place food kids if they eat Japanese food.
(5)
Lauren B.
Second meal here in 24 hours - last nt for dinner my husband and I got delivery and now I'm here for lunch. The food is fresh and delicious. So far I'm loving there sushi rolls, agedashi tofu and shumai.
(5)
Kevin M.
nice place, heavy furniture, clean interior.... the food was overpriced for what it is, there was a sushi shop in the same storefront a couple of years go...bumblefish. Apparently that was discount sushi, I'd say this is place is the same food with a nicer wrapper and 2x pricier. The curry I had was a big bowl, came with soup and salad(typical miso and citrus salad, gave it to my friend so I can't speak to it myself) but no different than the local chinese corner store chicken curry, bland, more coating than gravy like. My friend wasn't impressed with the sushi, the rice wasn't seasoned; just lumped plain rice. And the fish itself wasn't anything to phone home about. Doesn't appear to be a busy place the two times we walked past before giving it a shot. Won't be returning.
(2)
T T.
Ordered delivery prompt delivery good food and they are still intact would recommend to others scallops are good with the dried garlic and the smelt roe sushi is a personal favorite so no complaints there
(5)
Brent A.
Excellent food and the service was perfect. I'll be stopping in here again next time I'm in the Philly area!
(5)
Joshua L.
Japanese food in America is very difficult. You're forced to pay premium dollars for either poor to mediocre quality food, whereas in Japan you can essentially walk into anyplace and find something better for a few dollars. Yes, I am heartbroken every time I spend $20 on something that I could have gotten for $2 in Tokyo, made worse by the fact that the Tokyo option tastes 100 times better. Additionally, the sushi in America is nothing like it is in Japan and is hardly worth eating, and one of my favorite dishes, unagi, really puts me in crisis mode due to the poor quality in the States. Again, too expensive for such poor quality. I feel a bit differently about Kai. I haven't ordered any of the sushi here except for the vegetable roll and futomaki, which I found okay and at least better than several other places in the city. However, I have had their katsu bento box, their tempura udon, unagidon, their yakisoba, and their yakiudon. Now, their katsu isn't great, but it isn't bad either. the dinner bento is a huge portion that can be shared by two, so the price doesn't sting as much. The tempura is tasty and a good variety, although I really find the rice to be lacking in skillful preparation. It also comes with california roll which are okay, but I wouldn't bother ordering them separately. The real reason I like Kai better than their competitors is for their tempura udon, which features a rather tasty broth alongside the solid (and plentiful) tempura and well-cooked udon. Also in the soup we get shiitake, fish cakes, broccoli, bitter greens, and aburaage, which I found to be a nice, unexpected touch. Overall, it makes for a very filling and satisfying dish for a $12 price tag which is not too tough to swallow. Additionally, their yakisoba and yakiudon aren't bad, but are definitely not worth the price. The reason why I continue to order them--with the yakiudon being the better of the two in my opinion--is that the shrimp option is exquisite. The shrimp is big and juicy, nicely lightly fried, done neither like shrimp tempura or ebi furai. The sauce isn't the most inspiring I've ever had, but it is okay. To tell you the truth, I crave this shrimp nearly everyday. Finally, the first time I had Kai I ordered the Unagidon. Surprisingly, the unagi was larger and meatier than any other place that I've tried in Philadelphia. Even more surprising is that it was cheaper than a lot of other places as well. The rice here was a fair bit better than what is in the katsu box. I would definitely order again, although one could go buy and cook your own kabayaki eel fillet from H-Mart for much cheaper and call it a day. They are fast in their delivery as well and their prices make it so you can usually get free edamame out of it, if not some gyoza, which are pretty solid as well. So, nothing here is really even close to how good the food is in Japan, and dare I say one could probably make better dishes themselves if they put their mind to it. Still, if you have no idea about how to cook Japanese food or just do not want to fuss about, I would recommend Kai. In my opinion, it is one of the few restaurants that even come close to satisfying my standard for Japanese food. Thank you Kai!
(4)
Brittany R.
Went here as a birthday lunch with a friend and honestly I was expecting much less for the price. We went a bit over the top as this was a celebration but it was pretty good. Drinks, my friend got a pot of tea and I got a Melon japanese soda. It was a nifty drink and I enjoyed it. Appetizers we got Miso and Seafood Miso and it was PHENOMENAL. Really the Miso is very good here. We also got the fried octopus balls which were okay. They were sort of over shadowed by how much we enjoyed the miso honestly. For lunch we got a Salmon Roll, A Rainbow Roll and an Eel Roll. It was my friends first time getting sushi and I wanted to mix and match some good ones. I wasn't wild about the Rainbow but the Eel was very good. My friend enjoyed the Salmon (I personally enjoy the sauces that go on the combination rolls, more than the sashimi). For dessert we had tempura green tea ice cream and it was pretty darn great as well. I would 100% come back here. It's an absolutely gorgeous location, great servers. We had a good time.
(4)
Allison P.
I have been here twice for lunch and both times, great service and great sushi. I partook in the lunch special each time, which is $10 and includes a lot of things. One time I chose two rolls and a salad, the other time I chose one roll and chef's choice sushi, which was a variety of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and white tuna if I remember correctly, also with a salad. Second time I also ordered a pot of green tea which was huge, and really hit the spot in this cold weather. I was seriously full both times after this really affordable lunch special. I look forward to coming back again soon, trying something new, and bringing friends for dinner! The fish was really fresh, and this is definitely one of my new favorite lunch spots.
(4)
Courtney d.
I love this place!! Some of the best sushi in Philly! The yellowtail sashimi was amazing!
(5)
Adam F.
Solid 3 star sushi place. Food is decent - not great, but decent. Kai seems to excel in the other areas though: ambiance, price, BYOB. Interior looks great, service is fast, price is relatively cheap..... just wish the sushi was better. Great spot if you need some sushi takeout or if you've got a big group looking to do some BYOB.
(3)
Kenny P.
But it's a bit expensive.
(4)
Rich K.
My wife and I went to Kai before a show. We were impressed by the freshness of the sushi ( it is supposed to be) and the presentation was very good. The atmosphere fit perfectly too. We're going back!
(4)
Leslie H.
Excellent ambience. Service was solid, and food was displayed beautifully. TV above bar with nighttime drama seemed out of place in the gorgeous setting.
(4)
Amanda D.
Ordered delivery via grub hub, sushi rolls were good and sushi pieces were very fresh.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dessert Parking : Garage, Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Robert P.
Awesome bento box. Huge portion. All very fresh. Will come back to try the sushi next time. Very very happy to have them close by!
(4)Liz H.
Awesome place! As soon as I walked in, I started to like this place. It was my groupon purchase try, but I think Im def coming back more often. Sushi is fresh and delicious but my favorite part was their takoyaki and nabeyaki udon. The closest tasted to original Japanese food. The staff is extraordinarily polite, they use some kind of phone? To put in your order so it comes out super fast too! If youre a doubtful person, buy groupon and give it a try!
(5)Phil D.
This place is a hidden gem. I showed my colleagues this place and now we go twice a week for lunch. Prices and service are great!
(5)Sari A.
I was in the mood for a fast flavorful lunch to ease my busy work day. I went to this very cute little Japanese place to get a takeout express lunch box, and it was so damn good. A lunch bento chicken Katsu was just what i needed to boost my mood. My bento consists of steamed rice, crunchy and delicious Japanese-style fried chicken cutlet, 4 piece california roll: my favorite, steamed vegi dumpling and a side of green salad with ginger dressing. Everything taste mmm-mmm good. Winner lunch!! Five Yelps!
(5)Grace L.
I almost gave this place 1 star because I'm a sushi snob....but the place was clean and decorated nicely enough. My friend and I ordered the tartare, which looked pretty enough but tasted mediocre. We also ordered 3 sushi rolls, including a philadelphia roll, all of which were subpar and had a strange taste to its rice. The good thing was that I had a groupon for the business, which was easy enough to use and made the meal cheap. Our service was also pretty nice; the restaurant was very empty though, so the atmosphere was a bit awkward--just seemed like 3 waiters staring at me and my friend in our corner the whole time! Looked like a BYO place though, so might be a intimate place to go with friends for some beer and cheap sushi.
(2)Yi C.
I recently went to Philadelphia to attend a conference. I would like to say that Kai is really a hidden gem. I first tried their sashimi set for dinner. All sashimi were very fresh which had the highest quality I have experienced in the country. The sashimi were beautifully presented in a nice plate. The miso soup and salad are very tasty too. On my last day at Philly, I went back to try their lunch. I took the suggestion from the chef and ordered the tempura udon and sushi. The shrimp tempura is the best I have in my life, the sweet potato tempura is very good, the taro and broccoli tempura tasted a little bland. The udon was excellent. lastly, the sushi is great. In summary, Kai is a very good Japanese restaurant in Philly and I would definitely come back.
(5)Jennifer R.
I was a big fan of this place! It's cheap for great rolls ($10 for most specialty rolls), it's byo, and the service was great. It's small but decorated in a calm welcoming manner. We were a party of 10 and they were so accomodating to our rowdy bunch. They even gave us free edamame to start and split all our checks without asking. They had pretty different types of rolls with lime or crunchy pearls, many types of wraps besides seaweed. Thought they had some really cool ones going that were much cheaper than other special places like this. Our rainbow roll came with a very generous amount of fish, we got a delicious pyramid shaped roll, their special of the day that had pulled crab, tempura, and eel on top was so tasty. Even their spicy tuna from the regular sushi menu got fancified with the crunchy pearls which ended up being our favorite. Will definitely be back here soon.
(5)Monica H.
Three stars for now cuz I have yet to try their sushi... So i would definitely be updating this again. Ordered their Chicken Teriyaki lunch. It comes with a side of soup or salad. The meal also has four pieces of california roll, 2dumplings, rice, and duh, chicken. I have to say it was quite delicious. The teriyaki sauce wasn't too sweet (thank god). The dumplings were good.. For $9 or so, it was a decent size lunch. The staff all seemed friendly. Wish i had my Jefferson ID with me then I would've received a discount! lol.. Gives me more of a reason to return i guess =)
(3)Nazee Z.
Came here with a groupon and my boyfriend and we were pumped for some delicious sushi and Kai definitely delivered. It's BYOB for starters so we brought ourselves a couple beers (or you know, 10) to get things going. Ordered miso soup as an appetizer and it was probably the tastiest miso soup I've had in all of philadelphia. It was so flavorful, but not salty. And the seaweed was also really good. Slimy, yet satisfying. For sushi, we got the rainbow, pyramid and spicy tuna roll. All were really great with very fresh fish. I usually get sick of sushi after a while but here, it was easy for me to keep going. The spicy tuna roll was my favorite for sure!! Be warned, their crunchy is not your typical crumbled tempura batter, but it's more like small rice things. My boyfriend wasn't a fan, but I loved the texture of it. A nice break from the fish texture. Like eating Rice Krispies on sushi, but you know, it's not cereal. We also got ice cream for dessert which was vanilla, green tea, and red bean. I love green tea ice cream, but the red bean blew me away!! Sweet, but not too much. Really tasty meal and dessert! Our service was also excellent! Will return again and perhaps try those specials they had lined up :)
(5)Allison B.
Four stars? You've gotta be kidding. While the interior of Kai is bright and clean, and the service was swell, the sushi was, well, sad. My yellowtail roll was fishy (!), my seared tuna roll was smoky (?), Zack's pork belly app was not actually pork belly (it was just...pork?), the veggie dumplings were soft and wet with flecks of red bell pepper (?) and the worst part of all- too much mushy, unseasoned rice on all rolls. I would not recommend this spot to anyone who enjoys high quality Japanese food.
(2)Fam B.
I enjoyed this new addition to the neighborhood. It's a small space, but they really did a great job with decorations and furniture. The tables are spacious and it's a nice feel overall--love the fish lamps! The service was also comforting, everyone was friendly and helpful with questions. The food was pretty decent. Started off with edamame, which you can't really do wrong. Then we tried the following rolls: TNT, Naruto, Caterpillar, and Spider. The TNT was absolutely delicious. It's like a better version of the Philly Roll. We enjoyed that very much. The Naruto roll had great fish--it tasted fresh. The ratio of cucumber to fish was a little high for my taste.I've had cucumber wrapped rolls before and here, the cucumber definitely masked the freshness of the fish, which was disappointing. The Caterpillar and the Spider rolls were also just "okay" to us too. Overall, this place has great potential and I'm looking forward to returning and trying different rolls and updating this review.
(3)AJ A.
Uhhhh.. okay so let me start that the place looks great and customer service was A+ but the sushi needs to have better quality fish.. I'll leave this as my initial review because I will give this restau another chance, looks like they have potential. Menu has a lot of offerings btw
(3)Bill M.
When I was walking around Center City with a solid urge for sushi after realizing that its been a few months since I've had it, I decided to try a newer location that I've been hearing good things about like Fat Salmon or Roe, only to find out that both were closed for the afternoon. With my craving amped up to 11 I hit the trusty Yelp app which led me to Kai and a decent surprise. Kai is located in one of those locations that I've been unable to figure out throughout the years, That has taken on a hard to count number of Asian inspired restaurants despite being just a couple blocks away from Chinatown and the many similar and oftentimes better options that lie within. Its also a weird location for any restaurant in general given that its within close proximity to a McDonald's, parking garage, church, and all the random Market Street shops that don't exactly point you towards the direction of grabbing Japanese cuisine. But out of the many spots that I've seen come and go at this location, Kai could be the one with the most staying power due to its eclectic sushi menu and well rounded selection of other options. Since its been so long since I've had sushi at that point I was craving ALL THE FISH! So I was especially drawn to the Dragon Roll that combined spicy tune with shrimp tempura, eel sauce, jalepeno, and spicy mayo; and the Tiger Roll that touted spicy salmon and shrimp with masago, avocado, and cucumber. And while the Tiger did have a bit of a weird presentation, both packed some serious flavors that left me intrigued. Had I have known that that their was a Yelp Deal for a free edamame appetizer with a purchase sooner, I wouldn't have paid for mine (D'oh to bad timing!). But it still delivered the salty soy flavor that you'd expect to come with it. While you won't find better sushi options in Chinatown, you will still find them within a somewhat close proximity to Kai. But with the inventive special rolls, good lunch deals, and other not so fishy offerings; its still a good spot to dine or do take out at on a casual afternoon.
(3)Nadia T.
This spot used to be Tea Talk 2, which was pretty dead (that could be an understatement). Now it's Kai Japanese Cuisine, a huge upgrade! I've been anticipating their opening for almost 2 months now, and Kai was well worth the wait. This place is small, not unexpected though for the location. But small as in there's a sushi bar and all the tables only seat 2 except for one that seats 4. I guess it's good for dates. We started off with the salmon tartare ($8). It was definitely worth more than the usual $5 for what, 2 pieces of sashimi? It was a pretty sizable pile of raw salmon on thinly sliced cucumbers topped with avocado pieces, scallions, and ponzu sauce. Definitely get it. There's also a tuna tartare option. We went with the White Tiger and Spider rolls. Each roll was 8 pieces, $10 each which I think is a good price for special rolls. The spider roll is pretty standard: soft shell crab, cucumber, etc. The White Tiger contained spicy tuna, cucumber, masago, and was topped with a generous amount of white tuna. Super tasty. I ordered a chicken katsu bowl ($12) for my little brother. When it came out, they didn't bring any miso soup or salad like the menu said it comes with. But it was whatever, I wouldn't have had room for it anyway (brother didn't even finish this dish so I gratefully ate it). The chicken was perfectly crispy and delicious! Surprisingly, only an appetizer, 2 rolls, and a chicken katsu was enough to fill us! Everything was extremely fresh and tasty! The menu isn't as extensive as most sushi places, but I don't mind that really. The service is good, although it's nothing particularly exceptional or memorable. This week they're doing a grand opening special: 25% off your entire meal! My friend and I only had to pay $20 each, including tips! I've been looking for a sushi spot in Philly and I think I've found it!
(5)Khanh V.
I came here during the grand opening weekend and did take out. I ordered grilled squid and okonomiyaki. (I just love squid and seafood in general).. The food tasted fresh and was flavored well. The grilled squid was tender and juicy. Waiting for my order, I checked out the interior design felt in love. It is simple, clean with modern touch and a hint of Asia. Too bad the space is small or else it would be even better. This location used to be Tea Talk 2. I am glad something else opened up here. Overall, a good experience and would like to come back to dine and try other food on the menu.
(4)Sarah K.
Price is good with a groupon. The place is small so large groups might be hard to fit everyone. The service was quick and friendly. Now the food was okay. Sushi rolls were simple and the quality of the fish was okay. The shrimp tempora roll is great though. We did get complementary ice cream so that was awesome. This place is alright.
(4)Christine M.
I'm so glad I work so close to this new gem of a sushi place. A much needed renovation has been revealed with the opening of Kai, right on 10th street across from the Rothman Institute. I went for lunch with a friend, the service and food were exceptional. I really loved the twists on classic sushi roll favorites they have to offer, like the crunchy spicy roll! Yum. I will be back soon, maybe today for the Happy hour specials!
(5)Lisa Z.
Considering that I was in Philadelphia for a few days, this was one of the spots I decided to have dinner at with people. The restaurant itself I hear is new and they even offered a "grand opening discount" to your check. I had no clue what I was in for, but I came here with four other members of my family preparing for what was ahead of us. Well boy oh boy, Kai Japanese Cuisine definitely left a positive impression on me. First of all, have you seen the furniture in this restaurant? Dang, the chair sure was heavy... but if you take notice of the design and its interior, it's fabulous! I looked passed the weight of it for its fine comfortable seat. Fasting forward to several months later, this is my second time here (considering that i am from New york). I love the concept of being able to see the sushi chefs make my sushi and how my fish is prepared. Their sashimi has yet to come out not fresh -- it's always fresh. I haven't received anything that isn't good. Here are some of the dishes that i would recommend for people to order, only because I can vouch for it : Unagi don, eel and cucumber roll, pork belly w/wasabi and soy sauce, and a salmon skin handroll. PS their salmon skin handroll is probably the most unique and strangest handroll i have ever tried. The wise one would always mention "quality over quantity," and honestly, it's true about this restaurant. They not only have nice chairs, you should see the teapots they use to serve tea. On top of that, the chopsticks aren't the disposable ones. It may be a little pricey, but i'd suggest to give this place a try. Must I mention their B.Y.O.B. policy with no cork fee?
(5)Kyle G.
Went here on a Saturday night on a whim due to a Livingsocial deal. I was surprised to find the place completely empty aside from the hostess/waitress. I loved the decor, I found it very modern and it gave off a pleasant vibe. The sushi was average at best, although I was impressed with the unique flavor and texture of the pumpkin roll. The service was adequate and the food took a little bit longer than I was expecting considering no one else was there, however the presentation made up for the couple extra minutes we waited. All in all, Kai was an average place however I certainly see potential for another star in the future. I'll check back in another few months and see how it's progressing.
(3)Joseph C.
My first time in Philadelphia, but this is the second Sushi restaurant I have visited. Very good sushi, even better service. They made a mistake on my order, and gave me the mistaken order for free. Will recommend the place to anybody who plans to visit downtown Philadelphia.
(5)Hiya R.
Pretty standard sushi place, innovative decor. Tried the pork fried gyoza and was probably my favorite thing I ordered. Sushi was good, but standard. TNT roll was decent but I've had better. It's a good neighborhood spot for when you really need sushi.
(3)Elizabeth M.
Secret treasure of philadelphia! Great quality at amazing prices! Service was great as well and the atmosphere was welcoming and relaxing at the same time. I will be returning very soon
(5)Rong Y.
Nice environment, nice service, high food quality. One of greatest Sushi bar in the center city! Been here twice!
(5)Doris L.
This place looks great and you are tempted to go in, but please don't. I would not recommend to anyone who likes Japanese food. The fish from the sushi is tasteless and dull. The way they make maki sushi didn't follow any essence of Japanese sushi making. The wasabi, tofu and tea are so ordinary that you can just stay home to enjoy your homemade meal.(and probably better than this) The waitress kept coming to take away my dishes and bowls even I have more than half soup and food in them. I never yelped before, but after this place, I had the urge to apply for an account to leave a review on this. It definitely not deserve 4stars. In fact, if I could leave no star, i would. I just wanna let people know what they are expecting from this place is incorrectly reflected on Yelp.
(1)Carla D.
We stumbled across Kai on a weekday evening. The sushi quality is solid and the place has nice clean decor and attentive wait staff. We will definitely be back!!
(4)M L.
Tried Kai today all around exceptional place!! Will continue to go as much as I can. Great food, place, and prices!! Good place food kids if they eat Japanese food.
(5)Lauren B.
Second meal here in 24 hours - last nt for dinner my husband and I got delivery and now I'm here for lunch. The food is fresh and delicious. So far I'm loving there sushi rolls, agedashi tofu and shumai.
(5)Kevin M.
nice place, heavy furniture, clean interior.... the food was overpriced for what it is, there was a sushi shop in the same storefront a couple of years go...bumblefish. Apparently that was discount sushi, I'd say this is place is the same food with a nicer wrapper and 2x pricier. The curry I had was a big bowl, came with soup and salad(typical miso and citrus salad, gave it to my friend so I can't speak to it myself) but no different than the local chinese corner store chicken curry, bland, more coating than gravy like. My friend wasn't impressed with the sushi, the rice wasn't seasoned; just lumped plain rice. And the fish itself wasn't anything to phone home about. Doesn't appear to be a busy place the two times we walked past before giving it a shot. Won't be returning.
(2)T T.
Ordered delivery prompt delivery good food and they are still intact would recommend to others scallops are good with the dried garlic and the smelt roe sushi is a personal favorite so no complaints there
(5)Brent A.
Excellent food and the service was perfect. I'll be stopping in here again next time I'm in the Philly area!
(5)Joshua L.
Japanese food in America is very difficult. You're forced to pay premium dollars for either poor to mediocre quality food, whereas in Japan you can essentially walk into anyplace and find something better for a few dollars. Yes, I am heartbroken every time I spend $20 on something that I could have gotten for $2 in Tokyo, made worse by the fact that the Tokyo option tastes 100 times better. Additionally, the sushi in America is nothing like it is in Japan and is hardly worth eating, and one of my favorite dishes, unagi, really puts me in crisis mode due to the poor quality in the States. Again, too expensive for such poor quality. I feel a bit differently about Kai. I haven't ordered any of the sushi here except for the vegetable roll and futomaki, which I found okay and at least better than several other places in the city. However, I have had their katsu bento box, their tempura udon, unagidon, their yakisoba, and their yakiudon. Now, their katsu isn't great, but it isn't bad either. the dinner bento is a huge portion that can be shared by two, so the price doesn't sting as much. The tempura is tasty and a good variety, although I really find the rice to be lacking in skillful preparation. It also comes with california roll which are okay, but I wouldn't bother ordering them separately. The real reason I like Kai better than their competitors is for their tempura udon, which features a rather tasty broth alongside the solid (and plentiful) tempura and well-cooked udon. Also in the soup we get shiitake, fish cakes, broccoli, bitter greens, and aburaage, which I found to be a nice, unexpected touch. Overall, it makes for a very filling and satisfying dish for a $12 price tag which is not too tough to swallow. Additionally, their yakisoba and yakiudon aren't bad, but are definitely not worth the price. The reason why I continue to order them--with the yakiudon being the better of the two in my opinion--is that the shrimp option is exquisite. The shrimp is big and juicy, nicely lightly fried, done neither like shrimp tempura or ebi furai. The sauce isn't the most inspiring I've ever had, but it is okay. To tell you the truth, I crave this shrimp nearly everyday. Finally, the first time I had Kai I ordered the Unagidon. Surprisingly, the unagi was larger and meatier than any other place that I've tried in Philadelphia. Even more surprising is that it was cheaper than a lot of other places as well. The rice here was a fair bit better than what is in the katsu box. I would definitely order again, although one could go buy and cook your own kabayaki eel fillet from H-Mart for much cheaper and call it a day. They are fast in their delivery as well and their prices make it so you can usually get free edamame out of it, if not some gyoza, which are pretty solid as well. So, nothing here is really even close to how good the food is in Japan, and dare I say one could probably make better dishes themselves if they put their mind to it. Still, if you have no idea about how to cook Japanese food or just do not want to fuss about, I would recommend Kai. In my opinion, it is one of the few restaurants that even come close to satisfying my standard for Japanese food. Thank you Kai!
(4)Brittany R.
Went here as a birthday lunch with a friend and honestly I was expecting much less for the price. We went a bit over the top as this was a celebration but it was pretty good. Drinks, my friend got a pot of tea and I got a Melon japanese soda. It was a nifty drink and I enjoyed it. Appetizers we got Miso and Seafood Miso and it was PHENOMENAL. Really the Miso is very good here. We also got the fried octopus balls which were okay. They were sort of over shadowed by how much we enjoyed the miso honestly. For lunch we got a Salmon Roll, A Rainbow Roll and an Eel Roll. It was my friends first time getting sushi and I wanted to mix and match some good ones. I wasn't wild about the Rainbow but the Eel was very good. My friend enjoyed the Salmon (I personally enjoy the sauces that go on the combination rolls, more than the sashimi). For dessert we had tempura green tea ice cream and it was pretty darn great as well. I would 100% come back here. It's an absolutely gorgeous location, great servers. We had a good time.
(4)Allison P.
I have been here twice for lunch and both times, great service and great sushi. I partook in the lunch special each time, which is $10 and includes a lot of things. One time I chose two rolls and a salad, the other time I chose one roll and chef's choice sushi, which was a variety of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and white tuna if I remember correctly, also with a salad. Second time I also ordered a pot of green tea which was huge, and really hit the spot in this cold weather. I was seriously full both times after this really affordable lunch special. I look forward to coming back again soon, trying something new, and bringing friends for dinner! The fish was really fresh, and this is definitely one of my new favorite lunch spots.
(4)Courtney d.
I love this place!! Some of the best sushi in Philly! The yellowtail sashimi was amazing!
(5)Adam F.
Solid 3 star sushi place. Food is decent - not great, but decent. Kai seems to excel in the other areas though: ambiance, price, BYOB. Interior looks great, service is fast, price is relatively cheap..... just wish the sushi was better. Great spot if you need some sushi takeout or if you've got a big group looking to do some BYOB.
(3)Kenny P.
But it's a bit expensive.
(4)Rich K.
My wife and I went to Kai before a show. We were impressed by the freshness of the sushi ( it is supposed to be) and the presentation was very good. The atmosphere fit perfectly too. We're going back!
(4)Leslie H.
Excellent ambience. Service was solid, and food was displayed beautifully. TV above bar with nighttime drama seemed out of place in the gorgeous setting.
(4)Amanda D.
Ordered delivery via grub hub, sushi rolls were good and sushi pieces were very fresh.
(4)