We love coming here for the ramen and sashimi! Always satisfying and worth the drive. Great service…read moretoo!

As mentioned before, greeted immediately & very welcoming. No intimidation for new sushi/japanese…read morefood peeps. Very simple menu & selections. We had the sizzling salmon entree. I had the sashimi salad w/ponzu dressing & a bowl of rice. I didnt eat the salad part, just the sashimi w/my hot rice! Next time, tempura udon. I can't ever resist. The bowls aren't as big as what you get in japan, but large for US (Ramen & Udon)

Just what I needed. Service was efficient and friendly. Food was amazing. First bite, I just…read morecould resist was the a5 wagyu caviar sushi. It is an amazing bite of food. Next I had the Signature Toripaitan, which had an amazing broth, noodles had a good bite, eggs were done nicely, a little truffle but too overpowering. Was still spoiling myself so I made another order of Wagyu and ikura and of Wagyu and caviar to end the meal. Both were so good.

A friend of mine wanted me to try out Mensho and brought me to the Phoenix location which is tucked…read morein a cute little plaza amongst other eateries. The interior is absolutely gorgeous and upon entering the staff greets you in a traditional Japanese greeting. We arrived just before a rush of people and were seated promptly. Unfortunately, I was not able to try the ramen () due to all of the soup bases containing mushrooms, bummer!! However, I did order the Kaarage, which was crispy, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. The eggplant was also delicious and refreshing. We also ordered Corn Wings and Garlic Edamame which were also delicious!

Let's get the most important thing out of the way:…read more You need the crispy rice with spicy tuna. It's not a want. It's a need. I pop in here probably once a month. I'm assuming it's a family-owned joint because the one and only guy working front of house always takes care of me. He's awesome. The place is cute. It's tastefully decorated, and they have a very-on-brand, ginormous full moon light on the wall that's illuminated from behind. It's super cool. I've only ever seen a couple other diners in there with me at any time. The food comes out super fast, which is great, because I'm hungry as soon as i step in the place. The prices are reasonable, the portions are generous, and the food is always good. If you're in the area, this place is a must-stop.

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

Nishikawa Ramen is a small little ramen shop decorated with anime posters from Naruto, One Piece,…read moreand Dragon Ball. There were also cute little trinkets of My Neighbor Totoro. Upon entering, we were free to seat ourselves and chose a booth by the wall. It was not busy at all and the service was quick and friendly. We started off with a large sake bomb paired with a Kirin Light ($15). We then ordered two Tonkotsu Ramens, one medium spice and one hot spice ($15.99 each). Honestly, the hot spice level did not taste spicy at all, so I would recommend going extra hot if you like spice. They also provide chili powder on the table if you want to add more spice yourself. The ramen broth itself could have used a tad more flavor. I lightly added some soy sauce to the broth which is something I often do to add a little kick. I loved all of the toppings included, from the green onions to the kikurage (wood ear mushroom). My favorite part was the pork chashu, which was really tender and delicious. I also appreciated that the ramen came with a full soft boiled egg rather than half an egg, and the egg was perfectly runny. Before leaving, we ordered their tea special that was buy one get one. We got a matcha milk tea and a cafe latte which I forgot to take a photo of. I felt like the cafe latte could have used a little more sweetness to balance it. Also, I found it neat that Nishikawa offers a rewards program, not something I see often at ramen shops. My true rating would be 4.5 due to some of the criticisms I mentioned above, but overall I still had a good experience. Thank you for serving us. Visited 5/2/26

This place was good but the service could use some work. I went in during the mid afternoon for an…read moreearly dinner and was seated right away but the waitress didn't give me a menu. I sat there for several minutes and when she came back, she asked if I was ready to order. I asked for a menu and then she tapped this little sign on the table that had a QR code on it. I guess they want you to use your phone to look up the menu but then she brought me a printed menu and a glass of water. I had about a minute to look at the menu before the waitress came back and asked what I wanted. I ordered the small portion of the chicken karaage appetizer and the Nishikawa Black Ramen. Both items came out at about the same time. The chicken was good and there was a lot which somewhat surprised me because I thought they had given me a large portion by mistake. The only downside was that the plate was really small so the chicken kept tumbling onto the table. The ramen was just ok. It came in a really big bowl and there was a lot of broth and toppings but relatively little noodles in comparison. It was more like a bowl of soup. The slice of pork was huge but a little bit chewy when I was expecting it to be tender. The egg wasn't sliced so it was difficult to pick up the entire piece with my chopsticks. The chicken was $7 and the ramen was $18. I would have been ok just getting the chicken, perhaps a large portion for $12. I wouldn't get this particular ramen again. With tax and a tip my total was a little over $31 which isn't the most I've spent at a ramen restaurant, but it wasn't cheap either. I wasn't offered a refill on my drink until after I had paid and was ready to leave. In fact, I only saw the waitress once after my food was brought out, and that was when she brought me the bill. The rest of the time she was somewhere in the kitchen.

This place is very yummy. They have an amazing atmosphere and ambiance. Great place for a cute…read moredinner or lunch date. Every time i go i have never had a bad experience and enjoy my time. The servers are always nice and glad to serve with a smile. They have really good calamari and ramen. It is a amazing and cute place.

Disclaimer: I have been a Clever Koi loyalist since their ramen rewired my brain. So when I say…read morethis visit had some highs and lows, understand that I am coming from a place of love, not grievance. Their ramen alone is worth the trip. This was one meal, not a verdict. We planted ourselves on the patio, which has genuinely great atmosphere. Phoenix in April means you are playing thermal roulette with your will to live, and some misters would not go unappreciated. Service was fantastic: we had what felt like a whole school of staff looking after us, and every single one of them knew the menu, had great recommendations, and seemed personally invested in getting hot food to our table at a speed that bordered on supernatural. Now the drinks: The Overnight is what sophisticated apple juice dreams about when it finally goes to therapy and starts making better choices. Delicate, elegant, with a soft foam that has absolutely no business being that pretty. It arrives with a tiny scoop of green tea ice cream that is subtle and perfect as a chaser. Drink of the night, no contest. The Caipirinha is a genuine unicorn on Phoenix menus because of the specialty spirit, cachaça, in it and it was beautifully done. It is a touch sweet for my lime-forward preferences, but my husband absolutely loved it. The Pornstar Martini is everything the name promises and nothing you would hesitate to recommend to your most judgmental aunt. The passionfruit actually comes through, which sounds like the bare minimum but is apparently a radical act in cocktail culture because of the delicate flavor. Pure summer in a glass and I would order it again without blinking. On to the food, where things get a little more complicated: The Chorizo Wonton special had real potential and great chorizo that was clearly trying its heart out. Unfortunately the wonton wrapper arrived and decided to throw a wet blanket over the entire proceedings. The chorizo had somewhere to go and the wrapper simply would not let it go there. However, the pickled onions served alongside are a 10/10. The 3 for $18 steamed buns were the main event of the evening. The buns themselves are soft, pillowy, and structurally perfect, which makes what I am about to say about some of the fillings all the more tragic: The pork belly bun is just... fine, perhaps the most devastating thing you can say about pork belly, which has no business being merely fine. It runs a little dry, a little too thick, and needs significantly more hoisin to reach anything close to its potential. The sauce exists but it is doing the bare minimum. 6/10 The hot chicken bun redeems the situation considerably. Thigh meat instead of breast and is genuinely flavorful and while the hot sauce is more generic than exciting, it gets the job done without embarrassing itself. A respectable recovery. 8/10. The BBQ plum meatball bun is currently the Bun of the Moment and I need everyone involved in this restaurant's decision making to sit down because I have some things to say. That plum sauce is sweet and slightly smoky and the meatballs are perfectly tender with a ginger note that shows up with confidence. We loved this bun so much that we physically interrupted the table next to us mid-conversation to recommend it. I heard the chef is considering adding it to the permanent menu, and I would like to formally submit my vote, my husband's vote, and the votes of our neighboring diners who received our unsolicited opinion whether they wanted it or not. Add it to the menu. I will not be taking questions. 10/10, perfect, do not touch it. The Char Sui Pork Banh Mi is where I must tread carefully, partly out of fairness and partly because I know in my heart that some of this is personal taste rather than kitchen failure. The flavors ran very sweet with no acidity showing up to mediate, and the whole thing just was not for me. The Thai salad side, however, is a more objective situation. The bang bang dressing was applied with such aggressive restraint that I began to wonder if the kitchen was rationing it for an emergency. What remained was a bowl of cabbage doing a joyless impression of a salad that had given up on itself. Here is where I land: Clever Koi is a genuinely great restaurant having a complicated relationship with a couple of its dishes, which happens to the best of us. The cocktail program is vast and outstanding, the staff is warm and efficient and somehow makes you feel like the most important table in the room, the ramen is the stuff of legend, and the meatball bun is currently the most consequential thing happening in Phoenix. I will be back. I will be ordering the meatball bun in quantities that will concern the kitchen. Five stars, because I have a vested interest in that meatball bun sticking around and I am not above a little strategic encouragement on Yelp.

Jinya Ramen is one of those spots that just gets it right. Welcoming service from the jump, and the…read morespace delivers--plenty of seating, a solid bar, and a great patio when the weather's right. The ramen is rich and flavorful, but the real draw is happy hour (3-6pm) with a strong lineup of food and drinks that make it easy to linger. Bonus: right next to Paris Baguette for an easy coffee/dessert follow-up. Great vibe, great value, and an easy go-to--plus it's on InKind.

We walk in on a Sunday evening roughly 7pm party of 2. The place was not busy, but steady…read more The hostess was very nice and accommodating, she sat us and advises our waiter would be with us shortly. Our waitress comes to us and takes our drinks and orders. She came back to advise us that they were out of the cucumber salad. I ask if she could add something to my order (I wanted to add an egg to my ramen, not on the side but in the ramen) to which she acknowledged. Roughly 10 mins later, a new waiter brings me out an egg in a bowl! I politely told him I asked for it to be in my ramen, not as a side. He looks at me as if I've lost my mind, then asks if I want it in a to-go box... why?? I told him a second time, that I asked for it to be on my soup, the ramen! He walked away. Another 15 mins goes by and yet another server comes and brings out our food. Everyone around us is getting service, like multiple times, but we have yet to see our waitress. We asked a 3rd waiter if we could get sauces, which he brings out. We eat our food, and guess what...? Still no waitress. We finish our food and had to ask a fourth waiter for a to go box, and finally our waitress comes out and asks if we need anything, to which I tell her, no, we've already been taken care of! She walks away with what seemed like an attitude. Brings our check. Another 10 mins goes by and we don't see her... every other table is gettin their service from their waiters/waitress and we don't. So we get up and pay for our bill, ourselves at the hostess table. Our waitress comes up to take our bill, doesn't say anything at all. No, I'm so sorry I'm waiting multiple tables, or hey sorry I'm working both inside and outside, nothing. Besides the less than par service the food was really good!! If she would have at least communicated to us, how busy she was or is or anything, this would a be a totally different story.

One of the best ramen experiences of my life and I say that as a Ramen lover who has tried…read morecountless bowls over the years. A friend brought us here, and despite a short wait, everything moved impressively fast. From seating to ordering to the food arriving at our table, it barely took 15 minutes. I ordered the Garlic Knock Out, and it truly lived up to its name. The broth was rich and deeply flavorful, the noodles were cooked to perfection, and the meat was exactly as tender as it should be. Every element was well-balanced and satisfying. The service was decent. The staff were clearly busy, and our server had a bit of sass but as long as mutual respect is maintained, that doesn't bother me. Highly recommended.

A solid once-in-a-while ramen spot, especially for the price…read more We'd only return specifically for the Aburasoba and the Signature Ramen -- both are packed with way more flavor than the rest of the menu. Everything else was just okay. We'd probably skip the appetizers and hot tastings next time. Great value if you're craving those two standout bowls!

Hands down one of the best restaurants in Phoenix, imho…read more Love their pasta dishes and the staff is always nice and friendly. While the restaurant is small it's nice and clean! Bon Appetit

Had a nice dinner here with friends last night. We arrived around 8pm and were seated in one of the…read moretwo booths right at the entrance. It's a cool fusion place with sushi, ramen and Italian pasta. While I was tempted to try the pasta, the extremely spicy gyoza potstickers called to me even more. My friends enjoyed some beef udon and katsudon. I also had a glass of Chardonnay. The service was nice and the decor seemed a bit fusion as well- abstract art, European style paintings etc the holiday lights added a nice touch too. I enjoyed my spicy potstickers, they had a great heat- although I did not expect there to be so much broth; it was essentially dumpling soup, but it was tasty. My friends liked their meals too and we had a good time hanging out and catching up. I would recommend. Pretty good value/price!

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

On a Sunday evening, after checking out the Desert Botanical Garden, I was looking for some food in…read morethe area. I came across Zu Izakaya and it's great reviews as one of the options. I love Japanese food so my decision was made. I drove over and parked in their complimentary lot. Ambiance (3.5/5): I've been to Japan and there are plenty of izakayas there. Think of them as small bars which often serve solid food. Zu fits that bit. It's a relatively small restaurant, probably seats about 30 people. and it's pretty no frills for a Japanese spot. I was seated at a booth in the corner of the restaurant. They have free WiFi which is always a good touch. Service (3/5): Service was friendly, though a bit inconsistent. My waitress wasn't as attentive as I would have liked. The type of service where you have to flag them down to get what you want and to close out. Drinks (4/5): Zu has a nice menu of Japanese and Korean beverages, including sake, soju, Japanese beer, and more. With that being said, I just had an iced green tea. Food (4/5): I got a nice variety. I went with the Japanese sausage off of the grill menu, the OBI mayo roll off of the sushi menu, and the cheese corn off of the appetizer menu. Let's start with the sausage. It's a small item, two small sausages, but absolutely delicious. The sausage was bursting with flavor and basted in a sweet sauce. Minus the portion size, perfection. The cheese corn also hit the spot, but the execution was off. The corn is served on a hot platter, and unfortunately some of the corn on the edges was badly burnt. The type of situation where they should start over. Which they didn't. Lastly, the OBI mayo roll is essentially a California roll with marinated warm shrimp on top in a mayo sauce. I didn't love the hot and cold combo (shrimp and sushi), but outside of the temperature, it was a delicious roll. All in all, a very food meal. My only gripe with Japanese food is that it can get expensive quick. Given that Zu is in Tempe, I was hoping that prices would be a little cheaper. With that being said, they do have a solid happy hour (and reverse happy hour) with both food and drink specials. Next time I stop by, I'd like to check out some of their Korean options. I focused on the Japanese stuff this time (which makes the majority of the menu). Next time around, the bulgogi is calling my name!

First time here and I was not disappointed. All of the staff were friendly and helped each other…read morerun food and refill waters, which isn't something you see much of these days. We were there at around 5pm and it wasn't too busy, but there was a steady flow of diners coming in and out. Seating is ample, with outdoor, bar, sushi bar, and regular table options. I ordered two rolls: hot havana and mango roll. Both were delicious and the mango was juicy! The purple rice was super fun and set them apart from other sushi spots. I also ordered the miso soup to start. The food came out quickly. My only "complaint" is there aren't a ton of classic roll options. But this is a more upscale sushi restaurant, so it isn't surprising. I will keep this place in my list of spots to hit when I'm looking for a bite to eat in DTPHX.

My only downside was towards the end of our meal when we waited extremely long for our 2nd round of…read morethe wagyu nigiri and our desserts... even the waiters were frustrated with the kitchen because of how backed up/slow it became especially since I suppose the chef came back from break? But I know tables around us were starting to be fed up as well. Despite this, our waiter did cover 1 of the desserts which was nice. And overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the decor and the food. My favorite was honestly the wagyu nigiri and uni nigiri, but everything was delicious. I loved the scallops temaki, loved the mango roll (something different) and the toro sashimi. The burnt cheesecake with caviar was also a hit! My friend got the "oh my god" roll which was a fascinating presentation and she got her mochi ice cream which was also very light and refreshing. I would definitely come back despite the little hiccup!