Sushi in Bend? I wouldn't have thought so, either. This place is cute, with a cottage type feel. Small sushi bar, smaller kitchen, and small service areas... so I am shocked they are as efficient and together as they are. Adorable, vibrant staff who kept smiling at me and I got bashful. Nice menu with the standards as well as some fun signature dishes. The prices were more than fair, and I can't remember the last time I walked out of a sushi place with a bill that low (drinks as well). I think our server was Ruth. She rocked. I will be back. Pretty easy..... i note a lot of bad reviews, but not sure why. In the grand scheme of things, this place is a tasty steal. Bend should be happy to have them. read more

Never ever works out here. It's convenient because we live very close, but it is quite obvious that it is a busy place for all the many many tourists. ‍ read more

Went in to get a table and the waitresses were exceptionally rude. They were in the weeds with their ~25 patrons, clearly, and we were told by one snappy waitress that they were behind and we needed to wait. We were then ushered outside by snappy waitress #2 and told they needed to give "the boys" (sushi chefs) more time. Super unprofessional and immature. I'm not immune to a wait time at a restaurant, but the attitude I can do without. If you can't handle the volume, do reservations only. read more

Best sushi in town in my opinion. Creative veggie options which is so exciting compared to most places that just do the standard veggie rolls. Super delicious and I highly recommend. read more

Crap. This has been our go-to for sushi in Bend for 4 years, but our last visit was terrible (and the one before that a few months ago was just so-so). We dined on a Wednesday night and it wasn't busy, but the service was slow, as was the sushi. Fall was in the air so I got the pork-broth ramen for the first time, which wasn't very flavorful but also smelled VERY fishy. The ramen came out quickly but our 2 sushi rolls took almost 45 minutes. The sushi was okay, but the portions were small for the price. We paid $75 + tip for a total of $90 for a light dinner for two, with no alcoholic drinks. We could have had a fabulous, filling meal at Zydeco for that amount. I'm almost positive Kanpai has raised their prices, but looking at other reviews it seems that we should have double-checked our bill for errors, but we just wanted to get out of there. I wouldn't be surprised if there were an extra entree on there for what we paid. read more

Finally found a great sushi spot! Moving from Las Vegas it was hard to find a sushi place we we're accustomed to. Kanpai nailed it and I love all the vegetarian options as well. read more

Blah miso soup. Wonderful edamame and hot nigori plum wine Attentive server. Tempura seemed just breaded veggies from Trader Joes. Sashimi special had soggy fish read more

WOW!! Didn't expect this level of expertise The 2 chefs on the line were amazing to converse with. We did the Chef special (Amukassae?) and was blown away with the flavors and texture. This chef has been doing sushi for 20+ years and it shows His artistry was top notch. We have been enjoying sushi for 40 years and the presentation and savory combinations were a memorable experience that I will return to many more times.......I love when a chef of this caliber is allowed to let the internal creativity guide his craft and wow the patrons read more

Kanpai - Sushi Bars Near Me - Bend, Oregon

If you like a smokey, steamy, greasy ambiance this is the restaurant. The dining area does not work with the kitchen. The flavors are off on many of the rolls. If you want to serve sushi; at least have a tekka roll. The re-used wooden chop sticks so not look clean. Salute. read more

After our meal my husband and I looked at each other and said. . ."eh!". Translation: It's okay. Its expensive for what you get. Basically just count the number of times you put something into your mouth and that bite is worth $1-$5. Definitely, not a satisfying place to go unless you rack up a huge bill. But hey. . .the more you pay . .the better it is right? I'm asian so I know how to cook rice. I've also been to Japan a few times and know when the rice is cooked correctly. The sushi rice was not the best I've tasted. Moreover, the sushi rolls were squished a bit too much. It takes a certain finesse to compact the rice firmly without squishing. Having the rice cooked correctly helps too. Not going to comment if that's authentic Japanese or not because the whole roll concept is not Japanese anyway. The concoctions I tasted here were nothing off putting. . .but nothing spectacular. There weren't enough other entree items on the menu that looked appealing. You anorexic girls who like to take two bites of food, sip sake and call it dinner. . .I bet you'd love this place! read more

Yoooo! This spot is incredible. You really can't go wrong. Amazing staff and service. It may be a smaller restaurant but there is hardly ever a wait. The sushi is always fresh, the ramen and miso are both top notch, I recommend a bottle of sake to fully enjoy this dime piece of a spot read more

Every time we go it takes 45-50 minutes for your order to arrive. Clothes smell like fried food after diner. Hostess takes 10 minutes to let you inside to be seated for a reserved table. Request to change to another table further from the draft door. Restaurant was not full that could have accommodated a better location but hostess refused to consider. We were in a drafty place by the front door. Food is good once it arrives but each order takes too long. Took 15 minutes to just get water. Now the restaurant is open only Wednesday- Saturday like every other restaurant in town despite Tuesday being one of their busiest days. We keep going back but continue to get disappointed despite the food tasting good once it finally arrives. So disappointing. read more

I had a fantastic evening at Kanpai last Tuesday night. We had none of the problems that some of the other reviewers experienced with the service at Kanpai. We had a reservation for 6 and when my husband arrived there 3 of the friends that we were meeting there were already seated and had Sapporos and a delicious cold sake with a subtle pear flavor on the table waiting for us. We started with a miso with mushrooms that was very good. The manager brought us out this unusual dish that can best be described as a seafood custard (sorry, I can't remember what he said it was called). Despite the odd texture in was yummy. As far as sushi goes, between the 6 of us we ordered a wide variety. I particularly enjoyed the spicy tuna, crab, yellowtail and salmon. Other fabulous choices included the mussels, gone jah roll, and the monkey assassin. The service was quick and friendly and we had plenty to eat and drink. It was a fantastic meal with friends that I look forward to doing again. It's a little spendy, though (for 6 people our bill came to $300), so next time we'll try to hit happy hour, as our friends said that is the more budget friendly way to dine at Kanpai. Due to the high dinner prices, I'm going to give Kanpai 4 stars. I'll come back and update after trying them for happy hour. read more

Amazing food, amazing cocktails, wonderful service and a lovely cozy setting. Can't wait to go back!

So we walked in the door, met by a waitress having a bad day. Decided to stay for dinner. It took a bit to order. They didn't have the beer they advertised, no worries ordered something different. Ordered appetizer and wine. After 20 mins wait, I got up to find out waitress.....she forgot the wine and finally brought the wine and appetizer. She brought on sushi roll at a time, we finished one and then she brought the other. Would not recommend. read more

I can't believe people are giving this place one or two star reviews. The sushi was AMAZING and the service was great! I've been to many sushi places, I've even traveled abroad in Japan and eaten fresh Japanese sushi. This place is definitely on par with Japanese sushi! Seriously some of the best sushi I have ever had. Definitely will be coming back. read more

I really enjoyed the experience at Kanpai. We both got the Omakase (chef's choice) at the $35/person level. (It is also available at $50/person or $75/person coming with a sake flight.) The food was excellent. We were started with a Ahi sashimi in a Thai sesame vinaigrette. This was really amazing. The fish was incredibly delicate. We were then served a traditional selection of 6 nigiri pieces, 2 each of salmon/shrimp/ and yellowtail(?). All delicate and lovely. Next came out two more intricate rolls, one warm. Both of were delicious, fresh, and original. I really liked the combo of the real crab and cashews. The other had a tantalizing drizzle of peanut sauce. Very nice! Next was the salty course. Two large pieces with roe (one black, one red) each topped with a creamy quail egg. To finish we were given a rice pudding dessert that had a homemade seared marshmallow and caramel glass shard. Not too sweet, really a perfect dessert. Not knowing the desert was coming, we also ordered a "Salmon Skin" roll ($7) and a Soft Shell Crab Izakaya appetizer ($4) before the dessert came. The two bite crab was really a decadent explosion of juice and flavor in my mouth. Ohhhh yeah! I also love crispy salmon skin, so, of course, that roll was excellent as well. Note: The $35 Omakase would have been just right, enough food, without the additions once I had the dessert. Given the prices, we cannot afford to be back too regularly. Of course, I'd rather pay more for an occasional excellent Japanese experience than have a mediocre experience regularly. I will be looking into whether they have lunch or happy hour specials that I can take advantage of with greater frequency. Either way, I'm a happy customer! Thanks for the great dinner! read more

An excellent choice for dinner. I had the Beef Tenderloin, which was prepared medium rare, with crispy potato slices in a light sauce. It was perfection! The restaurant was very busy, though adequately staffed. I received friendly, attentive service during my visit, and I really enjoyed the light music and intimate atmosphere. read more

Kanpai - Beef Tenderloin - Sushi Bars Near Me - Bend, Oregon

We have had great experiences before but recently, our visit left me feeling no desire in coming back. We started with the slammin salmon, which is usually really great but this time it was way overcooked, like someone had forgotten it while it was being warmed with the crab meat and it was fully cooked. Then.. The $15 roll we had ordered had accidentally been dropped off at another table. We were sitting outside and had witnessed several parties that were turned away. They were running out of tuna and rice ( our server said) When we let our server know they had forgotten our roll, they apologized and brought a new roll out- kind- but the ingredients...aka the fish- was so lacking I was surprised they even brought it out. I know Bend can get really busy with tourists on the weekend so I understand but.. Geez. Also- the nigiri fish cuts for the hamachi and salmon had a ton of sinew in it. read more

This place is by far the best sushi in bend. My husband and I go here for date night and do the omakasi( we basically give the chefs a chance to make up new things). The sashimi melts in your mouth( my mouth is watering as I write this lol ). I totally recommend this place for date night. Very friendly staff as well. read more

Great job on the sushi. We've only had sushi here so my review is exclusively for sushi rolls, sashimi, and nigiri. There are a few decent to good sushi restaurants in Bend but we haven't been blown away. Kanpai is definitely at the head of the pack for Bend. They aren't as good as some large cities but do a great job. It's a very intimate dining experience in the winter but that all changes when the outdoor seating is available. They also have an extensive saké list if that's your thing. Now it's time to try some other dishes which is hard for us when we know there's good sushi available. read more

I hate to say how much I HATE THIS PLACE!!!!!! I love sushi even ok sushi but this place is RUDE, SMALL SLICES OF not so fresh fish and OVERPRICED!!!!!!! Location is awesome but after 10 years of trying this place we QUIT! I really wanted to Like this place, we really did try! We ate here the first time 3/2009 and it was way overpriced but good. By 2010 we could no longer stand the rude owners...tried again 2012 so sad, fish smelt bad and we still were charged full price. Again we tried 2014 over priced, service sucked and fish was ok but not really sushi...now 2017 WE WILL NEVER TRY AGAIN still way over priced and sushi just SUCKS!!!!! Juno and Shin Sei are the best Bend has to offer. Not Seattle, NYC, Hawaii, Japan nor SF!!! Just central Oregon good. read more

2 visits in 3 years and never again- food was an big disappointment each time- once I waited 20 minutes for and extra nigiri and was served fish skin claiming to be sushi! Awful! read more

Best sushi in Bend hands down! If you can get in when it's relatively uncrowded, sit at the bar and order omakase (chef's choice) style. If you're lucky and feeling like conversing with the Chef you will get to try a bunch of delicious creations not on the menu that they experiment with. read more

A bit pricey but worth it - awesome sushi, a cool bar, and great outdoor seating options.

Over priced with terrible sloppy presentation. The rolls fell apart before getting to our mouth. The flavor of the rolls were not necessarily terrible with the exception of the last roll ordered which was tempura fried. Something was drastically wrong with the batter, tasted horrible and I should have spit the only bite I took out! I was burping the horrible flavor all night. It looked tasty but it was the opposite of anything pleasing like maybe they used all baking soda instead of cornstarch and flour along with an old oil taste. Service wasn't bad but it wasn't very busy either. I definitely do NOT recommend this sushi establishment! Expensive...Sloppy...bad bad bad experience! Don't waste your money! read more

For the price you would think you're getting large sushi rolls that are at least appealing to look at. Incredibly disappointed with the quality of fish as well. The specialty rolls are nothing special and are not worth the hype. Highly recommend 5 fusion or chi if you're looking for local sushi. Honestly even Sora is better tasting for the price... read more

Get the Tsunami roll. They are super fast and super friendly. They have made sushi a brand new way of fun. They make you want to get more and more. read more

Stop going anywhere else - this is the best service & sushi in Bend! I've tried everywhere else and will only spend my money at Kanpai. They hire the absolute best staff and it's appreciated by me who's been in the hospitality industry for decades! Special occasions, happy hour, couples night out?....whatever your reason just go! read more

Atmosphere is nice. Service is good. But sushi was expensive and average at best. Maybe it's tough to get fresh fish in Bend???

Great place! Awesome staff, great sake selection, and amazing sushi. Had the oysters which were wonderful and I strongly suggest the green eggs and ham special roll which comes with a perfectly cooked quail egg on top! read more

Kanpai - Oysters! I'm usually simplistic when it comes to oysters but these have been elevated to perfection! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Bend, Oregon

Uncomplicated, good sushi. Sake selection is fantastic and the menu tells a great story about its history. Beautiful location and ambiance as well. read more

I've since learned that you can't review a restaurant based on takeout. After 5 years I went in and had a fantastic meal. Have been back several times since and always sit at the counter and let Chef Robyn do his thing. read more

First official restaurant dining since March! Well worth it...thank you! Make your reservations now.

Mediocre and over priced. I live locally, love sushi, have tried this place twice and that's enough. Both quality and preparation were sub par particularly when considering that pricing. read more

Great sushi bar. Passionate staff and true Tokyo style sushi. Do the omakase!!!! read more

I went for sushi today. They have a curtain at the door and I stood there for about five minutes without being acknowledged. The waitress was standing no less than three feet from me the entire time. She then barked at me that I needed to be standing behind the tiny curtain in the blazing sun and that she'd be back to get me in a few mins. The restaurant was half empty and there were tons of open tables. The sushi staff also just stared at me doing nothing as I waited. Needless to say we left and won't be going back. How insanely rude! read more

Cool atmosphere. Rolls are yummy although rolled poorly and small. I give them 2 stars as the service was rude and ruined our meal. I asked to speak to a manager and was told she was too busy. read more

We love it here, we usually always get the chefs specials because they are always so unique and delicious. We have never been disappointed with our dishes. Sometimes the service is slow and the food takes a while, but staff is nice and the food makes up for it! read more

Very good Nigiri. I had among other things uni, which is often disappointing at other places, but was very tasty. Rolls are creative. Vegetable tempura was exceptional, my wife usually doesn't like tempura much and really enjoyed this tempura. We would definitely go back. read more