I've been here a couple of times, and actually plan to return today, and haven't been disappointed. The sushi is fresh and the drinks are decent. I truly enjoyed my last visit because of the hospitality of our waiter. He was attentive, friendly, and personable. With that visit I decided to try an entree (chicken) instead of sushi and it was very good. I appreciated them accommodating my request to cut my rice portion, as I'm watching my intake. read more

Small friendly place. Good for larger parties. Generous menu and fast service. We had some fried dumplings and Shrimp tempura appetizers which were up to the usual standards. Then had standard salads and Miso soup. Then we ordered a sushi boat called the Kanpai Boat. It had specialty rolls and tuna, salmon, red snapper and other thick cut sashimi. It was very good as well. read more

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Another sushi spot to add to my Rolodex . Admittedly I've driven passed this spot a trillion times but never gave it a shot because aim a sushi snob and only pull up upon recommendation. A good friend asked to meet there and noted it as he and his wife's go to and that was all I needed. Logistics: parking is plentiful (strip mall). Great location in town center so it's a great spot to be before or after another event. Ambience is casual and relaxed, Service was attentive, friendly and the food was excellent. Creative specialty rolls, fresh ingredients, great selection and nice drink menu. All in all this is a solid sushi option and i will be back! read more

The sushi and service was great tonight. Kampai has always been on the rotation but since the ownership changed it feels like the sushi is a bit better? The atmosphere also feels a bit more chill. Might just be my imagination but it was noticeable enough to prompt me to leave a new review. Go check them out if you haven't been lately! read more

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Great service and staff. Nothing but great things to say about everything except it's a little in the pricey side.

The best service and food ever. Always clean and quick. Food is delicious and the food employees are always so kind and helpful. Our family's go to place to eat read more

Very late lunch on 9/18/25. We were the only customers in the restaurant! Service was excellent, food ok, ambiance felt like something was lacking. Ginger dressing was unusual (we eat at Japanese restaurants a lot). Bathroom was not ADA complaint - no handrails. read more

The first time here was the service, and the service was great. Very attentive with drinks. The place itself was quite cozy, not too big, and not too small of a place. The food was great. I nabbed myself a miso soup, salmon roll, yellowtail rolls, and their tuna wasabi, which was really good. Will definitely come back to try some of their other specialty rolls. read more

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Unfortunately, the owner sold the business and the food and service was not the same. I'm glad to have had all the great memories our family had over the years, but I won't be back. What a shame. read more

Kanpai Sushi - Paradise XP Tuna!!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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I had been here before a long time ago and thought the food was ok. Given the high rating I thought it was worth going again. I have to say it was pretty disappointing this time. Things just didn't seem to taste right. Everything was weirdly citrusy, the roe tasted off: Our stomachs were very upset shortly after eating. We won't be going back. read more

Always fresh sushi, amazing and friendly staff!! Go to spot for sushi rolls are always evenly balanced with sauce/rice ratio. Would recommend in the 23452 zip code read more

Real deal sushi/Japanese cuisine, absolutely delightful place and great option for date night or groups. I gave 4 stars because, they seated us and did not provide menus, we sat there confused until my son got up and grabbed them from the hostess table. The food came out at different times, while some of us were almost finished eating, others were just getting started. The food is fresh and really good but unfortunately the service was lacking. read more

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Some of the freshest sushi I've ever had! This place is consistently great. My son and I frequent Kanpai and have never had a bad experience. read more

Kanpai Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Sushi is one of my favorite foods. I'm pretty particular about it, especially since it's a higher risk food. I usually prefer to eat it inside the restaurant for fresher taste. We all love Omakase, but I still love to get rolls for take out occasionally. Since I've moved here i haven't found a good take out restaurant as the rolls were always prepared with no care. This place was definitely worth it! My rolls were still prepared beautifully, fish was cut nicely, the server taking my order was kind and gave me recommendation. I'll definitely be back to give it a try inside to try the sushi and sashimi options. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars was the lack of options (again I ordered takeout). Most of the rolls contained salmon, I'm not a fan of the texture. The originality of the rolls also, they had all the staples. Unless I overlooked it I didn't see any rolls that contained fresh fruit incorporating the fish for dessert. Didn't notice any local fish options blue crab, flounder, oysters. I enjoy when restaurants use what's local also. Or seasonal options from the chefs, I love it when the chefs can get the freedom of creating their own seasonal roll or dish. Nonetheless, this will definitely be my go to for a neighborhood causal lunch and dinner. I don't have any pictures because I ate it so fast and didn't even think about the camera. read more

I came here because I won a gift certificate when I attended the Cherry Blossom Festival at Red Wing Park. I had never been here, but trusted that if the Japanese society had gift certificates from them, it was going to be decent. I was correct! So first, they get high stars just for being Japanese owned (I believe) and having Japanese waitresses. It is so difficult to find this. The location was nowhere I'd pass by and think to stop in, in a small strip mall off a busy street. So I'm so glad I found out about the place through this gift certificate. The waitress was so sweet and helpful. There was even a young japanese couple with a young child dining in. It is a relaxed atmosphere inside. The menu is a lot of pieces and confusing at first. But in fact, most of the loose pages were just descriptions of the various sushi. And another page listed their prices. The rest of the menu is as you'd expect for the other dishes. I went for lunch and opted for their teriyaki salmon bento box. I was interested in a sushi roll I saw in the Yelp photos and showed the waitress who knew it was the oishi roll. I really wanted tobiko added so they accommodated and added (for extra $). It was probably more than I needed to eat, and actually, I forgot the roll came with crab salad inside, which I don't dislike, but not a huge fan of it in my sushi. That's just my personal preference, though, and not what I thought about this particular place. However, I didn't dislike it enough not to eat it. Lol. I just probably would order a simpler roll next time. The bento box was delicious! The salmon was a nice size portion and on a bed of white rice. It came with miso soup (delicious with the seaweed!) and salad. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the mayonnaise like dressing. I'm partial to the more orange ginger light dressing, but I'm finding most Japanese restaurants here serve the mayonnaise dressing. I think it's the whole yum yum sauce influence which I never saw until I lived in the "south". So I just go with it here. Anyways... I never had a bento box come with veggie tempura (which I love!) so that was so nice to have. There was California roll or spicy tuna sushi options, and I chose the spicy tuna. The sushi portion was a nice whole roll and I loved the spicy tuna because it was actually spicy! My ginger ale had free refills, another plus. Highly recommend coming here for the authenticity and delicious sushi! So glad to find this spot in VA Beach! read more

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For years, many people have recommended Kanpai Sushi. I finally gave it try! I am now a fan of Kanpai Sushi. I have had my go to sushi spot for years but now I think I have another. This place has a very homey atmosphere. It's very spacious inside with a lot of seating. The service was really good. Our waitress was very attentive. My husband and son ordered a lot of food. First we started with the Miso soup. Next some appetizers, I don't remember the names on the menu. Then we ordered a bunch of sushi. Again I don't remember the names off the menu. The fish were all so fresh. Last, we ordered dessert, Crème Brûlée. It was very good. All the food had good portions and were all very delicious. I think I found my second go-to sushi restaurant. I recommend just order any sushi, you can't go wrong. read more

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I have been eating here for over 10 years. Amazing sushi. Great atmosphere. Sashimi and sushi delicious and fresh. Maki rolls are lit! Highly recommend the Botan shrimp! read more

The new menus look great. They are under new owners because we didn't recognize the staff. The quality remains the same fresh, and the servers are always attentive. read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! Me and my significant other come here quite often when we are craving sushi or a bento box. You can taste the freshness of the fish and can feel the love that they put into the food. We are originally from Los Angeles, and Kanpai brings us feelings of the homely Japanese food back home. Service is excellent no matter the time of day and is a great intimate setting for a week night dinner. read more

Kanpai Sushi - Sushi Dinner for 2. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

This place is a real authentic Japanese restaurant! It located in Independence Blvd across from Pembrook mall, it is very easily to find. My mom and I went there for lunch and they have lots of specials going on on weekdays and we were so pleased on how the service and food were! For lunch they served soup or salad with your meal as well! We ordered an appetizer: Karagge: Golden Fried Chicken Chunks (delicious) Salmon Teriyaki: broccoli, onion, zucchini, and carrot with a side of rice Sashimi & sushi: a choice of sushi rolls and chef's choice of sashimi with a side of rice Restaurant is constantly busy, people keep coming in when we were dinning in. Prices are very reasonable for an authentic place! Fresh foods and great service!! read more

Kanpai Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Another great place to get sushi in Virginia Beach. Very nice set up overall had a great experience.

My go to sushi place! The fish is fresh and the customer service is good. There is a wide variety of good rolls and the oysters are so good. Even the kitchen food is amazing. It is in a small shopping center and easy to miss if you don't know about it. The staff is always very accommodating and helps you understand anything you don't know about. Highly highly recommend! A hidden gem for sure. read more

This place is so good, it was my first time coming here and i will definitely be back. The waitress was so nice and helpful. 10/10! read more

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It was my first time eating at Kanpai and I loved going here to celebrate with my friends! The food was delicious, the service was excellent and I think it's really pretty inside! read more

Kanpai Sushi - Spider Roll and Dragon Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Amazing sushi, affordable pricing, service is great, and chef makes it all right infront of view! 10/10

This is one of the few great sushi places around, staff were friendly and patient and attentive. Wide variety of the authentic Japanese sushi, Kanpyomaki needed a bit more rice and Kanpyo. Reasonably priced as well. Quite a Good experience And would come back for sure! read more

Great food and fast service. They had many options and the quality of the sushi seemed good. It was pretty empty when I went which was strange but other than that it was great. read more

This is my go-to sushi restaurant. I've been dining at Kanpai for years, and the food and service are consistently on point. The menu can be a bit overwhelming because everything looks fabulous but, personally, I prefer the raw sushi. It's always super fresh and melts in your mouth. My favorite appetizer is the Salmon Carpaccio, but a bowl of their comforting Miso soup is how I like to start all of my meals here. I also love the sushi rolls, especially the Summer Breeze Roll, Salmon Hurricane Roll, California Topper Roll, and Rainbow Roll. Kanpai is very clean and cozy, and it's the perfect place for a date, dinner with the family, or a night out with friends. Any occasion is a good reason to drop by here in my opinion. Food is brought out fairly quickly, and I appreciate the creativity and artistry they put into each plate. The presentation of their food is stunning. If you're a sushi lover and haven't been here, I'd urge you to head over and discover some of the best VB has to offer. And if you're not a sushi fan, I'm willing to bet that Kanpai will make a believer out of some of you. read more

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So we came here for dinner to celebrate my sister's birthday. We used to come to this place all the time. Dave and I started off with the tuna tataki cocktail. It was pretty good. We ordered three rolls: Kanpai roll, VB roll and the rainbow roll. We had a party of 8 people. Our server didnt bring our rolls out all at once but she brought my dad and stepmom's sushi order out on one plate? Not sure why ours came one by one but anyways, she brought out the VB roll first. We asked if we could order it spicy. She said no problem. It came with tuna, avocado and crab but we wanted spicy tuna (They just drizzled hot sauce or siracha sauce over the roll) Then the rainbow roll came out a little later. We waited for awhile and then noticed she never came back to bring us our third order? By the time she came back to check on us the rest of our party was finished eating their food. My dad told the waitress she forgot to bring out his sashimi order. She left the table before we could ask her about our order because we were sitting at the other end of the table and didnt notice her come back until it was too late. We got her the next time around when she brought his sashimi order and apparently never put in the last roll that we ordered? She offered to place the order but we decided not to because everyone else was already done. Anyways, once the bill came Dave noticed they charged $.50 for the spicy drizzle lol. I dont know I just felt like service was not up to my expectations. We really should have been offered something for the inconvenience... Not my favorite sushi place! My other sister will be visiting VB soon...maybe they will want to come back but I wouldn't choose this as my first preference. read more

Kanpai Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Eh. I had super high hopes based off of the reviews. Sadly I was highly disappointed. The two stars will be for our overall groups satisfaction. But my personal status is that was my one and only time coming. Customer service was nonexistent to start with. A very small narrow place not really good for groups which is what we had. We were practically eating on top of other people it felt like. The sushi looked decent and tasted just ok in my opinion. My husband made some comparisons and he did enjoy two of his rolls a lot. I am still in the hunt for a really good sushi and hibachi place since our favorite place closed down. And this is not the place for us. Still on the lookout! read more

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Yellow tail roll and California topper with tuna. The tuna was so good and fresh it melted in your mouth. Staff was super friendly , the edamae was hot and perfectly salted . This was my first time here but it won't be my last. read more

Kanpai Sushi - Yellow tail roll and California topper w tuna. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Excellent sushi! Lots of variety. Service was decent and basic atmosphere experience.

I haven't been to Kanpai in about 6 years, we happened to have a sushi craving while we were out running errands in the area so we stopped in. It was just like I remembered it, clean, organized and loungey decor! They used to have live music in the evenings, I forgot yo We opted for the lunch bento box: a cup of miso soup, salad, edamame, with a choice of two sushi rolls or cooked items (for $10.95!). We did a mix of sushi rolls, avocado, spicy tuna, spicy salmon and snapper! The food was fresh, clean and flavorful. The wait staff was friendly and we got our food quickly. I'm so glad Kanpai is back on my radar! We will definitely be back soon! read more

We love this place! Their sushi rolls are delicious and we have our "regular" specialty rolls (triple x, a-z, and Kanpai), our sushi staples (spicy Cali, philly) and enjoy their miso soup, carrot ginger salad, seaweed salad, shrimp tempura appetizer, and their seasonal ginger ice cream. Yum! Menu is large and has other items for the non-sushi lovers out there. Staff is always friendly and timely. read more

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We LOVE it here! We're regulars and been coming to Kanpai for years, so they know us as soon as we come in. I recommend starting off with Tuna paradise and ordering Dinner for Two. The food is always delicious from appetizers down to the dessert. read more

Ambiance: traditional decorated Japanese restaurant Service: very fast and friendly, gave useful suggestion Food: in general delicious Miso Soup - ** so so Chirashi Bowl - **** high quality raw fish, recommend Yellowtail Roll - *** average taste Salmon Roll - *** average taste Rock & Roll - *** unique flavor Price: worth for the quality it provided, expect $20~$25 per person read more

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This place is amazing good! The environment, setting, music, overall ambient is just to die for. The sushi is so good probably best sushi I've had so far. Very fresh and moderately priced. The service is impeccable they are super nice. This is the new sushi spot from now on. read more

Great tasting creative sushi rolls. A must try when in va beach. Located in a strip mall with ample parking space. Had the Summer breeze under the signature rolls selection and it was so yummy.I love how the menu is coded. Gives you a clear idea of what you are ordering. Service is also great. Attentive inspite the fact that there were just the 2 of them with several busy tables. I like the decor simple and cozy.great for dinner dates. read more

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One of the best if not the best Sushi in Virginia Beach! The quality of the fish and other seafood is outstanding and is immediately noticeable if you've eaten at other Sushi joints and then eat here! Excellent wait staff and ambiance. Highly recommend! read more

Coming here for sushi was a total curveball for me since I had no idea this place existed even though I get my hair cut next door and have driven past it nearly every day. I wasn't sure what to expect when I came in but was pleased to find that the ambience was very pleasant and soothing (weird word for a restaurant but hey, that's how it felt). We were greeted immediately and sat immediately. I was impressed with the warm, damp clothes given to us to wipe and cleanse our hands with. It was a very nice touch that goes a long way for me. The sushi itself was exquisitely made. The rolls were tight and very appealing to the eye. The sashimi was so flavorful that I almost ordered more. We tried a few of the signature rolls (unfortunately I can't remember their exact names) and all of them were delicious. I would have liked that they have more spicy roll options but that's just me. Most places I've been have a much larger variety of rolls with a kick from which to choose but whatever, my food was still delicious. And they even do the orange wedge at the end of your meal which you don't always notice you miss at some other places until you come to a place that does serve them and it really helps bring your meal to an end. Overall, great establishment and great food. The service was only okay which is what cost them one star. The servers weren't super friendly. They weren't quite rude but they definitely didn't seem like they wanted to go above and beyond for anyone. Maybe it was just an off day. Hopefully on my next visit I can update with higher praise since better service would blow this place out of the water! read more