Keiichi. Sushi on Elm St. Use to have an old abandoned sign in front. Now has a new sign. The chef/owner told us resentfully how he was forced by the city to upgrade his sign. Guess he took his frustration out on us - his customers. Because it's really average sushi. And super overpriced. Like you can get better sushi at Kroeger. Made fresh that day by a real sushi chef. More for your money. The drinks are exorbitant. 30 bucks for one sake. Takes some digging in the menu to find just reasonable sake. You can get to a hundred bucks in milliseconds of ordering. Which would be OK if this place were Nobu in Malibu or Las Vegas. It's just ok sushi in Denton. So we didn't spend 100's of dollars. If that's what it takes to get to the 5 star experience - I pass. Reason I rated this poor is because there's not much personality in the place. Sushi chef acted pretty disinterested in his guests. And the decor was just formica chic. read more

Best sushi in North Texas? Look, I'm not a seasoned sushi guy. But I know good food when I eat it. And I've never had anything quite like Keiichi. Each time I go it's one of the best eating experiences I've ever had. And it's far and away the best sushi I've ever had. And all the others who drive up from Dallas and Fort Worth to Denton to eat there must agree. If you've never tried Keiichi, you owe it to yourself to go. Seriously. Why are you still reading this? Call and get reservations now! read more

I'm conflicted on a star-rating. I will wait until I go back again but I would say 4.5 so not quite a 5. First off, other reviews aren't being dramatic, the place is super small, it is a really interesting, cozy atmosphere. It feels like family style. Also, you DO need reservations. We went in right at 5:30 when it opened and were able to take 2 seats as long as we got out at 7. All the other seats in the non-bar area was taken. The sushi is fantastic. Some of the freshest tasting sushi I have EVER had. The chef is great and so fun to watch. We will be back. It is no wonder this is Denton's #1 spot on yelp. It does not even compare to other Denton places. Don't let the outside fool you. Go in for some green tea, sushi, and great ambiance. read more

My brother and his wife go here a few times a month and we finally got the chance to go with them one night over the Christmas holidays. Soooo glad we did! This is a hidden gem. Superb, fresh sushi. Amazing Italian pasta entrees. Great appetizers and salads too. I'm sure the desserts are also as noteworthy, but we went to The Love Shack nearby for desserts and drinks (also very good)! Make sure you make reservations. They turned away a group if four who tried to walk in, and my brother said he sees people get turned away every time he dines here. So glad Denton has this fabulous place! Definitely a word of mouth place, as you would just drive on by if you hadn't been told of its presence by someone. We will definitely go back! Amazed. read more

This is a simply fantastic, authentic sushi bar. Living the first 30 years of my life on the Pacific Coast, I never thought I'd find sushi of this caliber in Texas, let alone in Denton. However, this small gem is truly outstanding. The fish is incredibly fresh and flavorful, artfully presented, and extremely memorable. Moreover, the experience is a slice of Japan...intimate and sensual. Ask chef Kei to make whatever he chooses...you will NOT be disappointed. Wash down your sushi with Japanese vodka or unfiltered sake. Bring a friend and experience a delicious glimpse of Japan in the most unassuming building in Denton! read more

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What did we not have?! Beef Tataki Spicy Tuna Sashimi Yellow Tail Kampachi If its on the appetizer menu, we had it. Amazing and dazzling tastes that will ignite the very fiber of your being. There were six of us, a motley crew of mid 20 - to young 30 somethings all into an array of different tastes. Yet after each plate was passed down the line we'd all hang our heads in a silent attempt to compose ourselves from the culinary orgasm we'd just experienced. It was sooo good we stopped making eye-contact with each other half way through dinner. The portions are quite generous but presented with a craft and skill that is hardly seen here in Dallas let alone DENTON! There is a actual bar, and sushi bar, and a few tables...that's it. You want to be at the Sushi bar to experience the Chef first hand...when her recommends you listen.. The perfect amount of people would probably be 4...you all will be able to order a fair amount of dishes to try and still have enough to eat that it's not a tease. Expect to spend $75+ if you want to actually try and enjoy the food. No sign out front, and I love it. The less people that know of this place the easier it is to get booked. Do your mouth a favor and stop reading reviews....book reservations already. read more

I've eaten at sushi places all over the world. This is the best sushi place in DFW, and one of top in the country IMO. The building itself looks like it might be abandoned, but don't let that sway you... the food here is perfection. Chef K. is also a master Italian chef, so don't be surprised if you see lasagna on the menu, and if you do, you have to try it! Seriously I love this place. Just be prepared to wait months if you want a Friday or Saturday reservation. If you want to get in sooner, try a weeknight or the lone lunch day of Thursday. We personally make our next reservation at the time we have dinner. read more

We ate here some time ago but it was soooooo memorable that I wanted to give them the credit they deserve. EVERYTHING was spot on. I still to this day CRAVE the role that had cream cheese and waygu beef (I think). VERY unique and rich but it was seriously like dessert.... WE WILL be back! read more

The portions and quality were very good. We had Yellowtail sashimi, spicy tuna roll and salmon roe along with some hot sake. The place isn't much to look at but it is clean and presentable. We drove by it the first time because they have a small sign outside and it wasn't even lite. read more

The food and atmosphere at Keiichi is just like Denton- fabulous, unique, and delicious to boot. You won't go wrong with anything you order but I recommend the steak/jalapeño/cream cheese roll- probably in the top 5 of all things I've ever eaten. Be sure to get reservations- although we went on a Tuesday and several couples walked in, so maybe it just depends on space and the owners mood! Be prepared to put out a penny but it's BYOB- if we'd known that in advance, we would've saved a bundle. read more

I consider myself a sushi aficionado, and i was STUNNED to find sushi this good in denton. Its on the higher end of the price range for sushi, but the experience is well worth it. Its reservation only, generally speaking, and they only seat something like 10 people at the bar for dinner time (there is no general seating). The menus are handwritten, and change daily. Everything I have ever had at this place was top notch. :) read more

Hate sushi, but the dude is an Italian chef too so there is a small, changing menu of delish other items like lasagne. Had the rack of lamb that was outrageous. Tiny but full bar with a few specialty drinks that were great. Everyone else raves on the sushi - whatev... read more

Oh man! This was our third attempt at eating here and we finally got a reservation! So good! This place is *small* and you need to make a reservation ...but the food is delicioso! The fish is the most beautiful fish I've ever seen! read more

Keiichi - This! I mean! Can you believe this! It MELTS in your mouth! Beef and jalapeño cream cheese sushi! - Japanese Near Me - Denton, Texas

Best sushi ever. By far! Beef tataki is also best beef I've ever had. By far. Book your reservations early though and don't show up without one or else they'll let you know you don't have one :) read more

Keiichi - Tiramisu. Best tiramisu ever. By far! - Japanese Near Me - Denton, Texas

A hidden gem for melt in your mouth Sushi..... This is our all time special place to go for Sushi and are so glad it's up in Denton! We tend to spend a good chunk of change here, but it is so worth it and I think if you don't have to have Sake or other alcohol, you could get out without spending your monthly food budget. But it is so worth it! Chef K is helpful and the last time we went, we had him make what he thought was the best of the best for that week. Otherwise I would only order salmon...side note: I may have been a grizzly bear in another life - not that I believe in that stuff - but who'da thunk a girl from up North would love raw fish???? Chef K's menu is always changing, based on what was the best fish to buy that week. his staff is helpful and yes, you will drive right by it if you are looking for a beautiful building to go along with the beautiful food. However, there are places that I have been to that have a beautiful building and their food sucks, so I would rather have the great food. For those of you who don't like sushi, as other reviewers have said, you can get some amazing italian fare here too as Keiichi was trained as an Italian Chef. So for those of you wanting to keep your date happy but need to eat all things cooked, you can still put this on your list. I however love sushi so have not ventured here for italian. Part of the charm is the coziness of the place. You DO need a reservation unless you live around the corner or are willing to go eat elsewhere when you show up and they don't have room for you here. If you live in Denton, you could try and get in during the week, but I'd rather know I'm expected before heading here. If you are a fishhead (suchi lover) than you have to put this on your list for must visit places before you die! read more

This place is awesome. Some of the best flavors, food and dessert I've ever had. But it's so small you have to make reservations a week or two in advance. They are only open Wed. to Sat. And Friday & Saturday books up 3 to 4 weeks in advance. When you go - you know why. Food is incredible. But the place is super small. I've eaten at five star restaurants from Vegas to LA to New York. The food is as good as anywhere you can go. Atmosphere is ok. Nothing to brag on. But you have to save room for the Tiramisu. I've never had anything that tasted so good. read more

Amazing fish, sweet servers, sushi chef is a little shy, not that talkative though we sat barside They only take reservations though. They serve more than ten though. I noticed sitting other than right in front of the chef. We ordered the sashimi plate and the Tasmanian sea trout appetizer About $60 per person with the rest of the party we were with. read more

Keiichi - Sashimi platter - Japanese Near Me - Denton, Texas

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I love this place. I was here visiting my family and Dallas and they brought me here. Apparently you'll need to reserve seating several weeks in advance and reservations are a must! I heard that the chef is trained in Japanese and Italian cuisine, which is why there are pasta dishes on the menu. We stuck to the nigiri and sashimi and tried the yellowtail, tasmanian trout, salmon, tuna, scallop, snow crab, and mackerel. The quality of the fish is amazing. We also tried the tenderloin tataki and it was amazing as well. The quality of the fish and the skills of the chef make Keiichi one of my top sushi restaurants. read more

nice for denton but overpriced and Im a fat man, so i spent a lot and was still hungry. I love fresh fish but it would be a nicer date to take your girl or dude to Super H mart and make your own.. the chef is super and i would go everyday if i were wealthy. read more

What more can be said about this place? Make reservations and go. It's a great romantic date night, or a place to visit with a few friends as we did on our last night in Denton. The food was all fantastic and we sampled several of the dishes. The Japanese ribs were incredible. The outside isn't much, but then, you don't go to a restaurant because the outside of it is pretty. Go and try something new. The staff were incredibly friendly and didn't rush our meal either which we really appreciated. read more

Horrible customer service. They wouldn't seat us because we did make reservations. They had two sections that are opened and not being used. We drove over an hour to get here and still didn't open. Up the area for us. She was very rude about that as well. So disappointed. The outside stunk like rotten fish anyways so I was worried about the quality as well. read more

My first experience with sushi was here.... NO ONE has ever come close to the freshness or presentation. I have tried sushi everywhere and Keiichi just can't be beat. Don't forget to order there Sake flight too. Strongly suggest reservations! The only thing that could make this place better has nothing to do with food or service but maybe just freshen up the interior look? read more

Not our usual spot just because reservations are required almost always. However, it has never disappointed and it definitely is a special place. Don't go expecting to just have some sushi for lunch. read more

Well it's good but it's nothing spectacular. For what you spend it should be spectacular! We had the squid sashimi, radish and anchovies salad, spicy tuna roll, eel roll, and salmon skin roll. The salad was the best part of our meal. It still was not worth what we paid for it though. The rolls were messy, and poorly executed. It was disappointing. The group we went with got the beef cream cheese roll with jalapeños, mushroom pasta, and a filet. Their meals were very good. If you want just sushi this is not the place but if you want pasta and etc this is a good place to go. Still waaaay over priced. With drinks it is easily $175 for the above that we ordered not our group. For the remainder of our group you can add on another $300+. We had a great time bc of our group but not bc of the place. read more

I don't know how to explain how delicious this place is. This is the best food in Denton, it's really no competition. The service was incredible. Every single thing we ordered was delicious. Expect to spend a pretty penny but it was totally worth it and I would do it again. read more

Keiichi might be one of the best kept secrets in Denton, because people truly have no idea that it's still a restaurant! However, you MUST go! The beef & jalapeño cream cheese roll as an appetizer will rock your world. Seriously, my entire party regretted not ordering two! The shrimp and asparagus roll was quite tasty, and I ended up ordering a an appetizer as my meal, which was the marinated tuna with guacamole. The guacamole was more of an avocado mash, but ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. I could've licked the sauce off the plate. DO NOT SKIP DESSERT. The sesame seed ice cream is so rich and decadent, but oh so good. We also tried the Banana Cake, and seriously our plates were bare at the end of the night. I highly recommend for a special occasion, date night, or a new adventure to try out of the box or fresh tasting sushi! read more

Keiichi - Japanese Near Me - Denton, Texas

This place is a gem. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is wonderful. The tasmanian sea trout sashimi is to die for, as is the filet with mashed potatoes and green beans and the green tea tiramisu. The sea trout was like eating the most flavorful butter you've ever eaten. You would never guess you'd find sushi like this in Denton, but I am so glad that Keiichi is here. It can be pricey but it is worth every single penny to get a meal and experience this good. read more

Greatest sushi I have ever put in my mouth. Such a cool experience sitting at the small 8-12 person bar while you watch the Master at work - If you don't try the cream cheese / steak roll, you played yourself. Kind service and quiet, relaxed atmosphere. It's pricey, but worth it. I don't know how he gets fish so fresh at a repurposed hair salon in Denton, TX, but I'm so glad he found a way. Thank you, Keiichi. Thank you. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE their sushi! very fresh and i love how they only take few reservation and i feel really special. they have the great appetizer and salad! i haven't try their steak and alfredo. But, i will try it later! i will go there again for sure! read more

So me and a couple other yelpers make a reservation for tonight. I called October 30th at 1:34 pm and spoke to the chef/owner. He said we could not get a 4 person reservation for Friday November 1st because he had a 10 person party that confirmed already. Then he said he could give me a reservation for Friday, November 8th at 7:30. So I get excited and text my friends. So imagine my surprise when he tells me he does not see my reservation. I tell him the time and date and he just looks at me. I tell him when I called and even what he said to me. He shows me the phone and says I don't see it. I think he missed my non local number. He does not say maybe I can do something for you next week. We drove an hour and a half for some to say.....I don't have you on the list. Especially since we knew the place was small and needed a reservation. I will not be back. The chef/owner does not honor reservation so if you make a reservation be sure to check a couple of times to make sure he has it listed. I would not want anyone to drive to Denton for this place and then not be seated because of someone's mishap . So the sushi may be good but the service is horrible. I am disappointed in the establishment. Still in disbelief at such blatant disregard for your customers. read more

This is my favorite sushi place in the country and I'm a sushi snob. It's a small venue, so make a reservation. You have to try the pickled plum in their Japanese vodka (can't remember what it's called). Very personal experience, with a lil show if you sit at the bar. Kei is authentic and even orders a lot of his product directly from Japan, where his family lives. Plus, he makes/cooks/bakes ALL of the dishes on his menu himself, so the food is always consistently amazing! LOVE THIS PLACE! read more

This place is great. It opened up right as I moved away from Denton for a couple of years. I had heard about it and seen it when I visited, but I had my doubts. I started to hear really great things about it after I moved back to Denton and my wife and I decided to check it out. This place is small and if you're eating on a weekend, its probably a good idea to make reservations as it seats about 10 people. It's a cool atmosphere and you usually end up talking to other guests while you're there. The food is pretty amazing. The Tazmanian Sea Trout is one of my favorites. It's a good appetizer to split with someone or eat alone. The sashimi is amazing and when you get to talking to Keiichi (Kei) he will tell you that his secret is fresh water. He doesn't use tap water for anything and he has his fish flow in daily from a market in New York. The sake flight ain't too bad either. Great place for a date. read more

God help us all! Mr. Keiichi is definitely the inventor of food porn! I don't even know where to start. The food is beyond perfect and the small restaurant makes it for a really nice romantic date. You don't know what you want more... To go home with your hot date or stay and eat some more food.... read more

I can't wait to go back to Keiichi. I've only been once and that was probably a good two years ago. I think most people on here have said pretty much all that can be said about Keiichi. So the bottom line is to just go! Save up for it and go crazy. I will update this review next time I eat there (hopefully soon!) with some pictures! read more

My husband and I went to Keiichi a while back for a special occasion. We saw that it had excellent reviews so we had to try it. For all the hype (People make reservations a month in advance for this place...) and the price, we didn't think the sushi was that delicious. We've had better sushi at other locations around DFW. My husband got a miso soup that was fantastic, but other than this we were not very impressed and will not be back. read more

Hands down the BEST sushi I've ever had! Chef Kai is wonderful. Always the freshest fish and everything is so delicious. Be sure to make a reservation and sit at the sushi bar read more

It looks like it is the abandoned offspring of a Waffle House and a Pizza Hut. It's slightly larger than my college apartment my junior year of school. The only identifying signs for the place are a dilapidated marquee and a rock that comes up to about your knees with the name emblazoned into it out front. And yet, appearances can be wildly deceiving - Keiichi is home to some of the best food in the entire Dallas area and genuinely is unlike any other dining experience you are likely to find. My time with Keiichi starts about a month ago when my friend talked about making reservations to eat here. Reservations are definitely the sticking point for a lot of people here, and I could see why: for one thing, the place is tiny. There are 4 chairs in the "corner bar" room, I believe 10 chairs in the "main" dining room and a single table in a cramped corner for 6. That's it. So space is definitely a commodity but it sounds like following through on reservations may also be a problem, going off of some of the other Yelp reviews I've read. The only hiccup we encountered was trying to make a reservation when they were not open - our fault. Otherwise, our spots were reserved weeks in advance and when we showed up, we were seated right away. Actually, that's kind of misleading. We had 5:30 p.m. reservations on Saturday and showed up at about 4:50 p.m. We parked and walked back to the Square to kill some time and when we got back (about 5:25 p.m.) they seated us, anyway. There's no waiting room to speak of when you head in either door and the bathrooms are immediately off to the right behind the single-table dining room. There isn't really a whole lot to look at, save for a pretty cool cork sculpture in the corner, but there did seem to be books and magazines by some of the chairs away from the bar counter. The only people in the building were us and the staff, until about 5:31 p.m. when more folks showed up. People are faithful to this place for good reason: the service and the food are unrivaled. Our waitress was attentive and the perfect window between us and the chef: the chef knows his stuff and we asked for his recommendation. We started with beef tataki that looked delicious and was even more delectable upon shoving it ungracefully into my mouth. The chef's choice was baby yellow perch with (I think) jalapeños, and my word... I figured it would be really poor form to lick the plate in public but I had to fight the urge. It was that good. So with such outstanding sushi offerings, that has to be what this place is known for, right? Maybe, but my friend insisted we do the pasta, and yes, you read that correctly. A sushi bar that specializes in pastas. Beef ragu and five-mushroom cream pasta cannot be beat. I had to physically restrain myself from finishing the plate and drinking another beer because there was still dessert to consider. We were too full to get two (no sorbet... which just means we have to come back) so we opted for the tiramisu. The two patrons next to us also got it after we did. I'd like to think it just looked that good so they ordered it outright but they probably knew about it ahead of time. Most reviews here cite it as -THE- dessert to get, and it's easy to see why. Fluffy and not-too filling, it ranks up there with the best I've had. Two things to consider before booking your seats both concern the menu: the menu seems to be updated daily, which is always a good thing. Ours had "02/01/2014" printed on the upper right corners, and that just reinforces how fresh everything is. Or just shows whatever the chef feels like cooking that day. If you have a "favorite" dish, it may not be available that day. Kind of a luck of the draw situation. The other menu cautionary point is the price - I mentioned appearances can be deceiving a few paragraphs ago and you'd better believe one trip to this place will significantly lighten your wallet. This place is not cheap, despite it looking like an abandoned diner, but it is fairly priced, I'd say. Just don't be caught off-guard if you take a date here and you end up having to sell your watch for gas money on the way back home. Your date will not be impressed with your shenanigans and failure to financially plan, but they will be satisfied that you are suave enough to take them to a place like this so they can then brag to their friends before never speaking to you again But with all that in mind, Keiichi is still worthy of your time. Just be sure you have a window of possible reservations to consider when you're ready to take the trip out here. And come early - you'll probably end up driving past it a couple of times before figuring out the maroon-roofed building with a few cars in front of it is housing the best sushi you'll ever find in Texas. read more

I wish there were a 6th star for restaurants like this. I've been eating his food for almost 6 years and its seriously gets better each time I visit! Best sushi I've ever had, best steak in denton, best Italian in denton and definitely best Japanese in denton. Expensive but worth saving up the dough you would spend at lesser quality places. Order one of everything on the menu! read more

Hands down the best sushi I've ever had in the U.S.A. The only place in the world I've ever had better was when I had a layover in Japan and had Sushi in the airport (yes I said the best sushi I ever, ever had was in the airport in Japan . . . who would've thunk) Anyway, we were in Denton, TX for a competition for my daughter and we were looking for some place to eat. My wife and I LOVE sushi and found Keiichi in Yelp and it was only a few minutes from the hotel we were staying in so we decided to go. When we got to the restaurant (please don't be turned off by what it looks like on the outside, you will be pleasantly surprised what it looks like on the inside) we were told that dinner was by reservation only, and reservations had to be made months in advance. We were bummed. Then a couple sitting at the sushi bar (only 8 or 10 spots available) told us they had 2 friends that never showed up for whatever reason, and they gave us there spots (this was definitely a day I should've played the lotto, because scoring those seats was like winning the lotto). It was truly meant to be. I have to be honest, I don't remember exactly what we had (this was almost a year ago mid-March), I do know all the food (ALL) was awesome, awesome, AWESOME. Again, this was truly the BEST sushi hands down I've ever had in the U.S.A. and I've eaten sushi all over the U.S.A. in about 30 different states. If you are planning on going to Denton, TX and found this review in Yelp, call them now to book your reservation, and hopefully you will get a spot. If you read this review and weren't planning on going to the little town of Denton, TX, call now and book your reservation to go, you will not be disappointed. By the way, the people whose spot we took were coming from Oklahoma City (167 miles each way, 2 1/2 hours each way), it's that good. Enjoy. I just booked my reservation for March of this year. read more

best experience ever! it's just so hard to find authentic Japanese food here in TX, and thanks to yelp we found chef Keiichi! be honest we were in shock when we first saw the price, but after we taste it, it worth every buck. the 3 of us ordered baby yellow tail kampachi, scollop and trout sushi as appetizer. tuna steak rizzoto and mushroom pastas for entree. man, the food quality was out of the world. we could tell chef Keiichi cooked from care and decades of experience. the total came out around $180 including drink, tax and tip. ya it's expensive, but we will eat there even if we have to eat ramen for the rest of the month! it was a rare slow night and that's our luck. there was no crowd, no wait, so we got to have nice conversation with chef Keiichi and the very nice server. they were so personable, so nice that made the food even tastier. I'm a big fan now, so I recommend whoever is reading the reviews: stop considering and call in for a reservation already!! read more