amazing food. Tasted so fresh. Only outside seating and we went when it was 100 degrees. Would love to go again when it's not too hot outside so we can really enjoy the food. Nice little bar next door so we also got a beer and cooled off as much as we could. read more

Kukai - Amazing food. - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Yum yum yum! Minimal yet tasty menu in the trendy Mercado Annex. Wonderful place to get a bite to eat and a pint from Westbound, right next door. Order at the window and listen carefully for your name to be called if you don't stand by waiting. Mt. Fuji Don (rice bowl) was fresh and filling. Seaweed salad was standard, but delicious. Unagi Onigiri was splendid. Umeboshi Onigiri (pickled plum) is certainly tart. I enjoyed it but could see it being a bit much for some. A little on the pricey side, but overall just a nice place to stop every once and a while. read more

Best ramen in Arizona hands down! Keep your eye out for the lantern. Too hot for Ramen?! Mount Fuji don is the way to go! Best deconstructed sushi roll! read more

This place is so good! I've been here a handful of times already since it opened a few weeks ago. The menu has a decent amount of yummy options. The Mt. Fuji Don is my absolute go-to...it's basically a sushi roll in a bowl! Will definitely keep coming back for more. read more

Kukai - Mt. Fuji Don - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

After wandering through the aesthetic maze of the complex, we finally found Kukai! I got the Mt. Fuji bowl, which was delicious! Not too much rice, which was what I was expecting. I also got the pumpkin kurroke which was pretty good! My only complaint was that the price was a liTtle much for the oo portion sizes, in the picture I added to this review (the bowl and kurroke) wAs about $17 total. The kurroke was $3 and it was a little bigger than the palm of my hand which I thought was a little unfair but that's just my opinion. The food was pretty authentic also, which was a nice surprise! Overall, delicious and will definitely come back! read more

Kukai - Pumpkin Kurroke, and Mt. Fuji Rice Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This place is so good. We got the takoyaki and the sushi bowl and both were delicious. The takoyaki was hot, krispy in the outside, and soft on the inside. The sauce on top added a lot of flavor to them and complimented it very well. I usually like the dry squid that's on top of it that moves but I didn't really like it here because it has kind of a fishy flavor but the takoyaki itself made up for it and it was easy to take off. The sushi bowl was SO GOOD. They were not stingy with the spicy tuna and the fish eggs, which I like. The sauce and toppings complimented the tuna really well and the presentation is perfect. The customer service is also good and everyone is welcoming. It's a nice place to go to for an outdoors atmosphere especially at night when the lights are on :) read more

Kukai - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Location was great, food was fresh and tasted great. The ambiance was casual and open dining.Will definitely return.

This place was wonderful! I got a salmon hand roll and the takoyaki. The salmon hand roll was so good! The salmon was great quality, they had just the right of seaweed and the sesame seeds added great flavor. The takoyaki was a little bready, but still really good! read more

SO SO GOOD!!! Everything we ordered was so good especially the onigiri. It's located inside the MSA annex which is a plus!

Went here last night and was yummy. Sister got one of the sushi bowls which was tasty and well priced. I split several of the Onigiri. All were good but the salmon and tuna were my favorite! When we went to Japan I ate these all the time and the ones from Kukai were yummy and authentic. A great new restaurant for the MSA Annex. Will definitely be back! read more

Kukai - Onigiri - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

During their soft opening, we ordered various onigiri (grilled salmon, tuna mayo, umeboshi, takana & noritama) plus takoyaki. It was a to-go order and everything tasted amazing. Customer service is top notch from the Chef and his wife Akiko (the lovely Bloom Maven owner). I'm excited to return for more, including their pork belly onigir, sushi and ramen. read more

Came here recently (April 2019) for the first time. It was a Sat night dinner time so there was a long line at the order counter. There is no wait staff but they will bring the food to you or call out your name. Hopefully you can find a seat at any open benches/tables nearby. I ordered the Mt Fuji bowl (tuna don) and a pork belly rice ball. The tuna don is tasty and fresh. All the flavors were there without too much of anything over-powering something else. The rice ball is interesting and a great idea. It is literally a rice ball mixed with small bites of pork belly. It could use a bit more flavor as the rice is bland if there's not enough pork belly mixed in. The ball is served with a good size piece of nori (seaweed paper) so one can pick it up without having rice sticks to one's fingers. And the nori can be eaten as the rice is consumed along the way - very clever. I will return and try other things. read more

Expensive, but very tasty! The quality is tops and the fish is so fresh. I just wish they gave a little more seaweed salad!

Fresh new eatery at the Annex. I love the concept and loved how fresh my grilled salmon onigiri and sashimi salmon hand roll tasted. Great quality ingredients, spun in clean and well prepared plates. read more

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Fresh and fast I enjoyed everything. I just have to remember to visit in Fall when it is cooler out. read more

Usually get the mount Fuji don and it's always delightfully delicious. Sushi rolls great too.

Good spot in this market. Nice options including various bowls as well as sushi and Japanese appetizers. Worth trying.

This new restaurant doesn't have posted hours on their website. My friend searched for their hours and found 11 AM. They actually open at 11:30. Everything we ordered was delicious. The menu states no substitutions, so I didn't ask for no rice. Having carb free options would have been nice. read more

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Haven't tried the ramen yet, although I'm excited to. I personally like the onigiri and don bowls, pretty big and a lot of food, and I feel the prices are affordable. The hours occasionally throw me off, because I find myself craving Kukai just around the time they're closed, but that's neither here nor there. They serve the food relatively quickly and the staff is always nice, too. read more

I was excited to see gyudon on a menu in Tucson. This beef bowl gave me a fix of Japanese eats that I hadn't had in years. Washed down with a bottle of milk tea! read more

Kukai - gyudon and milk tea - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Found this little gem while visit the Westbound bar. They have AMAZING food. I highly recommend the Onigiri and the gyoza. It's phenomenal! ‍ read more

This place is so amazing. I go with friends at least twice a month. The ramen is phenomenal (the pork broth is the way to go but all others are really good as well) and so are the sushi bowls and hand rolls. The atmosphere is also great because you can order drinks from westbound and handout by the fire or the heaters. Great place to eat and hang out, even during covid. read more

The food is amazing I ordered the Katsu super flavorful. And I like that they served it super hot. It is pricey but worth a try if your in the area. read more

We ate here about a week ago and had two totally different opinions. What we both agreed on was as follows. Atmosphere. The atmosphere was really cool. The whole setup at The Annex is really nice and a very relaxing place to be. Service. The service was rather slow. We both observed that they were disorganized. We attributed it to how new they were and both agreed that they will get much better as they get a little experience. A couple of areas they need to improve is calling the orders when they come up. Big strong voices are required, but very much lacking. Also, we were not sure if we were supposed to bus our table or if they did. Needs to be more obvious either though verbal instruction or signage. What we disagreed on. What we did not agree on was the food. We ordered different things, and please forgive, but I don't remember what, but I loved it and she did not. We shared our meals and where I thought they were very flavorful with great taste combinations. My wife thought it was only "alright" and overpriced for what we got. Ultimately, this is a place that you will just have to tryout yourself and then write your own review. read more

KuKai is my GO TO Japanese place in Tucson. Their fish is incredibly fresh. I normally go for the salmon hand roll or the salmon avocado roll and I'm never disappointed. Pro tip, add a side of eel sauce to go with it! I've also tried their seaweed salad, fried squid, chicken karage. None of them have ever disappointed. My one and only gripe with KuKai is that the ratio of rice to protein is off in their onigiris. Usually there is far too much rice and I wish there would be more protein in the onigiris. Overall, if you're looking for an adorable, modern, fresh Japanese local business to support, KuKai is it!!! read more

Limited but authentic Japanese cuisine menu. I had the curry roman and it was delicious! My daughter had one of the california rolls and loved hers. It can get busy during lunch hour but this little place tries hard to keep up and yells loudly various order numbers. The only reason I did not give this place 5 stars, was not because of food quality or taste - which were both great - it's because it's a bit pricey. A nice splurge but if prices were better I'd go there every week read more

The west side is coming back! Ramen is legit and the menu keeps you ordering more the patio shared with westbound is perfect for meetings, pre games, bite after work, pay attention to the hours they have a gap between lunch and dinner read more

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The best gyu-don bowl in Tucson, Az. I ordered the gyu-don, tuna mayo onigiri and the spicy salmon hand roll. The portions were large and filling definitely worth it and definitely will be coming back for more! There is an area where you can sit around the restaurant, socially distanced of course. read more

Went here on a Friday afternoon for takeout. Food was ready in 5-10 mins. Took it to the car to eat it and it was delicious :) read more

Kukai - Jasmine tea, unagi onigiri, (t) salmon onigiri, (b) pork belly onigiri, spicy tuna hand roll, Green Tea - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Authentic flavors and textures from the white pepper in the ramen to the softness of the rice. Katsu curry is one of my favorites and Kukai did not disappoint. My wife and son had ramen and enjoyed the flavors. We went on a rare rainy day in Tucson but were still able to sit in a covered area within the interesting re-purposed container architecture. Friendly service even when things got busy! read more

As a person who has been living in japan for about 2.5 years, this place really stands out to me compared to other Japanese restaurants in Tucson. Especially the ramen, they've done a rather great job at just hitting that taste for the broth that is "their own" to say the least. The noodles are a refreshing taste from the bland overused brand that every other ramen place in Tucson uses so, thank you. The pork slices are average but not bad, they could use some work for sure. To anyone in Tucson wanting to try a "real" Tonkotsu Ramen (pork broth), please consider Kukai. After eating it I'm sure you will really open your eyes to how Tonkotsu is supposed to taste. Thank you so much Kukai, and keep trying to improve upon what you've been doing! read more

Discovered this Japanese food stand while explore the very cute and creative shipping container made outdoor shopping mall. The service is quick and the food is of great quality. I believe all their ingredient is sourced locally when possible. I got takoyaki and tuna melt rice ball. They both are delicious: a very delightful afternoon snack or a snack to bring with while you wandering around the mall. read more

Kukai - Takoyaki - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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This place was AMAZING! Definitely recommend this place for any person looking for a lunch or just a snack. The pork belly onigiri was my favorite and tasted delicious. The ambiance was so nice and was so relaxing outside. Everything was well priced and very worth it. You will not be disappointed with anything you get here! read more

Kukai - Shrimp tempura hand roll, tuna onigiri, porky onigiri - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This place is pretty average. I had the takoyaki, tuna onigiri, and a bowl of ramen. The takoyaki was more doughy than anything, very little octopus/vegetables. The onigiri was the best of the 3. Nice sticky rice and the filling was good. Wish it had more filling instead of just a ball in the middle. The ramen was okay at best. Didn't taste much different than the 'Nissin Roah' brand of ramen you can buy from Fry's. The bowl was pretty small too. The service was good. They were very pleasant and quick. read more

Wait was a little long but atmosphere is fun and food pretty good. I got the ramen and it was so delicious and yummy. My parents got the tempura bowl and the spicy tuna bowl. Both had good flavors but were primarily rice instead of toppings. I would recommend going to get the ramen! read more

The staff was so nice. I was in Tucson for a night and picked up a to-go order to bring back to our AirBnB. The rolls were GREAT and the employees made me smile. read more

This place has definitely earned my trust and a frequent customer. I tried their potatoes korokke and it's just the way I like it, not too fried and oily but crispy, light and fluffy. I also had their spicy miso ramen which is infused their hakata original broth with spicy miso and it really made an impact. They were caring enough to separate the broth and noodles on the side so it doesn't get soggy when I got home. I would for sure recommend this place to all my friends and family! read more

This place is amazing! The service is great. The owner is very nice and makes time to talk to customers. The food is delicious. I love the onigiri and the Mt Fuji Don is on point as well. The seaweed salad is light and very good for before or after your onigiri or even the Raman. The Raman is nice in flavor a rich broth taste great as well. Thank you guys I can't wait to go back. read more

Kukai - Mt Fuji don - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Amazing place with kind and generous owner/ chef. Best ramen I've had in Tucson and we love the takoyaki! Would definitely recommend :)

Ordered some food to-go here while we were passing through Tucson on a road trip. It's located in a cool little arts/food complex. There's a walk up window with a small kitchen where they take orders. For a to-go order, we really enjoyed the crispy rice with spicy tuna and miso ramen. Only complaint I had was that the ramen was served in a small takeout box with the broth in a coffee cup. Staying in a hotel, I wasn't able to pour it into a bowl. It would have been nice if there was a takeout bowl instead that the soup could be poured into. read more