The food is delicious. The service was friendly and prompt. The ambiance is unique. I recommend giving Kukai a try. I'll be frequenting Kukai more often. read more

Kukai - Tonkotsu Black Garlic Ramen, Grilled Salmon Onigiri (top right), Katsu Curry (bottom right). - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Ambiance: Outdoor seating, order at the counter. Service: Efficient and personable. Food: Kukai always sounds good in my head but never quite tastes as good as I want it to especially for the price and portion. However, it's hard to find onigiri here and they do a decent job. Their ramen isn't bad but I think there are better options out there. Overall, not bad but never quite hits the spot. read more

Great concept and plaza they are located in, I wish they had one in Phoenix! This is going to be outdoor seating if you are not familiar with the area so plan accordingly. The food was delicious and tasted fresh! The onigiri was delicious but the rice to meat ratio could be a little more protein. The poke bowls however were great! read more

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You can't go wrong with Kukai. Everything I've had so far have been great! ( onigiri, takoyaki, karaage, salmon poke bowl. I have yet to try their ramen so I will need to try it one day. I give four stars just bc sometimes you have to wait a while for your food. It is a tiny place so I guess they get backed up sometimes? But their food is worth the wait. And their friendly service make up for it. read more

Kukai - Pork belly onigiri, karaage and takoyaki - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Kukai is the spot if you're looking for good onigiri, rice bowls, ramen, and more. I've been a long time customer and fan of Japanese food restaurant Samurai on Oracle/Roger and Kukai is elevated in my opinion. I've gone through the menu and tried a majority of items, but my top items are the Mt Fuji Don, Kombu onigiri, Vegan Spicy Miso Ramen, and takoyaki. There is always a rotating menu of items that aren't included in their main menu - I've gotten items like fried oysters, which are a treat! The line is typically long on a busy night (thats a good sign imo) and owner is typically there with his team making food and serving customers. Seating options are endless, you can find almost anywhere to sit in the Annex and there's shaded areas with misters. Lots of bevs to choose from at surrounding businesses (alcoholic and na). Love coming here and enjoying the food and outside seating on a desert evening read more

Kukai - Mt. Fuji don, kombu onigiri, fried oysters - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This place has amazing food I don't think I have ever gotten something that was absolutely delicious.. the people are super nice and friendly and have helped me order new things. If you get a chance to eat on site it's so pretty and a cool atmosphere!! read more

Expect to wait a while for your food but you won't be disappointed! I love ordering the Spicy Miso Ramen! I'm not huge on meat in ramen so I just opt out. The perfect amount of spice and super tasty! Seating area is perfect. You can invite friends since they have pretty large tables! Not much of a drink selection but you can get soda or alcohol across the way. read more

Kukai - Side of edemame and a spicy crunch roll - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Oh my gosh, this place is so cute! I sambled upon this while researching good Japanese lunch places in Tucson. This is a walk up window located in the MSA annex, which is an outdoor shopping/dining center made from a bunch of shipping containers. When we arrived, there was a light rain and thankfully some of the tables outside of Kukai were covered. We were able to order at the counter, find a place to sit, and then pick up our food at the window. I ordered a green tea soup that came with a rice ball and salmon. (I forgot the name of the soup but I believe it was a special). The clear soup was so flavorful and it was the right amount of food for a light lunch or snack. My partner ordered vegetable curry and it was a big portion! It was a lot of rice and curry. Ended up eating a little bit of that to supplement what I got. They have small appetizer size dishes as well as bigger rice and ramen dishes. They serve bottled beverages to drink. I don't believe they had alcohol but there is a bar next-door where you could get a drink. Since the MSA annex is open air/open seating, you could bring over a drink from next door to have with your food. They definitely offer vegetarian selections although I am not sure about vegan selections. read more

Kukai - Vegetable curry - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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I 100% love this place! MSA Annex. The food is wonderful, the people and service are always friendly and you can't beat the outside eating among the shipping containers that are used for the shops and eateries. The food is incredible at kukai, my favorite is the sushi bowl mt Fuji don. Everything is delicious! read more

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Surprisingly the fish at this storage container stand is quite fresh. I got a bluefin tuna hand roll and it was delicious. My husband got the Mt. Fuji Don and loved it. My unagi onigiri had very little eel in it, mostly rice so I would probably not order that again. We came at a busy lunch hour so it was about 30 minutes before we got our food but we passed the time by walking around the other shops in the complex which was nice. I would come back to try more options from their menu. read more

Kukai is a fun Japanese eatery in the funky Mercado Annex. We had intended to eat lunch at another establishment the day we went, but customers were complaining about waiting 45 minutes for their food. So, we headed to Kukai. They were doing a hopping business too, but no long waits. Fortunately, a courtyard table opened after we ordered, and they had a staff member cleaning between customers. It took less than 10 minutes for us to get our food after we ordered. We had vegetable tempura (special), kukai don, and a California roll. The tempura was light and had a nice crunch; we really enjoyed the onion slice. The California roll was as expected. The kukai don was tasty, but there was a bit too much rice compared to the other ingredients in the bowl. We will go to Kukai again when at the Annex. read more

Trendy container restaurant 'village' ala food trucks, walk up window, great ramen, sushi, & rice bowls, limited covered outdoor seating, live music & draft beer next door at the Westbound bar. Fast pickup window service. My wife thought her Miso Ramen was tasty but too salty; my Hokkaido Ramen was salty as well but delicious. Kukai is container building 11 on the corner. read more

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#ThankYouThursday Small but mighty, Kukai is the real deal. From ramen to sushi you won't be disappointed. So grateful for their high quality fish, the sushi party platter is a great deal. read more

Kukai - Sushi + Sashimi Platter available with 24 hours notice Thurs.- Saturday - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Okayyyy I was born and raised in Oahu, Hawai'i and have yet to find a place outside of Hawaii that has even remotely good tuna/ahi bowls. Me and my boyfriend (also from Hawai'i/Japan) were taking a day trip to Tucson (he lives in Phoenix) and wanted to have a hearty yet fresh lunch when we arrived. I stumbled upon this place via yelp and was immediately intrigued by the name. I did some digging and the reviews looked phenomenal so we gave it a shot. I thought "but how on earth could some little shop in Tuscon have good quality fish?!" and wow was I proved wrong... This place had one of the best tuna bowls I have ever had, and I've had a lot of em'! If you are looking at the reviews for Kukai considering to dine here, stop considering. Take my word for it and go. We ordered the Mt Fuji dons. We saw some folks sitting next to us who ordered the ramen and it looked AMAZING as well. Honestly every item on their menu looks BOMB. If you want to have one of the best tuna bowls of your life, GO! read more

Kukai - 2 Mt Fuji dons! - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This restaurant is a fresh addition to the annex area. It is right next to Westbound. There has been times that the restaurant is sold out, which is also a good sign. Tonight I was lucky to be able to order a few items. But I want to return to try more items. You order at the self-serve window and return when your number is called. I ordered the edamame for a little fresh start. I also ordered the Gyn Don and the beef was perfectly sliced and flavored. I saw bowls of Ramen being served, and that will be my next order. read more

First time here as a T-loc!! Everything was so good! Edamame, seaweed salad, spicy crab roll, Mt. Fuji don, spicy tuna roll and spicy salmon crunch roll. Wait was a little long but it was a Sunday afternoon while the Mercado flea market was also going on. Everything tasted so fresh and would definitely recommend. Didn't try the ramen, hope to next time! read more

Kukai - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

From the reviews and the long line, maybe I set my expectations too high. I love izakaya, so I tried the grilled salmon onigiri, the shrimp tempura, and the korokke. My husband had the gyu don. Overall, the food was prepared well enough (the korokke had a lovely crunch) but everything was extremely bland. I asked for some sauce to jazz it up and was told they had soy sauce and ginger. WTF? Plus, we had to wait about 10 minutes longer than expected (told 35-40, it was 50 minutes). Thank goodness there was no line at Neaut Burger and we got some delicious fries and AWESOME limeade right away. If you like bland food that takes a long time, you'll probably like it! read more

We waited for 1.5 hrs on an uncharacteristically cold evening in Tucson in December to get this ramen and onigiri. We arrived around 6:30 pm. Took us 30 minutes to order and 1 hour to get the food. We kept seeing "Kukai" on all the websites that talk about the best food in Tucson so we had to go! We got the Mentai Ramen and Spicy Miso Ramen. They were very good. The broth was well developed, brimming with umami - a thick broth with the perfect amount of saltiness and spiciness. For both of these bowls, the spiciness hits you but doesn't build too much so you are totally able to handle the spicy for the rest of the broth. The chasu and egg were wonderful. The only thing we didn't love was that the ginger was way too strong and there was just too much of it. Ginger is supposed to cleanse your palate in Japanese cuisine, so it was weird to be eating such big chunks of it while eating ramen. Would've been better on the side. It was too overpowering in the broth. The onigiri was comforting and delicious - wish I had gotten more! We got the unagi onigiri (eel) which tasted great with the eel sauce; only sad thing was that I did have some bones in my unagi. It really hit the spot on a cold winter night, but would I wait 1.5 hrs again? Probably not! Next time I will probably try to hit up Kukai right when they open. I would definitely go again - the food is so great, but 1.5 hrs was a really long time! read more

Kukai - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Went to Kukai for some post-shopping bites in the MSA Annex on a Thursday. At first it was a bit crowded because cyclists were meeting up to get ready for a 6 o'clock ride but once they left, the space started be a bit easier to walk around in. We ordered the Kombu Onigiri, Spicy Crunch Roll (without the tempura), a Salmon Hand Roll, and a Spicy Tuna Hand Roll. The hand rolls were very good. I'd definitely order those again. I do wish that either the hand roll or sushi roll had full pieces of tuna instead of chopped tuna. The sushi roll and the Kombu were good, but not great. I did appreciate that they were able to not use the tempura flakes since someone in my party is gluten free. Overall, the staff were helpful with recommendations and the food came out quickly even though it was decently busy, the food was good, but if I was craving sushi or nigiri, I'd probably pick another place. Kukai is a good place for a quick bite on a hot day if you're in this area! I do want to mention that this is an outdoor restaurant window. There are lots of places to sit and great atmosphere. However there are flies and no outdoor fans. read more

Kukai - Kombu Onigri and Spicy Crunch Roll (minus the crunch) - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

The food was OK, but spendy in my opinion. We had vegee curry. Served in a small plastic bowl and half rice, 11$ seemed a bit steep. We also got the spicy crab roll. $11, and tasted like a typical store bought roll. Seaweed salad was good for $5. And the fried chk was decent for $8. It's a walk up place and everything is served to go. Soooo, for a $47 lunch...I'd say we won't be back. It is in a cute area of shops. And maybe the ramen is a better deal? read more

Kukai is still crushing the small-bites and handhelds game! They have great takoyaki (fried balls of dough filled with chopped octopus, topped with bonito and sauces), and they honestly are the only place in town (to my knowledge) that serves onigiri. The takoyaki and onigiri are my favorites from them, but their rice bowls and ramens are good as well! Currently, due to COVID-19 social distancing measures, they're operating on a take-out only model, but the good news is that their food travels well! read more

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MSA Annex offers a variety of cute little local shops! Each store has its own unique flare ranging from home goods to clothing to Tucson artistry! We shopped a bit and then stopped by Kukai for lunch. I must say the Hokkaido Miso Ramen is so goood! The miso taste is so rich and has a lot of depth to it. We got the spicy tuna don and honestly it's better than the fukada tuna don ... it's slightly sweet but balanced well with the soy sauce glaze. Everything paired really well. I would probably skip on the salmon onigiri next time but overall would highly recommend this restaurant! The food came out fairly quick there was no big line/wait time to order! There was plenty seating around to chill and eat. The atmosphere was very relaxed and perfect for a Saturday lunch. Will check out other flavors next time. read more

Kukai - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Pretty good Japanese food for AZ standards!! I regret not trying their onigiri, but we did get to try their salmon handroll, salmon avo roll, takoyaki, and gyudon. Flavors were good, food tasted fresh, and everything was done authentically. The only thing that was a disappointment was their rice being a bit too soft. Rice was cooked with too much water and it was borderline mushy. Hopefully it was just a bad batch. I would return to give them another chance! Rice is the base of most of their dishes so they really shouldn't mess it up. read more

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Consistently amazing. Sometimes a wait, so if you can be there early. Outdoor seating in the Annex with other places to pick up drinks if needed like Westbound or Minibar. Mt Fuji Don is a repeat all star. Love the ramens. And the onigiri. And the rolls. read more

Kukai - Ramen menu - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Quite possibly the best ramen I've ever had. I got the shoyu ramen and it was delightfully light but full of flavor

I went here recently with my husband and we were both blown away. This place lives up to the hype. We live about 20 minutes north of the MSA Annex and I got to tell you it is WORTH THE DRIVE. With so many fun things on the menu we decided to get a few things and split them. I can now tell you there are no wrong choices. I personally love a seaweed salad and judge places based on it. It is a simple delicious salad served with sesame seeds and a light dressing. It was spot on. I knew I was going to be in for a good time here from the seaweed. We also split the Ramen and the Mt Fuji Don rice bowl. WOW. The Ramen is perfect for this slightly chilly time of year. With tender pork, spicy ginger, and delicious thin noodles this is comfort food at its finest. The Mt Fuji Don features sticky rice, spicy tuna, avocado. But all that delicious smooth textures are juxtaposed with a crunch from the masago and the tempura flakes. Pro-Tip: Look for the red lantern to know if Ramen is on the menu that day. read more

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It is outdoor seating. You order through a window and pick up by the window as well. It took us 13 minutes to get our order which was pretty good, and the food was great as well! I ordered the karaage chicken - 10/10z The ramen was very tasty as well, one of the better ones I've had most recently! read more

This area is super rad! It's located in a little outdoor area with a couple shops, places to grab food, coffee, or alcohol. We enjoyed our assortment of food from Kukai. We'd definitely come back for both more food at Kukai or to try out some of the other businesses in the little section. read more

Kukai - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Tried almost everything on the menu and cant complain. Great place to eat and walk around.

I'm eating the Mt Fuji Don now and it's incredible. They stack it high with spicy tuna, surrounded with all sorts of goodness. My first bite included cucumber and rice drizzled with eel sauce and green onion. It tastes super fresh! The tuna is good too but you gotta have some tolerance for the spice! read more

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

The best authentic Japanese food (negating sushi) I've had outside of Japan. Only place in town to find great Gyoudon and Pickled Plum Onigiri. Staff is always kind, I just wish they'd open a second shop in Phoenix for us! :) read more

I love this place! They have such a huge variety of Japanese entrees and quick bites! I grew up on Japanese food and this place reminds me of all the delicious foods my mom makes~ My boyfriend always gets the katsu curry and craves it almost every week. I also always get the korokke (deep fried potato cakes) and they always hit the spot! Their onigiri is also so delicious! Definitely reminds me of my moms quick snacks! I have also tried their spicy tuna don, which I will have to get again! You must try this place! It's also located in such a cute space with lots of cute shops and other food places. read more

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Amazingly fresh food! I had the Hakata Ramen and Chicken Karaage. Both dishes came out hot and the portion sizes were excellent. Not every menu item is available daily. The red lantern hanging outside of the pick up window indicates availability of certain menu items. You can eat there, seating is available right in front, or you can take your food to go. read more

Kukai - Hakata Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Good spot to get some onigiri and takoyaki. The pickled plum and Salmon onigiri are delicious. read more

Kukai - Pickled Plum Onigiri - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Kukai was *chef's kiss* good when we went a few weeks ago. I'm not really big into sushi, so I was happy to see that they had a pretty wide menu for ramen, curry, and other appetizers. We ended up ordering the pumpkin korokke, the kastu curry, miso, and some sushi rolls for my husband. The ordering process was easy with the walk-up window and they have QR codes available to scan that have the menu, so you don't have to huddle together around a board to see what's available. The wait was a little longer than I had anticipated, but after we got the actual food, it made sense because it is all fresh cooked, with no shortcuts in prep. Even though the restaurant is located in a sea of storage containers at the MSA Annex, the quality of the food is on par with any nicer, brick and mortar Japanese restaurant. The korokke offered has multiple filling options, but we elected for the pumpkin. Even though it is fried, it has a very light and delicate taste, which contrasted nicely with the sauce (possibly some tamari derivative?) they provided. The katsu curry was the absolute best choice for the cool and breezy day we went. The katsu was perfectly cooked, the curry and the veggies were warming and just the right amount of salty and savory. I'm definitely planning to get this again on a future visit. Thr miso and the sushi were what my husband ordered and he seemed to also really enjoy what he ordered. The tray and bowl were certainly empty by the end of the meal! Kukai also offers hand sushi rolls, so he is excited to try those the next time we return. With several spread out tables around the Annex area, Kukai really becomes an ideal spot to "dine-in," even during COVID times. If you're into Japanese cuisine, this is a must-visit in Tucson. read more

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You will always see a long line here, and for good reason! Downtown's best sushi, hands-down. Their onigiri and chicken karage are absolutely phenomenal. read more

I usually get the Ramen which is probably the best I've had in Tucson. This time I ordered the spicy salmon bowl. I would have liked less sauce and a filet or larger pieces of salmon with sauce drizzled over the top. Instead They cut up very fine pieces of salmon and mix it in the sauce. The sauce is tasty (on the sweet side) it overpowers the tiny bits of salmon. I think I'll stick to the Ramen. read more

I've been meaning to leave a review for Kukai for ages now, and what better time than #ThankYouThursday? Kukai has been one of my go-to spots this year. I used to love going and eating in the MSA Annex courtyard, but throughout the pandemic, they've been a mainstay in my takeout rotation. Honestly, Kukai is something I look forward to eating, and I would truly eat there every day if I could. I'm so thankful to have delicious Japanese food just down the road from me! My top items include the Tuna Mayo Onigiri (basically a Japanese tuna sandwich with rice instead of bread--so good and my absolute favorite thing here), Chicken Karaage (fried chicken bites with spicy mayo dipping sauce), Salmon Avocado Roll, Hakata Ramen, Mt. Fuji Don (spicy tuna with eel sauce, avocado, cucumber, masago, and rice), and Buta Don (thin pork slices, green onion, ginger sauce, and rice). My boyfriend loves the shrimp tempura hand roll, as well. We haven't tried the Katsu Curry yet, but that's next on my list. Everything is a tad pricey, but it honestly doesn't matter too much to me because I love the food so much. Every time I eat at Kukai is a treat, and I'm so glad to have them in Tucson! read more

Kukai - Hakata Ramen Noodles, Kukai Don Bowl, Tuna Mayo Onigiri, Shrimp Tempura Hand Roll, Chicken Karrage - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

It was located in this up & coming neighborhood which was pretty neat. It just took us less than thirty minutes from ordering the food & leaving the place, however. It was not like this place or the food was terrible but it was not what I was expecting based in the glowing Yelp reviews. The sushi rice was too warm, the spices were mixed with definitely non-Japanese -vaguely Chinese-Mexican dish tasting sauces, & wasabis were in sight! Basically, it was an enjoyable place for a quick bite & for those who are not familiar with the authentic Japanese dishes . read more

Kukai - Onigiri, hand rolls, & tonkatsu - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

One of the best sushi places in town. The ramen is great too but i always go for the poke bowls and onigiri. The line can get really long so make sure you go early or on the weekday. The people are nice and the vibes are great! read more

Kukai - ramen, onigiri, and poke bowl - Japanese Near Me - Tucson, Arizona