Kukai Photos
Business Info
KUKAI ATMOSPHERE
You might also consider
Recommended Reviews - Kukai
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
Food: the broth was oily and noodles were hard, roll was nothing special Service: basically self service since you have to bring your food to a table and bus it Ambiance: it's lively at night
Delicious vegan spicy miso ramen. I love the fried mushrooms on it. I wish it had more vegetables and/ or tofu. My general rating system: 1 star: I would stay away 2 stars: Has some good things about it but I generally don't recommend. 3 stars: Pretty good. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back but a decent place 4 stars: Great place. I would go back. 5 stars: I highly recommend stopping whatever you are doing and making plans to try it out! An Evie favorite!
I have been to the MSA Annex before and possibly had a bite here forever ago. But Sunday night I had dinner with a friend here and really enjoyed our experience. Fast and friendly service and we were able to get covered seating which was good for the rain we encountered. It is all outdoor seating and there are plenty of spaces and a covered bar not far away. This whole annex is a cool place to explore btw ;) everything I ate (miso , eggroll, sushi and a few gyoza ) was delicious and really hit the spot! My friend enjoyed her onigiri that she got. It was a really pleasant evening! There is street parking and it is free on Sundays! Definitely check this place out if you're there !
Always great ramen and sides. This time we notice less pork on the ramen bowl and noodles are also smaller. I guess inflation prices are shrinking the bowl. We got there just in time for opening and started the line. After 5 minutes the line was very long. Their service is always great and the ambiance at the Annex is very enjoyable.
Stopped by recently during a shift for a grab and go bite from Kukai and lived every bit of it. The space is cute I. The annex and I love being able to spend time if I can. It's got shops and drinks places too. The service was simple and kind, I enjoyed it. And the food was wonderful! I got to try the vegan roll and it was so delish.
My son and I went to check out Tucson Gem show and after we were craving sushi. I found this place very randomly and lucky for us it opened exactly on time when we were hungry. We absolutely loved it! So delicious! The price quality is amazing especially comparing with Phoenix prices. I loved the ambiance as well. It felt very artsy and after we were done with our delicious food we explored around.
My first time in a place like this, located small food court with a nice small community like feel. Stopped by to grab a quick bite. I tried the takoyaki, service was fast and pretty good value for the money. It was really good with a perfect crunch outside and softness inside. My friends tried the hand roll i think and also the udon noodles. The portions were good for the udon noodles as well.
Kukai has changed over the years. Food is pretty good, however overtime it seems like portions have gotten smaller, prices have gone up (understandably), and food seems to take longer to obtain. Most recently, we ordered a spicy tuna bowl, waited 20 minutes and when we went up to ask about it, it had already been waiting in the queue to be handed out...not sure for how long since there was a pile of orders and it seemed like the person in the front didn't know where our order was, despite having been handed a buzzer... Seating is limited at MSA annex, so just be aware of that. Not a bad place to grab some lunch and food taste outweighs some of the negatives.
We came to the Annex and stumbled upon Kukai. The menu was extensive although the sushi rolls were not over the top creative. We ordered onigiri, spicy salmon roll, and gyoza. Despite the summer heat, dinner outside was hot but tolerable. The Annex is cool itself- I'd recommend checking it out.
One of my favorite ramen joints in town. Flavorful, fragrant and fresh! I have likely tried almost every ramen dish on the menu over time and every single one of them are delish! We also got the chicken karaage which was the only thing that is 'ok'.,, the last 2 times I ordered this I found it over battered and dry. Unless you are lucky and get there early.. your general wait time is going to be 30 plus minutes... but so worth it!' The location adds to the experience as the MSA annex has such a cool outdoor dining vibe.
On our never ending quest to find good vegan ramen we stumbled across Kukai. Since then we've come back multiple times for the spicy vegan ramen. This place has a real hipster vibe and outdoor seating but don't let that discourage you from giving them a shot. The staff is friendly and the ramen is amazing. The spicy vegan ramen has a fried mushroom that is ridiculously delicious and an amazing broth with just the right amount of spice. My daughter got the regular ramen and loved it too. My only complaint was the ramen could come with more noodles but the last time we went I found out you can order extra noodles for a small charge. I was thrilled!
First time trying and ordered to go. The salmon hand roll was perfect ratio in ingredients. The Tuna Mayo Onigiri had alot of rice. More rice than I expected... But other than that it was delicious. There are some things I've seen on the menu that I'd like to try so I see myself ordering from them again and order different things.
I have come here dozens of times and I'm never disappointed. My favorite items are the vegan spicy miso ramen and the Mt. Fuji don, but you can't go wrong with the rolls or the curry as well. We love Kukai and are so lucky to have great quality Japanese food in the area!
2 years ago
Writing this as a Japanese person, this is the most terrible ramen I have ever put in my mouth. I ordered tonkotsu and hokkaido miso ramen and from the noodle they used it was already a red flag. The broth was very gross doesn't taste anything like real ramen. I don't even know what they did to achieve that taste And the appetizers: takoyaki and croquette was frozen food not something they actually made. This place is a scam charging $7 for a frozen food. I was very disappointed because the reviews were raving about this place. 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
10 months ago
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
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
10 months ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
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
5 years ago
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
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
5 years ago
2 years ago
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
3 years ago
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
4 years ago
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
3 years ago
3 years ago
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 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
3 years ago
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
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
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
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
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
3 years ago
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
4 years ago
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
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
4 years ago
2 years ago
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
4 years ago
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
2 years ago
6 years ago
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
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
2 years ago
3 years ago
Good spot to get some onigiri and takoyaki. The pickled plum and Salmon onigiri are delicious. read more
2 years ago
More info about Kukai
267 S Avenida Del Convento
Ste 11
Tucson, AZ 85745
Menlo Park
Directions
(520) 367-5982
Call Now
Visit Website
https://eatkukai.com
Full menu
Hours
Payment methods
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
More Info
Health Score
Ask the Community - Kukai
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
10 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
2 years ago
7 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
7 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
2 years ago
7 years ago
7 years ago
