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    Mecha-Uma

    4.3 (10 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 6:00 pm

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    Jack Straw S.

    I think that Mecha-Uma is absolutely amazing, and anyone even passing through on I95 should take the five-minute detour off the highway and go eat here. When you see this unassuming place off Campbell Ave in West Haven it would be easy to pass by. When you walk in the door that barely closes walk through the Japanese tapestries hanging in the door and in the windows, you get teleported out of West Haven into someone's kitchen who will cook for "you." It is a little dark but do not let any of this deter you. As you enter you may notice the giant bags of panko bread crumbs stacked next to giant bags of rice. The counter still has plastic barriers with Covid signs telling you to wear a mask and to keep six feet apart. The menu is a double sided 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper with the front listing the soups and entree and the back has some sushi. I was craving Chicken Katsu curry so I ordered the beef curry over chicken katsu and rice and the kimchi pork soup. I placed my order and sat at the little stools. This nice gentleman thanks me and I wait. I start looking at him cooking in the back and I realize this man is going to cook this to order and it will take some time. I hear the clanking of things on the gas burner and then the sound that made me realize "this is going to be next level." As I patiently wait, I hear the best sound in the world when you order katsu...the sound of the chicken cutlet as it enters into the hot oil and it crackles perfectly but it gets better. The sound is just long enough and you realize you are going to get a perfectly crisp chicken cutlet that will hold up to being put over rice smothered in a perfect beef curry sauce and it did not disappoint. As a quick note his perfectly cooked light as a feather gyoza is not to be over looked and should be enjoyed immediately to appreciate how light a dumpling can be. Now I would have been perfectly happy with what I ordered but it actually gets better. The kimchi pork udon soup was pretty much a bowl of homemade goodness. The soup was a perfect kimchi broth with udon noodles cooked to perfection. The way this became even better is that the pork was cooked so perfectly it melted in your mouth. Not one chewy bite in the entire bowl. The kimchi and pork mixed bites combined with bite size pieces of kimchi ad perfectly cooked udon was next level. This man is sharing his home-made food and it shows in every single bite. I hope everyone goes and supports this place and gets to enjoy the food so we get to keep this restaurant here for years to come.

    Exterior view.
    Frank S.

    I'm so pleased to learn that this legendary New Haven food cart has now opened a takeout, storefront location in West Haven. This is authentic, Japanese comfort food at its finest. It's very easy to find free parking in West Haven and they also have curbside pick up if you call ahead. They post menu updates on their Facebook page and offer a hot menu as well as a sushi menu. They serve hot dishes on rice or udon noodle soup. Their fried seafood dishes are exquisite, but most of the time I am in the mood for curry or gyudon (beef bowl).

    Andrea G.

    Cute little place. Owner was very friendly and service was great. The rice was on the drier side but the fish was fresh and delicious.

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    I think this place is closed. We tried going on a Saturday night and it was closed. Looks like it's been closed for awhile.

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    Hachiroku Shokudo & Sake Bar

    Hachiroku Shokudo & Sake Bar

    4.6
    (86 reviews)
    2.9 mi

    This is my second review and I would give it more stars if i could. Whenever we're in New Haven,…read morethis place is a must for us. Wonderful Japanese food and great selection of sake! Service is always fantastic and attentive. The dining section is small so I highly recommend reservations! The downstairs is the main bar area with a few high tops. The upstairs dining room is cozy and intimate. The restaurant is very minimalist Japanese core.

    Hachiroku was a highly anticipated place after being nominated for Restaurant of the Year in New…read moreHaven County for Connecticut Restaurant Association's annual Crazies awards so I had it on my list of must go to restaurants. I have also never been to a sake bar. Have to say....I was underwhelmed. We came in last Friday and apparently it was slow because Yale was off (according to our waiter). If a restaurant is good they should not be slow on a Friday night. We sat by the door on a cold night and there were two other couples practically on top of us. Rest of the seating are high tops against a wall by the bar or up the stairs on another level. We would have liked to sit upstairs but they were closing off that area. Menu was complex as the restaurant is authentic Japanese. Lots of beef options. Lots of Wagyu. I was hoping to be blown away by this restaurant trying something different. I was struggling trying to find something to order that sounded appetizing. I knew going in that this place was authentic Japanese but I don't know, nothing sounded great to me. I love mushrooms so I got the Mixed Kinoko Mushroom appetizer which was $15. To add scallops was another $8. Mushrooms were tasty. Scallops were not. $23 for a small dish. I also got the pork short ribs. Not a ton of meat on them, however, nice flavor. I was still hungry after this so I ordered a dessert which was the best part of the meal. They get some of their desserts from Hen & Heifer which is a well established place in Guilford. I got the Ube Panna cotta. Boyfriend got the Black cod Yu-an Yaki and upgraded to add the salad, pickles and rice for $3 more. The pickles were maybe two bites. Salad tasty but again, very small. He said the cod was just ok too. Very small portions and pricey for what you get. $30 for a mini sake flight. Not impressed with how it was served either. Small tasting glasses just placed on the table with no description. The server explained which was which, but I didn't remember. Not sure if he didn't care or this is how it's normally served, but if you go to a wine bar/brewery, they provide descriptions with flights usually written underneath the glass, or at least serve it in something. Not just tiny glasses placed on a table where you have no idea what you're having. Especially for $30! I was not impressed with this place whatsoever. As this is part of a newer restaurant group with a few different locations nearby in New Haven, we then went to their cocktail Lounge on crown street (116 Cocktail Bar) thinking it might be better, however we were equally disappointed. It was dead in there and the bartenders were miserable. They couldn't wait to get out of there. I have heard that their hand roll bar is very good (Handroll on State St). We have been to their Grocery Store called The Loop and it's cute. They have a brunch at the Grocery/Kitchen location that looks really good. They also have a wine lounge at The Loop that I'd like to try.

    Photos
    Upstairs seating area
    Upstairs seating area
    Signature Jako Salad
    Signature Jako Salad
    Giant Octopus Sashimi

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    Giant Octopus Sashimi
    Akatsuki

    Akatsuki

    4.5
    (27 reviews)
    5.9 mi

    Seems the owners spent more time on decor than on training staff…read more We ordered several items and none were any good. I also asked the server if they had sashimi and he said "Not Yet" Huh? Food: Then I tried the rolls and pretty sure I know why. All the rolls are covered in SO much sauce that it's impossible to actually taste the fish. Tuna or Salmon, who knows? The rainbow roll, which I have never had any sauce on in 30+ years of ordering, was covered here. The sad truth is that is typically an indication of using low quality or not so fresh fish. The fish should be able to stand on its own! The yakitori? The beef was not chewable, the pork belly was decent and the scallops were good. Outside of the beef, this may be the only decent edible option. Service: One server, even though it's a small place, it's not enough. Also factor in that he seemed to be somewhat clueless of how the process works. We almost left, as it was 5 minutes before we could get his attention to take our order. The rest of the meal time was not much better. Overall: Seems this place has been open long enough to fix these issues. I guess the owners do not care enough to do so.

    Anime fans, this place is for you! Especially, if you love Naruto - that's where the name Akatsuki…read morecomes from - Akatsuki in Hamden is calling your name. A small, cozy restaurant that is decorated to full anime vibes: anime art covering the walls from floor to ceiling for favorites like One Piece, Dragon Ball, and many more (how many can you name), dividers, lanterns, cherry blossoms - it's a total vibe! The menu is small, but has a variety from entrees, sushi, noodles, and shareable appetizers. There were specials as well that we took advantage of and ended up with a lot of food. My husband and I shared the Yukitori Platter, something that I haven't seen before on a menu. It's a Japanese street food that has skewered meat. Our platter had chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, and zucchini and each were very good. My husband got the Gyu Don (which is a beef bowl) and for $5 more, he got the set that included three side dishes and a miso soup. I ordered the Shrimp Tempura Udon and made it a Combo for $5 more which included a classic Brown Sugar Bubble Tea and a Pork Bun. I loved my Udon, was flavorful and not too salty. The bubble tea was perfect, even the tapioca pearls weren't too hard or gummy. The service was good, but it was a slow start since there was only one staff member hosting and serving the dining room. It was a little busy with a couple of other tables. The staff were very kind and respectful. The food came out fast after we ordered. Akatsuki is really a hidden gem and it's a must try. My husband and I look forward to returning soon.

    Photos
    Akatsuki
    Karaage
    Karaage
    Sign

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    Sign
    Chidori Revolving Sushi

    Chidori Revolving Sushi

    4.2
    (47 reviews)
    3.3 mi

    This place is great! It's on the small side but we made reservations and got in right a way. Even…read morethe walk ins waiting about 10 minutes for a seat. Food was delicious and the different types of sushi options were great! For 3 people, we left very full with a $60 Bill. Will definitely be coming back!

    I have been DREAMING of getting a revolving sushi location close to me in CT. A few years ago I had…read moreto drive out to Boston to find one, but now it seems there's one right in New Haven. Chidori Revolving Sushi is a New Haven go-to for me. The premise is fun: you sit somewhere in the restaurant, that location has access to a conveyer belt system that is full of sushi at all times. You can grab any plate, usually containing 2 pieces of sushi, and once you're done, you're charged by putting the plate in a slot by your seat. The plates are colored based on price ($2.58 for blue plates, usually basic rolls like a philadelphia roll or spicy tuna roll, $3.79 for red plates, the most common type, which contain the specialty rolls, and then $5.79 for black plates, which are usually slices of fish over a piece of rice and much more fish-heavy). This format lets you try out a bunch of rolls, rather than committing to just 1 or 2. This is great if you're like me and get full a bit fast but love trying as many things as possible! There is also a tablet where you can order appetizers, full rolls, drinks, and more! I tried a number of rolls, with my favorite by far being the New Haven roll, which was fried and full of jalapeños and spicy tuna. I also loved the Steelers roll, with mango and salmon, and the angry roll, which was like a philadelphia roll with smoked salmon and kani on top! I had some of the mushroom soup, which was super dissimilar to the typical clear soup with mushroom broth and was instead very very strong on the mushroom. A super thick and oily broth, it was so rich and umami it was almost hard to finish, but super delicious!! I also had the pepper tuna appetizer, which was thicker and chewier than I'm used to, but the gimmick of this place is about the conveyer belt so I didn't expect complete perfection! Finally, I had the taiyaki dessert--a SHOWSTOPPER. Delicious and perfectly fried, the red bean is scrumptious inside and the ice cream is a great touch. After 10 plates are put into their little device, you get a small gacha toy which is a cute touch! I got a little Kuromi which was fun. Overall, I love this place. I recommend it a ton. My favorite appetizer the sexy jalapeño--a spicy tuna filled and fried jalapeño! Definitely swing by and give a bunch of different sushi pieces a try. The best time to hit it is when it's busy--I went at 8pm on a saturday and it seems they had just stopped putting more sushi out, since they close at 9. This meant the sushi slowly dwindled and I didn't get to try anything different from what I saw the first go-around. But it's still worth it!

    Photos
    Hallway from restroom
    Hallway from restroom
    Chidori Revolving Sushi
    Sushi conveyor!

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    Sushi conveyor!
    Sushi Kingdom

    Sushi Kingdom

    3.8
    (45 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    Great for à la cart and all you can eat sushi, boil, etc…read more We were even allowed to mix à la cart and unlimited at the same table. Really helpful for non-sushi and sushi eaters. Limited and large stomachs. Drinks are priced at happy hour prices all day. No need for a happy hour menu. Real cocktails with friends, good food, and AC.

    Mother's Day at Sushi Kingdom Japanese Restaurant was busy, chaotic, and honestly still a really…read moregood time This place was PACKED. You could tell moms were being celebrated everywhere, families were out enjoying themselves, and despite the crowd, the atmosphere still felt fun and lively instead of stressful. They offer an all-you-can-eat menu with a huge variety of sushi, seafood options, and buffet station, which definitely felt worth the price considering how much food is available. Without a reservation, the wait looked pretty long, so I'd definitely recommend calling ahead on holidays or weekends. Even with how crowded it was, the service stayed good throughout the night. The ordering system uses tablets at the table, and because of how busy it was, a few of my orders didn't go through the first time. I mentioned it to our server and he immediately addressed the issue, made sure I reordered everything, and continued checking in to make sure our food was arriving correctly. I also appreciated how accommodating the staff was. I asked for a chicken sushi roll and they made one for me I did have to reorder the seafood boil before receiving it, but the servers stayed attentive, communicated with us, and handled concerns professionally the entire time. What stood out most was that despite the chaos, everyone still seemed to be enjoying themselves. The staff was clearly working hard, but they stayed friendly and attentive throughout the Mother's Day rush. Overall, the food was good, the vibe stayed positive, and it still ended up being an enjoyable holiday dinner with friends and family. Definitely a spot I'd come back to; just with a reservation next time

    Photos
    Sushi Kingdom
    Sushi rolls
    Sushi rolls
    Sushi Kingdom

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    Mecha-Uma - japanese - Updated June 2026

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