This is my favorite restaurant in Fairfield. The food is so yummy and the staff are always so kind with amazing customer service.

Worst sushi in Southeast Iowa do not give this business your money go elsewhere. The idea of waiting for what tastes like gas station sushi is absolutely ridiculous. read more

Great sushi! will go back again, They also have a food truck if your lucky enough to come across it! My Son loves this place and will go every chance he gets!! Staff there are very accomidating. I asked to leave off the eel and they did so without a twitch. read more

Wow this place is always busy. So it must be good right. Well if you are looking for Sushi in small town Iowa, I say this is probably your best bet. Staff is nice, even when super busy. The vegan rolls are good and they always have good music playing here.. It might be a little loud but I'm always just picking food up to go! The place is not huge so plan a head but they do have seats to pull up to the bar and eat if you are by your lonesome or just want to watch a football game while listening to that kinda loud music while chowing down on some Sushi. read more

Walked it, was seated fast, we had been ready to order, but then 2 other couples that came in shortly after us both had their order taken before us. They had quite a few people, but didn't seem extremely busy. The girl who seated us was nice and friendly though! We got tired of waiting and seeing the couples after us get their food so we walked out. Also their location is not where Apple Maps says it is we drove up and down the street a few times before realizing it was on a different street. read more

WOW! super impressed. the best sushi in SE Iowa. The restaurant is nothing super cool in the way of ambiance, the bar offering is limited, but hey you are going there for the sushi right? The nigiri is well made, the fish was clean and fresh. Totally awesome. The Maki rolls were well made and well balanced in flavor: The Eel was great not too overwhelming, the Hamachi, Spicy Salmon, and Fire Dragon roll were a joy to eat. I would also recommend the octopus salad too. Totally going back here next time I am in town. read more

Great sushi, especially for its rural Midwestern location. (I've had sushi in similar towns that was definitely made by people who had never seen or eaten sushi before.) Love their appetizers, great selection of drinks, and the staff is very friendly and competent at what they do. (Only downside is the lack of Sunday hours.) read more

Love your sushi , favorite is firecracker roll and avocado roll , noodle dishes also fabulous !!

DO NOT EVEN TRY!!! The food what of it we got was average not special. Issue is that there was a guy that phone ordered and was shorted food. He came in for a refund and the owner was screaming at him. Made him feel bad. Ruined our dinner, but then it happened again a week later. Order was shorted and the owner freaked out. He was swearing in Vietnamese. The guy needs to understand customer service. Orders missing items. Food ehhh. Service sucks and wont go again. read more

If the review were on the food alone, it would have been 5 stars. The sushi, when delivered, was excellent. We had the vegetarian options for sushi, the miso soup, and edamame. The Vegetarian rolls had tofu in them, which was an interesting but delicious addition. Now for the important part: the service. Although sloths are my favorite animal, I don't want the food to be as slow as one. The restaurant had one server that was very efficient but seemed to be waiting on the entire restaurant herself with the help of one other server on occasion. They had two sushi chefs which shouldn't normally be an issue for the volume of food orders coming in. After ordering our sushi, the first two rolls took 32 minutes to arrive at our table. After eating, we decided to put one more order of sushi in and this time it took 43 minutes to get one roll!!! That is unacceptable under any terms for service even with a busy restaurant. We were so frustrated and ended up spending 2 hours on one meal. The bottom line is that there is no where else to eat sushi in Fairfield so if slow service is what you expect, you won't be disappointed. read more

Coming from Los Angeles, I was really bummed about the potential sushi desert I moved to. Then we found Shokai. We eat here at least once a month and every time we come, the staff is super friendly, the food is prepared and served by people who take pride in what they do, and I have yet to be disappointed by their recommendations. The owner really cares about high quality fish and takes care to get it shipped from reputable suppliers. Their prices are completely fair and it's all worth every penny you spend. Every time we go, we drop at least $100.00 and leave stoked about the whole experience. I really love this place. I highly recommend their sashimi dinner (big, thick slices of a variety of raw fish), whatever the owner recommends for the day, Lam's "Angry Sumo" roll, a tall Sapporo and a Moscow Mule. My only complaint is that they're not open on Sundays! read more

This place is good overall but there's a few problems. Service can be slow, and you can get ignored if the severs are busy. We've sat so long I had to go up and talk to the sushi chef to get some help. I often say the most important thing is the food; here, it's good enough that despite the hours of frustration I've experienced, I still give Shokai 4 stars. read more

They seem to be doing very well in the new expanded location. The place is packed on weekends so get there early. I found the sushi to be good. The wait staff was fairly prompt and friendly and I would go there again. Eating at the bar or one of the high tables by the window is cool but the majority of seating is generic, almost cafeteria style with no ambiance whatsoever. In fact it can get quite noisy. Wait times for food are also not very good when it gets crowded on the weekends. So my recommendation is to get there early, get some good seats, some fast service and great sushi. read more

We LOVE this place! Friendly service, great owners, and outstanding Sushi! We love the "Angry Sumo", it's our favorite!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I walked into the restaurant, it was quite small with little seating available. However, I've heard that they plan on moving to a bigger location, so seating shouldn't be a problem later on. The restaurant itself, while small, was very clean and had a nice design. We were waited on in a fair amount of time after being seated. Compared to the many sushi places I've been before, this place ranks up there with the higher scale restaurants I've visited in Chicago and NYC. The rolls were well made, and the sashimi was fresh tasting. However, there was a slightly longer wait on our food, about 20 minutes, and the number of sushi pieces they give you per roll was less than what I was expecting for the price. Nonetheless, the rolls were worth the wait as they tasted great. I only wish that they would give you a couple more pieces for what you pay. This is a sushi place I wouldn't mind visiting again, hopefully in their new location! read more

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I really liked the flavors they put into the sushi, it was crafted well. There is plenty of bar space and they offer happy hour sushi 5-7 every day I believe. The only problem I have with this place is that I payed a good amount for a 6 piece roll when I thought there was usually 8 pieces in a roll. But I guess that's what you get when the roll tastes amazing! I would recommend getting the smoked salmon and bacon roll it was a flavor explosion. read more

Surprisingly good fish, as good as most higher quality sushi places in Los Angeles or New York. A total gem in Fairfield... Lam was an excellent sushi chef, daily special oysters were delicious! read more

Shokai Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fairfield, Iowa

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I came here on a Saturday night with some friends, when we arrived we were told the wait was only going to be 45 minutes. We waited over two hours to be seated. Our food took over 30 minutes to come out, and was not delivered together. Some of our orders were incorrect and our server failed to check on us once the food was delivered. From what I've heard, this is the best sushi place in Southeast Iowa, however I think it is the only sushi place in Southeast Iowa. If you are not from the area it is not worth stopping at this restaurant. read more

Shokai Sushi - Godzilla roll - avocado, crab and cream cheese topped with tuna, crab, and spicy mayo. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fairfield, Iowa

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the waiting time can be high. I went there, the waitress misunderstood my order, and instead of talking to the cooks to re-prepare my order on time, she put it as the last order! I waited another half hour read more

The sushi here is amazingly good I've traveled all over the United States as a rep for wind energy wind energy and I've found this to be some of the best sushi is a sushi and freshest..nice atmosphere..they really take care of you.. read more

Yes the wait is long but the sushi is the best in Iowa! Take a seat, order a drink, and wait...

We were in for Ragbrai and the staff was outstanding given the press of people. The sushi was fresh and creative. I've never had soft-shell crab sushi before and I will order it every time now. Fairfield is lucky to get such fresh fish and great Japanese dishes. read more

The service is extremely slow and this place is more like a sports bar than a sushi restaurant. The lighting is really bad in there too, I'm not sure why they don't adjust it! It's nice they have soup Sundays. read more

Have been there a few times, most of it is decent , but I have a couple of issues . Fist off, whoever chose that overhead lighting needs to take a course on restaurant lighting. There is daylight bulbs in there, the brightest you can get, they tell you that light not only makes food look terrible, it makes skin also look terrible, not a good ambience there, not romantic or cozy there. 2nd, we sat down and I ordered a special ramen type soup with beef, and it came, and it was beef alright, CORNED BEEF! Not what I expected or wanted, I've eaten at quite a few sushi places , ordered the same and always got a typical grilled, sliced beef, it's not a good fit, you might as well put sliced hot dogs on it! The last issue is really not there fault due to staffing shortages, but we went in another time, waited 15 minutes for a table, sat down and was about to order a drink, the waitress told us it would be 1 1/2 hrs before we get food, why not tell us when we walked in and before we waited to be seated? We will still visit, but not our 1st choice, Please change those stadium type bulbs! read more

This is great sushi, comparable to large cities with better access to fresh ingredients (I know the chef special orders their sushi grade fish, and you can taste it). Drinks are good, prices are reasonable, and the new location has much more more room and is very accommodating. It gets busy, so be sure to get there early! read more

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Amazing total restaurant experience... the most authentic sushi menu in the entire state on a wonderful corner location off Fairfield's square ...this is a do not miss location. Any place that stocks Hakushu 12 year single malt, and has phenomenal niguri, a world class selection of rolls AND THE BEST STEAK SPECIALS IN 4 COUNTIES. Seriously one of the best nutritional experiences in the entire state of Iowa. I will put their sushi against anything in Iowa City or Des Moines... fresh... creative... and really great personal service! read more

Shokai Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fairfield, Iowa

Terrible service, dirty floors. Disinterested waitresses giving priority to the bar. Waitress can't split a check. The music is too loud, and the chairs are uncomfortable at best. Somebody make a good sushi place in fairfield and run this place out of business. The only good thing that I can say about this place is that the sushi tastes good, but a 12 dollar roll is just highway robbery. read more

Food is very good. They handled a mob of cyclists for RAGBRAI very well. Thanks Stacy!

The sushi is amazing! The service on the other hand is horrible. I've been going here for years (because it's amazing and close) but I can't stand the staff. They don't refill drinks, they don't check on you, wait at least 10-30 min for a drink, and takes about 30 mins after eating to get a check. This is every single time. Hopefully they can't get some decent staff. read more

This is one of the two best sushi places I've been to in the world. The place is small but comfortable, creating a sort of community feel. Service was fast and the waiters were friendly. The food was AMAZING. I would especially recommend the rainbow roll and dragon roll, and the salmon roe was delicious as well. The place was very busy, and they were definitely not understaffed. Even my friend who doesn't really like sushi loved the food. I had a great time at this restaurant, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone I know. read more

I have been here twice and is very mediocre. They go overkill on the rice in the sushi and the sauce on top. The service is not the greatest. The wait staff just took my order and then I saw them again when I was finished. No personality. They also were eating with their fingers behind the sushi bar..... read more

Hit and miss - mostly miss . Ate there recently got the veggie firecracker . My wife's meal - shrimp Tempura with obviously frozen shrimp -came out and I waited 25 min for mine . Told the waiter to just cancel because she was already done , but he said hers was an appetizer so I should be ok with mine coming out a half hour later. Oy! Once mine came out it was half cooked which pretty much confirmed they'd just forgot and tried to rush it out . Small portion , half cooked , poorly served- what's to like ?. I told the waiter it was the worst serving I'd ever had there - no offer to Comp me but that's ok. I didn't send it back because after 25 min I was frigging starving ! Then it dawned on me they also never brought the ginger or wasabi . The waiter said that was a mistake too and apologized . I told him I thought they should take half the price off since it was such a comedy or errors. He agreed but came back and said the owner's son said no because I ate it anyway . Seemed a pretty low class way to deal with customers - eat at your own risk - you won't be seeing me there...unless I get a hankering for rethawed shrimp and half cooked rolls .. read more

Sushi was ok, but customer service was horrible. They made me wait more than 45 minutes for my food. Another customer came after me and they served them first. Owner seems to be angry all the time. Will not return. read more

This is my fourth time here. The food and drinks are always really good. But the service always sucks. We get our drink then always have to wait and wait and wait for another. The food is also very slow coming out of the kitchen. There always seems to be plenty of help so I'm just not so sure I will ever come back. Service is important. read more

We're in Fairfield once a year (live in Austin, Texas) and Shokai Sushi is one of my must stops. I eat here at least twice. Everything is delicious, but the shrimp tempera is to die for. I told the owner that, "When I die, this is what I will be served in heaven." Nobody does this simple dish better! They will soon be moving to a bigger place, just off the square (north west corner), don't miss dinner here! read more

Shokai Sushi - a close up of the logo - Sushi Bars Near Me - Fairfield, Iowa

The taste is awesome and location is perfect. It is one of the best sushi i have ever tasted in my stay in the USA it feels like back home

I wouldn't come back for sushi. It's all rice and limited fish. I did enjoy the octopus and seaweed salads. The staff is friendly and helpful but I'd rather just go without the sushi even though I love it so. Not worth it. read more

Pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Nigiri. As good, if not better than anything I've had across the country. Who would have thunk it in small town Iowa. That being said, the service is extremely slooooowwww! read more

With one sushi chef, it can be expected that service from the sushi bar will be a little slow. I can get over my 25 min wait.. at least somewhat. What I can't get over is the inconsistent rice texture within the same sushi roll, depending on which portion the piece was from. Some pieces consisted of dry rice that tasted like leftover rice that might even be a tad undercooked. Other pieces had great sushi rice texture and was yummy. The rolls weren't bad (I got 2), but not very memorable other than the poor rice texture. Fish was OK, not the best or the worst I've had. Considering Shokai has 2 locations over in eastern Iowa, perhaps it deserves another chance. Either this was just a fluke experience or eastern Iowans are just not as picky when it comes to sushi. read more

Eating sushi around the world, I'd simply say get better fish and get the food out faster. I see that there are only 9 reviews. More people should review and the owner NEEDS to read them. Yelp is about finding and helping. Sushi quaility is B, should attempt to get A grade fish if possible in Fairfield. Thicker sushi. Sometimes the pieces are paper thin but the prices do not reflect paper thin sushi. I have not receieved my sushi in less than 1.20 hours from time of order. I've eaten here atleast 5 times and the average time from order to eating has been growing. This is highly dissapointing even when the place is half filled, especially if it's not awesome A grade fish In summary, this place is less full everytime I visit each month, but it's the only sushi sit down restaurant in town so help by offering suggestions. I also noticed larger take out orders, which could be the reasons he wait has grown. Suggestion: Hire someone to handle take out orders. A place of this size (table count, bar count and take out) should have 4 sushi shefs on the busy nights minimum and turn their tables 4x per night. A fan wanting you to sustain. read more