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Ukai - Woodlake

3.2 (41 reviews)
ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
Closed 11:30 am - 2:00 pm, 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

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beef, broccoli, and rice
Samantha M.

NO yum yum sauce. No garlic butter. What is the point of some dry hibachi with honey mustard ?! If you get STUCK visiting here... I SUGGEST you make the dry hibachi tolerable with spicy Mayo mixed with teriyaki sauce. (They don't give you either at the table) the cook was cool as was the waitress. However we had to ask for the ice cream or plum shot that can with the meal we ordered instead of it being offered. All in all a hard PASS on this restaurant especially with with other way better hibachi restaurants around. The tables are also pretty small compared to other spots. The tables are pretty close to one another. The ambiance as a whole is pretty basic and boring. I will say the white peach sake was pretty good: but again I would def skip this place though. You pay the same price for this place with discount service and amenities not worth it.

Menu cover
Ree T.

Let me tell you now, the food and the service was excellent! I really enjoy eating where the service you receive dining in matches the experience when you are dining out. This place has a wonderful bartender. The atmosphere has a nice ambiance. It all coincides with what you would expect from a dine in experience that is good for meetings, dates, or group outings.

Everything you want in a Hibachi dining experience.
Brad S.

What can I tell you... what a great surprise. First off, Covid really did a number on small businesses in the area. My wife has worked best for 10 years and has visited many times for Dragon Rolls and some of the best sushi. I love Hibachi but had never been here. We went to Beni Hana earlier this year and was shocked at their lack of tables, charisma and pricing. When we walked into Ukai I was amazed at how beautiful it was. With 12 Hibachi tables. There were a couple big tables taken and we were set at one by ourselves. We were immediately greeted and ordered the Teriyaki chicken dinner. Chef Jimmy came out and DELIVERED. A show for two. And you know, it was grand. Pricing is great. Food was better and we left feeling special. We paid for a show and dinner and drinks and will be back again and again. I urge you to go and try them out. Bring lots of friends and support LOCAL. Outstanding

Hana specialty. Enough veggies to simply line the bottom of the container. Underwhelming.
Nicole W.

We are staying at a hotel across the street, so we decided to try their takeout since that is the only way to order from them right now. I thought I'd spring for the Hana Special hibachi dinner tonight because I skipped lunch. It's of the specialty dinners for more $$. It was supposed to come with soup, salad and ginger dressing, rice (I subbed for noodles for extra $3), shrimp appetizer (the 2 included in my styrofoam container), vegetables, hot tea and a shot of plum wine or ice cream. Unfortunately it seems they are not giving out the salads (yet they gave me the ginger dressing which was awesome), and they are not giving hot tea or the plum wine or ice cream. They said to compensate, they are giving people 20% off. Well, my friend got sushi and gyoza and also got 20% off, and he wasn't missing anything from his order whatsoever. (He said it was awesome by the way). I was missing three things at least (I have to read their menu again to be sure there wasn't more listed on it)... Now let's talk about what I did get: the soup (broth) they gave me was not even half full and it was cold. The scallops are great; the steak is dry as can be; the veggies taste awesome, but there are hardly any there! For 23.74, I feel they could add some more veggies! (Please!) This is hibachi after all. Can't we have the same type of experience even if it has to be to-go? It would be great to be in my hotel, imagining being back at a hibachi table where they load on the veggies and such (hopefully we can open up and enjoy days like that again someday). Anyways, the veggies would be the best part of this meal, so it's too bad there are hardly any. I can tell Ukai takes pride in big flavors, which is awesome, but it would be even more awesome if there had been more soup and veggies (at least), especially since the dinner was missing items that are described on the menu. Pretty bummed out for a first time, $23.74 meal. 2.5 stars.

Kim M.

Amazing presentation, variety, and ambiance. Loved this place. Also outside dining to make a perfect lunch.

Laurie P.

Love this place. Food is excellent and the atmosphere is casual. They cook your dinner right in front of you. We come for most special occasions. Love it!!

Henry R.

The teriyaki salmon is amazing! Best I've ever had. They cook your food right in front of you. Very kid friendly. Highly recommended.

Onion volcano!
Kimberly C.

Your stomach will growl as soon as you walk in the door...it smells incredible! Cool modern Asian design. Large sushi area. 8 large hibachi tables with talented and entertaining chefs. The food is so fresh and wonderfully seasoned. Went with ages 10-47 and everyone loved it. I tried the noodles with the hibachi instead of rice and was a big fan. They were very flavorful & cooked perfectly. I'm a sushi addict & thought that was very good too. Creative and delicious selection of fresh fish & rolls. Being a sushi snob, I'm very picky on my nigiri. Theirs was among the few places I'll order it. Like butter...super fresh & delicious. Easy highway access too for those passing by on their way elsewhere.

Drunken Tiger and Crazy Dragon.

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Thomas D.

Thank you so much for allowing us to serve you, Aaron. Till next time!

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7 years ago

Had a fantastic meal with great beers on tap. Great service and a good show by our chef.

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Thomas D.

Happy to hear it! We hope to serve you again soon, Michael.

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Page 1 of 2

Ask the Community - Ukai - Woodlake

Review Highlights - Ukai - Woodlake

The teriyaki salmon was delicious!

Mentioned in 2 reviews

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Yum Japan

Yum Japan

4.1(17 reviews)
3.1 mi
$

The teriyaki chicken and rice, it's a life changing experience listen. The teriyaki chicken here is…read morenot your average "fast-casual" chicken. This is premium chicken. The chicken itself is ridiculously tender. We're talking butter-level tenderness. The teriyaki glaze? It's a sweet, salty, perfect harmony of flavor that you could literally eat with a spoon if you were feeling bold. I don't know how they did it, but the sauce sticks to the chicken in this magical way that makes you wonder why other places even bother. And let's talk about the rice for a second. I swear, this rice has been blessed by some higher power. It's soft, fluffy, and just sticky enough to hold onto that sauce without falling apart. You could eat it plain, and it would still be better than most other restaurant rice. Together, the chicken and rice form a duo so powerful, I feel like I need to write a love letter to them. I've eaten teriyaki chicken before, but this was next-level. I feel like I've been lied to all my life by other restaurants. My bar for chicken has officially been raised to a height I didn't even know was possible. The language berries is truly just a spiritual journey , here's the thing: the staff at Yum Japan doesn't speak much English. And honestly, that only adds to the charm. I'll admit, I walked in all confident, ready to order in English like a normal human being. Then the staff looked at me, a little confused. I panicked for a second, but then I thought, "Wait a minute... this is fine. This is how I know I'm getting something real." I smiled awkwardly, pointed at the menu, and hoped for the best. The server nodded and said something in a language I couldn't comprehend, but honestly, I wasn't worried. At this point, I knew I was in good hands. It wasn't that bad, though. It's just the kind of place where you can get away with saying very little and pointing to the dish you want. I think the universal language of "point and eat" is all you need to communicate here. If there was a misunderstanding, I'm pretty sure it was just a happy accident, because I got exactly what I wanted, and it was amazing. The vibe inside is unpretentious, which is exactly what you want when you're here for the food. It's not fancy. It's not trendy. It's just a few tables, a no-nonsense staff, and a menu that gets straight to the point. There's no need for loud décor or minimalist chairs. You're here for the chicken, and everything else is secondary. There's something oddly comforting about it, though. I couldn't tell you if it's the cozy, humble ambiance or the fact that you're pretty much guaranteed to get your food fast. Either way, the restaurant doesn't try to impress you with anything other than what really matters: the food. To wrap it up, Yum Japan is the place to go when you want to eat food that's actually good. No pretensions, no gimmicks--just really well-executed teriyaki chicken and rice that will make you wonder how you ever lived without it. I honestly didn't even care that we barely spoke the same language because I felt like, at the end of the day, the food was doing all the talking. So if you're in the mood for a meal that will change the way you think about chicken, get yourself to Yum Japan. The teriyaki chicken will haunt your dreams (in the best possible way), and you'll leave with a full belly and a smile on your face, wondering why you didn't discover this place sooner.

DO NOT EAT HERE!!!…read more They double charged me for my single meal and refused to refund the charge or honor the extra food and tried to play dumb despite reciepts showing otherwise. Your business is far better spent across the way at Panda Express with more ethical workers. If you do eat here check your receipts to avoid getting scammed by these crooks!

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Yum Japan - Chicken Teriyaki and beef teriyaki

Chicken Teriyaki and beef teriyaki

Yum Japan - Teriyaki chicken and beef

Teriyaki chicken and beef

Yum Japan

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Maru Sushi & Grill - Cali roll with spicy Mayo

Maru Sushi & Grill

3.8(281 reviews)
6.5 mi
$$

MSU Graduation weekend started with Maru Sushi & Grill! After driving from Illinois we were hungry…read moreso we decided to come here. We were seated immediately and place was already packed as I saw some new grads already celebrating! For appetizers we got Crunchy Firecracker Shrimp, crab rangoon dip, and for lunch I got the Veggie Udon Soup. The firecracker shrimp was crisp and had a little spice to it. It came out quickly and was still hot which was good! The Veggie Udon soup was hot which was great cause I was a little cold. The broth was seasoned nicely and did not have too much salt. The veggies were cooked just right. I tried the sweet potato roll and it was just like your normal roll - nothing stood out but it was good! The rest of the family enjoyed their food but they did not enjoy the Bulgogi, my one son said, "I should have known better to get a Korean dish at a Japanese Restaurant. The meat was over cooked and the taste was so-so. The place was lively with all the post or pre graduation lunches! The server was attentive but we sat at a 4 top with 5 people so we had to ask for extra plates, chopsticks, etc. Overall, food was delicious and we totally enjoyed the epxereince as we felt the excitement of the graduates, espcially the one at our table!

I have always known Maru to be either a hit or a miss, but I must say yesterday's visit will be my…read morelast. I'm absolutely flabbergasted that I have to spend the rest of memorial weekend with food poisoning, especially after spending $60+ tip for a lunch with myself and my two toddlers. While it seems that cleanliness is not a top priority, I should have walked out when the high chair they brought my two year old was filthy. How hard is it to clean a high chair? If the front of the house is dirty, it makes one wonder what the back of the house looks like. And now I'm especially curious after being sick all night. The odd thing is, they were not busy and they were not short staffed. The culprit was either the papa crema roll or the crab Rangoon dip. My bet it was the dip because it just tasted off. You could definitely tell that the Rangoon chips were not made fresh that day. Not only did they taste funny but they were also stale. However, it could have been a handful of things. Take a look at the most recent health inspections and there are some huge red flags; ones that come at no surprise given the way I have felt for the last 18 hours. Do yourself a favor and don't eat at Maru. They don't even have a three compartment sink. How in the heck are they cleaning ANYTHING properly?

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Maru Sushi & Grill - Bar and sushi  area

Bar and sushi area

Maru Sushi & Grill - All of today's desserts

All of today's desserts

Maru Sushi & Grill - Crabby Mushrooms

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Crabby Mushrooms

Ukai - Woodlake - japanese - Updated May 2026

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