I been coming to this restaurant for a long time everything is so fresh made to order this is my…read morefavorite restaurant here in Mesa. This is my spot to come and eat and chill service can be a bit slow for some people but this is not fas food is quality food so it might take a little. I don't have nothing bad to say about this place I love it.

First and foremost, this place had just I was looking for--casual/relaxed atmosphere, reasonable…read moreprices, and above all great food. The dishes we ordered were all seasoned very generously and the garlic edamame (a must-order for the table) had a little heat to it. My hamachi Kama came out first and was cooked beautifully through and again, seasoned well. The ponzu and ginger were a nice dipping sauce. The sunrise roll had great flavors and cool presentation. Our scallop and chicken yakitoris were great too. I didn't get to try it but the table next to us got agedashi tofu that looked great. Side note, every table was full--always a good sign for a restaurant when there's lots of competition. As someone from the SF Bay Area I'm pretty picky about landlocked sushi places, but this one knocked it outta the park for our spring training visit. Go Giants!! Sorry for not photographing anything it all looked so good we just dug in.

Popped into this place for our last meal before leaving AZ and it did not disappoint! We were the…read morefirst people in. When we walked in it had a very fishy smell, so it kind of made us second guess our choice. But we went for it anyhow. The greeter/server was very pleasant and sat us. It was very clean inside with ample space between seat. We browsed through the menu and started with our usual edamame and pot stickers. The edamame was salted well throughout where a lot of places just put the salt on top only. We ordered a couple varieties of sake which were both good. Out of all of the things we ordered the karange skewer was just a little more oily than were use to, but still good. The spicy salmon roll had really great flavor and the lollipop roll was probably one of the better versions that we have had. The musubi was giant to say the least, it was good, but offered a bit too much rice. Overall the food and service was great and we were very happy that we ended up here!

On a Sunday evening, after checking out the Desert Botanical Garden, I was looking for some food in…read morethe area. I came across Zu Izakaya and it's great reviews as one of the options. I love Japanese food so my decision was made. I drove over and parked in their complimentary lot. Ambiance (3.5/5): I've been to Japan and there are plenty of izakayas there. Think of them as small bars which often serve solid food. Zu fits that bit. It's a relatively small restaurant, probably seats about 30 people. and it's pretty no frills for a Japanese spot. I was seated at a booth in the corner of the restaurant. They have free WiFi which is always a good touch. Service (3/5): Service was friendly, though a bit inconsistent. My waitress wasn't as attentive as I would have liked. The type of service where you have to flag them down to get what you want and to close out. Drinks (4/5): Zu has a nice menu of Japanese and Korean beverages, including sake, soju, Japanese beer, and more. With that being said, I just had an iced green tea. Food (4/5): I got a nice variety. I went with the Japanese sausage off of the grill menu, the OBI mayo roll off of the sushi menu, and the cheese corn off of the appetizer menu. Let's start with the sausage. It's a small item, two small sausages, but absolutely delicious. The sausage was bursting with flavor and basted in a sweet sauce. Minus the portion size, perfection. The cheese corn also hit the spot, but the execution was off. The corn is served on a hot platter, and unfortunately some of the corn on the edges was badly burnt. The type of situation where they should start over. Which they didn't. Lastly, the OBI mayo roll is essentially a California roll with marinated warm shrimp on top in a mayo sauce. I didn't love the hot and cold combo (shrimp and sushi), but outside of the temperature, it was a delicious roll. All in all, a very food meal. My only gripe with Japanese food is that it can get expensive quick. Given that Zu is in Tempe, I was hoping that prices would be a little cheaper. With that being said, they do have a solid happy hour (and reverse happy hour) with both food and drink specials. Next time I stop by, I'd like to check out some of their Korean options. I focused on the Japanese stuff this time (which makes the majority of the menu). Next time around, the bulgogi is calling my name!

Love this place! Nice outdoor area (weather permitting). Varied menu, good prices for happy hour…read more Fresh good, great taste, nice service

We had been craving ramen for days--it kept popping up on our social media feeds over and over…read moreagain--so we finally gave in and decided to try this spot. They offer a nice variety of Japanese dishes, but we were definitely here for the ramen. I ordered the spicy miso ramen, and it came out just right--perfectly spicy with fish cake, green onions, and all the toppings. It was delicious and hit the spot. The tonkotsu ramen had a nice creaminess to it, but it could've used a bit more depth of flavor. One thing I really liked is that you can order side appetizers along with your entrée, almost like building your own bento-style meal. We went with the deep-fried gyoza and gyudon. The gyudon was a standout--definitely five stars. The gyoza, however, was just okay for me. Breakdown:    *   Spicy miso ramen:    *   Tonkotsu ramen:    *   Gyudon:    *   Gyoza: Service was friendly, the restaurant was clean, and overall it definitely satisfied our ramen craving.

Let me start with a little tid bit about Downtown Gilbert. There is nothing really special about it…read moreoutside of the vibe is right. Always a lot of people there so it makes you want to be there. Restaurant wise they have really basic offerings. Places you can find in Mesa, and Tempe, and Scottsdale. Now.... What truly makes Downtown Gilbert special are the small shops that are hidden away from the "main strip". One of those places is Clever Koi. Hidden in the Parking lot space behind Shaq's Chicken spot is a small strip of shops. A book store, smoothie place, and my favorite Clever Koi. Our family has very different tastes when we move from one member to the next. So finding places that we all like gets tricky. Clever Koi makes that easy because we honestly have yet to run into something we don't like. Let's start with our favorite starter. The steamed buns (giggity). The pork belly is hands down phenomenal. An amazing bite that literally makes you want more and more. The lazy fries are just that, again pork belly is included, but that garlic aioli is what drives this dish. The tai salad is obviously classic. The short rib dumplings literally make you close your eyes and just say "Mmmmmm". My middle child is the hardest pallet to please at any restaurant as he only eats certain things, but the Chicken Katsu sandwich here is his second favorite chicken sandwich in all this world. The first time he ate it he spent the whole ride home raving about it. Mind you, we live in San Tan, so not a short ride. The shaking beef is always good. It has this firey kick that brings the heat upfront but does not linger. You cannot forget about the fried rice here. Rice is one of my weaknesses in life second only to pizza. Fried rice ranks right up there with my top favorite ways to eat rice and this ranks right up there with my favorite fried rice places. The main reason we come here is because of the noodles. Ramen, ramen, ramen. When you think of Ramen, I assure you this is what you are thinking of. The broth is oh so savory and reigns in the fresh veggies and proteins to meld them with the noodles for a flavor punch each time you have a mouthful. They have great drinks here as well, or so I've been told by the other adults I come here with. I always just get a sake and Sapporo so... LOL The service is always good here and we somehow always manage to miss the lunch or dinner rush which is awesome. All in all... this is by far my favorite dining spot in downtown Gilbert. Great food, great drinks, great service, great atmosphere, in the middle of a great little square. A must eat for me.

Transport yourself to a city from-scratch Asian restaurant with a plethora of handmade cocktails…read moreand an upscale warm, inviting vibe. This is Clever Koi. Our server Maya was incredible and extremely knowledgeable on all dishes, drinks, and so many details of the restaurant! I've never had this good of service anywhere! My wife and I had the Pad See Ew with the braised chicken thigh which was INCREDIBLE. Perfectly chewy noodles, great seasoning. I highly recommend adding some of the homemade Fresno chile sriracha for a kick! The pork ramen was also very delicious. Be warned it's a lot of pork! My wife preferred it with the green jalapeño sriracha. The drinks were also very unique and delicious! A sideline view for me and riding the line for my wife. Oh and the best part was the dessert Bananas foster hush puppy puffs. These were so unique, seasoned with cinnamon sugar and Chinese 5 spice. It took some getting used to but the more you ate it with the Carmel toffee sauce the more I enjoyed it. All in all I can see why people love this place! It's a 5 star restaurant for a 3 star price! If you're looking to expand your flavor palette and have a wonderful evening I can't recommend Clever Koi enough!

We had a wonderful experience celebrating a friend. Jonah…read morewas a great server, knowledgeable and attentive to details. Will definitely come back.

I'm writing this review more as feedback for the owner because I'd hate to see a restaurant with so…read moremuch potential decline in quality and service. My boyfriend and I came to Shimogamo for Mother's Day and ordered the five-course meal. Unfortunately, the experience was extremely disappointing compared to our previous visit. The biggest issue was the service. Our waitress, an older woman, came across as dismissive and unnecessarily rude throughout the evening. When we were seated, she offered complimentary rosé. I accepted a glass, but my boyfriend does not drink alcohol, so he politely asked if he could order a mocktail instead. Before he could even finish, she abruptly responded, "No, you can wait to place an order for that," as if he was trying to substitute the complimentary drink, which he was not. He was simply trying to order a beverage. Later, when the braised beef course was served, my boyfriend politely asked if he could have a spoon or fork. The waitress loudly repeated "A SPOON?" in a mocking tone in front of nearby guests, which made the interaction uncomfortable and embarrassing. As for the food, the five-course menu was average at best and far below what we expected from Shimogamo. The salmon tartare and sushi course were both excellent and showed the quality we remembered from our first visit. However, the remaining courses fell flat. The fried branzino was dry and seemed poorly prepared, despite the promising flavors of capers and cream sauce. The braised short rib felt completely out of place on the menu and lacked refinement it was dry, heavy, and more reminiscent of a chain steakhouse meal than an upscale dining experience. The entire dinner also felt rushed, with little attention to pacing or hospitality. What makes this especially disappointing is that we dined here back in November on a double date and had an incredible experience. We spent over $600 that evening, and the service and food were exceptional. Our waitress at that time was knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely enthusiastic about the menu. She guided us through recommendations, and every dish impressed us. That's why this visit was so surprising. Shimogamo clearly has the ability to provide an outstanding dining experience, which makes the decline in both service and execution even more concerning. I sincerely hope management takes this feedback seriously because this restaurant was once one of our favorites.

Let's get the most important thing out of the way:…read more You need the crispy rice with spicy tuna. It's not a want. It's a need. I pop in here probably once a month. I'm assuming it's a family-owned joint because the one and only guy working front of house always takes care of me. He's awesome. The place is cute. It's tastefully decorated, and they have a very-on-brand, ginormous full moon light on the wall that's illuminated from behind. It's super cool. I've only ever seen a couple other diners in there with me at any time. The food comes out super fast, which is great, because I'm hungry as soon as i step in the place. The prices are reasonable, the portions are generous, and the food is always good. If you're in the area, this place is a must-stop.

We found this place by accident. My daughter and I arrived around 6pm on a Saturday. There were no…read morepeople there. Slowly others started to arrive about half hour later. I ordered hot sake and it did not disappoint. My daughter got a Ramune, miso soup, and shrimp tempura roll. No complaints! Miso soup was missing tofu that day. Apparently they were all out. Nevertheless the soup was very nice! I got two specialty rolls. The names escape me at the moment. The menu doesn't have a huge selection of rolls but I found what I like and both were VERY good! Good amount of fish vs rice. Everyone is very attentive. Service is very good. The ambiance is interesting :) nothing fancy but not too bland either. There are full moon/moon related decorations. The rolls are also named with the Moon theme in mind. Overall very nice and we will be back to try their ramen !

The Vegas roll is one of the best. The bartender Race is the absolute best!! A great spot to have…read moreas a good to with happy hour 830pm to close and 3-6pm

Back again! Really enjoy the food, service & people…read more Got the Ramen, sushi, sake, beer tempura. Our server Klara is wonderful. The only drawback is the volume, the acoustics reverberate throughout the dining room.

I recently had dinner at Kuka Sushi & Izakaya and was immediately impressed by the modern, chic…read moreambience. The space feels stylish and contemporary, with a sleek atmosphere that makes it perfect for both a casual dinner and a special night out. The menu is truly avant-garde! Creative, innovative, and full of intriguing options. That said, I have to admit I felt a little overwhelmed at first and wasn't sure what to order because everything sounded so interesting. In the end, I chose the Omakase Dinner "Buzz," and I absolutely loved the concept. It includes miso soup, 9 pieces of nigiri, a mini poke, and a 5-piece roll -- such a fantastic idea if you're undecided and want to try a bit of everything! I think it's a splendid option, especially for first-timers or anyone who wants a complete tasting experience without having to choose individual items. If I could change one small thing, it would be the roll selection. I wish there were an option to choose from the specialty rolls instead of only the basic ones. That extra flexibility would make the experience even better. Overall, the quality of the food was very good, and the overall experience was enjoyable. It's definitely a place worth visiting, and I'll certainly be back to try the curry and ramen next time!

Made a reservation for 7pm on a Friday night. The location is kind of hard to get to if you've…read morenever been before. Our uber dropped us off in the back of an apartment building and we walked a short distance to the restaurant. The restaurant is very loud, we were sat at a high top table and it was kind of awkward being elevated in the middle of the restaurant with lights beaming directly on you. Ordered a bottle of Sauvignon blanc. It was nice that it arrived in an ice bucket, but was disappointed by the stemless glasses. The service was extremely slow. Had to ask for soy sauce, wasabi and ginger. When someone that was not our server gave it to us, it was basically empty. The sushi was just alright. For the price I would've rather gone somewhere nicer. My roommate and friend did not like their rolls at all (avocado roll and spicy salmon) the spicy tuna was good, pretty hard to mess that up. I would not get the soft shell crab roll again, the roll was big and falling apart immediately. Nobody in our party of 7 finished the food they ordered. Overall not great service or sushi, I wouldn't come back here.

My first time at Zu Izakaya was a blast! I came in with a group of 5 and were seated quickly. Our…read morewaitress Tiana was very attentive and helpful as we decided our orders. Overall, the place has a fun vibe with lots of string lights and Japanese decorations. They have happy hour twice a day. We came during their 9-11PM happy hour (we love a late night happy hour!) Lots of options for sushi, drinks, and appetizers on the happy hour menu. The spicy tuna roll was a refreshing roll with just the spicy tuna, cucumber and rice. A simple roll that still has a good spicy flavor but not too overpowering that it takes over your meal. The Vegas roll is a classic if you like fried rolls! Can't go wrong with this one. The nigiri was top notch. The yellowtail nigiri quite literally melts in your mouth and the flavors are buttery and soft. It's my personal favorite whenever I want nigiri. The salmon nigiri was also very good. Slights sweet but if you add soy sauce it balances it out. The jjambong pot was so filling. We ate this after the sushi. It's enough to be shared with 2-3 people and includes a mix of some seafoods, enoki mushrooms, onions, and ramyeon with a spicy broth. The noodles were good, the broth was delicious and not too spicy if you're not a person that handles spice well. My only complaint is that we had about 6-7 mussels but only 2 pieces of shrimp. It would've been nice to have a more even distribution of the seafood but other than that the taste was amazing. With the happy hour it was incredibly affordable. Even without the happy hour I would definitely come here again. 10/10!!

What I got: Bulgogi with side rice…read more Seaweed salad Miso soup Wasn't a lot of meat on my Bulgogi dish was a small square skillet and I was mostly of onions and some zucchini pieces. I decided to try their miso soup which was not bad tasted like the packets you get from the grocery store, but at least they had seaweed and tofu in it compared to other places, the seaweed salad tasted pretty fresh they don't give you too much of it they put a bunch of lettuce underneath it so it makes it seem like there's more at first my friend got the plate and some parts kinda tasted raw, but he didn't care much since he likes it either way but then again I was supposed to be a cooked dish so. I had gotten a draft beer to start with and for some reason it was warm so that was very un appetizing but then I got a bottled beer and it was cold. I don't recommend draft. This place has gone through a name change in the last few months and have removed a lot of of the stuff from the old menu went to see the difference was told that they kept the same quality as it is the same owner as before, but honestly to me the only thing that seems like the quality stayed the same was the oysters. Everything else seems that gone down a bit and the portion seems really small now some things are priced decently and some things are overpriced and we can't forget to mention how bad it smells in here like sewage. There's so many restaurants like this which is the problem like I don't need to come here and there was nothing memorable about it and it's a pretty far drive from me so I probably won't be coming back

Offers indoor and outdoor patio seating. Good food and service. Popular and busy, so reservations…read moreare recommended. I had their set lunch which included your choice of one hot dish, your choice of one sushi roll, miso soup and a small salad for one low price. My salmon teriyaki hot dish with white sticky rice was good. The spicy tuna roll was smallish but okay. My spicy edamame appetizer was delicious.

I frequented the Chandler location for many years and decided to try the Gilbert. Gilbert has a…read moretotally different vibe, bougie-r. The chef was great, food great but overall I missed the cozy vibes of Chandler. I also missed the gyoza, and other items this location changed. The cocktails were good, the matcha martini was flavorful. Don't get me wrong I loved the food, different vibe, but it's not Chandler Shimogamo with the cozy vibes, and traditional menu items. I wanted to try the steak items but they were very over priced in comparison to other local restaurants. I will say the carbonara was good but missing the fish element. Overall service was great, chef great, but I have given 4 stars because I'm a Chandler fan for life.