Kiku Japanese Restaurant
| Address: | 225 W Station Square Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA |
| Phone: | +1 412-765-3200 |
| Site: | kikupittsburgh.net |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 5–10PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM 12–3PM 12–3PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 14
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A Private User
Its nice to go to a Japanese restaurant, as opposed to a place that was recently a Chinese Noodle House or a Pizza Emporium before the owner wised up and jumped on the sushi bandwagon. At Kiku, you get a real Japanese menu with real Japanese food. Every time Ive been there, the service has been good. Unfortunately, this last time, I cant say the same for the fish. Everything was well made, only the fish wasnt fresh enough. Probably my fault for sitting at a table rather than the bar, but I was with a large party. Whenever I read a review about how "fresh" the fish was in some restaurant or other, I have to wonder how often the people writing go fishing. "Fresh" is caught that day. Yesterday? Okay, thats still fresh. Its no secret that most fish are shipped packed in ice, then thawed and served. Thats "fresh", in the sense that its not spoiled, but its not "fresh," as in freshly caught. Either way, there is a cutoff for how long a fish can remain thawed and unserved and still be considered "fresh," as opposed to "stale," or worse. Three days, five days, a week? Longer? It varies by fish, what size pieces its cut into and how its stored. Regardless, I must say that I ordered several pieces of sushi at Kiku that were stale, and not fresh. In a sushi restaurant, that usually means one thing: not enough customers. The more people you cycle through your tables, the more sushi you cycle through. I see this happen a lot with less popular fish--sawara, katsuo, etc.--but at Kiku, even the salmon and tuna were a bit off. And we were there on a Tuesday. Ill still try Kiku again, mostly because there arent many Japanese restaurants in Pittsburgh, but Ill definitely sit at the sushi bar and inspect the fish.
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A Private User
Teriyaki-type and Tonkatsu dinners were ok. They are quite easy to create with local ingredients. I ordered Udon and surprised that the broth was beef broth (!!!) and udon was NOT udon noodle. I usually order Udon at a Japanese restaurant as a way to measure how close to authentic the place is. This place didnt pass. ANY Japanese would know what udon is and if this is passed off as Udon noodle, the manager couldnt be Japanese or doesnt know anything about it I heard the owner of Kiku is Japanese but i wonder if he knows about this. I was born and raised in Japan (Kansai area) so I should know.
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Jesse Wick
Best sushi in Pittsburgh and maybe the state. Sushi chefs have been there over 35 years. Very traditional Japanese, its a a hot spot with the Asian community of Pittsburgh and beyond. If you want Sushi this is the place to be. You simply cant match the fresh Toro or the 200 year Tomago recipe they have. They are also revered for their chicken, steak, Shabu Shabu, and Sukiyaki. Just about everything is made from scratch, like the dressings (ginger, sesame walnut, etc.) and the absolute best homemade soy and ponzu sauce. Matcha green tea cheesecake and tempora fried ice cream, Yum!
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A Private User
Excellent quality sushi. The chef knows how to select excellent fish, prepare it beautifully, and present it beautifully. It is not a cheap place, but you get what you pay for. I will go back whenever in Pittsburgh. This is a top shelf place. Some reviewers complain this is overpriced. well, there are plenty of cheaper sushi joints arounds. But if you care about the quality of the food, you must go here. NOTE: the address in Google maps (as of 7/26/09) is WRONG. Kiku is at Station SQUARE on the waterfront, and NOT Station STREET.
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A Private User
Kikus offers the finest quality fish and made-from-scratch ingredients you can find--hard to beat even in San Francisco or New York! None of that made from powdered mixes sort of thing here--this is the genuine article! The service is very customer focused and the restaurant is great for an intimate tête-à-tête, a dinner with friends, or even a business lunch. Kudos to Michael, Justin, and the Japanese chefs! Weve been going for 15 years and are just as impressed as ever!
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A Private User
I am from boston and have eaten a lot of fresh sushi there. I have been to other sushi places in the burgh and have been very disappointed at the stale fish and was worried I may never find a good sushi place here. I have been at Kiku 3 times now and enjoyed very fresh sushi every time! Service is also excellent every time. When I came here with some friends they made us a special off menu dessert for free. I will be back again and again. Thank goodness for Kiku!
TO
Tony Dear
We ordered a couple donburis from the lunch menu. While the pretty lunch boxes that they came in seemed small at the onset, they turned out to be pretty filling. The tempura one came with three shrimp pieces plus a few vegetable pieces, all of which were fluffy and slightly crispy on the outside and flavorful inside. The katsu was better--just as tasty with the breading on the outside of the meat, and accompanied by sliced onions and carrots.
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鈴木誠
ピッツバーグ出張中に頼りになる日本食レストランで、気軽に利用でき、リラックスできます。寿司、天ぷら、その他怪しげな日本料理が食べられ、愉快です。かつどんのようなどんぶりものもありました。いつも、こっそり、ここで食べていました。
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Tomas Garcia
I have been to Japan 3 times and I lived in California for 2 years, so Ive had a good amount of really good Japanese food. With that said, I wasnt expecting much of a Japanese restaurant in Pittsburgh, but I got surprised here. All the food was really good and authentic Japanese, they even have natto on the menu and they make the vinegar and soy sauce that they use. I will be back :D
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Sneha Puri
I looked up online for some good suhi, i was craving it rather. I saw Kiku was supposed to be good, i ordered a spicy tuna roll and salmon roll. It was the worst I had ever eaten ( and I have eaten sushi from a lot of places). The meat was BLACK. I tried one piece and almost threw up. I spent 20 bucks on it and throw the ENTIRE thing out. I am never going back there.
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Mosha Zhao
Went there because of online recommendations. It is a traditional style restaurant: peaceful Japanese music, bamboo decor...The chef was from Kyoto, Japan. He had been making sushi for 20+ years. Very skillful and nice to talk to. All the sushi are made and presented in the authentic way. Nagiri sushi are very fresh and great, especially for red snapper and orange clam.
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Miranda Esteve
Had the sashimi dinner tonight, cant say it was the best sushi I have ever had. It would help if the ambience and decor wasnt so old and the table didnt feel as if I was dining at IHOP. Service was a little slow, for not being overally busy. No view, dark inside, and I found it super pricey for what it was. Will not go back.
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Robin Ursida
Always great service and great food. Sushi is fresh and best atmosphere. My family enjoys coming there for birthday celebrations or after and before sporting events. Went there after 1/2 time of the Steeler game and we were the last customers to leave. Our Favorite Japanese Restaurant in Pittsburgh.
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A Private User
Whenever my family wants a nice night out we go to the Kiku. The atmosphere is cozy, the chefs make authentic Japanese meals, and the owners are JAPANESE. I love the way they greet customers just like in Japan. As a Japanese person, I wholeheartedly recommend The Kiku. Please try them.
