Address: | 12539 116th Ave NE, Kirkland, WA 98034, USA |
Phone: | +1 425-821-1959 |
Site: | izumikirkland.com |
Rating: | 4.4 |
Working: | Closed 11:30AM–1:30PM 11:30AM–1:30PM 11:30AM–1:30PM 11:30AM–1:30PM 5–9PM 5–9PM |
L.
L. March
I honestly cant even believe Im writing this but I had to share the craziest experience I had here yesterday while visiting my sister. We stopped in to have a single glass of wine before doing some fun shopping at a neighboring store. I didnt sit down and order a saki bomb, I ordered a glass of Chardonnay. I also explained we had eaten just beforehand and so wouldnt be ordering food immediately, but that Id let the server know if we decided we wanted to nibble on something. I had my baby in a sling and she was sleeping like a peaceful rock. The server seemed put off by my order for some reason, and shortly after going back into the kitchen, she, along with two other women, came to the table with the wine and ASKED ME IF THE BABY WAS BREASTFED. I was confused by what they were asking but then quickly realized they were literally asking me if the baby was going to be eating after I drank, in front of the entire restaurant. No joke. I explained that she was in fact breastfed, but that I had anticipated the day and so had pumped clean milk that morning for her. They continued to motion to their chests and point to the wine, saying, "Yeah yeah if you breastfeed its no good with you drink." They did this in front of the entire restaurant, until I finally pulled out the mostly empty bottle of TOTALLY CLEAN MILK my daughter had finished not even an hour beforehand. I told them I had no intentions of feeding her after I drank and that there was 2 more bags of milk in the fridge at home waiting for us. One of them said, "Oh ok then, thats good." I was so mortified, it was unreal. I took my card out, paid the tab, and didnt leave a tip. I always always tip because its the decent thing to do, but no way was I doing so after the whole encounter. One of the women came to our table, picked up the receipt, took it to the back where at least 3 other people looked at it, then proceeded to come back to our table and point to the receipt to ask "why I put no tip on that line." WHO DOES THAT?? I was so calm, SO CALM because I really wanted her to understand why it was so wrong for them to have done such a thing. I asked, "What if she was a formula fed baby? Do you ask every mother who orders a beverage how they feed their baby?" She tried to say its the law to ask any mother who orders a drink if they breastfeed. It just got nuttier from there and she was clearly determined not to hear anything I was trying so hard to politely explain, so I told her, "Well I guess Im sorry that you cant see how thats offensive, but it is." Her reply? "Ok, sorry, dont come back next week then." I was floored by the whole thing. Obviously will not be back.
HO
hobo jones
I was there for lunch. The Teriyaki is "broiled" but tastes more like it was just cooked in a pan and sauced. No evidence that it was near a broiler at all. I ordered edamame, which Im used to getting steamed and salted. They came out cold; from the fridge cold. When you state something is boiled, and its normally served hot, you dont expect to get a fridge cold plate with fridge cold edamame on it. My very young children had eaten lunch prior to coming. For this reason I only ordered them some mango ice cream. They were still paying customers. She gave me side looks as if there was something wrong with me ordering my kids some dessert instead of a meal. I had to ask for their ice cream *several* times, as my guests and I had our food, for nearly half the meal before she actually brought their ice cream out. I asked for it to come out when we ordered our drinks and for it to come as soon as she could. This place isnt bad or inedible, but its far from anything I would call good. Food is meh, and a bit overpriced for lunch. The service was lacking and seemed frantic. The restaurant is clean, decor is appropriate, but it can be very cramped if its near a meal time. Perhaps their sushi or dinner service is better. Certainly not our dishes. I dont think Ill go back there again.
A
A Private User
I never got the chance to eat there, so Im rating it on service only. It was at least a year ago when I went, but reading some glowing reviews made me want to add my two cents. I went alone, scoping out the place in the hopes of finding a new Japanese restaurant to bring friends to. It was busy but nowhere near closing time, so it took the hostess a while to notice me. There were some requests to wait followed later with a request to come back later. Let me repeat that. I was asked to LEAVE because they were so busy while parties of 2 and 3 were seated around me. (Note that Izumi does not take reservations.) I concluded that my tiny party of one wasnt important enough to be served, left as asked, and Ive never gone back. Maybe its only those who tolerate poor service long enough to be "regulars" that eventually are treated well, but Id rather not wait. Sometimes I think about going back after reading all the good comments about the food, but Id have to bring an appropriately sized party to be allowed to stay.
ZA
Zack Moxley
A friend and I have been coming here almost weekly for nearly a year now. It is a staple in our sushi & anime nights, on which we eat a whole bunch of sushi and watch anime well into the evening. Even after all this time, we often spend our meals remarking on how insanely delicious everything is. The fish is amazing (especially if you order the chefs choice), the teriyaki redefines teriyaki, and the service is great. In this time span there have been perhaps two or three weeks in which the fish was not especially fresh and it was distinctly noticeable. Weve tried to identify some sort of pattern - perhaps some days are better than others based on their delivery schedule? - but could not. If you want to eat something more affordable, the beef curry udon is nuts and pretty sizeable for about $12. If you dont have any budget concerns, go for the chefs choice, and get as many pieces as you can comfortably afford...
A
A Private User
I found this place about 2 years ago (2008) and has been a regular ever since. The quality and freshness of the fish are superb. Im a huge fan of sashimi and the chef at Izumi has a unique style. Their nigiri comes with colossal pieces of fish placed on delicious rice. A couple of people said service is slow, and to a degree its true. The check may take a few minutes to arrive and your order wont be instant. But you have to keep in mind, this is not a McDonalds. If youre on the go, sushi land might be more appropriate. Best seats in the house are at the sushi bar so you can watch the master chief artfully prepare your next dish. Kick back and enjoy the show. He will take his time to make sure every dish looks like a miniature work of art.
A
A Private User
Ive been in the area for about a year now and hit up all the sushi places. Izumi has the freshest Tuna I can find. I can usually not tolerate Sashimi style but here the fish is so fresh I can. I will agree with people saying it is slow. It has an atomosphere you can take or leave. I heard it is family owned for over a decade, so yeah, its not posh, food is simply prepared, sometimes you wait, the Chef is not in a rush.... if that isnt your thing than maybe Izumi is not for you. The food IS overpriced, but I will pay because I cant find better tasting fish without driving a fair distance.... and in the end, I AM eating raw fish. It is sort of the most important thing to me.