Japanese Hotspot
There's a reason for the overwhelming Japanese patronage at this restaurant -the food is terrific and authentic! Yes, the ambiance is lacking but it's actually typical of the restaurants found in Japan. I've been coming here for 17 years and usually have an excellent meal. The one caveat that I have is their lack of decent parking.
Recommended: Yosenabe, Fried mackerel (Saba), Katsudon
Food: 10
Service: 8
Ambiance: 6
Overall: 8

Kikuya is a Great Restaurant
I have been eating here, with my family for two decades. Now my children and grandchildren are enjoying the same wonderful food that brought me here to the Kikuya in the early eighties. My Japanese exchange students and out of town friends, always enjoy eating here. The food is fresh and the service has always been respectful and very good.
Recommended: Miso Soup, Goyoza, Bento box
Food: 10
Service: 10
Ambiance: 8
Overall: 10

Good food, not so good service
I've been eating at this restaurant for 5 years and the service has been getting steadily worse each time I go. The last time I ate at Kikuya was 12/13/2003 with my wife and kids. There is a good possibility it will by our last meal since the service was downright terrible. We had to ask several times for tea, Pepsi, and chopsticks. This would be normal if the restaurant was extremely busy, but there were many, many empty tables and plenty of staff on hand. My wife and I got the distinct feeling we were being ignored. The quality of the food was also the worst we have experienced. It is difficult to express how disappointed we were with our meals and the service. We usually spend between $75.00 and $100.00 each time we go to Kikuya (which was approximately 15 times a year). We are very serious about not returning. After all, there are several Japanese restaurants on the Eastside.
Recommended: Beef Teriyaki with Crunch Rice
Food: 6
Service: 2
Ambiance: 6
Overall: 4

Great Homestyle Japanese Food
Kikuya is more than good sushi, it's a host of other homestyle Japanese dishes as well. For those that are more familiar with the haute cuisine of Japan this can be surprising. Homestyle cooking has the same "rib sticking" quality the world over. I highly recommend the dishes more friendly to the western palate like the pork Katsu and chicken Oyaku and their tasty cousins, Katsu-don (deep fried pork cutlets with sauted onions and egg over rice) and Oyaku-don (the same with chicken). The Sukiyaki is just like mother used to make (if your mother was Japanese that is). The sushi is of course, first rate, fresh and tasty. If you are going for lunch, be sure to get there early. It can be quite a wait if you try to hit the hour between noon and 1 pm.
Recommended: pork Katsu, Chicken Oyaku, Katsu-don, Oyaku-don, Sukiyaki
Food: 8
Service: 6
Ambiance: 4
Overall: 8
- Great Homestyle Japanese Food