Darrin Chandler

Darrin's Dining Guide : Asian : Japanese

Japanese Restaurants

• Sushi Kee
  6825 E Main St, Mesa, AZ 85207
  480-654-1306

  After trying the Tempe location I found that there's one only a few miles from my house. Needless to say I was eager to eat there. The Mesa location has the same strip mall store-front presence as the Tempe location. The interior wasn't quite as charming, and the clietele wasn't nearly as Japanese. The service was prompt and friendly. The menu seemed more limited, but they had a couple of unlisted things I requested (yellowtail belly, etc.). While everything was good, all aspects of the Mesa restaurant seemed a half notch down from the Tempe location. I'll go there again because it's close. When I don't mind the extra few minutes drive time I'll head to Tempe.

• Sushi Kee On Tempe
  1006 E Warner Rd 113, Tempe, AZ 85284
  480-839-3924

  From the outside it looks like a little dive in a strip mall. My wife didn't want to go in. Once inside the decor was charming enough to convince her to give it a try. We sat at the sushi bar and ordered sashimi. The selection of sashimi is wider than most sushi places, and everything we tried was good. The sushi chef was very competent and friendly, and the fish was very fresh. We didn't have any sushi or anything from the kitchen, but we saw many dishes come out and they looked stunning. The clientele was largely Japanese, which is certainly NOT true of most sushi places I've been. Service was polite and prompt. It's a bit pricier than most but not extremely so, and the food was well worth it. Highly recommended!

• Kyoto
  7170 Stetson Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
  480-990-9374

  All in one Japanese cuisine: sushi bar, teppanyaki, or regular seating. I've been a few times recently, even though there are places I like much better. The food is good enough that I'll stop here if it's more convenient.

  My latest visit wasn't the best. I was in the mood for Yellow Tail Belly, which they did not have. Many Japanese restaurants do not list it on the menu, but have it if you ask. I also like sunomono, which wasn't on their menu, and they wouldn't make it for me. I know I've had it at Kyoto before. I don't know whether they couldn't or wouldn't make it for me this time.

• Ichi Ban Restaurant
  2015 S Alma School Rd, Mesa, AZ 85210
  480-777-8433

Darrin's Dining Guide : Asian : Japanese

Contact Info

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