Really good food :) and looks nice in the inside. I would recommend. They are also light on the sauce use which is nice for me to not drown my food :)
(4)
Laura D.
I went to Kayuga on a double date and thought it was interesting that the outside has light up sports logos--I've never seen a sushi place with a sports-bar look before. Many menu items are named after local colleges or areas, making it fun to order. I got the Idaho Maki, which was just a little more expensive than at Fin's. However, I was shocked when it came to see how small it was! Fin's offers the same or better quality sushi in larger portions cheaper (at least for this maki). I'm a small person, so 2 rolls from Fin's would definitely fill me up and many times I only order 1. However, at this place I would easily need 3 rolls to feel somewhat full. No idea how many an average person would have to buy... It was fine sushi, but I think Fin's is a better deal.
(2)
Judy K.
Today was my first time trying out their food because I've come here occasionally for drinks and sushi, but not so much their hot food. SUSHI: It is very expensive for a few pieces of mediocre sushi. I guess sushi can never really go wrong though so it's not bad. It's good, but it's not the best sushi I've ever had especially since I'm paying a pretty heavy price for it. DRINKS: Kayuga has a pretty wide selection of alcohol drinks to choose from: korean soju and mixed soju like lychee soju, mango soju, wine, beer and sake. Once again, the alcohol is expensive, but it's not bad. The lychee soju was kinda bitter though so I wouldn't recommend that. FOOD: I have the udon with chicken, egg, shrimp tempura and vegetables. The udon was great! It comes in a cute little hotpot looking thing and it def gets you full! The broth was flavorful and the udon was perfectly chewy. It was weird when my tempura started dissolving into my soup so I ate that first. All in all, it was a pretty decent dish, but the chicken was super dry and not tasty. I don't understand how chicken that's been sitting in broth can be dry, but it was definitely very dry. The entire udon dish was $15. Kind of ridiculous for a bowl of noodles in my opinion, but nevertheless, it was a pleasant dish.
(4)
Christine S.
So good!!! I'm Korean and I was craving korean food. Ordered galbi tang and beansprouts. The portions were perfect and it came piping hot. Lots of beef chucks and love the free ban chan (I was regretting that I didn't order a side of kimchi, but it turned out that it came free anyway with the meal) Exactly what I wanted
(5)
Yasmin S.
I ordered one thing from here and I want more of it. #FRIEDOYSTERS I wish they had more on the dish
(3)
Chaoyu M.
Not one of my favorite Korean places. The food is alright but it is very pricey. The service is great and the environment is great but the price just doesn't cut it.
(3)
Shant G.
Love this place. I've been going to this location for 5+ years, and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. The college roll is my favorite dish, and recommend it to anyone.
(5)
Bryan R.
I ordered food here through Seamless recently with an expected delivery of 45 minutes. An hour later, I got a call from the driver and he said that he was having trouble finding my address. I asked him where he was, and he started describing buildings on the Boston College campus. We were not at Boston College. We were in Boston. The saddest thing is that we were on the same street as Kayuga. It was just a straight shot about a mile down the road. Given that it would take him a half hour to get back to us and the food had already been in his car for a half hour, I asked him to cancel the order and he agreed. Had it ended there, I may have just forgotten about the experience. Sadly, it didn't. The charge for the order still posted to my credit card. Dealing with Kayuga is a pain and anyone that's tried to deal with Seamless knows how awful that experience is too. Update: Kayuga lied to Seamless and told them that they tried to deliver the food at my apartment and I refused. That's cheeky. Another update: Kayuga is now calling to harass me for the negative review.
(1)
Molly K.
Interesting sushi but mostly I love the convenience of it, it's right across the street. Lemon soju was delicious
(3)
Ambreen D.
Went there on a Sunday night. First impression: looks fancier from outside than it really is. Normally a couple who is usually very fast at ordering, we took quite a bit of time. Ended up ordering sushi and bibimbap, but didn't find it exceptional. I think there are better Japanese/Korean fusion restaurants in Boston. Good service though.
(3)
Yuka Y.
I came as a party of 13 on a Friday night and I still stand true to my belief that the service here is excellent. Despite our large group, they were great in handling our orders and accommodating my reservation over the phone. Appetizer wise, I highly recommend the Hotate Hokkaiyaki (Baked large scallop on shell with crab stick, mushroom, flying fish roe, and spicy mayo). Forget the seafood pancake...too doughy. After trying many of their house specialty makis, I highly recommend the MIT maki (crab stick, avocado maki with torched salmon on top, spicy mayonnaise and teriyaki sauce) and the College maki (crab salad, cucumber, tempura flakes with torched salmon on top, spicy mayonnaise, and teriyaki sauce). The torched salmon taste was delightful! Drinks wise, you gotta get the Lychee soju. It comes in a classy, narrow pitcher with real canned lychees. You get a long spoon to scoop them out so you can munch on them with your shot. Pleasantly lychee-syrup flavored with a faint hint of soju. This place does sake bombs! :D As long as you don't bang on the tables, it's alright with them :) Added bonus: Their bathroom is really clean and smells pleasant. None of that public bathroom stench! Definitely a permanent favorite place of mine in Boston now.
(5)
Khara G.
Outside if finding an unfortunate surprise in the bottom of my miso soup, this place food-wise was really good. I ordered delivery and the bim bop, crab legs, and soup all were very tasty. However, 3/4 of the way through my soup I found an old rusty bobby pin in the bottom of the cup! I called to let management know and they didn't seem to care much that 1. That's just gross and 2. I could have choked on it/swallowed it! They did offer me a six dollar discount for my troubles... Bad customer service and apparently they aren't to clean in the kitchen...I won't be going back, not worth the risk in my book.
(1)
Eric B.
This is a review of late-night sushi. Let's leave the controversy/questionable decision-making of ordering raw fish at midnight aside, and get down to the eating: Miso soup: standard, likely from a packaged mix, nothing special but pretty much what I expected Tuna roll: solid offering, although the roll diameter and fish to rice ratio was pretty small Spicy tuna roll: good, not great. Chopped tuna and cucumber sticks, which is a strange (and perhaps fish-skimping) addition to a sushi standard Spicy salmon with no cucumber by request: on the upside, I appreciated that they actually left out the cucumber, and even better that I got large pieces if salmon with spicy mayo instead. On the downside, the salmon was t the least bit firm; it was soft and borderline kinda slimy. Ew. Mind you, I ate it anyway, sacrificing myself for your knowledge. Yellowtail and scallion: loved it, as usual. Overall: food was mediocre, but good for the price. Perhaps I'll order again at normal people hours to check on the state of the salmon then.
(3)
Hayley M.
Very solid sushi, even though it's very much a college spot. They have a lot of interesting and unique makis. I had the Celtics Maki, which was white tuna with cucumber, avocado, and asparagus (green and white. Get it?), the Fire Dragon Maki, which was shrimp and cucumber with spicy tuna on top, and the Crispy Spicy Tuna Maki, which was basically a Spicy Tuna with tempura flakes. Each one was really tasty. We also tried some of the basics, like the Shrimp Cucumber Roll, and the regular Spicy Tuna. Lots of fish, and it all tasted great. Very good. I will definitely be back. Just know that there are a million BU students that will surround you.
(4)
Roman K.
I order here quite often since it is one of the few places around here I can get Korean food. The delivery is pricy, but the food is still decent. That being said, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND AGAINST ordering the SUKIYAKI soup. It's really hard to expect how much beef you will get in your soup. Some times, you get plenty amount just right for a satisfying meal, and at some times, you will scramble through the entire soup but you'll only find noodles and vegies. If you don't wanna risk $20 on a menu that can go severely wrong, don't order the sukiyaki.
(2)
Stephen F.
Really bland spicy tuna which is, in my opinion, the cheese pizza of sushi restaurants. It was also poorly made. I had some specialty roles, which were also mediocre. It is open late night, which is a plus. But it is also kind of slow and average. Definitely much better places right up the street in Coolidge corner.
(3)
Lacey Q.
Always great food. The servers are always so nice and attentive. I love that they are open when I get off work late.
(5)
Kristen D.
They are so nice and the food tastes great!! Great place and I will definitely go there again!!
(5)
Mallory C.
We ordered again for delivery, via grub hub for 3 people. I hit submit on my phone when we were in front of our apartment and no sooner had we gotten upstairs (via elevator) and unpacked a few groceries, our order was downstairs, and everything was correct, fresh, hot and delicious. I was AMAZED. Well worth the steeper price. Our all time favorite so far!
(5)
Siobhan H.
Really poor quality. I'm disappointed because I've always had a decent experience when other places are closed but tonight was blah at best. I got a seemingly mini size order of spicy salmon maki that was barely spicy- minus the wasabi smeared all over. It was delivered mangled and falling apart- and best of all- missing salmon in some pieces.
(1)
Bella C.
I somehow lucked out when I moved directly across the street from this hidden gem. I first discovered Kayuga through grubhub when I was craving late night sushi and they did not disappoint. After coming in a couple times for dinner I can confidently say this is my favorite Japanese restaurant in Boston. The service is great. Everyone is so nice! Especially the woman who made my drinks... Chocolate espresso martini is to die for. Even comes with a square of ghiradelli dark chocolate. YUM. I'll describe the food in one word : excellent. I love Kayuga!!!
(5)
Rory I.
The best sushi you can get delivered in the area! Great options for vegetarians. Prompt delivery, low fee, no minimum order. Just plain tasty to boot. I ordered their salad the other day and they called to tell me that they'd changed which dressing they used and wanted to know if that was okay. Who does that? It was such a cute gesture. The spicy tofu is super delicious. And I love that they offer brown rice for anything and everything. I'd give five stars, but they discontinued one of my favorite rolls: the pop-eye! Delicious smoky spinach with carrot... Unique, nutritious, and delicious. If it ever comes back, I'll be so grateful.
(4)
Judy G.
I wish their fish wasn't as fishy but I undeniably order in from here ALL the time. Their chicken teriyaki maki is so good, as is their sweetened tofu maki. The fish is fresh I'm sure, but it's just not as amazing as I'd want it to be if I'm going to eat it raw. Their Crazy noodles are also SO stinkin good! Such a college spot.
(3)
Jenny T.
I came here for the very first time with my friend last week, and I must say I'm impressed. It's a bit of a low-key, small place though.. pretty much blends in with the smaller stores on the side so it's easily missed if you aren't on the prowl for it. Haha. We ordered a Dukbokki, Dragon Maki, College Maki, and Pad Thai. All of which were delicious! - The College Maki has become one of my FAVORITES! I'm obsessed for sure, haha. Came back the next day with my bf and I made sure I got myself another plate of it! x) What I like about this place is that, although it says "Japanese Restaurant," there is actually a bigger selection of foods. Not only do they have Japanese dishes, but also Korean ones as well. I like that. Overall, the service was great. And the food was awesome! I recommend it!
(4)
Carrianne C.
I like Kayuga purely for takeout. I don't know why but it isn't as good when I sit down there. Weird. But i like the simple, more traditional sushi here. I'm not really a fan of their more complex crazy rolls. Their idaho roll is great though, and I think it's pretty good value. The owners know my bf by now because he orders so much and they are always really friendly- last time they included something extra in our takeout :) Anyways if you live nearby its worth checking out, even if you don't like sushi. They have noodles and fried rice dishes that are pretty good if thats your thing instead.
(4)
Caroline E.
We had a great night here with great service and some amazing sushi and Korean dishes. The shortrib dish was out of this world- whatever that special sauce is, I need it! The sushi was very fresh, and the spicy tuna handroll was absolutely awesome. Also, I'd highly recommend any of the desserts. Fried ice cream and mochi were heavenly. Wish we lived closer or that I had known about this place in college!
(5)
Ambrose C.
Located near a few residential areas of my school, I went to this place once when I was a student, but I did not come back often because I found the food to be so expensive, since I was only getting $60 per week at that time. I am actually wealthier now compared to how much I was making several years ago, so I would have more opportunities to visit. For my second visit, my family and I decided to come here to get some Japanese and dishes. I got two sushi rolls, a Crispy Spicy Tuna Maki and a Kani Katsu Maki, which has crab meat and it was covered in Katsu sauce. The Crispy Spicy Tuna was just decently good, loved the crispiness of the sushi, but the flavor of the tuna was just decent, needed some soy sauce for flavoring. The wasabi provided was a little strong, but also made the sushi tastier. The Gari that was provided was also decent. As for the Kani Katsu Maki, I also thought it was a decent dish, the sauce gave the sushi a good flavor, but I think the crab meat may have just a mediocre taste it I just ate it without the rice and the sauce. I thought the rice used for the sushi was fairly fresh. As for other dishes, I had some Beef Bulgolgi, I liked the Korean barbecue flavor of the beef, and I thought they were generous with the beef portions, but if the beef was not marinated, I think the beef would have been extremely mediocre. I think if they used thicker beef slices, like sirloin, it would have been an amazingly good dish. Shrimp tempura was decently good, had a good crispiness on the outside. The Korean "banchan", or side dishes were just satisfactory, not really amazing. I also had a Chicken Fried Rice dish, and it was also decently good, had some good spice in the flavor, and the chicken was a little juicy. One great advantage is that this place is open until 2 AM, so it's not a bad choice after a night out in the city. Service was just decent. Servers were always checking to see if we have enough water and they were fairly nice. The interior was okay, has a very modern contemporary and somewhat Asian feel. Overall, this is not a bad choice to get some decent sushi or Korean dishes. This is definitely not the best Japanese/Korean restaurant I have been to in Boston, but it's a good choice to get some sushi or Korean food at midnight and the service has been pleasant so far.
(3)
Elektra A.
Had a pleasant meal with friend on an early Sat night. Shared the seaweed salad and edamame. I had a chirashi bowl for main, which came with salad and miso soup. I also substituted white rice for brown rice. Had green teat, as well - served in big mugs that was constantly refilled as needed. I was very pleased with the service - very efficient. Though not cheap, I think it was good value for the money, especially with the miso soup and salad with all entrees. Would definitely go again if in the area.
(4)
Suzy D.
All of their standards are solid. I tend to rate places based on their gyoza and Kayuga has tasty tasty tasty gyoza. It's right on my walk home from work, so they get an A+ for convenience. Price is fair for the area. I never eat in, always grab it and go or get it delivered. And more importantly, when i screwed up my order and had it delivered to work instead of home, they begrudgingly brought it to my house a couple miles away from the original location. And the food didn't even look like it was spit on! Thanks, Kayuga!!!
(4)
TnC M.
I've been a regular to kayuga for awhile now, and I've tried almost everything on their menu. The service is prompt and they always take care of their customers. Some of my favorites on their menu are Haedupbop - raw fillets of fish on top of rice, cucumber, carrot, and lettuce mix with a side of chojang (Korean spicy/vinegary sauce). I love their BU maki - deep fried eel, crab stick, avocado, cucumber, and cream cheese drizzled with spicy mayo and teriyaki sauce. My favorite appetizer is probably their Hotate Hokkaiyaki, definitely a must get.
(5)
Barry G.
Is it possible to excel at mediocrity? Now, I dont really mean that as a bad thing - but it seems to be kind of accurate. Kayuga was a good restaurant. I would never avoid it, and would always go if someone wanted to. But I wouldnt necessarily seek it out over some better options. Nothing was bad. Everything was, well, perfectly adequate. The service was pleasant, and the ambience acceptable. The tea was good, the appetizers well made, and the sushi fresh and tasty. All good things. Just nothing extraordinary. And once again, this isnt a bad thing. The prices are very reasonable, the location is accessible and easy to get to (right off the BU North green line stop), and the restaurant is big enough that it isnt over packed (it seems sushi restaurants, more than any other type of cuisine, tend to be small with fewer tables.) So if you are in the area and want good sushi. Check it out. Convenient, affordable and good. If you are seeking the BEST sushi place in Boston, well, you may think it is, you may not. But dont expect it to be anything more than generic.... Which once again, as I have said over and over, isnt a bad thing.
(3)
neal m.
Tasty and amazingly fast. We have ordered from Kayuga through GrubHub several times. Every single time the food arrived in less than half the stated time and piping hot. There is a lightness and depth of flavor that we have not found at other places. Our favorites are the Bulgogi - Spicy Pork & Beef and the Salmon Teriyaki. The Sushi Sampler is delicious. Order online, have it delivered, tip well and enjoy something amazing.
(4)
Annie M.
Food is great and atmosphere is even better! The hottie with a body server(who works weeknights) makes the food that much more yummier.
(5)
Katie V.
Once I ordered successfully from here, but I just had an experience that merits 1-star. I ordered from Foodler and they estimated the food would arrive at 10:45 pm (I ordered at 10 pm). It was a Tuesday night, late, so I'm not sure what happened -- how slammed could they have been? At 11pm, I called Kayuga to check on my order. I was told that the driver had left and was on his way. At 11:20, I called again and was told that the driver was ABOUT to leave. Needless to say, I was pissed. And in my opinion, the situation was handled poorly on their end -- no apology and when I said I had called and been told the driver had left, the woman said someone else, not her, had given me that information. She basically made the excuse that it wasn't her fault so what was my problem. I canceled my order because I didn't want to be eating my dinner at midnight. Very disappointed!
(1)
Val C.
I wonder if we hit this place on a very, very bad day. Or maybe since Kayuga is open so late, people don't notice how bad the food is because they're intoxicated. In any event, I knew we should have turned back when we saw all the ripped up booth seats. My friend and I were seeing a concert across the street at the Paradise. We had some time to kill and we were very hungry. We walked into Kayuga and were seated promptly by a very nice waiter. He was just lovely and as we looked over the menus., warned me that a dish I was going to choose was very spicy. I appreciated it. We went with a calamari appetizer for starters. My friend ordered a meal that came with miso soup and a salad. All three items came out together. The salad looked as though it had been sitting in the fridge because the dressing was sort of coagulated and the lettuce was limp. The soup seemed fine. But the calamari was just gross. The cooking oil clearly needed to be changed. It had a burnt taste to it and was served with - MAYONAiSSE. What? I couldn't eat more than a bite. We should have sent it back. I don't know why we didn't. Soon after, our meals came. My friend got shrimp and vegetable tempura. I got spider maki. His tempura was pretty tasty. My maki came in four pieces, only two containing the shrimp that makes spider maki what it is. Again, the shrimp batter seemed burnt and overcooked. The sushi itself was dried out and I never would have guessed it was rolled by someone who knows what they are doing. I have had better sushi from the grocery store. I mean that sincerely. What a bummer and a big waste of money. Yuck. We will never go back here.
(1)
Lily S.
The only reason im not giving this place 1 star is because the service was friendly. My friend and i ordered out a decent sized order (6rolls) and were told that the wait was about 15 minutes. It was around 4:30, so i figure the place was probably not that busy--yeay! We show up about 20 minutes after ordering..i pay, proceed to tip 2$ on the 50$ bill--i figure sure you dont really have to wait on me, but im sure its appreciated. As i finish signing the bill and hand it back to the hostess eagerly awaiting my food, she says oh it will be just another 15-20 minutes. uhh what? the place is fucking empty!!! there's one table of 3, and thats it!!! at this point its been 25 minutes and im like ok i guess ill go wait out side in the car with my friend....15 minutes later we finally get our food. we had the spicy tuna maki (not really spicy), the college maki --salmon was meh, crispy spicy tuna maki--the only really good roll, and the shrimp tempura, which was ok. Basically anything that had any sort of raw fish was bleh. i rather pay an extra 4 bucks a roll and get quality seafood. THUMBS DOWN.
(2)
Yue C.
I came here just last night to see what the Kayuga hype was about. I sat at my table with only ice waters for about 10 minutes before a waiter finally came to take our order (mind you there were only 3 other tables at the time). I proceeded to order the sashimi sampler ($9.95), avocado tuna tempura salad (~$9), tempura spicy tuna maki (~$7), and 2 hot green teas ($0.75 ea). I was expecting my green tea to come out first, but in fact our waiter had forgotten about them and we received them after 2 dishes had already been brought to us. The first dish brought to us was the sashimi sampler. It was utterly disappointing with its 3 types of fish (tuna, salmon, and yellowtail) and its measly 9 slices of fish. The fish were not vibrantly colored, were cut very thinly, and were folded to seem as though there were more pieces. Then came the avocado tuna salad. This dish was all right, though it could have been a slightly larger portion. There were small nearly quarter sized pieces of avocado and tuna thrown into a mix of tempura flakes, cucumber strips, thin imitation crab stringy pieces, and some kind of mediocre dressing (I can't recall what it was). Finally came our maki, which was only 6 pieces of sushi that looked as though they had been premade and packaged in a box for a while. Though the food was bearable, I would never recommend anyone to eat here. The portion sizes, quality of fish, and service was not worth ~$30 for two. I could pay that much for two at Bon Chon in Allston for so much more and for better quality food. Save yourself the money and trouble.
(1)
Priscilla T.
Not half bad. There are no judgments at Kayuga for coming here with the sole purpose of sake bombing. The food is alright, and the service is friendly (albeit a few sandwiches short of a proper picnic). The gyoza and agedashi tofu are tasty. Sushi selection is kinda limited though unless you like eel - it's in everything.
(3)
Sandra C.
A little bit on the pricey side, I wouldn't come here on a normal day just to grab lunch--because honey, I ain't made of money. But I do recommend Alan's Special. It's deep fried salmon sushi, and it takes awhile to prepare, but it is nonetheless worth the wait. My little sister swears by it. Everything else is mediocre. But hey! It closes at 2am on Saturday night. Doesn't card at the door so that my underage friends can eat there too. But at the same time, I can order a drink and everyone is happy.
(4)
Nicole S.
One of my new favorite foods is Bibimbob, a Korean dish that includes rice, veggies, an fried egg, sauce, and other pickled sides. Well getting Okdol Bibimbob is taking this to another level. Getting this is having Bibimbob served in a hot stone dish. HOT! Spring for the extra dollar since it makes the difference. When you get Okdol Bibimbob you better watch your hands since the stone serving pot is extremely hot, so hot your meal is sizzling when it arrives. The rice is the first layer in the dish so it the grains become crunchy from the extra heat. Carefully scrape the rice off the bowl and enjoy. Besides the rice getting delightfully crunchy it keeps your meal warm for a very long time.
(4)
Lynn C.
This review is for delivery only. We've yet ventured into the restaurant itself. Feeling a little lazy today, I decided to order food from Foodler. After perusing the restaurants that actually deliver to Cambridge, I came upon Kayuga with decent price and good selections. There is no delivery minimum (!!!) and i had a 15% off coupon for first time delivery. The bill is thus: - Spicy Pork Bulgogi: $13.25 - Sake(3): $6.10 - Spicy Salmon Maki: $5.00 Subtotal: $24.35 15% off (first time delivery): -$3.65 Restaurant Delivery Fee: $2.00 Distance Surcharge: $1.00 7% Meals Tax: $1.45 Tip: $2.07 Total: $27.22 It arrived at around 7:35, five minutes later than estimated time, which I think is pretty good. The sashimi was in excellent quality (very fresh!) The spicy salmon maki could have had better rice, but overall was okay. The spicy bulgogi was too salty and tasted like the hot sauce they used. I've had better. The best part is the four side dishes (kimchi, cucumbers, bean sprout, and daikon) and miso soup that came with. I would definitely order from here again on a night when I'm not feeling adventurous and just want some comfort asian food for my tummy.
(4)
A C.
I love this place. I honestly do. And do you know why? because they know how to treat their customers. the food is not spectacular, but the service and friendliness that Sue and her staff have is well worth it. And they have good drinks for good prices and they're the only place that i know of that has the korean anju "dry fish". Also the sushi is very good and the jigae as well.
(5)
Sarah C.
I really really LOVE this place. Truthfully I only ever order take out so I've not had the full dining experience. That being said, their food is SOO delicious and very reasonably priced. They have excellent sushi served with really fresh seafood and ingredients. My other favorite dish here is the Bulgogi which is a marinated beef. It so extremely flavorful and can easily feed 2 people. They also serve all their entree dishes with a kimchi and pickled vegetable salad which is amazing. Definitely one of my top take out restaurants on Foodler. I can't wait to dine in here and update my review.
(4)
Stephanie H.
mediocre. nothing to rave or complain about. prompt and attentive service (granted, it was surprisingly empty when we went for a late thursday night dinner). reasonable prices. their sushi rolls were enjoyable but definitely not memorable as i cant recall what we ordered. kayuga exudes a sit down and take your time vibe rather than a quick lets wolf down our food feel. (mediocre places equate to such bland reviews. consequence of being simply indifferent to kayuga)!
(3)
Sheila S.
Got takeout so cannot comment on the restaurant, but delivery came within quoted time, pad thai was still hot, and sushi was good.
(4)
David Z.
I live nearby and I go eat at Kayuga pretty regularly, usually Friday or Saturday nights. The food is great and the hostess, Sue, is really awesome. My friends go there even more often than I do--and some times when Sue sees use there, they'll surprise with a special dish on the house. The Rainbow Roll here is great--I can't even eat rainbow rolls from anywhere else anymore. I would recommend this place. And if you like it, go there often and get Sue to recognize you--they're really good to loyal customers.
(5)
Emma B.
Black Forest maki is delicious! Perfect for that eel craving with subtle sweet potato and LOADS of avocado
(4)
Sadayu L.
This is the place that I would recommend for people who love grilled Saba(mackerel). I ordered this dish at least twice a week. They did a pretty good job with delivery, never took me over an hour to get the food so far. But, the bottom line is they open until 2am. So, what are you waiting for? Order it, before they run out of Saba.
(5)
Christina Z.
Convenient if you're in the area and jones'ing for some pretty good sushi and don't feel like making the trek to Fugakyu. Their tempura is delicious - Idaho maki is my absolute fave. They seriously need to add more ginger to the plate because I'm always guilty of swiping my neighbor's extra. Good amount of wasabi. I really enjoyed their Atlantic Maki - with shrimp tempura, mango, avocado, and spicy lobster topping, it easily could have been overkill. I wasn't bowled over by the sushi (as I have been at Red Lantern), but $11 for 6 large pieces, I wasn't complaining. Edamame could have used a sauce on the side. Don't get me wrong, I like this place, and their Ikea lights and black walls. It's just no Fugakyu, which is like the Disney World of sushi ambiance - and koi pond. I always find myself comparing sushi and sushi places because none of it is ever BAD, just not fantastic.
(3)
Hogger K.
I ordered take-out from this place and it's pretty good. Like a previous reviewer, there was some problems with the timing (i.e. it took much longer than what I was told on the phone). Also, I'm kind of wary of places that try to do the Korean-Japanese fusion thing. But the Kimchi pancakes were actually surprisingly good. The seaweed salad was passable. And the rest of the maki ordered was decent. Is the food world-class? No. But is it a good value for your money? Yes. Will I go there again? Definitely. If you're looking for something a bit better in quality (and also a bit more expensive), then you can order from Fins. But honestly, the difference between the two places is not that great. The other surprising thing is that the inside is far more attractive than I expected. And they probably have the coolest ceiling fans I've ever seen in a restaurant.
(4)
Justin Gwailo H.
Went here because this is one of the very few places that opens late on weekends. The sushi/sashimi platter for 2 was just okay. Some of the fish did not taste that fresh (luckily we didn't get sick or anything)!!! They could have made the portions more generous.
(3)
Sarah A.
I don't know about anybody else, but when I get home from the bars and I'm preeeetty tipsy, I tend to want SUSHI. Thank goodness for Kayuga..they're open until 2am and they deliver!! Granted I've only had their food drunk so I'm not sure how much I'd like it sober. But I have no complaints from what I've ordered! I usually get the College Maki (bomb!) and either tempura or agedashi tofu. All items are awesome and help soak up the alcohol so I'm less hungover in the morning. I've never actually eaten here so I can't comment on the service or anything else, but for drunk munchies, I recommend Kayuga :)
(4)
Liz K.
This is hands down my favorite japanese/sushi place in Boston! I order it to be delivered to my apartment all the time and have gone to sit down a few times too. The chicken maki roll is my favorite. It is a chicken terriyaki sushi roll for those of you who are not fish lovers. They also have the same one with salmon or steak too. The service was great the times I have gone in to sit down. They are very attentive and it is never really that busy when I go during the week which is nice- never had to wait for a table. I have brought friends there that have become hooked and tell me that they now order it delivered whenever they are in the mood for sushi.
(4)
Jonathan Y.
The sushi here is to die for. The presentation is wonderful and the prices are modest for the location being right across the street from BU. I've eaten here numerous times and gotten take out. There has never been a bad experience. Great spot to take a date or go for a business lunch.
(5)
Nouf A.
Never again. The service here is so bad.. The lady at the reception is so rude and arrogant.. Not worth it when the food is over priced and if there is such bad Managment of this place who knows how our food is made in that back. Never. Again.
(1)
Chann C.
I ordered the fire dragon maki, my mom had the rainbow maki and my dad had the crazy fried rice. The sushi wasn't anything special. I've eaten at a lot of sushi places and this was just OK. The chicken in the fried rice was very dry. The dish overall was bland. When we placed our order, we ordered a california roll maki to-go. In the whole restaurant, there were only about 6 other people in there eating. By the time our meal was finished and we paid the bill, the waiter did not even place our order in for the sushi we wanted for take out. We didn't want it anymore and just left.
(3)
Kristin P.
Kayuga was....weird. Since Privus closed (so sad...) and my main source of sushi has been Fins, I wanted to try someplace different and did not want to go to Fugakyu. So to Kayuga we went. We went around dinner time during the week and the place was pretty empty. There was also rap music playing from what sounded like a busted speaker. I found not only the type of music, but the awful sound to be strange. However, our waitress was very friendly and the sushi we got was very tasty. We ordered the sashimi sampler, which was very fresh and just enough sashimi, and the seaweed salad for an appetizer. The seaweed salad actually had a tomato and cucumbers in it, which was different but hey, I like cucumbers so i ate them! Then we split a spicy tuna roll, the catapiller rool, and the dragon roll. Everything looked good, tasted good and was reasonably priced. To sum it up - the food was all really good, but the atmostphere and the place itself was weird. But I'd go back!
(3)
Michelle W.
I started off loving Kayuga. The rainbow roll, red sox roll, spider roll, dragon roll, gyoza, seafood pancake, everything was delicious. Absolutely looked forward to yummy and affordable sushi as take out. Then, a few weeks ago, I got take out from Kayuga, and got horribly ill after I ate the sushi. Thought it was a fluke--maybe I was getting sick anyway? Nope. Next time, I got sick again, WORSE than before, and realized, it might not be me. Got sushi from another restaurant, then another, and have had no issues since. No more ordering from Kayuga. Not sure what changed in their menu or ingredient list but never getting food there again.
(2)
Cassie H.
My husband and I were feeling lazy and wanted to order sushi delivery. We decided to give Kayuga a try since it was close and seemed decently priced on the online menu. When the food was delivered, we were in for a surprise. The portions were half the size of most sushi orders at other restaurants. We ended up having an ordered in appetizer instead of an ordered in dinner. The sushi was fresh, but generally tasteless. The volano roll had a strange sweet aftertaste to it, making it utterly disappointing. The shrimp tempura maki was average at best, and the Boston maki was alright but not memorable. We definitely won't be trying Kayuga again with all the other sushi options out there.
(2)
Matt S.
I'm biased because I've been going there practically since it opened in early 2004 (I make a point of going whenever I'm back in Boston), and I know the owner (from being a regular for six years) and several of the waitresses (though my crushes have long since moved on). if you're a vegetarian or have lots of vegetarian friends (or just like variety), THIS IS THE PLACE! If you love the fish and shellfish and crustaceans, this is pretty solid too. Don't listen to the haters on here: I've never gotten bad fish here once (and I've had most of the menu, except the hotpot and the baby octopus). only complaint is that the prices have gone up (but, really, it's seafood) and that the saba shioyaki is a little salty. and that as I (only temporarily) no longer live in Boston, I can't go here so much anymore. I miss Sushi Bowl, which I and a friend did every Super Bowl! It's a Korean, not a Japanese place (I think the only people of japanese descent beside two of the chefs working there were three waitresses, and they were all American), so trust the kimchibokum, okdul bibimbap, and spicy pork bulgogi. they're fantastic (comparable to Buk Kyung II). and the owner makes the best White Russian in town. Go alone or with friends. As long as no one requests karaoke, it's all good.
(5)
K S.
This place is perfect for groups, where else can you find a decent enough restuarant that serves many different dishes from thai, korea, to japanese. Everything is delicious and prompt service. oh yeah don't forget the lychee SOJU!
(5)
Al C.
I just ordered delivery from here last night. Took about an hour to the Fenway area with a delivery charge and extra distance charge. Oh well. Now to the food. I ordered a Kimchi Jigae and a Spicy Scallop Roll with tempura flakes. Kimchi Jigae: I'd have to say, up there with the best (Yasu, Colors, that place in the back of Super 88 Food Court). Price wise, it was comparable to Yasu, but definitely worth it! It was delivered hot (as it should be) and was flavorful and spicy! I would definitely get it again! Spicy Scallop Roll: eh.. The scallop portion in the sushi was great. The amount of rice on the maki roll was great. The rice flavoring was off but the rice was fresh. I eat a lot of sushi. I would say this was on par with sushi rice flavoring you get from a grocery store. For an extra $0.75 for tempura flakes, there definitely wasn't enough. The spicy mayo was average. Overall, it was ok. First time ordering from here... but overall I was pleased. I didn't mind the wait or the extra charges, because the jigae was hot (temperature and spicy) and well worth it.
(4)
Renee M.
I've been to Kayuga quite a few times, and have always enjoyed my meals here. My favorite roll is definitely the Spider Roll- I think it has tempura crab in it- delicious!! The atmosphere here is whatever, there's a cool booth in the front that I've always wanted to sit in, but haven't gotten the chance to. I think it's funny that its like ALWAYS empty in here. I have never seen it crowded. EVER.
(4)
Lauren M.
SO GOOD!!! My absolute favorite from this place is the College Maki. I highly recommend it. Everything is so fresh. So convenient that they deliver too!
(5)
Jenna A.
I showed up with a group of friends shortly before 4pm on Sunday. It was EMPTY. Perfect! I had never actually had sushi before. The entire table was shocked. I suppose that since I'm a sushi newbie, I can't comment on the quality of the food... but I definitely enjoyed it. I had the spicy tuna maki and inari -- both were tasty. (I also got to try all the veggie sushi options and I'd order any of them.) My friends, all fans of sushi, seemed happy with their food. For six pieces of spicy tuna and two pieces of inari, my bill came to just under $12 including tax and an 18% tip. (Yes, that's right: if you show up with a group of people -- in our case, seven of us -- they add an 18% tip automatically. I tip well, so I'm not a fan when they do this.) I don't know the going price of sushi, but I thought it was reasonable. Service was pretty good, but I was enjoying the company, so I'm not sure how quick it actually was. But when I ran out of water, it was refilled... and when we received the bill and kind of stared at it for a minute trying to figure out what we owed, the server automatically asked if we wanted them to split the bill for us. Change came quickly, too. (That's a pet peeve of mine: when you pay the bill and then they wait 10 minutes to bring back the change. Didn't happen here!) I'll definitely come back.
(4)
Mimi H.
I spent all last summer living in Tokyo and Kayuga's food taste extremely close to the real thing, if not dead on. I first noticed it when I tried the yaki soba. As silly as it sounds as soon it entered my mouth I had a taste flash back to eating yaki soba at 5 o'clock in the morning in a Karaoke room in Shibuya. The Chicken tatsu and fried tofu are also amazing. And omg croquettes!? I don't know where else around here you can get croquettes. They also have korean food and soju. Serivice is okay, could be better. And it's a bit pricey. But I def recommend it for casual japanese food lovers.
(4)
Daphna R.
This place is great, though not open for lunch. High quality fish, wheat free soy sauce, and the ginger/citrus salad dressing IS gluten free.
(4)
Sasha M.
I was craving late night sushi around midnight & alot of places around boston close early except ChinaTown but I've been to Chi-town so many times I wanted to find another place. Went to Kayuga, which closes at 2am...it was empty cuz it was late night on a monday but the food was good...Sushi had great presentation...nice ambiance...and all the Sojus are great! I had Lychee Soju & it barely tastes like alcohol but gives u a good buzz. Also, the waiters/waitresses are very nice and polite. I will b back again for more soju!
(5)
H. A.
Kayuga used to be pretty decent. The quality has greatly declined since I ate here relatively regularly. It's the kind of place where you would want to stick with maki because you can't trust the nigiri or sashimi. Unfortunately, when I got a maki here last week, not only was it mediocre (rainbow roll with brown rice) with an off-putting taste, I bit into a staple lodged in my rice. Disgusting.
(1)
Peter W.
I've been a regular at Kayuga for a number of years (probably close to when they opened). It's a great neighborhood restaurant that has good food served by good people. The menu is a mix of sushi and Korean dishes. They execute the sushi, sashimi, and makimono very well. I really like the spicy Korean dishes, especially the Yook Gae Jang (spicy beef soup). The appetizers are good as well - try the seafood pancake.
(4)
Alison C.
Went here after Flight of the Conchords last weekend. It wasn't as crowded as some of the other restaurants, and I heard they had great sake. And they were open late. SOLD. And in fact, they DID have wonderful sake. The sake itself came in a small container but it went down smooth and was absolutely delicious. The beers were large enough to get the job done, no complaints here. But what is really outstanding about my sake bombing experience at Kayuga was that the staff didn't look down on us for getting outrageously drunk on sake, which is what I've experienced at a lot of other places. THE NERVE. But seriously, the waitresses were really fun. Anyways, they had great vegetable steamed gyoza as well, and everyone around us was having a ball. Loved it, will be back.
(4)
Sabrina L.
1. Our Party of 3 arrived in happy moods and greeted the server with happy smiles - we were there to celebrate! 2. The server snickered and said the requested seating area was CLOSED, even though it was an empty restaurant. (For a reason...) 3. My friend asked, "Would you recommend the mango or the pina?" Server snickered again. "That depends on you." No smiles. Dead pan face. 4. Food came with no smiles. Annoyed like we made a mess and called her names. Server filled my other friend's soda cup with water. "Oops, sorry," she said. "But not refills. You have to pay." 5. The server snickered some more. 6. Two out of three of us got sick the next day. 7. The End. Highly NOT recommended unless you have the personality and stomach of a rock. And desperate for Asian cuisine. Why not go across the street to Brown Sugar Thai? Unfortunatetly, they were closed for renovation yesterday :(
(1)
Gregory S.
I've been meaning to write a review for a while. I've been ordering from Kayuga for about a year now. The quality is always very good, the delivery time is very respectable, and the staff are always very polite. They are my go-to place for food delivery, period.
(5)
Adolfo V.
The Kayuga Udon is excellente! Someone said Kayuga was the official Udon of the Red Sox. I'm not sure that's correct but it's definitely worth the trip if you're anywhere near Boston.
(5)
Beryl L.
I was in town visiting a close friend of mine and I was in the mood for sushi. She brought me to Kayuga and now I wish there was one in NYC! The fish was so fresh and amazing. The staff was extremely friendly and it's nice to see that the owner is so involved with her business. Now every time I go to Boston, it's my first stop!
(5)
Ted D.
I Love Kayuga. This is one of the better Sushi places in Brookline. Always clean and the decor is as fresh as the fish. Plenty of other dishes are on the menu for friends that don't like Sushi. This owner operated resturaunt has always delivered fresh fish and excellent service. Sue seems to run the show here and she recognized me the second time I went in. She always makes sure everything is perfect. If it isn't perfect it would get fixed right away I am sure of it. I definitly recommend this to anyone who likes Sushi or Korean dishes like Bibimbob or Kimchi. If you don't know what asian foods you like, then this is a must try.
(5)
Danielle W.
GROSS!! I wish I had read the negative reviews first. DO NOT eat here if you want to stay healthy. I have had some bad food in my time, but nothing has ever made me as sick as this sushi made me. I think I would rather have my appendix removed again! After 4 hours in the ER to get enough fluid in me to keep from passing out, this turned into the most expensive, crappy meal I have ever had. Reading other reviews I found that this is not the first case of food poisoning! Really! They clearly do not care about the health of their customers or their reputation.
(1)
Lillian W.
Meh. So I went to Kayuga for the first time last night. I've walked by it plenty of times and noticed it had a really nice sign. I thought a nice sign would correlate with a nice inside but that was not the case. I mean it had some nice tvs and stuff but the restaurant itself isn't anything special. Clean. Simple. But hey, the sign is really cool! I had the Nabeyaki Udon cause I was cravin' me some noodles. There couldn't've been more than 10 customers in the restaurant, so I was really surprised that the food took so long. It's noodles--c'mon! But my friend informed me that it's always slow (--that doesn't make it okay!). Anyhow, the bowls come out super hot so you have to be really careful. I found the broth to be a little too salty but that's fine since the waitress kept refilling my water. Maybe I'll come back again sometime to try the sushi... or their korean specials.
(3)
Kara B.
Got delivery from here. Meh.
(3)
Lala I.
been there a few times. decent korean food and sushi, but the food takes forever to come out. if you are starving or in a hurry, dun go to this place. grape soju is recommended.
(4)
Julia F.
I have been here many times, and I have yet to be disappointed. I have missed all the karaoke, which is possibly why I still feel this way. I loved the service, all the waitresses and waiters were really nice, careful to get you exactly what you asked for, if it differed from what was on the menu... I went there last year with the same group of people and we would be seated right away, and yes, we ran up a huge bill and tipped very well each time, but the service was the same when I went with others and didn't order as much to drink, ecc. We got a sushi plate "on the house" the last time I went there, it was AMAZING. I love being able to try things that I wouldn't otherwise try. I actually ate EEL! My god... my life has not been the same. Thank you Kayuga for breaking me out of my shell.
(4)
Sarah F.
I had the snow maki, spider maki, and shrimp tempura maki. The only decent part of it was the order of steamed rice. The snow maki had a burnt torched taste to it and I ended up tossing it out. The amount of fish in the roll was pitiful. The batter on the spider roll was really greasy, not to mention it was almost all batter and one itty bitty crab leg. Hands down the worst sushi I've had from anywhere.
(1)
Ellie B.
I really want to love this place, because it was recommended to me by a very good friend of mine, who has great taste in all things, but unfortunately, it's just not meant to be. The restaurant itself is a great space, with high ceilings and dark walls, televisions above the bar and on the wall across from the bar, and two sushi/liquor bars with really cool Japanese-style decorations. There's also a small area in the front of the restaurant, sort of a cross between a booth and a private room, enclosed but still easily accessible and not completely cut off from the hubbub of the rest of the restaurant. Not that there has been any hubbub the two or three times I've been here, but I assume there's hubbub at some time, I just don't know when. Probably the coolest thing about the interior are the ceiling fans, which sounds weird, I know. Instead of having all the blades spin in the same direction they sort of spin into and over/under each other...kind of. It looks really cool when you're sitting below and looking up. The problem, I guess, is that I've had better sushi and paid less than I did at Kayuga. I always use the Spicy Tuna as my test roll, and here it was really mayonaissey, not how I like my Spicy Tuna at all. That being said, the Black Forest Maki is amazing and well worth the price, but I wouldn't say that anything else I tried was.
(3)
Julie T.
Kayuga has decent food. It's in a close proximity to a ton of other places with much better food so I don't ever usually come here unless friends wanna drink or whatever. Being that I don't (aka. can't) drink, I sit and eat and watch everyone else get drunk. Let me tell you what happened last night. Let me start off by saying that I have drank at Kayuga before and they didn't ID or say anything to me and this has happened numerous times. Last night was not the same. I came in and was asked if I wanted a drink and thinking that she wasn't checking, I said sure. She asked for my ID and I just kind of smiled and said that I wasn't of age. She smiled back and said okay. As all of my friends came around and the drinks started pouring, food and junk was getting pushed down to my end. I sat there watching everyone drink and giggle while eating a huge plate of mediocre kimchi fried rice. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a random waitress came up behind me and said: "Is that your drink?" She pointed to a watered-down, almost empty glass of Sex on the Beach that my friend had ordered two hours earlier. "No." I said. "Well, you can't drink!" And as soon as she said that, she quickly stormed away. So I said, very loudly, "Wow, you guys are fucking adamant!" I didn't have my hand on the glass nor did I show or have any intention of drinking the drink and she was incredibly rude to remind me that I couldn't drink before I even thought of consuming. But that's just a personal issue so I will not hold that against my review. I did think, however, that their food was pretty lame and service isn't all too hot. I give it two because they have decent and edible food, but the way that waitress spoke to me left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
(2)
Brooke L.
Simply amazing... the prices are normal (not cheap) but the food is totally worth it. Try the Tropical Maki (it has mango in it!!) The shumai is also delicious, as is the sauce that comes with it, which is officially the best sauce I've ever had with shumai or gyoza. I love how you can see the chefs cooking in the back, and they always seem friendly and happy. Also, when you take out food the girls at the front are usually really polite and sweet. Best of all, they're open late!! Healthier than a late-night drunk-munchies pizza craving. This is my favorite Sushi restaurant in Boston, and I've eaten at a LOT of sushi restaurants in my life. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM KAYUGA
(5)
Amanda J.
Still just "ok." The Bruins were on, the game was intense, I did not want to miss it... but I wanted sushi. Okay Kayuga, you get another try in my book. My friend and I each tried the spicy salmon and I again got the spicy tuna. He also got an Idaho maki which is basically sweet potato fries and teriyaki sauce in a sushi roll. While the ratio of spicy mayo to fish was greatly improved, there was still too much rice. Lots more flavor this time. We also got a fried pork app. which was kind of dry so that was disappointing but it had a great sauce with it that I really enjoyed. The delivery is really fast, I definitely appreciate it. But this is definitely just a take out place for me every once and a while.
(3)
christine c.
Had some super overpriced sushi and chicken wings here once. All pretty good, glad they're open so late... but it's a terrible idea if you have drunken munchies to eat sushi. I suggest they close before 1:30... for my sake.
(3)
Jennifer M.
Ordered delivery this afternoon. Food was fine but tiny portion size - 6 small pieces of sushi for about $5. What wasn't fine is that I just got a call (yes, at midnight - my order was placed at 4 in the afternoon) asking to add a dollar to my bill because the delivery was in a different zone. This charge wasn't advertised at all nor mentioned upon delivery. And seriously, who calls people at midnight asking for a DOLLAR? Should've just paid in cash and been done with it. Never ordering from them again; no idea what they're up to.
(1)
Grace S.
Pros: Only legit Japanese restaurant in the neighborhood. Certainly decent food. Cons: A bit expensive. Much better Japanese food to be had in other parts of the city. Balance: CONS BOTTOM LINE: There's nothing wrong with this place, but in the city, you can do better, and in the 'hood, you can do cheaper.
(3)
Dave J.
The sushi looked like is was prepared by the dish washer, not the chef. I've been to many, many sushi restaurants and their sushi has always had a uniformed look. The maki rolls looked like they were hacked by a dull machete. Absolutely horrible. We ordered the fried pork dumplings and it was clearly evident that they were fried in old, heavily used oil. We went there on a Friday and it was almost empty. The service was friendly and I felt bad, because a negative experience = no customers = no tips.
(1)
Mandy L.
Sushi is deec....kinda pricey. Good place to have a party with the sake bombs. But be warned....its been loud most of the times I have gone!
(3)
Trish F.
The servers here are like hawks. I don't think my water got past half full during the entire meal. We had about 3 people waiting on us and they were totally on their game. This place is pretty good. I usually head in before a show at the Paradise but I probably wouldn't trek here otherwise. I was not impressed with their spider roll (my favorite), but the other sushi was good (caterpillar, dragon). Their fried green tea ice cream was soooo yummy.. minus the random rainbow colored sprinkles. They just seemed awkward and out of place. But that's just me being a little cray. Minus points for not having one of those velvet curtains to keep out the cold. BRRRR! We were seated towards the back, but could definitely feel the chill every time someone came in. I had to leave my ankle length coat on all night.. and I'm not usually someone who gets cold easily. Also, the bathroom is kind of heinous. Not to mention whenever I come in and sit at the bar, I almost die because of their backless non-stool chairs.
(3)
Will N.
This is not a pretty good place. The food is good and the service is rather speedy. Surprisingly, I ordered a scotch on the rocks and it was only $8. This restaurant turns into a "lounge" type of place after dinner hours, but they still serve food. The only bad thing about the joint is that it does get loud and hot as more people pack the restaurant. Parking is horrible on Comm. Ave, so if you go..take the T. However, i will surely go back there to entertain friends.
(3)
Melissa H.
Good food. Terrible drinks! Save your money for rolls. Catapillar roll was the bomb.
(3)
Brian S.
Weird set up of the restaurant, but I love this place. They have really good sushi and other dishes too. The greatest part is that they don't get mad when the obnoxious drunks sake bomb throughout their dinner. (Thats me!) The waitresses are always very unassuming and enjoy the debauchery. It seems to liven up their night. I would say the prices are normal for Japanese restaurants in the area, kind of on the "more expensive than it should be, but I still want to pay for it anyways" price.
(4)
Rebecca H.
I don't know why, but everytime I walked by this place, I regarded it with disdain. From the outside, I always felt it looked a little junky, so I was not gung-ho when my friend suggested trying it out the other night. You truly can't judge a book by its cover. The interior is open and light, the service is very friendly, and the overall atmosphere is great for sitting and chatting with friends. The sushi was delicious! Not like, OMG TEH BEST SUSHI EVAAA! But it was really good, tasted fresh and light and yummy. We ordered tea, miso soup, spicy tuna maki, catipillar (eel, avocado, salmon, fish egg) rolls, and "idaho" maki (sweet potato tempura). It was SO good, we were SO full, and it only set us back 14 bucks each (including tax and tip). Then it was on over to the 'Dise with our bellies full of sushi yumminess. Will never look at this place the same way again.
(4)
Casey F.
What I learned Friday: I love hot pots! It's like fondue, only slightly healthier, as in a LOT healthier. Brown Sugar was packed, so the bf and I tried this place. I insisted on ordering the hot pots. We got a lamb and a pork combo. The meat comes in very very thin slices, and you cook it in boiling broth at the table! We got one chicken broth and one Thai broth, which was a little spicey and very flavorful. I liked combining the chicken with the Thai. Veggies and noodles for cooking come too. There's dipping sauce and rice. Yum. The service was good, a little disorganized. Ambiance - ok. It's got nothing on Brown Sugar, but it's fine. I've heard bad things about the sushi from friends, but I would definitely return for hot pots. In fact, i'm on a hot pot mission now! In conclusion, Hot Pots = So Fun.
(4)
Cecilia L.
I used to live across the street and the maki is decent and well priced. Nigiri and sashimi are blah, so stick to the rolls. Most importantly, it's open until 2 am. The atmosphere is really weird. It's dimly lit and always playing bad techno and all the fish is hidden from view. It's also usually empty except on weekends, when Asian BU kids come here to eat and scorpion bowl before/after clubbing.
(3)
Alex L.
Not the greatest food here, but I will give them props for being open late night, having delivery, and often having uni (that's FRESH!). No dishes stand out as fantastic, and no dishes stand out as abysmal.
(4)
Alex T.
They serve food here?! I kid, I kid. Kayuga is drink and lounge spot fo college students. It took over from Maluken from when I was a college student. You can tell because they have fruit plates and fried chicken. If you're paying for fruit, at a restaurant, the likelihood is that people go there to drink. My favorite drink here is the grape soju, which comes in a pitcher, and real grape halves on the bottom. It's a tasty drink and you can hardly taste the alchohol until it's too late! I've also had the food here. The sushi and sahimi is of the "OK" variety. Nothing stands out. I do like the steak tataki here although the portions are small. Overall, it's a geat place to hang out but I wouldn't be expecting much of a serious dining experience here. There is plenty of room and big tables for groups. Large flat screens for all sports events is certainly a plus here. Go! Drink! Be merry!
(3)
Josh C.
I have long been thinking about giving Kayuga a try since it is opened. It is a neighborhood restaurant next to my favorite late night spot, Quan's Kitchen. Tonight, I had a sudden crave for Korean or Japanese after eating Asian fusion cuisne in JP for early dinner. Ambiance here isn't fancy, just plain. I ordered seaweed salad, Age dashi tofu, Kimchee Fried Rice and Green Tea for dinner. I loved them all. Green Tea is good quality and free of charge (some bloody Japanese restaurant charge money for it). Seaweed Salad and Agedashi Tofu are excellent (pass my Japanese standard). I didn'r realize that Miso soup and small size salad are offered along any meal. So I sat alone with my favorite food book surrounded by dishes of food. Kimchee fried rice is one of the best I have ever had. Food here is inexpensive. I used to wonder why this place is a popular late night Japanese restaurant. Inexpensice Pricing and Tasty food draw people here. I made the right choice tonight and ate like PIG. Come in hungry and left here stuffed Good Eat............very good eat Food is served until 1am, bar close at 2am daily.
(4)
Dillon B.
Stick to something other than sushi. The quality of the fish is pretty poor. The only people who seem to have good things to say about the sushi are getting vegetarian sushi (which to me isn't sushi, it's just veggies and rice) so that should tell you something. I've made it a rule of thumb - If a place is billed as Japanese but they are serving Korean/Chinese/etc food, it might be best to avoid their Japanese offerings. More often than not the quality is poor.
(2)
Annette A.
Loved the sushi, loved our fried tofu appetizer. The service was friendly. If I had a complaint, it would be that the interior looks like a college dining hall.
(3)
Andre C.
Ordered some delivery sushi from here a couple of days ago ... BAD MISTAKE. I got sick. Really sick. I'd never eat here again.
(1)
Lindsey V.
One of the best places for sushi in Boston. And so cheap!!! Great selection of rolls, and the warm house sake is perfect. They staff is always super friendly and attentive as well. Favorite date night spot.
(5)
Jenny K.
One of my favorite restaurants!!!!! Price is totallllly reasonable. You get the same quality, if not better, as expensive and popular places like fugakyu but price is wayyyy better. You're missing out if you have never been here. Food is consistently good, service is great, and love the atmosphere! Check it out!
(5)
Dynne S.
I miss the Karaoke and the old set up of tables. Now there is a bar there - the up side is that there are large flat screen tv's for viewing. The food is decent. As a Korean, I have high standards for authentic food. However, there really hasn't been a dish that I've been particularly disappointed with.
(3)
Jimmy H.
Shabu shabu is really hard to fail. Unless waitresses and/or waiters are total dick to you, they usually gets 4 stars. Service isn't impressively good, but they are polite. I haven't tried anything other than shabu shabu. So I can't say much about their sushi.
(4)
Jackie C.
This place is probably better for drinking than for eating. The food service could be a bit faster, some times it takes forever for the food to come out. The staff is nice enough but the food isn't the best. If I was craving japanese food and this was the only place open, I wouldn't mind coming here, otherwise, I'd probably go somewhere else.
(3)
Steiner H.
This is our favorite Japanese restaurant in Boston! The sushi is really fresh, iinnovative, full of amazing flavors and a yummy. Last night (9/25) we went again and we're surprised by the new SUSHI PIZZA. OMG! The tuna sushi pizza was amazing! It was covered in tuna and the flavors were sensational. Don't miss Alan's Maki, the Halloween maki, spicy tuna maki, patriot maki. If you're looking for other flavors try the Korean food. The BimBobo is yummy too. Oh...the new mochi - chocolate mint, chocolate coconut and watermelon along with strawberry are great meal enders What's more, the new staff are really friendly.
(5)
Andra Z.
Sushi. I am officially obsessed. I'm attempting, successfully poor wallet, to eat at as many sushi places around my apartment as possible. Kayuga is a bit of a hike, but for good sushi that's acceptable, right? For Kayuga, unfortunately, it's not. I've only eaten here once and had take out twice. It's incredibly precise and sloppy. I know, oxymoron, but it's well...it's that. When I've had take out, it's packed so precisely into the box I can't tell if a person did it or a machine. And the rice on the rolls doesn't really even look like rice it's packed so tight. It makes me think of those industrial machines from 20s movies. The man who puts the screws on, the man who tightens the screws and the guy who takes the whole thing off the conveyor belt. Creepy. Sometimes though, they're not so precise and I end up with a TON of spicy mayo. Eww. I mean, I like the stuff, I don't need a slathering of it, thanks. I'm also not really into the crowd in this place. There's a whole lot of BU students all the time who like to get rowdy and scream. And drink. A lot. I know, I was with a group of them one night. I'm sure we ruined everyone's sushi. On the up side this place has a million and one rolls. And it's not to pricey. It fills a demographic. Just not my demographic.
(3)
Shea D.
Ok, so here's the scoop. It's just ok sushi during regular hours. Between 11 am to 10 pm I'll take my business elsewhere... Late night however? Yes please!!! 2 am sushi? You just said the magic word!
(3)
Arestia R.
This place is pretty good for sushi. My favorite place is too small for larger groups, so it's nice to gather with friends here for dinner before we head out to trivia close by. The eel is TO DIE FOR and they have a good selection of decently priced rolls. I can get a tsingtao beer, edamame to share and a few orders of rolls all for under $20. It's not the greatest atmosphere, but that's not what I go for.
(3)
Gretchen M.
You don't come here for the ambiance BUT the sushi is yummy, good quality, and the prices aren't bloated as they are at other establishments nearby. I've eaten in once or twice but order takeout here quite a bit--it's the go-to takeout sushi place in the Allston/Brighton/Brookline area for sure!
(4)
E P.
it's not great food. it's not bad either. the owner lady is super nice (esp if you speak korean... although she would be just as nice if you can speak chinese, i assume). the bibimbop is similar to typical korean restaurants in boston. the kayuga udon is actually but with udon noodles (and way too much onions). the kimchee fried rice is too american-ized for me. the sushi is about average too. the best quality of this place is how late they are open. for late night korean/japanese, i dont think there is anything like this around the area. gets pretty loud with drunk koreans, though.
(3)
Samuel K.
Excellent maki and miso, tasty tempura and rice -- I was thinking I could make a full meal of their rice... And now I know they deliver to Cambridge. Pretty fly.
(5)
Amanda K.
So this past year I have relied on Kayuga for my random hour sushi cravings and more recently cold weather pick me up (Nabeyaki Udon) since 1) I was crazy busy and couldn't find time to eat until 9pm, 2) they deliver, and 3) they actually have pretty good food. I have about the same amount of delivery orders as dine in orders with them, and aside from their flat rate delivery charge (applies even if you live two blocks down the street =\), I have come to prefer the delivery if I am only getting food (their drinks aren't bad or too expensive). The reason I am giving them 3 stars despite my consistent return visits and orders, is because of a few things... 1) Their food is pretty good, especially the Nabeyaki Udon, but their sushi isn't out of this world and it is more expensive then a place or two I've been to that had wayyy better sushi. 2) Consistency in some of their dishes is questionable. The delivery salad dressing is different then the dine in dressing, and the delivery dressing is kind of odd tasting so it always ruins the salad that comes with my orders. 3) The Service. I have maybe received genuinely pleasant service twice EVER. Hence, why I prefer delivery, where they will fix a mistake if they made one promptly and with some kind of decency. Almost every time I dine with my friends I receive overall mediocre to terribly poor service. Their attitude is variable many times everyone that works there looks miserable, unpleasant, like you just ran over their cat or something and you only asked them to refill your glass of water that had been empty for 20 minutes. I understand they might be grumpy because of rude customers giving them a hard time/hassle, and I feel sympathy for them at those times, however this one instance was almost unforgivable. This girl who I know for a fact is new (so I was cutting her even more slack than other times) was a complete jerk and more than that she was completely incompetent and kind of creepy as she stared from literally in dark corners and me and my girlfriends. She came to the table maybe 3 times in the course of the 1.5 hour meal, to take our order, when my friend flagged her down, and to give us our check (FYI if u have more than 5 people be prepared for them to smack on the 18% gratuity without telling you and treating you like crap cause they know they have a guaranteed tip anyways). She never cleared our empty dishes at all during the meal nor did she ever refill our waters or really did anything. Then, when we get the check we are just trying to literally split the bill between two CCs and she looks like she just had a mental breakdown and said she could not do it, we had to do it ourselves, she got overwhelmed when I just asked her if I could check off which dishes to be charged to which CC, but she refused said that was too confusing and ridiculous and told me to tell her the exact dollar amounts... like IS SHE SERIOUS? Did she not pass 2nd grade? Or know how to use a calculator? She was not only incompetent but just outright rude, I didn't ask her what 38 to the fifteenth power was, jeesh. Then she gave us dirty death ray stares and continued to stalk us from the corner until we left. I really can't tolerate such poor service like that, and I made sure we did not have her as our waitress the next time we went (out of late night sushi desperation). Final Verdict: Good (not great) food. Mediocre (and sometimes awful) service. Recommended dishes: Nabeyaki Udon and almost any of the house special maki (my favorite is the black forest maki).
(3)
Anonymous J.
The place is alright. It is somewhat pricey. I went here for the sake!
(3)
Nathan W.
Not bad food, love the soju here though
(4)
Lisa O.
I'd give 3.5 if I could, but I'll round up to 4 because sushi! Kayuga doesn't have the best sushi in Boston, but they have quick and cheap delivery, and that makes them my most frequented sushi establishment. Seriously, every sushi place that delivers to me charges so much that it's really just not worth it. 'Cept Kayuga! They charge $2 and it's at my door within 30 minutes. Sweet. I wouldn't say it's of the highest quality, but I've never been displeased with the taste and I've never gotten sick so whatever. I'm no sushi snob. The price never breaks the bank either, which is more than I can say for a few of my other faves. Also, Foodler ordering makes me happy.
(4)
Ana M.
Not bad, although I prefer Fins down the street. The plus side is that they're open really late, they serve alcohol and the service is pretty quick. And the food isn't bad. The down side is that it feels like an undergraduate cafeteria in the evening - crowded, loud and obnoxious.
(3)
Sham Y.
There's nothing really all that special about this place. It's not terrible but it's not great. The best part is probably the late night hours.
(3)
Jillian Y.
Booooo. I'll be honest - I didn't order any sushi. That aside, two stars. Our androgynous server (still not sure of gender) stood there and WAITED for me to finish my last bite, then snatched my plate. My seafood pancake was a plateful of grease, my tempura was bland and too crispy, and I was displeased by the lack of ambiance and the rude server. What a disappointment.
(2)
Andrew S.
Excellent sushi at great prices
(4)
Angie T.
So I found out about Kayuga from a friend and I always pass by it when I'm taking a walk to my BU campus. Inside is ok..kinda dark if you ask me, but they are extremely clean! The waiters spend their time cleaning the tables and i know it's a pain to remove the small fish eggs from my dinner table. the service is great and they are fast. the sushis are amazing and well worth it. I also do delivery and the drivers always bring my food on time! KAYUGA, YOU ARE THE BOMB!
(5)
Delilah W.
I'm a vegetarian sushi connoisseur, and this joint has the best selection of veg sushi of any restaurant I've found in greater Boston, all of it quite quality! My dinner partner was not blown away by his (non-veg) sushi as he said the rice was slightly undercooked, but I *loved* mine, and it was awesome to have so much to choose from. The appetizers were excellent as well. We found the wait staff rather unapologetically inattentive, never refilling our water or bringing our check until we asked, and it took a long time to get our food, but it was an enjoyable dinner and I will definitely return for the sushi bar.
(4)
Michael K.
awesome place for sushi and korean food. i think this place has better sushi than fugakyu without all fo the hassle of reservations, waiting and is much cheaper too. they have much better drinks too. even though they put up with drunk BU kids all night, the staff is still extremely really nice and attentive. they used to do karaoke there, but now they've replaced that with big screen TVs and music for entertainment. i always get an array of sushi rolls and a spicy pork bugolgi rice dish. too bad they don't open for lunch anymore. i would rate this one of the best japanese and korean restaurants in brighton.
(5)
Amanda G.
The food is pretty dec. My favorite thing about Kayuga is the sushi prices.
(4)
Rob J.
Sashimi not very good at all. This is all I order when I go to sushi restaurants so I can't speak for other items on the menu.
(2)
Bene K.
Ok food and drink with ok service. In fact, i should say the service was not really that good at all--sorry guys but even though it's in the neighborhood i'd rather go into Brookline for some quality and good service.
(2)
Ann C.
i'm giving this place 4 stars for the atmosphere. this place is the only place where they allow you to do gajillion sake bombs and they'll start cringing after your gajillion-and-one sake bombs. but i'm sure they'll step in earlier if they think your group is borderline pounding the table in half. food is so-so. don't expect top grade sushi and awesome-melt -in -your -underwear japanese/korean food. this place is really for people who want to let loose, unwind and munch here and there whether it be with a big group or your sig-o. (think casual, laid back outing) they also offer lemon SOJU! they have 4 lcd televisions to emulate a sports bar but they have sucky cable connection but they tried.
(4)
Angela W.
Sometimes, if you order delivery late, the food/sushi is not that fresh. Have tried about 6 different types of sushi from here. The only thing that i liked was the shrimp tempura maki. Anything with raw fish, just tasted strange/stale. Also, delivery took 45 mins even though they are only 5 or 6 blocks away.
(2)
Tiffany D.
I used to come here all the time when I lived closer. They don't ID so it was good when I went to drink with friends who were still underage. The food and sushi is pretty good and I like getting the room. Anyone up for some sake bombing? hahaha... VERY VERY heavy college crowd...
(3)
Adster N.
It's been a while since I've gone there, but they have a very reasonably priced lunch menu. For under $10 you get a huge bento box with good stuff like cod. The place has been empty every time I've been, which could be good or bad depending on what you like.
(4)
Aurelie C.
Okaaaaay so the food isn't amazing, i can't really say i've had a lot of it. They did have sweet potato sushi (i know it's weird but it's weird in a good way!) which i really like and i can barely ever find anywhere. It's a great late night food place as you can order for pick up until 1:45 and it's a lot better than the neighboring junky late night food. My friends swear by their soju, which is this really yummy vodka, club soda and lemon drink and kayuga has put it in a huge soup container to go for them before. ---Alright, So this is a weekend night desperate time, desperate need kinda place but it really comes through and at that late hour, i find it's better than any other available options. Also on a low key weekend with friends they have a secluded japanese style sections with screens for privacy, where you can get your drink on and then later sing kareoke without feeling like everyone's listening. And with my voice, i find that to be a real bonus. :) [though we haven't been going there for kareoke as much as it has gotten a bit pricey]
(4)
D L.
This place is good because it opens til late night. Kayuga has decent Korean/Japanese cuisine, and a decent bar as well. I like to order the seafood pancake every time I go there. The sushi is not bad either. The location is great since it is right in the middle of the city (B-Line) and it is easily accessible. Also karaoke... holla!
(3)
Clara N.
I come here a lot when I want Korean food more than Japanese food. The two times I've gone and ordered sushi were bad. The fish doenst look fresh nor does it taste fresh. There are better sushi places in town for better prices or the same price with a fresher taste and look. However, i love the Korean food here. The bibimbab and the maeuntang is very goood. It's usually not crowded when I go, but on the weekends it seems to be a pretty popular place. The service is good, but the atmosphere isnt anything special.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Emily C.
Really good food :) and looks nice in the inside. I would recommend. They are also light on the sauce use which is nice for me to not drown my food :)
(4)Laura D.
I went to Kayuga on a double date and thought it was interesting that the outside has light up sports logos--I've never seen a sushi place with a sports-bar look before. Many menu items are named after local colleges or areas, making it fun to order. I got the Idaho Maki, which was just a little more expensive than at Fin's. However, I was shocked when it came to see how small it was! Fin's offers the same or better quality sushi in larger portions cheaper (at least for this maki). I'm a small person, so 2 rolls from Fin's would definitely fill me up and many times I only order 1. However, at this place I would easily need 3 rolls to feel somewhat full. No idea how many an average person would have to buy... It was fine sushi, but I think Fin's is a better deal.
(2)Judy K.
Today was my first time trying out their food because I've come here occasionally for drinks and sushi, but not so much their hot food. SUSHI: It is very expensive for a few pieces of mediocre sushi. I guess sushi can never really go wrong though so it's not bad. It's good, but it's not the best sushi I've ever had especially since I'm paying a pretty heavy price for it. DRINKS: Kayuga has a pretty wide selection of alcohol drinks to choose from: korean soju and mixed soju like lychee soju, mango soju, wine, beer and sake. Once again, the alcohol is expensive, but it's not bad. The lychee soju was kinda bitter though so I wouldn't recommend that. FOOD: I have the udon with chicken, egg, shrimp tempura and vegetables. The udon was great! It comes in a cute little hotpot looking thing and it def gets you full! The broth was flavorful and the udon was perfectly chewy. It was weird when my tempura started dissolving into my soup so I ate that first. All in all, it was a pretty decent dish, but the chicken was super dry and not tasty. I don't understand how chicken that's been sitting in broth can be dry, but it was definitely very dry. The entire udon dish was $15. Kind of ridiculous for a bowl of noodles in my opinion, but nevertheless, it was a pleasant dish.
(4)Christine S.
So good!!! I'm Korean and I was craving korean food. Ordered galbi tang and beansprouts. The portions were perfect and it came piping hot. Lots of beef chucks and love the free ban chan (I was regretting that I didn't order a side of kimchi, but it turned out that it came free anyway with the meal) Exactly what I wanted
(5)Yasmin S.
I ordered one thing from here and I want more of it. #FRIEDOYSTERS I wish they had more on the dish
(3)Chaoyu M.
Not one of my favorite Korean places. The food is alright but it is very pricey. The service is great and the environment is great but the price just doesn't cut it.
(3)Shant G.
Love this place. I've been going to this location for 5+ years, and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. The college roll is my favorite dish, and recommend it to anyone.
(5)Bryan R.
I ordered food here through Seamless recently with an expected delivery of 45 minutes. An hour later, I got a call from the driver and he said that he was having trouble finding my address. I asked him where he was, and he started describing buildings on the Boston College campus. We were not at Boston College. We were in Boston. The saddest thing is that we were on the same street as Kayuga. It was just a straight shot about a mile down the road. Given that it would take him a half hour to get back to us and the food had already been in his car for a half hour, I asked him to cancel the order and he agreed. Had it ended there, I may have just forgotten about the experience. Sadly, it didn't. The charge for the order still posted to my credit card. Dealing with Kayuga is a pain and anyone that's tried to deal with Seamless knows how awful that experience is too. Update: Kayuga lied to Seamless and told them that they tried to deliver the food at my apartment and I refused. That's cheeky. Another update: Kayuga is now calling to harass me for the negative review.
(1)Molly K.
Interesting sushi but mostly I love the convenience of it, it's right across the street. Lemon soju was delicious
(3)Ambreen D.
Went there on a Sunday night. First impression: looks fancier from outside than it really is. Normally a couple who is usually very fast at ordering, we took quite a bit of time. Ended up ordering sushi and bibimbap, but didn't find it exceptional. I think there are better Japanese/Korean fusion restaurants in Boston. Good service though.
(3)Yuka Y.
I came as a party of 13 on a Friday night and I still stand true to my belief that the service here is excellent. Despite our large group, they were great in handling our orders and accommodating my reservation over the phone. Appetizer wise, I highly recommend the Hotate Hokkaiyaki (Baked large scallop on shell with crab stick, mushroom, flying fish roe, and spicy mayo). Forget the seafood pancake...too doughy. After trying many of their house specialty makis, I highly recommend the MIT maki (crab stick, avocado maki with torched salmon on top, spicy mayonnaise and teriyaki sauce) and the College maki (crab salad, cucumber, tempura flakes with torched salmon on top, spicy mayonnaise, and teriyaki sauce). The torched salmon taste was delightful! Drinks wise, you gotta get the Lychee soju. It comes in a classy, narrow pitcher with real canned lychees. You get a long spoon to scoop them out so you can munch on them with your shot. Pleasantly lychee-syrup flavored with a faint hint of soju. This place does sake bombs! :D As long as you don't bang on the tables, it's alright with them :) Added bonus: Their bathroom is really clean and smells pleasant. None of that public bathroom stench! Definitely a permanent favorite place of mine in Boston now.
(5)Khara G.
Outside if finding an unfortunate surprise in the bottom of my miso soup, this place food-wise was really good. I ordered delivery and the bim bop, crab legs, and soup all were very tasty. However, 3/4 of the way through my soup I found an old rusty bobby pin in the bottom of the cup! I called to let management know and they didn't seem to care much that 1. That's just gross and 2. I could have choked on it/swallowed it! They did offer me a six dollar discount for my troubles... Bad customer service and apparently they aren't to clean in the kitchen...I won't be going back, not worth the risk in my book.
(1)Eric B.
This is a review of late-night sushi. Let's leave the controversy/questionable decision-making of ordering raw fish at midnight aside, and get down to the eating: Miso soup: standard, likely from a packaged mix, nothing special but pretty much what I expected Tuna roll: solid offering, although the roll diameter and fish to rice ratio was pretty small Spicy tuna roll: good, not great. Chopped tuna and cucumber sticks, which is a strange (and perhaps fish-skimping) addition to a sushi standard Spicy salmon with no cucumber by request: on the upside, I appreciated that they actually left out the cucumber, and even better that I got large pieces if salmon with spicy mayo instead. On the downside, the salmon was t the least bit firm; it was soft and borderline kinda slimy. Ew. Mind you, I ate it anyway, sacrificing myself for your knowledge. Yellowtail and scallion: loved it, as usual. Overall: food was mediocre, but good for the price. Perhaps I'll order again at normal people hours to check on the state of the salmon then.
(3)Hayley M.
Very solid sushi, even though it's very much a college spot. They have a lot of interesting and unique makis. I had the Celtics Maki, which was white tuna with cucumber, avocado, and asparagus (green and white. Get it?), the Fire Dragon Maki, which was shrimp and cucumber with spicy tuna on top, and the Crispy Spicy Tuna Maki, which was basically a Spicy Tuna with tempura flakes. Each one was really tasty. We also tried some of the basics, like the Shrimp Cucumber Roll, and the regular Spicy Tuna. Lots of fish, and it all tasted great. Very good. I will definitely be back. Just know that there are a million BU students that will surround you.
(4)Roman K.
I order here quite often since it is one of the few places around here I can get Korean food. The delivery is pricy, but the food is still decent. That being said, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND AGAINST ordering the SUKIYAKI soup. It's really hard to expect how much beef you will get in your soup. Some times, you get plenty amount just right for a satisfying meal, and at some times, you will scramble through the entire soup but you'll only find noodles and vegies. If you don't wanna risk $20 on a menu that can go severely wrong, don't order the sukiyaki.
(2)Stephen F.
Really bland spicy tuna which is, in my opinion, the cheese pizza of sushi restaurants. It was also poorly made. I had some specialty roles, which were also mediocre. It is open late night, which is a plus. But it is also kind of slow and average. Definitely much better places right up the street in Coolidge corner.
(3)Lacey Q.
Always great food. The servers are always so nice and attentive. I love that they are open when I get off work late.
(5)Kristen D.
They are so nice and the food tastes great!! Great place and I will definitely go there again!!
(5)Mallory C.
We ordered again for delivery, via grub hub for 3 people. I hit submit on my phone when we were in front of our apartment and no sooner had we gotten upstairs (via elevator) and unpacked a few groceries, our order was downstairs, and everything was correct, fresh, hot and delicious. I was AMAZED. Well worth the steeper price. Our all time favorite so far!
(5)Siobhan H.
Really poor quality. I'm disappointed because I've always had a decent experience when other places are closed but tonight was blah at best. I got a seemingly mini size order of spicy salmon maki that was barely spicy- minus the wasabi smeared all over. It was delivered mangled and falling apart- and best of all- missing salmon in some pieces.
(1)Bella C.
I somehow lucked out when I moved directly across the street from this hidden gem. I first discovered Kayuga through grubhub when I was craving late night sushi and they did not disappoint. After coming in a couple times for dinner I can confidently say this is my favorite Japanese restaurant in Boston. The service is great. Everyone is so nice! Especially the woman who made my drinks... Chocolate espresso martini is to die for. Even comes with a square of ghiradelli dark chocolate. YUM. I'll describe the food in one word : excellent. I love Kayuga!!!
(5)Rory I.
The best sushi you can get delivered in the area! Great options for vegetarians. Prompt delivery, low fee, no minimum order. Just plain tasty to boot. I ordered their salad the other day and they called to tell me that they'd changed which dressing they used and wanted to know if that was okay. Who does that? It was such a cute gesture. The spicy tofu is super delicious. And I love that they offer brown rice for anything and everything. I'd give five stars, but they discontinued one of my favorite rolls: the pop-eye! Delicious smoky spinach with carrot... Unique, nutritious, and delicious. If it ever comes back, I'll be so grateful.
(4)Judy G.
I wish their fish wasn't as fishy but I undeniably order in from here ALL the time. Their chicken teriyaki maki is so good, as is their sweetened tofu maki. The fish is fresh I'm sure, but it's just not as amazing as I'd want it to be if I'm going to eat it raw. Their Crazy noodles are also SO stinkin good! Such a college spot.
(3)Jenny T.
I came here for the very first time with my friend last week, and I must say I'm impressed. It's a bit of a low-key, small place though.. pretty much blends in with the smaller stores on the side so it's easily missed if you aren't on the prowl for it. Haha. We ordered a Dukbokki, Dragon Maki, College Maki, and Pad Thai. All of which were delicious! - The College Maki has become one of my FAVORITES! I'm obsessed for sure, haha. Came back the next day with my bf and I made sure I got myself another plate of it! x) What I like about this place is that, although it says "Japanese Restaurant," there is actually a bigger selection of foods. Not only do they have Japanese dishes, but also Korean ones as well. I like that. Overall, the service was great. And the food was awesome! I recommend it!
(4)Carrianne C.
I like Kayuga purely for takeout. I don't know why but it isn't as good when I sit down there. Weird. But i like the simple, more traditional sushi here. I'm not really a fan of their more complex crazy rolls. Their idaho roll is great though, and I think it's pretty good value. The owners know my bf by now because he orders so much and they are always really friendly- last time they included something extra in our takeout :) Anyways if you live nearby its worth checking out, even if you don't like sushi. They have noodles and fried rice dishes that are pretty good if thats your thing instead.
(4)Caroline E.
We had a great night here with great service and some amazing sushi and Korean dishes. The shortrib dish was out of this world- whatever that special sauce is, I need it! The sushi was very fresh, and the spicy tuna handroll was absolutely awesome. Also, I'd highly recommend any of the desserts. Fried ice cream and mochi were heavenly. Wish we lived closer or that I had known about this place in college!
(5)Ambrose C.
Located near a few residential areas of my school, I went to this place once when I was a student, but I did not come back often because I found the food to be so expensive, since I was only getting $60 per week at that time. I am actually wealthier now compared to how much I was making several years ago, so I would have more opportunities to visit. For my second visit, my family and I decided to come here to get some Japanese and dishes. I got two sushi rolls, a Crispy Spicy Tuna Maki and a Kani Katsu Maki, which has crab meat and it was covered in Katsu sauce. The Crispy Spicy Tuna was just decently good, loved the crispiness of the sushi, but the flavor of the tuna was just decent, needed some soy sauce for flavoring. The wasabi provided was a little strong, but also made the sushi tastier. The Gari that was provided was also decent. As for the Kani Katsu Maki, I also thought it was a decent dish, the sauce gave the sushi a good flavor, but I think the crab meat may have just a mediocre taste it I just ate it without the rice and the sauce. I thought the rice used for the sushi was fairly fresh. As for other dishes, I had some Beef Bulgolgi, I liked the Korean barbecue flavor of the beef, and I thought they were generous with the beef portions, but if the beef was not marinated, I think the beef would have been extremely mediocre. I think if they used thicker beef slices, like sirloin, it would have been an amazingly good dish. Shrimp tempura was decently good, had a good crispiness on the outside. The Korean "banchan", or side dishes were just satisfactory, not really amazing. I also had a Chicken Fried Rice dish, and it was also decently good, had some good spice in the flavor, and the chicken was a little juicy. One great advantage is that this place is open until 2 AM, so it's not a bad choice after a night out in the city. Service was just decent. Servers were always checking to see if we have enough water and they were fairly nice. The interior was okay, has a very modern contemporary and somewhat Asian feel. Overall, this is not a bad choice to get some decent sushi or Korean dishes. This is definitely not the best Japanese/Korean restaurant I have been to in Boston, but it's a good choice to get some sushi or Korean food at midnight and the service has been pleasant so far.
(3)Elektra A.
Had a pleasant meal with friend on an early Sat night. Shared the seaweed salad and edamame. I had a chirashi bowl for main, which came with salad and miso soup. I also substituted white rice for brown rice. Had green teat, as well - served in big mugs that was constantly refilled as needed. I was very pleased with the service - very efficient. Though not cheap, I think it was good value for the money, especially with the miso soup and salad with all entrees. Would definitely go again if in the area.
(4)Suzy D.
All of their standards are solid. I tend to rate places based on their gyoza and Kayuga has tasty tasty tasty gyoza. It's right on my walk home from work, so they get an A+ for convenience. Price is fair for the area. I never eat in, always grab it and go or get it delivered. And more importantly, when i screwed up my order and had it delivered to work instead of home, they begrudgingly brought it to my house a couple miles away from the original location. And the food didn't even look like it was spit on! Thanks, Kayuga!!!
(4)TnC M.
I've been a regular to kayuga for awhile now, and I've tried almost everything on their menu. The service is prompt and they always take care of their customers. Some of my favorites on their menu are Haedupbop - raw fillets of fish on top of rice, cucumber, carrot, and lettuce mix with a side of chojang (Korean spicy/vinegary sauce). I love their BU maki - deep fried eel, crab stick, avocado, cucumber, and cream cheese drizzled with spicy mayo and teriyaki sauce. My favorite appetizer is probably their Hotate Hokkaiyaki, definitely a must get.
(5)Barry G.
Is it possible to excel at mediocrity? Now, I dont really mean that as a bad thing - but it seems to be kind of accurate. Kayuga was a good restaurant. I would never avoid it, and would always go if someone wanted to. But I wouldnt necessarily seek it out over some better options. Nothing was bad. Everything was, well, perfectly adequate. The service was pleasant, and the ambience acceptable. The tea was good, the appetizers well made, and the sushi fresh and tasty. All good things. Just nothing extraordinary. And once again, this isnt a bad thing. The prices are very reasonable, the location is accessible and easy to get to (right off the BU North green line stop), and the restaurant is big enough that it isnt over packed (it seems sushi restaurants, more than any other type of cuisine, tend to be small with fewer tables.) So if you are in the area and want good sushi. Check it out. Convenient, affordable and good. If you are seeking the BEST sushi place in Boston, well, you may think it is, you may not. But dont expect it to be anything more than generic.... Which once again, as I have said over and over, isnt a bad thing.
(3)neal m.
Tasty and amazingly fast. We have ordered from Kayuga through GrubHub several times. Every single time the food arrived in less than half the stated time and piping hot. There is a lightness and depth of flavor that we have not found at other places. Our favorites are the Bulgogi - Spicy Pork & Beef and the Salmon Teriyaki. The Sushi Sampler is delicious. Order online, have it delivered, tip well and enjoy something amazing.
(4)Annie M.
Food is great and atmosphere is even better! The hottie with a body server(who works weeknights) makes the food that much more yummier.
(5)Katie V.
Once I ordered successfully from here, but I just had an experience that merits 1-star. I ordered from Foodler and they estimated the food would arrive at 10:45 pm (I ordered at 10 pm). It was a Tuesday night, late, so I'm not sure what happened -- how slammed could they have been? At 11pm, I called Kayuga to check on my order. I was told that the driver had left and was on his way. At 11:20, I called again and was told that the driver was ABOUT to leave. Needless to say, I was pissed. And in my opinion, the situation was handled poorly on their end -- no apology and when I said I had called and been told the driver had left, the woman said someone else, not her, had given me that information. She basically made the excuse that it wasn't her fault so what was my problem. I canceled my order because I didn't want to be eating my dinner at midnight. Very disappointed!
(1)Val C.
I wonder if we hit this place on a very, very bad day. Or maybe since Kayuga is open so late, people don't notice how bad the food is because they're intoxicated. In any event, I knew we should have turned back when we saw all the ripped up booth seats. My friend and I were seeing a concert across the street at the Paradise. We had some time to kill and we were very hungry. We walked into Kayuga and were seated promptly by a very nice waiter. He was just lovely and as we looked over the menus., warned me that a dish I was going to choose was very spicy. I appreciated it. We went with a calamari appetizer for starters. My friend ordered a meal that came with miso soup and a salad. All three items came out together. The salad looked as though it had been sitting in the fridge because the dressing was sort of coagulated and the lettuce was limp. The soup seemed fine. But the calamari was just gross. The cooking oil clearly needed to be changed. It had a burnt taste to it and was served with - MAYONAiSSE. What? I couldn't eat more than a bite. We should have sent it back. I don't know why we didn't. Soon after, our meals came. My friend got shrimp and vegetable tempura. I got spider maki. His tempura was pretty tasty. My maki came in four pieces, only two containing the shrimp that makes spider maki what it is. Again, the shrimp batter seemed burnt and overcooked. The sushi itself was dried out and I never would have guessed it was rolled by someone who knows what they are doing. I have had better sushi from the grocery store. I mean that sincerely. What a bummer and a big waste of money. Yuck. We will never go back here.
(1)Lily S.
The only reason im not giving this place 1 star is because the service was friendly. My friend and i ordered out a decent sized order (6rolls) and were told that the wait was about 15 minutes. It was around 4:30, so i figure the place was probably not that busy--yeay! We show up about 20 minutes after ordering..i pay, proceed to tip 2$ on the 50$ bill--i figure sure you dont really have to wait on me, but im sure its appreciated. As i finish signing the bill and hand it back to the hostess eagerly awaiting my food, she says oh it will be just another 15-20 minutes. uhh what? the place is fucking empty!!! there's one table of 3, and thats it!!! at this point its been 25 minutes and im like ok i guess ill go wait out side in the car with my friend....15 minutes later we finally get our food. we had the spicy tuna maki (not really spicy), the college maki --salmon was meh, crispy spicy tuna maki--the only really good roll, and the shrimp tempura, which was ok. Basically anything that had any sort of raw fish was bleh. i rather pay an extra 4 bucks a roll and get quality seafood. THUMBS DOWN.
(2)Yue C.
I came here just last night to see what the Kayuga hype was about. I sat at my table with only ice waters for about 10 minutes before a waiter finally came to take our order (mind you there were only 3 other tables at the time). I proceeded to order the sashimi sampler ($9.95), avocado tuna tempura salad (~$9), tempura spicy tuna maki (~$7), and 2 hot green teas ($0.75 ea). I was expecting my green tea to come out first, but in fact our waiter had forgotten about them and we received them after 2 dishes had already been brought to us. The first dish brought to us was the sashimi sampler. It was utterly disappointing with its 3 types of fish (tuna, salmon, and yellowtail) and its measly 9 slices of fish. The fish were not vibrantly colored, were cut very thinly, and were folded to seem as though there were more pieces. Then came the avocado tuna salad. This dish was all right, though it could have been a slightly larger portion. There were small nearly quarter sized pieces of avocado and tuna thrown into a mix of tempura flakes, cucumber strips, thin imitation crab stringy pieces, and some kind of mediocre dressing (I can't recall what it was). Finally came our maki, which was only 6 pieces of sushi that looked as though they had been premade and packaged in a box for a while. Though the food was bearable, I would never recommend anyone to eat here. The portion sizes, quality of fish, and service was not worth ~$30 for two. I could pay that much for two at Bon Chon in Allston for so much more and for better quality food. Save yourself the money and trouble.
(1)Priscilla T.
Not half bad. There are no judgments at Kayuga for coming here with the sole purpose of sake bombing. The food is alright, and the service is friendly (albeit a few sandwiches short of a proper picnic). The gyoza and agedashi tofu are tasty. Sushi selection is kinda limited though unless you like eel - it's in everything.
(3)Sandra C.
A little bit on the pricey side, I wouldn't come here on a normal day just to grab lunch--because honey, I ain't made of money. But I do recommend Alan's Special. It's deep fried salmon sushi, and it takes awhile to prepare, but it is nonetheless worth the wait. My little sister swears by it. Everything else is mediocre. But hey! It closes at 2am on Saturday night. Doesn't card at the door so that my underage friends can eat there too. But at the same time, I can order a drink and everyone is happy.
(4)Nicole S.
One of my new favorite foods is Bibimbob, a Korean dish that includes rice, veggies, an fried egg, sauce, and other pickled sides. Well getting Okdol Bibimbob is taking this to another level. Getting this is having Bibimbob served in a hot stone dish. HOT! Spring for the extra dollar since it makes the difference. When you get Okdol Bibimbob you better watch your hands since the stone serving pot is extremely hot, so hot your meal is sizzling when it arrives. The rice is the first layer in the dish so it the grains become crunchy from the extra heat. Carefully scrape the rice off the bowl and enjoy. Besides the rice getting delightfully crunchy it keeps your meal warm for a very long time.
(4)Lynn C.
This review is for delivery only. We've yet ventured into the restaurant itself. Feeling a little lazy today, I decided to order food from Foodler. After perusing the restaurants that actually deliver to Cambridge, I came upon Kayuga with decent price and good selections. There is no delivery minimum (!!!) and i had a 15% off coupon for first time delivery. The bill is thus: - Spicy Pork Bulgogi: $13.25 - Sake(3): $6.10 - Spicy Salmon Maki: $5.00 Subtotal: $24.35 15% off (first time delivery): -$3.65 Restaurant Delivery Fee: $2.00 Distance Surcharge: $1.00 7% Meals Tax: $1.45 Tip: $2.07 Total: $27.22 It arrived at around 7:35, five minutes later than estimated time, which I think is pretty good. The sashimi was in excellent quality (very fresh!) The spicy salmon maki could have had better rice, but overall was okay. The spicy bulgogi was too salty and tasted like the hot sauce they used. I've had better. The best part is the four side dishes (kimchi, cucumbers, bean sprout, and daikon) and miso soup that came with. I would definitely order from here again on a night when I'm not feeling adventurous and just want some comfort asian food for my tummy.
(4)A C.
I love this place. I honestly do. And do you know why? because they know how to treat their customers. the food is not spectacular, but the service and friendliness that Sue and her staff have is well worth it. And they have good drinks for good prices and they're the only place that i know of that has the korean anju "dry fish". Also the sushi is very good and the jigae as well.
(5)Sarah C.
I really really LOVE this place. Truthfully I only ever order take out so I've not had the full dining experience. That being said, their food is SOO delicious and very reasonably priced. They have excellent sushi served with really fresh seafood and ingredients. My other favorite dish here is the Bulgogi which is a marinated beef. It so extremely flavorful and can easily feed 2 people. They also serve all their entree dishes with a kimchi and pickled vegetable salad which is amazing. Definitely one of my top take out restaurants on Foodler. I can't wait to dine in here and update my review.
(4)Stephanie H.
mediocre. nothing to rave or complain about. prompt and attentive service (granted, it was surprisingly empty when we went for a late thursday night dinner). reasonable prices. their sushi rolls were enjoyable but definitely not memorable as i cant recall what we ordered. kayuga exudes a sit down and take your time vibe rather than a quick lets wolf down our food feel. (mediocre places equate to such bland reviews. consequence of being simply indifferent to kayuga)!
(3)Sheila S.
Got takeout so cannot comment on the restaurant, but delivery came within quoted time, pad thai was still hot, and sushi was good.
(4)David Z.
I live nearby and I go eat at Kayuga pretty regularly, usually Friday or Saturday nights. The food is great and the hostess, Sue, is really awesome. My friends go there even more often than I do--and some times when Sue sees use there, they'll surprise with a special dish on the house. The Rainbow Roll here is great--I can't even eat rainbow rolls from anywhere else anymore. I would recommend this place. And if you like it, go there often and get Sue to recognize you--they're really good to loyal customers.
(5)Emma B.
Black Forest maki is delicious! Perfect for that eel craving with subtle sweet potato and LOADS of avocado
(4)Sadayu L.
This is the place that I would recommend for people who love grilled Saba(mackerel). I ordered this dish at least twice a week. They did a pretty good job with delivery, never took me over an hour to get the food so far. But, the bottom line is they open until 2am. So, what are you waiting for? Order it, before they run out of Saba.
(5)Christina Z.
Convenient if you're in the area and jones'ing for some pretty good sushi and don't feel like making the trek to Fugakyu. Their tempura is delicious - Idaho maki is my absolute fave. They seriously need to add more ginger to the plate because I'm always guilty of swiping my neighbor's extra. Good amount of wasabi. I really enjoyed their Atlantic Maki - with shrimp tempura, mango, avocado, and spicy lobster topping, it easily could have been overkill. I wasn't bowled over by the sushi (as I have been at Red Lantern), but $11 for 6 large pieces, I wasn't complaining. Edamame could have used a sauce on the side. Don't get me wrong, I like this place, and their Ikea lights and black walls. It's just no Fugakyu, which is like the Disney World of sushi ambiance - and koi pond. I always find myself comparing sushi and sushi places because none of it is ever BAD, just not fantastic.
(3)Hogger K.
I ordered take-out from this place and it's pretty good. Like a previous reviewer, there was some problems with the timing (i.e. it took much longer than what I was told on the phone). Also, I'm kind of wary of places that try to do the Korean-Japanese fusion thing. But the Kimchi pancakes were actually surprisingly good. The seaweed salad was passable. And the rest of the maki ordered was decent. Is the food world-class? No. But is it a good value for your money? Yes. Will I go there again? Definitely. If you're looking for something a bit better in quality (and also a bit more expensive), then you can order from Fins. But honestly, the difference between the two places is not that great. The other surprising thing is that the inside is far more attractive than I expected. And they probably have the coolest ceiling fans I've ever seen in a restaurant.
(4)Justin Gwailo H.
Went here because this is one of the very few places that opens late on weekends. The sushi/sashimi platter for 2 was just okay. Some of the fish did not taste that fresh (luckily we didn't get sick or anything)!!! They could have made the portions more generous.
(3)Sarah A.
I don't know about anybody else, but when I get home from the bars and I'm preeeetty tipsy, I tend to want SUSHI. Thank goodness for Kayuga..they're open until 2am and they deliver!! Granted I've only had their food drunk so I'm not sure how much I'd like it sober. But I have no complaints from what I've ordered! I usually get the College Maki (bomb!) and either tempura or agedashi tofu. All items are awesome and help soak up the alcohol so I'm less hungover in the morning. I've never actually eaten here so I can't comment on the service or anything else, but for drunk munchies, I recommend Kayuga :)
(4)Liz K.
This is hands down my favorite japanese/sushi place in Boston! I order it to be delivered to my apartment all the time and have gone to sit down a few times too. The chicken maki roll is my favorite. It is a chicken terriyaki sushi roll for those of you who are not fish lovers. They also have the same one with salmon or steak too. The service was great the times I have gone in to sit down. They are very attentive and it is never really that busy when I go during the week which is nice- never had to wait for a table. I have brought friends there that have become hooked and tell me that they now order it delivered whenever they are in the mood for sushi.
(4)Jonathan Y.
The sushi here is to die for. The presentation is wonderful and the prices are modest for the location being right across the street from BU. I've eaten here numerous times and gotten take out. There has never been a bad experience. Great spot to take a date or go for a business lunch.
(5)Nouf A.
Never again. The service here is so bad.. The lady at the reception is so rude and arrogant.. Not worth it when the food is over priced and if there is such bad Managment of this place who knows how our food is made in that back. Never. Again.
(1)Chann C.
I ordered the fire dragon maki, my mom had the rainbow maki and my dad had the crazy fried rice. The sushi wasn't anything special. I've eaten at a lot of sushi places and this was just OK. The chicken in the fried rice was very dry. The dish overall was bland. When we placed our order, we ordered a california roll maki to-go. In the whole restaurant, there were only about 6 other people in there eating. By the time our meal was finished and we paid the bill, the waiter did not even place our order in for the sushi we wanted for take out. We didn't want it anymore and just left.
(3)Kristin P.
Kayuga was....weird. Since Privus closed (so sad...) and my main source of sushi has been Fins, I wanted to try someplace different and did not want to go to Fugakyu. So to Kayuga we went. We went around dinner time during the week and the place was pretty empty. There was also rap music playing from what sounded like a busted speaker. I found not only the type of music, but the awful sound to be strange. However, our waitress was very friendly and the sushi we got was very tasty. We ordered the sashimi sampler, which was very fresh and just enough sashimi, and the seaweed salad for an appetizer. The seaweed salad actually had a tomato and cucumbers in it, which was different but hey, I like cucumbers so i ate them! Then we split a spicy tuna roll, the catapiller rool, and the dragon roll. Everything looked good, tasted good and was reasonably priced. To sum it up - the food was all really good, but the atmostphere and the place itself was weird. But I'd go back!
(3)Michelle W.
I started off loving Kayuga. The rainbow roll, red sox roll, spider roll, dragon roll, gyoza, seafood pancake, everything was delicious. Absolutely looked forward to yummy and affordable sushi as take out. Then, a few weeks ago, I got take out from Kayuga, and got horribly ill after I ate the sushi. Thought it was a fluke--maybe I was getting sick anyway? Nope. Next time, I got sick again, WORSE than before, and realized, it might not be me. Got sushi from another restaurant, then another, and have had no issues since. No more ordering from Kayuga. Not sure what changed in their menu or ingredient list but never getting food there again.
(2)Cassie H.
My husband and I were feeling lazy and wanted to order sushi delivery. We decided to give Kayuga a try since it was close and seemed decently priced on the online menu. When the food was delivered, we were in for a surprise. The portions were half the size of most sushi orders at other restaurants. We ended up having an ordered in appetizer instead of an ordered in dinner. The sushi was fresh, but generally tasteless. The volano roll had a strange sweet aftertaste to it, making it utterly disappointing. The shrimp tempura maki was average at best, and the Boston maki was alright but not memorable. We definitely won't be trying Kayuga again with all the other sushi options out there.
(2)Matt S.
I'm biased because I've been going there practically since it opened in early 2004 (I make a point of going whenever I'm back in Boston), and I know the owner (from being a regular for six years) and several of the waitresses (though my crushes have long since moved on). if you're a vegetarian or have lots of vegetarian friends (or just like variety), THIS IS THE PLACE! If you love the fish and shellfish and crustaceans, this is pretty solid too. Don't listen to the haters on here: I've never gotten bad fish here once (and I've had most of the menu, except the hotpot and the baby octopus). only complaint is that the prices have gone up (but, really, it's seafood) and that the saba shioyaki is a little salty. and that as I (only temporarily) no longer live in Boston, I can't go here so much anymore. I miss Sushi Bowl, which I and a friend did every Super Bowl! It's a Korean, not a Japanese place (I think the only people of japanese descent beside two of the chefs working there were three waitresses, and they were all American), so trust the kimchibokum, okdul bibimbap, and spicy pork bulgogi. they're fantastic (comparable to Buk Kyung II). and the owner makes the best White Russian in town. Go alone or with friends. As long as no one requests karaoke, it's all good.
(5)K S.
This place is perfect for groups, where else can you find a decent enough restuarant that serves many different dishes from thai, korea, to japanese. Everything is delicious and prompt service. oh yeah don't forget the lychee SOJU!
(5)Al C.
I just ordered delivery from here last night. Took about an hour to the Fenway area with a delivery charge and extra distance charge. Oh well. Now to the food. I ordered a Kimchi Jigae and a Spicy Scallop Roll with tempura flakes. Kimchi Jigae: I'd have to say, up there with the best (Yasu, Colors, that place in the back of Super 88 Food Court). Price wise, it was comparable to Yasu, but definitely worth it! It was delivered hot (as it should be) and was flavorful and spicy! I would definitely get it again! Spicy Scallop Roll: eh.. The scallop portion in the sushi was great. The amount of rice on the maki roll was great. The rice flavoring was off but the rice was fresh. I eat a lot of sushi. I would say this was on par with sushi rice flavoring you get from a grocery store. For an extra $0.75 for tempura flakes, there definitely wasn't enough. The spicy mayo was average. Overall, it was ok. First time ordering from here... but overall I was pleased. I didn't mind the wait or the extra charges, because the jigae was hot (temperature and spicy) and well worth it.
(4)Renee M.
I've been to Kayuga quite a few times, and have always enjoyed my meals here. My favorite roll is definitely the Spider Roll- I think it has tempura crab in it- delicious!! The atmosphere here is whatever, there's a cool booth in the front that I've always wanted to sit in, but haven't gotten the chance to. I think it's funny that its like ALWAYS empty in here. I have never seen it crowded. EVER.
(4)Lauren M.
SO GOOD!!! My absolute favorite from this place is the College Maki. I highly recommend it. Everything is so fresh. So convenient that they deliver too!
(5)Jenna A.
I showed up with a group of friends shortly before 4pm on Sunday. It was EMPTY. Perfect! I had never actually had sushi before. The entire table was shocked. I suppose that since I'm a sushi newbie, I can't comment on the quality of the food... but I definitely enjoyed it. I had the spicy tuna maki and inari -- both were tasty. (I also got to try all the veggie sushi options and I'd order any of them.) My friends, all fans of sushi, seemed happy with their food. For six pieces of spicy tuna and two pieces of inari, my bill came to just under $12 including tax and an 18% tip. (Yes, that's right: if you show up with a group of people -- in our case, seven of us -- they add an 18% tip automatically. I tip well, so I'm not a fan when they do this.) I don't know the going price of sushi, but I thought it was reasonable. Service was pretty good, but I was enjoying the company, so I'm not sure how quick it actually was. But when I ran out of water, it was refilled... and when we received the bill and kind of stared at it for a minute trying to figure out what we owed, the server automatically asked if we wanted them to split the bill for us. Change came quickly, too. (That's a pet peeve of mine: when you pay the bill and then they wait 10 minutes to bring back the change. Didn't happen here!) I'll definitely come back.
(4)Mimi H.
I spent all last summer living in Tokyo and Kayuga's food taste extremely close to the real thing, if not dead on. I first noticed it when I tried the yaki soba. As silly as it sounds as soon it entered my mouth I had a taste flash back to eating yaki soba at 5 o'clock in the morning in a Karaoke room in Shibuya. The Chicken tatsu and fried tofu are also amazing. And omg croquettes!? I don't know where else around here you can get croquettes. They also have korean food and soju. Serivice is okay, could be better. And it's a bit pricey. But I def recommend it for casual japanese food lovers.
(4)Daphna R.
This place is great, though not open for lunch. High quality fish, wheat free soy sauce, and the ginger/citrus salad dressing IS gluten free.
(4)Sasha M.
I was craving late night sushi around midnight & alot of places around boston close early except ChinaTown but I've been to Chi-town so many times I wanted to find another place. Went to Kayuga, which closes at 2am...it was empty cuz it was late night on a monday but the food was good...Sushi had great presentation...nice ambiance...and all the Sojus are great! I had Lychee Soju & it barely tastes like alcohol but gives u a good buzz. Also, the waiters/waitresses are very nice and polite. I will b back again for more soju!
(5)H. A.
Kayuga used to be pretty decent. The quality has greatly declined since I ate here relatively regularly. It's the kind of place where you would want to stick with maki because you can't trust the nigiri or sashimi. Unfortunately, when I got a maki here last week, not only was it mediocre (rainbow roll with brown rice) with an off-putting taste, I bit into a staple lodged in my rice. Disgusting.
(1)Peter W.
I've been a regular at Kayuga for a number of years (probably close to when they opened). It's a great neighborhood restaurant that has good food served by good people. The menu is a mix of sushi and Korean dishes. They execute the sushi, sashimi, and makimono very well. I really like the spicy Korean dishes, especially the Yook Gae Jang (spicy beef soup). The appetizers are good as well - try the seafood pancake.
(4)Alison C.
Went here after Flight of the Conchords last weekend. It wasn't as crowded as some of the other restaurants, and I heard they had great sake. And they were open late. SOLD. And in fact, they DID have wonderful sake. The sake itself came in a small container but it went down smooth and was absolutely delicious. The beers were large enough to get the job done, no complaints here. But what is really outstanding about my sake bombing experience at Kayuga was that the staff didn't look down on us for getting outrageously drunk on sake, which is what I've experienced at a lot of other places. THE NERVE. But seriously, the waitresses were really fun. Anyways, they had great vegetable steamed gyoza as well, and everyone around us was having a ball. Loved it, will be back.
(4)Sabrina L.
1. Our Party of 3 arrived in happy moods and greeted the server with happy smiles - we were there to celebrate! 2. The server snickered and said the requested seating area was CLOSED, even though it was an empty restaurant. (For a reason...) 3. My friend asked, "Would you recommend the mango or the pina?" Server snickered again. "That depends on you." No smiles. Dead pan face. 4. Food came with no smiles. Annoyed like we made a mess and called her names. Server filled my other friend's soda cup with water. "Oops, sorry," she said. "But not refills. You have to pay." 5. The server snickered some more. 6. Two out of three of us got sick the next day. 7. The End. Highly NOT recommended unless you have the personality and stomach of a rock. And desperate for Asian cuisine. Why not go across the street to Brown Sugar Thai? Unfortunatetly, they were closed for renovation yesterday :(
(1)Gregory S.
I've been meaning to write a review for a while. I've been ordering from Kayuga for about a year now. The quality is always very good, the delivery time is very respectable, and the staff are always very polite. They are my go-to place for food delivery, period.
(5)Adolfo V.
The Kayuga Udon is excellente! Someone said Kayuga was the official Udon of the Red Sox. I'm not sure that's correct but it's definitely worth the trip if you're anywhere near Boston.
(5)Beryl L.
I was in town visiting a close friend of mine and I was in the mood for sushi. She brought me to Kayuga and now I wish there was one in NYC! The fish was so fresh and amazing. The staff was extremely friendly and it's nice to see that the owner is so involved with her business. Now every time I go to Boston, it's my first stop!
(5)Ted D.
I Love Kayuga. This is one of the better Sushi places in Brookline. Always clean and the decor is as fresh as the fish. Plenty of other dishes are on the menu for friends that don't like Sushi. This owner operated resturaunt has always delivered fresh fish and excellent service. Sue seems to run the show here and she recognized me the second time I went in. She always makes sure everything is perfect. If it isn't perfect it would get fixed right away I am sure of it. I definitly recommend this to anyone who likes Sushi or Korean dishes like Bibimbob or Kimchi. If you don't know what asian foods you like, then this is a must try.
(5)Danielle W.
GROSS!! I wish I had read the negative reviews first. DO NOT eat here if you want to stay healthy. I have had some bad food in my time, but nothing has ever made me as sick as this sushi made me. I think I would rather have my appendix removed again! After 4 hours in the ER to get enough fluid in me to keep from passing out, this turned into the most expensive, crappy meal I have ever had. Reading other reviews I found that this is not the first case of food poisoning! Really! They clearly do not care about the health of their customers or their reputation.
(1)Lillian W.
Meh. So I went to Kayuga for the first time last night. I've walked by it plenty of times and noticed it had a really nice sign. I thought a nice sign would correlate with a nice inside but that was not the case. I mean it had some nice tvs and stuff but the restaurant itself isn't anything special. Clean. Simple. But hey, the sign is really cool! I had the Nabeyaki Udon cause I was cravin' me some noodles. There couldn't've been more than 10 customers in the restaurant, so I was really surprised that the food took so long. It's noodles--c'mon! But my friend informed me that it's always slow (--that doesn't make it okay!). Anyhow, the bowls come out super hot so you have to be really careful. I found the broth to be a little too salty but that's fine since the waitress kept refilling my water. Maybe I'll come back again sometime to try the sushi... or their korean specials.
(3)Kara B.
Got delivery from here. Meh.
(3)Lala I.
been there a few times. decent korean food and sushi, but the food takes forever to come out. if you are starving or in a hurry, dun go to this place. grape soju is recommended.
(4)Julia F.
I have been here many times, and I have yet to be disappointed. I have missed all the karaoke, which is possibly why I still feel this way. I loved the service, all the waitresses and waiters were really nice, careful to get you exactly what you asked for, if it differed from what was on the menu... I went there last year with the same group of people and we would be seated right away, and yes, we ran up a huge bill and tipped very well each time, but the service was the same when I went with others and didn't order as much to drink, ecc. We got a sushi plate "on the house" the last time I went there, it was AMAZING. I love being able to try things that I wouldn't otherwise try. I actually ate EEL! My god... my life has not been the same. Thank you Kayuga for breaking me out of my shell.
(4)Sarah F.
I had the snow maki, spider maki, and shrimp tempura maki. The only decent part of it was the order of steamed rice. The snow maki had a burnt torched taste to it and I ended up tossing it out. The amount of fish in the roll was pitiful. The batter on the spider roll was really greasy, not to mention it was almost all batter and one itty bitty crab leg. Hands down the worst sushi I've had from anywhere.
(1)Ellie B.
I really want to love this place, because it was recommended to me by a very good friend of mine, who has great taste in all things, but unfortunately, it's just not meant to be. The restaurant itself is a great space, with high ceilings and dark walls, televisions above the bar and on the wall across from the bar, and two sushi/liquor bars with really cool Japanese-style decorations. There's also a small area in the front of the restaurant, sort of a cross between a booth and a private room, enclosed but still easily accessible and not completely cut off from the hubbub of the rest of the restaurant. Not that there has been any hubbub the two or three times I've been here, but I assume there's hubbub at some time, I just don't know when. Probably the coolest thing about the interior are the ceiling fans, which sounds weird, I know. Instead of having all the blades spin in the same direction they sort of spin into and over/under each other...kind of. It looks really cool when you're sitting below and looking up. The problem, I guess, is that I've had better sushi and paid less than I did at Kayuga. I always use the Spicy Tuna as my test roll, and here it was really mayonaissey, not how I like my Spicy Tuna at all. That being said, the Black Forest Maki is amazing and well worth the price, but I wouldn't say that anything else I tried was.
(3)Julie T.
Kayuga has decent food. It's in a close proximity to a ton of other places with much better food so I don't ever usually come here unless friends wanna drink or whatever. Being that I don't (aka. can't) drink, I sit and eat and watch everyone else get drunk. Let me tell you what happened last night. Let me start off by saying that I have drank at Kayuga before and they didn't ID or say anything to me and this has happened numerous times. Last night was not the same. I came in and was asked if I wanted a drink and thinking that she wasn't checking, I said sure. She asked for my ID and I just kind of smiled and said that I wasn't of age. She smiled back and said okay. As all of my friends came around and the drinks started pouring, food and junk was getting pushed down to my end. I sat there watching everyone drink and giggle while eating a huge plate of mediocre kimchi fried rice. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a random waitress came up behind me and said: "Is that your drink?" She pointed to a watered-down, almost empty glass of Sex on the Beach that my friend had ordered two hours earlier. "No." I said. "Well, you can't drink!" And as soon as she said that, she quickly stormed away. So I said, very loudly, "Wow, you guys are fucking adamant!" I didn't have my hand on the glass nor did I show or have any intention of drinking the drink and she was incredibly rude to remind me that I couldn't drink before I even thought of consuming. But that's just a personal issue so I will not hold that against my review. I did think, however, that their food was pretty lame and service isn't all too hot. I give it two because they have decent and edible food, but the way that waitress spoke to me left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
(2)Brooke L.
Simply amazing... the prices are normal (not cheap) but the food is totally worth it. Try the Tropical Maki (it has mango in it!!) The shumai is also delicious, as is the sauce that comes with it, which is officially the best sauce I've ever had with shumai or gyoza. I love how you can see the chefs cooking in the back, and they always seem friendly and happy. Also, when you take out food the girls at the front are usually really polite and sweet. Best of all, they're open late!! Healthier than a late-night drunk-munchies pizza craving. This is my favorite Sushi restaurant in Boston, and I've eaten at a LOT of sushi restaurants in my life. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM KAYUGA
(5)Amanda J.
Still just "ok." The Bruins were on, the game was intense, I did not want to miss it... but I wanted sushi. Okay Kayuga, you get another try in my book. My friend and I each tried the spicy salmon and I again got the spicy tuna. He also got an Idaho maki which is basically sweet potato fries and teriyaki sauce in a sushi roll. While the ratio of spicy mayo to fish was greatly improved, there was still too much rice. Lots more flavor this time. We also got a fried pork app. which was kind of dry so that was disappointing but it had a great sauce with it that I really enjoyed. The delivery is really fast, I definitely appreciate it. But this is definitely just a take out place for me every once and a while.
(3)christine c.
Had some super overpriced sushi and chicken wings here once. All pretty good, glad they're open so late... but it's a terrible idea if you have drunken munchies to eat sushi. I suggest they close before 1:30... for my sake.
(3)Jennifer M.
Ordered delivery this afternoon. Food was fine but tiny portion size - 6 small pieces of sushi for about $5. What wasn't fine is that I just got a call (yes, at midnight - my order was placed at 4 in the afternoon) asking to add a dollar to my bill because the delivery was in a different zone. This charge wasn't advertised at all nor mentioned upon delivery. And seriously, who calls people at midnight asking for a DOLLAR? Should've just paid in cash and been done with it. Never ordering from them again; no idea what they're up to.
(1)Grace S.
Pros: Only legit Japanese restaurant in the neighborhood. Certainly decent food. Cons: A bit expensive. Much better Japanese food to be had in other parts of the city. Balance: CONS BOTTOM LINE: There's nothing wrong with this place, but in the city, you can do better, and in the 'hood, you can do cheaper.
(3)Dave J.
The sushi looked like is was prepared by the dish washer, not the chef. I've been to many, many sushi restaurants and their sushi has always had a uniformed look. The maki rolls looked like they were hacked by a dull machete. Absolutely horrible. We ordered the fried pork dumplings and it was clearly evident that they were fried in old, heavily used oil. We went there on a Friday and it was almost empty. The service was friendly and I felt bad, because a negative experience = no customers = no tips.
(1)Mandy L.
Sushi is deec....kinda pricey. Good place to have a party with the sake bombs. But be warned....its been loud most of the times I have gone!
(3)Trish F.
The servers here are like hawks. I don't think my water got past half full during the entire meal. We had about 3 people waiting on us and they were totally on their game. This place is pretty good. I usually head in before a show at the Paradise but I probably wouldn't trek here otherwise. I was not impressed with their spider roll (my favorite), but the other sushi was good (caterpillar, dragon). Their fried green tea ice cream was soooo yummy.. minus the random rainbow colored sprinkles. They just seemed awkward and out of place. But that's just me being a little cray. Minus points for not having one of those velvet curtains to keep out the cold. BRRRR! We were seated towards the back, but could definitely feel the chill every time someone came in. I had to leave my ankle length coat on all night.. and I'm not usually someone who gets cold easily. Also, the bathroom is kind of heinous. Not to mention whenever I come in and sit at the bar, I almost die because of their backless non-stool chairs.
(3)Will N.
This is not a pretty good place. The food is good and the service is rather speedy. Surprisingly, I ordered a scotch on the rocks and it was only $8. This restaurant turns into a "lounge" type of place after dinner hours, but they still serve food. The only bad thing about the joint is that it does get loud and hot as more people pack the restaurant. Parking is horrible on Comm. Ave, so if you go..take the T. However, i will surely go back there to entertain friends.
(3)Melissa H.
Good food. Terrible drinks! Save your money for rolls. Catapillar roll was the bomb.
(3)Brian S.
Weird set up of the restaurant, but I love this place. They have really good sushi and other dishes too. The greatest part is that they don't get mad when the obnoxious drunks sake bomb throughout their dinner. (Thats me!) The waitresses are always very unassuming and enjoy the debauchery. It seems to liven up their night. I would say the prices are normal for Japanese restaurants in the area, kind of on the "more expensive than it should be, but I still want to pay for it anyways" price.
(4)Rebecca H.
I don't know why, but everytime I walked by this place, I regarded it with disdain. From the outside, I always felt it looked a little junky, so I was not gung-ho when my friend suggested trying it out the other night. You truly can't judge a book by its cover. The interior is open and light, the service is very friendly, and the overall atmosphere is great for sitting and chatting with friends. The sushi was delicious! Not like, OMG TEH BEST SUSHI EVAAA! But it was really good, tasted fresh and light and yummy. We ordered tea, miso soup, spicy tuna maki, catipillar (eel, avocado, salmon, fish egg) rolls, and "idaho" maki (sweet potato tempura). It was SO good, we were SO full, and it only set us back 14 bucks each (including tax and tip). Then it was on over to the 'Dise with our bellies full of sushi yumminess. Will never look at this place the same way again.
(4)Casey F.
What I learned Friday: I love hot pots! It's like fondue, only slightly healthier, as in a LOT healthier. Brown Sugar was packed, so the bf and I tried this place. I insisted on ordering the hot pots. We got a lamb and a pork combo. The meat comes in very very thin slices, and you cook it in boiling broth at the table! We got one chicken broth and one Thai broth, which was a little spicey and very flavorful. I liked combining the chicken with the Thai. Veggies and noodles for cooking come too. There's dipping sauce and rice. Yum. The service was good, a little disorganized. Ambiance - ok. It's got nothing on Brown Sugar, but it's fine. I've heard bad things about the sushi from friends, but I would definitely return for hot pots. In fact, i'm on a hot pot mission now! In conclusion, Hot Pots = So Fun.
(4)Cecilia L.
I used to live across the street and the maki is decent and well priced. Nigiri and sashimi are blah, so stick to the rolls. Most importantly, it's open until 2 am. The atmosphere is really weird. It's dimly lit and always playing bad techno and all the fish is hidden from view. It's also usually empty except on weekends, when Asian BU kids come here to eat and scorpion bowl before/after clubbing.
(3)Alex L.
Not the greatest food here, but I will give them props for being open late night, having delivery, and often having uni (that's FRESH!). No dishes stand out as fantastic, and no dishes stand out as abysmal.
(4)Alex T.
They serve food here?! I kid, I kid. Kayuga is drink and lounge spot fo college students. It took over from Maluken from when I was a college student. You can tell because they have fruit plates and fried chicken. If you're paying for fruit, at a restaurant, the likelihood is that people go there to drink. My favorite drink here is the grape soju, which comes in a pitcher, and real grape halves on the bottom. It's a tasty drink and you can hardly taste the alchohol until it's too late! I've also had the food here. The sushi and sahimi is of the "OK" variety. Nothing stands out. I do like the steak tataki here although the portions are small. Overall, it's a geat place to hang out but I wouldn't be expecting much of a serious dining experience here. There is plenty of room and big tables for groups. Large flat screens for all sports events is certainly a plus here. Go! Drink! Be merry!
(3)Josh C.
I have long been thinking about giving Kayuga a try since it is opened. It is a neighborhood restaurant next to my favorite late night spot, Quan's Kitchen. Tonight, I had a sudden crave for Korean or Japanese after eating Asian fusion cuisne in JP for early dinner. Ambiance here isn't fancy, just plain. I ordered seaweed salad, Age dashi tofu, Kimchee Fried Rice and Green Tea for dinner. I loved them all. Green Tea is good quality and free of charge (some bloody Japanese restaurant charge money for it). Seaweed Salad and Agedashi Tofu are excellent (pass my Japanese standard). I didn'r realize that Miso soup and small size salad are offered along any meal. So I sat alone with my favorite food book surrounded by dishes of food. Kimchee fried rice is one of the best I have ever had. Food here is inexpensive. I used to wonder why this place is a popular late night Japanese restaurant. Inexpensice Pricing and Tasty food draw people here. I made the right choice tonight and ate like PIG. Come in hungry and left here stuffed Good Eat............very good eat Food is served until 1am, bar close at 2am daily.
(4)Dillon B.
Stick to something other than sushi. The quality of the fish is pretty poor. The only people who seem to have good things to say about the sushi are getting vegetarian sushi (which to me isn't sushi, it's just veggies and rice) so that should tell you something. I've made it a rule of thumb - If a place is billed as Japanese but they are serving Korean/Chinese/etc food, it might be best to avoid their Japanese offerings. More often than not the quality is poor.
(2)Annette A.
Loved the sushi, loved our fried tofu appetizer. The service was friendly. If I had a complaint, it would be that the interior looks like a college dining hall.
(3)Andre C.
Ordered some delivery sushi from here a couple of days ago ... BAD MISTAKE. I got sick. Really sick. I'd never eat here again.
(1)Lindsey V.
One of the best places for sushi in Boston. And so cheap!!! Great selection of rolls, and the warm house sake is perfect. They staff is always super friendly and attentive as well. Favorite date night spot.
(5)Jenny K.
One of my favorite restaurants!!!!! Price is totallllly reasonable. You get the same quality, if not better, as expensive and popular places like fugakyu but price is wayyyy better. You're missing out if you have never been here. Food is consistently good, service is great, and love the atmosphere! Check it out!
(5)Dynne S.
I miss the Karaoke and the old set up of tables. Now there is a bar there - the up side is that there are large flat screen tv's for viewing. The food is decent. As a Korean, I have high standards for authentic food. However, there really hasn't been a dish that I've been particularly disappointed with.
(3)Jimmy H.
Shabu shabu is really hard to fail. Unless waitresses and/or waiters are total dick to you, they usually gets 4 stars. Service isn't impressively good, but they are polite. I haven't tried anything other than shabu shabu. So I can't say much about their sushi.
(4)Jackie C.
This place is probably better for drinking than for eating. The food service could be a bit faster, some times it takes forever for the food to come out. The staff is nice enough but the food isn't the best. If I was craving japanese food and this was the only place open, I wouldn't mind coming here, otherwise, I'd probably go somewhere else.
(3)Steiner H.
This is our favorite Japanese restaurant in Boston! The sushi is really fresh, iinnovative, full of amazing flavors and a yummy. Last night (9/25) we went again and we're surprised by the new SUSHI PIZZA. OMG! The tuna sushi pizza was amazing! It was covered in tuna and the flavors were sensational. Don't miss Alan's Maki, the Halloween maki, spicy tuna maki, patriot maki. If you're looking for other flavors try the Korean food. The BimBobo is yummy too. Oh...the new mochi - chocolate mint, chocolate coconut and watermelon along with strawberry are great meal enders What's more, the new staff are really friendly.
(5)Andra Z.
Sushi. I am officially obsessed. I'm attempting, successfully poor wallet, to eat at as many sushi places around my apartment as possible. Kayuga is a bit of a hike, but for good sushi that's acceptable, right? For Kayuga, unfortunately, it's not. I've only eaten here once and had take out twice. It's incredibly precise and sloppy. I know, oxymoron, but it's well...it's that. When I've had take out, it's packed so precisely into the box I can't tell if a person did it or a machine. And the rice on the rolls doesn't really even look like rice it's packed so tight. It makes me think of those industrial machines from 20s movies. The man who puts the screws on, the man who tightens the screws and the guy who takes the whole thing off the conveyor belt. Creepy. Sometimes though, they're not so precise and I end up with a TON of spicy mayo. Eww. I mean, I like the stuff, I don't need a slathering of it, thanks. I'm also not really into the crowd in this place. There's a whole lot of BU students all the time who like to get rowdy and scream. And drink. A lot. I know, I was with a group of them one night. I'm sure we ruined everyone's sushi. On the up side this place has a million and one rolls. And it's not to pricey. It fills a demographic. Just not my demographic.
(3)Shea D.
Ok, so here's the scoop. It's just ok sushi during regular hours. Between 11 am to 10 pm I'll take my business elsewhere... Late night however? Yes please!!! 2 am sushi? You just said the magic word!
(3)Arestia R.
This place is pretty good for sushi. My favorite place is too small for larger groups, so it's nice to gather with friends here for dinner before we head out to trivia close by. The eel is TO DIE FOR and they have a good selection of decently priced rolls. I can get a tsingtao beer, edamame to share and a few orders of rolls all for under $20. It's not the greatest atmosphere, but that's not what I go for.
(3)Gretchen M.
You don't come here for the ambiance BUT the sushi is yummy, good quality, and the prices aren't bloated as they are at other establishments nearby. I've eaten in once or twice but order takeout here quite a bit--it's the go-to takeout sushi place in the Allston/Brighton/Brookline area for sure!
(4)E P.
it's not great food. it's not bad either. the owner lady is super nice (esp if you speak korean... although she would be just as nice if you can speak chinese, i assume). the bibimbop is similar to typical korean restaurants in boston. the kayuga udon is actually but with udon noodles (and way too much onions). the kimchee fried rice is too american-ized for me. the sushi is about average too. the best quality of this place is how late they are open. for late night korean/japanese, i dont think there is anything like this around the area. gets pretty loud with drunk koreans, though.
(3)Samuel K.
Excellent maki and miso, tasty tempura and rice -- I was thinking I could make a full meal of their rice... And now I know they deliver to Cambridge. Pretty fly.
(5)Amanda K.
So this past year I have relied on Kayuga for my random hour sushi cravings and more recently cold weather pick me up (Nabeyaki Udon) since 1) I was crazy busy and couldn't find time to eat until 9pm, 2) they deliver, and 3) they actually have pretty good food. I have about the same amount of delivery orders as dine in orders with them, and aside from their flat rate delivery charge (applies even if you live two blocks down the street =\), I have come to prefer the delivery if I am only getting food (their drinks aren't bad or too expensive). The reason I am giving them 3 stars despite my consistent return visits and orders, is because of a few things... 1) Their food is pretty good, especially the Nabeyaki Udon, but their sushi isn't out of this world and it is more expensive then a place or two I've been to that had wayyy better sushi. 2) Consistency in some of their dishes is questionable. The delivery salad dressing is different then the dine in dressing, and the delivery dressing is kind of odd tasting so it always ruins the salad that comes with my orders. 3) The Service. I have maybe received genuinely pleasant service twice EVER. Hence, why I prefer delivery, where they will fix a mistake if they made one promptly and with some kind of decency. Almost every time I dine with my friends I receive overall mediocre to terribly poor service. Their attitude is variable many times everyone that works there looks miserable, unpleasant, like you just ran over their cat or something and you only asked them to refill your glass of water that had been empty for 20 minutes. I understand they might be grumpy because of rude customers giving them a hard time/hassle, and I feel sympathy for them at those times, however this one instance was almost unforgivable. This girl who I know for a fact is new (so I was cutting her even more slack than other times) was a complete jerk and more than that she was completely incompetent and kind of creepy as she stared from literally in dark corners and me and my girlfriends. She came to the table maybe 3 times in the course of the 1.5 hour meal, to take our order, when my friend flagged her down, and to give us our check (FYI if u have more than 5 people be prepared for them to smack on the 18% gratuity without telling you and treating you like crap cause they know they have a guaranteed tip anyways). She never cleared our empty dishes at all during the meal nor did she ever refill our waters or really did anything. Then, when we get the check we are just trying to literally split the bill between two CCs and she looks like she just had a mental breakdown and said she could not do it, we had to do it ourselves, she got overwhelmed when I just asked her if I could check off which dishes to be charged to which CC, but she refused said that was too confusing and ridiculous and told me to tell her the exact dollar amounts... like IS SHE SERIOUS? Did she not pass 2nd grade? Or know how to use a calculator? She was not only incompetent but just outright rude, I didn't ask her what 38 to the fifteenth power was, jeesh. Then she gave us dirty death ray stares and continued to stalk us from the corner until we left. I really can't tolerate such poor service like that, and I made sure we did not have her as our waitress the next time we went (out of late night sushi desperation). Final Verdict: Good (not great) food. Mediocre (and sometimes awful) service. Recommended dishes: Nabeyaki Udon and almost any of the house special maki (my favorite is the black forest maki).
(3)Anonymous J.
The place is alright. It is somewhat pricey. I went here for the sake!
(3)Nathan W.
Not bad food, love the soju here though
(4)Lisa O.
I'd give 3.5 if I could, but I'll round up to 4 because sushi! Kayuga doesn't have the best sushi in Boston, but they have quick and cheap delivery, and that makes them my most frequented sushi establishment. Seriously, every sushi place that delivers to me charges so much that it's really just not worth it. 'Cept Kayuga! They charge $2 and it's at my door within 30 minutes. Sweet. I wouldn't say it's of the highest quality, but I've never been displeased with the taste and I've never gotten sick so whatever. I'm no sushi snob. The price never breaks the bank either, which is more than I can say for a few of my other faves. Also, Foodler ordering makes me happy.
(4)Ana M.
Not bad, although I prefer Fins down the street. The plus side is that they're open really late, they serve alcohol and the service is pretty quick. And the food isn't bad. The down side is that it feels like an undergraduate cafeteria in the evening - crowded, loud and obnoxious.
(3)Sham Y.
There's nothing really all that special about this place. It's not terrible but it's not great. The best part is probably the late night hours.
(3)Jillian Y.
Booooo. I'll be honest - I didn't order any sushi. That aside, two stars. Our androgynous server (still not sure of gender) stood there and WAITED for me to finish my last bite, then snatched my plate. My seafood pancake was a plateful of grease, my tempura was bland and too crispy, and I was displeased by the lack of ambiance and the rude server. What a disappointment.
(2)Andrew S.
Excellent sushi at great prices
(4)Angie T.
So I found out about Kayuga from a friend and I always pass by it when I'm taking a walk to my BU campus. Inside is ok..kinda dark if you ask me, but they are extremely clean! The waiters spend their time cleaning the tables and i know it's a pain to remove the small fish eggs from my dinner table. the service is great and they are fast. the sushis are amazing and well worth it. I also do delivery and the drivers always bring my food on time! KAYUGA, YOU ARE THE BOMB!
(5)Delilah W.
I'm a vegetarian sushi connoisseur, and this joint has the best selection of veg sushi of any restaurant I've found in greater Boston, all of it quite quality! My dinner partner was not blown away by his (non-veg) sushi as he said the rice was slightly undercooked, but I *loved* mine, and it was awesome to have so much to choose from. The appetizers were excellent as well. We found the wait staff rather unapologetically inattentive, never refilling our water or bringing our check until we asked, and it took a long time to get our food, but it was an enjoyable dinner and I will definitely return for the sushi bar.
(4)Michael K.
awesome place for sushi and korean food. i think this place has better sushi than fugakyu without all fo the hassle of reservations, waiting and is much cheaper too. they have much better drinks too. even though they put up with drunk BU kids all night, the staff is still extremely really nice and attentive. they used to do karaoke there, but now they've replaced that with big screen TVs and music for entertainment. i always get an array of sushi rolls and a spicy pork bugolgi rice dish. too bad they don't open for lunch anymore. i would rate this one of the best japanese and korean restaurants in brighton.
(5)Amanda G.
The food is pretty dec. My favorite thing about Kayuga is the sushi prices.
(4)Rob J.
Sashimi not very good at all. This is all I order when I go to sushi restaurants so I can't speak for other items on the menu.
(2)Bene K.
Ok food and drink with ok service. In fact, i should say the service was not really that good at all--sorry guys but even though it's in the neighborhood i'd rather go into Brookline for some quality and good service.
(2)Ann C.
i'm giving this place 4 stars for the atmosphere. this place is the only place where they allow you to do gajillion sake bombs and they'll start cringing after your gajillion-and-one sake bombs. but i'm sure they'll step in earlier if they think your group is borderline pounding the table in half. food is so-so. don't expect top grade sushi and awesome-melt -in -your -underwear japanese/korean food. this place is really for people who want to let loose, unwind and munch here and there whether it be with a big group or your sig-o. (think casual, laid back outing) they also offer lemon SOJU! they have 4 lcd televisions to emulate a sports bar but they have sucky cable connection but they tried.
(4)Angela W.
Sometimes, if you order delivery late, the food/sushi is not that fresh. Have tried about 6 different types of sushi from here. The only thing that i liked was the shrimp tempura maki. Anything with raw fish, just tasted strange/stale. Also, delivery took 45 mins even though they are only 5 or 6 blocks away.
(2)Tiffany D.
I used to come here all the time when I lived closer. They don't ID so it was good when I went to drink with friends who were still underage. The food and sushi is pretty good and I like getting the room. Anyone up for some sake bombing? hahaha... VERY VERY heavy college crowd...
(3)Adster N.
It's been a while since I've gone there, but they have a very reasonably priced lunch menu. For under $10 you get a huge bento box with good stuff like cod. The place has been empty every time I've been, which could be good or bad depending on what you like.
(4)Aurelie C.
Okaaaaay so the food isn't amazing, i can't really say i've had a lot of it. They did have sweet potato sushi (i know it's weird but it's weird in a good way!) which i really like and i can barely ever find anywhere. It's a great late night food place as you can order for pick up until 1:45 and it's a lot better than the neighboring junky late night food. My friends swear by their soju, which is this really yummy vodka, club soda and lemon drink and kayuga has put it in a huge soup container to go for them before. ---Alright, So this is a weekend night desperate time, desperate need kinda place but it really comes through and at that late hour, i find it's better than any other available options. Also on a low key weekend with friends they have a secluded japanese style sections with screens for privacy, where you can get your drink on and then later sing kareoke without feeling like everyone's listening. And with my voice, i find that to be a real bonus. :) [though we haven't been going there for kareoke as much as it has gotten a bit pricey]
(4)D L.
This place is good because it opens til late night. Kayuga has decent Korean/Japanese cuisine, and a decent bar as well. I like to order the seafood pancake every time I go there. The sushi is not bad either. The location is great since it is right in the middle of the city (B-Line) and it is easily accessible. Also karaoke... holla!
(3)Clara N.
I come here a lot when I want Korean food more than Japanese food. The two times I've gone and ordered sushi were bad. The fish doenst look fresh nor does it taste fresh. There are better sushi places in town for better prices or the same price with a fresher taste and look. However, i love the Korean food here. The bibimbab and the maeuntang is very goood. It's usually not crowded when I go, but on the weekends it seems to be a pretty popular place. The service is good, but the atmosphere isnt anything special.
(4)