Kanki Japanese House of Steak & Sushi – Raleigh, NC

4.5 out of 5 stars

4325 Glenwood Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27612
919.782.9708

Going into this review I had high expectations for Kanki.  Jimmy had been there about a year ago and while he raved about the food, he said the service made him feel rushed.  We both went in with a critical eye to see if one of the best restaurants in the area could live up to it’s reputation.

Service: We arrived around 8:30pm and when walking in to the restaurant there was no hostess at the front so we ended up waiting for about a minute until they noticed us and a hostess came over to seat us.  Once we got to the table our waitress gave us a hot towel to wash our hands which was an unexpected touch.  They quickly filled our drinks and were attentive the entire time.  When it came time to get our check, even though we were there at closing time, they were not rushing us out and gave us as much time as we needed.

Restaurant Layout/Atmosphere – Kanki has a very authentic Japanese atmosphere which can immediately be seen at the entrance by the coy pond and color.  There is a separate sushi bar, and a large Hibachi grill area with more seating than any of the competitor restaurants in the area.  The artwork on the wall was Japanese, but they were playing smooth jazz music which was a bit awkward and detracted from the atmosphere.  The Hibachi grills they used seem to be a bit more worn & old than most other Japanese Steakhouses around, but they were clean and did not seem to have an effect on the food.

Chef Technique – Most places have one or two good chef’s, but at Kanki every table seemed to have a great chef who was at the top of their game with cooking Hibachi.  The chef was very social with those at our table, was attentive to keeping our sauces filled, and communicating with the waitress for special requests.  There were no incredible tricks that stood out, but everything that was done was simple and done right.

Food Quality – Very good.  The steak was cooked to perfection and the shrimp sauce was the best we’ve had.  The only complaint is that the rice seemed to be just a tad bit overcooked.  The dessert selection was unique in that they offered a variety of cheesecakes and other sweet pies whereas this is not common for a Japanese steakhouse.

Price – The prices are some of the highest in the area for this category restaurant.  Hibachi dinner will run between $17-22 per person.

Bonsai – Clayton, NC

3 out of 5 stars

11629 US Highway 70 W
Clayton, NC 27520
(919) 550-6030

We have frequently visited Bonsai and it makes a great place for a business lunch or dinner with the family. It has comfortable serene setting with a quite environment and boasts a full bar at a good price.

Service: Usually the restaurant isn’t packed so getting a table is never a problem. On some occasions they did seem to be out of certain wines that are listed on their menu or would be out of certain vegetables and foods.

Restaurant Layout/Atmosphere – One of the negatives of the place is their lack of habachi grills and Rob and I both enjoy the food being cooked in front of us rather than in the back kitchen. Otherwise, the seating was comfortable and lighting was dimmed to perfection.

Chef Technique – Bonsai does not have Habichi tables and we are unsure if the chef did any tricks in the back kitchen to please himself while preparing our food.

Food Quality – The food quality here was just above average. The steak was slightly over cooked but generally good.

Price – The price point at this restaurant is in the $10-15 per dinner range. This is one of the better priced restaurants in the area.

Kobe Japanese Steakhouse – Clayton, NC

3 out of 5 stars

820 Gulley Drive
Clayton, NC 27520
(919) 359-9060

We visited Kobe on Father’s Day so it was evident we would be dealing with a mostly family atmosphere and a lot of small children. While we expected this would somewhat detract from the typical atmosphere, we did not expect it to have any impact on the food quality or service so we were unbiased in judging all elements of our visit.

Service: The service here was just mediocre. Our waiter was dressed in a dirty shirt as if he had been working in the kitchen so it was not evident whether he was an “official” waiter or if he was filling in due to the large amount of people there. There were several points where my drink was left unfilled and nothing was done by the waiter in an extraordinary way that stands out. He did his job fine, but it was not overly impressive.

Restaurant Layout/Atmosphere – When you walk in it reminds you of a traditional Japanese restaurant with the pond of fish and other Japanese artwork on the wall. There is a large area of tables for those not choosing Hibachi, and then I believe 6 hibachi tables which are spaced very close together compared to many other similar establishments. At several points we had to move our chairs to accommodate people going in and out to the bathroom, etc. which was not necessarily negative but did detract from the overall experience.

Chef Technique - Our chef here was obviously used to working with children and he did a great job entertaining the group of children who were at our table. He had several different tricks which kept the children amused but his overall hibachi technique was not really extraordinary. Overall he was good but nothing too impressive.

Food Quality – The food quality here was just mediocre. The biggest complaint was the shrimp sauce which was watered down and did not really even taste that good. It was all cooked correctly but it did not “WOW” us like some of the competitor restaurants in the area.

Price – The price point at this restaurant is in the $14-22 per dinner range. For the price we feel there are better similar restaurants in the area.

Kaze Japanese Steakhouse – Garner, NC

4.5 out of 5 stars

1227 Timber Drive East
Garner, NC 27529
919-329-6789

We visited Kaze on a Tuesday evening and got there around 9pm. It was interesting to see whether they would slack on service or anything since we were the last ones seated (They close at 10pm).

Service: The service was surprisingly good considering the time of day we arrived at the end of the waiters shift. He was very accomodating and eager to help us find things on the menu that would be to our liking and answer any questions we had about the food.

Restaurant Layout/Atmosphere – Kaze is different than other Japanese steakhouses in the area mainly because of its modern look and feel as well as the smokeless grill which creates a much more open atmosphere at the table. There are very high ceilings which also gives a more un congested feeling and the artwork they chose, while simple, is very functional.

Chef technique – I believe we had one of the senior/head chefs at our table because he really knew what he was doing. He did a ton of different hibachi tricks, did not drop anything, and pulled it all of with ease. He did not go into any jokes or dialogue with us or the other people at our table but for good reason as we were all in our conversations.

Food Quality – The quality here was excellent. All of the food was prepared just right by our chef and exactly as we had asked for. The shrimp sauce was phenomenal and thick, not watery like several of the other similar Japanese steakhouses.

Price – Kaze is just a little more expensive than the other comparable restaurants but by good merit as the food seems to be of a higher quality and is prepared with more care than most of it’s competitors. For an average Hibachi meal you will be paying 15-22 plus tax.

Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse – Rocky Mount, NC

3.5 out of 5 stars

191 S Wesleyan Blvd
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
Phone: (252) 984-0888

On Friday July 4th, we visited the Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse in Rocky Mount NC. The restaurant is in an easy location to find on the corner.

Service – The service by our waitress was very good and she was always filling up our drinks before they were finished, which is a huge plus.  She was very accommodating in helping us make decisions on the menu and very prompt in her tending to our needs.

Restaurant Layout/Atmosphere – On the outside the restaurant does not look very different than most others and inside is very similar.  There are some modern features but the design and layout of the restaurant is nothing special.  I will mention that although the layout was not unique, it was very clean which is especially important.

Chef Technique – The chef, Robert, did a great job with hibachi tricks as he cooked on the grill.  It seemed he had substantial experience as he did the tricks with ease.  He also had a few kid-friendly things he did which made a more fun atmosphere as everyone at our table was drawn to him, waiting to see what he would do next.  He was also somewhat social, striking up conversation with everyone at the table adding to the fun of a Hibachi experience.

Food Quality – The shrimp sauce, which is the biggest sign of a good Japanese steakhouse, was very good and the meat quality was also great. Everything was cooked just as we had asked and the portions were more than adequate.

Price - The price point here was similar to most of the other Japanese Steakhouses in the area, ranging from $12-24 for a Hibachi meal.