Kiku Bistro Uptown

Used a Living Social voucher and enjoyed a terrific Japanese dinner at uptown’s Kiku Bistro. We started w two apps, (not included in LS voucher): the seaweed salad (w cucumber) and the Dragon sushi roll. Both were very flavorful. For entrée, I tried the Bourbon Chicken. Our delightful, friendly, and efficient server, Kate, advised that the dish is spicy, and I found it absolutely scrumptious, w just the right amount of heat. My entrée was accompanied by a redolent hot & sour soup and steamed white rice. Spouse played it safer and ordered the filet mignon w beautiful, big, tasty asparagus spears. The steak was very tender and deliciously savory, accompanied by house salad, and steamed rice. We each complemented our entrées w a nice mellow glass of Pinot Grigio, (included in voucher). The L.S. voucher covers many entrée selections: house specialties, stir fries, rice dishes, and Udon choices.

We come here often and love the food. We came in today and had the best service we have ever had here from Joey. We highly recommend the happy hour menu, great delicious deals. Definitely try the gyoza!

This is my first Unilocal review and I am sad it has to be a bad one. This past Saturday I went to Kiku Bistro for my friends birthday dinner. We had a large party (about 18) and I understand for a server this can be difficult and intimidating. Our server Annis was very rushed, rude and downright forgetful and unaccommodating. The restaurant was not busy at all and we were the only large table in her section. I arrived about 20mins later that the majority of the group but others did arrive after me. She first took my drink order (Sake Sangria, which was tasty) but that’s where the compliments end. I ordered a shrimp tempura sushi roll… Which never came. When I asked about it she said that I ordered shrimp tempura and she had put it on the table and pointed to the complete other side of the table. Then she proceeded to say they don’t have a shrimp tempura rolls and gave me the option of the American Dream roll. Now instead of leaving the wrong order of shrimp tempura on the table since it had been there for at least 10minutes she took it back and I am sure that is what they made my roll out of. I also ordered spring rolls that did not come until after I got my American Dream roll about 45minutes after I’d arrived. But no… It doesn’t stop there. Folks came after me and still go their food before I did. When I complained and asked if I would be comped for the late roll she said that she can’t because it was a misunderstanding she got confused because I!!! ordered a shrimp tempura roll and they don’t have those and it was already happy hour. Along with this 3 people at the table had their drinks switched and she charged a couple of us double. Now I understand large groups are tough but no one moved seats, everyone was courteous and she had the potential to make a a lot of money. I think she was intimidated by our group because it was a majority black group of people and she did not know how to handle it. To end this review I will not be going back to Kiku again!

— I came here on a date and really enjoyed myself. We came here with a Groupon which was very worth it. 2 entrees, 2 soups and 2 glasses of wine for $ 26.00. Beyond that we had the Twin Flame Roll (which was INCREDIBLE) and the Zombie Roll which was also very good. The Hot & Sour soup was awesome as well. The ambiance set the mood for a decent romantic setting, our waiter, Brandon was very attentive, though somewhat forgetful. Lol. I had the filet mignon entrée… sub par and not at all what I thought it was. It shouldn’t have been chewy like it was and for $ 20.99, not worth it. My guest had the sweet & sour chicken which was plentiful and better than my dish. The restaurant fired on all cylinders except for my filet mignon. I would totally come back here, just would get something else as an entrée.

Sashimi appetizer — ho, hum. mushy fish, no real presentation. I have been spoiled though by spectacular sashimi presentations in Japan.; Hot & Sour Soup — ho, hum; House red wine $ 3/​glass — yecch. proudly serving Bota box. Charge more and serve something decent; Yaki Udon with beef — quite tasty; service — tolerable but far from attentive.
We tried the restaurant because my wife bought a Groupon. What we found is that most of the interesting items on the menu, like tempura, were off-​limits even when I offered to pay an upcharge. What restaurant genius decides that he doesn’t want more money when a customer offers it?
Not a repeat.

I stopped by during the late night happy hour. The happy hour menu was limited on speciality rolls with raw fish which was disappointing.
I ordered a Mai Tai and gagged after the first sip. I had everybody else at the table try the drink also and nobody could drink it. I had to complain about my drink and it was switched out for another drink.

This is my favorite place to go always. Great happy hour specials, late night specials, great people, great location. There are is free parking out front!

I have been going to this place for years, when it was Mt. Fuji. When I started making trips back to Minnesota, I found out it was essentially the same place and I go every time I’m there.
They have gluten free sushi and gluten free soy sauce, and they seem to do really well in avoiding any cross contamination, because I’ve never been sick. Not all the sushi is gluten free, stick to the obvious if you’re unsure. (Imitation crab often has wheat, crunchy toppings, etc). Since I only eat the vegetable rolls, I can’t speak for the fish, but if you’re searching for gluten free in reviews you may not care, you may just want to eat SOMETHING that’s not a salad.
Plus, they’re open late and don’t kick you and your friends out at 1am when you’re drinking too much water and having loud conversations about Star Wars.

I use to come here for the decent happy hour but I don’t think I will come here again. The prices in their happy hour menu are decent and it was nice to stop for a few cheap rolls.
The last time I was here, I ordered two rolls and they were not good at all. The sushi rice was too soft. The flavor of the maki rolls weren’t good, there was a weird flavor in the tuna mix. The service was good but the food was not worth my money.

The food is really good but a little overpriced. The service has never impressed me, unfortunately. Good happy hour menu and prices.

My partner and I have been here three times in the past month. ²⁄₃ times were out of this world! We had the same waitress both times and she is stellar. She knows everything about the menu and made some incredible recommendations. The green tea roll is one of my favorites. The white geisha is good too. The pork gyoza is the best, from any restaurant I’ve ever had. The one time we went that we didn’t have the best waiter he ordered me the wrong meal, forgot to put a drink on it and then after the bill added it. However the two times that were amazing we’re so so good! The edamame is also very good and the shrimp tempura it’s one of my favorites. The waitress is also great and super helpful. I’m planning on going back frequently and it is consistently happy hour there and the food the quality of fish is extremely fresh!

Meh. That’s it. Not really Asian fusion. Not sure what it is. Been here twice to give it a second chance. Will not be back. Don’t waste your time or money. Spend the extra money and get Thai food. Place is not busy. Bartender ignores everyone and just chats with his friend.

As a resident of NYC and the Bay Area, I honestly had no idea what to expect from sushi places in Minneapolis. But, I was majorly craving sushi after my flight so I took the chance and tried this place out.
First things first, this place isn’t all bad. Their sushi just isn’t good. I really liked their online order system on their website, which makes it really easy for you to order for pick-​up or delivery. Keep in mind, I placed an order for delivery as soon as it opened at 3 pm, and I was only informed afterwards (after calling in) that the delivery man doesn’t start deliveries until 5 pm ish. It was not a big deal, as I was in no rush, but it’s not realistic whatsoever to wait 2 hours for 3 rolls, right? I ended up walking a mile to the place to pick up so I could eat my sushi within the first hour. Also, $ 20 minimum for delivery.
At the time, I was craving some spicy salmon and spicy tuna so I got the spicy roll combo (which also comes with spicy CA roll) as well as a sake maki. First off, I was so confused because the spicy CA roll was not spicy at all. It tasted like a regular CA roll. Secondly, their fish was not fresh. At all. And I’m not even that selective. Maybe it was because I was one of their first customers that day, but being served fresh food is something that should always be expected when you order food at any sort of restaurant. When I took my first bite of my sake maki, I noticed immediately something was up. The salmon wasn’t the texture that raw salmon should be, springy and slimy, but it was actually somewhat dry. Same with the spicy rolls: normally the fish is finely minced and mixed with tempura flakes so that you’ll be able to taste the crunchiness, but all you taste here is a conglomerate of day-​old fish, with a similar consistency to canned tuna. It was awful. This sounds bad to say, but I couldn’t even tell the spicy tuna roll apart from the spicy salmon because I couldn’t taste the fish itself. All that’s left in your mouth is the nasty fish aftertaste and none of the actual taste of the fish, how frustrating!
I feel bad just slamming this place, but I was just seriously underwhelmed by the quality of the sushi served at Kiku. Also, they do offer happy hour specials from 4 – 7 PM, (which I believe the hours vary depending on the day), but from what I see, only the drinks seem to have some sort of discount. Some appetizers are also listed on the happy hour menu, but the pricing does not seem any lower than what you would normally pay at a typical Japanese restaurant. Service was nice and all, but I just wish there was someone at the door or at least in the restaurant to greet you so you won’t be standing by the door for like 10 or so minutes before you are helped.
Best of luck, Kiku, but unfortunately I do not think I will be back, even if I did live around the area.

Love Kiku great sushi small and a small but well picked draft draft beer selection. Have never had a bad time at Kiku go whenever I have a craving for good sushi.
The happy hour is a great value.

Came here Friday night at 9PM, place was slow but happy hour was on. This restaurant has happy hour all day Saturday and Sunday, which is insane. Their prices are fairly inexpensive but I likely will not come here unless it’s happy hour.
My husband and I had a great time. Our server was attentive and the food came out coursed. I wasn’t happy with one of our tuna maki rolls — it was soaked in a sauce and it made the whole roll wet and unable to pick up. Poor idea. Nobody wants wet sushi. Sashimi slices were thick and yummy.
The interior on the other hand looked a bit rundown. This place could really use a good professional scrub down. Thank goodness it was dim lighting because I’m afraid of what I would have seen on the floors and corners of walls.

Uptown Stoner Food Tour Part III: Motherfuckin’ Sushi Night.
I might be able to finally break up with Bite Squad — which makes me sad in many ways because they kept me in sandwiches, phở, and sushi while I toughed it out in North Minneapolis. But now I can get sushi delivered without paying some outrageous fee for basically getting raw fish couriered to me and that’s amazing.
The tempura vegetable appetizer is cheap, but it’s also small so be fat and order two of those bitches. The spring rolls are fried, just call them egg rolls or describe them better because I was seriously disappointed these weren’t fresh. So disappointed I knocked off an entire star. I take spring rolls seriously. The spicy tuna wasn’t very interesting or spicy and the tuna just tasted frozen — not really what I’m after when I order something so basic. The Vegas roll and California Ranch roll were awesome. This is one of those times when I am fully prepared to embrace deep fried sushi… both rolls were rigoddamndiculous. Next time I’m just gonna order a bunch of tempura and deep fried rolls because that is clearly Kiku’s strong suit.
I ordered food for delivery at 8pm and it showed up 7pm. Don’t do that again, Kiku. That’s rude.

I like the sushi at Kiku, but it’s not my all time favorite. There «happy hour» is almost constant, so their prices are reasonable. What I really like is their $ 1 spring roll. I usually order that as my app so I don’t scarf down my sushi. Here is my option overall:
+ I’ve never drank here before but they great deals on alcohol
+They have outdoor seating, so if you have a sushi craving that needs itching on a nice uptown day, you can sit on their sidewalk
+I really like the way they plate their sushi. It has always come out in a cool design
+Servers are very nice, but sometime service is slow
Next time I stop in I really want to branch out and try their sesame chicken!

My girlfriend and I have come here for years. We’ve never encountered anything close to long wait times (occasionally slow) or «smelly fish.»
We live in the area and aren’t traveling from the ‘burbs, so maybe if I was driving 40 minutes to come here I would different expectations.
This place has always been fun, good food, good service, great happy hour and perfect music playlist.
Oh and the parking lot is in back. Turn onto 28^th and make right down the first alley.

Winner winner sushi dinner! This place is my new fav! Finally a good sushi spot I can walk too! I’m so glad we finally came here!
1. They do take reservations :)
2. They have several rice less options
3. It’s happy hour all day Saturday !
Calamari is $ 4.95, $ 5 drinks, my personal fav, they call it the rainbow narruto roll, was maybe $ 12. It was fairly inexpensive and quick. We had a bigger group and they took reservations for us which was great!

Just wanted to say that this continues to be my absolute favorite sushi place in Minneapolis. Their agedashi is my favorite, and their rolls just stand out from anywhere else. Deep impact, orange daisy, spicy tuna, HOLY SHIT. Those are my favorites. We often the same server and she’s really great. service is has been fast ever since my first review. And it’s almost always happy hour. I don’t know, I really can’t think of any negative aspects.
On another note, Kiku Bistro was under the name Mt. Fuji and I’m assuming that when the name changed, some aspect of the management also changed, and so I wouldn’t take reviews before late fall 2012 too seriously.