Sushi Ken

They have a very large menu. Everything from soup to sushi. Everything we have tried there has been made with absolute top quality ingredients. Presentation is good to very good depending on how busy they are. But no matter what it looks like it always tastes perfect.

Pros:
— Lots of variety of authentic Japanese dishes
— Quick and friendly service
— Ramen is okay, not the best I ever had
— Price is reasonable
Cons:
— Tucked away, kind of hard to find when driving down Chandler Blvd.
— Open at certain hours for lunch and then dinner, if you wanted to stop by in between lunch, and dinner when you are home early, then you got to wait until it opens
Will I keep coming back? Sure, its close by the house and the ramen is pretty decent. Staff is very friendly and the service is quick. It is a very casual clean place.

Sushi Ken is very expensive for what you get. I would not go there for dinner unless you are willing to pay a lot of money. I ordered a roll, and with tax, it was about $ 20+. I was kinda saddened about the sushi, how much it was, and how I was still hungry. The amount of sushi and the quality is, I believe not up to par for what you have to pay. For the price, I would definitely go somewhere else… possibly Sakana (cheaper and better service). The service here is decent. I did have to waive down the waitress a couple times to refill my glass of water. The atmosphere is alright as well. The restaurant is clean. I would only recommend this restaurant for lunch (when they have the lunch special).

We visited Sushi Ken because it is cold and rainy so of course that left us wanting RAMEN! We arrived at 6:30 on a Friday and the place was surprisingly busy. By the time we left, all the tables were full as was the sushi bar, and there was a wait!
The menu itself is a little confusing only because there are menus everywhere. There is the main menu, a sushi menu, a bento box menu, plus signs all over the restaurant about specials and sushi. Our waitress was pleasant and helped us navigate what specials we could order based on what food we wanted.
The boy wanted Curry Udon and got their daily special of a noodle dish and a choice of app/​sushi/​roll ($ 15). I ordered the Noodle combo and picked Shio Butter Ramen with butter and Gyudon ($ 13). I also ordered the White Tuna Tataki from the $ 5 special menu. Both items came with a choice of side salad or edamame.
Overall we were very pleased with the food. My ramen came with traditional toppings and was very rich and hearty. The Gyudon was a pleasant surprise, just the right amount of savory and sweet. We both enjoyed the Gyoza app that The Boy got with his combo, the wrapper was crisp and airy and the meat inside was well seasoned. The Tuna Tataki was good, but was different than I expected. It came as a roll stuffed with White Tuna and cucumber and then was topped with more White Tuna. It was worth it for $ 5 though.
All and all, we both enjoyed our visit and I enjoyed the bill, the two of us left stuffed for $ 32. I still keep thinking about the ramen and kick myself for not taking my leftovers home!

Great ramen and donburi. We go there for those instead of their sushi, which is good too. I’d give them a higher rating but their service lacks. We seem to wait just to order every time we go. We also always have to ask for water or drink refills and typically wait well after we’re done for check. We go back because their food is good.

Waitress didn’t smile once or check in on us.
Forgot soy sauce bowls and waters more than once.
Food came out at different times.
Sushi haphazardly rolled and falling apart. Rice to sashimi ratio wasn’t good.
No water refills.
I found a hair in my food.
One of the worst dining experiences I’ve had. I actually started drafting this review over a year ago and I’m finishing it now. Guess what — I still remember how bad of an experience we had.

Finally decided to stop at this place after driving by it for a few years and was really happy I did. The tempura shrimp and veggies were excellent and I also had the pork ramen bowl and spicy tuna roll. The sauce served with the sushi was great and did not have any complaints. The prices for the items I ordered was very reasonable and the dinner total was very fair. The service was excellent and the wait staff was very accommodating. The menu is huge and there are plenty of dishes to choose from. Don’t expect the décor to be anything exciting… it’s dressed as a typical Chinatown restaurant, which is by no means a bad thing. I highly recommend giving this place a try, I’ll for sure be going again.

So far, the Sushi Ken is my top 3 Sushi Restaurant in Arizona. I believe that they are the most authentic Japanese Restaurant in Arizona. My Japanese friend also agreed that.
–Price and Quantity: You may have to spend least $ 15 for one meal, so it is little bit above average. However, the amount of food is larger than other Japanese restaurants. If you order combination, you have to order the dish you do not like and it is expensive, unless you share with other person.
–Dish 1 Review: Nigiri (sushi) — Spent $ 4.50 — 3.8÷5.0 stars
Nigiri sushi is thinker than any other sushi restaurants and it taste better. $ 4.50 salmon nigiri is not even expensive when you see the amount of the food.
Dish 1 re-​order? YES
–Dish 2 Review: Chirashi — Spent $ 17.00 — 4.0÷5.0 stars
*Chirashi: selection of sushi rice, brown rice, or spring mix and comes with your selection of 5 different types of sashimi or other ingredients)
It was my first time trying Japanese Chirashi. Other Japanese restaurants serve standard Chirashi but Sushi Ken provides a piece of paper for customer and you can make your OWN Chirashi. I ordered 5 different types of sashimi and sushi rice. Sushi Ken serves pretty tasty rice and amount of sashimi was way bigger than what I expected. I shared my dish with my friend.
Dish 2 re-​order? YES
–Dish 3 Review: Tonkatsu ramen soup — Spent $ 8.50 — 4.0÷5.0 stars
Special about Tonkatsu Ramen was soup taste. It is very delicious and you can ask for spicy powder to make spicier! Noodle is delicious but not amazing. It is average.
Dish 3 re-​order? YES
–Suggestions to restaurant:
Menu is too complex. I like the food options but the menu is disorganize and had hard time to find dish I want. I went with my friends and they all agreed. Also, they write special menu on board, it is readable but disorganize.
–Comparison with other restaurant: Sushi Ken Vs. Shimogamo
I would go Sushi Ken, when I really want to eat lot sushi with limited budget. I am not really expecting special sushi taste from Sushi Ken. When I want good sushi, I would go here.
When I want something special, I will go Shimogamo. Their Salmon Nigiri has special flavor. But not I am not a huge fan of their rolls, very small and didn’t like it.
–Overall Restaurant Rating:
–Service: 2.5÷5.0 stars — One time they include tips even we were party of three. Also, they do not have standard serving skills and workflow.
–Menu: 3.8÷5.0 stars — They have many Japanese food that you can’t try from other restaurant. However, I did not try all menu, yet. So, I cannot give food review for that.
–Desirable to revisit? YES, I went there 3 more times after my first visit.

This is super close to home so decided to check it out tonight. I don’t see us coming back. Spent $ 80 and left most of our food on the table because it was so awful. The server never asked how the food was or offered a substitute when dish after dish was untouched after a bite or 2. When asked for something else, was told that was not an option. The only item comped were the Shrimp Shumai because they were still frozen in the center. Will stick to travelling a few miles rather than a quarter mile for a dinner that consisted of stringy and improperly prepared sashimi maguro, the masago was an odd pale orange color with little flavor, the sweet and spicy roll was more cream cheese than anything spicy or appetizing. The cream crab korokke… resembled a deep fried phlegm ball. No flavor and I imagine had comparable texture. Even the California rolls were underwhelming. The only thing we enjoyed were the gyoza, though we had to request a sauce to accompany the dish, they were cold by the time the server returned with about a tablespoon of brown liquid in a bowl.

Horrible experience here yesterday. My husband likes to come here for the chirashi and now i remember why i do not like to join him. I eat sashimi at least 4 x a week. I know sashimi, i am not new to this. The salmon i received was so pungent it left a lingering taste in my mouth. My husband who would eat anything agreed, it was fishy and unlike the salmon in his chirashi. It was a cheap cut of the tail and it was not treated properly.
I do not mess around with fishy fish. I sent it back. The waitress argued. She did not apologize, did not ask if I wanted to order something else. I had lost my appetite anyways. As i sat and watched my husband and daughter eat I could see the servers huddled in the corner.
She only returned to tell me «I tried your food it tasted fine!» and walked away again with a huff.
I dont know why Im surprised by such rudeness and audacity. As if I wanted to send back my food and first meal of the day? We had been running errands all morning. I was famished! The accusatory tone and stares were so appalling.
No wonder this place is empty. Aside from the gaudy décor, stained carpet and filfthy restroom, now i know why they tint the windows, so no one can see how gross it is inside.
Thank god i sent my food back. I would have surely paid for it later with sickness.
Thank you previous Unilocalers about the tip about the credit card fraud. We made sure to pay and tip in cash. Shouldnt have bothered though. but karma… so I did. (tip)

DO NOT TIP THIS PLACE! They include the tip in the statement and DON’T TELL YOU. Furthermore the customer receipt EVEN INCLUDES A PLACE FOR YOU TO TIP. I was dumbfounded to see how my $ 10 even meal became $ 12.90 on the receipt. They must really love patting themselves on the back because AZ sales tax is only 5.6% which makes this a 25% tip!
Onto the food. I’ve been to this place twice. First time I ordered a cha shu ramen. The noodles and the char siu tasted very authentic but the broth was remarkably plain. It tasted like something I’d improvise at home if I only had leftover noodles. It also didn’t include extra ingredients you’d expect like a soft-​boiled egg.
Second time I ordered a korokke curry. This dish really puzzled me, the curry was as thin and almost as flavorless as water, the korokke was hard and tasted like they added no salt to the potatoes at all, and the rice was overcooked. Japanese rice is characteristically soft as it is but it tasted like they cooked it a good half an hour longer than they should have.
The food is really bizarre. I can tell from the people speaking Japanese and the ingredients that this is supposed to be an authentic Japanese restaurant, but it’s almost like they’ve never been taught how to cook it properly. If it was just for the food and service I’d give this place a 3 star, but the tip scamming really miffs me. I don’t expect to ever come back here again.

I came here for dinner last night and finally remembered why I didn’t come back here for more than 5 years.
Sushi ken’s menu is so extensive. They serve almost anything Japanese. I had chance to try variety of food in the past including ramen, sushi, tempura, donburi, curry, grilled fish to name a few.
They are not bad, I am sure one can find similar quality restaurant in Japan. For me they all tasted like cafeteria type food. Cafeteria food serves its purpose and they are there to please diverse people.
It’s just such a drive for me to visit, unless I am already in the area, I don’t think I would make an effort to drive there just to eat their food. Thus being said, if you are in the area, and with picky person or not sure what to eat, this place is a good option to visit.

Love this place. They have a huge menu of non sushi items with authentic Japanese Dishes. The place has been around for awhile, but I finally discovered this gem. First of all, they are open 7 days a week! None of this open for only dinner on weekends or crazy stuff.
Sushi came out so fast and everything tasted fresh. I ordered my custom chirashi bowl where you get to pick five different things. I went with spicy salmon, spicy tuna, avocado, masago, and spicy scallops. I was in heaven. I especially loved how I was able to order all that fresh fish without rice and with «spring mix»
My husband ordered the chicken katsu and fried rice. Along with a crunch roll. Everything was tasty. They were busy all night and every table was full, but service was great!
Can’t wait to go back.

Seems like people either love this place or hate it. Yes it’s a hole in the wall, yes the interior is bland and outdated, yes you might have to wait a while, but the sushi is great. So while it seems others say the food is hit-​or-​miss, I’ve yet to have a bad experience in the 8 or so years I’ve been going here.
If you want an Americanized, sleek, trendy atmosphere, this place isn’t for you. If you’re unsure of what you want beyond trying something new, try rolls off their $ 5 menu, those are all great. If you want a tasty, non-​chain, local sushi joint, this is your place.

One word: chirashi.

This is our go to sushi/​ramen place when we’re in the area. Dynamite California roll is almost always a 5 $ special and that’s like a meal in itself and delicious.
I love the spicy miso ramen. Meat is so tender juicy and flavorful. Noodles are good, broth is good, can have a little more flavor though. This time the broth had good spicy flavor but not much other flavor. Good portions, ramen is more than enough to fill me.
The spicy allstar roll and eel and avocado rolls are also pretty good.
Good value for good food. Although go early or late. Kind of a small place so when it’s busy the wait can be quite a while.

Ok, let me just start by saying, I’ve been to Tokyo, lived in Honolulu and I think this is one of the better, more authentic Japanese restaurants in the valley. If I lived/​worked closer I would be at Sushi Ken weekly. In the summer, nothing compares to their cold ramen. It is so hard to find decent ramen in Phoenix! For lunch, you don’t get more bang for your buck then their bento and lunch specials.

We have been following Sushi Ken owners for more than 10 years since Sushi Ten, which the couple previous owned in Tucson. Still great Japanese food prepared by Japanese chef. Pricing is reasonable in most cases (Not sure why their Boat No. 3 is now $ 74 though) and arguably one of the best Japanese restaurants in Phoenix that serves good varieties of authentic Japanese food. They still have some American food just in case you are a «California-​roll» type of diner.
I love wasabi octopus and other «hard to find» Japanese food that probably only exist in this restaurant within 100 mile radius. Their sashimi aren’t the best as the cuts are very average. I do notice that their sashimi quality starts to head south recently, so I will only vouch for other Japanese food here and not the sashimi.
Ps. They serve all 3 major Japanese beer brands for those who cares.

Sushi Ken is one of the better Japanese restaurants in the Phoenix area. The quality of the food is consistent, the prices relatively reasonable, and the service is efficient.
They serve a variety of lunch specials that are in the $ 10 range. However, there are so many options to choose from the whiteboards surrounding the restaurant, that I would recommend checking out those options. I’ve been to Sushi Ken have ordered the Love Boat (~$ 65) when I’m with a big party of people. When I’m by myself, I like to order the chunky yellowtail roll ($ 5) or the appetizer and noodle combo (~$ 15). I recently tried the mini chirachi bowl, spicy miso udon, hamachi sashimi, and soft shell crab roll. All of them were fresh and delicious. The side salad that they serve with their combinations is pretty lackluster. I would recommend getting the miso soup or edeame instead.
The place gets busy during dinner time, so I would recommend making a reservation if you’re coming in with a large party. Otherwise, the tables move relatively fast and I would not be discouraged by the wait.

I’ve tried and retried and retried during lunch time to like Sushi Ken, but I truly do not understand the popularity of this place, maybe because it’s the only non commercial sushi restaurant in Ahwatukee… who knows. A big turnoff is just the atmosphere, the dirty carpet, the old paint and dirty ceiling, the strange smell, the tacky printed out food specials taped all over the place, maybe its me but it just feels dirty and when I go to dine on sushi, I want the place to feel clean. I started coming here and ordering Sashimi, it’s an OK quality, then I started ordering the specials, awesome deal: an entrée with an appetizer choice. I prefer the Spicy Ramen with the Mini Chirachi.
Last week I brought a friend here. He had sushi: the Spicy Tuna Roll, which he thought was OK, the Hamachi Sashimi, which he thought was big slices but no taste, and the salmon sushi which he asked if they could slice a couple slivers of jalapeño on, which he though was OK too. Everything done and we get the bill. Not to be a ball buster but I will be, they charged us $ 2.00 for the slivers of jalapeño on the salmon sushi. when asked about the extra charge the waitress said «it’s a $ 1.00 extra for each order for jalapeño and we had 2 orders (see photo attached). Really! When I said we live in the hot pepper state and I can buy a jalapeño for 25 cents, her explanation was we are a restaurant!
When you nickle and dime your customer you lose your customers and for the already on the fence dirtiness of the place, you lost me and any recommendations!