Kon Asian Bistro

I’ve never been dissapointed with Kon!

Kon hibachi is a good atmosphere for a birthday, graduation, or some sort of celebration. The cooks put on a very neat show and are very skilled in juggling food, squirting saki into guests mouths, and interacting with your party.
Having said that, the food is average and very expensive. Hibachi for 2 will run you about $ 100. I understand that some of what you are paying for is the entertainment, but the first time I went I left the restaurant I was still VERY hungry. The second time I went, I made sure to eat a little something BEFORE going out to dinner, and that second time I left satisfied. (I also am a runner, so I eat more than the average human).
Overall, the food is good, but not great. The preparation of the food is cool. It is a worthwhile experience but if you are a huge foodie, then I’d look someplace else.

My first time. I’m a bitter, New Yorker, dissatisfied with Benihana. My fiancé’s parents treated to dinner here via his boss’ favor. It was early in the evening when we decided to drive over, which was fairly convenient since my fiancé and I were staying in a hotel nearby…
Anyway, it was a party of four. We requested hibachi and were seated right away. Suave atmosphere – black and red with jazz. The waitress was nice but who stole the show was the cook, of course. He was very enthusiastic, in the usual Benihana way. However, he was far more engaging. What was different from the Benihana experience was that the cook actually had us compete in a drinking competition with cooking sake, where they squirt it into your mouth! I was surprised, but I had fun!
Onto the food! What I ordered was the shrimp and chicken platter. It came with a small miso soup and salad, of course – nothing out of the usual or different from any other Japanese American restaurant. Wasn’t too fond of the miso soup – not enough miso. Rice was good – not too much egg and just the right amount of sauce. However, the chicken I ordered had too much sauce, which overpowered the chicken. The shrimp was just right – thick and seasoned well. Portions were amazing – more than you could ever get from a Benihana.
I suppose I am making a lot of comparisons to Benihana, but it is inevitable.
Overall, I had a good experience here. Left very full.

I love Kon. The food is always delicious and the staff are awesome. My son can be a little difficult when he orders and they’re always incredibly patient with him.

So this is an interesting review… I equate Kon in the sushi world to how I rate J’s in the oyster/​raw bar world… it’s not the top quality or stylistic… but it serves a purpose… I go to Kon when I want to have a good bar scene sushi setting… and for that they are a solid spot… the menu and drink selections are expansive… there are tons of apps… rolls…sashimi and sushi… and several prepared Asian dishes… the drinks and saki selection is also ample… I’ve found the table service a bit slow at times… but the bar is the place to sit… quick service… always attentive… I have no real qualms with the standard sushi fare
it’s not artistic or high end quality like Miyake or Benkay… nor is it as expensive… so, for me, it serves a purpose… I like going here… it’s a solid 3 ½ stars… and I have no real complaints…

Disclaimer: This is a review for the happy hour here only.
I’ve been here a few times to meet friends for happy hour. It has been awhile since my last visit, but my friends and I decided to meet here last week and it was just what we needed.
The pros.
1. Happy hour runs from 4:30 to 6:30. A lot of happy hours end at 6, making it a challenge for those leaving work at 5.
2. Lots of drinks on special. In addition to beer and wine specials, they also have a $ 5 martini of the day. FIVE DOLLARS for a MARTINI. Come on now!
3. A pretty extensive menu of snacks for $ 3.50 each. And, all are regular size apps. No skimping due to reduced price.
The cons.
1. There is no table service. By that I mean you order everything through the bartender. Drinks are served at the bar, but a runner will bring your food to your table, which sometimes gets a bit confusing — for the runner. Considering there was only one bartender on when we were there and at least 30 customers, she did awesome. But the wait to get her attention could feel long if you are the impatient type.
2. Location. Kon is on the line of Portland and Westbrook. If you are looking to «hop» around a bit, there aren’t many options from here.
3. The food is okay. It’s nothing spectacular, but for the price, you can’t beat it.
All in all, this is a great happy hour choice is you are looking for eats and drinks on the cheap. My two friends and were here for about 2 hours. We split several apps (some twice!) and each had a couple drinks. Total bill including tip -$ 66! Not a bad deal.

I think this might be my only one star review as of yet.
I don’t fling around bad reviews often and I definitely don’t give them after only one time. I’m a positive person and I generally want to give restaurants the benefit of the doubt. I also don’t like to fling around the dreaded f word, but I find the need to use it here and I would only do it if I was as certain as possible that it was from here.
Food. Poisoning.
I am pretty certain it was here not only because it was the right amount of hours after I ate here, but prior to this I ate a sandwich (from my house) that was prepared with those that other people ate and did not get sick and I ate two eggs (cooked well) on some gluten free toast. I ate some sushi and some gyoza. I had one drink. I was then ill later that night for about twelve hours straight and definitely icky the whole next day.
— — —
Even disregarding the food poisoning, I still give this place one star.
The service and seating are slow. I always make reservations when it comes to hibachi because I know it can be difficult to seat. Somehow other hibachi restaurants always manage to get us seated at roughly the reservation time. I don’t think its unreasonable for there to be a 20 minute flex window. You can’t make people leave. I do think an hour and a half is unreasonable if you have a reservation for four. Sorry. Not. Sorry.
Servers there are also frankly not friendly. I know that this review is a bunch of generalizations, but I’ve been here roughly five times and EVERY time the server has been apathetic and inattentive at best and most of the time more rude. My friends and I are generally not pains, tip within an acceptable range (20−25%) and don’t make huge messes.
Also, the place is disgusting. It needs a strong cleaning and there is a solid several layers deep dust factor going on in a lot of the decorations.
As I have told my Unilocal friends, I’m normally not comfortable leaving a really bad review. I hate writing this. But even if this review helps another person have a better experience and not spend all night pleading with the porcelain gods, then I think it will be worth it.

service and atmosphere was very nice. food and drinks were mediocre. we got sushi and a grilled entrée — sushi was okay, entrée was overcooked (and had grilled cucumber… yuck). okay, but probably wouldn’t bother going back again.

I love going to Kon. I think I’m known as a regular now. I always get a black and orange roll. Has a little bit of everything but it’s not too overwhelming with all of the mixed flavors. I’ve tried a variety of their sushi rolls and really haven’t disliked a single one. Presentation is usually exceptional. Love receiving my array of sushi with a flower or cool design etc.
In my eyes it’s not dinner unless you get dessert. Two of my favorites include the green tea cheesecake and the Exotic Bomba. The Bomba was a nice surprise and unusual dessert. Looked like a bath bomb on the outside, covered with white chocolate and chocolate drizzles. Inside contains passion fruit and mango gelato… ugh. So good. I also heard that the fried cheesecake is delicious but haven’t tried it myself. I’m actually planning on getting Kon for lunch today. or dinner… maybe both idk

I used to work at a couple hibachi places in SoCal, so I have a different standard and expectation…
The teppan chef wasn’t engaging. The show was ok. However, my friends who had the teppan experience for the first time liked it. The fried rice was salty, and I didn’t like the teriyaki sauce added to it. The food was 2 – 3 stars. I prefer Kobe in Biddeford.

My favorite Asian restaurant in town. Great variety of food. Clean atmosphere and friendly staff that call you by name if you are a regular. Great onsite parking.

We stopped by Kon because we needed a quick stopover for our sushi fix that isn’t right downtown for my family (parking is a nightmare with the large snowbanks … And yes my son loves sushi)
I think I was expecting so much more not only by some of the other reviews here on Unilocal but also from some of my friends who have been.
The food was decent where we dove into mostly the sushi menu (wife was not that impressed with her sweet potato tempura roll) but I also ordered the chicken pad Thai which is normally a very common dish and was pretty good but nothing to write home to mother about.
Our waitress was very friendly but when I got a Unilocal offer for a free order of Mochi for dessert with the family she seemed a little bothered and said I do t think we are doing that anymore … She went to ask her boss and they said they can make an exception.
But, with that being said, the Mochi was a big hit at the table as we had fun eating those little marshmallow surprises ;)
I feel that for the price that people are paying for the meal in Westbrook and not downtown for a place that should pop and give pizazz, I don’t think you get your money’s worth. If you are looking for a place to eat some quick sushi for lunch or early dinner out of the way, then Kon is the place.

Love the happy hours specials. These are great deals for sushi lovers on a friday night. I went early with a group of 4. We ordered beer and a bottle of reisling. You place all orders at the bar and the full menu is availble as well. One of the bartenders was the best I have ever seen, pouring drinks, clearing tables, taking orders and always maintaining a smile. I have never been so impressed by such service and attention to detail. We devoured multiple dishes of gyoza. The crab rangoon were sweet with crispy exterior. The sweet potatoe rolls were unique and delightful. I loved the crunchy spicy tuna rolls. I can’t wait to go back for another happy hour.

3 and ½ stars really. I’m here about the hibachi.
All I can say is…
I had hibachi and I liked it, the taste of their teppanyaki. I had hibachi and I liked it, I hope the sushi don’t mind it… wait, what?
Rambling: Yes, I actually had a relatively good time at teppanyaki. No one was more surprised than myself. I’m quite notorious for my disinclination for this type of cuisine. I always walk away feeling like you mostly pay for the show and there’s no guarantee that your chef will have any panache. I’ve been to other teppanyaki places a few times and all I could remember is bland or really dry food, so I would go to these places with very low expectations. But a group of my friends and I wanted to go somewhere special this night as a way to celebrate lunar new year and we didn’t want to go too far because of the snow.
Parking: On arrival, it seemed like many other people had the same idea because I’ve never seen their parking lot so crowded. It took a little time to find parking. Normally though, they have a nice big lot that’s right in front of the restaurant and easy to get into from Brighton ave.
Service: They have a coat rack area to place our outer coats. The service was prompt and they were good about giving us more time to decide what we wanted. I think out server’s name was Eric? He checked on us at least twice to see if we needed anything. He was also able to split all our checks individually which is happiness on a fluffy cloud. They also still honor the Unilocal check-​in offer for 1 free mochi ice cream with two entrees.
Chef/​Show: I think our chef’s name was also Eric. This guy is a character but in a very good way! He didn’t make awkward conversation by asking where we all were from or anything. Instead he filled the time himself with random noises, burst so random songs after mentioning thing like hot, sharp, etc., all the cool knife spinning tricks, and offering us pieces of flying vegetables off his spatula and sake out of a squeeze bottle. I’ll concede that his onion volcano was rather subpar, but overall his performance was stellar.
Food: The hibachi comes with soup, salad, vegetables, and fried rice, and two pieces of shrimp. Usually fried rice is an extra $ 3 – 4 so having it standard made it feel as if I’m getting a much better deal compared to the other places. The soy sauce and butter used made it really tasty. The mushroom soup was heavy on the pepper. I ordered the shrimp which was not dried out and well seasoned enough that it didn’t need the complementary ginger and mustard sauces. In fact, my friends also ordered filet mignon and salmon, and all the entrees were liberally seasoned and didn’t require sauce. The vegetables were soft and plentiful. Usually the vegetables (and ice cream) are my favorite part of the whole hibachi experience, but for once the protein was actually the star of the dish. Not because the veggies were lacking but the proteins surprisingly were just that good. The complimentary mochi ice cream came in three flavors to choose from: vanilla, green tea, and red bean. The plate has three mochi split in half on the rim with a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce next to them and whip cream with sprinkles in the center. The green tea mochi tasted old and the hard. The red bean was spot on though with its soft, sticky, rice floury outer layer enveloping the red bean ice cream.
Conclusion: It was a solid experience with surprisingly good food. I’d go again if a group of friends suggested it without the sulking, frowning, and bellyaching, but I wouldn’t be the first to suggest it. My cynicism has too much blah experiences to really have this be my cup of tea. If we ever get the mochi ice cream, I’d ask them to pick the flavor based on whichever one has the latest expiration date. I’d also probably bring a light jacket for the random bursts of heat from the flames and cold from who knows where.

I went back a second time. The hibachi was a great experience. I highly recommend this (or the duck). Not a fan of the sushi, but that could be my own personal preference. Also, I was «overcharged» the time before because tip was included on the bill. But it was not mentioned, so all of us in my group double tipped essentially.
The superb hibachi experience influenced me to add a star onto my previous review.

We were in the area and remembered Kon had a Friday Happy Hour — drink specials ($ 4 well drinks, $ 4 house wine, etc), and snacks and rolls for $ 3.50. We had Edamame, Spicy Tuna Roll, Spicy Salmon Roll, California Roll, and a Sweet Potato Roll. The spicy rolls weren’t spicy, even with extra wasabi. They also had tempura crunch to them (which was unexpected, because of a gluten sensitivity). Overall, an adequate happy hour option.

We had a dinner party last night here with a bunch of friends.
The atmosphere was great –the hibachi dinner offers entertainment with tasty food and great personal services! The prices are fare and the drinks are strong.
If your looking for a fun place to go with a few friends– this is the place! -

My host told me this is one of the new favorites for Asian food in Portland. I am not sure why. The service was only okay, at best, and so was the food.
While I was seated right away and had early attention from a waiter, once I told him the other two in my party were running late, he lost interest, even after they arrived. He was not attentive, and I’m not demanding! When they arrived, though they had menus, it took him some time to realize they needed to order. Neither the restaurant nor bar section were busy, and the restaurant seemed well staffed, so I’m not cutting him any slack.
The food was okay. I enjoyed a seared beef appetizer and the edamame was fine (not sure if it can be messed up), but the sushi we had for dinner was just so so. My companions seemed to enjoy their dinner, though, so it may just be for different folks. With all of the great food in and around Portland, I wouldn’t choose this place again.

I did not like this place. It’s a loud, modern bar. We fit the demographic– mid-​20s couple, but we weren’t into it.
The food: extremely small portions, compared to any sushi place I have ever been. The more expensive rolls that you expect to be bigger and more complex are more complex… but even smaller than the already tiny regular rolls. Tasty, but nothing authentic. The fish and rice are both sauced up so you can’t taste them. We didn’t try the hibachi– could be a good place to have a party.
The service was ok, but it took us quite a while to get our food.
If you are into the atmosphere, you might like this place. I would rather spend my money at a smaller, more authentic place that allows me to relax and not leave hungry! I will not be back.

What an awesome overall experience. I am a huge fan of Kon Asian after visiting there with my family to celebrate my grandparents’ birthdays’ AND their anniversary. We had an amazing hibachi chef — «Stanley» — who had us laughing the entire time. He even managed to get my 83 year old grandfather and 76 year old grandmother to do saki shots. We have video proof. Amazing.
I ordered the steak and lobster hibachi which proved pretty tasty. The steak was perfect. The lobster was a little salty thanks to a heavy hand with the soy sauce (to which Stanley kept referring to as «Japanese soda» — he was a curious one). He also kept saying pointing to the chicken on the grill and saying, «Japanese chicken — meow!» while cooking. He was quite the character and made the entire experience!
Oh and he pretty much makes the best fried rice I’ve ever experience. If I do make it back… I will be requesting Stanley as my hibachi chef again!