Kengo Sushi & Yakitori

Who knew a restaurant like this existed in Toledo! Fresh fish and delectable yakitori. I’m not a huge fan of beef tongue, but it was so mouthwatering. The calamari was amazing too. If you only like maki, this may not be the place for you for they only had 3 options. With that said, the maki were fresh and delicious. Not only that their drinks were amazing, just the right amount of alcohol. It’s a tad bit pricey here, but definitely worth it. My only complaint is, I wish it was a bigger restaurant. Luckily we got there early, when it opened, so we didn’t have to wait. 30 minutes later, it was full and there was a wait. I will definitely be returning here soon.

My wife and I had a very enjoyable dinner here yesterday. Excellent food, great cozy atmosphere!
A close friend suggested arriving early for Friday dining for there are only 25 seats. Was she right! My wife and I arrived around 6:10 and were seated promptly at the sushi bar. By the time we received our drinks the first name was up on the wait list chalk board (they did add a chair at one of tables for a group of 5). We were there for an hour and a half and the longest wait appeared to be around 20 minutes, not very painful as you can order drinks and food while waiting.
The wait staff are plentiful, fun and very attentive. The menu is updated around 5pm for the evening and there were plenty of choices. We had Nigiri, Sashimi, Makimono sushi and Yakitori and all our items were delicious! The owners cooked a surprise item for friends of theirs, a whole roasted tuna head! That sure created some buzz in the restaurant for it was the first time they cooked one.
Highly recommended! We will be back soon.

WOW! Someone in Toledo finally got it RIGHT! Both the sushi and yakitori were delicious. Great ambiance, great food! I thought I was in NYC for a moment. I would recommend this place to any Sushi aficionado. GREAT GREAT GREAT!!!
Thank YOU Kengo for an amazing meal!!!

I would eat here all the time if I were a wealthy man. I’ve had sushi many times before in various cities but everything pales in comparison to what Kengo and his team can offer. I had no idea that a creature from the sea could taste so good. It’s absurdly surprising that such a gem can be found in the wasteland that is Toledo. As a Houston transplant I can finally be excited again about dining out!

The fish was fresh. My salmon melted in my mouth. The atmosphere was friendly. Kengo’s dishes were works of art and not just delectable on the taste buds. The décor is also well done. It is not cheesy in the slightest. It very much has a feel of a eat in deli. I’m glad it’s not. I look forward to returning soon.

Finally made it to Kengo. I love when something exceeds expectations and Kengo certainly did that. Love the fact that it is smaller and more concerned about delivering fresh quality as opposed to herding people in and out. Really clean and professional atmosphere, but everyone is loose and casual. Our server Colleen rocked the service and gave it back as good as I gave her. it’s always nice to get a server with a personality that is truly happy to be there. As far as the yakitori I had the pork belly (3x), a chicken wing, asparagus wrapped in bacon, a chicken meatball and then two different types of sushi. Everything was fantastic. I even found a new favorite beer while there. I am literally already making plans to return. I contributed to their Kickstarter and am so glad that I did. Check this place out, now people.

My wife and I enjoyed our visit here the other day.
Friendly service and fresh offerings abound, I dropped some serious coin in here because the small portions are diametrically opposed to my big appetite, but all in all… it was justified.
Sushi and Yakitori; back and forth in a childish, play with my food event. I loved it… it loved me.
Yum.

This is really nice Japanese food !
It’s great !!
I would like to recommend here.
Here is a best I ever had in US.

The experience you get while dining here is comparable to some of the best restaurants in the country. Great service paired with a unique eating experience every time. The menu is ever-​changing. Chef Kengo travels to pick up the highest grade fresh fish every day before they open. I would recommend the Omakase, paired with some of the unique Japanese beverages from the bar.

Chef Kengo is awesome! A great dining experience awaits those who call ahead for #omakase. Chef makes a number of different platings for you during the omakase dining experience. This last time we had 13 servings — pictures to follow. If I were to choose one of the dishes to have on a reg it would be his soup dish. This time it was conch served in its shell with a quail egg. SOOOO GOOD. You will not be disappointed.

Try the Omakase meal. Each course is minimalist in ingredients, but creative in execution. $ 75 may seem pricey, but it’s worth it for the amount and quality of the food. Note to pescatarians: there are courses with meat, including waygu beef and a yakatori course with chicken and pork. I’m not sure if you can request fish only. It’s a lively, noisy atmosphere, so not a good place for a intimate date. I enjoyed my experience.

Very impressed! Kengo is simple and no-​nonsense but the food is incredibly fresh and tasty, the staff is friendly and passionate, and the atmosphere is casual and fun. A welcome addition to the Toledo area for sure.
I ate here with my parents, locals and Kengo veterans who knew to arrive early to get a table. The food and experience would have been worth a wait to me, and the line of people amassing in the hallway when we went seemed perfectly content to enjoy some drinks while waiting for a table to open up. To all those who rate this place low or refuse to come because of spacing issues, it’s really your loss.
Both the sushi and yakitori were delicious. We had several rounds of sashimi and three rolls and I can’t say I’ve ever had such fresh sushi anywhere in Ohio. The yakitori added some fun and uniqueness to the experience, and everything was grilled and seasoned to perfection. It’s hard to pick a favorite from the shiitake mushrooms, chicken breast, chicken thighs, brussels sprouts, pork belly, ika maruyaki (squid) and bacon wrapped asparagus (wow, can we eat or what) as they were all great and full of flavor. To top it off, we enjoyed the booze selection too, sampling both sake and signature cocktails.
I’ll definitely be returning here the next time I’m in the area and am eager to find an occasion to #treatmahself to their omakase experience at the sushi bar. Until then, Kengo!

I cannot say enough good things about Kengo. My husband and I have visited several times since they opened, but the most memorable experience was when we did the omakase meal for my birthday. It was such a truly incredible meal (several courses over a two-​hour period for ~$ 80 per person) and must be tried at least once, even if it is a little pricey. It was such an intimate experience sitting at the sushi bar and watching Chef Kengo prepare each course personally. He chatted with us throughout our meal, describing the dishes and his inspiration for each one. I was so full by the end of the meal that I wasn’t even sure if I could finish the last course… but somehow did. Simply amazing. One of my favorite birthday’s ever.

Although it has been well over a week now since my first meal at Kengo, the experience has been on my mind. I’ve found myself referencing it in conversation as I would a vacation. I proselytize at work. Kengo eschews the clever (sometimes genius) gimmicks of other sushi restaurants; it sets aside the heavy mayo, the wildcard ingredients, and cute names for simply fish and rice.
We started with nigiri: bluefin otoro and live scallop. The bluefin otoro was light and flavorful, and melted in my mouth like butter. The live scallop will be a permanent fixture for future dinner orders. It explodes with flavor and is unlike anything I have ever tasted, like cotton candy made of scallops. Words fail me. When they ran out — as they inevitably will — a collective gasp filled the room. This would be a recurring scene throughout the evening as the staff slowly «86’d» item after item with the happy indifference of monks sweeping away a mandala. The enticing menu we met when we arrived looked like a page ripped from the obituary section of the newspaper as we left. Go early.
The yakatori rounded out our meal of nigiri and makimono. We tried the meatballs, the chicken breast, the shishito and shishamo, as well as the corn, tomatoes, and asparagus. All were delightful and delicious in their own way. The meatballs were a standout dish, bursting with flavor, though even simple grape tomatoes felt elevated.
I left Kengo feeling as if I was offered a vigorous argument for a return to sushi orthodoxy, and, in the skillful hands of the chef, it somehow felt both modern and visionary. I can’t wait to go back!

I am wrong, this place would still be a 5 star anywhere else in the world.
The staff makes the details noticeable for you to appreciate, from the well-​molded sushi rice served at a perfect temperature to the grilling and seasoning of yakitori. It’s all these things put together that create an unforgettable experience.
My latest favorite is the uni– amazingly fresh and creamy. A yakitori favorite is the beef tongue– tender and succulent.
Kengo’s! Where have you been all my [Toledo] life???

To start, my cucumber & aloe gin martini was divine. So nice, I had two just because.
Yes, Kengo’s is very small, but that’s a good thing! It allows Chef to expertly prepare your food, and get it to you quickly. Sure, you may have to wait in line for the experience, but my friends, it is so worth it. While they strike items off the chalk board, as they run out of different options, understand that is a good thing. It means they are keeping it as fresh as possible.
The yakitori is amazing. Do yourself a favor and try everything. The chicken is great, the pork belly is great, all of the veggies are great, but my favorite was the bacon wrapped burdock root. It was exceptional both in it’s melt in your mouth texture, but also deeply rooted (pun intended) flavors. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water.
You know what else is making my mouth water? That goddamn perfect sushi. Kengo’s get’s their extremely fresh fish multiple times a week and you can trust that what you’ll be served is of the absolute highest quality. I had a little bit of everything, and beyond of course the bluefin otoro, I couldn’t pick a favorite. Each variety was served at the perfect temperature, and the rice the fish sat on top of was also perfection. You could feel the warmth of Chef’s hands in each bite.
As far as rolls go, I love that Kengo’s is intentionally not pandering to western desires for mayonnaise and deep fried toppings. Instead, the salmon & yellowtail roll covered in a dusting of wasabi perfectly highlighted the flavors and textures of the fish.
Dipped in Chef’s homemade brewed soy sauce (fermented with banana leaves no less) and you’ve died and gone to heaven. Kengo’s is sushi nirvana, and absolutely the best in the city.

Even though I pretty much hate sushi, I was anxious to try out Kengo’s (and Josh’s) new place for the following reasons:
1) My wife loves sushi.
2) I figured I’d be down with the yakitori.
3) They have sake and beer on tap.
SUSHI: When it comes to sushi, my wife seriously knows her shit. Period. End of story. Says my wife: «THIS, Mike, this is by FAR the freshest and best sushi I’ve had in a long, LONG time. Even the rice is… even…even the rice is… oh my God, I’m…I’m having a FOOD-​GASM!» She didn’t actually say that, but she might as well have; she liked it the sushi that much.
YAKITORI: In most Japanese places around here, yakitori (essentially, skewered and grilled meat/​veggies) is usually only offered as an appetizer. At KS&Y, it’s, obviously, one of the main attractions! It’s cooked on a dedicated grill (wood fired? I’m not sure) and traditional sauces are used to add flavor. Basically, they kill it here. I had a little of almost everything, and, I had a lot of some things. Everything was honestly fantastic. I did skip the «whole squid, grilled» however… I have issues when my food comes out looking too much the living animal.
ATMOSPHERE: In a word, intimate. In another word, fun. That sounds like a contradiction? Check it out and see what I mean. We went on a Wednesday night and were immediately seated at the sushi bar. The waitstaff was great («Irasshaimase!!»), and the food came out very quickly. I’d imagine, however, that if you came here on a Friday or Saturday, things wouldn’t be quite as fast.
Some may complain that Kengo runs out of food items as the night progresses. Of course they do. BFD. That’s a good thing. That’s what happens when a place prepares extremely fresh food, to order. Although the selection at the end of the evening may be smaller than the selection at the beginning, one thing that you CAN count on, is that any food that KS&Y serves you, will be damned good.
Expensive? Yeah. A little. But like at Element 112, at KS&Y, you get what you pay for. If you want cheap sushi, go to Kroger.
I would REALLY like to see more local beers on tap. (Hey fellas, Black Cloister is right around the corner, ya know.)
I already know that my wife is gonna make me come back to Kengo Sushi & Yakitori. But guess what? I’m not gonna mind! FIVE STARS.

Tonight, Kengo was packed which is a great sign. I love seeing downtown Toledo establishments thriving on a Saturday night. The entire staff in unison greeted us with an incomprehensible «hello»… at least I think they said «hello.» No one said «someone will be with you» or «it will be a few minutes before we can seat you»… nothing resembling simple restaurant hospitality.
My husband and I waited 5 – 10 minutes for a table, which really wasn’t bad at all. As we sat down I realized the chalk boards on the wall were the menus. It seemed like a smart concept until I realized that over half of the chalkboard was crossed out. No Joke! Half of the menu items were sold out. On the menu were only two maki items… that is crazy!!! Only two rolls and both were crossed off of the menu. Half of the Yakitori list was gone leaving us with a choice of a chicken wing, chicken meatballs, shishito peppers or shitake mushrooms. The sashimi/​nigiri menu was comprised of big eye tuna, hamachi, isaki, mackerel, sea robin, uni, and shrimp.
They also had an Omakase option for $ 75. I ordinarily prefer to order the Omakase option when I go to sushi bars. However, how was Kengo going to justify a $ 75 Omakase option with only 6 fish options on the menu?
The waiter explained to us that the restaurant runs out of food nightly.
Waiter: «Chef only prepares enough for an evening. Sometimes we even run out of rice!»
Me: «If you run out of food on a Friday night… what do you do for Saturday? When is your next shipment?»
Waiter: «We get three shipments weekly and we sometimes drive up to Detroit to purchase fish. Chef prepares a limited amount daily. Sooo… there is more fish that we can prepare.»
Me: «Is it typical to start running out of sushi at 8pm?»
Waiter: «Yes and by the way the edamame that I promised you is all gone. I am sorry we do not have any more to serve tonight.»
Me:“Okay!?! I guess Kengo is doing well!” I have never been to a restaurant that ran out of a vegetable before. The very idea that Kengo could run out of edamame was so odd to me.
So from the limited menu, we proceeded to order from the list of leftovers. Basically, the food that was not popular with the early dinner crowd is what the late night dinner crowd gets served.
The sushi was decent. The chef’s knife skills were good, the rice was not good and the portions were adequate. The rice in my sea robin nigiri was too sweet but the rice in uni nigiri was too salty, which indicates either the rice was haphazardly mixed or the chef had a film of something sweet/​salty on his hands.
The yakitori was missing the awesome yakitori smoke and depth of flavors. Yakitori is supposed to be cooked over smoldering wood coals, turned often, and glistening in some type of intoxicating sticky secret sauce. But this was not the case. The shishito peppers were plainly skewered and grilled. The chicken meatballs had nice texture, a little too much sesame flavor… very one note … possibly due to the sesame flavor.
At the end of the meal I was full but not satisfied, and since they had run out of so many things our bill was very low! Our bill was half much as we would usually spend at a sushi restaurant. And we couldn’t even spend more even if we wanted to. They were running out of food every 10 minutes. We paid our bill and hung out to finish our drinks.
My husband and I watched as another family came and sit at the table next to us. I privately thought to myself «I wonder if they are going to stay? More than half the menu is gone.» The family chatted with the waitress a bit and they decided to stay. The waitress promptly turned around and called out to the kitchen «Edaaaa-​maaaa-​meeeee!» And I thought «OH NO! She doesn’t know that they are all out of edamame.» And moments later a plate of edamame emerged from the kitchen. Yes, less than 45 minutes after our server declared that there was no edamame left in the kitchen… magically edamame was grown and harvested just for this new table! Talk about great service. Way to go Kengo!!!
The restaurant model is designed in a way that it produces a crowd of customers who inevitably leave unsatisfied. They intentionally prepare food in small quantities, they boast that the food runs out nightly, and they are unapologetic about the fact that the full menu will be never 100% available to all of its customers.
I have never been to a place that intentionally manufactures a culture of «wanting.» It is almost as though Kengo wants you to come back and to try the menu items you missed on your last visit. I think the food should speak for itself. My decision to patronize a restaurant will always be based on good food and good service.
I do not appreciate servers lying to me or a management team which promotes this type of marketing. I recommend visiting Kengo only so that you may witness the novelty of what they call running a sushi bar.

An amazing, fresh, tasty experience.
Not many tables but we never felt rushed while we ate. Staff had great recommendations. So happy to have this restaurant in Downtown Toledo.

The surf clam here was mind blowing! So fresh and crisp and ocean-​tasting! The other sashimi selection were excellent as well. Very fun and hip new place in downtown Toledo. Small space like previous commenters have noted, so be prepared for a wait if you come during peak hours. The yakitori was solid, the shishito peppers, of all things stood out of the bunch we ordered. It was really unique and tasty.
Not sure what the Omikase entails, but am definitely tempted to return to try it out!