Kenichi

I recommend Kenischi because it?s a classy place to be on a romantic date, or even out with co-workers after a long day at work and you want to let your hair down and enjoy the atmosphere. The waiters,hostess are ALL down to earth, the drinks are awesome. The food well what can I say the BEST place to eat all types of sushi. ?Top Notch? without a doubt. People this is BIG D nothing but the BEST>>>Kenichi is BIG-D
DD

Pros: THE BEST IN DALLAS, TX. CLASSY

Cons: NONE

Posted 10/14/09

If you are looking for sushi and rolls that is different from any where else, you should come to Kenichi. Kenichi has some of the most tastiest dishes that will make you palate jump of joy. Mines did. Make sure you have white soy sauce with your sashimi as well, no other place in town offers it.

Pros: Outstanding Sushi, Sake, and Service

Cons: Sushi bar doesn't have TVs.

Posted 09/14/09

Kenichi is one of the top notch sushi/pan-asian restraurants in Dfw. Located right next to American Airlines center, this is the place to be during big events. Kenichi has some of the best chef's in the state, and offer some of the best quality sushi.

Pros: Overall great service and food

Cons: They are far from where I live, but thats not a con!

Posted 09/13/09

I love this place! The staff is friendly, they're affordable (for sushi), and everything they Roll is tasty. Their variety of overstuffed maki rolls (my weakness!) keeps me coming back -- Blake Roll is probably my favorite, closely followed by Lauren Roll. I also recommend their Rolls with fruit in them,

Posted 09/11/09

Kenichi is like no other sushi restuarant. The style and presentation of each dishes are out of this world. Cheif Garee create each dishes as a piece of art within itself. The sashimi are very high quality. Would recommend this to anyone.

Pros: High Quality Food

Cons: Need to open earlier.

Posted 09/10/09

I have been a fan of kenichi in the past, but I think they chased me off last week. After it took 35min just to get our sushi I ask polity for the manager. The manager at first was polite but turned very stand offish towards my friend when we asked why our sushi was taking so long. I have never been more insulted. Our sever rarely checked on us. It's sad that this was the place I asked my wife to marry me and now I cring just knowing how low respect they have for regulars,

Pros: cool look

Cons: bad service and seems nobody cares.

Posted 08/26/09

Went to Kenichi yesterday and ordered a Spicy Tuna roll, when I got it I've never seen a tuna roll with so much rice, sauce, and no tuna. I asked the waiter is this how the tuna rolls are here and he just brought me another one with more sauce. But again i couldn't believe this place cost so much and looks so nice that the food is that cheap and bad!

Pros: Restaurant looks nice

Cons: Food

Posted 07/29/09

Love this place! my favorite sushi restaurant!

I have eaten here a few times, and have always had the best service, great decor, ambiance and of course the DELICIOUS food!

This place is a great for romantic dining!!
Do not miss out for the green tea mojito- one of my favorite drink!! you won't regret!!

Pros: food, service, ambience

Cons: none

Posted 03/12/09

Here is your 'other review'..This is a great place...ignore the reviews by "market people." If you want exceptional sushi then expect to pay for it. This restaurant has a great upbeat atmosphere that of course would be overbearing for someone coming from a place where crawfish is "sushi." The staff is great at what they do and very welcoming throughout. The barteneders have from what I understand been in the industry longer than some people have been coming to Dallas. I understand it is hard to enjoy a place if you are not ready for a breath taking ambiance/sensory overload. If this is the case then buy sushi from Kroger and eat it on your couch in your own comfort zone. If you want an entertaining place to enjoy top quality food and service go to Kenichi, you will not be dissapointed.

Pros: ambiance and excellent service.

Cons: There is only one Kenichi in Dallas.

Posted 02/18/09

My husband and I have visited the Dallas area for the past two years. We come from Baton Rouge to go to market several times throughout a year. Sushi is by far our favorite food. We have ate at other restaurants for the past 2 years and wanted to try something new. Kenichi popped up as the audience favorite. WOW It had to be the loudest restaurant I'd ever been too. We ordered all specialty rolls. The rolls were outragously priced considering the amount given and the were not so "special" to us. The rolls were very small. I think we had a $20 roll and got 5 pieces. Did i mention small pieces? My husband and I spend a min. of $100 each sushi meal. I must have to say that was the most wasted $150 I've ever spent. I had to send my dirty martini back two times - it's not hard to make an Abolute Vodka dirty martini, is it??? I think someone needs to write another review.

Pros: the look

Cons: sushi

Posted 02/09/09

Being new to Dallas I've been a huge fan of citysearch in helping me find the new hot spots. After reading Kenichi reviews I decided I would try it out last night with my wife for a nice dinner out. The hostesses at the door were very accomodating and seated us at a curtained booth next to the sushi bar, a great start to our meal. The waiter was very courteous and actually offered to create a menu for us (even making sure it fit in to our dietary and allergy needs!) Tried a couple sushi rolls, Blake roll was a favorite along with the Morgan Mania roll, and the seabass entree was awesome! Josh, the manager, was even nice enough to come by our table and welcome us to the restaurant after hearing it was our first time here. After sampling several other sushi restaurants in Dallas, Kenichi surpassed all of our expectations! Some of the best sushi I've had in awhile and the staff treated us like family! After dinner we headed to the lounge for a drink and the bar was packed (I had forgotten the Mavs had played earlier)...a little loud for our taste, but a great place overall.

Pros: Great service!

Cons: A little loud for our taste

Posted 12/10/08

Hosted a bachelorette party for a friend this past weekend in the lounge upstairs and had such a great time! The event coordinator was so sweet and made sure to accomodate all of our needs, she even met with us before hand so we could check out the space and help us put together a menu. I had heard mixed reviews about Kenichi but was really impressed with the service and time that was put towards our group. Great service AND food....not to mention a fun DJ. Great place to host a party, we will all definitely be back!

Posted 12/10/08

I went to Kenichi last week before the Mavs game and it was awesome. The girls at the hostess stand were very friendly and inviting and even though we didnt make reservations, they said it was no problem to get us seated. My waiter was very attentive and helpful in going over the menu with us, since it was our first time there, and the food was amazing, I had Dynamite Shrimp, a Blake Roll and Black Cod. We came back for drinks after the game and discovered that they have a special Happy Hour Menu for before and after the game. I definitely plan on going back very soon!

Posted 12/09/08

One of the things that makes me very angry is finding out a restaurant is out of an entree AFTER I've ordered it. Especially after I spent over 10 minutes looking at the menu in full view of the waiter. This is what happened on my first visit recently. Then I tried to order a glass of one of the premium sakes. They were out of this too, but didn't tell me until after I placed my order. For the outrageous cost and small portions, I expected better communication between the kitchen and wait staff to the diner before my order was placed. Finally I settled on a filet steak with sauce and a side dish. In usual Japanese style, my companion's pork loin was carefully sliced, arranged on the plate, and the sauce pleasingly applied. My filet arrived unsliced and unceremoniously plopped on the plate with the sauce in a small dish next to it. My side dish of agedashi tofu arrived before the entree and was undercooked and cold. (The waiter also didn't know that "agedashi" was the correct Japanese term for the tempura tofu.) The wait captain did indicate that the small carafe of second rate hot sake I ordered would be on the house. How nice of them to offer what I ordered as an alternative instead of something equivalent to what I originally wanted. If you plan to attend an event at the American Airlines Center, I recommend selecting another place for dinner beforehand. There are plenty of other good unpretentious restaurants that are a better value.

Pros: It's close to American Airlines Center

Cons: Overpriced for portions and level of service received

Posted 11/15/08

Ive always heard mixed reviews about this place but I really enjoy going there and love the food!
The atmossphere is always great and very high energy!
Parking is a little bit confusing but worth it!

Posted 09/17/08

Kenichi is more than just an average Sushi Restraunt. Its a place you get to know and love!! When your there your treated like family, The staff is friendly, and fun.. The lounge is a perfect area for a refreshing drink before dinner, or merely just to go and relax for coctails after work.

Posted 08/25/08

I had heard many rumors about kenichi good and bad but my personal experence was outstanding!!!!!!Most asain restaurants are all about the sushi or food but not so at Kenichi. The server we had to our experience to a whole other level. My wife and friends were reluctant at first but the server offered to guide us through the menu and if I had just one word to describe the evening it was "WOW"! I would under any other sercumstance at any other restaurant would have said no but our server seemed so warm and to really care about our experence he even took the time to ask if we had any allergies, which is a breath of fresh air to most service here in Dallas. The food was outstanding described in detail and even tackfuly sent out in seperate courses by the server. The whole vibe was from the staff was great, fun, and extremely friendly our server even went as far as to have our car pulled around by the valet! My wife and I have found our new fav. sushi restaurants! Oh and check out there sake list. There suppose to have the largest list in the U.S. for a restaurant, if you need help finding the wright selection just ask for one of there sake sommiler they have 3 with a extensive knowledge about the list.

Pros: Great sake list

Cons: I live to far away to come there every night.

Posted 08/20/08

I love this place... I have never had better tasting sushi anywhere in Dallas. They have a huge sake list to choose from with servers that know the ins and outs of the entire list. Trust the servers to help you make a decision if its your first time. I recommend this place to all my friends. Such a fun atmosphere... guaranteed to have a fun dinner on a saturday night!

Posted 08/20/08

I have visited this restaurant three times, and all three have been unpleasant. It's not the food, it's the service. While upscale, the service is beyond unprofessional, rude, and snooty. Each time I have waited over 10 minutes for the waiter to take my drink order. This past week during restaurant week I couldn't have been more disappointed with our beverage situation. We waited for 20 minutes until our sake order was taken. After the $85 recommened bottle was gone, we asked for another. The restaurant was out, and could not recommend a comperable bottle for the same price. Instead we were up sold to $100. Most restaurants comp the additional charge out of respect for not having stock in the sake that THEY had recommended. Come to find out, the gentleman who denied the comp was the manager on duty. It had been 2 hours at this point and the only time we had seen our waiter was when our drink/dinner order was taken and when the bill came. Point being - horrible service. Not worth the food. Go somewhere else.

Cons: odd system for serving

Posted 08/20/08

I honestly wasn't a big sushi fan because of bad experiences at other restaurants. My friend, Freddy, who is the sushi chef at Kenichi, introduced me to such great dishes that I fell in love with the food there. I told him that from now on, I'm only coming to Kenichi for sushi. I trust his skills in whatever he makes. I would recommend Kenichi to anyone who is expecting not just good sushi....but EXCELLENT sushi in presentation and taste.

Posted 08/17/08

Went for Restaurant Week on Tuesday night. The menu options were awesome. Choices from the sushi bar and cooked options for each course. The service was great as usual. The nice manager came over and she even got us a round of drinks, how thoughtful! The value is awesome, totally worth every penny.

Pros: The Food, service and value

Cons: A little loud

Posted 08/12/08

Kenichi is some of the best sushi in the city. If I lived in Dallas, I would take my clients here. Service was good, but the food was excellent. Your best is sushi here but the cooked dishes are also quite good, it was better than a lot of places I had tried and the price is convenient. The chirashi is especially good (sashimi arranged on perfectly cooked and seasoned sushi rice). Well worth the price for the quality. Overall I enjoyed the meal there and will go there again.

Posted 08/11/08

I highly recommend this place to you all. The service was great and the food was even better. The drinks were amazing. We were seated pretty quickly considering how busy the place was. We had a great time there because the service was so swift and accommodating. But that doesn't make a great restaurant, the food does, and that was excellent. I actually love sushi and have eaten some pretty good sushi before, and I can honestly say this is some of the best that I've had in quite some time. The decor sets a perfect mood for a great night, with house music playing in the background and all the beautiful people enjoying the best that life has to offer. I'm new to Dallas and so happy I found this place. I can't wait to go back.

Posted 08/11/08

The two of us were looking for a good place to eat late in the evening on a Monday. We wanted something light, healthy, with great wine, and atmosphere. We showed up to Kenichi around 9pm and found two smiling faces eager to seat us. We were promptly greeted by our server who offered choices of water, and answered questions about the menu politely and offered suggestions with enthusiasm. Soon after we ordered, we received one of the first items within two minutes. The timing was perfect once we were done with one item another arrived. The food was prepared well. Our favorites were the tempura, Sea Bass, and Shitaki negamaki. The manager even stopped by to see how everything was. We left with our bellies full, and wanting to come back soon. Very often on a Monday night we come across many places that are not busy and seemingly don't want to be based on service. This was not the case for Kenichi. Everyone was happy and enthusiastic we were there. We felt very welcome. I would recommend this to anyone looking for an experience.

Posted 03/24/08

been a long-time fan of the Kenichi in Austin, and was thrilled when the Dallas location opened! things to know about kenichi: food is served family-style, and comes right from the kitchen when ready... if you go there expecting an app>salad>sushi>entree coursing, you will be in for a long wait. the best way to experience dining there is to bring a few friends, order a few of each course, and just let it the evening unfold. it was tons of fun to have little plates of awesomeness arrive at the table in no particular order, and just taste everything! my friends and i even shared an entree around the table! (try the hawaiian-inspired Ono dish, or ask for a steak to come out sliced with a choice of sauces. delicious!) appetizer-type dishes to look for: the Beef Negimaki and the Black Cod. 5 of the 6 rolls we ordered on our last visit came out artfully arranged on a single plate for the center of the table (the Miami roll gets its own display on a separate plate, placed on a tasty pink onion vinaigrette). for dessert, asian pear bread pudding. sounds odd, tastes INCREDIBLE.

as far as the restaurant itself goes, decor is modern and trendy, with lots of glass and steel, offset by warm asian-inspired wood tables. having dined at the austin location many times, and the dallas location since its opening, i can say that service at the dallas location has improved DRAMATICALLY (but then again any new restaurant needs a little time to find its rhythm). be sure and ask your server for suggestions or about off-the-menu specials. or to create a menu for you. and if you're a sake novice, there's always someone willing to guide you.

only drawbacks to Kenichi Dallas: 1.) on busy nights, sushi can sometimes, but not always, take about 20-30 minutes. solution: order something from the hot kitchen while you wait. 2.) i can't afford to eat there every day. solution: get promoted :)

conclusion: save your money, go to kenichi. expensive, yes, but SO unbelievably worth it.

Pros: food quality, sake list, music, wine, people-watching, unique dining experience

Cons: parking, occasionally loud dining room, area traffic

Posted 03/23/08

I have one of those friends who hates making a big deal out of their birthdays. She didn't even tell me it was her birthday until the day of! She hadn't made plans, so I insisted on taking her out, and going somewhere adventerous, and i don't think there are many more adventerous eating places than Japanese resturants. We went to kenichi right after work (on the enthusiastic recommendation of one of my co-workers) and found the place to be totally packed; i think there was a Mavs game. The hostess offered us the sushi bar, assuring us it was a really fun place to sit. when she sat us, she introduced our sushi chef as Handsome Freddy. Freddy was great! He's even got his own roll, which was delicious. My friend ended up mostly sticking to cooked items, but there were plenty of those to be enjoyed. Her favorite was the cod. I really like the hawaiian roll. I was kind of hoping to have the waiters embarass the pants off her for her birthday, but getting a free fried ice cream instead was pretty nice. So basically, the food is amazing, and I really like the people there. And I'll defintiely be back at the sushi bar.

Posted 03/21/08

kenichi has it all...a great bar experience (great drinks, great scenery, great vibe) to the incredible tasting food and sushi..to the perfect after dinner lounge. we went in as a group of 4 and from the moment we walked in..a fantastic experience happened. the hostesses greeted us with a welcoming smile and recommended we have a drink before our dinner (we were early, so we completely understood our wait for our table). the bartenders were fabulous, even recommending one of their specialty drinks for my wife.

dinner was immaculate!! the servers were very knowledgable and the teamwork they showed was impressive. our food was 5 stars throughout...chef durant also came to our table to make sure everything was perfect

i could go on and on about our experience, but i recommend whoever reads this experience it for themselves!!

Pros: whatever you want in your kenichi experience, they can provide

Cons: i can't go there everyday

Posted 03/21/08

I'm glad i gave sushi a second chance. I absolutely loved the yellow tail serrano sashimi. I had tried sushi before at other places and never even remotely liked it, but it never tasted as good as it does at Kenichi. also, the dynamite shrimp are a must have along with the shiitake negimaki. the atmosphere is very relaxing and the hostesses (especially Allie) make you feel very welcome and comfortable. overall, my dining experience was great, but when we went to the upstairs lounge for a drink, it seemed to be missing a bit on energy that a late night crowd & dj could bring.

Pros: Sushi

Cons: lounge was i bit groggy

Posted 03/20/08

I had the best experience going to kenichi right before a Mavericks game. I heard so much about it from a co-worker, so I had to stop by. Even though I sat in the lounge area by the bar, the service was best as ever. Every one was enjoyable to talk to and very friendly. Food was GREAT! We first tried the dynamite shrimp which was free because we had a flyer to come dine with Kenichi then go to the game. Free Dynamite Shrimp or Edamame. It was amazing! I could order a whole bunch of those. Then we order some wine, we didnt know much about the wine, but the manager was very helpful to help us choose what we wanted. He was very kind and very intellectual about the food and wine. He also recommended the negimaki, very meaty, juicy, and great for a big appetite. My wife had the sea bass. She loved the sauce that went with it and she especially loved the tofu at the bottom. After dinner, we had the chocolate lava cake, which was to die for because we were big chocolate lovers. We were very impressed with the great service. We will be in for dinner soon!

Posted 03/17/08

I have dined numerous times at Kenichi, and have yet to have a bad experience. I have lived in Florida and California as well, i love sushi. Dallas has a couple places that are pretty good, but none of them compare. I have been more than impressed with the variety and quality of your menu. The staff is always extremely professional and on the ball. I am always looking for new and interesting rolls all over the world. Yall are at the top of my list. Thank you for the experiences you have provided me, and dont let up. Cant wait to be back!!!!!

Posted 03/16/08

I came here for a friend's birthday. The atmosphere here is really greatest. Good place for a social gathering or can be romatic enough to bring a date. People here were really friendly and the food was great.

Posted 03/16/08

Being located in Victory Park and the W hotel is a tall order for any restaurant. Yet Kenichi has proven that they belong in that district and provide a certain type of night life and atmosphere. From the moment you walk in you will be greated promptly by a hostess. If there is a wait (and there will probably will be on a friday or anytime the Dallas Stars or Dallas Mavericks are in town, you have the option of hanging out at their full bar located at the front of the restaurant. The setup is young and modern yet stylish and chic. Once you are seated, the menu boasts of a variety of choices. From the appetizer, to the main dish, to dessert, you will not be disappointed. The edamame is served in its own unique way (ask the server what the sauce is made off... you might be surprised). Once you get to the maindish, there's almost no wrong choice you can make. Whether you're a sushi person, steak, fish, chicken or something more exotic like duck or lamb chops, you will be supremely satisfied. Once you finish your meal, you can mingle with your friends back at the bar or if there's a DJ, you can definitely check out the upstairs dance floor as well. Kenichi is a place that cannot be done justice by words alone. But if I had to choose one and only one, Kenichi would definitely be... cool.

Posted 03/16/08

I came in to Kenichi a few nights ago for an anniversary. The restaurant was beautiful! The hostess were very welcoming. Even though i did not have a reservation they were happy to seat us. The server came and promptly greeted us and took our drink orders. While we were looking through the menu, Aaron came by and greeted us to see how everything was. He recommended somethings. Like, the moxitini, i'm not a great fan of sake, but that was great. He also recommended the hot rock, which was delicious. I told him we were stopping by for dinner for our anniversary and thinking of throwing my birthday party at Kenichi. He kindly gave me his card and told me to call him whenever we decided to have the party. Aaron was very nice and welcoming. Dessert was to die for! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. It's in a great location to go to a game at the american airlines or a show at the house of blues then stopping by to grab a bite to eat. Overall, everyone was very nice and welcoming. I will definitely come back soon!

Posted 03/10/08

I have been to Kenichi several times since it first opened in Dallas, and I am more impressed each time I go. Upon entering, I absolutely love the vibe. The lighting in so cool, the crowd is hip, the bar area is a great place to cacth up with friends. I love to be seated in one of the private booths, or the sushi bar for a more interactive time. The sushi chefs are so fun to watch and chat with.
The service is always top notch, I especially love Aaron. He's always so knowledgable about the menu and full of great suggestions. I can't go to Kenichi without ordering the Blake & Godzilla rolls- so delicious, the kobe beef cooked on the hot rock just melts in your mouth, and the Chilean Sea Bass on top of tofu is to die for. I'm not usally one to turn down dessert, I would definitely recommend the molten chocolate cake or the tepura fried ice cream. Yum. All around an outstanding restaurant, just writing this review makes me want to go back asap.

Posted 10/02/07

I took my friend to Kenichi for her Birthday hoping to make it a memorable experience, and we had a fabulous night! Our server, Jamie was so helpful in making selections for wine and food as the menu is vast. Also, we had some dietary restrictions which Jamie considerately asked about before we ordered. I really appreciated that as at most fine restaurants it seems like a an insult to alter the entrees. We sampled the whole menu which I really recommend. The food is so creative and delicious. Our favorites were the Blake Roll, Pork Robata, Sweet Chile Edamame, Kobe Beef and the Dynamite Lobster. We also loved the different sashimis with really unique flavors like pesto and blue cheese. My friend kept saying she felt like a celebrity, because we were treated so well by the staff and the food was so decadent. We will definitely come back to Kenichi. I recommend you ask for Jamie's section, because his hospitality definitely richened our experience.

Pros: Thumbs up on Service, Menu, Creativity

Cons: Noise (get the booth if you can)

Posted 09/06/07

I had my birthday dinner for 15 at Kenichi and it was by far the best service I've ever received for a party that size. The sushi was absolutely wonderful!!!! And the drinks were delicious. I actually had friends say the drinks were 'too strong', hahahaha. I especially enjoyed the Blake Roll. I brought my own birthday cake and the wait staff took care of the special preparation and serving it individually. The crowd was very nice and trendy. The dj spinned really nice upbeat music. I will definitely be going back. By far the best sushi place in Dallas to see and be seen!

Pros: Ambience, food, service

Cons: N/A

Posted 08/17/07

I am not by any means a sushi specialist. I went to Kenichi on the recomendation of a friend. The atmosphere was trendy with upbeat music. The service was outstanding. I have always drank hot soke when I went out to eat sushi but when the server presented us with the soke list I was blown away. He explained the different types of soke to me and I actually tried a cold soke on his recommendation. I loved it!!! The server made a menu for us with a combination of hot food like kobe beef and sea bass, then he brought out some sushi rolls and sushimi topped with serrono peppers. Everything was outstanding. I would recomend this place to anyone who is looking for a great start to an evening or just wants to have a great meal. I will be back and bring several friends with me.

Pros: soke, wine, and great food and service

Posted 07/14/07

I had heard many rumors about kenichi good and bad but my personal experence was outstanding!!!!!!Most asain restaurants are all about the sushi or food but not so at Kenichi. The server we had to our experience to a whole other level. My wife and friends were reluctant at first but the server offered to guide us through the menu and if I had just one word to describe the evening it was "WOW"! I would under any other sercumstance at any other restaurant would have said no but our server seemed so warm and to really care about our experence he even took the time to ask if we had any allergies, which is a breath of fresh air to most service here in Dallas. The food was outstanding described in detail and even tackfuly sent out in seperate courses by the server. The whole vibe was from the staff was great, fun, and extremely friendly our server even went as far as to have our car pulled around by the valet! My wife and I have found our new fav. sushi restaurants! Oh and check out there sake list. There suppose to have the largest list in the U.S. for a restaurant, if you need help finding the wright selection just ask for one of there sake sommiler.

Pros: Largest sake list in the U.S.

Cons: You never want to leave

Posted 07/14/07

Wow!!!

This place has it all. Friendly staff, geat food, great atmosphere. Beautiful ppl.

Our server was knowledgeable on sake and sushi. Even very good at keeping up with filling the water glasses.

This place takes sushi to a whole new level!!!

Highly recommend.

Pros: hot and trendy...favorite new sushi in town

Posted 07/10/07

Was in for dinner Sunday and had a great time. The food was amazing and the wait staff was also very nice. Requested a difficult drink to make which most bars don't make and was accommodated by the bartender Sherry. The bar was quite busy and the music added to the experience. I'd say not too bad for a Sunday... it was awesome.

Pros: atmosphere and food

Posted 05/17/07

We ate at Kenichi tonight Sat 5/12. What a great place wall to wall people. The sushi and regular japanese food were both great. The miso black cod was the best I've had. Drinks took a little too long but then again the place has only been open for 3 weeks. We sat at the bar before dinner and the bartenders were great and working their tails off. There were a lot of familiar faces working there in the bar as well as on the floor. Kenichi has put together a great team. We left about 1030 just as a DJ was warming up. Can't wait to go back and stay a little later for the late night scene.

Pros: Great food, fun atmosphere

Cons: Valet was a little steep.

Posted 05/12/07

Just had dinner at Kenichi, Saturday night - not much to say - the food was pretty good, high recommendation on venison, drinks took way too long and tasted awful. Overall, good but not great.

Pros: Food

Cons: Speed of service

Posted 05/11/07

Some friends, and I had the pleasure of dining at kenichi last night on the reccomendation of one of the W hotel staff members. He described it as "similar to Nobu, but without the attitude." To our pleasant surprise he was wrong: it is actually much better quality than Nobu, AND far less snooty. My fiance and I love sushi, but our friends are a bit intimidated by raw food. Our server adeptlly handled this and pointed us in the direction of a seemingly never ending supply of delicious cooked items. Game, even, at a Japanese restaurant? You must try the quail, it still showed up in my dreams last night. Not to down play the sushi, as it was world class, but Kenichi has better steaks than most of the places I've tried in Dallas, and more options, as well. It ssemed like they had dozens of sauce options, which as we all know is about a dozen more than most steak houses. No more bland "red wine reduction for me please. For dessert we had some thing called, "hot ball?" I think. My Fiance has a gluten allergy, and our waiter reccomended them as what he called, "gluten-free donuts." Truly amazing, and he later revealed, made from predominantly tofu! By far one of the most unique desserts we have seen. I will reccomend everyone I know.

Pros: steaks, quail, sushi

Cons: I can't make it every day :(

Posted 05/10/07

My best ever discovery as far as new restaurants. I have also been to the Kenichi in Aspen which is always packed (there are also Kenichis in Austin and Kona) so I was really looking forward to this. It was even better if possible. The cuisine is varied, fresh, healthy, creative and an experience. Anything but run of the mill. The sushi bar is amazingly lively and fun and what great sashimi (I'm a big fan). The tables are not too close together and the waiters are friendly and attentive and fortunately more than willing and able to explain the sometimes exotic and surprisingly delicious asian and pacific rim menu items and wine and sake. More recognizable fare such as filet mignon and New Zealand lamb chops are also to die for. Happening upstairs bar and lounge with a cool, clean ambience. Great overall experience...just can't think of anyting critical to say...there has got to be a lot of buzz over this great new Dallas restaurant.

Pros: food, service, ambience, overall experience

Cons: none

Posted 05/07/07

Kenichi Dallas is an all-around fabulous dining experience. It's got a little bit of everything you're wanting in an evening out. We had made reservations, and I'm so glad we did, because there was a big crowd when we got there. But despite the rush, the hostesses were courteous and accomodating and did a great job of keeping things moving and seating everyone promptly. Our service was great; the waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu and gave excellent service with everything provided in a very timely fashion. The food is tremendous and definitely something to brag about! The menu has a lot of selection and offers creative flair not apparent in most Asian inspired cuisines. We loved the cod and BBQ rib dishes - a definite must! The wine selection is also expansive, and our waiter did an excellent job of recommending what would pair well with certain dishes. After dinner the upstairs lounge area is a great way to cap off the evening. It's a great scene - very cool and chic without being pretentious. All in all, Kenichi was a very favorable dining experience. A great addition to Dallas!

Pros: food, service, ambience

Cons: none

Posted 05/06/07

MAKE SURE YOU CALL AHEAD to see if the air conditioning is working and whether or not the machine to boil water is fixed yet in case you want iced tea, green tea, or coffee. Otherwise you might have trouble breathing while you eat since the place has no natural circulation. The food was yummy..some things overpriced, others worth it. The yellowtail serrano sashimi was excellent. Everyone enjoyed the pork, venison, and lamb chops. We had the chocolate lava thing for dessert, which was yummy, but it took forever to come that we almost canceled the order. The music was a little too loud for dining, not exactly what I would call a zen atmosphere. Some of the female employees seemed to be trying too hard to be chic and ended up wearing odd combinations of black clothing and looked kind of cheap. Also, our water guy was a better server than our actual server, who didn't even have many tables. I would think a restaurant like this would have experienced waiters. Right when we sat down, he asked us what appetizers we would like when we had barely looked at the menu. The restaurant has barely opened for it to have regulars! Basically, the only thing that saved the restaurant was the food.

Pros: Food

Cons: Everything else

Posted 05/05/07

The atmosphere was good - reminded me of the Tao setup in NYC and Vegas - restuarant during the day, lounge at night - something that in my opinion does not exist in Dallas - so a welcome addition. I went on a Tuesday night - the food was great, the server was friendly and knowledgable, overall good experience. My only negative came at the bar - while the bartender was very serviceable to my wife and I he seemed very abrasive and loud with his coworkers ( a big turnoff, myself having worked the service industry) - he even go into a pretty loud arguement with the other bartender in front of custormers - very unprofessional. The drinks he made were borderline awful to average. He shook a GG on the rocks which watered it down and the cosmo my wife had was one of the worst she had. Stay away from the drinks and stick to food.

Pros: Food, Ambiance

Cons: Drinks, Bartenders

Posted 05/04/07

Despite the fact that it just opened I've been there twice already. The food is amazing - the sushi is incredibly fresh and the special rolls are great creative combinations. I particularly liked the Hawaii and Dragon rolls and the black cod, filet mignon and squash gallettes were ridiculously good. (The gallettes are lightly fried puffs of goodness.) Beyond the great food, everyone who worked there was really friendly, knowledgable and helpful - at one point one of our waiters even checked the baseball scores for me. Lastly, the decor is beautiful. It has a clean zen and modern feel and the bar areas are really fun and have lots of great places to sit. Kenichi is a great addition to the Dallas restaurant/bar scene. I highly recommend it for a great night out and will def. be back soon.

Pros: Food, Service, Ambience

Posted 05/01/07