Hikaru

Ridiculously expensive for okayy food. Nothing special. BYOB CHARGE: $ 7.00 corking fee PER bottle. Not worth it.

Worst hibachi I have ever had. I am comparing it to some place amazing and this was a complete disappointment! Fried rice had absolutely no flavor, to me that is one of the best parts of hibachi. BUMMER!

If i could, I would ask Unilocal to subtract a star. Not to give no stars, and not to give only 1 star, but to take a full star AWAY. Long review, I know, but I’ve been a customer and a staff member, and will tell you the truth of how this place is run.
This place is AWFUL. When I came as a customer, I was disgusted by the fact that the soft drinks are not free refills, but charged for, and no one explained that to me. So after 3 hot teas (teabags, not loose leaf), I get the bill and see I am charged $ 6 for tea at a sushi restaurant. Lovely. The food was okay, over priced, but okay.
But then I worked for the restaurant for 2 weeks. (i was desperate prior to starting medical school for money). Now I will NEVER go back.
First off, it is the most unsanitary restaurant I have ever seen. They wipe down the tables with the same rags that are used to wipe down the chairs (including in the hibachi portion downstairs, which is covered in soot). So the table you are eating off of could have been «cleaned» by the same rag that wiped down the seat of the previous patron. Gross.
Then I found out more about the food. Is it refrigerated? Yes. Is the rice kept at the right temperature, along with the broth for the miso? Doubtful. Now that I am a second year med student, I know that rice and broth NEED to be kept at the proper temperature to decrease the risk of foodborne illnesses. Also, the sushi chef (who was one of the nicest people I did meet, along with some of the waitstaff) did a great job of the sushi, yes, but was re-​heating the cooked ingredients that go into sushi (eel, tempura, etc). Burnt pieces he was scolded and told to put in the rolls/​sushi anyway, since it was a waste to throw away. Food proportions were small, plates were stashed in a dusty and sooty old closet in the basement or in the hibachi section, and we were told to «wipe them down» periodically with the same rags as the seats and tables.
Secondly, the management and the owner is by far the most stingy, unforgiving, rude, disorganized, and flat out evil person I have ever met. I wasn’t trained, was yelled at for not knowing what to do, charged if I forgot to add a refill drink to a customer’s order, and was paid less than minimum wage (including tips). On the first day of working, I was told to come in at 4pm, not knowing that I was expected to arrive 15 min. before the time that they told me. When I arrived at 4pm, the owner, Fuji, said he was going to dock my pay since i was 15 min late. At the end of a 6 hour shift, I got paid a total of $ 25 (including tips).
**For customers, realize this. When you tip your waiter/​waitress, he or she does NOT get your tip. It goes to a big pool and the individuals who have worked there the longest get the biggest cut, irregardless of how their service was, how they treated the customers, or how long their shift was. Since I was a newbie, after a 6 hour shift and waiting on tables that gave me a good $ 20 tip per table, I only made $ 25. HALF of what minimum wage is.
I wanted to work at a sushi restaurant because I love sushi and I knew so much about sushi in general. I wish I would have never set foot in this establishment. It is full of grime, soot, unsanitary and unhealthy food practices, is run by a stingy, mean, unreasonable, and greedy little man with sadistic pleasures of watching his customers eat off of dirty plates on dirty tables with dirty chairs to sit on.
Oh, and one more thing. ASK FOR WATER. It is possibly the safest thing to consume here and if you don’t ask for water, you wont get it. We were instructed to not give water unless customers requested it, in order to save «water and soap to wash dishes, and cold tap water.»
This is the truth, and I’m not some bitchy customer/​former waitstaff. I’ve worked at other places that serve food and it was a pleasure to work there, not a nightmare like here.

Don’t listen to ANY of these bad reviews, me and my boyfriend come here every Sunday for date night and we can’t get enough

I’ve been here a few times and while I’m not in love, I can’t complain either. The staff is very, very friendly. They care about their patrons and are very attentive. I can’t give 5 stars because the food can be hit or miss. It’s rarely disappointing but it’s not crazy amazing either. The best way to phrase it is probably that you won’t feel ripped off but will feel full. One time we ordered a «cocktail» and it was just alcohol and soda pretty distastefully and disproportionally thrown together. I do, however, like the place. If you come at the right times, it’s nice to sit upstairs and look over Main Street. I came once during REALLY heavy snow when pretty much everyone was closed and the manager was very kind to us. Just beware, it is possible to get some loud Manayunk bros at the table next to you. The staff is always really patient and courteous with them, but I guess my fuse is a little shorter

I have been here before for the sushi bar and thought it was alright. Since I can always get discount vouchers online for this place, the price was right for the sushi.
Tonight, my friend and I went for a girls night out and were extremely disappointed. She never had sushi so we decided to split a hibachi meal and a few rolls. That way if she didn’t like the sushi she could still eat the chicken and steak.
The soup tasted like there was no salt, the salad was alright. The hibachi food was dry and bland tasting, with no traditional dipping sauces to help. The vegetables weren’t cooked long enough with the onions still being raw but the fried rice was burnt. The steak tasted like it wasn’t fresh and the chicken was a little rubbery. The sushi was alright tasting although after how bad the hibachi was, I’m nervous to eat raw fish at Hikaru again.
The soda cups were tiny and we were never offered a refill. Even if refills weren’t free, which I wasn’t able to determine, they didn’t even offer to sell us more. We seemed to be the only people in the restaurant at the time and when we first sat down the waiter was very friendly but once he took our order, he seemed to disappear. He was standing at the hostess counter the rest of the dinner and in fact the only time he walked close to our table was to hand us the bill.
They added a mandatory 20% gratuity that wasn’t mentioned in the fine print of the voucher I had. The menu only mentioned 18% for groups over 6 (normal in the area). We did the math and they tipped themselves 20% off the original total WITH TAX so it was more like 22%. I normally tip 16% for bad service and 20−25% for good service and don’t think that they should be allowed to force such a high mandatory gratuity. The voucher I had was for $ 25 off yet we each paid $ 30. $ 80+ for two people and crappy food and service?
Awful service, awful hibachi, ok sushi. I don’t think I will return to Hikaru again.

Fun hibachi restaurant but just as pricey as Bennyihanna. Fun for groups. Make a reservation!
Also have sushi upstairs that is pretty good but not the best spot for it in Manayunk so I would skip that.

MF and I came here for lunch and it was OK. The lunch specials (ends 3 pm) are decent. You choose from their list and it comes with soup and salad. I really like the Hikaru soup. It’s clear chicken broth with fried onions and mushrooms. It’s light and refreshing on a cold day.
I also recommend the pan seared scallops with miso glaze. It’s 4 pieces for $ 6.95 and is really good. The presentation is really cute.
The beef teriyaki was pretty good. It’s pretty standard. The beef sukiyaki was pretty good too — very big portion. They cut the carrots into little stars which was cute.
We did NOT like the Rock’n roll. I believes it’s tuna, avocado, spicy mayo, and red pepper flakes. Although super generous on the tuna, it also tasted abnormally fishy. The texture was squishy and just by the look of it, the tuna just looked strange. It’s 6 pieces, we only ate 3 and could not even think about finishing it or wrapping it home. This was actually my first time I did not finish sushi roll or didn’t even take home left overs to finish later. So… That one I do not recommend.
The service was pretty solid. Oh and I think kitchen closes at 3 and reopen later for dinner. I’m not really in a hurry to go back :-/

Service was below par– and I hate to say that having worked in the restaurant industry– sushi was not high quality and made us queasy afterward. There was also way, way too much rice on the rolls. Below average dining experience overall.

Do sushi chef’s know the size of a human mouth?! Why make one piece of a roll larger than my mouth? Just wondering.
The service was great. Went on a weekend for lunch. The lunch special wasn’t so special. The food was «eh»… but we ate a lot because we were hungry.
Can’t say I would go back. I’d rather stay closer in Chestnut Hill for better tastes and the same price.
I suggest a complete and total makeover.

They must replace the carpet as it makes this place smell dirty. Also check your statement if using a credit or bank card as they didn’t inform me that a mistake was made and voided until I called the next day. Food was good, no roaches in site but service was slow.

This staple of main street has lost it’s mojo. When you walk in, the smell of old grease is overwhelming. I’ve been walking past and can smell it outside. I’m talking heavy in the air greeeeez from the hibachi.
Last time I was there, the anglo/​AA waitstaff was busy yacking it up and seemed to have forgotten I was there waiting for my food. In an empty, smelly restaurant, they could at least remember to take out their earphones.
They used to have a green river roll, which was excellent. They changed the name for some reason.

My daughter and I went here for the Hibachi grill. It was a really fun experience and the food was excellent!

It’s great there’s a hibachi place in Manayunk. Everytime I walk by the restaurant, there’s not many people eating hibachi… More people need to go so the restaurant doesn’t go out of buisness! The food is delicious. I was delighted that they gave us 3 whole shrimp worth as our appetizer! When we went it was just us in the whole downstairs so we got a private hibachi session! The chef was great and entertaining. The sushi bar and regular restaurant is upstairs, so you can go upstairs to eat if you are not doing hibachi.

Was concerned about negative reviews. We sat upstairs on Sat. Night. Server was very attentive. When I asked about GF she offered me GF soy sauce. The sushi fish looked ok but had the chicken yakitori which was fine. Miso was good not great.

I feel bad giving this place 2 stars since the guy who made our hibachi for us (i think he’s actually the owner) was such a nice guy. The reason why I can’t rave about this place is because the food just wasn’t good. We all had different variations of Steak, Shrimp, Scallops, and Chicken. Aside from the fact that the food tasted bland and lacked seasoning, it also had a weird after taste. As if the grill hadn’t been cleaned properly the previous time.
We also had an issue with the cleanliness of the place. It had a foul odor, like wet carpets and old fish… It turned us off and it almost made us leave even before we sat down. Then when we did sit down, the tables and chairs were very sticky.
I hope the owner at some point reads these reviews he’s getting. He could have a niche market on hibachi anywhere near Manayunk, but Hikaru unfortunately is as restaurant I will not be returning to…

I have never written a review before, but feel as though it is my job to warn you if you are considering going to this restaurant. We were a large group going for hibachi, but the overall experience was one of the worst I have ever had at a restaurant.
1. we waited an hour before getting served any food at all, 30 minutes for water
2. we tried to bring our slow service to the attention of the management, which apparently did not exist, and the staff did not seem to care if we ate at all, even after we inquired. twice.
3. once we finally did get our food, if was very sub-​par
a. the shrimp was not de-​veined (gross)
b. the fried rice was 90% butter and 10% egg
c. the volcano was premade.
4. this two hour meal was an incredible waste of time and money and left the whole group very frustrated

The inside is decorated really cool with traditional (sitting on the floor) and modern seating.
The staff was really nice and I have no complaints there.
The sushi is really small, just ok, and overpriced. I got green tea mochi for dessert and it was half melted and tasted a little off.
I would go back because it wasn’t terrible, but it’s not my first choice and maybe not even my second.

A solid three starts. I’ve read complaints about the prices of sushi, but I have to say they give some generous cuts of fish. Besides, their happy hour drink special (which was still on at 8pm on Wednesday) makes up for it. I’ve also seen some poor reviews on their service, but have to disagree with them as well (at least upstairs, as I did not have hibachi).
I was a little disappointed miso soup and salad did not come with the sashimi for two, even if it came out well presented on a boat…

Meh. I’ve been to the Manayunk Hikaru for lunch and dinner and their sushi (while attractive) has always tasted below average. I’d rather eat supermarket sushi, especially considering their relatively high prices.
It’s not all blues at Hikaru. The tea they gave us was good, and our service (Ken, and others) never ignored us. Their tempura is good, and you can also request teppanyaki (table-​side cooking) if you’re into that. The venue itself is clean, and has two floors, not a bad date place as it’s spacious and there’s always a cozy corner to cuddle — but do you want to inflict mediocre cuts of fish on a date?
Desserts (not made in-​house last I checked) were delicious: get the mud pie with mocha ice crème in cookie crust. Dessert and drinks might call me back, just not sushi. Maybe their Society Hill location is better?