Kiyo’s Japanese Restaurant

Great service!!! Bomb rolls!!!

So depressed this place closed down. I will miss this place deeply…

A

Unfortunately, they closed!
Went to eat there last Saturday night, 12÷8÷12, and it was closed.
A passerby said landlord raised the owner’s rent. So he shut down. Hope he reopens somewhere soon. San Diego lost a fantastic restaurant. :(

This is for the sushi bar. The sushi chef Kazuki was really nice, particularly if you take the time to talk to him. He offered to make us something special off the menu. The place is very much like an authentic sushi bar you find in the smaller towns of Japan.

Dined 9−11−12
Kiyo is amazing. I love that even after a long period of time I can walk in and Kiyo gives a big smile. He forgets nothing and no one. Had a wonderful omakase dinner on Tuesday solo. I love dining for sashimi and the bar — it’s the best thing for solo dining. Why don’t all restaurants have a food bar? Hmmmm, something to think about. Fresh and beautiful always!

Visited Kiyo on a Thursday night around 9pm. The atmosphere was quiet and slow. I agree with another reviewer that said the interior is traditional Japanese restaurant styling — slightly old and dingy. However, we’ve been to places like this before that still serve excellent fish and make you forget your surroundings.
This however was not one of those places. We had the traditional tuna, salmon and yellow tail nigiri to start. The taste was fine on the tuna and salmon, but the texture and consistency was chewy. I’ve never had such ‘tough’ fish before.
The bright spot was the yellow tail, which was very fresh and the texture was awesome. We tried to get as many things as we could that featured yellow tail since it was the best of our top three favorites. We did like the yellow tail with green onion roll, but that was it.
They really didn’t have a great selection of types of rolls. Cost was only decent (compared to the overpriced Gaslamp places like Ra Sushi). We don’t plan on going back there.

Sorry Katsuya– I flaked on you for this hidden gem…
The bike driver was taking us to Katsuya when he mentioned this place to us and am I glad he did! Hubby was looking forward to a fancier place but I saved him at least $ 50 but dragging him here– Their salad is a good size and the ginger dressing is home made. The salmon lemon roll is a great one– the caterpillar was very tasty, as was the albacore sashimi. Servers are sweethearts and the sushi chef is a funny little man. The place is a bit run down but who cares? Go for the food.

Looking for a normal restaurant amongst the tourist frenzy that is the Gaslamp Quarter is a challenge, but we found one in Kiyo. It looks like every «real» Japanese restaurant you’ve ever been to– old, slightly dingy, and a overlooked aesthetic that may be purposeful. However, the positives unfortunately end there.
This place is way overpriced. 30 bucks for a sushi, chicken teri combo! 22 bucks for a plate of nigiri and california rolls! I have to admit, the fish was nice and fresh, but the rice was not true quality sushi rice. I mean this is Jiro Dreams of Sushi prices, for barely even Sawtelle quality stuff.
Kiyo and his two waitresses were plenty friendly, but unfortunately we walked in shortly after a huge party of tourists with what seemed like 300 children. Kiyo and the girls were just not equipped to deal with this kind of party. We waited nearly an hour for our food. On a side note– PEOPLE need to keep their children in check! I didn’t see our kids running around the whole place screaming and yelling liked they owned the restaurant.
This of course wasn’t Kiyo’s fault, but it might have made the bill easier to swallow had I not had to endure the sunburned mid-​westerners who apparently could care less how their children affect others. I won’t be going back unless I get the non-​tourist prices.

I had never had sushi before until a friend of mines invited me to this place.
It was here where i would discover my love for sushi. there sushi is bomb diggity. i had the eel roll, california roll, rainbow roll which EVERYONE should try along with the philadelphia roll and i cant remember which other ones i had cuz i had eaten so much haha. the other plus plus points are the owner is on the spot which i thought was pretty cool, only cuz not many of them are, which to me means he’s hands on. plus hes super friendly.
Now the atmosphere is very homey, warm & traditonal and it makes you feel very welcome. the place is a little hidden and sometimes you’d be surpised by how packed it could get but most days its safe to say its a bit lonley.
Oh and theres only one bathroom but thats okay cuase we come here to eat not to go to the bathroom. & FYI, Ive been here more than once, brought a exbf of mines here and becuase of this place also he likes sushi too. thanks kiyos you are thee best! =)

We popped in this small, dimly lit sushi bar/​restaurant and it was surprisingly one of the reasonably priced sushi in gaslamp. You must sit at the bar to interact with the friendly chefs. What I enjoyed most was the specially created albacore soaked in ponzu sauce. This gives a distinctive flavor that you can’t forget.
Try their nigiri & maki sushi, specialty rolls and sweet shrimp! :)
For the uni lovers, it’s not tank-​fresh, comes in a box.

There wasn’t much to choose from on the menu, so I just got one of my favorite rolls. I didn’t like my caterpillar roll– the rice was kinda dry and avocado wasn’t very fresh. I also got the edamame, but that was just ok. The staff was very friendly and sang the birthday song to the birthday people. I think I’m just spoiled when it comes to sushi since my friends makes really good sushi at On Broadway. Sorry, but I won’t be coming back. :(

Attention people! Japanese food is not all about sushi rolls and sashimi. In fact did you know sushi rolls are more common in CA then in Japan?
Kiyo is exactly what it says, a Japanese restaurant.
I was pretty surprised to find this place in the gaslamp. It offers a variety of japanese dishes you don’t normally see plus all the typical sushi rolls you would expect.
I had cold soba noodles. Now if anyone even knows what soba noodles are then you know it’s hard to find. It wasn’t even listed on the menu, I had to ask for it. And I was not disappointed. perfectly cooked with a tasty dipping sauce. Exactly what I needed to satisfy my craving. 4 out of 5 sporks!
I also had salmon sashimi, what set this dish apart from other places where I’ve had it was that Kiyo put lemon juice on it. Have you ever seen that before? At first I wondered why he did it and then he explained to me that it was to bring out the full flavor of the salmon. He doesn’t normally do it to other customers who don’t enjoy a fishy taste but he sensed that I would appreciate it and he was right. It really enhanced the flavor of the salmon and made it a unique experience for me. 4 out of 5 sporks!
Service, was top notch, very friendly and attentive.
Décor, I went around lunch time and it wasn’t crazy busy which is perfect for me cause I like the relaxing atmosphere.
What prevents me from giving Kiyo 4 or 5 stars is the price. I think it’s a little high for what you get. The quality of the food is great but the portions are small. I paid $ 16 for the soba noodle dish and $ 12 for the salmon sashimi dish. think you could probably take $ 4 bucks off each of those and it would be a fair price. But I think I might upgrade the rating depending on my next experience there.
What you’re really paying for here is authentic japanese food that you don’t normally see at other japanese places.
I definitely will try Kiyo again just to sample other japanese dishes I haven’t had or can’t find anywhere else.

A great little unpretentious sushi spot in the Gaslamp District.

Kiyo’s is me and my friend’s neighborhood sushi joint. I think that if you looked at a sushi menu in Japan, you’d find the same stuff as Kiyo’s. Expect a traditional Japanese sushi restaurant and not Japanese fusion cuisine that’s been popular lately.
Kiyo’s a pretty funny guy if you can understand what he’s saying.
Try the spicy tuna cut roll if you can eat spicy. And ask for a chef’s special roll. They’ll whip up something that’s fresh depending on what fish came in the day. It won’t disappoint.
I’ve eaten at the best and worst of sushi restaurants and Kiyo’s is above average. No reservations needed. Just drop by and enjoy.

Good location, close to the action! Easy to miss though. Authentic (I think? At least Japanese people work there!) We went last night to share some warm sake, gyoza, spicy tuna roll, shrimp tempura roll and 2 chef special rolls. Everything came out pretty quickly except the chef special rolls. Those were delicious by the way! Especially the one with some baked scallop and sauce. Most places pour on nasty creamy sauce. This had just a touch. I like that the rolls are small and cut fairly thin. I am able to pop it in my mouth instead of take two bites and risk looking like a completely pig as bits of roll fall over my mouth and plate. The con is that it was freaking hot. We had to ask them to open the door. It’s very very casual and quiet. Definitely a good spot if you just want o eat your darn sushi and get the hell out.

The Breakdown: This is my favorite spot for Sushi in the Gaslamp. Unpretentious, fresh, no loud music pumping, simply delicious sushi.
Not gonna lie, I’ve never really eaten anything off the menu other than few appetizers, i.e. tempura, edamame, miso soup. I generally end up sitting at the bar, telling Kiyo or Sada (the sushi masters) that I’m hungry and then waiting for sushi to start appearing in front of me. They always have new stuff coming in and what you will get really just depends on what is fresh that day. For those that less adventurous, the spicy tuna and the Eel are my favorites. But again you can’t go wrong with anything that comes out of the glass cases at the bar.
true story: the first time i walked by, i said «hell no» am i going to eat at that place, solely based on appearance. No lies, Kiyo’s looks like a time portal to a 80s Japanese restaurant with its old school wood furniture and 12″ TV playing recorded Japanese shows/​karaōke from the past. But once you get past the antiquated décor, you come to realize that the sushi is really that fresh and good and it doesnt matter what the place looks like. I think it gives the place an interesting character that many places seem to have lost and, for more selfish reasons, it keeps other naïve customers form coming in. That way i can enjoy my meal so much more and listen to stories on everything from Kiyo, he’s really quite the character.
When you go: I’m telling you to sit at the bar, ordering a Sapporo, sake, or both, asking Kiyos or Sada to make you what they recommend, and then listening to their stories and enjoying the best sushi in the Gaslamp.
Lastly, I’m a total sucker for good ice cream: the red bean and green tea ice cream, among the best I’ve ever had.

A complete and utter disappointment. I chose Kiyo’s based on reviews on Urbanspoon. We were completely underwhelmed. Let’s break it down.
We were not seated, we were told to just «pick a table,» which I guess is okay for a small restaurant like Kiyo’s, but having never been there, we felt a little lost.
The server greeted us and we got our drinks, which I must say, the iced oolong tea was phenomenal! For $ 2.50 it was a steal, but of course, no refills, sad.
We ordered out starters, seaweed salad and cucumber salad, which were not bad, but basically the same thing, the proportions of cucumber to seaweed just changed. The ginger dressing was pretty good!
We ordered a tempura shrimp roll, udon noodles, and deep-​fried rainbow roll. The udon and shrimp tempura roll came out quickly. The udon was good, but the tempura shrimp roll was BITE SIZE small, not worth the price we paid. About 10 – 15 minutes later our rainbow roll came, and this is where the shocker came. I usually expect the fish to partially cook on the outside, but still maintain it’s raw texture towards the inner part of the roll; this roll was completely cooked! What?!
I ordered a deep fried spicy tuna roll, expecting it to still be raw on the inside, with only slight cooking towards the edges; nope, COMPLETELY COOKED! I attached a picture of this one, because it was ridiculous. When it came to us, it looked like a cut up hot dog served with mustard and ketchup. We had two bites of it, and let it sit at the table.
When the servers asked how we liked everything, we told them we were not impressed and the spicy tuna roll was completely cooked. The chef came over and said, «you ordered deep fried spicy tuna, right?» I knew what I ordered, and explained that I didn’t expect it to be completely cooked and he replied, «I gave you what you wanted, deep fried spicy tuna roll.» I explained to him that I was not going to argue with him about it.
They promptly brought us our check and the final bill came out to about $ 72. WAY OVER PRICED FOR THE QUALITY if you ask me. They didn’t even offer to take off the «hot dog style» spicy tuna roll that was a complete disappointment.
I would completely avoid this restaurant if you know the value of good sushi.

Kiyo’s will more than likely remain my favorite restaurant forever. Moving 3,000 miles away was heartbreaking and, here, in the thriving metropolis that is Manhattan, I have yet to find a place that even comes close to being in the same echelon as Kiyo’s.
I have never felt more welcome or better cared for than at the sushi bar of this quaint restaurant. In the ongoing noise that is the Gaslamp, Kiyo’s is a refreshing, and necessary, escape. The staff is wonderful; non-​intrusive, but there when you need them, and very kind.
I started coming here when I was a vegetarian. (I know, I know, sushi and vegetarian don’t really go well together.) They would gladly oblige and make me the most interesting and delicious veggie rolls. Each one was different and amazing. I don’t know how they did it! When I started eating meat again, I was thrilled to see what they could do in the area of their expertise. The fish is of the highest caliber. Even fish that I don’t normally like tastes amazing here! Sit down at the bar and order omakase. Sada and Kiyo put so much care into everything they make, it transforms the flavors and the experience.
Although it is not a luxury setting, the ingredients are incomparable in quality, so, of course cost more. I do believe that people don’t expect this upon walking into a restaurant that looks as down to earth as this, but know that you are really getting the best there is. Compared to other sushi restaurants of similar quality, Kiyo’s is a bargain!
Countless guests have been brought here and left happy. Kiyo and company go above and beyond to make you feel welcome and your experience worthwhile. I’ve only been gone for a few months, but I miss it so much! When I’m back on the West Coast, a special trip is most certainly in order.

Ki-​yo. ki-​yo. oh ohhhh…
checked this place out and was really surprised how bumping it was. it was pretty packed, although most of the patrons seemed like they were from the military as determined by the quintessential crew hair cut.
we ordered a couple rolls and an udon soup. the udon soup was pretty standard and nothing special. it wasn’t necessarily bad, nor good. just sorta there and general. we also ordered a salmon roll, eel, and tuna rolls. all pretty standard, and the fish seemed fresh and the rolls were nicely executed.
it was nothing really to wow me, and it seemed pretty much at par with sushi deli, but the prices were just a tad bit higher. sushi deli has such ridiculously cheap sushi, but the prices here are at market rate.
would i come back? if i was hard-​core jonesing for my sushi fix, and sushi deli was packed, i would come back here again. but i wouldn’t make a special trip out of it.