Kanpai Sushi & Bar

RIP to a great sushi place. I went there today to get some food, and they were closed up with a sign on the door saying that they were behind on their rent and the landlord seized the property.
This place was not the best sushi I had in my life, but I gave it 5 stars for the value. The happy hour was the best that I have ever seen. Pretty good selection and GREAT prices. The bartender/​manager was a nice guy as well. I moved here from Illinois and don’t know a ton of people so I sometimes go out to eat by myself, and he was a friendly dude and very hospitable. Hopefully they are able to re-​open but based on the legalese that I read today, it doesn’t seem too likely.

Absolutely delicious sushi, great prices for happy hour, and very grateful for the reverse happy hour! My Fraternity Brothers and I eat here whenever we can.
The only thing I’d like to see is a more in depth sushi menu for happy hour, but otherwise its great service, great food, and a cozy atmosphere.

Pretty yum! Some friends and i decided to bike here last Saturday afternoon and this was one of the places we ventured! I only had the drunken geisha during happy hour and it was delicious! Others grabbed some food and i didn’t hear any complaints. Our server was awesome and even put our last round of drinks on «hold» for Happy hour pricing, which was extremely kind of her! Nice patio, and great happy hour prices.
P. S. i would not come here during regular pricing hours.

This is simply the worst sushi I’ve ever had. I came on happy hour and didn’t have unreasonable expectations of luxury… the food was just honestly awful.
To start with, the rice — the most simple base to good sushi — was overcooked into a completely flavorless glutenous paste. There certainly wasn’t a shortage of it either — rolls were built as though the chef was playing a game of ‘hide the fish’.
The fish itself was also weak — the tuna at least was very run of the mill, but some items, like the shrimp and the salmon skin, were just inedible. The skin tasted off (two people ordered this roll at the table, ate a piece, and left the rest on the plate), and the shrimp tasted distinctly of soap. Crab, as its written on the menu, is krab — aka, the fake stuff — and that would have been fine, if I knew that when I was ordering it. The calamari, as well, was large unnaturally shaped sticks that have never been even vaguely related to squid.
Appetizers were not much better — my pork gyoza was very obviously made in a factory somewhere, deep frozen, and fried on location. Oh — and I ordered beef, I was just served pork — good thing I’m not kosher/​halal etc.
Not EVERYTHING was bad. Service was friendly if not a bit spacey. On-​tap beer selection was extensive and well priced. For the most part though, this place is just a comedy of errors. The mens restroom, for instance, has four lights in it — 3 of which were out — which is great for those of us who’ve always wanted to enjoy a #2 in a cave. The mirrors point directly at a side view of the urinals, so voyeuristic souls can enjoy themselves as well. The location is good, the furnishings are fine… but thats were the planning suddenly seems to have stopped.
I could not more strongly recommend against this place — If I wanted sushi that tasted like it was catered by a gas station I would have gone to one.

Cheap Saki-​Bombers
Great happy hour specials
Competetive sushi prices
all in all a much preferred alternative to that rip off sushi chain down the street; if you’re tired of that dimly lit, over inflated, always busy shite-​hole down the way, please, by all means come check out their competition, i guarantee you’ll be pleased if not stoked.
When I’d saw that UNO’s had closed I was beginning to fear for the lives of other little business’s along that stretch of mill, admittedly it’s been a sad state of affairs ever since Borders closed shop, but then that bright yellow sign with bold red letters that read Kanpai was emblazoned on the façade and I was sure it was a change for the better. Kanpai is stand up joint, and what they may lack in ambience they more than make up for in prices, accomodation, and taste. without a doubt «A-​OK!»

This place was okay. So forgettable that I’ll make this very short.
Bad service, understaffed, etc.
Sushi was just okay. Ingredients were lacking.
Expensive for what it is.
Yeah, forgettable.

soo me and the b/​f love sake and the other night we got the craving for some but it was midnight and figured everything was closed. so we were super happy when we came across this place and they were still open. Perfect place at that time of night. Low key and not too loud, perfect environment when you just want to chill out and enjoy a few drinks. We shared a few apps that were pretty good but i enjoyed the drinks more. Relatively big sushi bar and probably stays pretty busy around dinner hours. Glad i came across this place and now know where to go for my late night cravings of sake bombers! Decent prices also. four rounds of Sake and beer with 3 apps about 45 bucks.

It’s rarely not happy hour here. The prices and food are great. I just worry it won’t be in business long because the place always seems empty. I like it much better than Ra. Less trendy and less full of douche-b’s.

No happy hour on pick ups, means 14 $ for a tiny roll cut by Michael J Fox. and two delicious pieces of yellow tail. The server didn’t have change, and they put the fried roll in with the nigiri so they were very sweaty, and warm.

My first time at Kanpai was on a Friday night for reverse happy hour. My boyfriend and I had checked their website to verify reverse happy hour times were indeed on Fridays. However, when we showed up and were seated, we found out they had recently changed reverse happy hour to Mondays through Wednesdays instead. As the normal prices were very expensive, we decided to come back another time during happy hour.
I’m so glad we gave it a second chance. This has become our favorite sushi restaurant. Is it the best quality sushi we’ve ever had? No. However, the prices are exceptional and the sushi is really good. We normally order 4 rolls and edamame for about $ 20 (including tip.) The Las Vegas rolls are the best!
The service is also consistent. The waitresses we’ve had have all been great and our food comes out super fast.
While I think the food is normally overpriced, I highly recommend Kanpai for Happy Hour.

My co-​workers wanted to try this place so bad that I ended up going here for my second time. We went there for lunch and it was rather empty and that is what it felt like. When you walk in, to the left there is a restaurant and to your right there is a bar. Both have completely different conflicting styles. The place should just decide what it is going to be, either a huge sushi dinning hall or a modern bar. There were large flat panel TVs all over the place, so maybe the owners are just in it to cash in on the sporting events.
The sushi was not impressive. It was not fresh but as another comment said, it was in fact chewy. The edamame was over cooked and had a weird smell to it as if the pot it was cooked in had not been washed. The California rolls tasted like they were made from fake crab. The miso soup had a weird flavor too. It is sad to see such corners cut which could have otherwise made this place better.
We were told by a fellow co-​worker that it was cheap, however when we got there I found that not to be the case. The prices are a bit higher than RA Sushi. Check splitting is really easy, they do it for you automatically. Our waitress was lighting quick.
When you open up a sushi restaurant on Mill Ave right next to RA Sushi expect to be compared to it. Hands down I would rather go to RA Sushi or Kabuki (near Tempe Marketplace) than to Kanpai Sushi & Bar. Given Mill Avenue’s track record for shops/​restaurants that go out of business, I don’t give this place very long.
Note: We did not drink alcohol. You should take that into consideration when reading other reviews.

Very large portions and very poor service. The place is clean, but no one was there! Usually not a good sign. The waitress didn’t deliver my food as my group received theirs, and had the nerve to ask me what I ordered 20 minutes after I had placed my order. I then waited another 15 to get my food. No one in our party received plates for our appetizers. The sushi looked fine. The portions were very large for the price. Seems like a nice place for a group lunch. You can probably find nicer places for dinner. A date may work here if you are a cheap punk with no style.
The food is average with awful service. Not a good combination. Mill Ave. is a tough crowd to satisfy, but this place will thrive because location, location, location… so I wonder why Pizzeria Uno’s disappeared (it was in the same location before it closed)? Don’t expect this place to be around for long with its standards for service.
The little things and the big things matter, and Kanpai misses on both accounts.

Not fresh and not that good. I would rate it below RA if that gives you a frame of reference. The fish was slimy, and much chewier than a quality piece of fresh fish should be, especially the salmon.
We started with just a few things and I decided to leave and just snack on something at home because it just wasn’t that enjoyable. If you go to sushi joints for sake bombers maybe this will be a good option but if fish is the main concern I would stear clear.
I won’t be going back. If I must have sushi on Mill I’ll go to RA (isn’t that an awful thing to say?)

I was about to leave this review with 3 stars. We were a large group and every body kept on ordering different things at different times. I stick to the simple a Philadelphia and a Yum Yum. They took longer than expected for such simple rolls. Anyway, rolls arrived and I had a good excuse to change my mind. You can actually feel the ingredients and flavors!!! So I hope they keep it like this.
The good surprise is that we were invited ice creams and other sweet treats, on the house! HA good way to start karaōke night! Try it!

One of the best Sushi Restaurants my husband and I have been too !!!
The sushi was fresh, the portions where huge, We had gone during happy hour and After getting our bill we where shocked on how inexpensive it was !
Drinks
Yellow Tail Nigiri
Vegas roll
Philly Roll
Edamame
and a seaweed salad
all under 17 bucks !!!
And did I tell you how good the service was ?
our server Briana was quick with our drinks never leaving our glasses empty and had our food out before I could finish my seaweed salad !!!
After finishing our meal we had at least 12 employees say thank you as we walked out the door !!!
Really RA you better watch out this place is amazing !!!
Thank you Kanpai staff for such a great experience !!!

In my mind, I can see myself walking out of the Engineering Brickyard building, cross Mill, and arrive at a Sushi haven in less time than it takes me to read a homework problem! However, this isn’t the case.
Oh, their drinks are great, especially on happy hour, but… I can’t justify a delicious Tokyo Tea right before heading back to another class… or, can I? (This will take some serious consideration)
Unfortunately, the food failed to live up to the high (er) standard set by their specialty drinks. My sushi lunch special, though all the requisite pieces looked requisitely raw, was underflavored (less than absolutely fresh fish?), and sadly, surrounded with/​by slightly overcooked and hardened rice. So too was the story of their chicken fried rice. The pieces were there… but the tastes were not.
I hope one day my daydream will become a reality. Until then, I’ll keep on dreaming.

I have had Sushi in three different countries non of which are Japan. I love sushi and have long sought a rival to my favorite Sushi restaurant Islands Sushi and PuPu bar inside the Crown Plaza San Diego. I am still searching; however Kanpai has come the closest in Arizona.
If you have the time GET THERE! if you dont have the time stop what you are doing and GET THERE!
The fish is fresh and the rolls actually have flavor. For the price the size of the rolls make RA look like preschool meals. Besides where else can you go in the valley and fit 30 of your closest friends inside your own private Karaōke room?
The way I see it is I have about 10 more rolls to explore then Ill move on to the actual cooked menu. Im hungry now, whos up for Sushi
To my beloved RA I would like to say
You meant nothing to me, I used you for a while and now it is time for me to move on. I found the one I like more than you. And yes you do look fat in those jeans.

This place is on fire, son! No, seriously… our sushi was set on fire. Check out my pics.
I don’t know how they prepare the Squid Salad, but it is HUGE and DELICIOUS (that’s what she said). Miso? Soy? I don’t have the time to figure it out.
Our group shared several rolls, all delicious. Great service, but such a vast space with only a handful of diners during prime dinner hours concerns me. Fill up those seats, people! This place deserves it.

Great sushi rolls and Nigiri. The happy hour specials are great as well.

Kanpai Sush on Mill Avei had their soft opening last night. Crowd was light at 6pm, PLENTY of staff around the dinig room. Started with the standard Kirin Light and sake ($ 7), and wife ordered Serene Samurai with Lychee Vodka and lemon ($ 6). She LOVED it! For appetizers we did the spare ribs which were very tasty, and calamari. Calamari was heavily breaded and a bit too chewy. For our entrée, the Sashimi Combo was very well-​prepared, fresh and tasty. Four slices each of tuna, salmon, yellowtail and white fish. For $ 18, a great value. Server Shiree was very attentive, as well as the manager who stopped by twice! Kanpai looks like they are starting strong. Four stars for portions and effort. Hope they can keep it up. We expect to return soon and check out the sushi bar.