Kanai Sushi

Hands down best Sushi in town! Always good food and just as important always GREAT service and ran by people that actually care! Just read the reviews and then check the reviews for some other sushi places in town. there is no comparison! And the owner here actually responds to a negative review in an effort to make it right which is always impressive and the way it should be done! Can’t say enough good things about this restaurant and we will be a loyal customer as long as they are here!

The best sushi Wichita has to offer!
Great atmosphere with an exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable staff. The owner and his wife and the rest of the employees are so friendly and you can tell they all love what they do! It shows in the presentation of the plate and the quality of the food! Top notch!
I have tried quite a few different rolls and they are all wonderful and delicious and just so so savory! I recommend you try the Majide, the Flat Land Dream, the Roppongi Roll, the Yamato, the West End, or the Cali2, they are all very delicious, I’m craving all of them right now as I’m writing this review! I’d say they even have delicious cocktails, I recommend the kiwi colada or the sake sangria.
You’ve got to try this place out, it’s just wonderful! The only negative thing I have to say is they aren’t open enough. I work evenings so it’s nearly impossible to get there between the hours of 5−9pm so it’s always a real treat for me when I have the night off, it’s usually spent at Kanai!

Prior to being introduced to Kanai, my relationship with sushi was basically non-​existent. I had this mind frame that «I will never eat sushi», however, that mind frame was eradicated after an explosion of deliciousness came erupting in my mouth. I won’t describe how it taste, because no words does it justice, you have to taste and savor it for yourself. This was the beginning of a newfound love with sushi.
As the love began to grow, my taste palette began to evolve as well. The sushi, WOW2, is a deep fried sushi and as I frequent Kanai for dinner, my curiosity led me to explore the menu. There has nothing on the menu, Raw, deep-​fried, steamed, that you won’t like.
If you haven’t done the Omakase dinner (Chef’s choice of a 5 course meal; off the menu meal) you should. My first of three-​Omakase experience was great, in fact all of them were great. I was just blown away with what Chef Kanai prepared for us. I still have both the menu Mari made for us for the Omakase. My favorite on the menu was the redsnapper (Tai Maki Age). I loved it so much that I suggested to Mari that she should put this in the menu and the next time they updated the menu it was on there. I was so happy when I saw that on the menu next time I came for dinner.
Service is always phenomenal compared to the sushi bar and restaurants in the city. All of the servers help each other, especially when it gets crazy. They are very professional, prompt and courteous.
I consider this place a hidden gem in a tiny city but have been discovered by many as it gains more and more customers, which is great! :) This means, to get there early because it gets busy… quickly, especially on the weekend and also during holidays. So if you expect you’ll get a seat during the weekend or during the holidays on a whim, you might have to endure waiting. If you do have to wait, don’t get discouraged because the food is fantastic!
I’ve been to many of sushi restaurants in the city, in the state, and in San Diego where I lived for 2 years, and there’s no restaurant like Kanai. It is my favorite sushi restaurant, perhaps even my favorite restaurant in terms of the food, drink and service.
I can go on and on about how great Kanai is, but the best way to find out is to experience it for yourself.

This place has the best sushi in Wichita. It is very popular so come early. The owners and staff are very friendly and take a lot of pride in their restaurant.

Called at 6:30pm to make a reservation for two. They said they don’t take reservations for less than four. I asked how busy it was and they said we’d maybe have a 20 min wait. We arrived at 8:10pm. The doors were locked with people inside, so I thought maybe they closed at 8. I checked the website-​10pm. I called the restaurant and as the phone was ringing a guy came out and said they have been closed for 45 minutes. A female answered the phone finally, and she said they ran out of food awhile ago. THANKS! We drove 25 minutes for nothing. It’s New Year’s Eve-​how do you run out of food by 7:30pm?!

In town on business I tried this place, base on Unilocal reviews. It is only fair that I too, give my opinion. Of the approximately 20 (estimate) different sushi restaurants I’ve eaten at, this is top 3. It was a great atmosphere and the sushi was so fresh! Highly recommend!!!

I travel extensively for work all over North America and this is the 2^nd best sushi experience in all my travels. Make sure you sit at the sushi bar and engage conversation with the master sushi chef. He is an incredible wealth of knowledge and has a great passion for his craft. He has trained his staff with that same perfection and enthusiasm.
I don’t usually order anything fried when indulging in sushi but the fried skins were an amazing light and wonderfully tasting appetizer. Rolls are super fresh and creative with little sauce on them. That is a true sign of freshness. The master chef picks up fresh fish from the airport daily.
In closing great food and wonderful staff. No reason to go anywhere else while in Wichita.

I won’t waste a lot of time being wordy with this review.
Ambiance, cleanliness, and service were all good. The sushi menu was as vast as any other sushi place and the quality was good… it just doesn’t quite reach the quality level of Wasabi Sushi Bar.

A few years ago, I left a stellar review for Kanai, and I want to renew it because it is still my favorite Japanese restaurant in Wichita. I recently moved away, but whenever my wife and I visit, we make a point to come here for dinner at least once. The food always tastes fresh, the service is always stellar and we always can’t wait to come here again.

I liked the seaweed avocado with salmon salad as my appetizer, but was not a fan of the wsu shocker baked roll. My husband gave me his spicy tuna roll, i liked it. A lil more pricey than the other sushi places, i noticed they have a lot of staff too, maybe thats why. The service was good though and the food came fast compared to other places.

Legit authentic Japanese food, high quality held up by a high standard chef. All other Japanese restaurants in town have much to learn from Kanai.

After hearing several rave reviews of this place, I was so excited to try it on my visit to Wichita. Never before have I been so disappointed in a restaurant.
I ordered the $ 8 sake sangria and was told it would be a few minutes. What I wasn’t told initially was that the bartender hadn’t shown up yet. My coworker, who ordered a beer, received his drink immediately while I waited close to 20 minutes for mine. Mine was tasteless and watered down. The flavor was that of badly made kool-​aid over too much ice. I’d watched the bartender making it and found it odd she’d added so much ice and a large spray of water (or club soda) to it. It was by far the worst $ 8 drink I’ve ever consumed.
The menu seemed inventive and exciting at first. I selected two rolls. The first, the Snowball, promised plentiful real crab meat. However, when the roll arrived, it was nothing but rice, flavorless crab salad I was told was from a mix (I’m guessing it was also imitation crab), and a tiny bit of asparagus. Needless to say, it was inedible. My second roll was equally underwhelming.
After paying the $ 65 bill for the worst sushi I’ve ever had outside of crappy $ 5 Chinese buffets, we ended up having «dinner» at Orange Leaf.
Our server, while nice, never offered to bring me something else to eat. Also, we saw that the restaurant had been closed for two days prior to reopening tonight. Our guess was a health department violation, but we really don’t know.
That said, either find a better sushi restaurant or save your money and buy the premade stuff at Reasors. No, that’s not great sushi, but it’s better than this.

Hands down, the best food we’ve found in Wichita since our move from Chicago. The sashimi and rolls are better than expected (sushi in the Midwest, let’s be real here) and tasted as good as, if not better than, any we’ve had on either coast. The Manaka dessert was a surprisingly styled (served in a wrapper not unlike a vending machine treat) but ultimately delicious ending to a beautiful meal. We’ll definitely be back.

Really great sushi! I was surprised a land locked state had such fresh and authentic cuisine. Good for a date night. The rainbow roll and seaweed salad are delish!
Also, be prepared to be greeted in Japanese – really a cute place.
Pros: great atmosphere, fresh and quality sushi, and authentic Japanese feel.

Kanai has an amazing customer experience. By far the BEST sushi in Wichita and my favorite new find.
Our server recommended an appetizer that normally we wouldn’t have tried (thin fried fish) and it was really good! Unique rolls (WSU shocker roll) and even better desert (frozen mango ice cream). I am happy and will continue to make the trek out there for their sushi!

We’ve eaten here a few times now and hands down the best sushi in Wichita. Whilst not the most authentic in its recipes it is the least Americanized in the area. We always order the Aspire roll and Soft Shell Crab — both are awesome. Get the green garden salad too — so tasty. The amuse bouche is a nice treat that we always enjoy.
It’s also refreshing that, generally, the staff are really friendly and very welcoming. It’s fun to see the sushi being made but I wish chef Kanai would come out and talk to the guests. I mean, we all see you standing there, why not come welcome us!

Excellent atmosphere. We came on a Sunday night, which was great because we were seated at the bar right away. Love watching them make the rolls.
The little appetizer they brought out was teriyaki chicken, peppers and mushroom. Very good. Our waitress was very attentive and great about getting refills. We ordered the Harmony roll, smoked salmon nagiri, fisherman’s wharf and a tuna roll. Everything was delicious. We finished off with two pieces of green tea ice cream mochi, which is my favorite.
The price was very reasonable compared to some other sushi places I’ve gone and I would have to say this one is the best in town. We will definitely be coming back!

4.5 stars! I can’t believe I’ve yet to review Kanai. Brad S., my review is going to be longer than yours:)
Today was our 5 yr anniversary. My husband and I were tired from traveling all day but drove directly from ICT to Kanai. We chose Kanai above the other good Japanese restaurants in town b/​c its quality and service is the best. We’ve never had a poor experience here. The staff is always friendly and knowledgeable about the various fishes. Food is always brought out promptly. The fish is always cut thick and the sushi rice flavor is always balanced and cooked al dente. I don’t know how all the fish is sourced, but I understand that Chef Kanai ensures that his ahi tuna is from HI and for the omakase, he gets it shipped from Japan. Such attention to detail surely extends to the rest of the menu.
I don’t like to distract from the pure flavor and texture of the fish in my sushi, so I avoid mayo, cream cheese, eel sauces, and even tempura (though fat makes everything wonderful)! So we ordered:
Nigiri: hamachi (yellowtail), abako (albacore), sake (salmon), and escolar (super white tuna)…all were delicious, but the abako was less buttery in texture than the rest. The perfect amount of rice was used.
Sea of Japan– Essentially a sashimi salad. Includes raw escolar, tuna, salmon and cooked tako and crab. The fish laid on top of a spring mix and was given a healthy dousing of a rice vinegar/​soy/​mirin/​citrus dressing (?) If you find plain raw fish monotonous, this is for you. I thought the dressing too high on the pucker factor and would ask it on the side next time.
Tori Katsu Jyu– Chicken katsu with egg and onion and a light soy based sauce. It was good, but nothing compares to the fish for us.
Mooru Gai no Yakimono– Similar in taste to the QP Yaki and equally delicious, but this is all mussels. I like how Kanai uses a light hand with the mayo.
Northern Light Roll– My favorite of all the rolls. The lemon sliver really brightens the flavor. I almost ordered two, but you can see this is already too much food!
Hamachi Kama Shioyaki– My husband really adores this dish. It’s definitely a splurge item and Chef Kanai really made our anniversary special with this. The fish is lightly salted and then grilled. The special cut of the meat allows it to be incredibly succulent. In dishes without many ingredients, the quality of the fish really is showcased. Perfect.
Green Tea Tempura Ice Cream– I honestly thought I was done. My husband insisted he was full as I ate the last bites of our meal. Then he asks our waitress for ice cream. He tells me for ice cream, he has a separate stomach. Right. Anyways, Kanai’s attention to detail does not wane with dessert. A very large ball of green tea is wrapped in layers of pound cake and then battered and deep fried. The result is decadent and should not be missed. My only suggestion is to use an ice cream with a stronger matcha flavor.
In our mind, Kanai is unrivaled in ICT’s Japanese scene. In fact, Kanai stands equal to many of the sushi restaurants even in Tsukiji. I feel very fortunate that I am able to enjoy such high quality sushi in my home city. My only wish is that sometime he might have a special of Kyoto style sushi. I’ve never had it in the States, and since Kyoto is where he trained, I’m sure that I’d be impressed.

For three years I’ve known Kanai to have the best sushi in town. It’s been so matter-​of-​fact that I’ve put off visiting long after I’ve exhausted my visits to every other major restaurant in this city. Its location on the extreme west side of town might have played a factor, too. But I finally made it, Ma! Top of the world! Whatever.
It’s a nice intimate restaurant in a nice piece of commercial real estate, and the sushi bar lets you see Kanai do his thing. I know being in the middle of the country typically prohibits us from enjoying such luxuries, but this is an actual trained Japanese sushi chef who still continues to helm his station on the line after all these years of success, and it’s actually a pretty serious testament to his work ethic.
The sushi combination dinner comes with eight pieces of chef’s choice nigiri, along with a half roll of The California — a makisushi, not the SNL skit. The chef’s choice in my case was quite good, presenting me with toro, maguro, yellowtail, super white tuna (which isn’t really tuna at all) shrimp, unagi, octopus, and and salmon. Each one was quite large, but I was still able to knock ‘em out in one bite. One very big bite. The knife skills on most were excellent, too (that maguro took a couple of slices), and I wasn’t surprised to find the octopus tender, though the same couldn’t be said for the eel — it was surprisingly delicious.
As I was making my large bites through my meal, Kanai came over to see how I enjoyed it. I told him it was easy to see why he was considered the best in the city. I meant it — although you might take issue with his portion sizes, this is a man that has been making sushi for fifteen years, and clearly takes pride in his work. Without him, there is no Kanai Sushi. He has plenty of helpers to make the crazy maki rolls you probably enjoy, but when it comes to the art of raw fish and vinegared rice, Kanai is the best the city has to offer.

And yet another review for my favorite sushi restaurant in the world.
Chef Kanai has incredibly nimble hands and knife skills known only to sushi masters — his skills rival, and perhaps trump those of Morimoto. But Chef Kanai does something slightly different — he knows his audience. The sushi slices are delightfully huge, covering a tiny ball of sushi rice much like a comforter covers a small child.
Each piece of sushi is delicate prepared, cut to diamond perfection and as wonderfully fresh as possible. I’m not convinced that Chef Kanai doesn’t have a small ocean in the kitchen.
And…O-Toro is offered, though for a small price ($ 40 for 2 pieces of this prized tuna cut). I’m sure it’s as fantastic as any other raw deliciousness offered… and knowing that I had inquired about the O-​Toro, I’m fairly certain that my sake was slightly fattier than it should have been… perhaps a bit of salmon belly?
Beyond that, Chef Kanai and his wife are wonderfully friendly, and have trained their staff to greet guests without hesitation. Impecable service coupled with a nice bowl of sushi rice… Kanai is still the best sushi restaurant I’ve had the pleasure of visiting.