Kiku Tempura House

WOW — Its really closed? Damn– Loved this place– One of the best teriyaki/​fast asian places anywhere. RIP.

UPDATE: This place is now closed and it breaks my heart…
its cheap, its delicious and they’re fast. even when there is a line, you still get your food in a reasonable amount of time. the environment is cozy and relaxed.
not much more that needs to be said. definitely worth trying.

This place was like going down memory lane for me. About a year ago, I was visiting my parents and me and the missus, both of us being UW alums, swung by on our way back to the airport. Now back in the day (which in my case is the early 90s) this place was the go to place for a cheap teriyaki meal. Walking in was like walking back in time for me. It was a pleasant visit back. I remember it having great teriyaki dishes, yakisoba, and even the odd bit of sushi now and again. I could alway count on them to feed me well. Good to see that some things never change.
The one thing I was hoping they had the still had on their menu. I am sure all the old standbys like chicken teriyaki on rice, katsu, and the combo plates are still awesome. But I was looking for oyakodonburi. It’s a pretty simple dish, but surprisingly hard to find. It is chicken with onions quickly braised in some sort of sauce or broth and then mixed with a raw egg right before serving it up onto a bowl or plate of rice. The result is every bit as good as I remember. Its rich and velvety and flavorful. Residual amounts of the sauce soak down into the white steamed rice. I know it is cliché, but the simplest food can be the hardest to make well, but when it is done well, there’s nothing better. It was just as how I remembered it, although back in the day (there I go with the day again — man, I’m only 42 — why I am reminiscing like this? I swear to you I am writing this at a desk and not in a rocking chair). Anyway, they gave it to me on a plate rather than in a large bowl like I remembered it. I am not sure it is one of their more popular dishes, but if you are a regular and haven’t tried it, give it a whack. It’s awesome. If it is your first time there I suggest one of the teriyaki dishes, like the chicken or beef combo.
When we went, we also got a side order of gyoza. Like most places, gyoza are more or less lighter versions of a potsticker dumpling you might find in a Chinese restaurant. The wrapping is a lot thinner and the filling isn’t quite as heavy. Not as good as a potsticker, but I’m glad we tried that too.
The menu was really expanded too. They had a LOT more dishes to choose from than before.
The guy at the counter was really friendly and inviting.
Hopefully I can squeeze another trip in the next time I’m up in the area.

Possibly the best teriyaki place on The Ave. The price is way lower than those of University Teriyaki and Yummy Bites. However, it is further away from the UW campus than UT and Yummy Bites. But, if you have time, you should go here instead of the other two. It’s less costly with better quality.
Everything on the menu is good so just pick what you like best. Personally, I love the beef teriyaki and the short rib teriyaki, the beef is hearty and fresh, unlike other restaurants where the beef seems to be shredded somehow. I’m ought to go back and try other menus when I have time.
The restaurant has a classic atmosphere, probably because it started ages ago (probably the same time as the ave developed). The staff recommends you to call ahead and order for faster service!
They offer free delivery service too. However, there are restrictions. They only deliver between 11am to 10am in U-​district only. The order must be at least $ 25 for them to deliver as well, so gather your friends and order together!

Cheap, delicious, good food.
Admittedly, the atmosphere leaves much to be desired. The place is showing some age, it’s kind of dingy sometimes, could be a little cleaner… but the food is so good that I don’t care. It’s a relaxed environment; an easygoing, comfortable, cheap lunch spot.
The only downside I’ve seen, especially in recent visits, is the waiting time. Maybe it’s just that I keep stopping by during a busy time of day, but sometimes the wait is 5 minutes, and sometimes it feels like 15. When they’re busy, it really slows down, so don’t drop by and expect to be in and out lightning fast, if you’ve got somewhere you need to be.
But like I said, the food is good enough for me to wait. I’m never in a hurry anyway, so it’s no big deal. Their white rice is perfectly subtle and not too dry, and their teriyaki chicken is nothing short of amazing. But their «sweet» and «spicy» dishes tend to vary on how sweet or spicy they are, so keep that in mind. The sweet and sour chicken is much more sweet than sour, and from what I’ve observed from others, the spicy dishes tend to range in how spicy or not they are. But truth be told, I haven’t come across a bad dish on the menu, so if you’re on the fence, try it. Can’t go wrong with their prices — and large servings for that price, too.
Personally, I see no problems with the service. They do make you come up to pick up your own plate (and bus your own table), but they’re not outwardly rude or anything. I wouldn’t come to this spot expecting restaurant treatment, for the laidback lunch spot it is.
As a small note, try to choose a slow hour or call ahead, if you’re coming with a large group. They do have a good amount of seating, but during a rush, the tables can fill up fast. And, you know. Be patient.
UPDATE (⁰²⁄₁₃): Sad to say it, but this place looks to be closed down. Either way, the place emptied out and looks abandoned for now. I hope they come back someday, because I’m gonna REALLY miss their teriyaki. :(

This is definitely a good place if you are looking for cheap eats. Their prices are super, in the $ 5 – 7 range mostly. Even more affordable than heading to most places in the I-​District to get a bite save the banh mi joints.
The menu is a mix of mostly Japanese and some Korean dishes. Even saw sushi on the menu. Though you have to wonder about the quality since the prices are so low here. The dining room is pretty standard. Similar to the setup of the neighboring Hawaii BBQ restaurant. They do have a TV here which makes it a tad of a better place to eat in. Though based on the foot traffic, they seem to do brisk takeout business.
Based on the Unilocal reviews, gave the pork katsu curry rice ($ 6.22) a try. After sitting for a bit, I headed to the counter when my name was called to pick up my meal. This is a very self service spot. There is a water cooler with glasses to the left of the counter along with the napkins and utensils.
As you might expect based on the price, there was not a whole lot of meat in this dish. Maybe a half dozen pieces or so of pork katsu. The rest of the dish consisted of rice and a good portion of curry with potatoes, onions and carrots.
The dish was average, but acceptable due to the price. Curry seemed like the grocery store kind. Nevertheless it succeeds in accomplishing the main purpose of food which is to satisfy my appetite.
If the prices were a dollar higher here, the rating would be a star lower based on food quality. But as it stands, I am willing to let that slide because of its cheapness. If you are in the U-​District and looking to get a filling meal, try Kiku for its value.

Location, location, location. Luckily for Kiku, it has it! Ideal food and service for college students with dwindling funds. Each meal falls between $ 6 – 8. What makes that price point work is the serving size. Its very favourable, easily 2 pounds of grub per plate. The quality of the food is acceptable for the setting. I’m confident you won’t be disappointmented with the taste. They offer delivery for orders over $ 25, which is a nice bonus. Groups of 5 – 6 can easily sit down for their meal as well.
Finally the menu is quite expansive. You won’t have to worry about being stuck on a few staple dishes. I would personally recommend their spicy tofu fried rice!

This WAS my favorite place to eat growing up in Seattle. (15 years ago)
I ate here weekly if not more. It was the first place I tried Sriracha.
Katsu-​don was my favorite followed by the spicy chicken bowl.
The menu has expanded, with more Korean dishes but it is still pretty solid.
The good olé days…

If asked what meal I could have for the rest of life while stuck on a desert island, I might choose the Short Rib combo.
It’s by no means a glamorous meal: one quarter white rice, one quarter salad, and half a plate of short ribs stacked on top of each other. Purists will say this place isn’t authentic Japanese. Oh well, doesn’t change the taste. Someone more educated that me might tell me that eating this everyday would not be a good idea. But I don’t care.
It’s honestly one of the best beef short ribs out there, and at $ 7, it’s one of the best meal deals out there. At some places, I’ve been known to have to order two dishes to get full. One combo at Kiku always does the trick.
Kiku has a huge menu that seems to be growing, but I haven’t found any reason to deviate from my usual choice. I’ve heard mixed opinions on some of the other dishes. I know the California Rolls are nothing special, and the yakisoba is a bit too salty.
I’m just glad I don’t live nearby or I’d eat the short ribs to my death…
…on second thought…

Their food is good, but their service sucks. 2.5 stars.
1) Every single time I come here, I pay by card. And every single time, they say to me, «you don’t have cash?» … Okay I know it saves you money if customers pay by cash. I understand how processing fees work. But DONT be rude and tell the customer how you want them to pay. It’s really irritating to have to be bothered by this issue whenever I come in.
2) They need to work out a number system for people’s orders. Waving at the person and saying «hey your order is ready» is NOT acceptable in my book.
Fortunately for them their food is good and well priced enough that it keeps me coming back. But they’re gunna get only plastic from me each time.

It gets one star for being edible, but that’s the only concession. This isn’t Japanese food. It’s Japanized Korean or maybe it’s Koreanized Japanese. But it definitely isn’t Japanese food. And restaurants that masquerade as something they’re not are a MAJOR pet peeve of mine.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Japan and I do miss good Japanese food. Sure, it’s not hard to make it yourself if you know what you’re doing, but sometimes it’s nice to have someone else make it for you. But this place? Never again.
I had the yakisoba and I regret ordering it. To put it simply: this place doesn’t know how to (or won’t) make Japanese yakisoba. Maybe they’re taking advantage of the fact that the word yakisoba just literally means «fried noodles» instead of trying to make it the Japanese dish yakisoba/​street food. I mean, come on, you can go to any Asian grocery store and pick up the sauce for yakisoba and have it taste more like what you’d actually find in Japan than the crap they served at Kiku Tempura House. It’s pathetic. Cheap and pathetic.
I don’t recommend going here and I won’t be returning.

A wider menu selection than many of the other ubiquitous terriyaki/​japanese restaurants on the Ave. The prices are very reasonable. The food is really really good. There is a giant illuminated wall of photos of many of their dishes, which I always think is silly, but some may find it helpful. It’s always clean inside, too, which is important. Some of the chairs/​tables have a well worn look, but as long as they’re clean, why would that upset someone? You order at the counter, and then pick up your own chopsticks, silverware, napkins and find a seat (at the counter or one of the tables). After 5 to 10 minutes, your food is ready. They’ve also installed a ridiculously expensive-​looking flat screen tv now. And there are the charming «where are you from?» world maps on the wall just FULL of pins.
Honestly, it’s tasty japanese food, prepared quickly and at a reasonable price. A great way to fill up if you’re north of 50^th.
Also, their sign says FREE DELIVERY IN THE U-​DISTRICT ($ 25 minimum order). I don’t live there, so can’t avail myself of that option, but dang, if I still did, we’d be ordering from here weekly.

Not bad. But really, not all that good either.
I’ve tried their teriyaki, udons, sukiyaki, and other things here.
Service is efficient if not the most friendly.
I like the sukiyaki (although it seemed a bit sweet) and the teriyaki, but the udon wasn’t that memorable. Also, they give you plenty of rice, but not so much meat to really balance it out. I usually end up with half my rice left over. They’re spicy teriyaki is just okay, it was basically chili sauce on top of the chicken.
I’ll stop by if I’m on the north end of the Ave and craving teriyaki, but other than that, I’ll stick to other teriyaki places around the N seattle area.

i was there for lunch today and ordered the five piece chicken and rice. The chicken came out burnt. it was so burnt, i was surprised they even served the food. i called the waiter (owner’s son) and he returned it to the kitchen. His dad spoke Korean to him and he brought the food back and told me not to eat the skin part. He said the inside meat part wasn’t burnt as bad so it’s okay to eat. The chicken tasted like its been in the freezer for a year. I took one bite of the chicken and left.
I will never go back to this place. i uploaded a picture at the top, please scroll through the photos until you see the charred chicken.

I dropped in this place on a whim during a rare trip to the U-​District. I was tantalized by the gigantic pictures of teriyaki plastered along the restaurant’s windows. Sadly, I came out underwhelmed. I ordered the «spicy» chicken teriyaki and was left wanting so much more from the way too sweet dish that barely registered anything on the spiciness scale. The portion size was average (though there was a lot of onion and veggie filler in the teriyaki) and the salad was good but needed more than just iceberg lettuce to and a few tiny strips of veggies to be anything but forgettable. I also tried some of the beef curry rice that my wife ordered and she pointed out how corn-​starchy it tasted. Definitely won’t be ordering that one again.
I went in just before the afternoon lunch hour, so when I was ready to go I suddenly found myself literally trapped in the corner window by a mass of bedheads and the after-​church crowd. I have never had to wade through so many people and bags before in a restaurant. There was way too much awkward rubbing made necessary by the cramped tables and seats for my comfort. Seriously, I’ve never actually dreaded the walk to the trash bin until my time here.
Anyway, this was just another teriyaki place to me. Not great but still a viable alternative for your fix if you are in the area. The best I can say about it is that I’ve had a lot worse.

I love this place. I don’t know what it is, but a lot of foods give me the «home cooked» feeling, which is nice since I only get home cooked meals from my mom like once a week if i’m lucky. The owner is a nice man who always greets you with a cheerful smile.
The food is great for a teriyaki place, which U-​District is filled with all up and down the ave, but this one stands out because of the quality. I’ve tried numerous dishes on the menu, and each time I am very satisfied. The portions are pretty big, so I usually take my food in a to-​go box so that whatevers left over can be tomorrow’s lunch. The yakisoba is delicious, maybe i’m just easy to please, but it’s the best yakisoba i’ve had on the ave. The katsu is also a favorite, so if you’re feeling spontaneous, get the yakisoba + katsu combo! The curry is also made just the way my mom makes it. Perfectly thick but not too thick and comes with a heft portion of rice in a big bowl.
I also like that since it’s so much higher on the ave than everything else, you get free 2 hour parking thats generally not too hard to find.
& the best part is that they’re usually opened late-​ish, while a lot of places close at 9 or 9:30, Kiku’s is open until 10! So for all those nights I get off work late, this is the place I turn to :)

I used to go to Kiku because it was conveniently located, but now that I have more mobility and have since discovered all the great Japanese food in Seattle, I will never return if I can help it.
Well, I was there a few weeks ago, because boyfriend wanted to go. I hesitated as we were about to enter and ran through the list of restaurants close enough for me to suggest instead.
The food was bad and it’s not that cheap. With Chii’s, Pam’s Kitchen, and all the teriyaki places along the Ave, it just never make sense to go to Kiku again. I’m even better off making instant noodles at home.

Who wants boring teriyaki again? I’ve never ordered teriyaki here — there are way too many other delicious things!
This place was a staple when we lived in Ravenna! The best to order are the soba soup noodles with tofu and the oyakudon. The oyakudon is my favorite! it’s not the BEST I’ve ever had, but as far as this kind of cheap, fast-​foody type of place, it’s freaking delicious. They are pretty generous with the rice, egg, chicken, and onions. and whatever sauce they put on it is SO GOOD.
Also check out the world maps they have in here. It was more fun a few years back when it was new, because now it’s all punched up. Basically everyone from far away places would stick a pin in where they were from. It is cool to see where people came from. There were pins as far away as Sweden or Namibia.

Cheap, fast, leaves you feeling satisfied.
I’ve been to Kiku so many times… too many to count. You don’t really notice or probably haven’t heard of it because its so far up on the Ave, that students mostly, resort to closer places. However, its worth the trip if you are already around the area. When you walk in you are greeted by a variety of colored lit up pictures of the dishes and the prices on your right hand side. Note that they also have added more dishes onto their menu (by the door) so don’t forget to look at the entire board.
Cheap – Kiku prices are reasonably priced, ranging from $ 4.99 to less than $ 10. Katsu, yakisoba, teriyaki, ramen, curry, sushi, bento boxes. lots to choose from. I like getting the variety dishes (don’t remember number – on the new menu) some of chicken katsu, rice, salad, and cutlet in one. Or, the yakisoba is pretty good too. Also, great portions. Not the stingy kind of people.
Fast-​You tell them your order, they write it on the slip, goes into the kitchen, you pay, wait for maybe 5 minutes, and its out!
Satisfied-​You get what you pay for, certainly. Good meals, great price, friendly staff.
The only downside is that you have to bus your own dishes-​but its not that hard!
They also have a HD TV mounted on the wall, and its usually playing a sports game. Eat and watch the game at the same time.

This was one of my favorite places as a student. I tried eating there again just for a little nostalgia. It wasn’t as good as I remembered. It’s passable for students (I guess).
Nothing special here anymore…