Kayuga Japanese Cuisine

01/17/09

Not great at all

by costumer1984

The place is overpriced and the food is average at best. I was very disappointed with my choice. The service is not great either...

09/19/07

Sturdy sushi, excellent Korean dishes lure Asian students and hungry locals to this Comm. Ave. standout.

by Eric Grossman

The Scene
It comes as a surprise to most patrons to learn that one of Brookline's top spots for sushi resides on a student-y strip of Commonwealth Avenue full of nondescript late-night eateries. Kayuga's blond-wood dining room, dotted with authentic knick-knacks, contains several opaque, partitioned rooms in which diners sit on mats after removing their shoes. Remarkably attentive waitresses keep stylish teacups filled while delivering artful creations from the rear sushi bar.

The Food
While Kayuga's menu includes most every Japanese dish under the (rising) sun, there are also several Korean specialties available; try a steaming bowl of yookgaejang, a spicy beef and vegetable soup. Sushi rolls arrive super-fresh and full of flavor. Full dinners, including sizzling teriyaki platters and bubbling sukiyaki, come with smoky miso soup, refreshing garden salad and steamed rice. Tangy ginger ice cream provides a pleasant finish.

Hits
Unlike the neighborhood's numerous greasy pizza joints, Kayuga presents a healthy option for late-night dining--students can satisfy sushi cravings until 1am nightly.

Misses
Depending on the night, the large tables may be filled with noisy BU students looking to see how many bottles of sake they can finish before closing. Not exactly a Zen-like atmosphere.

09/10/07

Great Late Night Korean and Japanese

by jayschlo

I've been going to Kayuga for at least 4 years. They are open late, until 1am. They have fresh fish and a good Korean menu as well. The hot tea is always free, but sake and beer is still cheap too. I sometimes see people doing sake bombs at their tables. Mostly young people go there. People from 18-30 years old.

They used to have karaoke, but I haven't seen it in a while. I asked about it once, and they said something about weekends only. But I didn't really inquire about it further. They have a good sushi bar and they have a private area for big groups.

• Pros: Open late
• Cons: Parking is hard to find on Commonwealth Ave

07/15/07

Fun social atmosphere, decent Korean/Japanese cuisine and an expansive menu

by mimikli

To start off, I really have to highlight that Kayuga mainly caters to a young, lively crowd. I read some of the other reviews and found it surprising that people went there looking for some sort of culinary experience. Kayuga has a full bar and a diverse menu of Korean/Japanese dishes. It's good for large parties of people looking for some tasty grub before or after going out on the weekends (opens very late). When I used to frequent during school, they had karaoke on a request-basis. The food is also pretty yummy. I have a difficult time finding good Korean food in the greater Boston area and Kayuga is one of my go-to places. The staples, like yookaejang, kimchi fried rice, and bibimbap, are all fairly tasty. I won't vouch for the sushi - I only had it on a few occasions but found it decent. The presentation of the food is also surprisingly visually appealing. All in all, I don't think Kayuga is upscale Asian dining and I'd caution against going there if that is what you are looking for.

07/07/07

Great Prices, Good Food

by mk47600

Good Ganster Sushi (They play lots of rap music, but the food is awesome). My experience: When we arrived (me and one other person) the place was near empty. The waitress was right on top of getting us drinks, it was at this point in which i realized the terrible/not dining music they had playing in the background that seemed like it was more for the employees rather than the customers. Ordered sushi and some tempura, and the food was great and very reasonably priced. Overall besides the terrible music I would go back to this place again, good Boston sushi joint. Clean and cheap, just how I like my sushi.

• Pros: Parking in area is good, Great Food, Cheap Prices, Clean
• Cons: Terrible Music, Service tends to be slow

03/25/07

Bad, overpriced food...

by dysphoricmango

When I go out to eat, I rate the location by the price of the food, the quality of the food, the presentation, and the atmosphere. You could get decent food and enjoy it for a higher price if the presentation and atmosphere is good as your surroundings ultimately impact your overall experience....but kayuga... it's too dark, the food isn't that great.... (average at best) --- the mackarel was too salty (GO TO SHINO EXPRESS on Newbury if you want great mackarel!)...the service was quite bad, it took them forever to take my order, bring my food, bring my check and it was NOT busy at all. I spent a little less than 40 dollars for just myself.... which isn't too bad if it's a decent place with great food...but it is a lot when the food sucked, the service sucked, and the ambience was so so. I live by this place, but I doubt I'll be a regular customer.

• Pros: close to wear i live...
• Cons: food, service, everything.

06/01/06

Great food--very casual dining!

by rmgion

Took my boyfriend here and reserved one of the (what I thought were) semi-private bamboo booths where you remove your shoes. We were a little overdressed for the very casual restaurant and did not realize that the booths are not private or picturesque at all. But all in all the experience was pretty good. Fortunately, the food was fabulous! And we enjoyed complimentary soup and salad at the start of the meal.

• Pros: Food