Reviews & Ratings

nate	Overall:	December 19, 2008
	1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. we go to sushiya almost every week. It's an amazing restaurant on all levels. The atmosphere is unique and the food is outstanding. My wife and i are vegans and don't tend to have a lot of food options at most places. But at sushiya there are several different rolls to pick from. Our friends have invited us to Kumo but it's not the same. I recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

Sarah Marshal	Overall:	September 30, 2008
	2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Sushiya does not only have great food, the atmosphere is very unique. It is definitly a love-it-or-hate-it atmosphere, but I feel that this place is something everyone can enjoy. From their diversity in food with steaks, seafood, and a wonderful assortment of both korean and japanese dishes, to their diversity in people, both employees and customers. They have a very energetic vibe but yet it still a very classy place. The server I had in whose name was Nick was a pleasure to have and was very educated on the sushi and the dishes they served. At one table there was some college students and at another a group of wealthy gentlemen having a meeting. The amazing food and well balanced atmosphere make Sushiya a great place to eat and drink at and I recommend this place to anyone who loves sushi. I recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

amy4evr Reviews: 1Badges: 0	Overall:	May 28, 2008
	11 out of 14 people found this review helpful. I have lived in Miami and Chicago for most of my life and have been to many sushi restaurants. When Sushi Ya opened in Kalamazoo, I went there with my friends weekly. It is my favorite place. However, every time we go there, the service gets worse and worse. Today was the worst dining experience I've ever had. My friend ordered "2 pieces of yellowtail" and our server (Tecumseh, who wouldn't give us his last name) put in an order for a "roll" instead. When it came, he adamantly denied the fact that he messed up and didn't offer to replace it. He had them make 2 pieces of yellowtail and then charged her both the roll and the pieces even though it was HIS mistake. We asked to speak to the manager and he said, "I am the manager and I refuse to lose $7.00 for something that you ended up eating". Let me tell you something Tecumseh or whatever your name is, you have ruined things for Sushi ya. I am still in shock about how rude he was and made us feel like crap. Go to Kumo instead. I do not recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

shakkai Reviews: 1Badges: 0	Overall:	April 7, 2008
	4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. From a person who lived in Manhattan for 6 years: This restaurant is one of the best in Kalamazoo for many reasons. It's unique, clean, nice atmosphere(for Kalamazoo), and downright yummy! Some locals may have some difficulty with the prices. I didnt find them unfair for what I recieved. Everything is always fresh and delicious. I feel it is being judged strangely because there aren't many restaurants of it's type (non-american cuisine with some style) in our fair city. I would say that the waitstaff are local college kids who don't necessarily have a background in fine dining skills, but just want to get through school. Don't go here expecting perfect service because you have to pay more than you may at some restaurants in Kalamazoo. The food and atmosphere and staff are what they are. I didn't find the time to criticize the place because I was focusing on how delicious the food was, loving the company I brought, enjoying the different touches of style, and in general not being critical. It can be a wonderful place to have a better than average and exotic meal without having to go to a big city. Why complain about that? I personally celebrate it. Don't have the money? Get take out! Yummy stuff. I have to add that I don't eat raw fish, yet I always find something new to eat here. In general, I think that your experience with this place will have more to do with how you approach eating here than with Sushi Ya's presentation, decor, food, or service.....because I have been here a dozen times and thoroughly enjoyed it each time. Give it a shot. I recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

sushi-lover from Battle Creek	Overall:	March 16, 2008
	4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Sushi-ya has a great selection of sushi rolls, unlike any other place around here. However, the atmosphere is cosmopolitan, and the asian-fusion also makes the place seem more trendy than authentic. I prefer our local eatery, Asuka in Battle Creek, to sushi-ya. At Asuka, you get complimentary Korean side dishes (pickles, fish cake, etc), Miso soup and salad with ginger dressing with your meal. Sushi-ya does have some good food but it wasn't worth the drive. We found ourselves missing our local joint. I do not recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

redstarwraith	Overall:	November 17, 2007
	6 out of 18 people found this review helpful. Sushiya is so overrated and their prices are ridiculous for the kind of service they give. I made reservations and asked NOT to be placed anywhere obnoxious (like by the kitchen). So they put us right at the entrance, with my friend given a view of the waitress station and my sightline cluttered with no less than three television screens. I asked the waitress if there were any other tables more intimate than ours and she halfheartedly said there wasn't, but that she'd let us know if anything opened up. We watched numerous tables leave and were never offered another table. * Sushiya bills itself as 'Asian-fusion' cuisine, but whatever the significance of the Egyptian motifs on the menus was supposed to be for was lost on me. * The interior of the place is not in keeping with the prices they charge. Linoleoum floors or industrial carpeting, cheesy sections of drop ceiling and more neon than I've seen at a bar since the 1980's. * Our waitress was an ignoramus. It was clear to anyone that we were out on a special occaision. We'd made reservations and were dressed to the nines - not attired in blue jeans and baseball caps like most the patrons were. She reached in front of my friend, over her plate while there was still food on her plate and it was clear she was still eating to remove some crumpled napkin or other and then giggled, "Ooh! I'm sorry. Heehee." * Our appetizer got mixed reviews. I thought it tasted like cooking oil and the sauce that came with it flavorless. My friend thought it was very good. *The main course WAS rather good, although my mood had been nearly completely ruined by the insulting manner in which we had been treated that it was difficult to enjoy it. Our waitress had decided to divide her time between chatting up her skater boyfriend in the entrance to establishment and chatting with the other waitresses at her wait station. *I get the bill, look at the damages. . ."Not bad!" I thought. Then our waitress appears to tell me she'd given us the wrong bill and given our bill to another table. . .Our final bill was about as bad as I'd feared. *So I did something I've rarely ever done before. I tipped this so-called waitress less than 10%. Her murderous look that was reflected in the glass doors as we were leaving was the only thing that made me smile about dining at Sushiya. *Kalamazoo DESERVES to have a good sushi place. The food was good, but I would NEVER eat there again (although they do offer carryout and that might be an option). Seriously though, for the money, if you want good sushi minus the bullshit attitude of small town establishment with Napolean syndrome - drive to Chicago. I do not recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

Molida	Overall:	October 29, 2007
	1 out of 3 people found this review helpful. I love Sushi Ya. I never liked sushi before, and I'm completely obsessed with it now. I used to live in Detroit and I really miss their sushi restaurants, but now that Sushi Ya is here, I can go as often as I like. One downfall is that it is kind of pricey, but I love the quality. It does get very busy and the service gets a bit slow at times, but what popular restaurant doesn't? I go to Sushi Ya at least once a month and I would definitely recommend it to anyone else. I recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

mysic Reviews: 22Badges: 0	Overall:	October 28, 2007
	1 out of 3 people found this review helpful. we had great servers both times we went. yes it is pricy, and my husband did not like the soup dish he ordered once and threw it away after we left, but the beef appetizer we got was fabulous and the other beef main course i ordered both times was extremely tasty and well done. the portions are not like i was used to (smaller) but then again this place isn't for foodhogs--it's trendy. i don't like seafood of any sort at all so i was glad they had even the few meat items on the menu. I recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

Mark Fleser	Overall:	June 5, 2007
	6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. I'm glad that there is finally a sushi restaurant in Kalamazoo and the food is great. Of course I went there for just sushi. It was different from a normal sushi place where you give your order directly to the chef. Even at the sushi bar you give your order to your server who gives it to the chef. For a sushi order it was a bit slow, but then again the place was packed so I understand. I am definitely going to go again in the near future. The sushi I got was great (for a good sized meal all you need is one of their gourmet rolls and something like a california roll and you'll be satisfied) and the presentation was beautiful. The service was a bit slow and when I went the bathroom was out of order, but I go to restaurants for the food, I could care less about the environment. I recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

ArtdeKat Reviews: 1Badges: 0	Overall:	May 6, 2007
	6 out of 8 people found this review helpful. When I heard that a excellent sushi bar had come to Kalamazoo, I must say that I was quite sceptical. I'm not Japanese but I boast about being a bit of a sushi connoisseur since I'm from a coastal state and have had some of the finest sushi that the USA has to offer. It took me awhile to decide to give it a chance. Finally, I took a friend who wanted me to teach her more about sushi. We were seated at the sushi bar, on a Saturday night, in about 10 minutes and the place was packed, so that was pretty impressive. Once we decided from the enormous selection it took about 40 minutes for our food to arrive. That was fine with me because Sushi is also an art form and good sushi takes time to prepare. The ONLY down side was that while we were waiting I noticed that the decor was far from Feng Shui and even unsettling to look at. I'm certain that they did not have an interior designer help them with their selections. We got some traditional pieces, some sashimi, and even one of the Nuvo, more Americanized rolls. Everything was so FRESH and YUMMY! Don't forget to order some Edamame, Sake and green tea to go with it, and some Plum wine for dessert, if your not to full. In summary, our whole Sushi Ya experience was AWESOME! I recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

Ckiss32787 Reviews: 1Badges: 0	Overall:	April 19, 2007
	2 out of 19 people found this review helpful. Maybe I just picked a bad night to go there, and maybe I ordered the wrong things... but I was very disappointed with this restaurant. Everything we ordered that involved tempura seemed like they kept it in there about 5 minutes longer then necessary. While I dont mind paying a lot for sushi, in my opinion for what you get this place is very overpriced. While I enjoy the atmosphere, the service left a bit to be desired. Everything... and I mean everything... came out at different times. I am not talking about a 30 second difference here, it was more like 5 minutes. The end result of this was about one person, in our party of 10, having food at a time.. and everyone else staring at it getting hungry. Our friend then waited 15 minutes to find out the glass of wine he ordered wasnt in stock. The service actually wasnt the waitresses fault.... she was waiting a party of 20 and our party of 10. The management should have had the brains to maybe toss an extra server in there! The server even warned us that the kitchen does serve and cook everything at separate times, and again good management would have fixed this problem opening day if it existed. I will probably go here one more time to give it a fair shot, and try some different rolls then the ones we ordered. I do know i will NEVER and I mean NEVER order the same rolls I received cause they were not very enjoyable. Hopefully next time it will be worth the money I spent. I do not recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

Lindsay	Overall:	March 26, 2007
	7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Sushiya is fantastic! Tried sushi for the first time and wasn't a huge fan. Went back and tried a few different things, and have now become rather obsessed. The traditional sushi rolls are phenomenal, as are some of the more interesting ones. I highly recommend the place, and strongly hope they have a solid clientele that will keep it open. You should definitely try it. They are extremely friendly towards 'sushi beginners' and even have nice practice chopsticks. Great restaurant. I recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

Sharon	Overall:	March 12, 2007
	8 out of 10 people found this review helpful. This is a great restaurant. If you are looking for great sushi in Kalamazoo I can't think of a better place. They have a HUGE selection! Wait staff is very friendly. When I first say the menu I was worried I wouldn't get enough to eat for the amount of money I wanted to spend, but I left stuffed. I recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

TimSr Reviews: 1Badges: 0	Overall:	March 10, 2007
	8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. I have eaten at Sushiya many times and love their huge selection. You won't have to eat the same thing over and over. Having lived in California for almost 20 years, this is the best sushi I have found next to Chicago or New York. Though the atmosphere is starting to come into its own, they need to get their liquor license to increase their clientele. The Sushi Masters are wonderful to get to know and if you want a more personal time, go there during lunch. They have the same menu but less customers. They also have some really fantastic lunch specials at inexpensive prices, you leave full. I highly recommend dining at Sushiya! I recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

Kristine	Overall:	March 6, 2007
	5 out of 7 people found this review helpful. It is about time Kalamazoo opened a Sushi restaurant! I love this place! The sushi menu is extensive and everything I tried was excellent. The atmosphere is very urban and you can forget, even if it is just for a moment, that you are not actually in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I thought the service was very good and all of the staff were very courteous. If you are looking for sweet and sour chicken and crab rangoons, this is not your restaurant. This isn't a Chinese Restaurant and patrons shouldn't expect to order boring, typical Chinese food. Instead, treat yourself to something different and exotic. TRY SUSHI!!! How can you knock it...if you haven't even tried it!?!?!? :-) My husband and I LOVE Sushi and we plan to visit Sushiya often. (I just hope they get their liquor license soon and they post their menu online!) I recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

Lindsay	Overall:	March 4, 2007
	3 out of 44 people found this review helpful. I went to this restaraunt with a party of four. I was the only one out of the party who did not order sushi. My meal came out 20 minutes after the sushi. This is poor service. The meal was good but very overpriced. I would recommend Panda Forest for quality asian cuisine at a great price. Sushi Ya also does not have crab rangoons. Hail Panda Forest! The rest of my party thoroughly enjoyed the sushi. However, I like my food cooked and not still swimming. I hope this review is helpful. I do not recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

garamsdame	Overall:	February 27, 2007
	10 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Sushi ya is a place filled with a mix of urban and contemporary art but also old and traditional Asian atmosphere. The food is exquisite, colorful and creative. The service is good and it's a great experience. I recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

zenlunch Reviews: 16Badges: 8	Overall:	February 18, 2007
	20 out of 22 people found this review helpful. After living in Japan for two years, I came back to Kalamazoo hoping that a decent Japanese restaurant would someday come to town. About four years later Sushi Ya opened and I was genuinely excited at the possibility of finally being able to enjoy some authentic Japanese food. Upon entering, I noticed the atmosphere was quite modern though they do offer at least two tatami rooms (woven straw mats) that can be reserved for private parties. The waitresses working those rooms wear traditional Japanese kimonos which helps add to the authentic Japanese environment. I thought the food was quite good. My yakisoba meal (fried noodles with pork, cabbage and ginger) tasted wonderful and brought back great memories from my time in Japan. The gyoza (fried dumplings) and tempura ice cream were excellent too. And though the prices were a little on the high end, I will definitely be returning to this place to try out some other dishes - their sushi menu was like a Sears catalog so there are plenty of options for anyone looking to get a taste of the real thing. Keep in mind that they serve Japanese/Korean infused food, meaning each dish served may not be entirely authentic though it will contain at least some elements of the original dish. I personally feel like this is just the kind of place this town needs. Enough with the steakhouses and generic sports bars. Say hello to Sushi Ya. It's the Pacific Rim...Kalamazoo style. I recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam

Ken	Overall:	February 17, 2007
	10 out of 38 people found this review helpful. This place is a piece of crap. First of all, it's owned by a Korean couple. Sushi is way below average. If you have a mouth the size of a bull, you might be able to gulp the piece. And if they're Korean, you'd thought they make good Korean food! But no, their bulgogi is like Chinese beef stirfy, only worse in taste. I think the only reason people come is because it is new in Kalamazoo and it's the only sushi restaurant in downtown Kzoo. I would rather drive to Grand Rapids, Battle Creek, or Chicago (best around the Midwest) for sushi. Oh by the way, I'm Korean by descent and have studied in Japan for a number of years and now live in the US and work as a physician. So, I think I know a bit or two about Korean and Japanese food. Hope you find this helpful. Thanks! I do not recommend this place. Was this review helpful? Yes | No | Report as Spam