Kei Japanese Restaurant — Restaurant in Sydney

let me first tell you that any and every review above 3 stars is probably biased or are written by mongrels with no palate for actual japanese food. i was pretty darn excited to try out the new japanese restaurant that's recently opened up and to see all the hype surrounding it with the number of customers that were coming here. it took a while to get us seated because of it, and we were seated at the bar. we took a look at the menu and it all sounded delicious. our usual favourites, takoyaki, rainbow roll, tiger roll, tako-wasa, we ordered them all.

it took a laughably long time for us to receive the first dish, the takoyaki and tako-wasa. we waited 20 entire minutes for this, and i couldn't fathom it. most of the staff here were all airheads with no penchant for customer service or satisfaction of the slightest. from how dismissive they were, it was clear that they could care less about it. we finished the 2 side dishes quickly since we were hungry, and the rolls arrived 17 minutes later. i was pretty shocked. we finished that quickly, and our second roll actually never arrived. we had to ask the staff about it because we had spent about 40 minutes in the restaurant waiting instead of eating as one should, and one of the men told us that he would have a look. he didn't end up checking, so i asked a waitress instead who was actually the most helpful person of the entire night. she went to check and said it'll be out very soon. we regretted it at this point since we were simply considering a refund for it, but it was too late and so so difficult to garner the attention of any other staff member. it took another 20 minutes after we received our first roll to get our second.

the worst part about the entire night was that the food was delivered in such poor tastes. it was bafflingly small in size and tasted average at best, but still costing the amount that other joints would cost, about $15+ for one. it was like they were all premade and frozen, then heated up to serve.

please do not come here if your life depended on it. there are so many better restaurants in magdalene terrace that can absolutely savour your tastebuds and fill you up at the same time. we left this restaurant incredible unsatisfied, and still hungry. the most shocking and embarrassing "japanese restaurant" i've been to, if you would even...

My wife and I have eaten at Kei previously and enjoyed the experience very much. Additionally we have ordered takeaway on a few occasions and last night was no different.

Spurred on by the enticing pic I saw on my Facebook feed, I resolved that I must immediately try the delicious looking Chirashi Don, a recent addition to an already substantial menu.

My wife ordered a large chicken katsu bento and I added another ‘house special’ - the Scorched Hiramasa - to our takeaway dinner.

Whilst waiting we were approached by the Manager, Melody, who is every bit as delightful as her name suggests. She explained that Kei would be introducing more specials henceforth, to rotate the menu and keep their offerings new and fresh.

Well the Chirashi Don, generous in size and excellent value, couldn’t have been any fresher! A beautiful dish full of salmon, tuna and kingfish pieces is sumptuous. It’s laden with delicious explosions of fish roe and the egg and rice make it a substantial meal in its own right. That said, the Scorched Hiramasa is one of the best fish dishes I’ve eaten and the incredibly tasty dressing was poured lavishly into my Chirashi Don making an already great dish, outstanding!

Of course my wife and I shared everything and the chicken bento box was generous in serving size, and variety of fare. The food at Kei is prepared expertly and is simply delicious! The staff are attentive and polite and Melody is indeed an invaluable asset to the restaurant.

Oh, I almost forgot, I am now addicted to Japanese sweets, something I had not tried before, but which will now form a staple in every meal at, or from Kei. And we will continue to be...

😡 One of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. I ordered a poke bowl and waited over 20 minutes — nothing came. No updates, no apologies. Turns out the waiter hadn’t even placed the order. Only after I asked did the food come out within 3 minutes. Seriously? 🤯

And don’t tell me he was busy — we were the only table in the entire restaurant when we arrived. There was no crowd, no rush, no excuse. This wasn’t about being overwhelmed — this was pure carelessness.

Then came the worst part — I found a piece of dish sponge in the food after just two bites. I asked for a refund and a fresh bowl, and he simply took the plate away and never came back. No update. No replacement. No refund. Just disappeared.

Meanwhile, other white customers came in, and suddenly the same waiter was smiling, pouring water, while we were left completely ignored, getting side-eyes and attitude the entire time. We sat there for 40 minutes. The only person who tried to solve it was a woman from the kitchen.

When mistakes happen. I can accept that. But what I can’t accept is the complete lack of apology or responsibility. He didn’t say sorry. He didn’t explain. He just carried on like nothing happened.

Honestly, by the end of it, I didn’t even care about the food. The experience was ruined by the absolutely awful service. That male waiter should not be working in hospitality. I left feeling angry, unwelcome, and deeply disappointed. 👎...