Tai Sushi — Restaurant in Kyoto

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Tai Sushi, a charming sushi restaurant tucked away in the beautiful city of Kyoto. The casual atmosphere and inviting decor immediately put me at ease, making me feel right at home as I eagerly anticipated the delicious sushi creations I was about to enjoy.

One of the unique aspects of Tai Sushi is the flexibility they offer in choosing your sushi experience. While they do offer a traditional omakase option, guests are also welcome to select individual pieces from their extensive menu. This level of customization allowed me to curate my own personalized sushi journey, which I found incredibly refreshing.

The true highlight of my meal at Tai Sushi was the Toro. This exquisitely marbled and tender cut of tuna simply melted in my mouth, leaving behind a rich, buttery flavor that lingered on my palate. The delicate balance of flavors, along with the expertly seasoned sushi rice, created a harmonious bite that I will remember for a long time.

The overall quality of the sushi at Tai Sushi was exceptional. Each piece was crafted with care and precision, showcasing the skill and expertise of the sushi chefs. The use of fresh, high-quality ingredients was evident in every bite, making for an unparalleled sushi experience.

The casual atmosphere at Tai Sushi made for a relaxed and enjoyable dining experience. The friendly staff were attentive and knowledgeable, making me feel welcome and comfortable throughout my meal. They were also more than happy to answer any questions and provide recommendations based on my...

This place is definitely overrated and not worth queuing for.

We came around 7 PM and were seated immediately. The restaurant wasn’t even full for the first 20 minutes, and during that time the chef stepped out to chat with some curious guests. I’d say about 80% of the guests were Chinese, many of them mentioning that this place is very popular on Chinese social media.

However, this is not the fine sushi restaurant you might expect—it’s more of a casual izakaya-style spot. As soon as we sat down, our order was taken fast and foods were served almost immediately, we had no time to settle in or enjoy the meal. Before we even finished eating, we were asked to move aside to make room for another party. We also saw other couple being asked to move for making place to another larger groups which arrived later. The whole dining experience felt very stressful, definitely not pleasant or relaxing.

The portions of fish were generous, but the rice, and especially the soy sauce, tasted completely off. The sushi chef also lacks proper technique; the nigiri were poorly shaped, just a lump of rice rolled once in the hand with no finesse. The presentation was far from appetizing.

What bothered me even more was the serving process. The chef prepared the sushi but didn’t serve it directly to guests. Instead, a woman standing beside him placed the sushi on your plate by hand—yet she was also washing dishes at the same time! It felt unhygienic...

A truly awful experience that I won't forget. The owner of the restaurant was racist and showed a lot of disrespect towards the LGBTQ+ community. My female friend dressed in a more boy style, and it made her look like a guy. During our order, the owner kept calling her "young man." That’s fine but when I reminded him that she's a woman, he suddenly ignored her and never see her eyes again, muttered to himself, “A people like that type…（そんなタイプは）” It made us feel really disrespected. We also noticed a big difference in how the owner treated non-Asian tourists from English-speaking countries – he was friendly and warm with them. Despite the high prices, the food in the restaurant wasn't that impressive. Even though I'm an Asian and can speak Japanese as an international student, the owner only gave us an English menu, saying, "Japanese people order with their mouths; that's why we have this menu for you foreigners." But when I tried ordering in Japanese, he said they couldn't accommodate it. I had to settle for something from the English menu. I also realized that, for the same set menu, we got one less piece of octopus sushi compared to the two Japanese people sitting next to us. I'm not sure if it was a mistake or intentional. The owner spoke to me without using any polite Japanese language and acted like we were there just because of the restaurant's reputation, with a really arrogant attitude. I definitely won't be...