Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse — Restaurant in Kalamazoo

3.5 stars. I'll share two experiences

Also would like to state that I've worked in a restaurant setting, and have friends who have as well.

First - it was a group dinner and we were seated at the grill. Food was amazing, the chef was spectacular and attentive. It was a great time with friends and family and laughter. Overall extremely enjoyable.

Second- sat down in the dining area. I will say it was a busy evening. Slow service was expected, I was very impressed with the staff never slowing down. They did great. However, the reasoning for my 3.5: I ordered the steak hibachi, I ordered the steak medium well and received steak that was incredibly well done, I had a hard time putting my fork in it and ended up having to discard the piece in my mouth because it was not chewable. When our waiter stopped to check on us, I let him know and since they were extremely busy, I asked for the steak part of the dinner to be written off, and not be charged for it (not the whole dinner). The waiter speaks to his manager and informs us that the manager stated "The only way it will get refunded is if she gives me the steak to check myself".. so I told the waiter to chose his piece and he said we can just remake it. We had already been there over two hours, so they did remake it and I asked for medium this time. The steak was better and chewable this time around.

Overall, our waiter did his job, the food was fixed. But with the managers response (mind you, whoever they are did not come up to me personally) I felt disrespected (not that it seems like they're going to care about this review). I left the steak on the plate so hopefully they checked it. I still left the waiter a tip over 25% since none of it...

My recent visit to Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse was a complete disaster. It's clear that the restaurant is now under new ownership, and unfortunately, the changes have been for the worse. The entire experience was marred by poor management, a severe lack of staff, and incompetence at every turn.

Upon entering, it was evident that something was amiss. The tables were dirty, with remnants of the previous diners' meals still visible.

The staff shortage was painfully obvious. Our order was taken haphazardly, and it seemed like the employees were running around in a state of chaos. The lack of coordination was astounding, and it was clear that they were overwhelmed and undertrained.

The food was a disaster as well. The once-impressive teppanyaki performance was reduced to a lackluster, half-hearted attempt. The chef seemed disinterested and uninspired, and the food itself was bland and overcooked. It was a far cry from the delicious meals I had enjoyed on previous visits.

But perhaps the most disheartening aspect of the experience was the apparent misery of the employees. They looked overworked, underpaid, and completely disengaged. It's evident that they were not being treated well, and it showed in their attitude and performance.

In short, the new ownership of Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse has turned a once-enjoyable dining establishment into an absolute disaster. The management is clearly inept, the staff is overwhelmed and miserable, and the overall experience is a far cry from what it used to be. I would strongly advise against wasting your time and money here until significant improvements are made, if that...

I’m giving four stars based off of the food only. The place was very clean and comfy. Doesn’t seem too kid friendly. More of an adult place I think. I didn’t bring my kids. We got there and we were seated pretty fast. However it took a waitress about 20 minutes to come over and ask us what we wanted to drink. She brought the drinks back in a timely manner. My husband and I waited for over 30 minutes before the waiter came and took our order. Absolutely ridiculous because they weren’t even busy. Then when he brought the chips and soup back he spilled the hot soup on my husbands arm and brand new shirt. He said sorry but didn’t offer to help clean it up, didn’t give my husband anything to clean it up with nor did he give us a discount on our bill. They kept sitting more and more ppl at our table and taking their orders after ours. We waited for another 30 to 40 minutes after all these random ppl were placed at our table and ordered before the cook even came over and started cooking. The cook was so awesome! He was friendly funny and the food was great! The waiter didn’t refill our drinks. He didn’t come check on us. All six ppl at our table were done eating and had put their coats on waiting for our bills. Another woman brought us boxes for our food and gave each of us our bills. She gave us someone else’s bill. We had to wait for that to be fixed as well. This was mine and my husbands first time there. The food was amazing. But the customer service was so horrible. What about the hot soup that got spilled on my husbands arm? Not sure if we will ever go back...