Ika Grill Sushi & Pan Asian — Restaurant in Leawood

This was my first and last time going to Ika Grill. I came in during lunch. The restaurant itself was clean and nice. There were 8 people there including myself, I expected more people since it has been opened for a while now. I ordered the lunch Chicken Pad Thai. My order came with hot and sour soup and salad. The soup was okay the salad was over dressed and extremely salty. After I finished my soup and salad my entree came out. The owner I presumed set my entree down, I couldn't help but noticed what was just placed in front of me. I asked the lady for a spice tray. She said I will tell your server to get it for you. I said ok. She then told the server to bring me the spice tray. Why she didn't just bring it over herself I am not sure. I looked at my plate, it looked nothing like Pad Thai. The noodles, chicken, veggies and eggs were pooled in an orange sauce. The chicken white as the plate. I decided to give it a try, looks can be deceiving and I have been surprised before. I took one bite and was ready to spit it out. The flavor was so off putting, the noodles mushy, in a sugary sweet sauce, the chicken was bland with a slight hint of paper. The flavor of peanuts that is reminiscent of any Pad Thai was non existent. The server came by and I asked for my check. I gave him my credit card and he processed it. Brought me back my check and asked me if I wanted a box. I told him I didn't need a box the food was not good. No lie I wanted to vomit and wanted to hurry up out of there. The lady came back and said was everything okay I said it wasn't good. She goes well don't worry about paying in the most condescending way possible. Well it was a little bit too late for that. My card had already been processed. I signed my check and got up. The cook stopped me on the way out and told me he makes everything with sweet and sour sauce for all of the American people. As if this was an excuse on why the food sucked. I told him well the food wasn't good and I walked out. First and last time I walk in...

I walked in to find an empty restaurant who likely just finished their lunch special rush. They have some amazing lunch specials that run until 3pm mon-Thursday and also have some nice happy your specials. Be sure to flip the menu over and check out those priceless and deals.

For seating this is an excellent place to go with friends, family or by your self. With options to sit at a table, traditional sushi bar, or beverage bar.

The atmosphere is really nice and relaxed upscale for sure a 10 out of 10 or 5 stars.

The customer service was also top notch, now granted I came in while it was slower they do being a caraf of water to you so your not waiting on a refill which again is a nice added bonus. The silverware is pre-wrapped with both a fork and chopsticks so you don't have to ask for either one you have the option. They offer both regular soy sauce and low sodium. When it comes to service a 9 out of 10. I arrived at 245, and it would have been nice if the server asked if i had been in before, and that they had lunch specials on the back that run until 3. Had she pointed that out it would have been an easy 10 out of 10.

As for the food. I ordered a Las Vegas roll, and a spider roll. As well as mochi icecream for dessert.

The price for the rolls was about average for the market. However the size of the rolls were much smaller than I'm used to 6 vs 8 or 9 bites. The items usually have eels sauce on them and instead they put the eel sauce at the base making it look more like a garnish then part of the rolls. 1 of the rolles also comes with spicey may and again instead of being on the rolls small dime sized dollops around the plate as If only as a garnish. Overall I'd give the rolls a 7 out of 10 or a 4 star.

The Mochi icecream comes available in 4 flavors, strawberry, mango, green tea and chocolate. You can pick 2 flavors.

I went with mango and strawberry . Both were amazing a 10 out of...

Disclaimer: I am old friends with the owners of Ika's, Casey Chao - and his wife Linda. Known his family for over thirty years and two restaurants ago. They even had an original one that was owned by his father and mother where Casey learned his craft and then took it to another level. So this is the fourth iteration of the Chao family restaurant legacy in the Kansas City metropolitan area. And by far, the best. His previous restaurant, The Red Snapper, was phenomenal. But Ika's has fresh sushi as well. Which is what really sets it apart from the others.

Casey is a perfectionist and chef extraordinaire. There is nobody in the Pan Asian restaurant business as good as Casey Chao. I've tried other places in my travels, even as far away as Vietnam where I ate things you couldn't even imagine. If you are from Kansas City or even out of town, you have to go to this place. The decor alone is worth the "price of admission". Linda has an artist's eye for interior design and color.

Also: try the Hot and Sour soup. It's an old family recipe from his father's side back in South Korea (which Casey travels back to Seoul in order to see family and friends every couple of years). Best Hot and Sour soup I've ever had in my life. And for Kimchi lovers: you will not be disappointed. They literally bury clay pots of the stuff in the backyard of their house for six months in order to ferment it.

Tell Casey and Linda,...