Kyoto Steakhouse & Sushi Bar — Restaurant in Raceland

This was my party's first visit to this restaurant, and unfortunately we were underwhelmed by the food we received for the price that we paid. While I would certainly go back to give them another chance if invited to go with friends or family, I won't be suggesting to go back when my friends and I looking for food options in the Raceland area. I'll also state that my friends who own a business in the area love going to this restaurant for lunch and race about their lunches at Kyoto's.

The good: The waiter was polite, professional, and understanding. The Gyoza, pork dumplings, that we got pan fried were good. My party all agreed that we wish they would have been cooked a little bit longer, but they were more than acceptable. The crab puffs were also fine. Well, I don't feel that the fried rice was worth an additional $1.50 on top of what is charged for the blackened tuna, the fried rice was decent with a little extra teriyaki sauce on it.

The not so good: The kyoto house roll just wasn't to my liking, and we were all underwhelmed by it, given that it's supposed to be their signature roll for the establishment. Please reference my photo, the amount of meat and veggie inside of the roll is far less than you would expect for a $18 roll. I'm not sure I've ever had a roll from any sushi or hibachi restaurant that had so much rice in it. It was simply impossible to eat in one bite. Which would have been fine if it were because of the amount of other ingredients in the roll but it was just 85% rice. My friend asked the waiter for semame sauce for his bento box and was informed that they didn't have sesame oil unfortunately which was surprising to us.

The bad: The Blackened Tuna was a real let down. I expected to get a steak of tuna when I asked the waiter about the blackened tuna, but what I got was little nuggets of tuna that were maybe a third of an inch thick; however, this was not the truly bad part about the blackened tuna. This tuna had so much pepper or blackening seasoning on it that all of us that tried it were overwhelmed by the amount of pepper. It was super spicy just from the amount of pepper on it. I've had blackened tuna numerous times, but I've never experienced anything like what was prepared for me last Friday. If I ever go back to Kyoto's, I'll order anything else on their menu before getting the blackened tuna again.

The atmosphere: There were cases of beer and other beverages stacked up in plain view at the transition point between the front and kitchen area. The other wait staff were stationed at a middle table visibly counting their tips along with stacks of papers, napkins, and other items. While this would not stop me from visiting here again, these are items that would have docked points for performing a...

I walked into the restaurant at exactly 9:00 PM, hoping to place an order. The dining area was eerily empty, and the silence made me wonder if I had made a mistake. Still, the hours clearly stated they were open until 9:30 PM, so I approached the counter with confidence.

The receptionist looked up at me, her expression a mix of confusion and hesitation. Before I could even finish asking to place an order, she glanced over at a group of three Japanese men seated nearby, then turned back to me with a polite yet firm response.

"We’re not taking any more orders," she said.

I blinked, caught off guard. "Why not? It’s only 9:00, and you don’t close until 9:30," I replied.

She hesitated, her eyes darting back to the men, as if silently seeking their approval or guidance. "The kitchen is closed," she said flatly.

I looked around the empty room. No bustling kitchen sounds, no other customers waiting. Just silence.

Frustration bubbled up inside me. "If you're open until 9:30, the kitchen should be open until then too," I said, trying to keep my tone measured.

But her response was unwavering, and it became clear there was no changing the outcome. I left the restaurant, disappointed not only by the lack of service but by the inconsistency.

The moral of the story? If you're a business, honor the hours you advertise. Customers shouldn’t leave wondering if your closing time is a suggestion rather...

I've only had their sushi. The building is older so it has a lot of leaks & the parking lot is challenging, especiallywhen it rains. They had a new matcha boba tea on the menu that I tried to order, but was just a trial from the week prior. I'm looking forward to coming back soon to try that when they order new supplies :) I was also looking forward to their delicious sparking floral or peach sakes, but they were out this last time. The sushi rolls are a little too cream cheese heavy & I really wish they included pickled ginger & Wasabi sauce in their plating, but they are good regardless. Flying fish roe rolls are my favorite, but they unfortunately don't offer that on their menu. They do however have a Hwy 90 & caterpillar roll that are really good. The pink lady is good tasty & the steamed wontons are my favorite appetizer. The food is always hot and fresh. Our server from this last time was young & inexperienced, but was working hard & made sure we were taken care of. Overall, this is a small town gem & it's nice to have a place that offers this...