Kyoto Japanese Restaurant

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ First Visit – Excellent Work Lunch Experience I came to Kyoto for a work lunch, and it was my first time dining here. The food was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented — everything from the ramen to the sushi tasted authentic and made with care. The tempura and teriyaki were crisp and light, not greasy, and the portions were generous. Service was friendly, prompt, and genuinely kind. I also want to highlight their impeccable customer service — I accidentally left my debit card there and didn’t realize it for a few days. When I called, they still had it safely locked away for me. That level of honesty and care really says a lot about their team and how they treat their guests. The traditional floor seating booths are a unique touch that make the atmosphere cozy and authentic. Overall, Kyoto is an excellent spot for a casual business lunch or dinner with friends. I’ll definitely be coming back. Highly recommend!

Best experience i've had at a restaurant in a long time! The food was absolutely incredible. We shared the spare ribs and two delicious sushi rolls. We got the sake flight which also was great! Our server was so sweet and attentive and brought us an extra miso soup after noticing we were sharing. We will absolutely be back.

I've been going to the Kyoto for years. It's tucked away in a quiet neighborhood, with limited parking. My favorite thing is the sukiyaki. For me, it has a unique flavor that is a mix of sweet and salty. I love the yam noodles, the broth and the veggies. I always order the beef, which is sliced thin and delicious. I recommend it if you love sukiyaki. I've had many other dishes as well that are good.

My son-in-law and I had lunch here today. What a delight to find a great place to have sushi in Salt Lake City. We started with miso soup and I had taco and sake nigiri. My son-in-law had sashimi and a roll they both looks and according to him the taste was fresh for the sashimi and the roll was very good. We ate before I could take any pictures so next visit I’ll have to do a video

Very good Japanese restaurant, with all of the elements that I expected, including some chill music. Solid menu with much to choose from and seasonal specials. Attentive service at just the right level. Enough parking for most of the time but I'm sure that it gets packed when busy.

Squid was rubbery and chewy. Server seemed super rushed I never got a refill on my drink. The miso soup was the best part of my meal. the beef gyoza where 2nd but flavor I would give a 3 out of 5. And parking is super tight.

Well, I am sorry, but this restaurant used to be very nice with the original owners. They sold out, and now it's awful. We went there and we were very disappointed at the food. It had no taste and plain. TOO PRICEY for what you get. The salmon and ribs were not Japanese style, no way. Splattered with honey a d soy sauce isn't Japanese. The meal should come with soup and salad, since the price was too high. The tempura appetizer lost it flavor, don't bother, you will get it with your food( fried carrots) expect to pay around $80 for 2 people, this is with water only. NOT WORTH IT PEOPLE. Go to another place...

A Delightful Sushi Spot with Cozy Booths & Great Vibes! Stopped by this charming sushi spot last night, and it was a fantastic experience! The space is super cute, with cozy little individual booths that make for a comfortable and intimate dining experience. We started with the pickled vegetables, which were a fresh and tangy treat, and I loved their homemade soy sauce--it added such a unique depth of flavor to everything. For sushi, we had the Lobster Roll, Mars Roll, and Rainbow Roll, all beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. The mussel shooters were a fun and flavorful addition to the meal. Despite it being a Monday night, the restaurant was lively and full of great energy. The staff was incredibly kind and attentive, making the experience even better. Can't wait to come back and try a Sake Martini!

We enjoyed our meal last night. We started off with drinks, bowls of miso soup, and a platter of Yasai tempura (medley of vegetables). The delicate crisp of the tempura was delicious paired with the mild dipping broth-sauce. A couple of us ordered the Yuzu Lemon Drop, which was Tanuki Sake shaken with yuzu syrup, served with sugar on the rim. (See photo - larger glass, small beverage) My husband ordered a couple craft beers that came to him in beer cans. The featured sodas were Coke products. The tonkatsu (pork cutlets) panko was delicious and the pork was cooked just right. We also ordered several sushi rolls: Funky Charlie roll, two Mars rolls, dragon original, the Geisha, a caterpillar, and a lobster roll. I've included photos if you'd like to see. I thought the caterpillar's presentation was really cute. There are really lovely enclosed booths that you can reserve if you call ahead. They're generally for groups, and they have a really nice cozy feel to them. When my husband called ahead to reserve for his birthday dinner, he didn't know that he needed to specifically ask for a private booth, so we missed out. Next time though! The facility was super clean, not the slightest hint of fish upon entering the restaurant. Very kind waitress. Reasonable speed for food, and the prices were good. I did feel that the beer ($8/can!) and sake cocktails ($10) were on the expensive side, but they were enjoyed just the same. :)

Can't say enough great things about this restaurant! We are from So cal and my mom is from Japan. Food was spot on for flavor and quality...better than any Japanese restaurant we go to at home. Totally shocked! Had Sukiyaki-delicious and beef was unbelievable; tempura perfect, udon savory and LOVE the pumpkin tempura! Wish this place was near me at home, definitely coming back!

The food & service are great. Only concern is the last 3 times we have ordered takeout if we order a duplicate of an order online ( 2 teriyaki chickens or 2 beef udon) we only get 1 order but charged for the full amount! Double check your order when you pick it up to make sure you're getting correct quantity. I wouldn't be writing this review if this wasn't the 3rd time this had happened. The guy at the front desk told us there was nothing they could do in the future to prevent this from happening. This is my favorite lunch special so I'm a little disappointed about this continued problem.

Finally got the chance to eat in, and would definitely come again! The gyoza stood out- my husband said he'll be having food dreams about the soft dough and perfectly prepared beef. Apparently the Geisha is the most popular roll, I picked it, and would recommend- it's light and fresh, and I'm a fan of anything with mango, salmon, and avocado. The tonkatsu came with a huge quantity of crisply fried veggies. The salad was underwhelming, but not a big deal when everything else was fantastic. The sunken booths are so fun, and the servers were really kind and knowledgeable about the menu. It was busy, but not too loud. We got lucky without a reservation early on a Saturday night, but it seems like reservations are a good idea here, or you could be waiting a while at peak times.

Love this place. Fresh & chewy udon noodles, delicious sushi rolls, the most amazing salad dressing and kind service every time. This spot is nestled on 1300 with lots of greenery and traditional japanese style seating. Absolutely love visiting here. Not to mention the butter mints after the meal that just top it off!

This is my second time here and it never disappoints. The service is always great and the food is always delicious. I do recommend reservations as the place is a tad small and always busy.

This place is great! Stopped by on our way to Moab and it takes me back to traditional Japanese restaurants my family used to go to when I was little, before AYCE became a thing. I had a Miso and the Sake Oyako Don.

Excellent food and great service highly recommend- healthy cuisine for sure. Visit and you'll be glad!

The salmon was not fresh and it was under cooked. I took it home to my kitties and they wouldn't eat it. Our waiter reached over us multiple times while we were eating to remove dishes. I consider that rude. We were asked to leave - and not in a polite way. We were told that other parties were waiting and "would we please leave". There are better ways to handle this. I won't go back.

Kyoto creates a beautiful setting that immerses you into Japanese food ! The menu is jam packed with a variety of dishes. Our service was quick and easy ! The waitress was with us so efficiently. I will have to revisit Kyoto and write a more in depth review ! But truly, our meal was delicious and service was wonderful.

Ordered food to go. When I went to pick it up, the guys were to busy talking about nothing to welcome me or anyone into the restaurant. They got my food, took my payment, no thank you or acknowledgment of anything. They didn't even take my credit card receipt that I signed. They just walked off. The food is not as good as it used to be when Tada san and it's very expensive. The spicy scallop roll had 3 cucumbers and a tiny bit of scallop for $11! Check out the picture I posted

Pretty darn good!! The ambiance was amazing!! And the food was a very good price. I loved it.

What was once one of my favorite teriyaki spots in the valley now left a lot to be desired. The chicken teriyaki, which used to be moist and tender, was overcooked and dry, the teriyaki couldn't even save it. Salad that came with the luncheon was a mix bag as I really like the dressing. However, the lettuce had a lot of brown spots, some rotten buts that needed to be picked out. The mackerel as always was delicious, rich and fatty, always enjoyable. Lastly the tempura onions and carrots are always great as is the service so I'm rounding up the stars. Probably won't be back for a long while.

Had the beef sukiyaki and it was so yummy! The sweet potato noodles paired with the salty broth was amazing. After a long day at work it really hit the spot. I ordered a combo dinner and had enough to take home for the next day.

Visiting from California, and I eat Japanese food 85% of the time. I'm pleasantly surprised on how good this place was. Very authentic. I had tonkatsu and grilled salmon combo dinner. It came with vegetable tempura on the side and the tempura dipping sauce was great! I'm very picky on the sauce and flavoring but I fully enjoyed everything. Highly recommend. Need to try sushi next time.

We came in on a Sunday evening without a reservation and were able to grab spots at the sushi bar - but the place was pretty packed! While sitting at the sushi bar, you place drink and kitchen orders with your server, but you can order your sushi directly. Our server was very nice, as were the folks working at the sushi bar. Service was prompt and attentive. I went with the caterpillar roll and the geisha roll while my partner tried the steak teriyaki. I enjoyed the rolls, the caterpillar roll had eel, avocado and cucumber while the geisha roll had salmon, spicy tuna, mango, and tobiko. Both were very good. My partner really enjoyed the steak teriyaki. It comes with a side of tempura veggies and rice so you get a lot of food! The steak was cooked well and you get a nice piece of meat, no skimpy strips here. For dessert, we had to try the chocolate "sushi" which was a chocolate shell filled with cheesecake and topped with raspberries. It wasn't too big, the perfect size to share for a small sweet treat at the end of the meal. Overall we enjoyed our meal and I would return if in the area!

It really does sadden me to give Kyoto only 3 stars, but I have to be honest in my reviews. The staff was incredibly friendly, and our waitress was so sweet and helpful. The food just fell short. We ordered quite a bit so I'll start with appetizers. Edamame- good, nothing to complain about Miso - excellent Gyoza- delicious Seafood tempura - not good. Tempura batter is not appealing. No one in my family cared for this, and it's expensive, don't get it. Mussel shooters - good We ordered 6 different rolls. The rolls are decent, but the fish doesn't taste very fresh, too much rice, and wasabi is mint green, looks fake, like with added food coloring. It's not the worst sushi, but for the price, If you want good rolls, you should look else where. Sadly, we won't be back.

This was one of the best Japanese restaurants I've been to in a while. Every roll we ordered was creative and delicious, and the mixed tempura was top notch! It was a hot day so we sat outside, enjoying the greenery in the outdoor seating area. The service was prompt and attentive. If I visit Salt Lake City again, this is a must-visit for me!

Cool and cozy/homestyle Japanese restaurant in Sugarhouse. They have seating where you take off your shoes to sit inside a booth, which makes it an experience. If you sit at the sushi bar, the sushi chef will take any of your sushi orders. I would suggest making a reservation if coming on a Friday night or anytime on the weekend. 5/5 Yasai Tempura (very good onion rings, kabocha, and carrots) 5/5 Green Eggs and Ham roll 3/5 Mars roll (too much rice for the shrimp) Sashimi was also good, but cut really small. Wasabi is almost neon green and doesn't have much of a kick. I ended up using just soy sauce and ginger.

What a gem of a find in SLC. Any weekend spent with my sister and niece is a good weekend but add sushi to the mix, and it's a great weekend. I made reservations for Kyoto on a Friday night, walked into a jam packed restaurant which is always a good sign and received excellent service and left with very full bellies. My family let me do all the ordering, so we started with a cucumber salad, selected a tuna sashimi which was buttery, had a California roll and tuna roll which were just as delicious, and also added the combination dinner and chose the teriyaki steak, vegetable tempura which came with a bowl of rice and house salad. The sushi was very good, the steak was a full filet and could be cut with a butter knife because it was so tender. The vegetable tempura was crisp and sooo good. The asparagus, green onions, and sweet potato were my favorite parts but the mushroom and onion which are normally my least favorite were quite delicious as well because they did thin slices of each. The steak was the table favorite surprisingly, and the sauce and tenderness of the steak was really top notch. I'd highly recommend this restaurant and would go back if I visit SLC again.

my son said this is the best restaurant he's ever visited! The service is great. Food is delicious. Pricing is friendly a great family friend atmosphere will be back!

Delicious lunch. Service was on point, the food fresh and flavorful. I don't eat much fish so this is a perfect place to go out with a sushi lover. He got some sushi in the lunch bento box special and I chicken teriyaki donburi - which is a favorite. Love the teriyaki flavor they use and their tempura is the best! The lunch portions are still plentiful and reasonably priced.

By far one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in the valley. The most memorable item here are the mussel shooters, 10/10 I would recommend. I haven't found another place that makes them like Kyoto. They also have good sushi rolls as well as their tempura and sukiyaki. Their service is generally always pretty good and I do love the booths they have to make it feel more authentic. I am glad to see that this place is doing well and still around. If you have a big group, they take reservations. Regardless of group size, I think reservations are a great to ensure you have a table.

Dishes hit the spot - quite authentic for a very reasonable price. Had the sukiyaki which was a tad bit sweet for my liking (however if you could order the less sweet asian version). Great japanese aesthetics with tatami booths and paper curtains. Service was attentive and will come again if I'm in salt lake city.

Kyoto has been a favorite family go-to for decades! We hadn't been for a while (so busy trying all the new places in SLC) but really wanted grilled salmon and gyoza take-out. For a busy Saturday night it was ready very fast, about 20 mins. Everything was delicious, just like we remembered. The Gyoza were a perfect combo of soft and chewy with umami flavor, and our teriyaki dinners were just what we were wanting. I opted for teriyaki sauce on the side with my salmon and it turned out to be some of the best salmon I've had from a restaurant in a long time. My husband went with the chicken teriyaki and loved it. The portions were large and we had enough for leftovers the next day. The side salad was fresh and crisp and the dressing is still one of my favorites. The tempura veggies were a little different than I remember, more like veggie sticks, but still very good. We usually go there for sushi and love that as well, but now I'm obsessed with that salmon!

I'm sure there are many delicious Japanese restaurants across Northern Utah, and I've certainly tried a lot of them. But for more than two decades now, Kyoto in Salt Lake City has been a favorite. I'm a Japanese food lover who really prefers comfort foods like chicken teriyaki donburi, sukiyaki with raw egg for dipping, oyako donburi, and shrimp tempura over the sushi and sashimi options. Don't get me wrong. I very much enjoy the latter, but I see them more like appetizers, not the main event. Although I can't visit the Kyoto Japanese restaurant as much as I would like due to moving out-of-state, making sure to visit is always a priority when in town.

The curry katsu is great, rich sauce and thick and the beef chunks are tasty. Maki rolls don't stand out, but they're solid and well priced. Seafood Tempura was fun but a little odd. Service was great, food came out fast, and the chill old school Japanese restaurant vibe is nice.

Glad to be back after so many years! The poki don tastes better than I ever remember; lots of fish cuts and perfectly marinated for the poki don. Thanks to my husband I finally realized that it's poke style... Gyoza was decent and can look over cooked/slightly burnt, it tastes fine.

This place was delicious! We came here after a walk at Sugar House Park. Such a nice, refreshing experience. The food was yummy! Our server was so nice and did a fantastic job! We love coming here. Highly recommend.

Always the best...hands down. The quality and consistency of their amazing food and sushi always exceeds my expectations. We love it here.

Supposedly the most authentic Japanese restaurant in SLC. Tempura was super crispy with huge servings! Sushi was tasty, they even have natto (if you know, you know ;). Make reservations if possible, as they're pretty busy. Saw lots of to go orders that looked delicious. Bento combos are huge and could easily feed two. Or enjoy leftovers for lunch. Arigato for a delicious Japanese meal in SLC!

Lobster roll 8.5 Geisha roll 9.5 Salmon sashimi 9+ Sake flight- don't order again. Great place overall

This place is such a surprise. Came here for a Saturday night dinner. Reservation recommended. The portions are really good. I feel like one can be shared by 2 people. Price is also reasonable We had the mussel shooter. 2 piece per order. It does have a raw quail egg so might not be for someone picky. The flavor is really good. Careful with eating in and not "slurping" it as the vinegar might make you gag. The agedashi tofu is cooked well. Again huge portion for an appetizer. The two rolls we got were the geisha and the deadly spider which we loved. Perfect meat: rice proportion. The combination dinner is a good deal. Can be shared by two given the portion is good. All their flavors were to our liking We'll come back to try more!

So thankful to have been able to try this restaurant a couple weeks ago. The Atmosphere is really cool and I love the vibe. The server was super sweet as we ordered. Every roll was so good. The tako was buttery good. Probably the best I have had in Utah. The fish in all the rolls was super fresh and presented so creatively. This is worth 10 stars if I could give them 10 I certainly would. So very good.

You know when you see a bunch of 5 star review and you think, is it really that great? This place is. It's an intimate restaurant perfect for date night but also good for a casual lunch or dinner. The service was super slow but we wete eating outside on a nice day and didn't mind. The gyoza was crispy and delicious. Every roll tasted fresh and wasn't covered in topping so you could really taste the fish and the subtle sweetness of the rice. Because of the ling wait time, they even gave us free dessert which was a very kind gesture. I would highly recommend this place for sushi lovers or for people hoping to try sushi for the first time.

Vegas roll was probably the worst Vegas roll I've ever had. The chicken dish was delicious though. They fry their vegetables perfectly!!!

We have been coming here for years. Service is usually good but the last few times the server has been slow. Food is consistent. We enjoy dinner here regularly.

I would give this sushi an C- Not as authentic recipes of specialty rolls. Everything very average. Atmosphere is messy and a bit dirty.

We tried so many sushi and steak in the city and this is definitely our favorite spot since! Keep coming again and again and definitely a routine now. Love the scene. It gets busy but always enjoy the place!

I had been here once many years ago, and had returned again today with high hopes. I left feeling robbed of $19. I really think this place has "over the top" prices. The tonkatsu (pork cutlet) I ordered was very tough and dry. Hard to swallow. It came with a dark brown tangy sauce which did not really help. The fried onion and carrots were fine. I don't know if this was a special occasion or a regular thing, but while I was dining, there were some strange white female employees that walked around the restaurant dressed up in geisha clothing. One was short, the other was tall. The taller woman wore a geisha too short for her, exposing her mid calf-high white Hanes socks. Both wore flip flops. They attended other tables, but not ours. Again, not sure if this was a special occasion or what not, but I did not find it necessary.

Excellent, fresh food, friendly waitstaff, prompt service, extremely reasonable prices.

While we wanted to love this place, and was very excited to come...we couldn't help but leave disappointed. The service was great...and I'd probably even give the sushi and tempura a 4-stars...however they really need to review and revamp the menu. I've had udon noodles all over the globe, and this has to be, by far, the worst. The noodles were over cooked, way too much going on in what's supposed to be a simplistic dish. If the simple things aren't right, I have to question the rest.

What a fun place tucked away up 1300 S and 1100 E. It's right on the corner, but it is a little hidden with all the trees. I don't know why it took us so long to go (since we lived down the street for so long - 8 years!) but we first went on put anniversary in 2020. Definitely make a reservation because it can get quite busy. Our first visit we were sat outside. Thank goodness it was a nice night. We went again this year for my husband's birthday, and my parents were there too. My mom really enjoyed the Japanese bubble sodas. The service was great and so was the food. We had way more leftovers than we knew what to do with! We'll be back again!

I was so torn between a 3 or 4, but the flydid it to me.... As far as sushi goes, this place is a 3-4. The fish was just fish. Nothing stood out and they didn't even have Otoro on the menu. I never order rolls but asked what they recommended and got the X96. It tasted like a roll you get from a $18 all you can eat sushi spot that just wants to fill you up with rice and sweet sauce. It was mainly rice and literal fried rice isn't appealing to me. The tempura is honestly the best in Utah, 5/5 for sure. It's very light, cooked perfectly, and tastes amazing. If I ever find myself back here, it will be to only get the tempura and maybe an entree. We ended up getting maki rolls and nigiri as well so that we could really judge this place. It wasn't very "authentic" and I understand we are landlocked in Utah but if you want real sushi go to Takashi or Miyazaki. Their cuts just don't cut it, and they're using average quality fish that was probably frozen not long ago. Atmosphere of this place would be amazing if they didn't have multiple flies flying around our head. We were right next to the sushi bar, and hopefully the fish didn't attract them. The interior is actually kind cool and they have booths that resemble fake floor like seating. The price isn't bad, I will say it's cheaper than the higher end sushi places and you really just get what you pay for. The service was good, but I can't get over the damn flies. Their wasabi is also as fake as grocery store sushi wasabi. I wish they would invest into a little bit nicer stuff. Price reference - please take note that I enjoy drinking, but it was $127 before tip. Mid tier pricing with low tier quality.

Food was just okay. The service was poor as we were rushed through the entire meal. The waiter even tried to grab the plate we were still eating off of. Ambience was nice. It was a quick dinner.

Service is always great at Kyoto! The wait staff always give you plenty of space, but is attentive to always make sure your needs are met. The food tasted like the first time I came here years ago! Delicious tempura, crisp and not oily. The beef sukiyaki hit the spot with its sweet and savory broth. Kyoto is a gem and I'm glad it has stuck around for so long.

Been ages since I was last here, I wonder what happened to the old owners? They were fun to visit with back in the day. Food and service were still great, no complaints after all of these years, their web site said they opened in 1984. Loved the Katsu curry, and how they brew their own soy sauce, Gyu Tataki, salmon teriyaki and tempura. Will for sure be back now that it is back on my radar.

I enjoy this restaurant so much and love the Food but the service has been lacking the last few times I have eaten there... yesterday. Apparently the air conditioning was out We had to hurry and finish our dinner before I passed out because of the heat... hopefully it was just a glitch perhaps a little training with the servers as dishes were piled high on our table when they brought out our entrées..

We were so excited starting our mean here with the gyoza. It was so delicious! Unfortunately, the meal went quickly downhill when our sushi arrived. The fish didn't taste fresh, the rice was mushy, and they put far too much sauce on the rolls. We weren't even able to finish some of the rolls they were so uneatable. The service was great; however I wouldn't waste your time and money.