Omakase by Kai

One of the best sushi places in Raleigh, with excellent ambiance and great service. The hand rolls, nigiri and other rolls are the best. The omakase is nice but a la carte ordering is excellent too. The toro appetizer is to die for. The uni nigiri and toro, uni, caviar “taco” is exquisite, very decadent and good. The uni is all very fresh. The torched salmon belly nigiri with salmon roe, ordered off menu, is mind blowing. I want to become a regular here, this is the best sushi place in downtown Raleigh!!

We came here to celebrate my husband's birthday and it did not disappoint. We came for dinner on a saturday night and had reservations, but looked like there was still plenty of seating even if you didn't have reservations. We started with the hamachi jalapeño crispy rice which was absolutely delicious and a great started. I don't typically eat raw sushi, so I got the godzilla roll which was also great. My husband did the sashimi moriawase omakase and he loved everything. All of our food came out in a decent time. All the courses of the meal tasted great. We shared the creme brulee dessert, which had a coffee flavor to it and definitely enjoyed it! Our server was nice and checked on us frequently. We will definitely be back for another special occasion! We were not able to find street parking so we parted in the parking deck across the street and the restaurant validated our ticket for an hour.

Incredible food and great service. We went for a nice night out and got classic omakase, which was expensive but completelt worth it. We were stuffed by the end of the night, and every bite was great. I personally loved the scallop sashimi and the uni nigiri, and there's so much variety. The staff could easily accommodate our allergy, and was helpful in explaining the order and process for how to best enjoy our meal. I also appreciated the sake offerings, and would recommend sake to accomoany your meal. Parking nearby was easy to validate, and we can't wait to get back.

I recently visited Omakase by Kai for lunch with a friend who is relatively new to Raleigh. Despite making a reservation, we found the restaurant quiet upon arrival and were seated immediately. Our server, who also handled hosting duties, provided good service. While she wasn't extensively familiar with all the sushi rolls, she was helpful in sharing popular choices. I opted for a signature sushi roll, and my friend thoroughly enjoyed their ramen, which was described as amazing. My sushi was solid, though I found the pricing, especially for the lunch bento, to be on the higher side. Overall, the restaurant was clean, the service was efficient, and the food was a reliable choice.

Went here Saturday Night. The service and Atmosphere is fantastic. We had the premium omakase, it's definitely big enough for two. Everything was tasty except for the hotpot, it was way too sweet for my taste even with the rice. Sushi is great, sashimi is excellent. Also had the Bento Box with Duck Soba special, highly recommended. Skip the Monkfish Karage.

Wow! This place is a cut above any other sushi house in Raleigh. This is Chef's second restaurant. First one, Kai, has been successful for more than ten years, so you know he must be doing something right. I treated myself to an awesome combo of wagyu beef, uni, fish roe and gold leaf, all served taco-style with gim (dried seaweed) as the taco shell. Fantastic! Ask if they have hamachi kama (grilled collar of yellowtail). It’s not always available, but if it is——Amazing! Great service. Beautiful space done in warm woods and leathers. Can't wait to go back!

One of the best sushi places ever I’ve been to. You will be surprised how fresh the fishes are. Highly recommend if you are planning to visit the downtown Raleigh area. The staffs are amazing!

It was my first time there and I went on a Tuesday evening around 6pm. The place wasn’t very busy and we were sat within 10 minutes of arriving. Since it wasn’t very busy, the service was stellar. Our waiter was quick to take orders and come back to check on us. The food was amazing. The only thing that I could complain about (and I shouldn’t complain about this) was the portions were so large! We couldn’t believe how much food came out and felt compelled to try and eat it all because it was so good. The only con about the restaurant was the weird smell upon entering… it smelled a little like dirty mop water if that makes sense. It wasn’t overpowering and didn’t distract from the food, but it definitely caught my attention. Still giving this place 5 stars and I’d highly recommend

My husband and I love to scoot up to Raleigh from Pinehurst on Saturdays and part of the tradition is to try new restaurants. We've had a couple of "fails" lately and almost talked ourselves out of trying Omakase by Kai - that would have been a tragedy! We came in for lunch and were warmly greeted and seated at a beautiful booth along the window. Our server, Demetric, was warm and charming. After a couple of delicious pieces of nigiri (yellow tail and fatty tuna) we planned on 3 special rolls and had our plan in place. When he checked in we started with the "Scary Julia" and Demetric shared that was one of his top 3. We asked what were the other two and happily he listed the two we already had picked without him knowing: the "Black Tarantula" and the "Screaming Tuna". We also had a wonderfully presented cold sake in a delicately etched glass decanter nestled in a small ice filled box. Everything was delicious but I forgot to take any pictures except for the screaming Julia rolls. Again the presentation was beautiful and tasted incredible. We will be back for the omakase multi-level meal soon! Thank you for such a wonderful experience!

Hands down the best omakase experience I've had so far! Our sushi chef was Jun Jun and he was super welcoming and sweet. He described each piece of sushi before placing it down, not to mention the plate was wiped in between each plate to avoid mixed flavor profiles. I think my favorite appetizer was definitely the negitoro on the seaweed chip! As for the sushi, I love uni. This uni was super fresh and tasted like it was just caught from the sea. Then the crab meat handroll was so delicate and tasty. Lastly, I was super surprised to receive a wagyu shabu shabu over an open flame at the end of the meal. The wagyu dipped in the egg yolk was chef's kiss. The ambiance felt authentic and perfect. The staff were attentive and kind. I loved celebrating my birthday here.

We made reservations for lunch at this corner restaurant by the Hyatt seaboard. When i was walked in there were these friendly caring smiles. Our waiter, i think dominic? Bright or out drinks and remembered my husband's name. That was a touch for sure if i didn't know any better, i would think he's the owner. This kind of service is rare nowadays. The food comes out, and it is a beautiful display of the chefs creativity. My husband NEVER likes raw fish, but he ate that hamachi like it was bread! Wonderful place. The decor is warm, sexy, and chic. We hope to come back for dinner

We came here to celebrate my husband's birthday and it did not disappoint. We came for dinner on a saturday night and had reservations, but looked like there was still plenty of seating even if you didn't have reservations. We started with the hamachi jalapeño crispy rice which was absolutely delicious and a great started. I don't typically eat raw sushi, so I got the godzilla roll which was also great. My husband did the sashimi moriawase omakase and he loved everything. All of our food came out in a decent time. All the courses of the meal tasted great. We shared the creme brulee dessert, which had a coffee flavor to it and definitely enjoyed it! Our server was nice and checked on us frequently. We will definitely be back for another special occasion! We were not able to find street parking so we parted in the parking deck across the street and the restaurant validated our ticket for an hour.

Stopped here for lunch with a coworker. It was pretty empty and we were seated immediately, which was nice since we were on a time restriction. We walked from out office but there is a parking garage near by. The ambiance was lovey, quiet and soothing. Our server was great and provided excellent service. The sushi was very delicious but I felt the portion sizes were a bit small for the price. I'd give it another try for dinner.

This is definitely a special occasion restaurant. I have always loved Kai, but this was a next level experience. Everything was fresh, delicious and the service was top-notch. We got the standard Omakase and it was a super impressive meal and well worth the value. Everything was stunning in presentation and taste. Kiddos, Kai!

Omakase by Kai is the new sushi kid on the block ... in the Triangle area ... Tucked away on the corner under the Hyatt at Seaboard is Omakase by Kai .. Took the chance went on opening week ... to be exact 2nd day of it being open and something I don't do generally with new restaurants since I know 1st few weeks are filled with things to tweak and work out ... but let's just say ... they nailed it! No issues what's so ever and service was onpoint ! The space is nice and open with warm touches so exactly vibes .. Think of maybe Oku but warmer... So now onto the menu .. don't be intimidated... its not as scary as you think.. it's laid out pretty nicely and you won't be overwhelmed. You have your apps , your drinks, your different sushi entrees, your special house rolls, and of course your different choices of Omakases... Lets face it we are all drawn into the place due to its namesake, so if you are hungry .. very hungry than dive straight to the Omakase, think of this as your 4-6 course sushi oriented meal ... yup that's right folks .. come prepared with your stretchy pants and come hungry ! Cause by the time your 4th-5th course comes out... you want to throw in the towel... lol so if you can't handle it all .. share one Omakase with your favorite person or fellow foodie.. We had ordered the Classic and the sashimi Omakase and man oh man ... each dish that came out with either set was amazing and fresh . Think of the Omakase as chefs choice of tasting for a sushi place and you will get an idea of what is to come .. Everything was freaking amazing ..... Definitely gonna come back and try other dishes and split the Omakase with friends and foodies .. so I will be back !

Incredible food with the kindest employees! The sake bottles are served in a cool dispenser & you even get to pick your own glass. Our server even gave us samples of the sakes before we chose a bottle. This was some of the best nigiri and sashimi I've had in the US. Priced adequately for the amazing food & service you get. Definitely going back for an omakese set next time.

Wow! This place is a cut above any other sushi house in Raleigh. This is Chef's second restaurant. First one, Kai, has been successful for more than ten years, so you know he must be doing something right. I treated myself to an awesome combo of wagyu beef, uni, fish roe (and gold leaf) all served taco-style with gim (dried seaweed) as the taco shell. Fantastic! Ask if they have hamachi kama (grilled collar of yellowtail). It's not always available, but if it is----Amazing! Great service. Beautiful space done in warm woods and leathers. Can't wait to go back!

We came here for the omakase and were disappointed. Instead of the traditional itamae experience, where the chef serves each piece in sequence, allowing you to savor the progression, they brought out trays. It felt more like a tasting platter than a curated meal. No communication with the chef. The team behind the counter was rushed and chaotic. I felt like the fish was cut too thick, the rice sticky, and the balance was off. For a place called "Omakase," it didn't hit the elevated, chef-led experience you'd expect. Having said that, they did make their own tamago, which is rare in Raleigh. And uni was very fresh. I'd give it another shot but wouldn't order omakase. Rolls and nigiri.

I went to omakase for lunch on a whim but it was one of the best lunches I had in awhile. The ambiance is lovely. The aesthetic is modern and chic but still comfortable, I didn't feel like I needed to be overly dressed up to be there. I opted for a bento box for lunch and it was delicious, a great price for the amount of food I received. The spicy tuna nori taco was the star of the show as well as the "fried" chicken that came with my box. It was so crispy and fresh. The miso soup and salad were also excellent starters. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of food I received for the lunch special. Service was also great. I'm looking forward to going back again.

Amazing service, delicious food. Ordered dinner be to box. Great portion with sushi roll, salad, tempura, sashimi and nigiri

Well-executed omakase (ie chef's choice) experience with quality ingredients and lovely presentation. Made reservations earlier in the day for the same Friday evening, was surprised to get in so easy given a weekend seating (but mid July in Raleigh can be slow). Hopefully they can sustain the omakase business model and cost structure when restaurant season gets busier. My partner and I both had the Omakase Classic ($86), paired with sake and plum wine. It was more food than we expected (in a good way), and we were both satisfyingly full at the end of the meal. Would consider that a very good value. Flavor combinations on the nigiri like the yuzu kosho and yuzu miso were delicious. Only issue with the food was the sashimi course: The individual pieces were cut surprisingly large and would have been easier to eat if sliced into a couple smaller pieces each. The interior of the restaurant is gorgeous and quite spacious with probably a dozen sushi counter seats and more than a dozen tables. I did notice what another review noted as a fleetingly unpleasant odor upon first entering the restaurant. Never noticed it at all after that very brief moment, but was admittedly a bit worried for that to be the first impression - hopefully they can invest in one of those scent systems that high end hotels use in their lobbies. Overall would definitely go back for the same experience!

Had a super lovely solo sushi counter experience here. Ambiance is gorgeous and music is chill. Chef Shūshu (my apologies if I'm misspelling!) was SO nice and offered guidance for order-of-eating. My waiter Dustin was very kind and attentive as well. Ordered the sushi bento dinner, the selection of nigiri and sashimi were oooo so yummy. Miso soup is not to be slept on either, really flavorful. Also ordered the lychee saketini which came with the CUTEST little rosette. Love seeing gems like this come to Raleigh. Can't wait to come back! x

The service was excellent. I sat at the bar and enjoyed good conversation and felt very comfortable and at ease. Everyone was attentive and friendly. The food was very good. I enjoyed the scallop ceviche. it was not overly flavorful or ceviche like, but I did really like it and would order it again. The salmon crispy rice was lacking. Luckily I had gotten a side of ponzu sauce and siracha aioli at my server's suggestion, which made it very good. The tartare was good but not what I was expecting at all. Overall I think the menus is creative BUT much better descriptions are needed so that people are not guessing. I recommend hiring a menu writer. The sake experience was lovely and overall the vibe was on point. I look forward to going back, but I wouldn't bring business guests there to guess at their meals.

Wow, this place is awesome. We will definitely be back we both got an omakase and everything was delicious. So much food too! Come hungry. The service was great, Angie and Marco helped us out with all of our questions.

Best Sushi in Raleigh !Amazing, buttery fish. We got omakase classic that comes with a variety of sushi. The fish was fresh and the service was excellent

The food was amazing! The sushi, the fish was fresh. The service was great and very attentive.

First let me say the Sushi and Sashimi is exquisite! Truly amazing quality and the chef has learned from the best how to slice the fish to deliver tender sweetness raw fish can have. Very high quality. So a friend and I had one of the four types of Omakase. First we were served salad with a sesame ginger dressing and a miso soup. It harkens back to Be Obama in the 1979s with extremely mediocre taste. Honestly they can skip these two dishes and try delivering something more authentic. Perhaps it's to appease the American palate but our palate has become rather sophisticated. So skip these two. The rest of dishes were wonderful and then dessert was just vanilla ice cream, a small Amy of strawberry slices and whipped cream. Dessert could be improved. It was also mediocre. Salad, dessert and mid soup were wasted calories. Next day I was at Oku and it was a level higher. Every bite was exquisite. If this restaurant wants to be a shining star, it needs to up-level the non-main dishes and create some unique options. Just my two cents. We got the $85 version and honestly the quality of the Mai dishes were worth paying $85. So some adjustments and the place will be a great please to eat. Stick with the sushi/sashimi and or main dishes. Skip salad, miso and dessert (if not Japanese or unique). Services was great. We sat at the bar and they have a come fridge with led lights that blind you every time they open it... if sitting there... it's an ugly fridge ... the sort you find in a grocery. So maybe they should move it back into the kitchen and not blind their customers and cause a retinal burn. Enjoy!

restaurant with an incredible atmosphere. Impeccable service and fresh, delicious food.

I was disappointed that many of the entrees were not traditional Japanese. The food was okay, but I thought the prices were much too high for the type of cuisine.

Incredible food! My fiancé and I got some nigiri and special rolls; it was some of the best sushi we've ever had. For the top tier quality, it was a very reasonable price. The toro nigiri is a must get and they had a great sake selection. The cocktails were the classics and probably too expensive for what they are, so would recommend just getting one of their many great sakes.

First time visiting and it did not disappoint. Did the lunch omakase and it was a great experience. Cool ambiance and food was delicious.