kanpai izakaya

worst sushi i've had. went to kanpai on a wednesday night. ordered three rolls: spicy octopus, kamikaze, and their signature roll the kanpai. first took a bite from the first two rolls (i always like to save the best for last, and i was assuming that their signature roll would be the best). when both my husband and i took our first bite of the kanpai, it was so awfully fishy that we had to spit it out. when we called the waiter and told him of the problem, he stiffened up, grabbed our plate and left. he returned with the plate less the kanpai (we now have four pieces of the other two rolls left) and set down the plate. he didn't offer an apology, he didn't offer us a menu to order another roll.

i've been to many of the sushi places here inmilwaukeeand the metro area, i would say avoid kanpai, there are better choices out there.

not impressed. we have ordered from kanpai twice now. both times we have had carry out because we live so close. the first time was so-so. this second time, however, we were beyond unimpressed. the sushi rolls were not properly rolled and kept falling apart. the tuna looked questionable. the edamame was mushy and unsalted. the udon soup, though it had flavor, looked as though it contained leftover seafood. i recently saw an article on jsonline.com giving kanpai three stars. i would never recommend this place to anyone. we have eaten at numerous sushi places and this place doesn't even compare. we will continue to get our sushi from othermilwaukeebusinesses.

outstanding!. soft-open review: went last night to kampai and really enjoyed it. finally a restaurant inmilwaukeew/ a great mix of asian foods, well prepared. to give it a solid run through, we picked items from across the menu. after incredible disappointment at screaming tuna and thinking that i’d never get good sushi in milwaukee, kampai’s sushi and rolls were really outstanding. tight, flavorful and fresh. the squid ceviche was really nice, but felt it would be better included in the salad portion of the menu. it was flavorful and tender; citrusy but not sour. the real standouts were the stuffed calamari and the bibimbap. the squid was so well prepared, and the stuffing was tasty enough to want to lick the plate. the bibimbap was simply sublime. served in a piping hot stone bowl, the egg and rice combined to create a crispy delight that honestly was the best i’ve ever had. i’d say even better than my trip to seoul.

the only fault was the service. the menu obviously is new to them and they need more practice in service and describing the menu. and one waiter hovered annoyingly around the owner’s table like a sycophantic gnat. but this is the soft-opening, so i’m sure it will get better w/ time. the owner did come by to ask how the food was and was very nice and honestly interested.

he said the menu was still stabilizing, but i really hope he adds a bit more variety in a couple areas. the great korean food was screaming for some kimchee sides to round out the experience. and some thai/vietnamese items would really compliment the “autumn/winter” korean/japanese flavors with some brighter, fresh tones. some crisp green papaya salad would go great, as would some lemon-grass stir fried squid.

all-in-all, i’m so happy this restaurant is in the neighborhood. and i look forward to becoming a regular.