KIKU emerged from Sushi Gen, a popular Tokyo sushi bar. KIKU's owners migrated to Pittsburgh in 1983, and were one of the first restaurants to serve sushi in Pittsburgh. KIKU, which was designed to resemble a tea house, has been serving authentic, top quality Japanese cuisine since. At KIKU, we approach the preparation of sushi with reverence. We believe it takes at least 10 years to learn all of the techniques of preparing sushi rice, selecting and caring for the ingredients, and learning to form those ingredients into a work of art. KIKU's chefs are Uchino with 37 years of experience, and Taku with 27 years. At KIKU, we also offer a variety of authentic cooked dishes as well. Some of the most popular are teriyaki and tempura. Our kitchen chefs have countless years of experience.
The foundation of Japanese food is rice. In Japan, the word for cooked rice - gohan - has come to mean "food" in general. For instance, breakfast is "asa gohan" or morning rice. Another predominant Japanese ingredient is fish of all kinds, prepared in creative ways. There are a variety of authentic beef, pork, and chicken dishes to choose from as well. Salads and soups are popular, and there are numerous vegetarian dishes. The third traditional component of many dishes is soy or rice vinegar-based sauces, which you can sample at KIKU.