Normally I avoid sushi restaurants advertising 50% of rolls, especially if there is a big cheesy looking banner hanging from the restaurant announcing this. To me this just screams low quality sushi. But Ku Sushi and Izakaya gets lots of really good reviews on Google, many of them saying you should not be put off by the banner.

Ku is a small Korean run Japanese restaurant with a dark bunker like interior architecture. I suspect that the west facing windows are all covered because the afternoon and evening sun would otherwise blast light into the dining area. The menu has a smallish selection of sushi pieces and a large selection of rolls and a smattering of Korean dishes. There are also pieces of paper on the walls announcing other available items, like yogurt soju. The sushi was really good, especially the Unagi and avocado hand roll.

The Dumplings: The Takoyaki at Ku are expertly cooked so they are crispy and crunchy on the outside with a creamy interior and a small piece of just cooked crunchy octopus in the middle. They are served blazing hot, so let them cool a little or risk burning your mouth. The Takoyaki are served on a bed of slivered cabbage and are adorned with drizzles of brown Tako sauce and Japanese mayo, sheets of bonito flakes and chopped scallions. The best Takoyaki have layers of toppings that bring a symphony of sweet, tangy sour, umami, and salty flavors to the dumplings. But at Ku the scallion pieces were cut too big for my taste and their strong flavor over powered the other toppings. I think they should have been cut finer and used a little more sparingly. But if you pick off some of the chunks of scallion these Takoyaki were really good. Ku also serves pan-fried gyoza.

The Location: Ku is near the University of Washington campus in Seattle, on University Way just north of NE 52nd Street. This is the northern most end of the strip of restaurants and bars catering to students on University Way.