We love Japanese cuisine and are passionate about Japanese culture. That is why we have SUSHIYA was founded in Munich to offer good Japanese food at a fair price. But there is not only our restaurant sansaro, but also other good and not so good sushi restaurants and Japanese restaurants in Munich.
Here are our impressions of the Restaurant Kaito in Gabelsbergerstrassewhich is definitely one of the more recommendable Japanese restaurants in Munich.
Japanese flair in Gabelsbergerstrasse
In the premises with a lot of heavy wood used to reside the restaurant "Shoya", the "Honten" (head office) of the Shoya Group.
The restaurant Kaito has been located there for a few years - and since around 2018 has been considered by individual food editors as the pinnacle of sushi in Munich. We have never been able to agree with this opinion, even though we have been visiting Kaito again and again since Shoya times and definitely appreciate it.
Classic for Japanese atmosphere in Munich
The essential point here is the atmosphere in the restaurant. Kaito is one of the few restaurants in which classical Japanese music or typical Japanese soft music is played, where Japanese learners can carefully try to exchange a few words of Japanese with the waiters or the chef directly at the counter.
The constant splashing of the water at the sushi counter does its part to the beautiful atmosphere and you get - also this is now a regrettable rarity - a Oshibori, a seasonal warm or cold small cloth to clean the hands and in the worst case the face at the beginning.
Kaito under new management since 2021
At the turn of the year 2021/2022, the business and also the position behind the sushi bar was taken over by the young chef Tsuyoshi Watahiki, who only came to Munich not so long ago and worked for a short time in a large Vietnamese business.
So the Kaito is under different management & sushi chef since the end of 2021.
Sushi & hot cuisine at Kaito
The Japanese atmosphere and basically decent sushi craftsmanship are the strengths of Kaito. The rice could do with a little more "direction", the selection of materials for sushi a little more depth. But at least Kaito is one of the very few restaurants that offer sushi and starters with natto. The nori is nice and crunchy, the toro is of fine quality. Since the end of 2023, Kaito has also been offering a relatively exciting selection of Sake and Shōchū an.
Kaito sashimi
The Sashimi is among the better in Munich, but despite occasional peculiarities not quite at the level we would like. But this can still become, if more people appreciate the qualities of Kaito.
Pleasant ambience at Kaito
What is wonderful about Kaito is the Japanese atmosphere, which is expressed from the very beginning when you make your reservation requests on the homepage.
It's a pity that the chef can't put so much effort into some of the details because he's the only one running the whole place.
Kaito is therefore the perfect place to dine on a lively evening, surrounded by Japanese-dressed service staff, or on a very quiet evening to listen to typical Japanese music and let your gaze wander off into the distance, feeling for a moment as if you were in a Japanese pub somewhere in the countryside outside Tōkyō or perhaps a small coastal town.
This makes the Kaito a recommendation for us and also a small place to go again and again.
Conclusion: We recommend the Kaito
Kaito is a restaurant that makes you think of Japan and which we can thoroughly recommend.
Along with only one or two other Japanese restaurants in Munich, it's a gem for immersing yourself in a moment of Japanese tranquility. Solid quality sushi and an appetizer selection that invites you to try! Visit and enjoy!
Contact: Kaito | Gabelsbergerstraße 85, 80333 Munich | Tel. 089 52059455 | https://de.kaito-restaurant.com
Alternatives to the Kaito restaurant in Munich
If Kaito is closed, too far away or fully booked, we can recommend the following restaurants:
J-Bar - small izakaya with top chefs
Kitcho - near Maximiliansstrasse
JapaTapa Toshibar - near Münchner Freiheit
And of course our own Restaurant sansaro in the Amalienpassage.
Incidentally, you have also been experiencing sashimi with a great deal of attention to craftsmanship, appropriate decoration, etc. for many years.
As a general rule, it's always a good idea to make reservations in advance at any real Japanese restaurant, as Japanese cuisine (done right) requires a lot of preparation!
