Stepping into Kisser feels like stepping into a close friend’s kitchen. Countless Japanese prints adorn the walls, succulents line the countertops and books and dishes fill the shelves, falling slightly askew. When you enter and take a seat, the kitchen is completely visible, allowing diners to see the chefs in their element, ladling out curry or blowtorching crème brûlée.
Diners watch the chefs cook their meals, as photographed Sept. 18, 2026. (Hustler Staff/Charlotte Mikos) (Charlotte Mikos)
Kisser is owned by married couple Leina Horii and Brian Lea, who opened the restaurant’s doors in 2023, paying “homage to the Japanese kissaten — a neighborhood spot serving comfort food where locals can eat, drink and hang out,” according to the eatery’s website. Monday through Friday, the restaurant serves lunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and on the weekends, it opens an hour earlier and offers its Japanese breakfast.
For its first two years of business, the restaurant was walk-in only, but countless loyal customers were willing to wait in the queue — often for longer than an hour — to gain entry.
Fortunately, the restaurant began accepting reservations last November, and my family was able to reserve one a week in advance for the less-than-ideal dining hour of 2:15 p.m. The restaurant was still almost full when we entered.
I could not have been more excited for this late lunch, however. This time was my family’s third at the restaurant. We had been both impressed and pleasantly surprised by the food our first two times, as we branched out of our comfort zones and tried new flavors.
This time, the service, as usual, was friendly and quick, the ambiance was cozy and the food, of course, was phenomenal. Here are my reviews of each of our dishes.
Drinks
Watermelon soda, peach soda and strawberry matcha
Rating: 7.2/10
The watermelon soda, strawberry matcha and peach soda sit on a table, as photographed Sept. 18, 2026. (Hustler Staff/Charlotte Mikos) (Charlotte Mikos)
My dad was not-so-discreetly pouring water into his watermelon soda, so suffice to say that it was overly sweet. My brother enjoyed his peach soda but also thought it was a little too sweet, and the same could be said for my strawberry matcha.
Appetizers
Chopped salad
Rating: 10/10
The salad sits atop a table next to a bottle of chili oil, as photographed Sept. 18, 2026. (Hustler Staff/Charlotte Mikos) (Charlotte Mikos)
My mouth is drooling as I write this. Everything about the salad comes together perfectly; the finely chopped cabbage mixes with the cucumbers and nori to create the perfect texture, and the puffed rice gives it a unique crunch. The dressing has the perfect amount of tang to it; I could drink a whole glass of it. The bowl is piled high with greens, making this dish very shareable. Even my salad-hating brother claimed that the salad was “okay,” and I would say that’s quite the accomplishment. Meanwhile, this was my mom’s and my favorite dish, minus dessert. I can’t recommend a better way to start your Kisser meal.
Inari
Rating: 7.5/10
The two inari sit atop a pedestal, as photographed Sept. 18, 2026. (Hustler Staff/Charlotte Mikos) (Charlotte Mikos)
For context, inari are tofu skins filled with rice and, in this case, topped with shrimp and a horseradish sauce. The shrimp had a very strong, fresh taste and were complemented nicely by the rice. The tofu skin was perfectly chewy and held the rice well. My biggest complaint is that the shrimp kept falling off the rice, making the dish hard to eat. However, I had never tried inari before, and I would order them again.
Onigiri
Rating: 8/10
The crab, grilled roe and curry onigiri sit front to back, as photographed Aug. 2, 2026. (Hustler Staff/Charlotte Mikos)
Onigiri are rice triangles filled with either meat or vegetables inside, like sushi. Kisser offers three onigiri, and we ordered one of each. The yaki, with grilled rice and cod roe, was easily our favorite of the three. The rice carried a robust umami flavor, and the roe inside made the triangle-shaped food even more interesting. The Japanese curry onigiri was good, but I would recommend the Japanese curry entree instead if you’re a curry fanatic. The snow crab was my brother’s favorite dish of the whole meal, but the rest of us thought it was a little bland, so I guess you’ll have to pick a side.
Entrees
Yellowtail collar
Rating: 9/10
The yellowtail sits alongside a bowl of rice and a generous portion of ponzu sauce, as photographed Sept. 18, 2026. (Hustler Staff/Charlotte Mikos)
I don’t think I’ve ever tasted such delicious whitefish in my life. The fish is tender and buttery, and the rich marinade comes through perfectly. When paired with a squeeze of the lemon and the tart ponzu sauce, it’s an experience that will make you want to eat all the meat you can off the bone. It also comes with a side of rice, which is excellent when you drizzle the sauce over it.
Chicken katsu sandwich
Rating: 7/10
The sandwich cut into quarters sits on a plate, as photographed Aug. 19, 2026. (Hustler Staff/Charlotte Mikos)
This sandwich is one of Kisser’s most iconic dishes, but it was a little disappointing for us. That’s probably because most of the flavor came from a creamy sauce, and none of us were big fans of that. Still, the chicken katsu was cooked perfectly, and the milk bread was light and airy. I can see why the dish is so popular, and I would still encourage anyone who likes creamy sauces to give it a try.
Chilled curry udon
Rating: 9.5/10
The chilled curry udon, topped with chili flakes and veggies, sits on a table, as photographed Sept. 18, 2026. (Hustler Staff/Charlotte Mikos)
Having never tried cold curry, I was a little skeptical of this udon at first, but after my first bite, I was forever changed. The noodles themselves are perfectly chewy and clearly fresh, and the temperature wasn’t off-putting at all; in fact, I couldn’t have asked for a better dish with which to get through the heat dome. The curry is creamy, heavily spiced and sticks to the noodles well, and the vegetables round out the dish. I just wish the portion had more tofu because it was so good.
Beef tataki udon
Rating: 9.2/10
A bowl of udon fresh from the kitchen sits atop a table, as photographed Aug. 2, 2026. (Hustler Staff/Charlotte Mikos)
The waiter brought out the massive bowl with steam rising profusely. With one sip of the soup, we were hooked. Usually, broth is a forgettable part of soup, but not in this case; it had the strongest smoky flavor I’ve ever tasted, and it wasn’t as salty as most broths are. The thinly sliced beef was tender and perfectly bite-sized, and the broth imbued the mushrooms with its amazing flavor. The udon noodles themselves were less chewy than those in the curry udon, making them a little easier to eat. Even though it was 97 degrees Fahrenheit outside, I still enjoyed sipping the broth and slurping my noodles. This dish was also my dad’s favorite, and all four of us would recommend it.
Chicken katsu curry rice
Rating: 9/10
The bowl, with rice on one side, curry on the other and the chicken cutlet in the middle, sits atop a table, as photographed Aug. 2, 2026. (Hustler Staff/Charlotte Mikos)
The chicken katsu was perfectly breaded and fried, while the curry was creamy, salty and rich, going perfectly with the rice. It was served piping hot, and the chicken tasted like it had just been taken out of the fryer. No critiques here.
Desserts
The two desserts sit atop the table, waiting to be eaten, as photographed Aug. 19, 2026. (Hustler Staff/Charlotte Mikos) (Charlotte Mikos)
Miso creme brulee
Rating: 8.8/10
The creme is smoother than silk, and the crust on the top is perfectly burnt. But what makes this plate unique? The answer would have to be the miso flavor, which lessens the sweetness and provides the dessert with a rich, slightly salty taste that I’ve never experienced in a dessert before. It’s also really cool to see them brown the surface at the counter with a blowtorch, so look out for that.
Peach yuzu parfait
Rating: 9.5/10
This dessert is so complex: peach compote, graham cracker crust, yuzu cheesecake, yuzu jam, blowtorched meringue and flaky salt. When you get a bite with all these flavors, the feeling is magical. The tart cheesecake and yuzu jam complement the sweet peach and meringue tastes, and the mix of textures is unique and a treat for your mouth. This was my mom’s favorite dish, and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to round out our meal at the kissetan.
Overall, in a city where standout Asian food can be tough to find, Kisser is a gem that I couldn’t recommend more. It’s a bit of a trek from campus, but it’s worth the trip, especially if it’s on your parents’ card.
Dining and Cooking