BarKaya Sushi & Ramen

My mom and I ate here the other night and it was phenomenal. We were greeted right away by the Sous Chef, and though she admitted they were short staffed without their bartender that night, they didn’t miss a beat. The all woman team kicked but and the food and cocktails were to die for. The Crispy Rice was my favorite and mom loved the pork belly burnt ends. Good and drinks came out quick and they had a pretty full restaurant while we were there. I’m not from the area but if I was I would be there all the time!

This season huddle around a bowl of soup!
The meanest ramen and LIFE-CHANGING wings.

Everything is always amazing– their pork dumplings, spicy tuna roll and ginger chicken ramen are my favorites. The last time I was there, their chef made me a sushi pizza on the house because I had never tried it before and it was incredible! Staff is always friendly and welcoming too :)

Ok, so we were skeptical when we first walked in. We researched the menu online and were expecting something more extensive (the owner explained that with supply chain issues they slimmed their menu a little bit which is totally understandable and honestly better to have the freshest ingredients). With that being said, this place was UNBELIEVABLE. The owner was actually at the sushi bar and we could tell that he really cared about the menu and took time to perfect each roll. Our bartender was fabulous and made us the most amazing cocktails. Both had impeccable attention to detail. The owner let us sample a few pieces we were unsure about and totally sold us on a few things. We also got the “broth-less” ramen with beef and scallion, AMAZING. We also had the pork dumplings which were super flavorful. We will be back again and again. Already craving more and we just left!

I ordered the spicy seafood mazemen and mercy roll. Both were delicious. I also had a Kamikaze for a cocktail and it was so good. I have been to Barkaya many times and it never disappoints. Great food, drinks and service. The ambiance is great and they have a big flat screen for sports. I recommend visiting them on a Monday for $10 ramen but just a heads up sushi isn’t served on Mondays.

Food and atmosphere both excellent. Amazing. Service was great after we were finally seated. I felt a hesitance to be seated, Not the warmest welcome at first, maybe they were just busy / stressed, but after being seated, it was a wonderful experience and so delicious. Will be back and definitely for $10 Mondays sometime.

The wings were fantastic very crispy and flavorful. Tried the pork belly Mazemen this time around and it was great. The $10 Monday special can’t be beat! Bartender was very friendly and welcoming.

Hands down, the best sushi and sashimi in Western MA. Impeccable quality. Masterful presentation. Unmatched creativity. Paired with an impressive selection of Japanese whiskey, and refreshing cocktails. Well done. 5 star. Come on a Monday night for a $10 ramen bowl. Its so good it tastes like stealing.

Atmosphere is nice. Drinks are very good & the food never disappoints . Whenever I come in from out of town I will def need to come here. You can’t go wrong at this restaurant. It’s delish!!😋

Ahh.. the elusive date-night. Few and far between when you've got a toddler. For this reason, we choose our locations carefully in order to maximize our cherished time away, free to order icky things that 2 year olds would just throw to the dog..

Anyway, BarKaya was a shot in the dark for us. We wanted sushi, the reviews were great, and it looked like the right vibe for an adult evening. I must say, we nailed it with this decision. Everything we drank and ate was STELLAR. We were greeted by a friendly and adorable bartender who got our drinks promptly. I had a chili lime & grapefruit margarita (with tequila and mezcal!!!) and hubby had an espresso martini. Both drinks were perfectly made with great presentation.

We chose two sushi dishes to share, as well as the crispy rice appetizer and the pork burnt ends.

I'm now addicted to the crispy rice. Like, we just had it two days ago and I would return today to have it again. It comes topped with fresh, delicious spicy tuna drizzled with a very tasty spicy mayo. Like, literally will crave this and will have to bribe my hubby to pick it up for me and secure it to his motorcycle when he's on his way home from his "bike night" down the street. 😂

The burnt ends were LIFE-CHANGING 😁 Perfectly rendered fat. Sweet sauce with a little bit of a tang, slightly caramelized. Yum.

The Hot Pepper Tuna and Teriyaki salmon rolls were super fresh, and very filling. We ordered the two appetizers because we didn't think the two rolls would put a dent in our hunger but honestly, they were great portions. Just enough to fill you up, but not enough to take home and with sushi, that's perfectly fine with me. I'm not into eating sushi leftovers.

We spoke to the owner and he's apparently opening another restaurant across the street, so we're very excited to check that out when he does! Can't wait to return on a Monday for their awesome ramen specials!!! Thanks for a lovely evening!

I'll start this with a portion of my pervious review, before covid decimated our service industry in Springfield. This was 4 years ago:

"Overall, our diner at BARkaya was one of the best dining experiences in the city, maybe the region. We will be back for the normal diner service, and try to conjure a special occasion to try to 22 course Omakase next. We're been excited and impressed with the renaissance of our city, and BARkaya is a terrific addition to it."

Fast forward to tonight. The experience continues to exceed expectations. While the menu is reduced from it's pre-pandemic offerings, the current is a refinded list of what the restaurant did/does best. We had the pork belly burnt ends, dumplings, and wings. All of which were fantastic. Cocktails were visibly beautiful and complimented the umami of the dishes quite well. Service was impeccable and very personal, attentive of our needs. Out of everything, the pork belly was my favorite. I've spent time in the service in Okinawa, and pork belly is a staple in the cuisine. Bar Kaya adds a flair and nails it.

We really enjoyed our visit back.

tltr: this place is great, and you should eat there.

First off, when you get there, tell them "Rich & Steve sent us" and they'll get you a free drink ask for a "whatever". Second, great sushi and ramen(you can get extra ramen for 2 bucks but be ready for a ton of noodles). Third, the staff is awesome and almost entirely female. Fourth, it's a cool small spot that could use some help getting through this crazy time. Fifth, let them know what you think of their food, really, they're always open to input from customers. Love this place and will stop in every time I'm in the area.

This cute little down to earth sushi and Ramen bar is an amazing find! My roommate and I are traveling and this place was less than a mile from our hotel.
I LOVE sushi, but she doesn't, but she loves Ramen so I assumed this would be the perfect spot.
AND I WAS RIGHT. we got the crispy rice appetizer which was so flavorful and perfectly crispy. Even my roomie tried it and loved it, and she doesn't usually like raw fish.
I had two cocktails, the Kamikaze and Cider Maritini (fall seasonal). The Kamikaze was amazing and I'd drink 5 if I could! The cider martini was a new experience, as I've never had "iced" cider before and it was a perfect seasonal drink!
The entrees were perfect. I got the firecracker and it was the perfect amount of sweet and heat.
We also got the spicy seafood Ramen which, again, the heat level was perfect. It was present but it didn't overwhelm the delicate flavors of the broth or seafood.
I cannot recommend this place enough and I'm sad it's not closer to home!!!

Came for lunch. The staff is extremely friendly and great to chat with. Quick service, and a really fun atmosphere. I can imagine it's even nicer at night for dinners. Great assortment of food, and everything was delicious. My new favorite sushi restaurant in the area.

I had the pleasure of going to BARkaya on Saturday after booking a reservation for the Omakase Tasting Menu. There are not enough adjectives to describe how incredible the experience was as a whole. From the moment you walk through the door the entire staff makes you feel like family. The attention they paid to you to ensure you had an amazing experience was equally matched by the flavors they presented. The 13 course Omakase Experience was simply brilliant and each course was prepared so delicately in front of your eyes. Everything was fresh and plated with such a thoughtfulness from pairings on each course to the vibrant colors on each plate.

This is one restaurant you will want to visit as soon as possible. Make sure to make a reservation for the Omakase Tasting Menu. The final course in the tasting is hands down the greatest single bite of food I have ever had.

We went fairly early on a Saturday. No wait and super prompt service. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. The food was delicious. Definitely going back!

The first thing I love about this place is the staff. A friendly group of real down-to-earth people keep this place running smoothly and make every visit feel like I’m coming home from a long trip in which I have experienced multiple flight delays and unwanted layovers until finally a breath of fresh friendliness fills my lungs as I saddle up to the bar. The second thing I love is the food. The recently expanded sushi menu provides all the delicious flavors I crave when cylindrical food is on my mind. And who asked for a low-cost ramen option when getting over the hardest day of the week? NO-ONE! We were all too scared! But they knew what we were thinking and provided their Monday special without even a second thought. The third thing I love is the drinks. While I’m mostly a beer drinker, my wife enjoys their delicious mixed drinks crafted with care and kindness which melt away those thoughts and aforementioned flight delays. The fourth thing I love is that when we come to play cards at the bar, the lighting makes the cards a funny color, and who doesn’t love fun new playing card fluorescence?!

Sushi and ramen were on point, I was very satisfied with the quality. I'll be needing another trip back to try the pork ramen as I got the beef this time.

Fantastic food and drinks. The staff were all awesome fun and friendly! Will definitely go back!

The ramen here is great. The place is beautiful too. Wait staff is always nice and friendly.