Average sushi fair price. Don't recommend taking a date here. Not really a romantic setting with all the boxes taking up half of the seating area. Small intimate setting. Definitely a local joint.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 4
Ramiro Abeldano
We celebrated my birthday kazu opened a bottle of saki and we closed the place down. What a great night and a great place to eat and chill. Definitely going there again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fabian Gonzalez
It's a very calm and quiet place to eat. The food was phenomenal and the service was outstanding. They are also one of the few locations that were even open late. Definitely come here and enjoy the food I highly recommend it.
Best sushi I've ever had. And I've had a lot. Friendly service. Quaint.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi, Sashimi and Nigiri Combination
Jae I.
A small, local restaurant that's open late to any travelers in the area. I would only come if I was really craving Japanese food, but other than that I wouldn't spend a meal here if there were other options available. The place was extremely dark when we came in. The lighting was super dim, which was unexpected because it was already so dark outside. There was a sushi chef behind the counter and one server working hard to attend to the other 4 tables. The place is definitely hole in the wall -- the menus had a smell and the walls were dirty. I know this is a gem for the locals because the sushi chef talked about his life for the entire hour of our meal; it was welcome for the first couple of minutes but his talk definitely slowed down his service. Everyone who ordered sushi (or a sushi combination) got their food much later than those who ordered food from the kitchen (tempura, beef, chicken, etc.). We ordered a bento box with beef teriyaki and tempura, a bento box with chicken teriyaki and tempura, and a maguro and hamachi donburi bowl. We all got miso soup as a result of our order and it was piping hot and filled to the brim. It was tasty but extremely salty. My friend couldn't finish hers because it was so salty. The bento boxes were huge and definitely felt justifiable for the price. The teriyaki sauce was delicious but, again, really salty. I finished all my rice and 2 glasses of water because of how salty it was. My friend wiped the sauce off half way through her meal because the sauce was so generously applied. The tempura was perfect -- the sauce was delicious and complimented the perfect fry on the tempura. The salad wasn't your typical Japanese-inspired salad; it had arugula and cherry tomatoes and was covered in this sweet and sour vinaigrette. The donburi was disappointing; it was $30 and had only a few pieces of sashimi over a huge mound of rice. The restaurant uses the same rice for all dishes so the donburi's "sushi rice" was really just white rice seasoned with rice vinegar and sugar. It was disappointing and something I wouldn't recommend ordering on your visit. At the end of our meal, they gave us almond cookies which were a nice touch. Overall, this place is generous in their servings (for the bento boxes) and a local favorite. It isn't touristy but that has its own charm. I wouldn't seek this restaurant out but it's a nice place to eat a meal late at night.
Jessica T.
A small mom and pop restaurant located just off Cannery Row! Me and my friend visited yesterday for dinner after spending all day at Monterey Bay Aquarium. It wasn't busy, so we were able to be seated immediately. They have 3 TV screens playing, but the restaurant is actually fairly quiet overall (which I usually prefer bc it's better for table conversation). I ordered a dinner bento box, which comes with miso soup, rice, salad, and 2 meats. For me 2 meats, I got chicken teriyaki and a California roll (8 pcs). I really liked the miso soup and California roll! I wish I had gotten a different meat besides the chicken, but it was still pretty good overall. My friend ordered 2 sushi rolls and they were cutely decorate with mini umbrellas! When we got the check, they served us almond cookies and they were really good! Shout out to our server who was really nice and dealt with our shenanigans! The food was served fairly quickly as well, so we were happy with that. Would come back again!
FOESAD 5150
This was the first place I ever tried sushi. My mother brought me here & Kazu made my first sushi experience wonderful & unforgetable. That was like 30 years ago. I returned to the area recently with my partner & went to see if this place was still here. Not only is it still here, but Kazu was here making food & socializing, making this place the best sushi spot ever! Thank you Kazu for making sushi a multigenerationally positive experienxe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Samuel Hellman
I will not be returning. Very poor service, sloppy presentation, the soup tasted old, fish was not fresh (tasted fishy), tuna was dyed a bright red. I watched a server deliver food to a table while chewing a mouthful of food. I love sushi, this was a disappointing meal.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Angela N.
The waiter was really nice but the food was lousy. It took forever to get our food because the elderly cook couldn't keep up with the orders. He really should retire. I ordered a box and grilled fish. Big mistake ! It was raw. The tempura was OK.
Jeremy N.
So here is what I care about when it comes to sushi; fresh seafood that smells good; more protein than rice; good flavor. This place checks all my boxes. It was dead quite when we got there, which scared me, but it turned out amazing. Chef came out and chatted with us and is just so awesome. Knew the sushi place in our town (auburn) and was just so personable. Really enjoyed our dinner.
No tempura sauce for tempura. Food is not tasty at all. Very dirty place. Cups are dirty. Service is no good. The worst Japanese restaurant in my life ever.
Wendy T.
Kazu was always so friendly and just a sweet man! We got the sushi and nigiri combination to share. It was a LOT at a very reasonable price and we loved the hamachi toro and unagi nigiri! The rice was a bit too sour and since I'm not eating much rice, I would probably ask him to cut the rice next time. I love the yellow tail and next time I'm going to have the scallop, rainbow roll with tempura, and their other variety. Met Josh, another friendly customer who is like a son to kazu And it was a very nice and great experience! We also bought more California roll to go for on the road back to the Bay area :)He's open everyday from 5:00 to 11:00 but he will be closing for a day or two or when he has corporate big orders for catering. So best to call first before coming in.
Derpatina S
Best authentic Japanese in Monterey with amazing service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi, Tempura, California Roll, Udon Noodle Soup
David Wu
Kazu is a legendary sushi chef with over 30 years of experience on the Monterey Peninsula. He is a local treasure for sure!!
Kas Law
The food was soo good, the service was amazing and welcome. In general a great experience
Average sushi fair price. Don't recommend taking a date here. Not really a romantic setting with all the boxes taking up half of the seating area. Small intimate setting. Definitely a local joint.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 4
We celebrated my birthday kazu opened a bottle of saki and we closed the place down. What a great night and a great place to eat and chill. Definitely going there again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It's a very calm and quiet place to eat. The food was phenomenal and the service was outstanding. They are also one of the few locations that were even open late. Definitely come here and enjoy the food I highly recommend it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beef Teriyaki, Sushi, Tempura, Udon Noodle Soup, Edamame
Best sushi I've ever had. And I've had a lot. Friendly service. Quaint.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi, Sashimi and Nigiri Combination
A small, local restaurant that's open late to any travelers in the area. I would only come if I was really craving Japanese food, but other than that I wouldn't spend a meal here if there were other options available. The place was extremely dark when we came in. The lighting was super dim, which was unexpected because it was already so dark outside. There was a sushi chef behind the counter and one server working hard to attend to the other 4 tables. The place is definitely hole in the wall -- the menus had a smell and the walls were dirty. I know this is a gem for the locals because the sushi chef talked about his life for the entire hour of our meal; it was welcome for the first couple of minutes but his talk definitely slowed down his service. Everyone who ordered sushi (or a sushi combination) got their food much later than those who ordered food from the kitchen (tempura, beef, chicken, etc.). We ordered a bento box with beef teriyaki and tempura, a bento box with chicken teriyaki and tempura, and a maguro and hamachi donburi bowl. We all got miso soup as a result of our order and it was piping hot and filled to the brim. It was tasty but extremely salty. My friend couldn't finish hers because it was so salty. The bento boxes were huge and definitely felt justifiable for the price. The teriyaki sauce was delicious but, again, really salty. I finished all my rice and 2 glasses of water because of how salty it was. My friend wiped the sauce off half way through her meal because the sauce was so generously applied. The tempura was perfect -- the sauce was delicious and complimented the perfect fry on the tempura. The salad wasn't your typical Japanese-inspired salad; it had arugula and cherry tomatoes and was covered in this sweet and sour vinaigrette. The donburi was disappointing; it was $30 and had only a few pieces of sashimi over a huge mound of rice. The restaurant uses the same rice for all dishes so the donburi's "sushi rice" was really just white rice seasoned with rice vinegar and sugar. It was disappointing and something I wouldn't recommend ordering on your visit. At the end of our meal, they gave us almond cookies which were a nice touch. Overall, this place is generous in their servings (for the bento boxes) and a local favorite. It isn't touristy but that has its own charm. I wouldn't seek this restaurant out but it's a nice place to eat a meal late at night.
A small mom and pop restaurant located just off Cannery Row! Me and my friend visited yesterday for dinner after spending all day at Monterey Bay Aquarium. It wasn't busy, so we were able to be seated immediately. They have 3 TV screens playing, but the restaurant is actually fairly quiet overall (which I usually prefer bc it's better for table conversation). I ordered a dinner bento box, which comes with miso soup, rice, salad, and 2 meats. For me 2 meats, I got chicken teriyaki and a California roll (8 pcs). I really liked the miso soup and California roll! I wish I had gotten a different meat besides the chicken, but it was still pretty good overall. My friend ordered 2 sushi rolls and they were cutely decorate with mini umbrellas! When we got the check, they served us almond cookies and they were really good! Shout out to our server who was really nice and dealt with our shenanigans! The food was served fairly quickly as well, so we were happy with that. Would come back again!
This was the first place I ever tried sushi. My mother brought me here & Kazu made my first sushi experience wonderful & unforgetable. That was like 30 years ago. I returned to the area recently with my partner & went to see if this place was still here. Not only is it still here, but Kazu was here making food & socializing, making this place the best sushi spot ever! Thank you Kazu for making sushi a multigenerationally positive experienxe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I will not be returning. Very poor service, sloppy presentation, the soup tasted old, fish was not fresh (tasted fishy), tuna was dyed a bright red. I watched a server deliver food to a table while chewing a mouthful of food. I love sushi, this was a disappointing meal.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
The waiter was really nice but the food was lousy. It took forever to get our food because the elderly cook couldn't keep up with the orders. He really should retire. I ordered a box and grilled fish. Big mistake ! It was raw. The tempura was OK.
So here is what I care about when it comes to sushi; fresh seafood that smells good; more protein than rice; good flavor. This place checks all my boxes. It was dead quite when we got there, which scared me, but it turned out amazing. Chef came out and chatted with us and is just so awesome. Knew the sushi place in our town (auburn) and was just so personable. Really enjoyed our dinner.
Restaurantji Recommends
No tempura sauce for tempura. Food is not tasty at all. Very dirty place. Cups are dirty. Service is no good. The worst Japanese restaurant in my life ever.
Kazu was always so friendly and just a sweet man! We got the sushi and nigiri combination to share. It was a LOT at a very reasonable price and we loved the hamachi toro and unagi nigiri! The rice was a bit too sour and since I'm not eating much rice, I would probably ask him to cut the rice next time. I love the yellow tail and next time I'm going to have the scallop, rainbow roll with tempura, and their other variety. Met Josh, another friendly customer who is like a son to kazu And it was a very nice and great experience! We also bought more California roll to go for on the road back to the Bay area :)He's open everyday from 5:00 to 11:00 but he will be closing for a day or two or when he has corporate big orders for catering. So best to call first before coming in.
Best authentic Japanese in Monterey with amazing service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi, Tempura, California Roll, Udon Noodle Soup
Kazu is a legendary sushi chef with over 30 years of experience on the Monterey Peninsula. He is a local treasure for sure!!
The food was soo good, the service was amazing and welcome. In general a great experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sushi, Chicken Teriyaki