Extremely hospital & kind. When you walk in you check-in and they seat you. Staff is super flexible with any seat you want, very quick service. Every staff member from the host/hostess, waitress, to the sushi chef himself (Shout-out to Michael; he was amazing) are very kind and provide amazing customer service! I also saw that another one of the sushi chefs knew his regular's favorite sushi order, which is a nice touch. You can tell walking into the place that they really value customer service. Wait time was extremely quick. Came in on a slow night (Wed approx. 8:45pm). I overheard another guest who was surprised that there wasn't a wait, which a great sign meaning that people like the food! Even on a busy night though, I would imagine they would still be pretty quick, they didn't waste any time. Ordered the Phoenix Roll (they light it on ) & an order of gyoza. Gyoza was fried nicely, not overly heavy. They give you a light sauce for them. Phoenix Roll was a recommendation based on gram worthy pics & taste. It was really good, subtle flavors that all blended nicely. And the fire show was a nice touch! Usually when places add show, they miss the mark on flavor, but not this one! I was a little hesitant on ordering the Phoenix Roll as I'm not usually someone who likes rolls with spicy tuna, but the sushi chef told me not to worry, it was a really mild spice and he was absolutely right! Fun fact for the spicy lovers! They even have the extreme heat peppers like ghost pepper & (2) others if you're into the so spicy you're sweating or challenging your friends to see who can hang! Lol I saw a lot of couples here. Casual dining.
Victoria G.
5/5 for this place!! Highly recommended if you in the Monterey area! All the fish used if soo fresh and you can taste it. We always start off with miso soup then edamame. For rolls we either do nigiri plate or we get one of the specialty rolls which you can never go wrong with any of them. For dinner we green tea ice cream which is very yummy! The staff is very nice and helpful if you have no idea on what to get. It is a small business so get there once they open or you can always sit at the bar if you wanted.
Altaira T.
I can't speak to anything but the chirashi, which is the best I think I've ever had. They have so many different components to this dish, succulent pieces of meat, variety of pickles, seaweed salad. Service is attentive. Everything at this restaurant is excellent! We've been here several times and at some point in time I probably should try the flaming roll, but I just can't get out of my very very happy rut.
Nancy W.
Well we were so hungry so we went to eat at Kuma. The Dragon sushi roll was very fresh and delicious! The miso soup was also good. I usually don't like miso soup that much. It was yummy. Then the salad. It was ok. Not the usual yummy Japanese dressing. Then came the Korean BBQ short ribs. My favorite at Korean restaurants. I was happy to see it on their menu because the Korean restaurants were closed or soon to close. BUT! The meat was tough and tasteless. Not Korean at all. So disappointed. And when the waitress asked if everything was good and I mentioned the short ribs were not Korean and were tough and tasteless, she merely said @ok". So obviously rote question "is everything ok?" Oh and the tea. Was told it was Green tea. Then why was it orangey? Of it's a mix of green and jasmine who does that? The tea was tasteless Ora's my husband said "dishwater" Won't be returning. Also the bathrooms were a mess. Though, the sushi was really really good!
Mya T.
Random craving of sushi led me here. Seated right away and was able to order at the bar so saw the sushi being made. The baked lango roll was really good as well as the spicy scallop hand roll. I wasn't wowed but maybe their deep fried rolls are better. Set up inside was nice and felt cozy. Not sure if I was supposed to have a waiter since I was at the bar but no water was ever offered.
LeLing D.
Best place for sushi. The servers are amazing and the owners are super personable. This is my absolute favorite restaurant and love coming here for a fun time/nice date!! Definitely recommend coming. The salmon sashimi is sooo buttery and delicious. Their drinks are also fantastic.
Natalie P.
One of the best sushi places in California. Tried 6 different rolls and they were all amazing. Excellent service
Sharon S.
We really enjoyed our dinner here last night. We arrived around 6:30pm on a weeknight and were seated right away, but there was more of a wait later in the evening. I appreciated the space in the room so tables weren't on top of each other and it wasn't too loud. Parking was a bit of a challenge since there was a farmer's market, but we got lucky with a spot a couple blocks away. The service was okay, nothing above and beyond. The sushi was fresh! I rated it four out of five because I wish the menu had more sushi roll options without crab or shrimp (for religious reasons). The veggie rolls were great and so was the 5 fish roll. My son is a picky eater and he loved the chicken and rice. Oh and the famous Phoenix roll was on fire - literally! So fun! If we lived nearby we would come back again!
K S.
Sushi craving satisfied! I came as a party of one & unfortunately, servers barely came by and checked on me. It was pretty busy but still not an excuse to forget about other customers, no matter how small the party. The deliciousness of the food made up for it though. The sushi tastes fresh and full of flavor. I got the Baked Salmon & Tiger Roll w/o green onions -- recommend them both! Parking is mostly street parking but there's parking structures nearby. The street the restaurant is on is walkable and gives small town vibes.
Roberto T.
Food is delicious. Ambiance is great. Service is excellent. Came on a Friday at 5pm when they opened and they were already getting busy. We were seated quickly though. Everything we ordered was good and would re-order again. This will be a top favorite for the Monterey area.
Great atmosphere and fresh sushi! We sat at the sushi bar and saw them prepare all the sushi. Great experience and food! 10/10
Steve W.
Great vibe at this sushi restaurant. Classic 80s and 90s music playing. Wait staff friendly. We generally had a good experience. The pepper fin sashimi dish was fresh and flavorful. The spicy Paula and crunchy roll were great sushi rolls. The misses for our meal was the tempura shrimp and calamari. The tempura wasn't crunchy. It was soft and under fried. The calamari was chewy. These were strips of calamari battered and deep fried. Because they were chewy, you couldn't bite through the meat cleanly without losing the crispy batter. They also have a good craft cocktail menu. I had the yuzu whiskey sour. I enjoyed it. I liked my experience. I would recommend sticking with sashimi and sushi and stay away from their fried offerings.
Yuki K.
While this place had a lot of good reviews, it unfortunately did not live up to them. For starters, the wait time itself was an hour. The food was also unsatisfactory. Around 30 minutes in to waiting for our food, I began watching the counter to see what the chefs were doing. I noticed a bowl just sitting on the counter. When they served our food 30 minutes later I realized that bowl was the unagidon we ordered. They had let it sit out for half an hour before serving it to us. It arrived cold with the rice beginning to harden. We also ordered a sashimi bowl. The hamachi it came with was the toughest I've ever eaten and very unpleasant. I also noticed two tables that arrived after us got their food first. Another nitpick is that the miso soup they served as an appetizer was just paste. It had a single piece of wakame in it with a tiny bit of minced tofu. Thankfully we were just passing through the city and will never be back.
Liz S.
We were craving sushi so we went to Kuma on a Saturday night...while visiting Monterey. We had our reservation at 9:15. We got there a little early and they sat us around 9:10pm. Our waiter was very nice and took our order. He quickly brought our drinks and appetizers we ordered...everything was delicious. We then waited for our sushi. And waited...and waited...and waited. Around 10:20pm...our sushi came. It took over 1 hour to get it!!! It was delicious...but wow...that was a long wait!! That was the only reason I gave them a 3.
Alexa M.
This was hands down the BEST sushi i've ever had!! My fiancé and I had the Akuma roll and the Crunchy roll - so fresh and filling!! The staff were very friendly and accommodating, and the restaurant is very clean spacious. We will be coming back here during our next visit :)
Extremely hospital & kind. When you walk in you check-in and they seat you. Staff is super flexible with any seat you want, very quick service. Every staff member from the host/hostess, waitress, to the sushi chef himself (Shout-out to Michael; he was amazing) are very kind and provide amazing customer service! I also saw that another one of the sushi chefs knew his regular's favorite sushi order, which is a nice touch. You can tell walking into the place that they really value customer service. Wait time was extremely quick. Came in on a slow night (Wed approx. 8:45pm). I overheard another guest who was surprised that there wasn't a wait, which a great sign meaning that people like the food! Even on a busy night though, I would imagine they would still be pretty quick, they didn't waste any time. Ordered the Phoenix Roll (they light it on ) & an order of gyoza. Gyoza was fried nicely, not overly heavy. They give you a light sauce for them. Phoenix Roll was a recommendation based on gram worthy pics & taste. It was really good, subtle flavors that all blended nicely. And the fire show was a nice touch! Usually when places add show, they miss the mark on flavor, but not this one! I was a little hesitant on ordering the Phoenix Roll as I'm not usually someone who likes rolls with spicy tuna, but the sushi chef told me not to worry, it was a really mild spice and he was absolutely right! Fun fact for the spicy lovers! They even have the extreme heat peppers like ghost pepper & (2) others if you're into the so spicy you're sweating or challenging your friends to see who can hang! Lol I saw a lot of couples here. Casual dining.
5/5 for this place!! Highly recommended if you in the Monterey area! All the fish used if soo fresh and you can taste it. We always start off with miso soup then edamame. For rolls we either do nigiri plate or we get one of the specialty rolls which you can never go wrong with any of them. For dinner we green tea ice cream which is very yummy! The staff is very nice and helpful if you have no idea on what to get. It is a small business so get there once they open or you can always sit at the bar if you wanted.
I can't speak to anything but the chirashi, which is the best I think I've ever had. They have so many different components to this dish, succulent pieces of meat, variety of pickles, seaweed salad. Service is attentive. Everything at this restaurant is excellent! We've been here several times and at some point in time I probably should try the flaming roll, but I just can't get out of my very very happy rut.
Well we were so hungry so we went to eat at Kuma. The Dragon sushi roll was very fresh and delicious! The miso soup was also good. I usually don't like miso soup that much. It was yummy. Then the salad. It was ok. Not the usual yummy Japanese dressing. Then came the Korean BBQ short ribs. My favorite at Korean restaurants. I was happy to see it on their menu because the Korean restaurants were closed or soon to close. BUT! The meat was tough and tasteless. Not Korean at all. So disappointed. And when the waitress asked if everything was good and I mentioned the short ribs were not Korean and were tough and tasteless, she merely said @ok". So obviously rote question "is everything ok?" Oh and the tea. Was told it was Green tea. Then why was it orangey? Of it's a mix of green and jasmine who does that? The tea was tasteless Ora's my husband said "dishwater" Won't be returning. Also the bathrooms were a mess. Though, the sushi was really really good!
Random craving of sushi led me here. Seated right away and was able to order at the bar so saw the sushi being made. The baked lango roll was really good as well as the spicy scallop hand roll. I wasn't wowed but maybe their deep fried rolls are better. Set up inside was nice and felt cozy. Not sure if I was supposed to have a waiter since I was at the bar but no water was ever offered.
Best place for sushi. The servers are amazing and the owners are super personable. This is my absolute favorite restaurant and love coming here for a fun time/nice date!! Definitely recommend coming. The salmon sashimi is sooo buttery and delicious. Their drinks are also fantastic.
One of the best sushi places in California. Tried 6 different rolls and they were all amazing. Excellent service
We really enjoyed our dinner here last night. We arrived around 6:30pm on a weeknight and were seated right away, but there was more of a wait later in the evening. I appreciated the space in the room so tables weren't on top of each other and it wasn't too loud. Parking was a bit of a challenge since there was a farmer's market, but we got lucky with a spot a couple blocks away. The service was okay, nothing above and beyond. The sushi was fresh! I rated it four out of five because I wish the menu had more sushi roll options without crab or shrimp (for religious reasons). The veggie rolls were great and so was the 5 fish roll. My son is a picky eater and he loved the chicken and rice. Oh and the famous Phoenix roll was on fire - literally! So fun! If we lived nearby we would come back again!
Sushi craving satisfied! I came as a party of one & unfortunately, servers barely came by and checked on me. It was pretty busy but still not an excuse to forget about other customers, no matter how small the party. The deliciousness of the food made up for it though. The sushi tastes fresh and full of flavor. I got the Baked Salmon & Tiger Roll w/o green onions -- recommend them both! Parking is mostly street parking but there's parking structures nearby. The street the restaurant is on is walkable and gives small town vibes.
Food is delicious. Ambiance is great. Service is excellent. Came on a Friday at 5pm when they opened and they were already getting busy. We were seated quickly though. Everything we ordered was good and would re-order again. This will be a top favorite for the Monterey area.
Restaurantji Recommends
Great atmosphere and fresh sushi! We sat at the sushi bar and saw them prepare all the sushi. Great experience and food! 10/10
Great vibe at this sushi restaurant. Classic 80s and 90s music playing. Wait staff friendly. We generally had a good experience. The pepper fin sashimi dish was fresh and flavorful. The spicy Paula and crunchy roll were great sushi rolls. The misses for our meal was the tempura shrimp and calamari. The tempura wasn't crunchy. It was soft and under fried. The calamari was chewy. These were strips of calamari battered and deep fried. Because they were chewy, you couldn't bite through the meat cleanly without losing the crispy batter. They also have a good craft cocktail menu. I had the yuzu whiskey sour. I enjoyed it. I liked my experience. I would recommend sticking with sashimi and sushi and stay away from their fried offerings.
While this place had a lot of good reviews, it unfortunately did not live up to them. For starters, the wait time itself was an hour. The food was also unsatisfactory. Around 30 minutes in to waiting for our food, I began watching the counter to see what the chefs were doing. I noticed a bowl just sitting on the counter. When they served our food 30 minutes later I realized that bowl was the unagidon we ordered. They had let it sit out for half an hour before serving it to us. It arrived cold with the rice beginning to harden. We also ordered a sashimi bowl. The hamachi it came with was the toughest I've ever eaten and very unpleasant. I also noticed two tables that arrived after us got their food first. Another nitpick is that the miso soup they served as an appetizer was just paste. It had a single piece of wakame in it with a tiny bit of minced tofu. Thankfully we were just passing through the city and will never be back.
We were craving sushi so we went to Kuma on a Saturday night...while visiting Monterey. We had our reservation at 9:15. We got there a little early and they sat us around 9:10pm. Our waiter was very nice and took our order. He quickly brought our drinks and appetizers we ordered...everything was delicious. We then waited for our sushi. And waited...and waited...and waited. Around 10:20pm...our sushi came. It took over 1 hour to get it!!! It was delicious...but wow...that was a long wait!! That was the only reason I gave them a 3.
This was hands down the BEST sushi i've ever had!! My fiancé and I had the Akuma roll and the Crunchy roll - so fresh and filling!! The staff were very friendly and accommodating, and the restaurant is very clean spacious. We will be coming back here during our next visit :)