I really want to give a restaurant a five, but i have to take down a star because of the service. The food deserves a five though. Kooma can certainly be the best sushi place in columbus, IF: 1. you don't go on their crazy busy dinner hour, i prefer lunch, or early dinner (around 6) 2. know what you order, not everything on the menu is good. every time i eat at this place i would take a picture and keep it on my phone, and the next time i order, i would just show the ones that i like to the waiter. from what i remembered the Kooma #2,#3 and #4 are delicious. read more

Just had dinner at Kooma for the first time with a couple of friends. I have tried many sushi restaurants in town and wanted to try something new. Ambience | Decor | Location: The restaurant looks more like a bar from the outside with neon beer signs but it seems to be a way for them to blend into the Short North bar/club area so people step in for an early drink before hitting the bars and clubs nearby. The restaurant has a liquor bar with a flat panel TV for people who just want some appetizers and a drink, but they also have a separate sushi bar. The decor is different from most other Japanese restaurants in that strangely enough, it has an African theme - pictures of African wildlife, faux skull of animals etc (didn't quite understand that!). That aside, the restaurant is small but cozy and works well in the space. Food & Drink: They have a standard selection of Japanese beers and certain wines. They do have a dinner menu, but we were only interested in the sushi menu. It's divided into easy to understand categories of sushi/sashimi and the variety was excellent - I tried several different sushi items that I had not seen before, and that says a lot. We also ordered calamari and negima as appetizers - the calamari was very disappointing. That said, the sushi was very good and the sashimi was excellent (highly recommend their clam sashimi, Unagi, and Kooma roll, but not the Spider roll). Overall, it was a really fresh and delicious meal. Service: The service was prompt and our waitress was very attentive and professional, not to mention extremely attractive! :-) The sushi chefs were skilled and worked well in tandem. Cost & Value: Sushi is generally expensive, but Kooma sits in between the fancier options (overhyped Haiku) and the holes in the wall (underappreciated Japanese Oriental). It's certainly good value for the price we paid. Like another reviewer has said, go with 3 or 4 people to get the best bang for the buck. read more

I absolutely love this place! Food: The quality of the fish is excellent and the cuts are generous. Coming from an all-you-can-eat city (shout out Reno!), I hate paying $10-$15 for a roll but when I get mouth-watering tuna, salmon, or eel in return, I don't mind. Although their long rolls are tasty, I prefer to stick with sashimi or nigiri so that I can fully enjoy the quality of the fish. Service: Fantastic. The sushi chefs are professionals and very good at what they do. I'm always greeted with a smile from the servers and they are attentive without being overbearing. Ambience: Great for a date night or for a meal with friends...it doesn't really matter. The place is very mellow and casual, with a small bar for cocktails or sake. This place lets the food do the talking, instead of relying on loud club music with pretentious decor to get people to come in. Bottom line: This place is genuine- from the food to the decor to the people that work there. You should definitely try it! read more

I've had better sushi, but for the price, I thought it was pretty fantastic. It's not a big place, but they accommodated my group, which was 8 people, on short notice. The food was tasty, and the price was certainly right. read more

Like a little Short North secret, even after who-knows how long it's been there. Although Kooma has a small dining room with a sometimes overloaded sushi chef, it's got great food (that includes sushi and non-sushi offerings) and good service. The frequent DJ and the nice little bar are nice, too. PARKING TIP: Kooma validates - if you print a ticket and tell the garage attendant (next door deck) you're going to the restaurant he'll let you in. It's not free, but much less than the "event" price that's usually in effect. read more

Definitely the best place in Columbus to get fusion sushi rolls. The interior is cozy, but never overcrowded, in my experience. Good spot for a date, or dinner with a few friends. They have a very creative sushi menu (jalapenos on the volcano roll and rolls that have a bit of banana flavor! perhaps it sounds weird to have a sushi roll taste like a banana, but it was surprisingly delish!). I like how they don't overdo the rice in their rolls. Overall, solid joint that's also in a good location for going out afterwards in the Arena district. Go! read more

See all

I loved Kooma. You should only order sushi rolls here, that is what they specialize in. And it shows. We had the Catepillar roll, tuna with cream cheese and peanut sauce, philadelphia, one with mango and tuna, and we had the unagi, which was not as good as the rolls. The miso soup was good too. They were so tasty, we were expecting a high bill, but one soda, two beers, we came up with a $56 bill which is a steal. I will eat here every time I come to Columbus. Service was very good. They were busy and our food took forever, but it was worth it and our server was attentive. She brought out drinks before we had to ask, and the beers were filled and never empty. In this case I am glad I didn't read the yelp reviews before going, this place was trendy, filled with tons of young yuppies, it was a great scene. And the food was out of this world, it did take my breath away. read more

Gave Kooma a try after I heard about it. The service was great, fast and friendly. We sat at the sushi bar and the atmosphere was relaxed. Ordered miso soup, spicy tuna roll and a crunch salmon roll. It was good, but not fantastic like other sushi experiences I've had in Columbus. Sizes seemed smaller compared to other sushi restaurants. Space wouldn't be ideal for very large groups. But if you are nearby arena district and looking for a quick bite, this place might work out for you! read more

I have to admit that the sushi roll I ordered was tremendous. The Kooma #2. I will also let everyone I have enjoyed sushi all over the country. That being said I am very aware that sushi can be pricey, but no matter the price, they always make sure you get plenty of bang for your buck. Not in the case of Kooma. We ordered sushi to go and I ordered the Kooma 2 read more

One of the best sushi places in town. It's hidden right in between the parking garage and Martinis and is small and quaint. Came here on a Friday night and didn't have to wait to get seated. They serve both sushi and Korean but we only came for sushi. We got about 10 rolls and honestly each one was good and they're very accommodating if you want yo swap our salmon for tuna or if you want to change something around. The house salad is also good. We got some drinks as well and the lychee martini was a bit strong but good. read more

An 'ok' sushi place. I'll probably be back since options are lacking in Columbus. The prices are ok for their standard rolls. Their more expensive premium rolls seem overpriced for what you get. No Charashi unfortunately, although I'm guessing they'd make it. Much more focus on rolls than sashimi. The quality is ok, but nothing to write home about. Not bad, but this isn't Nobu either. Staff seemed friendly. When I asked what was good today to the chef he said, "everything" which is never the case in a land locked state. I want to know what was off the boat today. They have no website. None. 2011, no website. They said it would probably be too much work to make. I'm tired of this excuse. I just want a single page that tells me your phone number, address, hours, dress code and menu. That's it. It can all be in 12 pt Times New Roman font with no graphics for all I care. They said that an out of date copy of their menu is on Urban Spoon somewhere. And no delivery. Columbus needs some quality sushi delivery. People in the Arena District, Short North and Victorian Village have the money to pay for such and whoever made the first move would do rather well. Yet, there is none. read more

"Four stars means I liked it and I'd go back. It was way better than Haiku. The only thing I didn't like was that your fish didn't come with rice," quoth my boyfriend. He was only wrong about disliking my sushi because it didn't have rice--I ordered sashimi. Kooma is small and unassuming inside. There is a small bar in the front, and the rest of the room consists of tables. I was really surprised that we were sat immediately on a Saturday at 7:30 without a reservation. We had hot saki, and it tasted like hot saki from anywhere. That's not to say it was great or terrible; it was good, but unremarkable. The sashimi and sushi were good, though, and so was beef teriyaki that my boyfriend ordered. The service was pleasant, and the location is convenient if you're downtown or in the Short North. I miss Tyfoon, but that restaurant has been gone for years, and Kooma is a decent replacement in the Arena District. As long as you don't want to sit on the patio at Haiku and be ignored, this is the best place to get sushi in the Short North area. read more

Great lunch location. It's convenient to downtown and short north. They offer daily lunch specials to make ordering easy. I've never experienced a wait, bad service or a bad meal. There isn't anything that stands out as far as menu options. It's good sushi, fresh and well prepared. If you can master that, then you've got a happy customer. I probably would not choose Kooma for a random dinner date, unless it was geographically convenient. The interior atmosphere doesn't hold a light to surrounding dining option. read more

Props to the husband!! My husband plotted an evening out (dinner, theatre, dessert) as an early birthday gift and he sure hit the mark!. Neither of us had been to Kooma before, but it was highly recommended by a friend. The place is very small, so it has a cozy, intimate feel, the service was decent and the sushi was excellent. read more

If u come for lunch get here early or you'll be waiting. Kooma #3 roll is a must! It's so good I utilize kooma for client events!

We wanted to explore a new sushi restaurant. Everything was prepared and served very quickly. Our server was very attentive, but also kept stopping at the table asking if we were done with our selections for dinner. They have some interesting sushi roll names and we were having trouble deciding. It's hard not to feel rushed when that happens. Finally we ordered a misty roll and the resource roll, requesting no eel sauce or tobiko. The rolls came out with both eel sauce and tobiko. They corrected our sushi rolls and brought them out again. While the food was good it was also expensive. read more

The service was good and fairly fast. The food was good too, but I wasn't entirely blown away or anything. I ordered the vegetable stone pot bibimbap with tofu, as it was one of the few vegan items on the menu. I got what I wanted, which was a hefty serving of vegetables and rice. Overall I was pleased with the experience and would like to come back to try some sushi. I would like to see a wider selection of vegan/vegetarian options, however. read more

Great options and unusual rolls. Highly recommend this place. Small location and not over the top on decor. Great service. read more

Kooma sushi Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Kooma deleted my last review from 1/9/17 so here it is again: DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT UNLESS YOU WANT CREDIT CARD FRAUD. I looked on my bank statement to see that I was charged nearly $100 over the amount I authorized and the manager took over 24hrs to even respond to me. When I finally got him on the phone, he NEVER apologized, made nothing but excuses and refused to give me a full refund. I was disgusted by his behavior. I am filing a report with the police for identity theft. SUBPAR SUSHI AND ILLEGAL FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY. I AM DISGUSTED. UPDATE: Today I received ANOTHER CHARGE from Kooma. I HAD TO CANCEL MY CREDIT CARD BECAUSE OF THIS. I have filed a police report and now I am calling the better business bureau read more

Sad to see an old friend grow tired. This used to be one of my favorites and an automatic stop when in the Arena District. Their rent must have gone up. Portions have shrunk markedly. Variety is gone. Freshness not so much. Two of us stopped in early evening Saturday for Sushi Deluxe. Granted this is "chef's choice" but we actually received 5 twin offerings (Eel, Shrimp, Salmon, Tuna, unimaginative to say the least). The shrimp was rubbery and old. The Tuna Roll seemed "pre-made" like what is found in a grocery store. The service was very good, however. Our server was very sweet. read more

Awesome sushi and service. Small quant place with character. No better place around. read more

Excellent sushi right near the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The place is small and was busy the whole weekend I was in town, but for good reason. A colleague and I stopped in on two occasions and got to try a number of different rolls/nigiri. All were well done and fresh. The smoked salmon was some of the best I have ever had at a sushi restaurant. They have a good mixed drinks list and a respectable sake list. Waitstaff was incredible. Very attentive, all the way from greeting to good bye. read more

My goto sushi place pre CBJ games. The atmosphere is real good, small but don't sit close to everyone. Odd location next to North Market but it works. Great lunch spot if you work downtown. To me the sushi is priced right and is good. Other reviews don't give real high sushi grades, my expectations must not be that high. 10x better than fusion, 4x better than Nadia's in North Market... good place to try. read more

Sushi is pretty good and is 4/5. Their regular menu items were underwhelming 3/5. Miso soup: 2 (kinda sad since this is so easy) Seared scallops on mango salad: 3 (under seasoned) Gyoza: 3 (pretty tiny) Yaki Udon: 3 I would go back for just the rolls as they have a pretty good selection read more

My favorite Sushi place in town! The quality of the sushi is outstanding and consistent. Been to other sushi places in town and they are hit or miss. There almost every week and always treated like family by the staff. Its nice to go somewhere where they remember their repeat customers. I believe the key to their consistency is I always see the same staff there, in particular the main chef and supporting chefs...same three guys every time! You can tell the chef takes great pride in his work...he's like an artist...putting time and energy into every detail of the presentation. While ambiance can be improved upon, any shortcomings are made up for with the highest quality food and presentation and feeling of being treated like family by the entire staff. If you put value on the quality of sushi above everything else then this is your place. read more

This is my go to place for sushi at lunch. Located in the Vine Street garage complex steps away from my office I find myself here with coworkers a few times a month. The lunch box special comes with a California roll (6 piece), 3 gyoza, teriyaki chicken, salad with ginger dressing and white rice for around $12. You can substitute the sushi roll and pay the difference between the price of the California roll. Also, you can request for the gyoza steamed instead of fried if you prefer. Another favorite is the stone pot beef bibimbap served with miso soup to start. The bibimbap is my favorite I've found in Columbus. Crispy rice on the bottom with plenty of fresh vegetables and a fried egg on top served with spicy red sauce on the side. Definitely worth checking this place out if you're in the arena district area during lunch. read more

I go here quite often and get the sushi rolls which are some of the best around in my opinion. As far as the regular sushi (piece of fish on top of rice) I prefer Otani but if you're into rolls you can't beat this place. Go early if you don't want to hear the DJ spinning records! read more

Great sushi. Friendly service. Worth the wait. The sushi menu is almost overwhelming! Great chefs. Great presentation. We prefer this place over haiku. Definitely try the desert roll as a finishing dish. read more

Found this little gem on a business trip to Columbus. Just so happened to walk in here and was extremely satisfied with the atmosphere, great rock and roll tunes and the service. My visit was during lunchtime and they had a fantastic menu to choose from, I'm a sushi snob and this place not only had a great variety of sushi to choose from but the taste was amazing! I ordered the red, white and blue roll as well as the firecracker roll. Both great and I look forward to coming back. read more

I have a hard time rating Kooma. It is not normally a place I would ever desire going to. Certainly, there are much better places for sushi in the city. If it weren't for its location, I don't think I'd ever walk through its doors. At best, it makes for a quiet, hole-in-the-wall location for mediocre sushi while on a bar crawl. But here is my dilemma. Based solely on the truth and for the benefit of other patrons, I do need to give this a 2 star at best. Based on the laughably horrible service, I get to drop it down to a 1. Now for the tricky part: my good friend...oh let's call him Jake. Jake Hickey (Hi buddy!). At some point in his life, Jake has unfortunately positioned himself as the direct enemy of all things karma and the universe. Who had his luggage lost on not one, not two, but three consecutive flights? Yep...Jake. Who was merely 25 years old, just starting his career, and got to experience the wonderful privilege of being audited by the IRS? You got it. Who had their nice new expensive knife set arrive completely destroyed, mangled, and misshapen in the mail. Jake. We love the guy. But it's also nice to keep him around as a precautionary defense against anything horrible that may or may not happen. We most certainly are guaranteed a great night out because if something bad is going to happen, it sure as heck won't happen to anyone but him. So here we find ourselves. In Kooma. Jake and I apparently walked through the gateway into the Twilight Zone as we passed through its doors. The waitress greets us at our table with a smile. She takes both of our orders. 15 minutes later, my plate arrives. We wait just a few moments thinking that Jake's dinner is on its way. The waitress comes back. We all stare blankly. Finally, Jake asks for his order. It is at this point that somewhere in the universe, Rod Serling intersperses his synopsis of this particular Twilight Zone episode. Quickly, the waitress responds, "I'm sorry, I forgot you were here." Forgot he was here??? An absolutely hilarious moment for me. Jake wasn't laughing :( 20 minutes later, Jake's plate finally arrives. Granted, it was not anything remotely close to what he had ordered, but he did get to eat. This was the first time this happened. I'm not going to describe the second time that this almost exact sequence of events were repeated in what could have only been cable syndication. Thus, if Kooma was really some magical restaurant where only myself and my friends could ever venture...I would, without a doubt, give it 5 stars over and over again. It's simply too classic to miss out on fate continuing to pound my friend into the ground. Unfortunately, I do need to spare others from this same fate, so that you may save yourselves from entering that place of darkness and unknown... ...in the Twilight Zone. read more

Sushi is good quality but tiny portions for a lot of money. Service was pretty good and beer was cold. Overall disappointing read more

Kooma sushi Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I was here for lunch today and of all the sushi bars I've been to, this was the least friendly, and the rice was dry. I got an assortment of nigiri and one of their rolls and I tasted it on all of them. I sat at the bar and the sushi chef never looked at me once. The waitress was okay though. read more

Pretty darn good sushi. Nice, creative rolls. Husband had volcano roll but not too spicy. Sad for him. Miso very nice. Always hoping for more drink options. No fun non -alcoholic options for kids. How about some unique ginger sodas or mocktails? read more

Kooma has my heart when it comes to sushi in downtown Columbus. Though it is not the best in Columbus, I prefer Kooma over Nida's and Haiku in the Short North/Downtown area. The atmosphere, and the fact that they are closed on Sundays, and closed between 2:30-5:30 each day is why I am only giving it 4 stars. First off, the sushi rolls, even though they are quite a bit smaller then its rivals, are very fresh and very tasty. They have an amazing selection on the menu, and even have some seasonal specials on the board to the right of the sushi bar that I'm sure is easily missed frequently. Also, this is a place where you can dine alone and feel comfortable. The sushi chef's are very nice, and fairly quick with the service. If you go during lunch, or on a Friday or Saturday night, expect to wait a while.. not only for your sushi, but also for a table. This place is very small and can not accommodate an abundance of people, especially large groups. If you are more of a "quality" sushi eater as opposed to a "quantity" sushi eater, and don't mind driving is circles to find parking, or paying to park, then this is the place for you! read more

Kooma has a sort of uninviting atmosphere, in my opinion. The lighting was really bright, and the tables/chairs weren't the most comfortable. However, the sushi was a-ok. They have a nice selection of sake to compliment the sushi. There are better sushi joints in Columbus, but there is nothing wrong with this place. Also, it has a very convenient downtown location in the Arena District. It used to feature DJs late at night on Fri and Sat, and it has late hours. Worth a visit, for sure. read more

I've been to a lot of sushi restaurants in the Columbus area and so far Kooma is my favorite. The fish itself always seems to be fresh and of high quality. The range of options gives enough variety so you don't feel as though you have to eat the same thing every time you visit but isn't as overwhelming as some sushi menus can be. The seaweed salad is delicious and I can't pass up the miso soup. The interior is small but I've never had to wait for more than 15 minutes for a seat, and I've never had a complaint about the service. If members of your group aren't in to sushi, they do offer a selection of cooked items from the kitchen. read more

Been here a couple of times, and from someone that comes from a city and country that is obsessed with sushi (Valparaiso, Chile) I think I can tell pretty quickly a bad from a mediocre from a good place. And Kooma is a great place. The sushi, miso soup, seaweed salad, they are all good. They have a wide and original menu of rolls, there is definitively something for everyone. Price is good. And the rice in the sushi rolls is great! Some places cant even get that right, but this one does. I love that is not a high end place too. It can be pretty casual. Music was good too. read more

We didn't actually get to eat here - when we arrived at 12:30pm on a Thursday, the waiter pointed us toward a 2-top stuck in a corner. The table next to it was full, so we would have had to squeeze past them. There were at least three 4-tops open, plus all of the bar seats, so we requested one of the 4-tops instead from the waitress who seated us. We heard the waiter say. "Oh, so they didn't want the corner?" My co-worker went to the restroom, and when the waiter came over, the first thing he said was, "Well, you KNOW, what's going to happen if a party of four comes in and this place gets filled up..." and something else along that line. I just laughed incredulously, and started to look at the menu. When my co-worker came back out of the restroom, we left. To the waiter: 1. You must be inexperienced at this job. You don't say things like that to guests, even if you're half-joking, which I don't think you were. 2. It's 12:30pm, you nitwit, and half of your tables are empty. I don't know when you're expecting this massive lunch rush. 3. If you want to hold a 4-top, put a reserved sign on it. 4. No, I don't want the corner. It's not my fault that your seating isn't designed very well. We did you a favor by leaving, because we were pretty sure you were going to wait on us, and we didn't want to stiff you. Best, A former waiter read more

For where we are in the country right now (2 hours from a lake and 8 hours away from an ocean), I have to say that Kooma's got some of the best sushi around. I would say that I am a true veteran of Kooma having for a good period of time, go there every Friday night with friends ordering $60 worth of sushi per person. Not only are there some of the traditionals which are decently priced, but there are some really innovative rolls like the Rocky #2 roll which is heaven in your mouth. You've got eel, scallions, special sauce, tobiko, and more. What else could you ask for? If you are a fan of sashimi, you'll find that the fish here is really fresh. You'll find no rubbery tuna here. Just nice rich scarlet red tuna and pink salmon here! I do hesitate though in giving this 5 stars as many of the entrees I feel are overpriced, small and not as great as my other Japanese favorite, Hama. And keep in mind that being a small restaurant, they tend to get overloaded with customers easily and it will take you a long time to get your food. Despite all of this, I trust my Japanese sushi addiction to Kooma. read more

You'll forget all about the other sushi bars when you come to Kooma. Working downtown, I often go there at least once a week for lunch. The wait staff, chefs and host/hostesses are friendly. The sushi/fish is always fresh and the service is prompt. You won't find better tuna ANYWHERE! Try the spicy California! Their sushi and roll selection is diverse, so there's something for everyone. read more