Guys and gals, definitely not a 4-star place. Great service, decent food. But, very worn down. Indeed, somewhat grimy. The path to the bathrooms was through back corridors that left a lot to be desired. If it was ever 4-star, it peaked a while ago. read more

I LOVE coming here. The staff is friendly, especially the owner. She is just a gem of a person. The food is incredible. Finding a place that makes amazing vegan sushi that is not just a California roll has been instrumental in making me into a sushi fan. Now I come here, but only here, at least once biweekly. I don't know where else I could get such good food and just be at peace with such a calming experience. Don't know what I'd do without this place! read more

Kotobuki - Ramen and beef tataki - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Came in as a walk in for my dad's bday since the original place we were going to was not open for dine in. First thing was that service was really bad. The server didnt even let my dad finish what he was saying before walking away. We did order a generous amount of food but the place wasnt packed that night. The two other tables that came in a while after us got all their food first. We were all confused how it took way too long for our main entrees (3 orders of volcano, red dragon roll, beef teriyaki, and curry katsu) to get served. Since service was taking so long, i just decided to get the check. I knew i ordered one last roll and that they havent given it to me. When the server handed me the check, he didnt even mention about the missing roll at all but had charged me for it. I waited for him to say something but he didnt so I had asked him if the roll was not made, just to to cancel it. Only then it was brought out. I got it to go. The red dragon roll seen below was the roll I had gotten to go. Wasnt really even going to leave a review until I saw this, broke the last straw. I was shocked that this was valued as $14+. I was expecting it to me a larger roll since it was a special roll. You could barely see the spicy tuna on top and the eel inside. Was really dissapointed when I opened the food and saw this. Overall, food that was all worth about $150 was not worth it. Service was terrible. Would not recommend. read more

Kotobuki - Red dragon Roll - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Delicious vegan sushi. So many options that we couldn't try everything. And they always have a vegan special alongside the regular special. Great atmosphere too. We were served very quickly and the staff were attentive and friendly. read more

Amazing. Best sushi in the town. I like the nigiri (eel, tuna, salmon) and the sushi special rolls. The service is friendly and the food comes fast. read more

Always fantastic. They have just as many vegan options as regular options and they have traditional seating as an option.

This is my second time at Kotobuki. The first time was okay but the second made me never want to return. Overall the service was a complete turn off. Based off how someone, I presume to be the owner/manager, took our orders I knew we should have left then, but we stuck it out and were ultimately left extremely disappointed. The owner/manager was rude and talked down to us the entire night. Very nasty attitude until it's time to pay the bill(shocker). Overall the food was subpar and the service made this a completely unenjoyable experience. read more

Our regular sushi place is closed so gave this one a try. We ordered about 6 specialty rolls for pick up. Honestly, worst sushi I've ever had. Not spoiled just terrible taste. So very disappointing! From the reviews, maybe I should have tried vegan options. Not sure that I'll be willing to give it a second try. read more

Great dining experience! The food were all fresh and so delish! The takoyaki was crunchy on the outside which was something new to me and it was sooooo good! The dinner for two was a good deal! We were able to eat different dishes in one order. The staffs were very accommodating and attentive! We will definitely be back! read more

Kotobuki - Dinner for two. Missing in the photo: 2 miso soup, 2 veggie salad - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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If my husband loves it then it has to be a FIVE! This family owned business are the sweetest from the back kitchen, mama's japanese cooking is so good. The sushi is fresh and cut so well. There is no fishy flavor so I can definitely tell if the cuts are clean. My husband gets anal about his sushi and sashimi preparations but coming here, he was completely satisfied! This is my second time here but won't be my last. I first went here with my group of ladies. We were a total of 9. So this place is accommodating for big groups, depending on the time and date. The girls had a awesome Galentines Dinner! We sat in the japanese seating tables.. Respectfully we take of our shoes and sit just like how it would be in traditional japanese restaurants in Japan. I've had the daughter and son serve us. They are so caring to all the customers that come to Kotobuki. Particularly the daughter was our server and she was always accommodating, welcoming and super sweet. She took our group pictures for our Galentines dinner and made sure we were served with top notch service. Food quality is a five, service 5, cleanliness 5, food 5. I had tried the Chirashi! I love the cuts of fish and huge bowl of rice. There was nothing to complain about. My second time coming I ordered the ramen.. it is best to eat the ramen and ask for the spicy chili to go with your soup. I was not disappointed. Lots of flavor and the broth was on point. By our waitresses recommendation I also got the white dragon roll! OMG was I in love with the sweet brown sauce with eel, white tuna and salmon and avocado. Love love this roll! My husband got the sushi and sashimi and he had nothing but good comments to say about the fish. It melted in our mouths! Coming from Hawaii, he often compares the fish from the "mainland" to the freshness he used to get "at home"... making him an expert in eating sushi, based on his eating expertise lol.. If i can come out to norfolk this is a Japanese restaurant that is a must go! read more

Kotobuki - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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We stumbled upon this place and couldn't be happier! The staff were friendly and helpful. As a vegetarian, their menu had me so excited with an entire page full of vegan options! I ordered the Vegan Sesame Chicken and a California roll. My boyfriend ordered the Spicy Tuna roll and the Pork Katsu. Everything was so good! There was a bar where you can see the sushi being made and plenty of seating. The inside feels so cozy! Best possible place for us to stumble into! read more

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came here for my partner and i anniversary and we enjoyed it. the service was okay. they took a while to check up on us and to also give us our bill. the food tasted great. we were excited to try the tamaki here since there aren't any other sushi restaurants that sells them. the curry was good, nothing special about it. would definitely come back. read more

Kotobuki - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I enjoyed this place and the food very much, although at a point in time, the owner (I think that's who she was) seemed as though she was very agitated with my group (there were 4 of us) although we had just gotten there. She would harden her voice, seem a bit more agressive when asked questions, and her tones wasn't the nicest. Overall, we all had a great time and just put it as her having a bad day. read more

Kotobuki - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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My husband and I met our friends here. We arrived before them and were seated. While we waited, the waiter was very attentive. Once they arrived and we ordered, the appetizers came out very quickly. The food took a lot longer but not long enough to really complain about. The waiter kept stopping by the check on us and reassured us that it was coming soon. It was well worth the wait....This sushi is honestly THE BEST i've ever had and my husband agreed. I love all of the vegetarian and vegan options they have. They have most sushi rolls you can think of plus fun twists to classic ones. I have been dreaming of this place ever since. read more

Kotobuki - Cajun California & Mount Fuji Rolls - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I guess it's not new news that the management sucks harder than an ABG and bubble tea, but let me speak some Gospel. PaTrIciA, or whoever the manager is, the daughter of the owner of the restaurant, is pretty disrespectful to most of the customers they have in the restaurant. I went in there with a large group, and the other waiters were pretty nice and patient. I went there a couple of times with my girlfriend and found exceptional service, but after seeing my other friends treated by the manager, I'm going to have to change my mind at this place. Even though we had a large group, I think it's expected that we were going to be loud for that place- the daughter called us loud and disrespectful. It seems that from previous reviews they don't like customers and business but whatever. Side note I would actually give this a 1/5 because the food is pretty good. Makunouchi was delicious. The dinner for two is definitely going to get you fat. However, takoyaki is not takoyaki- they fry it with breadcrumbs. Prices are also outrageous. 16 dollars for Katsu? pfft It's a shame that they have a nice owner who is very homey in her service, but the other staff seem like they don't care. There are other Japanese restaurants here in the Hampton Roads that would give better service at a cheaper, competitive price. Would not go here again. read more

We originally wanted to go to Peck and Pour, but it was closed for the holiday and my husband wanted something fresh like sushi. This place Had really amazing reviews so my husband and I tried it out. We've been trying all of the sushi places in the area looking for our favorite go to place. This place is pretty average despite the high reviews. We had a miso soup, seaweed salad, dueling due special roll, eel, tuna, white tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and squid sushi and sashimi. We're big sushi fans, but this place was a little bumming. The quality of fish is just okay. Nothing great. With prices going up for everything, felt this was very overpriced for what we got. There was also an automatic 18% service charge. Wouldn't come again. read more

Kotobuki - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I love this place and normally order from their specialty rolls but was in the mood for something light for lunch and settled on the Maki Combination Special. Very greatful they allowed options to swap out rolls so I could try Yellowtail for the first time! read more

Kotobuki - Maki Combination - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Food is pricey for the size of the portions and quality. Would love to give this place a second chance because the experience was great, but there is one lady there who is exceptionally rude. Everyone else is very kind. The seating is very unique. If you bring a small group of friends you can get some sort of "traditional" seating, but if you want regular seats, you can get that too. Overall, I would love to come back. There are many menu items I would love to try. read more

The place is a treasure inside. There is an area where you can eat sitting Japanese style, the ambience Is definitely calming. The menu has a lot of selections. The service is fast and the food presentation is perfect. The owner was there and was very attentive and helpful. The taste is delicious and food temp is great. I'll recommend it and we're definitely coming back. read more

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Best sushi and sashimi in Hampton Roads as far as I know. I always enjoy it thorougly.

Omg. This place is awesome. It was a little awkward walking in at first because all the servers stared at us and we weren't sure if we had to seat ourselves or wait for the hostess (we weren't greeted right away). Other than that, it was was amazing. The vegan selection is great! The owner came to our table and recommended items, she was very hands on and amazing. It's great to have a place that has an entire page for a vegan to select from! read more

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I ordered the lunch sashimi with miso, edamame, and crab. The fish was good but I wish you had some say in it but other than that I give it an excellent review. The crab wasn't anything special for the area. But that isn't something to detour people. It's the Bay Area so everyone serves it. Miso was good. The chu hai drink was amazing. The service was great. If you can speak Japanese then you're golden. They are very friendly and kind. The place itself is great. Has a very authentic feel. You can sit in the back and feel like you're in Japan with the seating or in the front it's more western. Overall, I'd recommend this place and say god try it out. I'll make sure to post pictures next time I go. The food was great. read more

Kotobuki has consistently proved itself to be my favorite Sushi resturant in Hampton Roads. They have selections and offerings that I have yet to see in any other sushi places in Hampton Roads. For one, they offer both Western and Japanese style seating. So if you're really feeling authentic you can sit Indian style with no shoes on, which I like to do because it's not something you get to do everyday at a resturant. They also let you sub out the miso soup that comes with the meal for either egg drop or clear soup. That means so much to me because I hate miso soup with a passion and I always just give it away to whomever I'm dining with; furthermore, their eggdrop soup was the best I've ever tasted. Kotobuki also offers Vegan/Vegetarian options and allows you to sub out white rice for brown rice on your rolls. This is perfect for those who have dietary rescritions. Their sushi, sashimi, and hand rolls are pricier than AYCE places, but in my opinion the quality is so much better so it's worth it. All in all, I can definitely "roll" with sushi from Kotobuki. read more

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I think I just found my new favorite Japanese restaurant! We came in for lunch and I was impressed that they had a whole page dedicated to vegan items. Not just sweet potato rolls or avocado rolls (no offense to those still good af). But they had kitchen entrees, AND specialty rolls! Vegan heaven. Our server was super friendly. I think her mom is the owner. My boyfriend is in the military and just got back from being stationed in Okinawa... He looked at the drink menu and was so excited that they carried Orion beer and Chu-hi! Turns out, the owner and our server are from there. I've heard about the mango salsa roll and omg it surpassed my expectations! The vegan shrimp was crazy- tasted just like a real sushi roll. I also got the vegan volcano which was just as satisfying. Overall, I loved the service, and the choices! Will be my go to spot from here on out. Also, I didn't get dessert but they have vegan stuff for that too! Ice cream and fried Oreos- they have it all! read more

Kotobuki - Vegan menu - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Less than 8 hours ago, I ordered/purchased a to go order of  hurricane sushi roll (comes with tuna salmon cucumber, masage avocado no rice) from Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant & Bar (in the Ghent neighborhood of Norfolk Virginia). The Hurricane roll  came with ginger and the food was very delicious. The employees I interacted with were polite/ very friendly and I received my to go order of the hurricane sushi roll in a timely manner read more

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Incredibly thankful for their vegan options. Our favs are the sweet potato roll & Yukasabi appetizer. They love & treat myself + my son, Soli as family. They take pride in their food & want to ensure their customers are taken care of Great food & people read more

I came here today for my friend's birthday lunch. I haven't been in Kotobuki in about 5 years, but I used to love coming here. We came in through the back entrance and were greeted by the server. My friend comes in here frequently and his son was happy to see the server again. She remembered that my friend's toddler does not like to wait for food and immediately brought him a bowl of rice to munch on. He was instantly a happy camper. The restaurant has traditional Japanese seating where you take off your shoes and eat. There are chairs and tables to the front of the house and bar seating to watch the sushi being prepared. We were prepared to order several items from the appetizer menu today. And the items did not disappoint. We started off with the spicy tuna mix. This dish was tuna in a chili sauce that is not too hot or overbearing that is atop daikon. This was absolutely delicious. We also ordered the daikon salad. This really didn't appeal to me. I'm used to daikon playing an assistant role in a dish, not the starring role. Just not my cup of tea. Next, was the seaweed salad. This was good. I could easily have slurped all of this down in 30 seconds. The beef negimaki (thinly sliced beef teriyaki rolled onto scallions) came out looking absolutely delectable topped with sesame seeds. Slide it around in the sauce then put it in your mouth. The meat is soft, not hard and chewy. This dish is a definite crowd pleaser. We ordered the gyoza (pan fried beef dumplings) and they do not disappoint. Kotobuki does not skimp on the meat in these delicious dumplings. Enjoy them solo dolo or dip them in the dumpling sauce, you will not leave unhappy. The sashimi sampler arrived to our table ready to be tossed onto your IG or snapchat feed! All of the fish was fresh. My favorite is the tuna. I could eat that by the pound erryday, all day! The tempura appetizer with shrimp and vegetables was flash fried perfectly. The tempura sauce added the extra pizazz to your tongue as your enjoying this appetizer. The yakisoba appetizer (stir fried soft noodles with vegetables) was just OKAY for my taste buds. If you're all about yakisoba, you will love this dish. The ika robatayaki (grilled squid served with ginger sauce) was another banger. The squid was cooked to perfection, no hard or chewy. The ginger sauce with squid made a great combination. I had to save the best for last. Let me pray first, "Lawd, how can I express to these people how good the last dish was? Lawd, give me strength." Ya'll, the TAKOYAKI is absolutely fabulous! TAKOYAKI is octopus dumplings with katsu sauce and shaved bonito. They arrive as 6 beautiful flash fried balls with the katsu sauce and shaved bonito artfully applied over them. As you take your first bite, you realize how perfectly light and crunchy the outside is. But do not fret, it is soft and creamy on the inside. Whatever they mixed with the octopus to make the inside is amazing. You will be amazed. This is a treat. I don't think you will find this anywhere else in Hampton Roads. I will definitely be returning to this spot more often. You will enjoy the service. I observed the regular clients being treated like family. The server's mother is one of the cooks in the kitchen. This is a great family owned business that I'm sure you will enjoy. read more

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Nicest staff in any restaurant ever. Sushi was beautiful, and delicious. Can't wait to go back. read more

Delicious sushi and fresh quality fish in Norfolk! Came for lunch. Impressed with the diversity of the menu, which included a vegan sushi menu. The heated meals were good portions. The sushi and sashimi was fantastic. The sashimi lunch combo included salmon, white tuna, and other fresh fish. The steamed shumai could have used some pan searing after steaming to impart flavor, and crunch. Enjoyed the decor and think it would be sweet to take a date to the restaurant! Best sushi/sashimi I've had so far in Norfolk. read more

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VEGANS REJOICE! Everything was delicious and the staff were extremely friendly and attentive. Try the Vegan Volcano Roll if they have it when you go. Changed my life! 100% will be back again! Great spot! read more

Kotobuki - Vegan Sesame Chicken, special vegan Volcano Roll (amazing), vegan Mango salsa roll - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I heard good things about Kotobuki and saw they serve gyudon so I decided to drop by. The ambience is lovely, I didn't get to sit at the Japanese seating but when I return I certainly would like to. The atmosphere alone earns two stars. The actual Japanese music made me long to be back in Japan... The food quality earns another two. Everything was delicious. I ordered yakitori, shrimp nigiri and gyudon. Miso soup and salad were included. The yakitori was delicious, and the shrimp nigiri is one of the best that I've had--certainly the best in the area, the shrimps were super juicy and actually had meat on them. I am not the biggest fan of miso soup and it can often be hit or miss for me, but I enjoyed it here. The salad was also perfect and I wanted to gobble up that dressing. For these sorts of salads the temperature is important to me and the lettuce was crisp and ice cold, which was perfect. As for the gyudon... when it first came I was worried about the portion size for the price--and I still think that if you were to just get gyudon it's a bit steep. However the gyudon is delicious and with the rest of my meal was extremely filling. Honestly, compared to most local places the prices aren't that much different but it still is a determining factor in my review. I would give five stars if not for the prices, and I will most certainly be trying to return. read more

Kotobuki - yakitori - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Almost half the menu is vegan which is great, including apps and desserts! Spring rolls are delicious as are the potstickers. All 3 rolls we tried were delicious, but volcano was the best. Also tried the fried vegan cheesecake, not super sweet and a delicious treat. We will be returning with friends! The owners are super nice, looks like they hired more staff, service was not too slow as I have seen previously stated. #Veganuary Updated from previous review on 2022-02-16 read more

Kotobuki - Volcano, veggie lover's, hugged roll salmon (vegan) - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Fantastic food, highly recommend the cucumber salad with your meal. Waiters are personal and professional and I felt very at peace while there. The seating was wonderful and the sushi chef was such a character. Highly recommend y'all come here. Me and my wife frequent this place and absolutely love it! read more

Great place for sushi and everything Japanese. Outstanding vibes from the waiter I had. She was awesome and very polite! Amazing atmosphere! I've never had or heard of seafood katsu. I've been to Japan at least 15 times and I got this to give it a try and it was amazing. Something different every piece of karsu. The sushi also was amazing. Very large portions too. I'd say if you ever ate at one of those all-you-can-eat sushi places, the servings here was double the size! And had very fresh rice! The miso soup here was excellent! This place was and is awesome!! read more

Kotobuki - Seafood katsu. Every piece of katsu was a different fish. - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

This is one of the best sushi restaurants that i've been to in Norfolk. When the waiter took my order, he was very knowledgeable and when placing the order for my friend, he was informative in helping me order for her based upon what she normally likes. Upon getting my food, I noticed how aesthetically pleasing the food was. In addition, the fish tasted so fresh upon biting into it. I was amazed at the quality of the sushi seeing as I had yet to experience such great tasting sushi in Virginia. I will definitely return to this sushi restaurant! read more

Kotobuki - Japanese Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

This is a 2.5 star review for me. The standout dish for me was the spicy tuna appetizer. It was really flavorful and spicy. The Takoyaki appetizer was the biggest disappointment. It is listed as a octopus dumpling, but is actually more like a big hush puppy, stuffed with cream cheese, a small chunk of octopus and coated with a sweet sauce. It was overly sweet with really no octopus flavor. I had the sashimi deluxe for my meal. It was tuna, salmon, white tuna, octopus, mackarel, red snapper, eel and imitation crab. It was fine. I've had much better, I've had much worse. I would say it was on par with the sushi I've gotten at good quality grocery stores. Overall, a very average experience. read more

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Pretty standard for 757. The fish is not fresh or that good but if they cover it in enough sauce it's reasonably edible. Meh.

I got a very good bottle of sake from Japan and wanted to have a good sushi dinner for the New Year Eve. It's my first time at this restaurant and called in for ordering out. The place is nice and cozy with dining in customers and lots of taken out orders at that time. The sushi and others were excellent and very nice services. We had sashimi deluxe, sushi deluxe, dragon rolls and miso soups. This is now our favorite sushi bar in this area. Highly recommended. read more

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AWESOME establishment! I apologize for not writing a review 2 years ago when I started coming here.... Everything is top notch: Ambiance, Service, quality of food, and prices are GREAT! They even have am AMAZING vegan selection!! Great job.... read more

This place has really good food i'll give it that, but the lady host who works there is a complete asshole for no absolute reason. When i looked up this place, it said their hours were from 11-10:00, but when i called to make a reservation, she said the closed at 2 in a very condescending manner as if there was no point of eating there (it was around 1245 and i was almost 20 mins away). So when we get there, she greets us, but did not get everyone's order accurately and then when told, she doesn't recall being told the order when everyone else heard. Also, when we wanted the check, my guests had to ask MULTIPLE times for a togo box just not even get the food. So overall, if you wanna go for the food by all means go ahead, but just know that the lady there is very rude and I will not be eating here again. read more