I have been wanting to give this place a try and finally got the opportunity. Unfortunately I was in the moment so I did not take any photos. Everything was really fresh and prepared well. The restaurant has beautiful vaulted ceilings and great vibes. Only note was the music was all over the place but not a big deal at all. We ordered a lot since we were both very hungry and left satisfied. Starters: Spicy garlic edamame - great flavor and not overly done (5/5) Shrimp & Veggie tempura- perfect amount of batter (5/5) Gyoza (5/5) Mains: Chicken Teriyaki served with miso soup, salad, and steamed rice. (4/5) only because the salad while good had a little too much dressing, not a deal breaker. Sake sashimi 5/5 Tiger roll 5/5 Would definitely recommend as a great sushi spot and will be back! read more

This sushi spot checks all the boxes for me.. (+) Chirashi bowl was legit (+) Crispy and warm tempura (+) Sapporo on tap (+) Disco ball on the ceiling Also near the Portola hotel if you're staying there, walking distance on Alvarado St read more

Kuma - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Kuma was a great find during our trip to Monterey. The service was excellent from start to finish--everyone was friendly, attentive, and our drinks and food came out surprisingly fast. We started with two of their specialty cocktails, and both were fantastic. They were a really unique fusion of Japanese flavors and a margarita, perfectly balanced and delicious. For dinner, I ordered a sushi roll that was huge, incredibly filling, and made with very fresh fish. My husband had the chicken teriyaki, which was also a generous portion and came with miso soup and rice, making it a great value. The only part of the meal that fell a little short was the gyoza. They were cooked well with a nice texture, but the filling was just okay, and the dipping sauce lacked flavor. Overall, we really enjoyed our meal and would definitely come back for the sushi, cocktails, and great service. read more

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We ended up here after Alvarado brew had a 1+ hr wait and it was a GREAT pivot! Prickly pear marg was a fantastic start, strong and sweet Our rolls came quickly, best of which were the Sun roll and Phoenix (fun fire at the table!) Best of all was the Toro tuna belly sashimi!!! Our server Jaiden went above and beyond recommending this, telling us how to eat it, and even bringing over a special wasabi for us to try!! Ambiance leaves something to be desired, but Jaiden's service and the toro sashimi was the BEST! Definitely visit for fresh sushi when you're in Monterey read more

Kuma - Phoenix Roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Sushi was yummy! Happy they had room for our party of 7. Service was pretty prompt even when the place got packed soon after we arrived. Spacious interior and a separate room for private party. Agedashi tofu and the sushi rolls (Aspen, Sun and Whole-Hearted) were delicious and I'd highly recommend for a good variety. I appreciated the freshness of the fish, rice to fish ratio and creativity of each roll. They also have vegan rolls. Prices were a little elevated for the smaller portions of sushi - $18 and up for each roll but they were tasty enough. There's 60 min street parking nearby. read more

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Really good sushi in Monterey. This is located in downtown Monterey and we stopped in because our original destination had a huge wait. Kuma had a few minute wait. This place is really family friendly, and there were a lot of people with loud kids on a Saturday night around 6. It was also really packed, so the servers were running around getting everyone everything pretty quickly. I thought they were very pleasant and energetic. They have an interesting variety of sushi rolls, including some vegetarian and vegan selections. I felt like the serving size was pretty large, and I ended up taking some home. All the fish was fresh and high quality. A very enjoyable dinner! read more

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Really great location (deceivingly larger than it appears from the street!) in downtown monterey. Really, really fresh fish and simple flavors. I'd skip anything there that isnt fish. We tried the gyoza and it was a little bland. But the ahi poke was spot on. Also tried a couple rolls that i really enjoyed but i forgot their names. Really brought me back to my old fave sushi place that no longer exists, so i really appreciated the nostalgia read more

Two friends/colleagues and I skipped out of a nearby conference to chow down on sushi and were so stoked on Kuma! We had good service and even scored some free sake when one of the wait staff misunderstood a request (likely because the dining room is so loud! not great acoustics because it's so cavernous, but bright and welcoming, too). I have to admit that I was a little intimidated by their extensive menu, but we loved pretty much everything we ordered. Left stuffed and satisfied! read more

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I stopped in for a solo dinner on a Weds night. The restaurant was only half full so I was attended to very quickly. The service was pleasant and prompt throughout my visit. There is a small bar with some seating when you first walk in, and then a medium sized dining room with a sushi bar as well. I ordered the scallop blossom appetizer ($10) and the Spicy Paula roll. I felt the roll could have been a little spicier to warrant the pepper label. But it was fresh and delicious. Overall I was happy with my visit and would return. read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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This place has decently good sushi. I tried their edamame, sashimi, Spanish Bay roll (riceless), unagi roll, and salmon skin hand roll. Fish tasted fresh and was presented well. The place does't have a typical restaurant layout. The front part is rather dark and feels like a bar lounge. When you enter the back, it is a large airy space with plenty of tables. The tables are far apart so there is no crowded or intimate feeling. While a bit on the pricier side for sushi, it is on par for its downtown location. read more

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Really friendly service, but kind of slow with the food. Got the platter with 8 rolls. To be honest, they all tasted kind of the same. It wasn't bad, but it was a lot of California-roll flavors. And there's a lot of sauce, so you're tasting the sauce more than the fish. Will try their chirashi next for something a little simpler. read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

5 STARS !! Don't believe the 4.3 stars. The quality of fish used is 5 star. The size of the sashimi is huge! Not bad quality huge but great-melt-in-your-mouth huge slices. Waitress was so sweet. Staff were so nice. We got salads and miso soups and that comes with big entree orders and the soul was in a big bowl. Salad dressing was amazing. read more

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Since my last visit the food quality and service has improved. We came to love the simple cut rolls. read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Good sushi at a reasonable price for a downtown area. The ambiance was decent, but nothing to write home about. Service was very fast which was awesome, but the waiter was a tad bit rude. read more

Kuma - Food - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

If you're ever in Monterey County, be sure to check out my absolute favorite sushi bar called Kuma! This is our 2nd time coming to this restaurant and we will keep coming back. The "Lover Plate" for 2 is an especially good deal that features Chef's Choice of a special roll, 8 pieces of Nigiri, 2 hand rolls, 4 pieces of gyoza and wakame seaweed salad -- all for $65! You let the server know what you like and don't like and they will customize the meal for you! Kuma gets 5 stars for SAFAV: Service Ambiance Food Alcohol Value for Money For more food recommendations of restaurants rated 5 stars for SAFAV, check out my IG: https://www.instagram.com/cindythechomper?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== read more

Kuma - $65 Love Plate for 2 with an add on of fried squid (Ika) - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

We were in Monterey for Spring break and was checking out where to eat. This place was one of the few restaurants that was open pass 8 and we weren't disappointed . The place was pretty packed for a Monday night. There were only 3 servers which is why there was a little wait. But they were very accommodating specially Dylan! He made sure we were well taken care of. The food was amazing and tasted fresh. Our favorite was the Yama Roll and the dancing shrimp! It blew our minds!! We've never tried anything like that before. The place was family friendly. We hope to come back the next time we visit Monterey. read more

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I finally went inside after only ever ordering their sushi from the wine bar next door, and the inside was not at all what I expected. The space feels more like a multipurpose ballroom than a traditional restaurant. It is one big open room with very high ceilings, tables and chairs spread out across the floor, and the sushi bar set up along the back wall. There is even a disco ball on the ceiling and a projector, so I am guessing they host other events or maybe karaoke nights that I just did not know about. Aside from the surprise of the interior layout, everything else was great. Our server (I think his name was Ridley (I don't have the receipt anymore sadly), though I might be butchering that) was friendly and on top of things. Drinks came out quickly, the sushi quality was exactly what I am used to from past orders, and I really have no complaints about anything we ate. Just updating my review to share some photos and give a better sense of what the inside looks like, but the food itself is still consistently good. read more

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We don't get to Monterey enough from San Francisco, but when we do, Kuma is ALWAYS on our list of where we have to eat. We were in Japan for 2 weeks in October and we just didn't get enough sashimi. Kuma came to the sashimi rescue. The sashimi is incredibly fresh. No fishy smell here. No sirreee. Most importantly, our compliments to Sushi Chef Mike for his sashimi and sushi artistry and skills. He puts the WOW in our eyes and tummies. We always look forward to his chirashi bowl paired with cold Dasai 45 sake. Kanpai! If you're not sure where to dine while in Monterey, checkout Kuma for great Japanese food. read more

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WOW! Awesome sushi and fresh wasabi. We will be back for sure!!!! *****, and the crew was so helpful and courteous.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. Staying near downtown Monterey and looking for a light dinner. Searched Yelp and Kuma Sushi jumped out at me. They have a no frills website. I mean really no frills. The home page shows their name, but no other info like address, phone number, location, contact, etc. You know, the usual stuff you'd find on a business website. You only see one link to their PDF menu, and it looks like an outdated menu ... since it has older (lower) prices and also doesn't like some of their newer more current offerings. It was challenging looking at Yelp page for any uploaded photos of their menu because many photos are years old (and you can't sort the photos by date to see the newest ones first). And many of the photos were uploaded sideways, so I have to turn my head sideways to try to read it. This is definitely a place that is better for dining in or ordering take out in person. I came up with a few things that looked interesting and did it the "old fashioned" way by calling the restaurant to place my take out order. They gave me an estimate of 45 minutes. This was a surprise, since it's a Monday night. Would have thought Mondays were slower. Anyhows, I was looking forward to trying this place, and was disappointed by a mix up with the order. Read on. I ordered these : -- Mixed Tempura appetizer $13 -- Whole Hearted Roll $18 Inside : Salmon, Avocado, Micro Cilantro Outside : Hamachi Toppings : Carpaccio Sauce, Green Onions, Garlic -- Rainbow Roll $17 Outside : 5 Assorted Fish Inside : Avocado, Crab, Cucumber Toppings : Green Onion, Masago The Whole Hearted Roll ($18) was excellent! It was so fresh tasting and unique. It was delicious and I would order it again. The Rainbow Roll ($17) was solid, and pretty standard. I probably should have taken a bite of this Rainbow Roll before the Whole Hearted Roll. LOL Because the Whole Hearted Roll outshines the Rainbow Roll by a lot. The menu offered 3 types of Tempura appetizer : Vegetable ($8), Shrimp ($13) and Mixed ($13). I ordered the Mixed Tempura and was surprised to find ZERO shrimp. Not one piece of shrimp in the Mixed Tempura. It was all veggies, 6 of 7 pieces of Veggies. Yet I was charged for the Mixed Tempura. I was definitely charged $13 for my mixed tempura appetizer that had no shrimp. The rolls were $17 and $18. The Tempura was $13. $17 + $18 + $13 = $48. Add 3.5% credit card payment fee brings it up to $49.69. And 9.25% Monterey Sales Tax added, to the combined cost of food + credit card fee, makes the order total $54.27. See photo of my receipt : order amount $49.69 + $4.60 tax = $54.29. It's 2 cents off, but close enough. Other than the tempura mix up, the food here was good. I may give them another try next time. I was also eyeing the Chirashi on the menu. Perhaps next time. Parking in downtown Monterey can be a challenge at times. I had to circle around before I found street parking. read more

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My very best friends first introduced my partner and me to this sushi spot on Alvarado Street, and we've been loyal customers for a couple of years now. The manager is always so welcoming and even recognizes us when we come in for our double date nights, which makes the experience feel extra special. We usually start the night with either the Clean Linen cocktail (which sadly is no longer on the menu, but we still ask for it!) or the Japanese cocktail--both are excellent--plus a sake bomb to kick things off. The Dancing Shrimp appetizer is an absolute must. It's so good that my partner and I used to share one, but now we each order our own because we just can't get enough. For entrées, our go-to favorites are the chicken katsu, unagi nigiri, salmon nigiri, maguro, hamachi, and a few of their specialty rolls. Everything is always fresh, flavorful, and consistently satisfying. Honestly, we never worry about the prices because we always leave full, happy, and already excited for our next visit. As for the ambiance, the high ceilings give it an almost old-church feel when you look up, which adds some unexpected charm. The servers are usually attentive and keep the night flowing smoothly, making the whole dining experience that much better. This place is a must try on Alvarado st. read more

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10/10 Absolutely amazing sushi super fresh and easily my new favorite local spot! Let me start with the sashimi: all of it was a perfect 10/10. Every piece melted in my mouth, incredibly fresh with flawless cuts. I honestly couldn't even pick a favorite because they were all that good. The Tekka rolls were also excellent rolled perfectly with nothing falling apart, just fresh and flavorful in every bite. Hands down, the freshest sushi I've had locally, and I truly savored every bite. Service was fast and efficient. Our server was very attentive and made sure our waters were always filled, which I appreciated. The ambiance was nice too loved the venue, and the disco ball at the front was a fun touch. The only minor drawback was the seating layout, which felt a little too open, almost like people were watching us. But that's just nitpicking, because the sushi was the true highlight here. If you're in the area, this place is an absolute must-try! read more

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Had the opportunity to dine here recently, and tried their: Dragon roll, hotate scallop nigiri, and chirashi bowl with choice of side salad (or miso soup). It all tasted fresh and delicious! Service was quick and friendly as well. The chirashi bowl was huge and had thick cuts of sashimi on top of a bed of rice. Would stop by again! read more

Kuma - Dragon roll, hotate scallop nigiri, and chirashi bowl, yum! - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Kuma is a pretty good spot with good service overall, and we're usually seated quickly when we come in. First dine-in experience, we ordered some sushi and the beef teriyaki. What stood out to me about the beef teriyaki, was that it had a darker color and looked nicely caramelized, like it had cooked down into the sauce, which gave it great flavor and presentation (pictured). On return visits, though, it hasn't quite looked the same. The cut of beef always seems different and it doesn't appear as caramelized or cooked into the sauce the way it did that first time. It's still good, but I wish there was a little more consistency or made it how was my first time, because that first experience set the bar pretty high. Service is decent overall, although drink orders tend to come out a bit slow -- even on quieter evenings. The space itself is clean and modern, but the dining room feels a little sparse for how large it is. A bit more warmth in the decor could make it feel more inviting. read more

Kuma - BEEF TERIYAKI - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Service was fantastic! Our host was warm and friendly, our server was very knowledgeable of the cocktail & sake menu and made great recommendations, and a third employee (maybe a second hostess or a busser?) was so kind to my daughter and brought her a small pink origami crane that completely made her night. We had had a long, exhausting day at the Boardwalk in SC and weren't feeling so great, so we opted for simple fare to make us feel better. Edamame was on point, the miso soup calmed my tummy, and the sake make and avokyu rolls were clean, fresh, and just what I needed. Also ordered the Japanese cocktailamd it was great! We will definitely be back to try more stuff! read more

Kuma - The Japanese cocktail: cognac,] - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Came for date night on a Saturday night and this place was hopping! We put our name down and waited ~35minutes for our table. The bar and restaurant were packed with people having lots of fun (go elsewhere if you want a quiet dinner). They continued to check in with us while we were waiting to give us live wait time, and the waitstaff were also friendly and attentive. My vegetarian friends! There are 4 vegan/vegetarian sushi options (dra-vegan, shroompa loompa, vegan spicy tuna roll, vegetable tempura roll), plus of course miso soup, vegetable tempura, inari, edamame, vegetable udon, salads. I love starting with miso soup-- theirs is a bit larger portion and super flavorful! Next we ordered the vegetable tempura (it actually came after all the food-- but the apologized and brought us mochi ice cream)-- nice variety and crunch, not oily. I went with the Dra-vegan-- I liked the savory eggplant, perfectly cooked tofu, creamy avocado, comforting sweet potato. There is Street parking. read more

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I had the poke and an old fashioned. Both were amazing! Honestly, I can't wait to go back. My wife also enjoyed her rolls immensely! read more

Kuma - Ahi poke with wonton chips - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Nice vibe; good quality sushi. We ordered a bunch of things for dinner starting with the edamame and moving to the tempura with shrimp and vegetables. All really good. Next we shared a number of rolls and cherashi - the latter was vast and delicious. Don't forget to reserve your table as they definitely fill up. Service was excellent. Highly recommend. read more

We were seated right away on a Tuesday evening. It was pretty busy and average noise level. The waitress was nice and gave us great recommendations. We got the Phoenix on fire and the whole hearted roll and 2 order of seared salmon roll with light mayo. The drinks were also good. We will definitely come back. read more

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Nice little restaurant with friendly staff and service! We got the salmon skin roll, beef teriyaki bowl, and Phoenix on fire roll. It was cool seeing the Phoenix roll on fire, quite entertaining. They were very accommodating to our little toddler. The salmon skin roll was a little bland, small, and had a cardboard stale texture, it was probably our least favorite. The Phoenix roll was not bad. The beef teriyaki bowl was our favorite and most yummy of all the food we got. We enjoyed eating here, it was quite busy and it took a little while to get our food. But the service was great. read more

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Found this place while walking around downtown the night prior we went. There was a large party sitting on the patio and seemed like a nice little spot to eat. The next night we walked up and put our name in, it was so much bigger than it looks outside. We waited about 5 minutes for a seat at the sushi bar. We loved sitting there, we had a great time watching all of the different items they were making and switching between. We got a couple roles, the baaad beat and big bang and the teriyaki chicken. Everything was amazing! The rolls were fresh and flavorful and the chicken was cooked well and flavorful. Can't wait to go back when visiting in town read more

Kuma - Big Bang & Baaad Beat - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

All around great place to eat for good fresh sushi. The sushi was very good and very reasonably priced. The service was very good as well, someone was checking on us every few minutes for picking up dirty plates, trash, etc. pretty cool inside, not too loud with the sushi bar in the back. We had a little mix up with my food but they took care of it no problem. My only semi complaint is they mix a lot of types of fish on the specialty rolls so if you have any allergy concerns just be careful and substitute the right stuff if possible. Highly recommend. read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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I got the langostino roll and it lacked flavor. The roll was very bland and didn't taste fresh. The restaurant had high ceilings so it made the place feel bigger than what it was. The service was pretty quick and our waitress was very helpful and friendly. read more

Kuma - BING BANG LANGOSTINO ROLL - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Came here with the family based on the reviews. It was also walking distance from the hotel. Joined the waiting list before heading over, arriving in time to check in. Waited about 5 - 10 minutes before we were seated. Scanning the menu, nothing really struck my eye right away but I saw on Yelp that the Phoenix roll was popular as it was lit table side. DD was the chicken katsu, Hubs a roll I can't remember, calamari, and a few cocktails. The server said that miso soup and gyozas were also popular items. I skipped the gyoza as they're deep fried. Went with the soup, which was nothing special. Barely hot. I haven't had a midori sour in YEARS . Ordered it bc I saw it as another item in many reviews. It was eh. Needed more sweetener. Sent back to have it remade. Better but nothing to to write about. After the soup, calamari came out. They looked like mozzarella sticks, amd I thought we received the wrong item. We didn't. We were all very hungry as we haven't eaten since lunch. The panko crunch was flavorful and tasty. The inside was...hmmm...rubbery like those frozen calarmari ring. There wasn't much flavor, texture reminding me of those gummy ring candy. Sauce was a bonus but that was it. The rolls started coming out. The baked one, I believe it was called Yama (the one with soft shell crab). The other was not very memorable. The rice was overcooked and also piping hot on both rolls. They didn't really stick together when we picked a piece up with our chopsticks. Also, the rice wasn't flavored either. I almost want to say regular rice was used vs sushi rice. What a bummer because the rolls were a buzz kill. The sauces all tasted the same on both. Hoping when the Phoneix came out, the star of the show, it'd make up for it. Unfortunately, it didn't. Again, sauces were all muted. Nothing really stood out. Rice was the same as the other. Hot, overcooked, underseasoned, and falling apart. All the fish were hidden under them and nothing special worth remembering aside from the torch show in the beginning. Finally, the chicken katsu. We almost forgot we ordered it bc it came so late. We ate it up hoping it'd save the meal. Crunch on the chicken was just as the calarmi. Loved. The salad was dry though there was dressing tossed in. The katsu sauce was the 1st thing that actually has taste to it. Rice was hot. I wanted to like this place but I've had way too many sushi in my lifetime to say that it was 4 or 5 stars. But, I will say, this place was packed for a Saturday night, a line out the door. If this works for them and they are bringing in business for their cliente, be in local or tourists, honestly, good for them. These days, having been in the restaurant business myself, it's hard to maintain a business in this economy. Overall the service was good with a lively atmosphere. The owner/manager came over to say he comped my drink as it wasn't prepared right the 1st time. I wasn't expecting it nor did I ask. However, the food in general wasn't what I was expecting. Missed the mark for a sushi restaurant. read more

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Came in for some miso soup and sushi and glad that we did. The space is big but they don't have a lot of tables considering the size of the room. The staff is friendly and got our order right. They have a bar in the front which makes it, at first, look like you're in the wrong place, not like the typical Sushi bar. The actual sushi bar itself is small compared to most of the restaurants we've gone too. We liked: Suns roll Spanish Bay NO rice roll Miso soup Sunomono We didn't like: Gyoza - deeply fried read more

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Friendly service and welcoming interior. Lots of options for rolls! The rolls are huge with pieces so large that it's too hard to eat in one bite. Maybe the could cut the cost of the rolls a bit by slicing the fish on top a bit thinner..this may be an unpopular opinion but the fish on top overwhelmed the flavor of the roll. If I just wanted to taete the fish then I would order sashimi! But definitely quality ingredients! I'd recommend splitting a couple rolls and an app with a friend rather than trying to do 2 rolls on your own. read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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This place was near our hotel, while my wife and I were at a conference. The reviews were good too. So we came here for Valentine's day. The staff is all very nice and they're doing their best. The service was very good, even though they were quite busy on a Friday Val Day. They have a waitlist feature that doesn't really work. I used it, and our position never changed. We eventually just walked in. They don't really use the waitlist on busy nights. The check in person said. that most people don't show up. We waited for 25-30 minutes and were seated. Our place in line had not changed by the next morning. That part could be better. When one views the menu, it's more of a Japanese restaurant with sushi. There are a lot of Americanized rolls, which I know some people like. I sat at the sushi bar in front of the guy making these very busy creations. They have a decent range of fish for sushi, but there's nothing unique. The fish I had was all good. I had toro, scallop, and salmon belly sashimi, all of which was very good. It wasn't amazing. But I was pleased. I then had uni nigiri, which was also very good. I finished with a salmon skin hand roll, which was great. They cooked the skin with salmon on the grill the. cut it up and served it. This was really great. I started with a spicy edamame which tasted good, but was messy to eat. I'd avoid it. My wife liked the tempura and the sushi she had (ebi and salmon nigiri, spicy tuna hand roll, and california roll). She said this is her kind of sushi restaurant. It worked for me. I thought the service was great. The sushi was all good, done very good. It's a good place to bring people who don't want to do more authentic sushi. Solid place. read more

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Sushi is probably not what you think to get at Monterey, but food tastes fresh and good. Interesting architecture as expected of Monterey. What impressed me the most was the service. My group was quite loud in there but they were always very attentive and nice. Lots of extra attention for everyone. Would return! read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

This spot never disappoints. The sushi always hits the spot here, you definitely need to try the Big Bang Roll. Other honorable mentions would be Heavenly Roll, chicken teriyaki & ika gesuo as a appetizer! Customer service is always outstanding, Dylan and Dom make sure the staff takes care of you. Always making you feel welcomed ! Plenty of seating for large or small groups ! Prefect for a night out with friends or a date night. Limited on the bar seating so get there early to watch sports games ! read more

Kuma - BIG BANG ROLL - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Not bad. Kinda just ok. Most of their sushi is weird sauced combo rolls, and the quality of the fish is also just kind of ok. I wouldn't be angry about going back, but I wouldn't be psyched about it or anything either. It's just... totally ok. read more