As locals we've walked by Kuma for years but tonight we dropped in for dinner. We ordered two sashimi over rice bowls and were really impressed with the quality of the fish, the rice and the large portions. In spite of a packed house, the service was cheerful and very fast. We usually frequent another Japanese place in Seaside but Kuma is now on our list! Just made reservations for ten family members visiting form SoCal. read more

Honestly some of the best service I've had. Sushi is fresh as can be and their rolls are well balanced and affordable. Great music also goes a long way ! read more

Kuma - Stuffed Jalapeños - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Great sushi chefs and a fun vibe! Can get a bit rowdy as it gets later, so if you want a quieter meal, go earlier in the evening. The service was excellent!!!!! read more

BAWMBB. We're from out of town and we're looking for good sushi. Long story short: just go here!!! PARKING: street or garage. We parked at a garage 1 min away which was free for the first hour and $1 for every 30 min. ATMOSPHERE: Casual but cool. FOOD: Fantastic, we loved everything. I'm kinda picky when it comes to sushi because of living in Japan and San Diego. Mannn this place did not disappoint. Our favorite rolls were the Akuma roll and Whole hearted roll. The Akuma roll was addictive, and the Whole Hearted Roll was refreshing. They have a limited cocktail list, but both drinks we had were delicious. SERVICE: The best. Literally every single person we encountered was genuinely nice. We LOVED our server. He made the experience. We had a little accident at our table (whoops) but our server and another gentleman was quick to address it. They were so cool and nice about it!! Our server was attentive and we really felt like he went above and beyond. Unrelated but I couldn't help but notice how much the staff looks out for each other. It's always a good feeling to see a positive work environment - it just makes the experience that much more enjoyable when everyone is smiling. Would recommend 100% read more

Kuma - Whole hearted roll, SALMON SKIN ROLL , akuma roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

This place tasted amazing! We were quickly seated and greeted by the bartender which was a friendly first impression. Our waiter was quick, gave us a recommendation and it was not too loud in the restaurant. There are a ton of seatings so this is also a good spot for large parties. read more

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Good service. Nice quality food. The waiter offered us free miso soup and deserts. Toro is great quality.

Satisfying rolls with very friendly and attentive service and casual ambiance. Appetizer was served within 5 minutes and rolls within 20 mins. The Big Bang was a favorite though the heat was missing from it's spicy description which left this Mexican a bit disappointed. The tempura crunch on all of the baked rolls was perfect. I was excited about the veggie tempura roll but it's small size only allowed for very small pieces of tempura veges so I was unable to fully appreciate the tasty tempura batter. I found the Dra-vegan roll very enjoyable and packed with flavor. The Phoenix roll was literally on fire! It does leave a slight charred taste which might not be a welcome flavor for all. Restaurant is clean and can accommodate large parties. read more

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The first time we dined here it was just a date night. We enjoyed the food, service and general positivity we came right back and brought friends. This time I did order a bowl I saw a different table order the first time we were here & our table got an assortment of rolls, appetizers and drinks. The place has a great qi and coupled with great food it's a no brainer; we are definitely coming back. read more

We were seated quickly and our server was really sweet. Our food tasted really great and was a super great price! Restaurant looks small from our from but has lots of room to dine inside. read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

SO SO GOOD. We're vegetarian, and I went here with my fiancé, it was so so incredible. The were four main roll options for vegetarians (there were also other apps and mains but it was just us two so we ordered all 4 rolls). We ordered all 4 vegetarian rolls, each roll was ample size, 8 pieces each, it came beautifully prepared and organized on a nice wooden board (see my pic!). It was so good that we devoured all 4. Check out their menu to see the options! The service was incredible, they gave honest recs of how much we should order and also drink recs! The ambiance was also great for a date, quiet without being too quiet and also a lovely spot for a gathering -- there was enough space between the tables. I'm coming back here for more, as should you! read more

Kuma - Vegetarian rolls - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

I'm very split on how to review this restaurant. To start, with the ambiance it is rather loud in there without music and with. It feels like the restaurant wants to be a casual sushi place but also wants to feel more high end. Not the biggest problem for me. Then on the service, reading all the reviews before going in I heard the service was great even if they were busy. Unfortunately it felt like me and my wife feel like we rarely got attended to or even seen our server and had to wait forever to get the bill and pay the bill. Lastly the food, we got the miso soup, Lucy who roll, whole hearted roll, and of course the phoenix roll. The Lucy who roll and the whole hearted roll came out first. Very good and vibrant in flavor. The phoenix roll didn't come until 7 minutes after and I had to ask a person who wasn't even our server where our miso soup was. The phoenix roll looked cool for pictures. But was the blandest roll of our 3. Overall; loud place with a service that missed for me but had good food that came out randomly with a bland gimmick roll. Would give a low 4/high 3. read more

I organized a large group dinner at Kuma, and due to our event schedule we were unfortunately running late. Kuma staff were incredibly kind and gracious and allowed us to push our reservation back. The service and food were amazing! We were especially appreciative of the excellent service as we had had previously negative experiences dining in Monterey, possibly because we were a majority people of Color group. We loved Kuma and will return the next time we visit Monterey. read more

Delicious food with wonderful service. Perfect for our trip to Monterey. Would definitely eat here again.

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! read more

Debbie was just the absolute best server! She was very attentive, helpful, and friendly. The food was amazing and we will definitely be going back again. I cannot stress enough how Debbie was super helpful and always kept an eye on us for anything that we needed!! Thank you Debbie you are the best read more

Such a highly rated place but dang, this isn't that great y'all. My wife and I got the Spanish Bay Roll, the Eileen Supreme and the Crunchy Roll. The Spanish bay roll was a great name for the roll, it was quite literally swimming in the sauce. Plus the fishy flavor of the roll was very reminiscent of the bay. Overall, it looked better than how it tasted. The Eileen Supreme and the Crunch Roll tasted almost the same. Between the both of them they were actually not bad, just nothing special. The prices for these rolls were also a bit steep as far as sushi is concerned, not crazy, but if you're charging 15+ for a roll, they better be really something else. The ambiance was not good, the main dining area is a large open space with high ceilings. They got some fake plants on the walls with minimal Japanese decor. Kuma seems really interested in keeping those heating costs down so make sure you bring a jacket when it's cold outside, it will likely be brisk inside as well. The lights inside are pretty bright as well, which likely could be easily adjusted for a much better ambiance. The service was a redeeming factor here, the hostess, bar man, and the waitress really were great. Friendly and quick. One of them even turned on the disco ball for us. Apparently the building used to be a music venue. They just figured the disco ball would be nice to hold onto. Bold move Kuma, bold move. read more

Kuma - Eileen Supreme and Crunchy Roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Sushi was amazing and lots of options. The spicy rolls were beautiful t hot or spicy so add wasabi. Cocktails looked amazing and great collection. I would recommend read more

Funky, minimal interior. Service was all over the place. Never really knew who our waiter was. Food was just ok. Room temperature sushi served with room temperature tap water to match. read more

Had dinner with my wife and ordered veg tempura, dragon roll, California roll and veggie udon with chicken. The veg tempura came out hot and was tasty. The tempura sauce/dip was not very flavorful. The dragon roll did not have much flavor. Order this roll often at other sushi restaurants and Kuma's version was a disappointment. The California roll did not have much avocado but tasted fine. The veggie udon was okay but the chicken was a great addition as it was cooked just right. The server did an excellent job and check on our needs quite often. Dinner was only $68 (with tip). We selected Kuma because the menu on line showed soba noodles were available. When we got to the restaurant, soba noodles were not offered. Ramen would have been a great alternative but it was not offered. The udon noodles was the third alternative and it was offered. As my wife likes soup noodles and I like rolls - we will not be returning to Kuma. read more

We heard this place was the sushi spot and we're looking forward to it. We made a reservation and we're given an 1.5 wait. They told us we would get a call or text but they never called us or texted us. Luckily we went to a nearby bar and grill for a drink and decided to have dinner there since we got GHOSTED by Kuma. Next time just be honest and let ppl know a table will not be available instead of having to wait 1.5 hr then finding this out. read more

Came here with the family on an early Sunday evening. The restaurant was very charming, clean, hip with cool music playing. I'm glad the music wasn't too loud like some sushi places I've been to. The sushi was very original and fresh. The server was very helpful but not very attentive. I recommend read more

The restaurant is spacious. The sushi chef and the servers greats you with smiles. A warm and friendly atmosphere to dine in. Prices are just right and the food is amazing. Adding this restaurant to my "collection" on Yelp. The Sake Kama comes with rice. The salmon was seasoned well. Very delicious, flavorful, and crispy. It is a good portion and will fill you up. I turned the Sake Kama into a bento by ordering house salad ($5) and miso soup ($2) on the side. Both the hamachi and sake kama are equally delicious. Eileen Supreme is a must-get. My favorite roll on the menu. It has all the ingredients that make up a perfect roll in my opinion. It is graciously loaded with ingredients and packed full of flavors in each bite and the price is generous considering it has soft shell crab in it. Please give this roll a try. If you are a fan of the soft-shell crab then this roll was meant for you. Beyond DELICIOUS! read more

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Always a great back up to my favorite sushi spot Sushi Daruma. Food & service was exceptional. We've visited this establishment since they opened and closed and then reopened in the last few years. Menu seems to change periodically. Not sure what's happening with my previous post but here goes another. Definitely recommend if your in the area. read more

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The sushi here was really delicious and tasted super fresh! The Spicy Paula was definitely the star of the night and our table ordered several of them. The basic rolls were also done very well and the sashimi and nigiri selections were delicious and fresh. Only knocking down a star since we were kind of forgotten about and the waiter forgot a few of our rolls (didn't write them down while taking a pretty long order so we suspected that would happen but they still tried to charge us), and the phoenix roll tasted very strongly of whatever they use to set it on fire (presuming butane but not sure). Other than those two things everything was great and we'll definitely be back the next time we're in the area! read more

Sat at the bar & had a great experience! Their sushi was fresh and Dylan the bartender was pouring up some banger drinks. I didn't think my friends & I would find a great place in Monterey but Dylan and the rest of the team blew my expectations away. I would visit again. read more

Back again, our third visit. Our favorite sushi in Monterrey. Super yummy rolls. Note several of their rolls show a "spicy" asterisk, but they're not spicy. Doesn't bother me, but might if you like things spicy! Friendly waiters and nice inside. Lots of fun booths outside on Tuesday afternoon farmers market in front of this business too. But I wanted to support the local restaurant. read more

Kuma - Cocktail menu - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Great music, humble owner and attentive staff! Dylan was very kind from the moment my boyfriend and I checked in, to the moment we walked out. This place is a hidden gem--the rolls were fresh and delicious. Thank you!! We will be back :) read more

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. read more

A good spot for sushi in Monterey. A wide variety of rolls offered, including baked and fried (not my fave). Fish was fresh and good quality. They even offer vegan rolls! Thought that was cool. I ordered: - Melting albacore (underwhelmed, wouldn't order again) - Ono & Hamachi nigiri (ono recommended seared and was very tasty) - Whole Hearted Roll (clean yummy flavors, not drowned in sauces) - Spicy scallop HR (yum!) Service was good, didn't wait too long like some other reviews mentioned. I would come again! read more

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Fine sushi, but fails otherwise. After a decently long wait we were seated without being assigned a server. We had to get the attention of wait staff to place our order. Appetizers were creative in a bad way. The salad was a basic green salad with a mayo-based dressing not a traditional ginger dressing. Sushi was fine, good but not great. Teriyaki steak was a miss however. It was a bad cut of beef: dry, tough, flavorless with an overly sweet sauce. Won't recommend. read more

Had a very subpar dining experience here over Memorial Day weekend, but maybe it's because we didn't order sushi. I was in Big Sur with 3 other friends on Saturday, and we wanted to have a nice dinner after a long day. We called around and most other restaurants were full or only had reservations available much later, so we decided to give Kuma to try since they were the only restaurant that said they had immediate availability. We were seated immediately when we arrived at 7. It was windy and freezing outside, so I wanted a warm/hot dish. Unfortunately out of their three page menu, two were fully dedicated to sushi, and only one had starters and non-sushi entrees. I didn't want noodles, so I went with the seafood rice ($21.95). Another friend felt the same way as me and ordered the seafood yaki udon ($19.95). The food took forever to arrive. We had to wait a full 40 minutes after ordering before the food was served, which is unfortunate because we were all hungry and wanted to eat asap. It felt like every other table was getting their food before us, even the tables that were seated and ordered after us. When our food finally arrived, I took a bite of my seafood rice and did not like the taste of the ginger soy sauce at all. I tried a couple bites of the seafood yaki udon as well, and it was the exact same sauce. Turns out the two dishes are exactly the same, except one was served over rice and the over served with udon noodles. I finished my food because I was hungry but did not enjoy a single bite. I think I would've been better off ordering the sushi here. Though my friends who ordered a couple of rolls to share also said the rolls were just okay and nothing to write home about. Overall a pretty disappointing meal for us. read more

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The husband and I were starving after a long drive from the Bay to Monterey and was looking for a place where we could sit outdoors and get some decent food. We happened to be right next to Kuma and decided to give this place a try. They have 3 tables outdoors, and only 1 was occupied when we arrived. Our wait staff was very attentive during our time here and checked in on us often and made sure to answer any questions we had. For my meal, I chose to get an order of their toriten udon which is udon with a side of fried chicken strips. The fried chicken was surprisingly good - it tasted very fresh and was perfectly crispy without being too greasy, which is a huge deal breaker for me. The udon itself was good but on the basic side - while it tasted fresh enough, I can't say that anything about the noodles or broth particularly stood out to me. I took one star away because I think that the restaurant needs to change up the type of towels they use to dry their dishes after washing. I had ordered a small bottle of hot sake and the mug that they gave me had little bits of white particle floating in it. I didn't realize what it was at first and I'm also the type of customer that hates making a fuss about things (I prefer to leave it on my Yelp review after haha) but thankfully our waiter separately noticed the white particles and came out proactively to our table and swapped out my bottle of sake for a large bottle (free upgrade) with a different set of cups. He also wasn't sure what the residue was and thought it had something to do with a bad batch of sake, but afterwards I figured out it had to do with the towels since the new bottle of sake + new cup also had the same issue. Outside of that though, our dining experience at Kuma was very pleasant. read more

Kuma - Oh so spicy roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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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. read more

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It was a bit of an odd experience. Regarding service, our server was super friendly, but we could all see the sushi bar at the back where three guys were way overserved and doing sake bombs with all the sushi chefs while everyone else was waiting and the chefs were getting slower and slower. We tried asking a server passing by about the drink special at the front, but the server reacted like they'd never done a drink special which was weird. When the sushi finally came out, it was hit and miss. Some rolls were excellent flavors with great fish and then the next roll would be lower quality fish or a bit of an odd flavor. Also, a lot of the rolls had crab or shrimp which was a little concerning for someone with shellfish allergies. There were surprisingly few rolls I could actually try I would not return candidly. read more

The place generally is really clean and has a lively ambiance, 4.3/5.0. The servers are very nice as they check up on the customers frequently and are always patient, friendly and welcoming . The food is great but doesn't taste authentic as it caters to tourists, especially people who have never ate authentic sushi or other Asian dishes that they serve. Otherwise, the food is delicious and very tasty. read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Fantastic service and amazing food! We tried Kuma for the first time and LOVED it. The sushi was incredibly fresh, and we loved everything we tried. The rolls & nigiri were perfect. - The staff was also amazing, we loved their energy and they were attentive the whole meal. We will definitely be returning to Kuma. read more

Very enjoyable sushi spot! The rolls were delicious and a so well priced. We had great servers who were friendly and super helpful in guiding us on our selections read more

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Great atmosphere and fresh sushi! We sat at the sushi bar and saw them prepare all the sushi. Great experience and food! 10/10 read more

Kuma - Chrirashi Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Excellent rolls. Just great flavors running through it. We loved it so much that we are going back to try several different rolls. The salmon was raw and very flavorful. Miso soup great flavor. read more

Kuma - Miso soup was rich and flavorful - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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The food was amazing. The people were super friendly. Service was amazing! It was a really nice restaurant. Great experience!