This place wasn't a favorite. The customer service wasn't horrible (which is why I'm giving it 3 stars), but the vibe was off. The restaurant had a weird smell that made me question how fresh the sushi was, and it was super chilly inside--to the point where my nose was running! To top it off, the rolls were poorly constructed. Even though it's not far from the aquarium, the area seems kind of sketchy at night. Sushi is my absolute favorite food, so I was pretty disappointed. Writing this mostly for myself so I remember not to return. read more

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As far as sushi goes I'll give it a solid 3. I am picky about my sushi probably to the extreme. It was good but not great. I left full but not satisfied. IMO there was not a lot of flavor in the roll I got, (the Apollo). For all the ingredients in it you would think it would be bursting with flavor. It was not. The cream cheese chunk was HUGe. I'm also not a fan of fake crab and nowhere on the menu did it say it was imitation crab not real. The jalapeño still had seeds in it and the seeds were brown and the slices were not uniform in size. Presentation matters. Service was slow and as always if they leave dirty dishes on the table, I remove a star. Our appetizer dishes stayed on the table through the whole meal. We were never checked on for drinks or if food was ok after it came out. The Apollo - 3/5 The Phoenix - 3/5 The heavenly - 4/5 Tuna Tutake - 5/5 (small for price) If you go wear a jacket, the dining room was very cold. I prob won't be back because there is much better sushi in the area. read more

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This place had major soft opening vibes. As in no one seemed to know what they should be doing. Our server was nice enough but seemed to not know how to deal with the kitchen that kept us (a group of three, mind you) waiting about an hour for four orders of rolls and an order of inari. And when she did bring the order to the table, we all realized the kitchen mistakenly added a non-vegan roll with roe. So after waiting an hour, then seeing food, we had food taken away. Which was unfortunate. And when the plate came out again, there was roe spilled front the removed sushi. Again, unfortunate. And the rice on the sushi that made it out was patchy and haphazard. The rolls would fall apart easily. During the wait, we were checked in with once if "check in" includes telling us the order would be right out maybe 20 minutes before the fact. No "can I get you drinks," or "would you like water?" The sushi, when it eventually came--then came again--was generally tasty. The tomato faux spicy tuna wasn't to my liking. And we were able to get the check quickly (I told my family to go on ahead in case it took an hour for that too). With so many other great reviews, hopefully these are wrinkles that get ironed out. But between the comments on price increases and vibes being off, I do wonder. read more

Decided to check it out based on yelp reviews and proximity to our hotel. Got on the waitlist at 7:15 PM on a Saturday, arrived at 8:30 and were seated at ~7:50. Small dining area overall but cozy and local vibe. Small sushi bar seating and small separate bar section. Salad was nice - touch on the over dressed side for me (I eat MINIMAL dressing). Gyoza, fried and good - I prefer a bit lighter on the frying. The Pepper Fin and Flash blackened Sake were fantastic!!! The Spicy Paula was not very spicy to me but well made and tasty. The stuffed jalapeños were delicious and large!!! Great little spot - Happily would dine here again! read more

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Smaller restaurant, only about 12 tables. We had to wait about 35 mins for a table (which wasn't awful at all). The staff were all super nice and it was a cute little intimate place. The sushi itself was sooo good. The fish was so vibrant in color and so fresh (view photos). We got the Dragon Roll, Tiger Roll, Heavenly Roll, and Lucy Who roll. All amazing ! And all reasonably priced in terms of sushi prices. Highly recommended if you're in the area to try it out ! read more

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We googled places to eat sushi in Monterey. This one had great reviews. Now I see why. Friendly staff, quick service. Ordered 3 rolls based on ingredients, and the food was fire. One was literally on fire. Some of the best sushi I have had anywhere. Definitely will be back. read more

Kuma - Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Came here tonight because of the good reviews and we were not disappointed. Arrived around 5:45pm, the place was pretty busy already. We were seated within 10 min. Inside there were about 11 small to medium size tables. Only 4 seats at the sushi bar area and a few seats at the bar outside the main area. We only ordered 2 items, a Sashimi B and a specialty roll cakes Lucy Who. Sashimi B has 20 pieces of nice thick cut of 5 varieties of fish (tuna, albacore, salmon, yellowtail and a white fish that i don't recall the name) and they included 2 pieces of scallops and 3 pieces of octopus. I love that they served with fresh wasabi. All the fish were so fresh and sweet. We had only eaten that good quality in Japan and Hawaii, so we were very pleased. Lucy Who is a special roll that has dungeon crab meats and soft crab in the middle and raw tuna on the outside. The sauce has a little sweetness to it that was quite refreshing. Server was sweet and very attentive. Later when we paid, we found out that they charged you 3% more if you paid with a credit card. That was kinda a turn off, so make sure that you use a card that giving you cash back LOL When we were leaving, there were lots of people waiting so make reservations or go early. All in all, we had a very enjoyable meal despite the 3% extra charge. I still recommend this place for their fresh sashimi if that is something you are in for. read more

Kuma - Lucy Who - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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1st time to eat here and very disappointed. The quality of the food is okay but lacks taste. The salmon skin salad is dry and fish skins are totally burnt. Food is a bit pricey though! read more

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Walked in at 5 on Sunday and we were able to be seated immediately. The restaurant is big with a cool layout! Drinks looked good but we stuck to water. Miso soup was tastier than most! My kids loved the chicken katsu and shrimp tempura- huge portions! And our rolls were amazingggg. They did sauce on the side since I don't like mayo but my husband does. The salmon lemon roll was incredible, as was the spicy salmon/tuna/shrimp tempura roll (don't remember names). Good service, we'd be back! read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

go-to spot. best to make a reservation, dinner is always packed. every item we've tried has been perfect. kind staff. read more

Kuma - suns roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Had a great time. Poke is served with wonton chips, a nice plus. The deep fried rolls rock, my 7 year old loved her California roll. And my wife and I are already talking about coming back for the baked muscles! A great experience! read more

Really cute sushi place, good for a date night! Good: - Miso soup was $2 and came out quick - tasty and simple - Tempura mixed was great value, liked the fried vegetables - Really liked the Phoenix rolls since they came engulfed in flames! So cool Bad: - Took some time to get our sushi and flag down the waiters - the place is petty casual diner vibes, a little older Overall a nice Asian place to go when you crave sushi! read more

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**5 Stars - A Birthday to Remember!** My daughter is a sushi lover, and for her birthday this year she chose to visit Monterey--and we're so glad we found **Kuma Sushi** for her special dinner! From the moment we made our reservation, the staff was incredibly accommodating. They let us bring a birthday cake to store and serve after dinner, and the whole team went above and beyond to make the evening unforgettable. Everyone was so kind and welcoming, constantly wishing her a happy birthday. When it was time for cake, they lit candles, turned on a disco ball, and got the entire restaurant to sing--yes, the *entire* place joined in! It's not a huge restaurant, which made the celebration feel even more warm and personal. My daughter felt so special, and we were truly touched by the effort they put in. On top of the amazing service, the **food was fantastic**. We ordered quite the spread, and everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The cocktails were also excellent--balanced and delicious. We can't say enough about how attentive and kind the staff was. Kuma Sushi made this birthday one we'll never forget. We're so happy we found this gem and will definitely be coming back! read more

Kuma - Rolls (Spicy Paula, flaming something and others) , sashimi, cucumber and SEAWEED SALAD - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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My brother-in-law recommended this place as the owners are very friendly and remember the customers. I ordered the chirashi, and the fish was tasty, and the su (vinegar rice) was good. Some places just use plain rice, but it's better to have the same rice they use for sushi, so this was a nice touch. The gyoza was very good...crisp and not soggy. As my BIL eats here regularly, he asked for the special dessert. The waitress initially said they were out, but the owner said they can make it for us. Of course, that made us feel special. The "rice cream" is ice cream with all the toppings put inside a rice cracker. Yum! The dessert is not on the menu, so you have to order it with a whisper (jk). Overall, I will definitely be eating here again on our next visit. Of course, I may have to bring by BIL to see if we get special service. The only question is, "Do I then have to pay?" :) read more

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I popped in again while visiting Monterey for birthday at the beginning of the year with my boyfriend (now ex). The food, was amazing. The staff and owner are incredibly nice and we had a nice chat while sitting at the bar. They treated us to some on the house specials to celebrate. It's always a wonderful dining experience every time I visit. What was better is when I told the owner I was the girlfriend and he gave me the strangest look (my ex is a regular there) and it prompted me to do some digging once I returned home. After 5 years together I found out my bf had been actively cheating on me with multiple women. So not only is the food great, but the service is phenomenal! And you know they'll be honest, even if they don't get the words directly across. Tell Kelvin to be careful not to choke next time he pops in. (: read more

I always see this place whenever I pass by Alvarado & decided to try it out yesterday! The sushi was sooo good as well as their miso soup. The service was great and fast! It was a little loud but not crazy they had some good music playing as well. I loved the rolls as well as the dancing shrimp !! read more

Kuma - Dancing SHRIMP (Ebi) and salad - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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I really enjoyed the rolls here! We got the Auggy Roll and the Heavenly Roll. We also got the ZigZag Handroll. The servers are nice and had great customer service. If you are craving sushi, this place offers a pretty good selection of rolls, nigiri, and sashimi. read more

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We made reservations for a party of 9, for a birthday. Right off the bat, service was phenomenal to say the least. Drinks were fantastic and the food was just as amazing. They handled the large party fantastically. Appetizers and food came out fairly quick for how much we ordered. Which speaking of, ignore the poor photo I took of the little bit left. After we dove into all the food I thought to take the photo after we ate, silly me. ONLY slightly disappointing experience of our entire experience that was 5/5 stars was the miso soup. It was slightly too salty for about half the table. However in their defense some people like more salt than others but this one was heavy. With that said, Kuma is a must go to spot for locals and tourists. P.S. Ask them to turn on the disco ball, it's great! They only turn it on when asked the staff said. read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

We randomly stopped by this spot and ended up having such a great experience. The sushi was fresh, flavorful, and honestly exceeded our expectations--but what really made it stand out was the service. Dylan was incredibly chill, welcoming, and just an all-around great guy. He made the whole experience feel relaxed and enjoyable, and you can tell he genuinely cares about customers having a good time. Definitely one of those places you're glad you stumbled into. We'll 100% be back again. read more

Came to Monterey for Mother's Day weekend and find this place on Yelp with 4.5 stars. After eating here for dinner not sure how they got those ratings. The quality of the fish is comparable to Safeway Sushi. NO TASTE!!! The salad was mixed with a creamy dressing, not your traditional Japaneses dressing. The poke had a lot of wonton chips than tuna. The Sapporo draft didn't like sapporo. The bartender was nice, but the sushi chefs were very slow. read more

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Sushi was fresh and the takeout order was ready really quick. The worker who took our order was really kind and friendly

Nice place, clean, good service, has a bar. Good place for lunch or dinner. The sushi is average but good. The California Roll is made with imitation crab and mayonnaise so it's really sweet, the wasabi is not very hot but the ginger is delicious and fresh. read more

Kuma - CALIFORNIA ROLL - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Came in to the restaurant as a walk in and waited around 20 minutes which is really good considering how busy the night was! The restaurant had a very social ambiance and it was really nice to see the bar while being seated. Our server John along with many others were very helpful throughout the night making sure that our table was cleared, drinks refilled, and let us know when our food will be coming out. Our first order had three rolls, the baked salmon, North Star, and Apollo roll. These three were so good that we ended up ordering another roll after we finished. I will say that the North Star and Apollo roll are very similar in taste, but very delicious nonetheless. Our fourth roll was the auggy roll and it came out very quick following our first three rolls, it was also very delicious and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys more umami flavors. Overall Kuma was a very pleasant visit and I definitely plan on visiting again when I am in Monterey, the restaurant cleanliness, ambiance, and staff all made this experience a 10/10! read more

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You know, you're always taking a risk when you try a new sushi place. Will it be good? Bad? Reviews are tough because some of the most solid places have 3.5 stars. I'll do my best to thoroughly describe the experience. We arrived promptly at 5pm and the place was already busy. Our waitress started off prompt, but as the visit went on became more and more scarce, especially after the food was delivered. As mentioned in a prior review there is indeed a disco ball in the main dining room, but it wasn't in use while we were there. The sushi menu is pretty large. What looked like specials on the board outside actually ended up being regular menu items. I ordered three things in particular that were mentioned in previous reviews: the heavenly, the phoenix, and the house salad. The house salad dressing is a creamy and slightly sweet ginger dressing that some restaurants use. If you're more used to the ginger heavy and chunky dressing you'd find at say, Benihana, this isn't that. Personally I prefer the more creamy miso style dressing. The greens were... large. That's the best way I can describe it. I had to really fold the leaves in half or jam big pieces into my mouth with chopsticks. If it weren't for the monster greens I'd give the salad a 5/5. Loved the dressing, but the greens were too large. 4/5 instead. I had to order the phoenix because they set it on fire, and my inner pyro simply couldn't resist. The roll is served in foil and the plate is set ablaze with a small torch. They tell you not to eat it while it's burning, which I'm sure they have to because someone did. It made it hard reaching my roll on the other side of it, but I was not deterred. It's a neat display and presentation, but it kind of ends there. In case you were wondering, the fire is mostly on the plate and doesn't cook the roll. It does kind of warm it to a weird in between temp that some will find not nice. The roll itself is kind of ugly. I'd describe it as "wet". The sauce isn't bad, there's a little spice, but just not any flavor. I'd give this roll a 3/5 for getting a chance to play with fire at the table in a sushi restaurant. The final roll I ordered was the heavenly. This one I enjoyed, but not enough to drive to Monterey for. Maybe if I'm already in town... The sauces were tasty, the fish seemed fresh, and I liked the flavor, but - I know, you were waiting for the "but" - the sushi rice was overcooked and gummy. It's sad because this otherwise 5/5 roll was dropped to a 4/5. My momma didn't raise no quitter, so I ate the whole thing. All in all it wasn't a bad experience. Definitely worth a visit if you're meandering around the area on foot, but not a place I'll go out of my way to drive to. Averaging out the entire experience I think it gets a solid 4/5. I took plenty of photos for your reference. read more

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First time here and without a doubt our last. It was just overly stimulating for us with all the noise, randomness of the servers and disco ball spinning, we couldn't wait to finish our meal and get out tbh. We ordered nigiri and it was ok. read more

Kuma - Entrance - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

An amazing restaurant, food was 10/10, ambiance is lively and service was amazing beginning from the host stand all the way to our server. Only "downside" is that parking can be difficult to find as it is in downtown but there is multiple parking garages that should make it easier. read more

Kuma - Crunchy Roll, Gyoza, CHICKEN TERIYAKI, forgot what my gf's roll was lol - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

friendly staff and fantastic service. delicious sushi (appreciated that we could pass on the white sauce and orange sauce on our rolls). the space was nice and open, but a bit on the loud side, which lead to a missed item on our order, but that was remedied very quickly! read more

Fresh Sushi & Exceptional Service During Pebble Beach Pro-Am Week! Visited Sushi Kuma in Monterey on a Monday night during AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am week (plus nearby conventions), and it was packed--totally expected with all the visitors around! The sushi was incredibly fresh and delicious--hamachi (yellowtail) was melt-in-your-mouth perfect. Teriyaki chicken was tender, flavorful, and spot-on. Service was strong despite the rush. Our first server kept things efficient, but the second one who joined later was outstanding: young, friendly, and provided exceptional attentive service--checking in just right and making the busy night feel welcoming. Great to see that level of care! Solid choice for fresh sushi in downtown Monterey. Highly recommend--we'll be back! read more

Great food & service! Delish sushi and a generous amount for the order! Will be back again. Only not great thing was being told 45 min wait and getting a table 1hour&15min later. Still worth the wait! Cocktails also were at a good price compared to most places in town. read more

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We were visiting Monterey to hang out with some extended family. They had a baby and we had a small dog, and Kuma was able to seat our party of 7.5 quickly outside in front. The waitress (smaller woman with braces) was extremely accommodating and nice and she did a great job at taking our orders and making sure we were comfortable. At one point it got cold and she offered us the party room and helped us move in there, which was hugely appreciated. We ordered many dishes; udon soup, chicken katsu, beef teriyaki, full house roll, Lucy who roll (my order), and the jalapeño crap poppers. Everything was very good and filling for the price. The other waiters who attended us were also nice, and the man who brought my order said the Lucy who was his favorite and was "fire." He was correct. It was fantastic. There were some minor problems with one order of jalapeño problems where they took a while to come out, but they were worth it when they did and the waitress was super nice and apologetic. She even threw in a dessert as compensation for the wait, which was extremely generous. She even played with my dog for a moment or two so he didn't feel left out of the dinner. All in all, I would totally go back. I was worried the roll I got would be too saucy, or the jalapeño popper things would be too much, but everything was great. Waitress was fantastic and she did as great a job as I've ever seen, even though she had lost her voice that weekend. Great place all around and we all left very satisfied. read more

Great service (high chairs available if needed). Got the teriyaki bowl for the toddler which she enjoyed. Absolutely loved the auggy roll (was craving unagi) and would go back just to have it again as well as trying more rolls read more

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

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We walked in pretty late(9:30pm) hoping that they would still serve us. Timing wasn't an issue. Service was great. Our waitress was pleasant and named off a few favorites that she recommended. We ordered the "Lover's Plate"(I think that was the name) Fish was fresh. Definitely coming back :) read more

Super solid food, super solid portions, and super solid service. It was not busy at all when we went and enjoyed a meal with family. The Sun's roll was exceptional if you enjoy something light and raw; the lemon was a great fresh touch. Ingredients taste absolutely top notch. The building is nothing impressive but within a nice downtown setting with some beautiful old buildings neighboring. Overall a lovely light meal which didn't bog us down. read more

Our first visit. The food was good. We tried several items from the menu. We especially liked the server, Jaedin. He was friendly, helpful, and efficient. We'll ask for him next time we visit. read more

The food was not bad, but the music was way too loud and the wait was very long. I also payed $200 for a meal for four, which is doubled the price of a normal restaurant. This is the first break in my five star streak so far. SO... Thank you for looking at this review. Enjoy the next 24 hours of your life. read more

The service is always fast and great! Very friendly staff! The food is very good, one of my favorite sushi spots in Monterey!

Made reservations on Yelp for 6 people on a Saturday. Only a day before so it was 5pm or 9am. Got there at 5 when they open. By the time we finished, they were getting full. There is street parking so it can be tough if there are events going on. Everything we had was really good. The veggie tempura roll was my daughters favorite. She doesn't eat fish. It was only $8! She said it was so good and wants to go back tomorrow. She also had the vegetable udon and added the $3 tempura which is a really good deal. I always love baked rolls. I saw they had a lango roll online and that's why I wanted to try this place. It was so good. I will get it next time too. My son got the Heavenly roll which was also very good. The Agedashi tofu is also something we try at most restaurants. It was perfect. Came out super hot. Hand grenade appetizer was super good too but for $10 for 2 little bites is a little pricey. read more

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Showed up to this place looking for a good dinner. The rolls are yummy, well portioned well seasoned and reasonably priced. The gyozas are amazing and the miso soup was not too hot to burn not too cold to dislike, just right. Staff was friendly and attentive, place had reggae music which I love by the way, there is a bar at the entrance with football on screen. I definitely recommend this place!!!!!!! read more

Kuma - MISO SOUP, YAKI GYOZA, polar express roll, salmon roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

The food was amazing, my sushi, hit the spot, and location was perfect... we wine tasted next door, enjoyed my sushi fix, and enjoyed a live music performance across the street at The Golden State Theater.... read more

The food was pretty good. Miso soup was flavorful if a little more watery than I'm used to. The edamame is good but the portion is smaller than usual. I ordered two veg hand cut rolls and they were delicious. Boyfriend ordered the maki set (very good miso soup, 8 nigiri and a spicy tuna roll) and he said it was ok. The waitress was very knowledgeable about food allergies and gave us a huge amount of extra ginger when we asked! They don't fill up your water particularly promptly but otherwise service is good. read more