The food is so good but the service is so shitty. So much waiting time in between and the front of the house workers aren't friendly unless you're sitting on their table. I did a take out order and was scheduled for a specific take out time, I showed up paid and my food wasn't even ready. If they're busy they should extend the take out time so people would know to pick up and not have to wait... Also there was hair in my salad which kinda ruined my appetite and I was running late for work so I didn't even have time to call. Complete waste of my $28 dollars. read more

Restaurant Kunio - #72 - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Stopped by for lunch since we were at the Waikele Outlets. I have not eaten here in years. It was around 1:00pm so the restaurant was crowded but we were able to get a table right away. My son ordered the Tenzaru (soba with assorted tempura) and I opted for the AB Combo with Misoyaki Butterfish and Tonkatsu. My meal included miso soup, rice, salad and the two choices. Nothing special about the meal, it was alright. The only complaint was they burned my butterfish a little. There's always room for dessert so I ordered green tea ice cream. Service was good and staff was friendly. If you're hungry for Japanese food and you're in the Waipahu / Waikele area, Kunio has a wide selection to choose from including a small sushi bar. read more

Restaurant Kunio - AB Combo with Tonkatsu and Misoyaki Butterfish - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

They're now open, but only for takeout. You can order online and also order for a future time which was very convenient. I was worried that my order wouldn't be ready on time because of the amount I had ordered, but it was good to go by the time I got there. I had gotten the Chirashi A which had a lot of fish in it. On the site it doesn't say the difference between Chirashi A and B other than the price so it was difficult to choose, but I just went with the more expensive one. It was very filling and had the perfect amount of sushi rice with it. read more

Restaurant Kunio - Chirashi A - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Celebrating Father's Day early to avoid the craziness of Sunday. Like a typical Friday night, our wait was about 1/2 hour, which wasn't so bad. We occupied our time at the surf shop next door. Once seated, our waiter took our drink order & we knew what we wanted for dinner. We were on a mission to try the Funamori Party Boat, which includes: Shrimp & vegetable tempura, teriyaki ribeye, grilled lobster, fried shrimp, pork tonkatsu, chicken katsu, various nigiri sushi & sashimi & a bowl of rice. Along with our meal, we had miso soup & house salad. When our party boat came, our eyes were as big as saucers! Holy Moly! Heaping filled boat (AN ACTUAL BOAT!) with gracious goodness! Needless to say...the boat didn't have a chance! We completely devoured everything! Everything was so yummy! It totally fed all 5 of us...with no leftovers...perfect. We all had a little of everything & our tummies were stuffed! read more

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As with one of my most recent reviews, I decided to round up my overall rating of 3.5 stars to a 4 star review. This based in part after taking our entire experience at Restaurant Kunio into account. I had my first visit to RK today for lunch with my mother. As we chose not to venture out on Mother's Day, I asked her to please choose a place for lunch later in the week. She quickly decided on RK, as she has become a pseudo-regular customer along with my aunts and her friends. LOCATION: Waikele Premium Outlets. Ample parking available. NOTE: No reservations taken. Before I delve into my review, I must mention why I questioned the number of stars to give my review. We arrived at 1045am, roughly 15 minutes after the restaurant opened. My mom and I walked in to surprisingly discover the restaurant already half-full and bustling with activity. There was no hostess, but a server briefly looked in our direction and said that she'd be right with us. We waited for about 5 to 10 minutes before someone came over to seat us. Now, with that being said, I feel the restaurant could benefit with a regular host or hostess in the area to the immediate left of the entrance. I acknowledge that the servers were doing their best under the short staffed circumstances, but it seems things were a bit disorganized. The server sat us at the table closest to the door/entrance. Personally, I would NOT sit here again unless it was the only table available (which, incidentally, it was not). I just felt there was too much movement behind me throughout the meal, with people coming and going, some of whom chose to hold the door open for extended periods of time. That choice only allowed and invited the flies to enter the restaurant. I just felt uncomfortable. But, I digress....I shall move on now. FOOD / MENU: The menu is very diverse an I am sure even first time diners/customers like myself will find something to their liking. There are noodles, appetizers, combination selections, donburi, and teishoku options to name just a few. My mom chose her "usual", the combination plate with the miso butter fish and the shrimp tempura, while I decided on the tonkatsu teishoku. Both meals came with miso soup and tsukemono, while a salad was also included for the teishoku. Overall, my mom and I found the food very satisfactory. I thought my teishoku, with the salad, soup, tsukemono, rice, and entree was more than enough to be honest. The tonkatsu was prepared well and was a generous portion. We both took home leftovers. Price point for both meals was reasonable (in my humble opinion). SERVICE: Our server, though she was quite busy, was very apologetic about the wait time. After we were seated, we waited another 5 to 10 minutes before she returned to take our orders. However, she was polite, cordial, and provided decent service. My mom did mention to me during our meal that there were more servers present during her past visits. BOTTOM LINE: I would consider a return visit if I'm ever in the area. I'd like to try other items from their menu. read more

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One of the best places to get an authentic Japanese meal is at Restaurant Kunio. They're located in Waikele in the same shopping area as Party City and Genki Sushi. The best time is go is during non-peak hours as they get busy, busy, busy and do not take reservations. Their extensive menu offers fresh sashimi, sushi rolls, combos and my favorite: teishoku. Teishoku is basically a set menu item where meals come with a bowl of rice, a main meat, which can be meat or fish and sides. In this case, the sides are miso soup, salad and a trio of miscellaneous sides (usually edamame and pickled vegetables). My "usual" is the ribeye teishoku. You can choose between a garlic butter ribeye and a teriyaki ribeye. I go for the garlic butter and the slab of ribeye comes sizzling on a cast iron skillet with onions. Yes, the sushi is good too but I don't pass up good ribeye! If you plan on celebrating a special occasion at Kunio with cake, they will store your cake in the fridge but will not provide plates and utensils for the cake. Make sure to bring utensils and plates or run next door to Party City for some. Customer service is always good. Seating is a bit tight, but then again, most Japanese restaurants are. Prices are typical for this type of cuisine and the food is delicious. No complaints here! read more

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Always a good experience here. Food is great. No reservations so get there early (like 4:00) if you don't want to wait in line. Still worth the wait. read more

I actually love that restaurant does not take reservation. Food is still great and service is top notch. read more

Restaurant Kunio - Manu 9/30/21 - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

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We wanted go to a nice (but not fancy) dinner on a Saturday night. Someplace that is kid-friendly, and reasonably priced and my parents recommended Kunio. I'm glad they did, we had an excellent time! The wait was really long, as they do not take reservations. But luckily we were prepared and went pretty early. The food is delicious and we were shocked when we got the bill, as we expected it to be way more! The service was also great! We had to ask for the bill early, since the baby was getting fussy and they were very accommodating. Side note--it is a popular place for babies! There were so many, that no one blinked when ours was getting fussy or making noise. It made us feel really comfortable and not judged at all. I would say to just go early and be prepared for a decent wait, especially on a weekend dinner. read more

Needed a hearty lunch after helping a buddy pick up a BBQ grill. Opted for Kunio. Crowded at weekday lunch hour, so we sat at the sushi bar. Got a chance to watch the sushi/sashimi go out.... Fresh fish abounds! Opted for the combo lunch. Really nice mix tempura with your normal shrimp and veggies-add a nice filet of fish tempura. That piece of fish was the bomb! wow.....it made the lunch. Teri chicken was meaty and a good portion. Sauce was a little too sweet and needed more ginger/mirin balance. But, I tried a double dip with some of the tempura veggies starting with a tempura sauce dip followed by a Teri sauce dip from the residual chicken sauce. Yum...... Portions overall were nice. Next time we venture out this way will visit again. read more

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Food was always good except for one time when the tonkatsu was fatty and tough. They don't take reservations and there is an insufficient number of parking spaces in the strip where the restaurant is. There were about three times when I went there, but the wait was going to be about an hour so I went to another restaurant. They need to show more respect for customers by taking reservations. read more

Hubby, daughter and I came here for lunch. I seem to have good timing because we got seated at the bar where there were three stools. I must have good timing when I arrive at restaurants. Lol My daughter was super hungry so we stopped here. I ordered my daughter the kids meal which included ice cream for dessert. I decided to get the two item combination plate. I got the teriyaki chicken and mixed tempura. The teriyaki chicken was good with the skin on. The tempura was a mix of eggplant, fish, string beans and shrimp. So light and fluffy. So good. The rice was perfect and the salad had a sweet sauce drenched on top. The miso soup was good! I drank iced water with my food. Service was excellent by our waitress. She kept apologizing because of the long wait. A kind gesture to the customers waiting patiently. When they get busy, the wait can be 30 minutes to an hour. Everything was delicious. A little pricey for what you pay for but it was good! I highly recommend this place. Make sure you make reservations unless you get here early. read more

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We were finally able to try the "boat" after seeing and hearing about it. They do not take reservations as we wanted to try to come on Father's day but we were quickly seated for our party of 4+ baby which looked like the last open booth on a Saturday around 5:30pm. The boat included tonkatsu, chicken katsu, ribeye, 2 lobster tails which was easy to eat as it was pre-cut/peeled, assorted sashimi and sushi (hamachi, salmon, ahi) and assorted tempura. Such a great assortment with all the dipping sauces for each dish. Also came with miso soup and a trio of soy beans, and other pickled vegetables and salad. Def worth the $30 per head. Fried food was crispy and not too greasy. read more

Restaurant Kunio - The boat for 4 - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

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I love this place! There aren't that many Japanese restaurants on the west side and don't really feel like driving to town to get sushi. Waiting for a table wasn't all that bad. If you read the sign-in sheet, you can leave your cell number so they can text you when your table is ready. There's lots of shops around so time quickly flew by while waiting. The texting reminder does work, so I didn't lose my spot in line. I had the miso butterfish and it was melt in your mouth good! Not sure why others had bad service. I had great service when I went there for date night. Water cups were refilled without asking and we enjoyed two large mugs of Sapporo beer. Wait staff was really good about clearing the empty plates from our table. I personally like this so we have more room on the table. Kinda shocked to see other yelp reviewers saying they had bad service. Not sure if we had the same wait staff, as I went on a weekday night for dinner. read more

We love this place before and after the renovations. The fish is grade A on all the dishes, sashimi, rolls, everything. Family of 4 is under a $100 to be full and it's top quality dishes with lots of options. Staff are really attentive to your water and other drink refills. They are are smiling and willing to the extra mile, a few new faces have joined the team and they seem like great people as well. This is our go to anytime shopping waikele or when we are craving a Japanese style restaurant with good environment. read more

It saddens me to write this review but I feel it's super important to share my experience, just in case this might happen to someone else. Restaurant Kunio is one of my favorite Japanese food restaurant, sorry was one of my favorite Japanese food restaurant. My staff and I went for lunch and we made sure to get there early, by 10:30 am, to assure that we would be able to get seated and everything was going super smooth, from getting a table to placing our order. It all went bad when our food came out and mine was missing....I did not think anything of it and was totally okay with waiting. Our party size was 10, so since it was a fairly large party, I thought it would be okay. As I was waiting, about 5 to 10 minutes, our female waitress approached another person in my party with a tray of food in hand and asked her what she ordered. She then proceeded to take the tray of food from her, gave her the tray she had in her hand and stated that she was given the wrong order. Within a matter of a couple of minutes she returned and proceeded to give me my tray. I asked her if that was the food that was taken from that other person in my party and her response was "yes" and she stated that the food was not touched. I then got upset and stated that I would not accept food that had been given to another person. The person who was given the food, initially, stated that she had touched the food as soon as she was given the tray. The waitress proceeded to take my tray into the back area and two other waitresses congregated in the back area with her, and turned around to look at our table. I was in shock!!! I could not believe that they felt it was okay to give food that was given to the wrong person to the correct person. It gets better, there was no "sorry", which I would have been totally fine with, instead we got silence and no one came back to our table the entire time. Of course, I did get a freshly cooked ahi tempura and teriyaki steak (looked onolicious) but at that point I lost my appetite, everyone else in my party finished eating and lunch hour was over. We then had to practically stand up and yell (exaggerating a little) each time, sometime mores then once, to ask for refill of water/tea, take out container and the check. It was so crazy!!! I did voice my frustration to the lady, who appeared to be the manager, since she was handling the hosting and bill paying responsibilities. She listened to me but offered no acknowledgement or apology for what had occurred. As a started off this review, this was my favorite place for my usual Ahi tempura and Teri steak but how can they think it's okay to give food (ahi tempura) to another person by mistake and then proceed to take that food from the tray and put it in my tray. What is worse is the staff appeared to NOT GIVE A DAMN.... I understand mistakes happen but to not even acknowledge and then to proceed to treat me and my party like we did something wrong was just too much. I know the restaurant business is hard work but I do not think any of the waitresses would have wanted to have had the same experience. Everyone just be careful, if you send food back or get the wrong order make sure your correct order is nice and hot/fresh. Aloha!! read more

This restaurant has been a family favorite/ go-to restaurant for many years. There usually is a wait for a table if you chose to dine here for dinner. So come early and/or be prepared to wait. What we love to order here: Miso butterfish Sushi rolls Tempura Teriyaki chicken You really can't go wrong with what you order here ! This restaurant will always be one of my favorites! read more

This restaurant has been bookmarked way before I got on Yelp. Many others gave strong recommendations and I always said I would. Well, I finally did. All I can say is what the heck took me so long. A friend visiting was telling me about the eel donburi and how his fiance gets a craving every other day for it. I had to try now. So we decide to meet for lunch. Although it was fairly busy there were still a few tables available. We took one further in the back. Place was immaculately clean. There is a bar in the back with a few stools too. Located next to Party City parking could be tough if looking to park close. We got lucky getting a spot right in front. Walking in you will notice how clean it is. Service was kinda stiff but awright easily overlooked. Menus were brought out. We were asked for drinks. We all asked for water. We knew what we wanted and were unanimous in our order. Eel donburi. That's what we came for and that's what was ordered. Unfortunately they were all out. Now we had to really look at the menu. Luckily I had a back up and ordered my standard to see how they do. Chicken Katsu Donburi I have not had a goid one for over 10 years and this finally broke that streak. I enjoyed it so much it got me more angry they were out of eel. Oh well next time. Pork Donburi Now this was good too. The meat was tender and tasty. However it was very salty. Not sure if that is the norm but next time we know to say hold the salt please. Eel Donburi We came back a couple days later hoping this would be available. I was amazed at the quantity of eel. And for the price, that was cheap. However, the best part came in the taste. A sweet sort of caramelized outside to the soft tender meat. I couldn't believe how it could be so good. Now, I understand why my friend's fiance had such a craving and she's not even local. Even with that mishap we will be back to try other offerings. Hopefully with the same good company providing an enriching conversation. read more

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Wow! This is a very good restaurant. The service was friendly and the food was high quality and fresh. Be prepared to wait for a while if you go on a Saturday at lunch (like I did) because they don't take reservations. My favorite thing was the mixed tempura. read more

Restaurant Kunio - Mixed tempura (shrimp, ahi, squid and vegetables) with chicken katsu. - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

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We used to love coming here. However, the last time we came the tonkatsu was a huge disappointment. The batter was thicker than the pork inside. Take a look at the picture. Times just be hard.... Not coming back read more

The food and service is excellent. They don't take reservations so be prepared to wait. The dining experience has been good everytime we've gone read more

The other weekend I was at the Waikele Outlet Shops with my daughter and grandson. We were in the mood for Japanese food and decided to give Restaurant Kunio a try. It was lunch time and there was a short wait. I was impressed with the quality of the food, the service and the overall dining experience. The portions are very good and the food comes out pretty fast. I opted for one of the combo meals, Miso Butterfish and Assorted Tempura. The Tempura was perfect in every way. I love Miso Butterfish and theirs did not disappoint. They have Wine, Beer and Sake, which for me is a plus. Everything we ordered was delish. I honestly would drive to Waikele to eat here and not shop! read more

Restaurant Kunio - Appetizer and Miso Soup - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

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We went there for my Fathers 88 birthday. The waitress was nice but clearly did not understand english. Dad wanted only one thing. Seared ahi sliced. He got fully cooked ahi in one piece. He was also the last one served while we all had our meals. When we informed the waitress of the wrong food her reply was " We made it already" Mom got up with his plate and made it clear that what he ordered was seared Ahi sliced. Finally he got his food. Besides that I was highly disappointed that the gyoza was clearly packaged food. What kind of Japanese restaurant doesn't make fresh gyoza? First and last time going there. Raise your standards on your " Japanese food" read more

Decent Japanese restaurant with great sushi rolls. PROs: Very broad menu with lots of choices. There are traditional soups, bento meals, seafood platters, and beef platters. Sushi rolls were very well put together with top quality fish. They use real wasabi and ginger which is always a plus. Some places try to get by with the cheap stuff. The sushi chef was very dedicated and professional. Only bar options were Sake and Japanese beer, which is fine by me. The "large" sake portion could've been a little larger though. CONs: For the price and quality of the seafood, the bathroom could get an update. Also, service is a bit slow. They could probably use another server. They happy hour menu is pretty sad and doesn't include any drink deals. read more

Restaurant Kunio - Spider Roll - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Right across from the outlets - this place is popping! I've never seen this place without a line (and they don't take reservations). PARKING: Large parking lot, but if you're looking to park close - you will have to get lucky. WAIT TIME: We waited about 20 mins for dinner with our party of 4 (seated at a booth). Not bad at all! There are some benches outside where you can sit and wait. MENU: So many options! Lots of sushi/sashimi options as well as udon and rice dishes. I opted for the Unagi Don - hearty and came with miso soup and salad! The combination bento boxes are also a good choice (comes with lots of food). They also offer two different types of chirashi bowls (A & B). The only difference is the type/amount of fish that goes into each - ask the server to see if you prefer one or the other. SERVICE: Pretty attentive and they made sure to make the rounds when refilling water/tea (though there were a few times it was difficult to wave someone down). BATHROOM: Located in the back of the restaurant - caution: ladies room doesn't lock... weird!! There's a sign on the outside of the door that says the door doesn't lock so please KNOCK before opening the door. Hah... that's comforting. If you have someone else in your party, they can help stand guard for you if you don't trust people reading the sign. read more

Restaurant Kunio - Unagi Don - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

Won't be returning anytime soon. Food is not how it used to be. Disappointed. Do not order the tempura, it was all batter.

Amazing food and service! We will be back! Large selections to choose from. Wonderful atmosphere read more

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Food here is delicious. Workers are always polite. Only reason they only get a four star is the wait to get a table can be crazy and they don't take any reservations no matter how big the party is. I eat here often and if you go after 6, the wait can be close to an hour and maybe more. read more

We enjoy the sizzling butter steak, lobster, sashimi combo. The sides are also tasty. Can't beat the price, taste, and service. read more

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There was an hour wait this evening. However, we have never been disappointed here. Tonight was no different. The sushi is good and the service is the best. They are very attentive and followed all Covid protocols. We do patronize this restaurant about every other month.... I recommend Restaurant Kunio.. read more

The food was okay. It's what you expect for a Japanese restaurant. I thought the sushi rice coulda been more flavored. The portions was on the bigger side, it was really filling. The service was up to par. Our server was knowledgeable of the menu and gave us recommendations. It was my second time there so it was nice to have gotten the recommendations. The ambiance was nice. I do like how they dim the lights it sets the tone. Will be back to try other items on the menu read more

Very disappointed!!! If a restaurant is going to charge their customers those prices, then the portions need to warrant the price hike. I wish I put a penny next to the sashimi pieces so you could have an accurate comparison of how small and pathetic the slabs were. The trio of edamame , bean sprouts and crab salad was also a joke. I think they should eliminate that plate entirely to avoid that embarrassment. Been there several times over many years and it is sad that this place has gone down hill in every aspect. * bring junk slippers when dining here because the floors are so sticky and covered with oil from all the sizzling platters. read more

Restaurant Kunio - so disappointing!! at least the Orion beer was good. - Japanese Near Me - Waipahu, Hawaii

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This used to be our favorite go to Japanese restaurant on the west side. Unfortunately, the last few months we haven't even been able to get in!!! They do not take reservations and the wait times are CRAZY! 1hour turns into almost 2. They don't sit more than 2 people at the sushi bar. Crowds go to wait before 5. I've been there at 5:30 and their wait time is already an hour and 45 minutes to sit... for two people. If you don't mind the wait, the food is good. Hoping that Kunios just decides to take reservations ONLY so that people can just move on to something else instead of taking a drive there to be dissappointed with the wait times. It gets really frustrating. read more

We shopped at Waikele and stopped here for lunch...I've heard about Restaurant Kunio, mixed reviews so I thought I'd try it myself....Since we were a little pressed for time, I was a bit concerned about the service. It was ok... we were seated and given water and menus. They took our order and food was served. I thought the food was ok, service fine but the restaurant staff, although pleasant enough, lacked a feeling of hospitality and warmth...no one was rude, it just felt very mechanical. Shrimp tempura was crispy but a hard crispy, not the light crisp that I look for in Japanese tempura. Miso butter fish was fine...miso soup was good. All in all, if I'm in the area and want Japanese food, it would be ok to eat here. We were full, but not a place I would seek out. read more

My family came here for dinner on Thursday (12/22/2022). night. I arrived first to sign us in for a party of 5 at around 6:10-6:15pm. My family showed up about 10 minutes later and we were still pretty far from being called. Yes it was a pretty busy night but this was by far the longest we've ever had to wait. About an hour/hour and half later around 7:45-7:50pm we get called in to be seated. By 8pm we get our orders taken and by 8:30pm is when we actually get served our food. At this point my whole family is tired and usually the food would taste good but it was mid. (There was one family who came in 5mins after us and was served their food first which is questionable. They may have ordered the boat platter but it was still appalling that they got their orders first.) We also placed orders for some sushi rolls which should've come first as other tables that came in after got their plates of sushi's first. The gentleman that was our waiter was nice and made sure we were good the time we were in there. Overall I do not think we will be back because the wait from 6:15-8:30pm is a very long time and other tables were getting served first?. read more

This place is always busy no matter what time you go so...expect to wait. The food is good, the staff is friendly and responsive. The restaurant doesn't look like much but I guarantee you won't be disappointed. We come here for the gigantic Funamori boat and salmon skin roll. read more

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Definitely still one of my favorite Japanese restaurants. Love their shrimp tempura. We ordered sushi as well. We had asked if the salmon skin roll had shiso leaf in it and she said no but the roll ended up having it and was not appetizing. We had informed her so she knows that roll has it included just because it has a very bitter taste and some people may not like it. Overall, great restaurant for a nice Japanese meal with family and friends. Reasonable price, parking kinda sucks, and must times you'll be waiting to be sat but worth it. read more

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Love eating here! There is usually a long wait but it is totally worth it, staff are friendly and food never disappoints. My family typically gets the boat with some rolls or bentos on the side since there are 6 of us. Fish is always fresh and love the tempura and steak too! read more

Horrible customer service!! We got seated, and we asked for the "boat." The lady (possibly the owner) said, "You didn't read the sign?" (The sign mentioned that the sushi bar was closed.) She then said, "everything related to sushi is closed, and the boat comes with sushi...etc". First off, how rude. You don't say, "you didn't read the sign" to the customer. Have some class! Further, at first thought when reading the signage, it is genuinely safe to think that sign implies that the seating area where the bar is located is closed off and sushi is still available. Lady, you can't assume everybody understands sushi signage lingo! Second, how can Kunio be a sushi restaurant without any sushi? Hello! Most of the items had fish and my party. What is the point of even opening? It's like going to a bakery and they don't have bread to sell! C'mon now. read more

Arrived at 515pm was seated almost right away Ordered right away 50 minutes later hadn't received a single item we ordered they kept coming by and saying they are making it right now Horrible experience read more