Always a fun experience going to Kotobuki! The sushi is great, the tables are unique and the…read moreservers and staff are always very friendly and helpful. Ambiance is always nice and calm when we come for dinner. I'm sure we'll be back again next time we're in town!

SKIP Kotobuki in Norfolk - Worst Sushi Experience EVER…read more Kotobuki in Ghent is a disaster. I gave this long-running spot a second chance, after a poor first experience, and it was a mistake. A friend insisted we return, and the service was shockingly bad, the sushi was subpar and the overall experience was the worst. From the moment you walk in, Kotobuki screams neglect: dead plants, servers dressed like they're doing yard work and a pervasive smell of old fry oil. We had reservations for the "traditional Japanese" sunken-table room, where we removed our shoes and climbed into our seats. One dirty pair of slippers sat at our table, while a random pair of construction boots lay abandoned nearby. The "ambiance" was completed by 70s soft rock -- Lionel Richie instead of "traditional Japanese" music. Our server took my order for a dirty Stoli martini, then disappeared for an absurd amount of time only to return and say they couldn't make it -- with no explanation. We hunted through the limited menu while our server vanished completely. The owner eventually stopped by, and I had to specifically request a sushi list. Tired of sitting cross-legged, I briefly put my feet into the pit under the table. Rather than place my bare feet on the filthy floor, I slipped my shoes back on for a moment. That's when the owner's daughter stormed over and aggressively accused me of saying, "Screw you and screw Kotobuki -- I'm not following the rules!" She launched into a rude, insulting lecture about "Japanese custom" while I sat there stunned. I immediately took my shoes off again, just to de-escalate, but the evening was ruined. No customer should be verbally assaulted over something as basic as not wanting bare feet on an obviously dirty floor. In an awkward position, not wanting to ruin the evening, I ordered my food. The sake was watery and flavorless, the house salad was sad, wilted iceberg lettuce drowning in bottled ginger dressing, and the sushi arrived lukewarm with questionable rice that called for a palate blinding amount of wasabi. It was boring, poorly prepared, and far below average. This was one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. Hand to God! Had this not been a special evening with a dear friend, I would have walked out the second the owner's daughter chastised me at the table. Management at Kotobuki clearly doesn't care about customer service or basic standards -- especially when family members are allowed to treat patrons this way. "Japanese tradition" doesn't excuse poor hygiene, rude staff or substandard food. In America, we have health codes for a reason. If you want decent sushi in Norfolk, go literally anywhere else. Kotobuki is just a lazy dive. There's nothing special on the menu, very little sushi selection and nobody seems to care. If you choose to ignore this warning, lower your expectations folks, you are about to be disappointed. The only thing good about this restaurant, is the opportunity to tell you how much it sucked.

Tried Hokkaido for the first time yesterday specifically because my sister wanted AYCE. When we got…read morein, we were greeted and seated immediately which was great. However, we were given the regular menu. I just assumed maybe it was no longer AYCE. We asked a server walking by and she did inform us there were 2 menu options. She brought us the AYCE menu. I think when we were greeted we should've been asked which menu we'd like or at least given both. Anyway, I had a house salad, a shrimp tempura roll, the Ginza roll, a volcano roll, and the seafood fried rice. I also tried my sisters salmon skin roll. I really like their ginger dressing on the house salad compared to other restaurants. The Ginza roll is a cooked salmon roll with cucumber. I really liked it. However, if you prefer something a little less fishy tasting with some crunch, I'd recommend the salmon skin roll. It has a light salmon taste since there isn't much actual salmon in it. I did not like the volcano roll at all. It was really mushy and something was just off about it. The fried rice was really good BUT I don't like that the menu says it comes with "crab" when really it's imitation crab meat. The shrimp in it are huge tho and the rice itself is really flavorful. Overall, we had a good experience. Everything was fresh and came out fast. Our server was on top of it even tho she talked entirely too fast and I barely got anything she was actually saying! The restaurant itself is a nice vibe and super spacious. It could definitely be a good spot for a large party. $26.99 isn't bad at all for AYCE. I'd definitely visit again. Oh yea - If you pay with a credit card, don't forget to get it out of the holder. Their holders don't have the little slot up top where your card sticks out. It was placed behind my receipt copies when handed back to me, and I ended up forgetting to grab it. Had to go back and get it today. They did still have it and there weren't any unauthorized charges on it or anything!

You can't beat the price for this quality of sushi! I got the salmon lover and it was very good…read more Salmon was creamy and buttery. It was also only $17 which I felt was a steal compared to other sushi places. Service was indeed slow but there were only 2 people for the entire restaurant. They need to hire more staff. I wouldn't come here for a high end date night place, but this place was great for casual and cheap sushi with good friends

Koshi is probably the best sushi restaurant in Norfolk. Their fish is very fresh and buttery. It is…read morea little pricey but once you try their nigiri then you can see why. Service is quick and polite.

The best sushi in Norfolk. We got the lobster tempura and…read moredominion roll. The dominion was AMAZING and is a must order.

Straight gas, best ramen I ever had. I drool just thinking about this place. i recommend it to…read moreeveryone!

Visited the Norfolk Osaka Ramen location after already familiar with the VB and Chesapeake…read morelocations. I've gone to the latter two locations several times in the past. There's paid street meter parking outside the restaurant. We went during weekday dinner time which I am glad. I don't want to think about where else we should have parked otherwise during busier times/semester. The service here is incredibly slow. We were seated in front of the register with 3 people working the floors and only us being the diners, too. Food tasted ok. Broth was lukewarm/tepid due to the ice cold toppings added straight out of the fridge. The chashu tasted great. Noodles were nice and chewy. Too bad I felt like I was eating out of a bowl of spit. I think I prefer going to the Chesapeake or VB locations. This location is not worth paying for parking and be frustrated waiting for everything including receiving utensils and checks.

I met a friend for lunch here today and had the best time catching up and eating. The place is…read morereally cute and a great vibe. We got he wings to share for our appetizer. The wings were pretty big and had a decent flavor. The ramen was flavorful and had delicious shredded pork, and the dessert was a mountain of ice cream and cake that we also shared. Overall the food was pretty good and the service was quick and the waitresses were very kind and attentive. Will definitely stop by for another helping of the miso butter cake.

Fantastic Food! Service was extremely attentive and friendly. Very kick back atmosphere. Thank you…read morefor having me!

I've been looking for a hibachi restaurant for so long and I'm glad I found Sai Gai. This place is…read morereally intimate. You would drive by it if you go to fast. It's across the street from Harris Teeter in Wards Corner and next door to Walgreens. It's is a super cute and sooo good! I ordered the shrimp & chicken. The boyfriend ordered shrimp , steak, and chicken. The portions are large that we had enough to take to lunch the next day. The dinner entrees are served with soup, salad, and rice. As the sushi lover I am, I ordered a side shrimp tempura. It came out smelling really fishy, but it was still great. The service was great. They kept the drinks (water, sprite , and hot tea) flowing. We will be returning ! 1000/10 recommend.

I hate to be that girl but this place was ok. I stumbled upon this place while looking for some…read moreplace to eat on my lunch break around noon. Upon first opening the door the place smelled like they mopped with dirty mop water. I was hungry and I was pressed for time so I went in, I was greeted by 2 people. They were nice. I tell them I wanted to to place a to go order, and they gave me a menu. I ordered the hibachi shrimp and soup. The prices were reasonable, it was $11.95 plus tax. No customers came while I was there. I was the only customer in the building which is rare for lunchtime. The food took about 20 minutes. The food was ok. My shrimp were over cooked. The fried rice had no flavor. I don't think I will be returning.

If the food could talk, it'd have a lot to say... mostly about eating its peers. Every dish was…read moremeaningful, elegant, and downright divine. And those duck tacos? Easily getting my vote for president. Cozy, cave-like atmosphere, genuinely personable staff, dreamy drinks, and every bite worth it. Magical, welcoming, and absolutely date-night approved. 11/10. Would eat here again and campaign for those tacos.

Chef Ty is amazing. He's blending flavors across cultures that are so flavor packed. He's bringing…read morethe umami!!! If you are ever nearby, you should come out and support!

Miso / pork broth base is fantastic. Eggs were fabulous but we also got yakatori and it was totally…read moreraw chicken everything else was great. Our server was lovely. I prefer the VB location though for sure.

The Ramen we got and the gyoza were very good. The service was quick. I will definitely be back.read more

T'san is that spot that I'm always going to stop by when I'm in the area. The owner and her husband…read moreare always kind and their food is popping!! They're normally pretty busy, so you may have to wait a bit, but it's worth it!! I got the 20pcs steamed shrimp with broccoli, potatoes, and rice. I also got chicken gyoza. The shrimp with butter sauce was definitely delicious. That's my go to order. The butter sauce is so good. The gyoza was also tasty. I wish I ordered more than 3. Lol. Their Kobe beef and dynamite chicken is also worth trying. They sell Chinese and Japanese food. The menu has a good amount of options!! . It's a little hole in the wall kinda spot, but the customer service is good, and the food is to. Check them out!!

Do not be fooled. I saw the great reviews and thought hey let me try this place. I got the chicken…read morefried rice and after getting it i open my plate to see pretty much a tray full of rice and u have to search for tiny bits of chicken. EXTREMELY STINGY on the chicken i never thought there could be this extent of stinginess on chicken and then on top if that it is extremely bland even with soy sauce and the chicken itself is burnt with no sauce or seasoning. A lot of the reviews are old so maybe this place was good once upon a time but i can confidently say it is no longer worth it. additionally the prices are higher when what the menu says my meal was suppose to me 10.95 it ended up being nearly 13$ ***Update: I called to address this and the man who answered the phone rudely said "i always put the chicken in for the customer i cut it up really small, ok thank you" and hung up the phone before i can reply" he knew he was wrong and i was more than willing to bring it to them to show that there is basically now chicken in this bowl but they decided to be rude. Do not go here if your looking for good service or a good meal.

I am writing to express my disappointment regarding the customer service I received on May 22,…read more2026, around 12:45 PM. My party consisted of 11 guests, and unfortunately the service provided by the young woman assigned to our table was extremely unprofessional. Throughout our visit, she appeared overwhelmed and was noticeably disrespectful in her interactions with our group. Her attitude made the dining experience uncomfortable and unpleasant. While I understand that busy shifts can be stressful, customers should still be treated with courtesy and professionalism. A table of our size should not have been made to feel like an inconvenience. We expected respectful service and left very disappointed by the experience. I hope this matter is addressed appropriately to prevent future customers from having a similar experience. Our celebration for a service member was a horrible experience. We will never dine here again. The food was mediocre.

My first clue should have been that I could smell the Koi pond when I walked in. The service was…read moreslow and what I think was a junior server was arrogant, rude and slow. The food was, at best, mediocre. The men's room had really low water pressure and no paper towels. Save your money and get some good sushi at Volcano Sushi 5 minutes away. That was my one and only trip. Thanks for ruining father's day.