I've driven by the place most of my life her, never stopped by to eat. Not a huge menu, sushi tasted ok. Pricing is what you would expect. The service was ok, needs a little work. The place is small, but the decor is nice. read more

One of the better sushi restaurants in Cupertino if you love sashimi. All sushi is fresh and they have daily specials that change regularly. Portions for the chicken don was huge, easily feeds 2 people. Restaurant is on the smaller side so harder for big parties. They do have a nice patio space for outdoor seating. read more

Sushi Kuni - Chicken Teriyaki Don Lunch Tempura Entree Dinner - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

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A small, local hero , family shop. Excellent traditional sushi , sashimi, and traditional menu items. I most often order chirashi, one of my favorites for lunch. Otherwise I love the sushi and sashimi selections, which vary seasonally as they should, One of my long-time favorites, I always feel welcomed here :) read more

Portions were pretty small for the price, and the fish wasn't the best quality. Service was also a bit slow (perhaps slightly understaffed) but overall good experience! Would like to try their other items. read more

Sushi Kuni - Chirashi Combination Regular - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

I can't believe that after all the years I've been coming here, I haven't written a review for this place. In a few words, my family and I love this place. At least in our area, it is the last bastion of a truly Japanese-run sushi joint. The sushi is excellent, but they make the best hamachi kama (yellowtail collar) which I order every time I come here! It is grilled to perfection. The staff is attentitve and friendly, and the sushi chefs rock! My wife and I prefer to sit at the sushi bar and it's great to converse with the chefs. As for the dining room and outdoor patio, they're nothing special. But we don't come here for the furniture or decorations. That said, it's not a dump and it's very neat and clean as one would expect from a Japanse restaurant. They always have specials on their board and it's always worth taking a look, especially if they have toro. Yes, it's a pricey fish, but SO worth it. As for the cost of the food, it's not out of line with other sushi places in the area. Sushi ain't cheap, nor should it be if top-quality ingredients are used. read more

The quality and ambiance was good. The service was okay, it had the look feel of a mom & pop shop but lacked the attentive care & attention to detail that a mom & pop might have. The sushi and other food items were above average, however at pretty high prices. The server recommended us to change the entree in a combo dinner and add a tempura app instead, but didn't tell us the tempura app was half the price of the entree. I had a good time with friends which is the most important part but the dining experience was lacking. read more

Good food, [[HIGHLIGHT]]small, cute, nice outdoor area[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. Nice service and friendly and fast! Will be back!

Tucked away among a few strip malls is some authentic Japanese food served in a cozy homelike atmosphere. While modest, do not be mistaken; this is some of the freshest fish you will find. Service is efficient and quick. read more

I've dined here several times for dinner over the last few months and it was one of my go-to spots. The food and service were always good. However, my recent experience has significantly changed the way I view this establishment now. My husband and I brought our 2 friends from out of town here for dinner. We had a good meal and service was ok overall per usual. Our friend offered to pay the bill as we were finishing up our last few bites of food. After paying, the server took our receipt while we were still there to bring into the restaurant. Within a minute or so, she came back out with it and asked us if the service was bad because the tip was so low (it was a fair tip). She pointed to the suggested tips listed at the bottom and demanded our friend to choose from one of those options listed. We felt very attacked and my friend ended up changing the tip because she wouldn't leave our table until he added more money to it. After this experience, we don't plan on returning. It made everyone very uncomfortable and we have never experienced this before anywhere else. Looking through past reviews, it sounds like this has happened to other customers before as well. It's very shocking and problematic. I understand that tipping is customary in America, and something that we always do when we dine out -- based on the quality of service received. To embarrass a customer and demand more tip is not normal and extremely rude. Why would anyone want to return after that? read more

First time here. Even though it got rated only 4stars, I thought to try it because there were lots of reviews. It is a mom and pop shop. The waitresses were obasans. But I like mom and pop shops! [[HIGHLIGHT]]If you're looking for decorative frills, this place is not for you.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The sushi is good! Fresh fish and not skimpy as some reviewers have said. I also have to make note, they are not snobby or stand-offish as some restaurants are in this area/city. They did look at me, non-Japanese with a questionable look but I'll take that over an unhappy face that gives a look that I don't belong. I won't name that restaurant...because the food is good and I will return. There are more roll selections on the menu in the restaurant than online, also they serve alcohol but not a big selection of sakes like fancier places. To credit them they offer a Chardonnay(one opt by the glass) where other Japanese restaurants do not. Lastly the lack of 5stars is due to packing my to-go food in the same bag, my udon and my sushi. Other than that, I will go back! read more

Hidden Japanese gem in Cupertino! Small, quiet, authentic sushi restaurant. I followed the enticing aroma of the wood burning barbecue and discovered Sushi Kuni. I had their two item combo with beef teriyaki and sashimi, which included three generous pieces each of white tuna and Maguro tuna on a bed of finely shredded radish with a nice dollop of wasabi. The tunas were both melt in mouth tender with only the slightest touch of fishiness. Very pleased with how fresh the Sashimi is. The succulent and tender beef teriyaki was served on a bed of mung bean sprouts, which was a delight in itself. And I couldn't help ordering a side of Yakitori chicken, which looks absolutely as moist as it tastes! I am so glad that I found Sushi Kuni. I can not adequately describe how absolutely delicious it is and how pleased I am with this first meal! read more

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Smelled a bit fishy when I walked in. Servers are good but not very present or warm. Sushi was very good, for the price, pieces were small. Great location but they could be more glad to serve. read more

Walk-in Only. I am a super fan of their "tempura soba"!Mix wasabi and green onions together with their special soy sauce soup? and dip the cold noodles in it.. so delicious and refreshing!! Also like the "salmon delight" and "spider roll" that we ordered this time, will never go wrong with these, lol. But I am not into "uni", maybe it's not in season, will give a chance to try it next time! read more

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I honestly can't figure out why this restaurant doesn't have 5 stars? We are avid sushi-goers and thought this place was top notch. From the plentiful specials board to the uber fresh sashimi to the best tempura batter to the delicious hot tea and sake...everything was amazing and the service was friendly and attentive. We will be back! read more

Sushi Kuni - Fresh Oyster Special - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

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Introduced to this sushi place by a friend who loves it. Fresh fish -- the sashimi was thick and gorgeous. The soba was good -- personally wasn't my favorite, but my friend loves it. The bento were also quite large in quantity and generally very tasty read more

Sushi Kuni - Soba - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

Currently open for lunch great sushi and delicious udon . Plenty of parking and. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There's a small patio that is lit at night[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

This place used to have the best sushi in Cupertino and I've been here dozens of times over the years. I've seen it slowly go down year over years. I think I came here like a year before Covid happened and thought that would be the last time. Well being in the neighborhood and trying to support local businesses thought I'd give it another shot, particularly after reading some of the recent reviews. I sure did regret it. Their prices are higher for the size of the portions for what I would expect. I would have been okay with this if the quality was good. I believe I've actually had better sushi at the whole foods to go area. Service was fine. I'd give them 2 stars, but +1 for being open during Covid. read more

We visited on a Tuesday night the week of Christmas Eve and it was busy. There was plenty of parking and we got seated right away. For the appetizer we got the Tatsuta-Age. It's fried chicken which is juicy, and perfectly savory and delicious with a touch of lemon from the slice it came with. It was the perfect texture and flavor (the chicken was tender and the lime paired so nicely with the fried flavor) The spider roll had nice huge portion sushi pieces of fried tempura with avocado. I enjoy it every time. My absolute favorite is still the dragon roll because of the sweetness of the eel on top and savoriness of the shrimp and the acidity of the soy sauce gives it that umami amazingness. We tried a new roll called the shrimp crunch. It was shrimp tempura with more tempura on top. The acidity from the soy sauce paired very nicely with all the sushi and fried yumminess of the tempura! The service was 10/10, definitely recommend coming here! The ambience was great, we had a relaxing dinner! read more

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I've been coming to Sushi Kuni for over a decade now, through the original chefs and owners moving back to Japan, and its just as good as it's always been. It's a cute hole in the wall restaurant, really easy to pass by, and the parking is usually pretty easy to get. What I'd recommend getting: Inaniwa udon (hot or cold are both good): It's a type of udon that is much thinner than usual. It's amazingly soft, and the broth is really good. I get this everytime I come. Seared Sushi: The seared salmon, hamachi, and hotate are all really great. Def recommend. Sashimi: Generally for dinner they'll have today's specials for sashimi. Their kampachi, sea bream, and bluefin tuna are all really good. read more

4 stars for fresh sashimi, tasty traditional appetizers and friendly service. Note - If you like saucy Americanized sushi and baked rolls, you'll be disappointed. Come here for sashimi, small appetizers, bentos, and hand rolls. They're solid and what traditional Japanese food is about. This is an adorable little Japanese restaurant hidden next to XLB kitchen on De Anza blvd. It may be harder to find since it looks like a tiny house with white lights strung across. It's rather cute for date night or small groups of 4. Two of us went at 5 pm on a Saturday and it was empty. The staff is friendly and Japanese. They immediately got us drinks and took our orders. We ordered agedashi tofu, hamachi sashimi, and omakase. Agedashi tofu was 4/4. Toro was 3/5. It was super fresh, just not fatty enough. Hamachi, white tuna, hirame, amaebi, sea bass/hamachi, all 4-5/5. Like butter. All in all I was pleased with our meal and service. I think some negative reviews are for people who have a different expectation than traditional Japanese fare. read more

Sushi Kuni - Hamachi - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

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I had a nice lunch on Saturday at Sushi Kuni. We chose to sit out on the patio although sitting indoor was also an option. It was nicely shaded and airy. We saw the patio heater so I'd assume it must be warm and comfortable in the evening as well. I had Chirashi Sushi which had everything I like and none I don't. The portion-wise, I thought the fish and rice ratio was just right. I would order it again. The serving staff was nice and made sure our tea cups were full. Parking here was easy. read more

Sushi Kuni - Chirashi Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

It was such a night mare trying to get the heater on. The lady literally asked us to sit inside instead, then the sushi chef finally came to turn in on and then another waitress came to turn it down. It is ridiculous! Honestly, If you don't want people yo use it, then don't have it. Don't tell me to sit inside during covid and also tell me there's not enough people on the patio. Food was okay. My hamachi was still a bit frozen. read more

Sushi Kuni - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

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Decent Japanese restaurant, very small though, so seating can be a challenge if you come during peak hours. They do have a small patio, so weather permitting, you could snag a spot out there. Staff was very friendly and polite, so the overall service was very pleasant. The only downside I found is their pricing. Portion sizes are on the smaller side relative to other Japanese restaurants in the area but of a similar price, so you end up getting less for the same price. The sashimi that comes with the lunch bento is also white tuna and not salmon or regular tuna. The chirashi (special) was especially lacking in size for $19 IMO. There was also a good portion of daikon filling when I expected more sushi rice. The spider roll was good as well, but also a bit small (only 4 pieces). That being said, the food tasted pretty good so no complaints there. All in all, its a pretty good Japanese place, but wouldn't be my first choice because it seems to be pretty expensive for the amount of food you get. Parking should pretty easy, as its in a plaza, plus there's street parking in the nearby residential areas. read more

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Food: not impressed Service: not impressed Price: expensive, one small bowl of rice $3.75 Ambiance: need improvement I don't recommend read more

Very pleasant neighborhood place to go. Great service. Amazing quality. The yellowtail is . Small. Cozy. Personable. Solid sushi menu with a lot of options read more

Recommend ordering off the Specials whiteboard! I also had the Special dinner combo which comes with a chef's choice variety of sushi. The quality of the fish here is fantastic and the tempura was fresh as can be. Service is great, food came quickly and staff is friendly! Inside is small, clean, and cozy. There is also a patio area for outdoor seating. read more

Sushi Kuni - Special Dinner and Seared Salmon Nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

This is ok. Limited menu items. Some items are bit fishy smelling. Have had better sushi in other places. But I think they cater to traditional sushi diners. Service is great . [[HIGHLIGHT]]The tables smelt musty. Must have used a damp cloth/rag.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

It breaks my heart to write that this is one of the most disgusting, overpriced, and embarrassing restaurants to eat sushi here in the Bay Area. I have lived here all my life and growing up, Sushi Kuni was a South Bay legend, known for being a true hole in the wall and the only real Japanese quality place in the entire San Jose/Peninsula that wasn't an ACYE. I hadn't dined there in years, but we thought we revisit again for some old memories, considering it had been a while and it'd be a nice end to the year. Instead, what we got was shockingly unprofessional food and absolute terrible quality of fish. You can buy sashimi and uni from Mitsuwa or any Japanese supermarket for 1/10th the price. Our bill tonight came to nearly $300 for 3 people after tip. For $100 a person, this is a joke. The penny pinching bs/cutting corners from the owers, nonsensical pricing, and ridiculous quality of the two Japanese "chefs" at the bar was a joke. We were the ONLY customers in the restaurant. I understand that times are tough but if you have 2 Japanese sushi chefs at a bar and 3 customers, shit like this should not happen period: - We ordered 3 pieces of uni for $36 or $9 each. They insisted that this was fresh uni flown in this morning from Santa Barbara. On first bite, the uni was borderline rotten for all 3 pieces. It was fishy, smelly, stinky, and had a strong nasty bitter taste on first tongue. The uni was heavily discolored, like a pale yellow and overly oxidized, probably had been sitting out for days and would have been 100% rotten within the next day - there is no way this was "fresh uni". My guess is that this is pre-opened uni from Restaurant Depot. There is no way they cracked open a fresh sea urchin and fished this out. Beyond the taste which was repulsive to all 3 of people in the party, the texture of the uni was disgusting, it was oozing, disintegrating, creamy, slimy on the plate. There was no piece or physical form to the uni itself, another sign of uni that had gone bad. The fact they served this to us and even after we gave that feedback, they continued to insist this was fresh uni. You had to force down the uni to get through it. - The "assorted sashimi" platter was even more of a joke. We got served a big plate that had 3 pieces of salmon, tuna, yellowtail, and some white tuna that had literally been thrown onto the plate. Let's not get to the fish quality or taste yet, just the plating alone was hilarious. Speechless just seeing a $35 platter of sashimi with plating of randomly placed sushi that the chef could not even bother to line up properly, Again, we were the only customers in a completely empty restaurant. 0 people at the bar, about 20 or so empty seats all around us. 2 chefs and 3 servers. They knew there were only 3 customers - everyone was literally staring at us the whole time as we ate. The "assorted sashimi platter" only had 3 pieces of salmon and tuna. The white tuna and yellow tail only had 2 pieces. ???? - The dragon roll was excellent and came in 8 or so pieces. The spider roll was $13 and had literally 4 pieces lmao. If it's one thing this place does well consistently, it's the deep fried items. - The rice here is absolute trash - the rice they use in the nigiri and rolls. It is mushy, wet, overcooked, there is no vinegar or flavoring or even salt. It's like this thick clump of sticky sushi rice that they just slap onto every nigiri and roll. It is worse than the steamed rice that you can get from a shitty chicken teriyaki place. Again, if this was place was going low end $3-5 a piece, whatever. But if you're pricing your sushi as be high end, at least have some respect for your craft and cook proper rice? - The toro was a redeeming part of the meal, but a part of me really suspects this was toro. They had torched it before they served it to us - if this was real toro, it would already have been melting at room temperature. It would have been a puddle of oil if someone had taken a blowtorch to it. - Scallop seared nigiri was good. This was the only thoughtfully done dish the whole night, with little salmon roe on top and a spicy mayo sauce. - The fish was literally all cold for everything that was not deep fried. What I don't understand is that if you're a sushi chef and you're slicing the tuna, salmon, mackerel, sashimi, whatever, no matter your training or skill level - you HAVE to know that the fish you're cutting is not defrosted yet. With the tuna, you could still taste the watery ice from an unfinished defrost. Every piece of fish on the nigiri or sashimi plate was ice cold paired with cold rice from the refrigerator. Not a single item was at room temp. - The menu says each order of nigiri is 2 pieces. Upon billing, we found out this was incorrect - you get charged $7-9 per piece not per order. What nonsense. We didn't make a scene about it but Christ, at least update the menu or be transparent about this upfront read more

FRESH UNI!!!! The rest is icing on the cake for me! The beautiful Chirashi, sushi delux and lunch box are all made right! On a pricey side for lunch one may say but I'd say it's worth your money for it's not easy to find quality sushi these days. Please keep doing what you're doing, chef! read more

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Love this totally legit sushi place. Some of the freshest sushi in the area and the vibe is great. You feel like you're in a little sushi shop in Japan. It's been here for quite awhile but you may have missed it since it's a tiny little house structure next to some retail shops in a strip mall. This time around we had unagi, sake, and maguro nigiri, tempura udon, and agedashi tofu. Everything was good but especially the nigiri cause the sushi was noticeably fresh. The udon and the soul was soooo flavorful. Very friendly service too. read more

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Popular sushi with a good atmosphere. We tried Nigiri Special Lunch. It included nigiris with different toppings and some rolls. All the toppings were very typical and popular ones, though I had thought I might have something I didn't know. Their tastes were also similar to ones in Japan. The rolls were different from ones we had in Japan. It included an ingredient like Negitro, minced tuna. I thought it didn't look so good, but it tasted nice. We were impressed to see their interior and services reproducing a comfortable atmosphere like sushi restaurants in Japan. read more

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Fish is really fresh and tender! The ambiance is really cozy and the servers are very kind, go t try it out!

It was our date night, looking foward to spend limited time with my husband before we pick up our baby. Not busy Friday evening, we ordered only few items. For some reasons, our food did not come for over a hour, looked around and found out the people who came after us already finished eating. I asked the gray hair lady, she did not apologized. Still waiting. No food. Finally came, charged $70 for small sushi omakase. I truly felt it was absolutely disappointing and not acceptable to take money from customer for that small portion. I never received my noodle 2 hours later. This is just absolutely absurd. I just wish they could give us back the money and our precious time. This restaurant really ruined our night. read more

Sushi Kuni was probably good back in their heydays...30+ years ago, when my [pre-tiger] mom was strutting around in hot pants and my dad was rocking a Members Only jacket. My mom has since traded in hot pants for florescent leggings, while my dad still rocks his Members Only jacket with a curly mullet a la A.C. Slater style. =/ Despite all the mixed reviews for Sushi Kuni and against my better judgement, I wanted to give them a shot. I mean, how bad can a Japanese owned restaurant be that's still going strong after all these years? Sushi Kuni doesn't take reservations, I called twice to ask and they said no. But, I noticed that several yelpers mentioned that they came with reservations so *shrugs*. They have two menus, a regular one and a whiteboard specials menu. Those who gave glowing reviews suggested to order from the whiteboard menu only because the regular menu is not good. Why even offer a regular menu then?! To get a sampling of both, we decided to order from the regular (R) and whiteboard (WB) menu: *Shrimp Tempura (R - $12): http://bit.ly/2sShapK Not the best shrimp tempura we had but it was the best thing we had that night. It was nicely crunchy and the shrimp was tender and sweet. *Beef Tataki (WB - $16): http://bit.ly/2touT54 The beef tataki was terrible. Sliced thick and uneven, the beef was incredibly chewy and sinewy. It took a lot of effort to get down. *Nigiri: Amaebi, Aji, Hamachi Toro, Hirame, Hotaru Ika, Sake, Toro, Nihon Unagi (R & WB $5.95-$14 per pair): http://bit.ly/2toTzdO As a whole, the nigiri was less than mediocre. The shari was bland and underseasoned, and except for the toro, the neta was thin. Quality-wise, the fish was subpar, not fresh, and dry. The seared nigiri from the whiteboard specials were overtorched and cooked well-done. The amaebi didn't include the heads - what?! The best nigiri was the hotaru ika since it had some actual flavor from the brush of soy and garnish of fresh wasabi. Thank goodness we didn't order their omakase nigiri, otherwise I would have been pissed. One of the main reasons, I decided to take the plunge and try Sushi Kuni is because they have an outdoor patio out front so I could take Tater Tot. We arrived before they opened and as we were being seated in the patio, one of the sushi chefs made a big stink about TT...in front of other customers. Very unprofessional and embarrassing. I told the server that I had called twice to ask if it was ok before driving all the way from SF and she remembered me as she said, "Oh yes, you called yesterday?" She was very apologetic and had to convince him to let us stay in the patio. Besides that whole debacle, the female servers are very polite and friendly but service was unreasonably slow. Keep in mind, we were there at 5 pm opening and there were 3 sushi chefs, yet it took close to an hour to get our nigiri. This wasn't a fluke as many others mention the service being very slow. They are not understaffed, they just can't seem to efficiently and effectively handle orders. The ambiance is basic and old skool with just a handful of tables, counter seating, and a tatami room in the back. The front patio overlooks the parking lot in a strip mall but is nice on a warm day. Just keep the furkid(s) at home. I want to support mom and pop businesses and don't like giving them negative reviews. This is especially true for Japanese owned, Japanese restaurants which is a rarity these days but not when the food is less than medicore and the service is so spotty. Two apps, 8 sets of nigiri, and a carafe of Esshu sake ($19): http://bit.ly/2sSljKv was $160 (including tip) so it's not like it was a cheap dinner where I can overlook so many missteps. There are SO many better Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area including Korean and Chinese owned ones so I wouldn't return to Sushi Kuni nor would I recommend it to anyone. read more

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We loved everything we ordered! So good and so fresh! The waitress was so sweet and helpful as well!! Highly recommend!

Hands down one of my favorite Edomae Sushi restaurants in Silicon Valley. Kuni is always changing the menu up a bit with the latest and greatest seasonal fish and traditional cooked Japanese dishes. If you come here drop the menu and order from the white specials board. Literally it's enough to fill you up and walking out satisfied. I always sit at the bar to chat with the chefs(when they have time) and buy them their customary beer. To get the full effect of what they offer come after Tuesday and arrive early. read more

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Got the rainbow roll and freshwater eel maki. The quality of the sushi was mid, but the main purpose of this review is because I was really disappointed in the quantity and value. Total came out to $45 for one speciality roll and one non-specialty selection. Maybe it was because I ordered takeout that it seemed to be like so much less? But I won't come back here, which is a shame because it looks like a very good spot. Guess I'll have to microwave some edamame to fill me up. read more

Sushi Kuni - $45 worth of sushi. Don't mind the fact that it rolled around, that was most likely due to my driving. - Japanese Near Me - Cupertino, California

So this place has been here for a long time. It honestly can be mistaken for a house sometimes. It's tiny but fits about 2 dozen people. Like any Japanese restaurant, it's a bit pricey if you want to fill up. Also, like any other Japanese restaurant, they have some lunch and dinner combos. It's definitely on the cheaper side in terms of quality. But it was a nice experience. I'd probably stick to the mainstream places. The dinner combo came with sashimi, some nigiri, tempera, rice, miso, soup, and salad. read more

Best sushi I have had in a long time! Service was great and the staff were super nice! Hands down I would recommend this place!!

Very authentic Japanese style place. Fish is fresh and service is good. Reasonably priced.