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    Kema By KENAKI

    4.4 (92 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 4:30 PM - 8:30 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order Kema By KENAKI Takeout or Delivery

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    KEMA BY KENAKI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Intimate
    Happy hour specials

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    This was the Quiet Luxury roll. It definitely needed more lobster tempura and less mayo.
    Joy B.

    I have been dying to try this sushi spot, since it opened, and I finally got my chance. Service was very good, thank you, Nina. She was very good about refilling water glasses and giving us her personal take, on what dishes she recommends. We decided to splurge on the roll named "Quiet Luxury". It had lobster tempura, shiso, chives, garlicky qp, and topped with french trout caviar. We also ordered California rolls and salmon with avocado, and cucumber rolls. Truthfully, our favorite was the California rolls. They were fresh and delicious. The salmon rolls,with avocado, and cucumber were good and the fish was fresh. The most expensive of our trio and the one we had the highest hopes for had a little too much going on. There was too much of the garlicky qp, and not enough of the lobster tempura in this $25 roll. The caviar was a nice touch. But, this roll was too small for the price. I am also used to getting a larger roll with more fish at my favorite sushi restaurant. So, I liked the food, the fish was fresh, the service was good. I liked the variety of sushi combinations to order. But, for the price, I expected a little more. So, a solid 4 star rating. We enjoyed our meal.

    Udon Bento Box
    Kyle L.

    Kema has been around for a few years now, but today was my first time dining here. They have a nice selection of rolls, but I opted for their bento box and a pork belly bun. The pork belly bun is under their small plates. I thought it would include at least 2 buns since it's usually a shareable item, but I also know the times we are in. The bun was super fresh and soft. The slaw paired nicely with the tender pork, and it reminded me of a mini mini version of Bao Bei's bun. The udon bento box was also good. It is considered a kid's item, and I would definitely say it would be filling for a child. The blueberry compote paired with the fried banana was the main reason I opted for the bento!

    MISO SOUP, CRISPY RICE SPICY TUNA, OLD BAE, SHRIMP TEMPURA
    Caitlin D.

    Excellent sushi spot! We loved the crispy rice spicy tuna and miso soup as appetizers. For sushi, we tried the old bae, which was a unique and very Maryland centric flavor, and also the shrimp tempura. Greatly enjoyed both rolls. Kaarage was the only dish that was just fine. They also gave us delicious ice cream because we were celebrating my friend's birthday . Service was great and friendly. Will be back soon!

    Fat tuna bento
    Alea V.

    I got a bento which is a lot of food. My husband got the jpop roll which was a baked sushi roll and was pretty good. My fatty tuna bento came with a salad, 2 karage pieces, and a dessert. Everything tasted good, it was just difficult to eat the fish with the rice in such a small bowl. I also would avoid the fish eggs they were super salty and took away from the taste of the tuna. We got the krispy rice tuna appetizer, which I think makes for a really neat picture. The taste was pretty average, but I would get it again with friends just for a new experience. My husband's sushi was really flavorful, I think next time I'll just get a sushi rolls instead of the bento. The service wasn't as good as their other location. No one came to clear our appetizer plates and we didn't get water until the people next to us asked for it. I'm guessing it was just understaffed that day so it didn't bother me.

    Jasmine A.

    Trying to figure out what to have for dinner, we stumble upon Kema. Such a great gem to find! We ordered a few dishes (two rolls, a bento box, two hand rolls) to share. The sushi was amazing! We ordered the old bae and green monster. Perfectly executed and the flavors all worked together. The nigiri bento box came with 5 pieces of nigiri, karaage, salad, and dessert. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. The fish was super fresh and had a clean taste. The kale salad was different but I loved the dressing on it. The chicken karaage was light and crispy. Lastly the dessert was a banana fritter with blueberry sauce and it was delicious, not too sweet either. The two hand rolls we ordered were chu toro and spicy scallop. Each bite was tasty, very fresh and melted in your mouth. There was a lot of tuna and scallop in each hand roll. Not overpowering with all the flavors going on. I'm not in Cabin John area often, but if I happen to be up this way, I am definitely coming back here. It's a great spot if you are craving sushi or want to have a meal with friends or a date night.

    Quiet luxury
    Chris C.

    Let me tell yall.....this is the best sushi i ever had on the east coast so far from nyc to miami to the dmv. It's in what looks like an office building but let me tell you, this is thee hidden gem of gems. Went here to celebrate my bd's birthday and i couldn't have found a better place. Lets start with the food - everything is phenomenal. We got the quiet luxury, 3xseared salmon nigiri, 2x crispy rice spicy tuna, spicy scallop handroll, crunchy shrimp roll and some beers. All that food just for $100 and it's high quality fish. They told me they dont do much for birthdays but still gave us a free desert. The staff is so friendly and the ambiance is amazing - clean and simple & playing the best music. I drove an hour to get here and i'd do it over and over and over again! Please come here it will not disappoint!!!!!!

    Jane S.

    Everything was delicious! I recommend the chirashi and the crispy rice. The jelly drink was really good too! It's a nice date spot or a great place to check out with friends.

    SPICY CUCUMBERS
    Jordan N.

    Overall this place was pretty good! However it just was not a personal favorite! But I still recommend giving it a try for yourself! Very good spot for small lunch tapas style! The sushi is a standard yummy across the board and the apps were great too! The flavor was there & the staff was very friendly!

    Strawberry Banana Parfait
    Kelly S.

    Innovative sushi rolls and unique cocktails We dined in on a Friday night. We were given a spot that oversees the kitchen. It was fun to see the rolls being made for in restaurant patrons and to go orders. Service was interesting. We were told to order at the counter which was a short walk around the restaurant. I think it would have been nicer if we had our own server. At one point we served ourselves water since the pitcher was seated next to us. Sushi was very fresh and flavorful. They had a lot of options. The crispy rice with spicy tuna was fantastic. We enjoyed the Magnolia cocktails. One of the main reasons we dined in was for the strawberry banana parfait served in a fish container. It lived up to the hype.

    Passion fruit and Guava Lemonade  GUAVA LEMONADE
    Sera K.

    On a Friday night around 5, it was easy to get a table for me and my mom. We sat, ordered, and the food came out quickly. The service was great and everything was tasty. We ordered the crispy rice + spicy tuna, which was the perfect two bites for each of us. The rice was crunchy and the tuna was the perfect amount of spiciness. Our Maki (Mango Tango and Soft Shell Crab) were delicious, the Nigiri Moriawase was fresh and the spicy Cucumbers were salty, but flavorful. Would recommend this place for a slightly elevated date night.

    OLD BAE, BLACK MAGIC, DONKEY KONG
    Charlie S.

    Went to Kema after running into a full house at Rakugaki. It's a short drive. The ambiance was casual/elegant, seating was quick. Ordered 3 sushi types. Favorite is oddly enough old bae with potato chip savory combined with crab as brilliant comfort sushi. The donkey Kong didn't quite stick the landing for me but was still good! The hojicha ice cream was interesting: roasted matcha has a slightly different flavor profile versus standard green. The addition of miso to sweet ice cream is an unusual experience worth repeating!

    BLUEFIN AKAMI (MAGURO) and SAKE
    Kara S.

    We ordered from Kema recently as our regular go to spot was closed. It was a great experience and the food was really good. The miso was spot on and rolls (new spicy tuna, eel avocado, spicy salmon crunch and the Philly) were all very flavorful and good quality. We have already ordered twice! It is a bit pricey especially for the nigiri, but that's the only downside so far!

    CRISPY CRISPY RICE SPICY TUNA
    Christine R.

    Still delicious! It's a gem and I've now gone to this location as well as the location in DC. They make the crunchy tuna slightly different differently, but both delicious. I love the lunch special because I work a couple days a week nearby. I wish it went a little bit later than 12 PM, but it still works!

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    4 months ago

    For Asians to feel discriminated in an Asian restaurant takes a lot. Especially when food is mediocre.

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    7 months ago

    Everything is excellent- the food, the servers, the atmosphere! Delicious sushi! Easy location.

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    Ask the Community - Kema By KENAKI

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