This place is amazing and the staff is incredibly sweet and nice and the food is delicious.. The atmosphere is very calm not to loud ( sometimes music is so loud in some restaurants) but it was perfect in here.. Definitely I'm going to be a returning customer.. Everyone one who works there knows exactly what they're doing to make this place run so smoothly. Thank you for a great experience read more

It's been a few years since I've been to Kokoro but today I had a craving. I called my order in because I get a very short window to run out and grab food. When I spoke to the person who took my order she was having a hard time hearing me and she said their phone is like that sometimes. I eventually got to a point where she said she could hear me. I ordered Some sunomono with crab and I asked for a "Kokoro Sashimi" with the "Salmon Sashimi" which I included what that is in the photos with this review. The young lady immediately asked me which type of Ca roll I'd like with it. I said it doesn't come with a Ca roll it comes with rice,salad and soup. Very insistently the young lady said we don't have a "Kokoro Sashimi" only a "combo" I said I'm looking at it right now on your website and it says you do have what I'm asking for. After a few minutes of back and forth and being put on hold she comes back with yes they do have that. I said Great!! With salmon please. She the. Said literally right after I said that "What kind of Sashimi did you want? I said SAlMON" please. She the repeated my order as "Tuna" sashimi and Again I corrected her and said SALMON please not Tuna I do not like Tuna. She said oh okay. She asked if wanted anything else I said no thank you and she again... says That was "Tuna?? Right??" ‍‍ I said no I would like Salmon!! I ran down to the restaurant from SVMH and grabbed my bag and paid for my meal I even tipped better than usual because it was ready fast. I stupidly didn't look in the tied off bag I was in a hurry. I get back the hospital to sit down and eat and..wait for it... it's TUNA!! I was upset but I politely called the restaurant and they told me that the clerk had double verified that I ordered "Tuna" I said well I should have checked my bad while I was there because I know I ordered Salmon and said it more than 3 times. I NEVER order tuna. She said well it wouldn't have mattered because you ordered Tuna so we wouldn't have given you a free Sashimi anyway. I told them I just spent $42 bucks for 9 pieces of tuna salad and cucumber salad on the side. I didn't even get my soup and I'm not asking for free food just what I ordered. Bottom line I won't be back they said next time remind them what happened they'll ad some soup or an extra salad. This was not a good experience especially since I don't normally treat myself to such an expensive lunch. Too bad Kokoro I have brought you tons of business over the years between friends, family gatherings etc.. I won't be back! FYI I didn't order online because I wanted double salad no rice and they option wasn't there online. read more

Kokoro Sushi - Screenshot to show that you can choose what type of sashimi and it's Tuna is just one of several choices. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Salinas, California

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If I could give zero stars, I would. We waited 20 minutes just to get on the waiting list . I don't know if they were understaffed or if the employee was having a bad day, but the service was horrible. After waiting another 15 min there was 3 more families that came in and were waiting in the waiting area confused as to why no one was helping them. I get that it's a Saturday but it wasn't even that busy inside. Before we decided to leave a person can and told us he's been waiting 20 min for his tab. This was a bummer probably won't be returning. On the other hand we went to arigato on the north side and got better service. read more

My husband and I visited recently and were unfortunately very disappointed with the service. We waited at the entrance for 10 minutes before being acknowledged, only to be told they needed to 'clean' a booth--despite the restaurant being nearly empty. Once seated, our server didn't greet us or offer to take drink orders; she simply walked away. After 30 minutes of being ignored while the staff stood around, we decided to leave. It's a shame, as we were looking forward to a nice meal. read more

Went for lunch at 1130am. There were maybe 3 tables full. Walked in and waited 5-10 minutes before anyone came to seat me. Two staff members saw me waiting and didn't even acknowledge me. I ordered chicken teriyaki. Chicken was old and dry. I asked for more teriyaki sauce hoping that would help, but had to pay extra. I eat here sparingly hoping it's just an off day, but it's never any better. read more

Amazing customer service great food, but the lack of AC air today in the restaurant made it unbearable to eat in peace. Come on, all the tables around us were complaining on how hot it was read more

Good food, but they need to do a better job on online orders. If you order online and they miss an item, they can't refund you unless you go to the restaurant, which defeats the purpose of delivery so just beware. read more

We visited on a weekday. The rolls were nothing special. We ordered potstickers and they were still frozen cold in the middle. The spicy edamame on the other had is FIRE. Both literally and figuratively. It's spicy but so addictive. If I were to visit this restaurant again it would only be to get the spicy edamame. read more

Kokoro Sushi - Soft Shell Crab - Sushi Bars Near Me - Salinas, California

THEY WILL FORCE YOU TO TIP My fiancé and I went in on December 19th just before six o clock. Our tab was $59 even and we paid in full, and left no tip because the service was not up to par. It took 10 minutes after being seated to even be acknowledged and asked what we wanted to drink. Today, December 20th, conveniently about 15 minutes after they close, my fiancés card was charged $72.50, which is 20% of our tab. Nowhere is it stated on the menu or receipt that a 20% gratuity is required, and this is the second time it has happened. We wanted to believe it was a mistake last time and we just forgot how much we paid, but it has now happened several times with different servers so we know it is not just one person causing an issue. If you do not tip, they will force a tip on you without your consent which is forgery. We will be calling first thing in the morning to get the $13.50 we were wrongfully charged. read more

Came in around 12:40 and the place was packed. Only 3 servers it seemed like and no host. I stood at the host stand for about 10 mins before a girl came up to me. She seemed swamped, but was very nice. As I waited for the soup, the servers seemed to be all over the place and swamped with tables coming in. People were waiting for 10-15 mins because there was no host. All the servers were serving, running their own food, bussing their own tables and hosting while getting tables back to back. Did not see one single manager in sight. Owners need to step it up, how are you letting 16-17 year olds run around with no managing?!?! The girl in the orange hair and man with glasses were very nice and tried their best with everything going on. If it's getting packed like this there has to be more hires or implement some sort of waitlist. read more

Ran very unprofessionally and the sushi was not good enough for the poor service I revived.

Waited an hour for our take our order and kept telling us to come back in 10 minutes not sure if the were short staffed but kindness goes a long way and they wouldn't even acknowledge me and feel like they intentionally avoided eye contact. All the tables I saw were also waiting for food and there was people waiting to be seated for a while while the staff was just in the font and even saw one of them on their phone read more

Love this place!! They are always quick with orders and have consistently taken care of my requests for takeout, such as extra ginger or wasabi. The ladies at the front desk are always friendly, efficient, and helpful. read more

stated 1 hour wait got seated 5 minutes after ... plates got served approx 20-25 minutes apart... our plates didn't even come with the complete food items, when I called for the manager all I got were apologies from their manager Alejandra, in other words go to Sushi Time in Seaside, kokoro's service went down the drain !!! read more

This place has good food but the service is abhorrent. We were a party of 7 left waiting for 30 min only to be told, after repeated asking, that we couldn't be seated. There was no communication and the workers refused to address us. Eventually we had to walk out of the restaurant. read more

One of the better sushi stops in Salinas. I highly recommend the Green Dragon! The teriyaki chicken box is a great deal and deliciously filling! read more

Yummy and Quick service staff was wonderful had no problem ordering and all my questions were answered politely !

Wait time is ridiculous. I called in an order for pickup. Almost an hour later and I'm STILL waiting for my order. They are not that busy not sure what the delay is but this is unacceptable. The food is good but not for this kind of wait time. Very disappointed. read more

I had loved to come here until my two bad experiences with the restaurant. The first one was when my husband and I sat down to eat lunch. My husband ordered the tempura udon, after eating some noodles he noticed something odd in the soup. He pulled it out and we realized it was a brown paper napkin. Disgusting! The second time I ordered to go... veggie undon. Everything was fine until I got to the very bottom of the to go container and felt something hard in my mouth..... When I pulled it out and looked i realized it was a fingernail!! I will never eat here again!!! so disgusting! read more

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We had the worst server she took almost 30 min to get our order if my wife wasn't hungry we would have left do not recommend this place at all. I gave one star because the beer was good. read more

Kokoro Sushi has good food. Nice for a casual lunch or dinner or quick sushi craving satisfaction. Rudy's roll is my fav. Probably because it's one of the few super tasty rolls on their menu. Yaki soba noodles are also a nice dish. read more

Me and my boyfriend absolutely love this place , favorite place from all the sushi places we went to ! I got the fire dragon 10/10. He got the Sean, a bit spicy but so good ! The mochi there a really good as well. We loved our server for giving it to us for free !! definitely recommend this place never had a bad experience. read more

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Great food and atmosphere! Service was also great would definitely come back with family or for a private meal read more

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Love their rolls. Though they are getting a bit expensive but I wouldn't mind going again

Always great sushi. Anything and everything is delish! Great for lunch! Please note closing hours between lunch and dinner service

Delicious food well decorated. Service is amazing there. Servers are always polite. The place has great decor and have tvs to watch the games. read more

MENU AND FOOD: Kokoro serves a variety of Japanese favorites such as sushi, udon and bento boxes. SERVICE AND ATMOSPHERE: Service could have been been better. I was picking up an order to go and was waiting in the front, when a waitress appeared and bluntly told me pick up orders are at the back counter and not at the front. Their indoor decor is somewhat dim and modern, but for some reason, I didn't feel like I was in a Japanese restaurant. PARKING: Located in downtown Salinas, there is street parking along with metered parking lots. IMPRESSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: I had their chirashi and a tempura appetizer, both of which were nothing special. Their fish quality is good and the chirashi does with their rice seasoned with furikake by default. read more

Food is always great. I do take out all the time. Rolls aren't that "tight" they do get loose

Service was mediocre none the less, they waitresses were snobby and rude . Everyone around was being serviced politely .. however we were not . The food is delicious, but service needs a lot of work . Hence the 2 stars. read more

Kokoro Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Salinas, California

The portions was good. The decor was nice. That's the only 2 good things about Kokoro. The service was bad and the sushi was not good! They didn't take our drink orders until 30 after being seated. Kokoro in the past was authentic and good but not anymore. I rated this place the best sushi joint in salinas up until now. I don't know if it's under new management but I think it is because the rolls went from being rated a 10 to being rated a 2 for me. The sushi rice was mushy. The roll lacked flavor like the ingredients were not fresh. The wasabi was mushy. Sushi restaurants should remain authentic. Otherwise there's no point in eating it. Also when we first walked in the restaurant had an overwhelming scent of fabuloso. Don't go here. They are not good anymore! This place is a Japanese themed restaurant without the authentic Japanese sushi rolls. Sushi should have different flavors and textures. Their rolls are like one bland gooey mushy mess! read more

I called during lunch hours last week and made a reservation. Once I arrived at the time of my reservation i spoke to the hostess who was extremely rude. I was informed the reservation had not been written down. She informed me I had to wait over 45 minutes for a table. She was not helpful at all and In no way did she try resolving the issue. read more

It seems that the restaurant has changed since I last ate there. The quantity has gotten smaller and I got double charged for the dinner meal. I called back to explain it and they said they were going to call me back. I think they forgot about me or just didn't care. I tried to call after a couple of hours but now nobody at the restaurant is answering me . read more

Good food, great portions, friendly staff and comfortable setting. Definitely a must. Can't beat the cost. Definitely go.

Camryn was the most attentive and sweet waitress! They were so busy but she made time and was so nice! I heard servers share their tips but honestly she worked for and deserves 100% of her tips. 10/10 best waitress I've had here!!! read more

Food is good, lobster roll is fire. It's clean, nice ambiance and friendly staff. The only thing is service is only good when there's 3 tables occupied. When it's busy such as the weekends, service is horrible. I can't blame the waiters but on the weekends it looks completely under staffed. It took our waiter 15 min to even ask what we would like to drink. Again I don't blame the staff because I see that they're too busy handling togos and door dash. Just a recommendation on the consumer side, schedule someone to work solely on togos. read more

My first and last time to dine there. It was lunchtime (1:15) and I ordered a simple bento - teriyaki beef, sashimi, sushi, salad, rice, miso soup. The first hint things would go sideways was when the server brought the miso soup - WITH A SPOON STICKING OUT OF IT. A.) never serve miso soup with a spoon, ask the customer if they want one and B.) never serve any food item with a utensil stuck in it. The worst thing? The miso was lukewarm, containing only *3* mini-cubes of tofu (1/2 the size of a sugar cube) and 2 skinny shreds of seaweed. The bento box arrived. Looked fine. Then the discoveries - the meat was not sliced through completely. I'm an expert with chopsticks (raised with them) and can get most things apart, but I ended up having to pull the pieces apart with my fingers. The meat was either a low-quality grade or just overcooked - or both. THE RICE WAS COLD. Not lukewarm - cold. I cannot find wasabi in the bento box to apply to the sashimi, and the server never comes back around so I can request some. I start on the sushi - and find the wasabi underneath the sushi. The salad was unmanageable as it's clear they are buying some kind of average bagged salad mix and the pieces of lettuce are huge. Not gonna wrestle with that with chopsticks. The server never came back asking if I wanted a tea refill (that is mandatory in an Asian restaurant!). Sayonara! read more

Lousy seating plan. We are stuck waiting to be seated and people that can in behind us are already ordering.

The Qnagi roll and Gyoza were tasty... place is clean and modern. Servers are pleasant and helpful. My husband didn't quite like the shrimp batter however i'd give this place a 4!!! read more

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we walked in, we were waiting to be seated. they weren't that busy; two girls standing in the back. finally after what we thought was a reasonable time, my husband walked up to them and they said to seat ourselves. So we did. Several minutes more went by and another group of people walked in, they walked right up, handed them menus and proceeded to while totally ignoring us. We got up and walked out. read more

For sure you will be skipped if you are not a certain type of person. I'll leave an example here: Two people walk inside the restaurant, one of them is from salinas (latino) and the other one from Carmel. The one from salinas comes in first and sits and five minutes later the person from Carmel shows up and also sits at another table. Waiter goes directly to the person from Carmel knowing the person from salinas was first. There I said it. read more