I been to koto three to five times I liked thare unique miso soup but the sushi and shami was ok not the best thare decor was way too much the lighting was ok but not that great. But as a professional chef my self but I could see soo much potential in koto if they advertised the restaurant the place was almost empty every day and the customer service was ok it was not that great the staff could of put more smile on thare face read more

Koto Japanese Restaurant - Miso soup - Japanese Near Me - Jackson, New Jersey

It's out of business thanks to an area takeover. Truly sad. Was a great local place. All the teens loved it. Family's made memories there. Whole shopping center is basically taken over. I did keep a pair of my chop sticks as a memory. read more

We enjoy the food here and appreciate that our order is always ready when promised. I usually get one of the bento boxes and my wife's likes the sushi very much. read more

One of the best hibachi and the freshest sushi. The geisha roll is my favorite and the salmon sashimi is so fresh.. New York City type atmosphere excellent service. Very romantic.. I highly recommend this place. It's been here for years.! delicious read more

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Food is fantastic with Chicken Habachi. Salad, delicious soup, really good tasting rice, noodles and always a tender shrimp with your choice of Steak, Chicken and Filet Mignon. I eat there every week! read more

Another great experience from this place. I enjoyed the pink lady roll and Philadelphia roll. My wife enjoyed her meal also. The kids hibachi was quite big and my son really enjoyed Miso soup at 19 months old! My only downside is the charge of an additional soda. I always wait for someone to mention the additional charge but never did. So I adjusted the tip to compensate for that. I would recommend to order out to save on the drinks, but I enjoy the hibachi experience. Best in jackson. read more

Koto Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Jackson, New Jersey

We came here for dinner. Place isn't bad. We had rolls and they were pretty good and reasonably priced. Good portions and it's BOYB. Restaurant is very dark though. They could use and upgrade and maybe change up the decor. However, we may go back since the food it good. read more

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I absolutely love koto. I have lived in Jackson for 19 years and Koto is always my go to. Its delicious, and hibachi portion sizes are giant. I get the steak hibachi, and it's perfectly cooked every time. I have tried several other hibachi places around before in ocean county and no where comes close to beating Koto on their prices, portion sizes, freshness and flavor. It's funny that at other hibachi locations, they make you choose rice or noodle, and soup or salad, but Koto does both for the same price! Same with their sushi, it's fresher, tastes better and is cheaper than other hibachi restaurants around. The staff is always friendly and welcoming and make you laugh when you get the hibachi show. But normally I sit on the quieter side with the no grill tables and it's just peaceful and a great place to go for a quiet but delicious meal. Will forever be a fan. read more

My husband and I love Arirang so we decided to give this place a try since it's so close to our home. It's was just ok if I want hibachi I will have to stick to the places I know to love. read more

Went here for Hibachi and thought food was pretty good. Good service, nice ambiance and reasonably priced.

Staff very friendly food came out super quick which for me is a red flag seemed fresh enough but I'm talking record speed and sushi? Not so much. Yaki udon chicken soup was super salty had to send it back which is a real task when it's not being understood lol. Very dark ambiance inside another flag with that probably will not return altho the ginger dressing was probably the best we ever had and it's for sale which was a bonus! read more

Nothing to rave about but it was good. Their salad dressing was really unique, more creamy with less of a ginger flavor. The gyoza appetizer was yummy, hibachi was typical. I noticed portion sizes were smaller compared to Koi and Ikko. I'd come back here if I was in the area, but wouldn't go out of my way to come here. read more

This place is just ok. Went here for a family dinner the other night. I like that they have noodles and rice, but the noodles reminded me of Cup of Noodles quality. The quality of food is not great for the prices that they charge. The chef who was preparing the food was nice enough, but zero charisma or personality. The only standout was the mushroom soup, which was different and tasty, but everything else is just lazy. Also a growing list of hibachi places that no longer offer dessert with the meal. There is nothing inherently wrong with the place, but not worth my time or money. You can get better quality at many other places. read more

The food is delicious, service is great and the owner is so nice. A great experience. I see people have complained about portions. It depends on when you go. During lunch it's smaller but cheaper but for the price it's fairly cheap and still good. For dinner it's higher priced but you get so much more and it's worth it. Koi and Ikko are nothing compared to this place. Koto's salad is nothing like the other hibachi places. read more

This was an interesting dine. Seeing as though Hibachi has kind of gotten old in my opinion, our Chef was very entertaining. It was like he had an updated show to put on. Highly recommend visiting. It wasn't very many people who dined at this place. I'm guessing due to Covid. Nonetheless, it is worth giving a try. read more

Koto Japanese Restaurant - The Chef - Japanese Near Me - Jackson, New Jersey

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This is the second time I've been to this restaurant and after the gap of roughly a year the quality has held up great. The staff is still plenty friendly and full of smiles. I was disappointed to see reviews about poor service when both times I was here you could see the owner walking around greeting patrons. It was clear this place has regulars who appreciate the service here. Now for the important part! The food! For appetizers we had the fried gyoza, fried shrimp shumai, and pepper tuna. Across the board the food was cooked well, the shumai and gyoza delivered to the table warm all the way through and perfectly crispy without being burnt whatsoever. The pepper tuna was seasoned excellently, not overpowering and expectedly fresh. For our main we as a table ordered salmon, tuna, white tuna, and eel sushi, as well as two chef's choice specialty rolls and one plate or of the steak and shrimp hibachi. The hibachi plate was pretty typical, great friend rice, but the steak and shrimp were fairly average. The sushi really was the highlight, this place does what they know really well. All the sushi was VERY well prepared and fresh, excellent proportions and seasoned expertly. The two rolls were also really good. I'm truly running out of synonyms for excellent because honestly I've been to only two other sushi places that have done better, and I eat an above average amount of sushi. They were perfectly balanced between fish or shrimp and toppings. I didn't try any dessert but I really don't have anything bad to say about this place. I think the only thing they could improve on is the music choice. I just didn't get it. read more

Koto Japanese Restaurant - Steak and shrimp hibachi in the far top, eel sushi, white tuna sushi, salmon sushi, tuna sushi, and two mystery chefs choice rolls. - Japanese Near Me - Jackson, New Jersey

I have been coming here since high school, I'm 29 now! Even when I was in college, I'd come home especially for Koto. We love the food. The food is prepared quickly and you always get a decent portion for the money you spend. The service is quick, our appetizers usually come out within minutes. The vibe is very quiet and lack. read more

Ample servings provided. Standby Japanese restaurant nearby us. Pleasant and attentive wait staff.

Mini-Me had her birthday Monday and for her dinner she wanted to go to Koto. I made reservations for Friday night 7 pm party of 4. We walked in at 6:50 pm and it was packed- Frankie was hustling with phone calls, take-out orders and trying to seat reservations. We finally got seated about 7:30 pm, for some it might have been annoying but ya know, it's Friday Night, I'm there for dinner with the family and I am in no rush, we get seated when we get seated. We were seated at the back table, placed our orders and appetizer- I saw a photo here posted by Laurynn O. she posted photo, but gave no name or review so.. what-cha-gonna do? YOU ORDER IT!! I ordered it. FYI- it'd called the Geisha and it was pretty darn good. I am used to the colored eggs to be spicy, but these were just colored, no spice at all- kinda bummed but it didn't take away from the taste. 1- Ordered shrimp and scallop 2- Steak and shrimp 1- Filet Mignon and Lobster The hibachi fried rice was so good, it always is and the steak cooked perfectly, I kinda wish the "ginger' dipping" sauce was more ginger-E it was a bit flat-- but it still went okay with the food pairing. HAD a wonderful Chef, I didn't catch his name but he was hysterical and the table laughing.. We had a great time. If you want a more "quiet" kinda romantic dinner, they have separate booths in the front area and tables by the sushi bar- which I might add have great service as well! read more

This place is great the sushi is always fresh and I absolutely adore the staff. They always treat me like family and it's amazing. Never had a bad meal here. read more

This place wasn't awful but not great. The place was practically pitch dark inside on a Monday for lunch. Spicy Salmon roll wasn't even the slightest bit spicy even with wasabi. Salad was over saturated with dressing. The lunch menu is extremely limited. Saving grace were the prices. 2 roll with a soup & salad was only $9. read more

I am updating my review based on a few more recent experiences at Koto. We have taken our daughter here for her 13th birthday-it was just our family of four-and had hibachis. The service was very good, and we never needed to ask for refills on our drinks. It was very "small town" hibachi-meaning, I have seen better, but the food was good, and they were accommodating to the special diets of other people at our table. On a separate occasion, yesterday, in fact, we took our friend who was visiting from Alaska here for a sit-down dinner. We had the two kids with us, and my son ordered the Yaki Chicken Udon, which was appropriately portioned for a 10 year old with a good appetite, and he ate almost the entire bowl. We also had some sushi roll apps, which were great, and then wound up ordering the sushi/sashimi for 2 which was more than filling. I like that with most of the entrees, you get the soup and salad, and the kids were offered free ice cream (even though we went to Let's Yo after!). The price was about $150 for 3 adults, 1 child and 1 teenager who ordered the filet mingnon teriyaki-which was DIVINE. Our server was extremely pleasant and even talked to my son about China (where she is from, so don't assume!) and taught him some Chinese words. She was very happy with how pleased we were with the food. We had absolutely no issue with the sushi coming out in a timely fashion-and if you check out my photos, you will see, we ordered A LOT of it. If you are looking for a peaceful night out, in a place with lots of ambiance, and good food, this is a great local place to check out. read more

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I've tried every Japanese/hibachi restaurant in Ocean Monmouth and Mercer county and this is hands-down my favorite all around. It starts with their unique creamy salad dressing (not the typical ginger flavor). The sushi is out of this world and made to order. The hibachi is always delish and the portion is enough for a late night snack. It's a great time bcz the chefs really know how to entertain while cooking. But if not getting the hibachi, my go-to is the steak teriyaki. It's cooked to perfection, you don't need a knife, and the flavor of the teriyaki is amazing. read more

Koto Japanese Restaurant - Steak Teriyaki - Japanese Near Me - Jackson, New Jersey

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This was our first time here. My niece and I eat out a lot and we love Hibachi . It's a Tuesday so not busy. We sat, and staff were attentive. We order steamed pork dumplings, shrimp dumplings and two hibachi shrimp dinners. The soup was good, the salad was swimming in dressing and only had a hint of ginger flavor. The dumplings had no flavor. The chef came, he was nice but not overly interactive. The fried rice was good, the noodles which we ordered an extra side were disgusting, they had a mossy, musty taste and smell. My niece ate most of hers but said she wasn't tasting what I was. I stopped eating completely. It was a waste of $64.00. Within 30 minutes of returning home both of us had explosive diarrhea!!!! read more

I have been coming here since I was a kid and the service is always great. The chefs are always lots of good fun, especially with the kids! It's a great spot to have a birthday or to have nice dinner. The food is relatively expensive, but it's worth it for how delicious it always is! read more

Our favorite neighborhood Japanese sushi restaurant. Koto Sushi, We love going to this restaurant Frankie and his staff provide excellent service the sushi chefs are very creative and the staffs provide great customer service We LOVE KOTO SUSHI We have been going here for the last four years Michael & Menu read more

Koto Japanese Restaurant - Pictures from some of my favorite dishes - Japanese Near Me - Jackson, New Jersey

After searching for a Japanese restaurant in the area, I came across Koto Sushi. I was pretty excited and walking into the restaurant it had nice Japanese decor. But like they say, never base a book by its cover. When we sat down and began to order, the waitress was very rude. I didn't want dressing on my fish and she kept insisting as if she didn't care about my request. The salad looked like it was just thrown into a half empty bowl. The salad dressing was like the one they sell at Costco that's white and all mayonnaise, no ginger. The food was cold, as if the hibachi lunches are pre made. The hibachi noodles tasted like re microwaved tasteless nothing and the waitress continued to be rude. The sushi was simple but I ordered vegetable sushi, no way to really mess that up. If you want bad service/ no service , and feel like eating cold food that's tasteless, check out this place. If not, just save yourself the trip and the money and a possible stomach ache. read more

The food was good and the prices were fine. Would have been a 4 star if it were just about the food. The waitress seemed really out of it. Only complaint is it's so dark I got sleepy. Also, there's a gym above it so the place would shake when people would drop weights. Great idea, put a weight room over a restaurant. read more

Lunch special: $8 gets you two sushi rolls plus soup and salad. I ordered a yellow & scallion roll and spicy salmon roll with soy paper--my lunch mate got an avocado roll and a sweet potato roll. But first, soup & salad. The salad had a strange miracle whip-esque dressing [not the usual ginger]--it wasn't a bad dressing, just really weird. Soup was standard miso. Now for the sushi: both rolls were okay. My main complaint was that the rolls were falling apart. Also, there was a much larger fish to rice ration than what I like...probably good for some people but not for me. The inside is sort of reminds me of a doctor's waiting room except this waiting room has hibachi tables in it, so maybe not a doctor's waiting room then? My friend told me that this place has a heavy birthday crowd [hibachi], so I guess this place is: good for birthdays and good for a cheap sushi lunch. read more

walked in with a group of 24 people on a reservation. sat down and noticed cockroaches all over the grill, table, and place settings. the lady taking our drink order killed one with her little book and continued taking our order like nothing happened. we walked out and went elsewhere. it's a shame because it was for my daughters 10th birthday and her first hibachi experience. read more

My family and I love this place.. They have the best food compared to all the local hibachi's and their special tea blend and dressing is awesome! Highly recommend this place! read more

I went here on a whim. I had come to the plaza to go to Surf Taco but decided I wanted sushi...big mistake. I ordered the lunch special, spicy tuna and eel and cucumber. First of all the sushi was about 98% cucumber and 2% eel, and the spicy tuna looked like no spicy tuna I've ever had. I really have no idea what they did to it. The rolls were mushy, full of bald spots as far as rice went, and I just hate when people put sesame seeds on simple roles like that. In fact, if I didn't see a sushi bar 3 feet away I would have guessed this sushi came from Costco. And here is the kicker. I have spent the past 3 days running to the bathroom every hour or so. Thanks Koto! Not to mention the obnoxiously loud teenagers at the Hibachi grill and the loud happy birthday music and disco lights. Some people say the service was bad. I didn't experience that, but our waitress was unintelligible. All in all, stay away. If you're living no man's land Jackson on a farm or out of 3g service (which btw that plaza is), so you can not search for a better sushi place, maybe this is the sushi for you, but otherwise, go find some place else. read more

Very fresh fish. Excellent tuna pizza. Beautifully presented sashimi. Lunch special is great! Love the dressing on the salad! read more

Koto Japanese Restaurant - As fresh as it looks! - Japanese Near Me - Jackson, New Jersey

Good hibachi and sushi place, and the only one in Jackson. Neither are the best I've ever had, but they are good. The prices are great here, especially during lunch time. Sushi prices are as low as you'll find and I personally recommend the Red Lobster Roll. It's a pretty small place, but I think that makes the hibachi experience more personal. If you like Saki, you'll love the hibachi chefs because they squirt a ton of it in your mouth during the little show. They've also made some nice improvements to the decor recently. If you're in Jackson and craving Japanese, this is your place. read more

We went for hibachi with our kids are were really impressed. The chef went out of his way to make it fun even singing Gangnam Style to get them going! The proteins were high quality, especially the shrimp, which I find is often a problem with hibachi. We also had the sushi pizza which was really fresh and served perfectly chilled - it was FANTASTIC. The only issue was the hibachi scallops which were way overcooked and did not seem that fresh. We had gotten takeout from here once before and were not to pleased, but I would now give it a second chance considering how great the meal in house was. read more

I've been going to Koto since it opened and it's definitely one of my favorite Japanese restaurants. It's hard to find decent sushi in Jackson area and this place never disappoints. The sushi is always fresh and hibachi is amazing. I suggest the Hokkai roll and their spicy kani salad. - amaaaaazing. Staff is usually friendly although there has been times I've gotten the occasional nasty waitress. The owner is always nice and welcoming. read more

I hate to have to say that my last visit was not as well as those in the past. As always the food was good. However, I was charged for 2 hot teas when only receiving one pot. Not the biggest deal by far. As per usually I tipped the chef when he was done preparing our food. When I paid the bill I tipped the waitress, the money I gave her was less than what I gave the chef however between the 2 separate tips it still came to an 15% tip. I would consider it adequate service and I believe 15% was fair based on the service. If I receive exceptional service I have no problem tipping 20-25% but I don't feel it was warranted. When the waitress took her tip she asked me if there was a problem. I told her no it was fine & she told me that she needed to be tipped 18%... when I told her that I had already tipped the chef she said that she had to split the 18% with the chef, I told her she needed to speak with him. She was very insistent that I give her more money. I was a waitress, I understand that tips are what people live on, I also know they must be earned. I was very appalled at her behavior. The place wasn't busy, the service was not the best... I felt it was fair for the service we received. Very disappointed. read more

Koto Japanese Restaurant - Soup and Salad - Japanese Near Me - Jackson, New Jersey

Great food and nice restaurant but sometimes you can hear the gym upstairs. Good hibachi. Chicken teriyaki is my favorite. Good ginger dressing. Great variety of sushi rolls. read more

We have been coming to Koto since they opened and have never had a bad meal here. The food is always delicious and the hibachi chefs are entertaining...especially "Sexy Tony"...LOL! We look forward to eating here for many years to come! read more

Food is good. Price is decent. The service is where this place falls apart. Hostess was not friendly to the point of being downright rude. The chef and other servers were good though. If you don't mind dealing with a hostess with an attitude, the place is okay. read more