Old school sushi fan here. Started almost 40 years ago when most places were Japanese owned and the Sushi Chef was the owner. The way it's really supposed to be. This place was recommended by a friend. So we tried it. Sunday evening. Sushi Bar is the only place we will eat, because if all is traditional, that's where discerning sushi fans work with the Sushi Chefs for the best possibilities for that day (Fish and quality are NEVER always at the same level). Four sushi chefs behind the counter. We sit right in front of one, only to find out he doesn't interact with us, everything gets done through the waitress. (????) This is how the Chinese Sushi Restaurants do this. WE ordered 2 beers, and Seaweed Salad. Beers were GREAT... Seaweed Salad..... Mediocre at best. WE ask a sushi chef what's good tonight... He said everything is always good. WRONG ANSWER. We order 10 pieces of sushi and two rolls. One roll being on the Daily Special list and has some kitchen deep frying prep time with it. So the waitress places the orders around. The guy in front of us prepares the 10 pieces of sushi and the raw roll quickly and puts the plate up on top of the sushi Display case for the waitress to serve. It sits there for 15 minutes at least and I start asking the chef(s) and Host what's going on. What are we waiting for? The rice to get cold and the fish to get warm? All five of them look at me like their hands were tied and mouths taped shut. Eventually the waitress shows up with the hot roll on the same dish. Like this is how it's supposed to be done? This restaurant has a Japanese owner. And they are doing their traditions a real disservice by letting the outsiders in the industry replace how it's supposed to be done RIGHT. I told the waitress I was QUITE annoyed, and they didn't have a clue about how Sushi (at the bar) is supposed to be done. and asked for the check. We ate and left. Sushi was decent, but we will NEVER go there or any Kotobuki location again. What was she thinking? Serve the sushi as soon as it's done and bring the cooked part later on a different plate. $130+ including tip for this? In Japanese owned and Owner Chef prepared places, you order through the Sushi Chef and discuss what's best that day and what you want as you go. Not plate fulls that sit while being prepared, then eventually served and by the time it's all eaten, it's changed temperatures. in almost 40 years, we have eaten at a table a handful of times. At Kotobuli, sitting at the sushi bar is no different than sitting at a table. Find a place that does it right and sit at the bar for the BEST sushi experience. You'll never go back to the wrong way ever again. read more

The food is amazing and so is the service. They didn't have reservations though, but I was told to come at 530, when they opened. This is the first time I have come here and it is great. You wouldn't see it, since the name is small on the building. Now I know where it is, I will definitely tell my friends and family about it. read more

Great, friendly and fast service! Sushi was absolutely delicious. Ramen was very yummy as well. I'm a huge sushi lover - tried it all over the city and the world and this is the place to go in this area! Will come here often for sure. read more

You can't say the words sushi and Babylon in the same sentence without someone mentioning Kotobuki. While it can be cramped and informal during peak hours, the sushi is about as good as it gets. It's prime location means it fills up quickly on the weekends. You will surely end up sitting closer to a stranger at the next table than to the person sitting across from you. The noodle appetizer is an acquired taste. Some people love it, some leave it untouched. The sushi is downright delicious and always fresh. That's what you're coming here for. The service is okay. More often the servers lack the interpersonal skills that can heighten a dining out experience. At times I'm not sure if it is a result of cultural differences or a language barrier. Regardless, the service is fast and efficient as they need to turn over the tables due to the size of the establishment. Their lunch specials are worth mentioning. They have a variety of options from Ramen to katsu to sushi at a great price. I highly recommend going for lunch when it's not so hectic. If you're going to Babylon for sushi, this is a good place to start. It sets the standard for sushi and Japanese cuisine. read more

Amazing experience! We started with the Oysters and the yellow fin tuna with a vinaigrette sauce,amazing flavors. For dinner we ordered the sushi sashimi with special rolls, the quality and flavor of the fish was outstanding! we will def go back there. read more

delicious sushi! got three differant rolls to share and no complaints. fried was was mediocre but quick service! read more

Literally obsessed with Kotobuki for years and years now. Will highly recommend this place to ANY true sushi lover. The food itself is so incredibly fresh and perfect...EVERY time you go. Fried oysters are unlike any other- delicate and the flavors are incredible. The restaurant itself isn't "flashy" or "showy" but it does have a wonderful, calm ambiance. Please go- you'll find your new favorite sushi place here!! We primarily go to the Babylon location however I've been to all of them and they're all top notch! read more

Good services on a very busy Saturday night. That makes me happy and food was delicious well prepared Japanese with their own twist. lots of sake choices and okay alcoholic beverages choices. Despite the size and crowed it did not seam loud. read more

No frills perfectly executed, muted elegance. Had the soup with Manila clams (enough for two), sushi pizza with fresh shellfish, edamame, three special rolls and some sake. About $100. Pace of meal was perfect, our server Alex was perfect. Dine earlier or later to avoid a wait. read more

Ate inside for lunch in December, wishing this pandemic was over but happy and feeling safe indoors with the tables well spaced. Thank you KOTOBUKI staff for being there and making it feel like being back in normal life! I love this place. AND seeing familiar faces! I love that KOTOBUKI has survived the impact of COVID on restaurant business. PLEASE SUPPORT RESTAURANTS like this- TAKE OUT OR DINE IN! THEY NEED US PATRONS MORE THAN EVER NOW! read more

They're back on top to where they were 15 years ago when Zagat restaurant guide called it the best on Long Island. About ten years ago and thru the Pandemic. the place was turning out less spectacular food and the place was seldom more than half full. But now they got their groove back, the food is scrumptious. However, the place gets quite slow at times, like last Saturday night, when we were the FIRST ones in the door at 5:00, but didn't get served for well over an hour! The place was packed and I shudder to think about the wait time for them. Otherwise, I'd give them 5 stars for the food. But the wait time knocked it down a notch. I guess the trick is to go there mid-week. read more

Authentic Japanese food with a real Japanese master chef overseeing the younger chefs. Service is good and interior is nice. Usually busy so you may need to wait but if you're solo, I'd recommend sitting at the bar. I'd give 5 stars but one of the younger chefs served my nigiri on a hot plate fresh from the dishwasher. That's a no-no. read more

What was I thinking? Kotobuki baby, I'm sorry. I love you. Since moving to the area, we have come here several more times, mainly for take-out. The food is consistently delicious and fresh, we have never had a bad meal. Our standard roll is the Grinch (seriously, get this - you won't soon be sorry) and lately the salmon carpaccio roll. However, we order two of the salmon carpaccio since it is only five pieces of sushi ($7/roll). Believe the hype. Maybe dining in can be a pain, especially during the weekend, but if you live in the area there's no better place for sushi take-out. read more

Kotobuki Restaurant - Spicy crunchy salmon, salmon carpaccio, grinch roll, spicy girl roll. Yum! - Japanese Near Me - Babylon, New York

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This place is absolutely top notch. I have become a weekly visitor here and rarely even take pics of the food because I'm always so excited to eat it. Every single thing I have ever had from here has been perfect. Their special drink, the bonsai, is one of the best drinks I've had in a while. Tastes phenomenal and really gets you! Everything is priced fairly and the quality is excellent. The staff is attentive and so friendly. They do their best to get you seated ASAP and are always stopping in with refills. The rock shrimp, fried oysters, tuna tartare and spicy tuna pizza are my favorite apps, you could never go wrong with them. I will upload more pics next time I go - but do yourself a favor and absolutely go to kotobuki !! read more

Kotobuki Restaurant - Fried oysters - Japanese Near Me - Babylon, New York

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I ordered takeout at 9:30 at night and they were still open and I was a little worried it wasn't going to be a smart idea because it was a little late. Well...this was the freshest sushi I've ever had to go! I didn't get a chance to take a photo, but I was really impressed. The Red Dragon Roll and the Rainbow roll were unbelievably tasty! I got 2 rolls and a miso soup for under $30 bucks. It's hard to find on the street because their sign isn't very big so it's easy to miss, but it is next to Argyle Tavern if you need a visual marker. Go in and support this excellent sushi place! read more

Great sushi and genuine Japanese service. Very fresh fish and never a disappointment. Definitely would recommend this place

Best Sushi spot on the island. I have been coming here over 30 years. My whole family still comes. Great staff great service GREAT FOOD. I try other places but they usually hit middle rank. read more

Love this place, been here a few times now and every single time it has been amazing, the fried oysters are a must get, they are unbelievable. Sushi is amazing aswell, I'm very basic but I'm sure whatever you get here will be great. We will be back read more

I really enjoyed my experience at this location. As I often dined at the LES Manhattan location, with the upmost quality fish. I can say, this location, did not disappoint! I love Kotobuki very much and look forward to continuing to dine at both locations. read more

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Food was sooo good. Came here for the first time on a Sunday for dinner and was stunned at how quick the service was. read more

Kotobuki Restaurant - Rock N' Roll #5 & Shogun Roll - Japanese Near Me - Babylon, New York

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My husbands away so tonight I went back to an old lover - Kotobuki! I've been away for so long because it's always crowded and we're always rushing home to the sitter. But today, I finally got the warm embrace I've been missing! This place still is the best dam sushi restaurant on the island. My old favorite Tuna/Avocado Salad was so fresh I swear they have a tank in the back. Tuna tartare was insane! Salmon Carpaccio almost made me cry. Real Ramen topped off the perfect dinner. It's worth the wait, it's worth the too close tables, it's worth the bitch to find parking! And I'll never leave again! read more

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Absolutly unacceptable service on New Years Eve. We have been waiting over 3 hours for our meal. They are so overwhelmed they are not answering the phones at any location. They are so far in the weeds they don't even know what to do. We ordered our food at 4:30 it is now 7:50 and still have not eaten. We have been long time customers and this is the absolute worst we have ever seen. read more

Service was great, our waitress was so nice , everyone was always ready to fill up our water. The food was delicious and it came out in a timely matter. The ambiance is so nice in there very cozy read more

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My go to sushi spot every time, sushi is always fresh, and the sushi pizza is my favorite thing

Not my first time here but my first review. I was invited to my friends (The Sensei, Xiansheng (先生 birthday celebration. He is a sushi king. Decor is classy and venue is very clean. Food is always fresh & good. Service on point especially if you are served by Kevin, he gets 5 . I didn't have an opportunity to take food pictures. Sensei did all the ordering and everything was fresh & tasty. Don't forget the spicy mayo or Sensei will get angry..lol. Only drawback is parking, it took 30 minutes to finally find a spot. It's Babylon on Friday night, everyone is out! read more

The reviews are spot on with this place. The sushi is FRESH and the most delicious sushi I've ever had!! I've been here twice and the service is always on point and amazing! Everyone helps out at this restaurant but our main server Kevin is the best, we love him!! I honestly believe you can't go wrong with anything you order from here! That' being said, my absolute favorite roll is the Gold Coast roll!! Yumm!!. I always forget to take a picture of it but it is deliciousssssss. Thanks again Kevin and all the amazing staff at kotobuki! We finally found our go to sushi restaurant!! read more

Food was amazing! But the wait was unwarranted for... let's get into it! Steamed shrimp dumplings- WOW this appetizer came with 4 mediocre sized dumplings which I could've easily had about 20. Spicy tuna sandwich- perfection in triangle slices. This was also a 4 piece appetizer. Ask for the special sauce and watch your eyes swell with joy and euphoria. This was another dish where I can easily have 50 pieces after a 420 session but don't tell me mom. Our final app was the Jumping Shrimp. This is where things started to go downhill. This 5 piece sushi roll (or attempt thereof) was too fried. No taste of the Chardonnay mayo and the pieces were rather small. Not much taste to it really. We found ourselves still hungry so we ordered a spicy tuna pizza... which took foreverrrrrr to make and here's is the reason for the 3 stars. My wife and I were with another couple and they had been finished their meal so now we feel bad (and still hungry) so we asked the waiter what the hold up was. Finally after 20min here comes the waiter.... With a sushi roll. Bro wtf. Had us anticipating the grand finally only to come up flaccid. Smh after telling the waiter we didn't order it he took off in disarray as if it was our fault. At least leave the dish y'all messes up on. Needless to say we got the check and got up out of there. Overall the service was slower than molasses in January and the portion were in the small side but the food was amazing still. Debating on returning read more

My family and I have been going here for many many years. We have nothing but great reviews. Anything on the menu is AMAZING. I really would love their Otoshi noodle recipe. Everything else you go to the professionals. Thank you for your quality in everything on your menu & your service to your patrons! read more

Another great eatery in Babylon! My friend and I bond over sushi often, and she said Kotobuki was the best she'd had. As someone who likes walking around Babylon (and is a sucker for Coldstone ice cream,) I was on board. We went weeks ago but I can't stop raving about it to my family! I like the way the sushi is prepared, the seaweed over the rice. A lot less sloppy that way! My sweet potato roll was audibly crunchy, not to mention delicious. Some places put a scarce amount of the actual filling and it's mostly a mess of rice, but this was full of crunchy, warm sweet potato! We split the vegetable tempura as an appetizer and were thrilled, you could taste vegetables and not just fried food. My friend had a spicy crunchy tuna roll, and said unlike most places they held up to the "spicy" in it all! As I said, there's a lot to do in Babylon; Kotobuki is a must for sushi lovers! read more

Great sushi! Fire island roll! Amazing anything you get pretty much. Price could be a little better but you do get good food just can't afford to often. read more

I have to update my review (which I'll leave in full below) but my experience with Kotobuki since has been amazing. I have learned to avoid disappointment by arriving at non busy times, am always completely satisfied, and have no real complaints. Sushi at other places just isn't as good anymore, which is a wildly substantial difference considering the extremely moderate price increase. Original review: Absolutely delicious. Probably the best sushi in southern suffolk county. I would have wrote this last night but I was in a food coma! Let me start with the positives. We went in on a Sunday around 5:30 and expected to have to wait but surprisingly we were seated immediately! Thanks to the other yelp reviews and a helpful party seated next to us, we tried the K9 Sliders... WOW. Top notch. Their usuzukuri was the best I've had on Long Island, period. We also had the crazy roll with yellowtail, the special Tuna roll I can't remember the name of but was fantastic, and some roll with soft shell crab that blew me away. I hadn't ever thought to come here for take out but I know where to go now! Here is what they could do if they wanted to have the best restaurant on all of Long Island. First, they would have to get a different menu. Pages kept sticking together and honestly look tacky. You'd think you were somewhere that costs at least half as less. Second, maybe taking reservations would be good, getting in on a week night can be an hour wait! It's worth it but it's still a bummer. But you can give them your number and walk around town and they'll call you when they're ready for you. And finally, my last complaint, don't slack on the water! This place is truly amazing and I'm being picky because it's so close to perfection and I'd like to see them get there. Visit! But maybe early on a sunday. read more

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Went here for an early dinner with a friend on a weekday. We arrived when they first opened and were seated immediately. The place has a cute intimate atmosphere with dim lights. Not loud so it's great for a dinner date. We got the pizza as an appetizer which was great. Our food came over pretty soon after where we both ordered sushi rolls and a side of fried rice to split. I've been to tons of Asian restaurants but they have the most filling side of rice. It was full enough to eat as a meal on its own! The sushi was awesome. Will definitely be coming back here. read more

Kotobuki Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Babylon, New York

Easily my favorite sushi restaurant. The tuna pizza is a must have. I can probably eat a whole one on my own it's the best. Everything from the noodles when you first sit down to the dessert is perfection. The service is also great. Very friendly people. read more

For me, this is definitely the most reputable sushi spot that I frequent more than any other and always leave happy. It's about time I give this place an update after my first review which was when my yelping skills were in their infancy, lol. First off, this spot fills up quick like the second they open so if you're starving make sure you get there for when they open otherwise it could be a minute, they do not accept reservations. They have really good ... everything.... My parents and I always love everything we get from here, usually the same stuff (you know you're all creatures of habit) as evidenced by my multiple shots of the same sush. Anyway, they have the best, silkiest salmon and more recently my new favorite right now is their salmon crudo. Wow, these thinly sliced pieces of sushi are laying in a pool of olive oil, salt, pepper, onions, and citrus ... just wow, def order. They also have a few other options of crudo as well. Another one of my real favorites from here are the appetizer portion of miso Chilean sea bass.. it is so buttery and the miso glaze taste is really out of this world. I like to order the app size so I can get more sushi and not feel bad about it lol. The dinner portion is two filets with veggies. Also, the shrimp gogo is amazing, shrimp tempura with asparagus inside and a really good lemon butter sauce, I prefer it on the side. This place still has the most amazing spicy mayo out there of all of the sushi spots that I have been to thus far. I'll continue to pop in here weekly. read more

I have been here a few times because I had a gift card . Pretty good sushi. It took a while to get our drinks and food but they were super busy. Would try again. read more

Bad food, got sick for 4 days. Different chiefs, Sushi for 3 wasn't even close to being what it was. Yoshi you should take a look a your Babylon store. read more

All I can say is this place is amazing. I wish I could give it 10 stars. Food is unbelievable.

Kotobuki is definitely one of the better Japanese restaurants I've been to. I keep coming back, even if it is a bit out of the way for me. I used to live in Japan so, believe me, I've had a lot of sushi in my lifetime.... but this is some of the freshest fish and best quality sushi in New York. Definitely worth the visit. Full disclosure: I normally am not a fan of the very inventive and Americanized sushi rolls and prefer something a little more simple and straightforward so I haven't tried the more creative and "out there" dishes here. But the actual quality of their fish is so high that even the more simple sushi and sashimi is delicious. My favorites are the half futomaki with no rice and the shogun roll with no mayo. The seaweed salad is also amazing and unlike the typical prepacked seaweed salads you get at most Japanese restaurants. I'll come back again and again. read more

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This is the most amazing sushi spot I have ever been to! The sushi is always so fresh and so tasty. My boyfriend and I come here at least once a week. So good, you will not regret going here. Our favorite spot! read more

Amazing service, workers are very prompt and knowledgeable and the sushi and sashimi was excellent and we will definitely be back for more soon! read more