Just found my new favorite sushi spot in Monterey. I was warmly greeted right when I entered. The restaurant itself has a cozy vibe but spacious enough to fit plenty of different parties. They also played good bóp for my entire stay (shoutout to whomever had the sức that night). I started off with miso soup; the soup had a wonderful umami flavor that was not too salty. Standard small diced pieces of tofu and thin strips of seaweed. It was really comforting on a cold night. I'd give it overall 4.8/5 For my main dishes I ordered Scallop Flower and Spicy Paula and I'm almost left speechless. These rolls were beautifully presented and the flavor was AMAZING. I was doing a little happy dance in between each bite because they were balanced and texture was not boring. For the Spicy Paula it's not overwhelmingly spicy; it has a little kick but it didn't make me sweat or anything. Both rolls 5/5 I also ordered a Yuzu Sour Whiskey Cocktail and was pleasantly surprised. It doesn't taste too strong and the yuzu shined through with each sip. It's refreshing and bright. I end up ordering two because it was that delicious. 5/5 The staff is very hospitable. I overheard a table nearby having trouble deciding what they wanted and a waiter said, "Alright no problem, tell me what you don't want and we will make something for you that doesn't have those ingredients"; he was able to make suggestions and from what I remember, the table was happy with their order that same waiter also was very attentive. He picked up my plates and as he was walking away I was going to ask for water but hesitated (I can be a bit shy), but he turned around and asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you ma'am". That just topped my experience and showed how intuitive a person can be! I will be back and will be spreading the word on how great this place is; also their prices aren't over the top for downtown or in general! So worth it :) read more

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The sushi is top shelf! Fresh and delicious. Presented in a hip vibe. The sushi chef friendly and creative. Tell them the ingredients you like and they'll blow you away! Best on the Monterey peninsula. read more

The food was really good. Rice was cooked perfectly which is a big deal for me as a Japanese. The miso soup was on the salty side but not bad. The fish was fresh and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. We will be back when we visit Monterey next. read more

Really delicious sushi spot! Highly recommend. Got the suns and a baked roll. The vegetable tempura was ok, I just love crunchy stuff and it was good enough. The atmosphere is interesting - I like the disco ball. read more

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A host / hostess sets the tone for the evening and is the first point of contact at any establishment. Unfortunately the host at Kuna tonight fell short. Our seating time was adjusted after checking in on yelp. Then we were told our table would be ready in a few minutes at least 3 times over the next hour. He answered phones before seating in restaurant customers We believe him each time he said our table was almost ready because we waited so long and couldn't imagine that it wouldn't be since there were three empty tables. After being seated we still had to wait for our order to be taken. An endless evening of waiting at Lima this evening. The water tasted fishing and of chlorine. The miso soup a slightly similar taste. Tempura was over cooked, shrimp were tough, we did like the Agedashi tofu, edamame were okay, definitely not freshly chopped garlic the pre chopped jar garlic. More later... read more

Great place for dinner and it was pretty busy when we went on a Friday night at 8pm that we were on the waitlist. Street parking was a little challenging and we walked a few blocks. The server was great and took our order pretty quickly. We ordered hot saki, jalapeño poppers which I didn't really care for. The breading on the jalapeño popper was too much and not enough jalapeño. We also had short ribs were flavorful and comes with a side of rice. Lastly, I ordered the tuna with salad and rice, kind of like a poke bowl with the chef hot sauce on it. More than enough salad and tasty! The bar was busy and packed up until the time we left. Great friendly service. read more

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Came here 25 min before closing and they said they weren't seating anyone anymore... went to Alvarado street brewery and they were happy to seat customers up till closing. read more

BAWMBB. We're from out of town and we're looking for good sushi. Long story short: just go here!!! PARKING: street or garage. We parked at a garage 1 min away which was free for the first hour and $1 for every 30 min. ATMOSPHERE: Casual but cool. FOOD: Fantastic, we loved everything. I'm kinda picky when it comes to sushi because of living in Japan and San Diego. Mannn this place did not disappoint. Our favorite rolls were the Akuma roll and Whole hearted roll. The Akuma roll was addictive, and the Whole Hearted Roll was refreshing. They have a limited cocktail list, but both drinks we had were delicious. SERVICE: The best. Literally every single person we encountered was genuinely nice. We LOVED our server. He made the experience. We had a little accident at our table (whoops) but our server and another gentleman was quick to address it. They were so cool and nice about it!! Our server was attentive and we really felt like he went above and beyond. Unrelated but I couldn't help but notice how much the staff looks out for each other. It's always a good feeling to see a positive work environment - it just makes the experience that much more enjoyable when everyone is smiling. Would recommend 100% read more

Kuma - Whole hearted roll, SALMON SKIN ROLL , akuma roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

The ambiance isn't anything to write home about but the food is solid! Im a vegetarian and they had some very veggie friendly menu options. The vegan "spicy tuna" roll was great and different from anything I've ever had. They had a few other veggie roll options on the menu too. Great spicy garlic edamame and the miso soup was possibly one of the best that I've ever had - super flavorful and not watered down. I'll be back on my next trip to Monterey! read more

Kuma - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Wow! Delicious food! We started with the spicy garlic edamame! The waitress was bright and cheerful and served is with class. The Atmosphere was inviting and we enjoyed all of our rolls. The next time we are in town this will be our go too! Yum! read more

tonkotsu ramen had a super rich broth and the noodles were perfectly chewy. the spicy tuna roll tasted fresh and the service was really fast. read more

The food was fresh and tasty. I had a baked salmon, my son had soup, my husband had the short ribs and a whole hearted roll. The place is nice and cozy. Good for medium size groups. Has a good selection of drinks also. I will be back. Our server was also helpful, smile on her face and gave good food recommendations. read more

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I was looking for a good Sushi spot in Monterey after driving all day from LA. This spot had some good reviews so we figured we will try it out. As soon as we walked in there was a huge group of drunk people at the bar. It took a while for the waiters to noticed us. We went towards the back. This place is very open inside so you don't feel crammed. The waitress advised us of all the good plates she recommends. We ended up going with the Sun roll, chirashi and the udon soup. The sun roll was really good that's why I'm giving them 1 star. The udon soup had way too much seaweed pieces and huge pieces of veggies. I felt like I was drinking hot ocean water with all the seaweed it had. The Chirashi had a lot of potential if the sushi chef knew how to cut sashimi pieces. The cuts were horrible. I let the waitress know and she looked very bothered. She letting me know the 2 guys working behind the sushi bar had years of experience. I let her know I just wanted to mentioned it to her. After that she completely changed and gave us attitude. As we were walking out she completely ignored us as I told her thank you. I feel as a customer I should be able to give feedback without a worker taking offense. I definitely will not be going back. Our first dinner in Monterey was a waste. Not sure why this place has over 4 stars. Very disappointing experience. read more

Hands down THE BEST restaurant I've ever been to... friendly employees, great atmosphere, yummy food and drinks! I have never had a bad experience at this restaurant. They really pay attention to you and remember you when you come back !! Our favorite employee is Jon! If you ever come, ask for Jon :) read more

Satisfying rolls with very friendly and attentive service and casual ambiance. Appetizer was served within 5 minutes and rolls within 20 mins. The Big Bang was a favorite though the heat was missing from it's spicy description which left this Mexican a bit disappointed. The tempura crunch on all of the baked rolls was perfect. I was excited about the veggie tempura roll but it's small size only allowed for very small pieces of tempura veges so I was unable to fully appreciate the tasty tempura batter. I found the Dra-vegan roll very enjoyable and packed with flavor. The Phoenix roll was literally on fire! It does leave a slight charred taste which might not be a welcome flavor for all. Restaurant is clean and can accommodate large parties. read more

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We stopped by for date night and I think we found our new sushi spot in Monterey! We loved the ambiance and the food was delicious. There were so many options to choose from, but the North Star roll exceeded my expectations! :) read more

Best sushi ever, nicest owners ever, a MUST when in Monterey. We love the Auggy, Spicy Paula, & Big Bang rolls. read more

Kuma - Baked roll on right, Mt Shasta - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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SO SO GOOD. We're vegetarian, and I went here with my fiancé, it was so so incredible. The were four main roll options for vegetarians (there were also other apps and mains but it was just us two so we ordered all 4 rolls). We ordered all 4 vegetarian rolls, each roll was ample size, 8 pieces each, it came beautifully prepared and organized on a nice wooden board (see my pic!). It was so good that we devoured all 4. Check out their menu to see the options! The service was incredible, they gave honest recs of how much we should order and also drink recs! The ambiance was also great for a date, quiet without being too quiet and also a lovely spot for a gathering -- there was enough space between the tables. I'm coming back here for more, as should you! read more

Kuma - Vegetarian rolls - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

It took some time to be seated and to be served. The food was great. Restaurant was clean and lively. Would definitely recommend. read more

Kuma - My wife ordered the Full House roll. She enjoyed it and said it was tasty. 10/10 recommend. - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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We really enjoyed our dinner here last night. We arrived around 6:30pm on a weeknight and were seated right away, but there was more of a wait later in the evening. I appreciated the space in the room so tables weren't on top of each other and it wasn't too loud. Parking was a bit of a challenge since there was a farmer's market, but we got lucky with a spot a couple blocks away. The service was okay, nothing above and beyond. The sushi was fresh! I rated it four out of five because I wish the menu had more sushi roll options without crab or shrimp (for religious reasons). The veggie rolls were great and so was the 5 fish roll. My son is a picky eater and he loved the chicken and rice. Oh and the famous Phoenix roll was on fire - literally! So fun! If we lived nearby we would come back again! read more

The first time we dined here it was just a date night. We enjoyed the food, service and general positivity we came right back and brought friends. This time I did order a bowl I saw a different table order the first time we were here & our table got an assortment of rolls, appetizers and drinks. The place has a great qi and coupled with great food it's a no brainer; we are definitely coming back. read more

Such a highly rated place but dang, this isn't that great y'all. My wife and I got the Spanish Bay Roll, the Eileen Supreme and the Crunchy Roll. The Spanish bay roll was a great name for the roll, it was quite literally swimming in the sauce. Plus the fishy flavor of the roll was very reminiscent of the bay. Overall, it looked better than how it tasted. The Eileen Supreme and the Crunch Roll tasted almost the same. Between the both of them they were actually not bad, just nothing special. The prices for these rolls were also a bit steep as far as sushi is concerned, not crazy, but if you're charging 15+ for a roll, they better be really something else. The ambiance was not good, the main dining area is a large open space with high ceilings. They got some fake plants on the walls with minimal Japanese decor. Kuma seems really interested in keeping those heating costs down so make sure you bring a jacket when it's cold outside, it will likely be brisk inside as well. The lights inside are pretty bright as well, which likely could be easily adjusted for a much better ambiance. The service was a redeeming factor here, the hostess, bar man, and the waitress really were great. Friendly and quick. One of them even turned on the disco ball for us. Apparently the building used to be a music venue. They just figured the disco ball would be nice to hold onto. Bold move Kuma, bold move. read more

Kuma - Eileen Supreme and Crunchy Roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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This place tasted amazing! We were quickly seated and greeted by the bartender which was a friendly first impression. Our waiter was quick, gave us a recommendation and it was not too loud in the restaurant. There are a ton of seatings so this is also a good spot for large parties. read more

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For this to be a beach town and me coming from the east bay in CA the sushi was very underwhelming! I got the sashimi A. Chose to sit at the bar ! The bartender Anthony was SUPER amazing and attentive. He is very good at his job. You can tell he's a favorite. read more

This is my first time trying Kuma, and it was absolutely delicious! The staff were super attentive and the owner, Dylan, was very sweet and super accommodating. As a sushi connoisseur, I would highly recommend everyone to try this place. Definitely my top 5 for sure. read more

Kuma - Special set: 8 piece nigiri x chefs choice special roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

Honestly some of the best service I've had. Sushi is fresh as can be and their rolls are well balanced and affordable. Great music also goes a long way ! read more

Kuma - Stuffed Jalapeños - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

As locals we've walked by Kuma for years but tonight we dropped in for dinner. We ordered two sashimi over rice bowls and were really impressed with the quality of the fish, the rice and the large portions. In spite of a packed house, the service was cheerful and very fast. We usually frequent another Japanese place in Seaside but Kuma is now on our list! Just made reservations for ten family members visiting form SoCal. read more

I love this place! Thank you John! For the suggestions! The vibe is casual. But make reservations! Place gets very busy! And Thank you Dominic! Great service! read more

Had a very subpar dining experience here over Memorial Day weekend, but maybe it's because we didn't order sushi. I was in Big Sur with 3 other friends on Saturday, and we wanted to have a nice dinner after a long day. We called around and most other restaurants were full or only had reservations available much later, so we decided to give Kuma to try since they were the only restaurant that said they had immediate availability. We were seated immediately when we arrived at 7. It was windy and freezing outside, so I wanted a warm/hot dish. Unfortunately out of their three page menu, two were fully dedicated to sushi, and only one had starters and non-sushi entrees. I didn't want noodles, so I went with the seafood rice ($21.95). Another friend felt the same way as me and ordered the seafood yaki udon ($19.95). The food took forever to arrive. We had to wait a full 40 minutes after ordering before the food was served, which is unfortunate because we were all hungry and wanted to eat asap. It felt like every other table was getting their food before us, even the tables that were seated and ordered after us. When our food finally arrived, I took a bite of my seafood rice and did not like the taste of the ginger soy sauce at all. I tried a couple bites of the seafood yaki udon as well, and it was the exact same sauce. Turns out the two dishes are exactly the same, except one was served over rice and the over served with udon noodles. I finished my food because I was hungry but did not enjoy a single bite. I think I would've been better off ordering the sushi here. Though my friends who ordered a couple of rolls to share also said the rolls were just okay and nothing to write home about. Overall a pretty disappointing meal for us. read more

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Great sushi chefs and a fun vibe! Can get a bit rowdy as it gets later, so if you want a quieter meal, go earlier in the evening. The service was excellent!!!!! read more

The husband and I were starving after a long drive from the Bay to Monterey and was looking for a place where we could sit outdoors and get some decent food. We happened to be right next to Kuma and decided to give this place a try. They have 3 tables outdoors, and only 1 was occupied when we arrived. Our wait staff was very attentive during our time here and checked in on us often and made sure to answer any questions we had. For my meal, I chose to get an order of their toriten udon which is udon with a side of fried chicken strips. The fried chicken was surprisingly good - it tasted very fresh and was perfectly crispy without being too greasy, which is a huge deal breaker for me. The udon itself was good but on the basic side - while it tasted fresh enough, I can't say that anything about the noodles or broth particularly stood out to me. I took one star away because I think that the restaurant needs to change up the type of towels they use to dry their dishes after washing. I had ordered a small bottle of hot sake and the mug that they gave me had little bits of white particle floating in it. I didn't realize what it was at first and I'm also the type of customer that hates making a fuss about things (I prefer to leave it on my Yelp review after haha) but thankfully our waiter separately noticed the white particles and came out proactively to our table and swapped out my bottle of sake for a large bottle (free upgrade) with a different set of cups. He also wasn't sure what the residue was and thought it had something to do with a bad batch of sake, but afterwards I figured out it had to do with the towels since the new bottle of sake + new cup also had the same issue. Outside of that though, our dining experience at Kuma was very pleasant. read more

Kuma - Oh so spicy roll - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

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Came here with the family on an early Sunday evening. The restaurant was very charming, clean, hip with cool music playing. I'm glad the music wasn't too loud like some sushi places I've been to. The sushi was very original and fresh. The server was very helpful but not very attentive. I recommend read more

The restaurant is spacious. The sushi chef and the servers greats you with smiles. A warm and friendly atmosphere to dine in. Prices are just right and the food is amazing. Adding this restaurant to my "collection" on Yelp. The Sake Kama comes with rice. The salmon was seasoned well. Very delicious, flavorful, and crispy. It is a good portion and will fill you up. I turned the Sake Kama into a bento by ordering house salad ($5) and miso soup ($2) on the side. Both the hamachi and sake kama are equally delicious. Eileen Supreme is a must-get. My favorite roll on the menu. It has all the ingredients that make up a perfect roll in my opinion. It is graciously loaded with ingredients and packed full of flavors in each bite and the price is generous considering it has soft shell crab in it. Please give this roll a try. If you are a fan of the soft-shell crab then this roll was meant for you. Beyond DELICIOUS! read more

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Good service. Nice quality food. The waiter offered us free miso soup and deserts. Toro is great quality.

Always a great back up to my favorite sushi spot Sushi Daruma. Food & service was exceptional. We've visited this establishment since they opened and closed and then reopened in the last few years. Menu seems to change periodically. Not sure what's happening with my previous post but here goes another. Definitely recommend if your in the area. read more

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Parking is hard to find, we found a spot 5 min walk down the street, but then again, that's how it is with restaurants on a sidewalk. We came on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend, but it was surprisingly not too busy, my party of 4 was seated immediately. We were seated towards the back so the noise level was much nicer and it was more spacious. As I type the names of the rolls we ordered, I'm not finding it on the Yelp menu :/ We had the Suns Roll which was a salmon roll with a thinly sliced lemon piece on top and the proportions of everything went really well together. It was such a refreshing roll that we had 2 of these! The Whole Hearted Roll was a hamachi roll with salmon and it was absolutely amazing. The fish and all the flavors was very balanced and nothing overpowered the other. The Polar Express Roll was albacore and oh my gosh this was my second favorite. I would've ordered another if I wasn't so full :( If I were in the area again, I'm definitely coming back for more sushi! read more

The sushi here was really delicious and tasted super fresh! The Spicy Paula was definitely the star of the night and our table ordered several of them. The basic rolls were also done very well and the sashimi and nigiri selections were delicious and fresh. Only knocking down a star since we were kind of forgotten about and the waiter forgot a few of our rolls (didn't write them down while taking a pretty long order so we suspected that would happen but they still tried to charge us), and the phoenix roll tasted very strongly of whatever they use to set it on fire (presuming butane but not sure). Other than those two things everything was great and we'll definitely be back the next time we're in the area! read more

Back again, our third visit. Our favorite sushi in Monterrey. Super yummy rolls. Note several of their rolls show a "spicy" asterisk, but they're not spicy. Doesn't bother me, but might if you like things spicy! Friendly waiters and nice inside. Lots of fun booths outside on Tuesday afternoon farmers market in front of this business too. But I wanted to support the local restaurant. read more

Kuma - Cocktail menu - Japanese Near Me - Monterey, California

A good spot for sushi in Monterey. A wide variety of rolls offered, including baked and fried (not my fave). Fish was fresh and good quality. They even offer vegan rolls! Thought that was cool. I ordered: - Melting albacore (underwhelmed, wouldn't order again) - Ono & Hamachi nigiri (ono recommended seared and was very tasty) - Whole Hearted Roll (clean yummy flavors, not drowned in sauces) - Spicy scallop HR (yum!) Service was good, didn't wait too long like some other reviews mentioned. I would come again! read more

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Extremely hospital & kind. When you walk in you check-in and they seat you. Staff is super flexible with any seat you want, very quick service. Every staff member from the host/hostess, waitress, to the sushi chef himself (Shout-out to Michael; he was amazing) are very kind and provide amazing customer service! I also saw that another one of the sushi chefs knew his regular's favorite sushi order, which is a nice touch. You can tell walking into the place that they really value customer service. Wait time was extremely quick. Came in on a slow night (Wed approx. 8:45pm). I overheard another guest who was surprised that there wasn't a wait, which a great sign meaning that people like the food! Even on a busy night though, I would imagine they would still be pretty quick, they didn't waste any time. Ordered the Phoenix Roll (they light it on ) & an order of gyoza. Gyoza was fried nicely, not overly heavy. They give you a light sauce for them. Phoenix Roll was a recommendation based on gram worthy pics & taste. It was really good, subtle flavors that all blended nicely. And the fire show was a nice touch! Usually when places add show, they miss the mark on flavor, but not this one! I was a little hesitant on ordering the Phoenix Roll as I'm not usually someone who likes rolls with spicy tuna, but the sushi chef told me not to worry, it was a really mild spice and he was absolutely right! Fun fact for the spicy lovers! They even have the extreme heat peppers like ghost pepper & (2) others if you're into the so spicy you're sweating or challenging your friends to see who can hang! Lol I saw a lot of couples here. Casual dining. read more