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Kuma was a great find during our trip to Monterey. The service was excellent from start to finish--everyone was friendly, attentive, and our drinks and food came out surprisingly fast. We started with two of their specialty cocktails, and both were fantastic. They were a really unique fusion of Japanese flavors and a margarita, perfectly balanced and delicious. For dinner, I ordered a sushi roll that was huge, incredibly filling, and made with very fresh fish. My husband had the chicken teriyaki, which was also a generous portion and came with miso soup and rice, making it a great value. The only part of the meal that fell a little short was the gyoza. They were cooked well with a nice texture, but the filling was just okay, and the dipping sauce lacked flavor. Overall, we really enjoyed our meal and would definitely come back for the sushi, cocktails, and great service.
If I could give this place a 10 I would. You want to talk about a spot that hit every mark and some? This was it. The service was lights out. Multiple people helping us. Plates being cleared, drinks being served, sushi coming out fast. The sushi itself was flat out unbelievable. We ordered sashimi and rolls...ALL delicious. We also ordered the stuffed jalepenos which were also incredible. I really do mean this, one of the best sushi spots I've ever been to. I wish I could tell more and more people. Check out all the photos and make sure that if you want sushi and you're in the area...you check out Kuma.
Sushi was yummy! Happy they had room for our party of 7. Service was pretty prompt even when the place got packed soon after we arrived. Spacious interior and a separate room for private party. Agedashi tofu and the sushi rolls (Aspen, Sun and Whole-Hearted) were delicious and I'd highly recommend for a good variety. I appreciated the freshness of the fish, rice to fish ratio and creativity of each roll. They also have vegan rolls. Prices were a little elevated for the smaller portions of sushi - $18 and up for each roll but they were tasty enough. There's 60 min street parking nearby.
Really good sushi in Monterey. This is located in downtown Monterey and we stopped in because our original destination had a huge wait. Kuma had a few minute wait. This place is really family friendly, and there were a lot of people with loud kids on a Saturday night around 6. It was also really packed, so the servers were running around getting everyone everything pretty quickly. I thought they were very pleasant and energetic. They have an interesting variety of sushi rolls, including some vegetarian and vegan selections. I felt like the serving size was pretty large, and I ended up taking some home. All the fish was fresh and high quality. A very enjoyable dinner!
Two friends/colleagues and I skipped out of a nearby conference to chow down on sushi and were so stoked on Kuma! We had good service and even scored some free sake when one of the wait staff misunderstood a request (likely because the dining room is so loud! not great acoustics because it's so cavernous, but bright and welcoming, too). I have to admit that I was a little intimidated by their extensive menu, but we loved pretty much everything we ordered. Left stuffed and satisfied!
I stopped in for a solo dinner on a Weds night. The restaurant was only half full so I was attended to very quickly. The service was pleasant and prompt throughout my visit. There is a small bar with some seating when you first walk in, and then a medium sized dining room with a sushi bar as well. I ordered the scallop blossom appetizer ($10) and the Spicy Paula roll. I felt the roll could have been a little spicier to warrant the pepper label. But it was fresh and delicious. Overall I was happy with my visit and would return.
This place has decently good sushi. I tried their edamame, sashimi, Spanish Bay roll (riceless), unagi roll, and salmon skin hand roll. Fish tasted fresh and was presented well. The place does't have a typical restaurant layout. The front part is rather dark and feels like a bar lounge. When you enter the back, it is a large airy space with plenty of tables. The tables are far apart so there is no crowded or intimate feeling. While a bit on the pricier side for sushi, it is on par for its downtown location.
Really friendly service, but kind of slow with the food. Got the platter with 8 rolls. To be honest, they all tasted kind of the same. It wasn't bad, but it was a lot of California-roll flavors. And there's a lot of sauce, so you're tasting the sauce more than the fish. Will try their chirashi next for something a little simpler.
We ended up here after Alvarado brew had a 1+ hr wait and it was a GREAT pivot! Prickly pear marg was a fantastic start, strong and sweet Our rolls came quickly, best of which were the Sun roll and Phoenix (fun fire at the table!) Best of all was the Toro tuna belly sashimi!!! Our server Jaiden went above and beyond recommending this, telling us how to eat it, and even bringing over a special wasabi for us to try!! Ambiance leaves something to be desired, but Jaiden's service and the toro sashimi was the BEST! Definitely visit for fresh sushi when you're in Monterey
Since my last visit the food quality and service has improved. We came to love the simple cut rolls.
If you're ever in Monterey County, be sure to check out my absolute favorite sushi bar called Kuma! This is our 2nd time coming to this restaurant and we will keep coming back. The "Lover Plate" for 2 is an especially good deal that features Chef's Choice of a special roll, 8 pieces of Nigiri, 2 hand rolls, 4 pieces of gyoza and wakame seaweed salad -- all for $65! You let the server know what you like and don't like and they will customize the meal for you! Kuma gets 5 stars for SAFAV: Service Ambiance Food Alcohol Value for Money For more food recommendations of restaurants rated 5 stars for SAFAV, check out my IG: https://www.instagram.com/cindythechomper?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
I finally went inside after only ever ordering their sushi from the wine bar next door, and the inside was not at all what I expected. The space feels more like a multipurpose ballroom than a traditional restaurant. It is one big open room with very high ceilings, tables and chairs spread out across the floor, and the sushi bar set up along the back wall. There is even a disco ball on the ceiling and a projector, so I am guessing they host other events or maybe karaoke nights that I just did not know about. Aside from the surprise of the interior layout, everything else was great. Our server (I think his name was Ridley (I don't have the receipt anymore sadly), though I might be butchering that) was friendly and on top of things. Drinks came out quickly, the sushi quality was exactly what I am used to from past orders, and I really have no complaints about anything we ate. Just updating my review to share some photos and give a better sense of what the inside looks like, but the food itself is still consistently good.
We don't get to Monterey enough from San Francisco, but when we do, Kuma is ALWAYS on our list of where we have to eat. We were in Japan for 2 weeks in October and we just didn't get enough sashimi. Kuma came to the sashimi rescue. The sashimi is incredibly fresh. No fishy smell here. No sirreee. Most importantly, our compliments to Sushi Chef Mike for his sashimi and sushi artistry and skills. He puts the WOW in our eyes and tummies. We always look forward to his chirashi bowl paired with cold Dasai 45 sake. Kanpai! If you're not sure where to dine while in Monterey, checkout Kuma for great Japanese food.
Friendly service and welcoming interior. Lots of options for rolls! The rolls are huge with pieces so large that it's too hard to eat in one bite. Maybe the could cut the cost of the rolls a bit by slicing the fish on top a bit thinner..this may be an unpopular opinion but the fish on top overwhelmed the flavor of the roll. If I just wanted to taete the fish then I would order sashimi! But definitely quality ingredients! I'd recommend splitting a couple rolls and an app with a friend rather than trying to do 2 rolls on your own. read more
This place was near our hotel, while my wife and I were at a conference. The reviews were good too. So we came here for Valentine's day. The staff is all very nice and they're doing their best. The service was very good, even though they were quite busy on a Friday Val Day. They have a waitlist feature that doesn't really work. I used it, and our position never changed. We eventually just walked in. They don't really use the waitlist on busy nights. The check in person said. that most people don't show up. We waited for 25-30 minutes and were seated. Our place in line had not changed by the next morning. That part could be better. When one views the menu, it's more of a Japanese restaurant with sushi. There are a lot of Americanized rolls, which I know some people like. I sat at the sushi bar in front of the guy making these very busy creations. They have a decent range of fish for sushi, but there's nothing unique. The fish I had was all good. I had toro, scallop, and salmon belly sashimi, all of which was very good. It wasn't amazing. But I was pleased. I then had uni nigiri, which was also very good. I finished with a salmon skin hand roll, which was great. They cooked the skin with salmon on the grill the. cut it up and served it. This was really great. I started with a spicy edamame which tasted good, but was messy to eat. I'd avoid it. My wife liked the tempura and the sushi she had (ebi and salmon nigiri, spicy tuna hand roll, and california roll). She said this is her kind of sushi restaurant. It worked for me. I thought the service was great. The sushi was all good, done very good. It's a good place to bring people who don't want to do more authentic sushi. Solid place. read more
1 year ago
This spot never disappoints. The sushi always hits the spot here, you definitely need to try the Big Bang Roll. Other honorable mentions would be Heavenly Roll, chicken teriyaki & ika gesuo as a appetizer! Customer service is always outstanding, Dylan and Dom make sure the staff takes care of you. Always making you feel welcomed ! Plenty of seating for large or small groups ! Prefect for a night out with friends or a date night. Limited on the bar seating so get there early to watch sports games ! read more
2 years ago
Sushi is probably not what you think to get at Monterey, but food tastes fresh and good. Interesting architecture as expected of Monterey. What impressed me the most was the service. My group was quite loud in there but they were always very attentive and nice. Lots of extra attention for everyone. Would return! read more
Nice little restaurant with friendly staff and service! We got the salmon skin roll, beef teriyaki bowl, and Phoenix on fire roll. It was cool seeing the Phoenix roll on fire, quite entertaining. They were very accommodating to our little toddler. The salmon skin roll was a little bland, small, and had a cardboard stale texture, it was probably our least favorite. The Phoenix roll was not bad. The beef teriyaki bowl was our favorite and most yummy of all the food we got. We enjoyed eating here, it was quite busy and it took a little while to get our food. But the service was great. read more
8 months ago
This place wasn't a favorite. The customer service wasn't horrible (which is why I'm giving it 3 stars), but the vibe was off. The restaurant had a weird smell that made me question how fresh the sushi was, and it was super chilly inside--to the point where my nose was running! To top it off, the rolls were poorly constructed. Even though it's not far from the aquarium, the area seems kind of sketchy at night. Sushi is my absolute favorite food, so I was pretty disappointed. Writing this mostly for myself so I remember not to return. read more
2 years ago
As far as sushi goes I'll give it a solid 3. I am picky about my sushi probably to the extreme. It was good but not great. I left full but not satisfied. IMO there was not a lot of flavor in the roll I got, (the Apollo). For all the ingredients in it you would think it would be bursting with flavor. It was not. The cream cheese chunk was HUGe. I'm also not a fan of fake crab and nowhere on the menu did it say it was imitation crab not real. The jalapeño still had seeds in it and the seeds were brown and the slices were not uniform in size. Presentation matters. Service was slow and as always if they leave dirty dishes on the table, I remove a star. Our appetizer dishes stayed on the table through the whole meal. We were never checked on for drinks or if food was ok after it came out. The Apollo - 3/5 The Phoenix - 3/5 The heavenly - 4/5 Tuna Tutake - 5/5 (small for price) If you go wear a jacket, the dining room was very cold. I prob won't be back because there is much better sushi in the area. read more
7 months ago
Decided to check it out based on yelp reviews and proximity to our hotel. Got on the waitlist at 7:15 PM on a Saturday, arrived at 8:30 and were seated at ~7:50. Small dining area overall but cozy and local vibe. Small sushi bar seating and small separate bar section. Salad was nice - touch on the over dressed side for me (I eat MINIMAL dressing). Gyoza, fried and good - I prefer a bit lighter on the frying. The Pepper Fin and Flash blackened Sake were fantastic!!! The Spicy Paula was not very spicy to me but well made and tasty. The stuffed jalapeños were delicious and large!!! Great little spot - Happily would dine here again! read more
Smaller restaurant, only about 12 tables. We had to wait about 35 mins for a table (which wasn't awful at all). The staff were all super nice and it was a cute little intimate place. The sushi itself was sooo good. The fish was so vibrant in color and so fresh (view photos). We got the Dragon Roll, Tiger Roll, Heavenly Roll, and Lucy Who roll. All amazing ! And all reasonably priced in terms of sushi prices. Highly recommended if you're in the area to try it out ! read more
9 months ago
We googled places to eat sushi in Monterey. This one had great reviews. Now I see why. Friendly staff, quick service. Ordered 3 rolls based on ingredients, and the food was fire. One was literally on fire. Some of the best sushi I have had anywhere. Definitely will be back. read more
11 months ago
Came here tonight because of the good reviews and we were not disappointed. Arrived around 5:45pm, the place was pretty busy already. We were seated within 10 min. Inside there were about 11 small to medium size tables. Only 4 seats at the sushi bar area and a few seats at the bar outside the main area. We only ordered 2 items, a Sashimi B and a specialty roll cakes Lucy Who. Sashimi B has 20 pieces of nice thick cut of 5 varieties of fish (tuna, albacore, salmon, yellowtail and a white fish that i don't recall the name) and they included 2 pieces of scallops and 3 pieces of octopus. I love that they served with fresh wasabi. All the fish were so fresh and sweet. We had only eaten that good quality in Japan and Hawaii, so we were very pleased. Lucy Who is a special roll that has dungeon crab meats and soft crab in the middle and raw tuna on the outside. The sauce has a little sweetness to it that was quite refreshing. Server was sweet and very attentive. Later when we paid, we found out that they charged you 3% more if you paid with a credit card. That was kinda a turn off, so make sure that you use a card that giving you cash back LOL When we were leaving, there were lots of people waiting so make reservations or go early. All in all, we had a very enjoyable meal despite the 3% extra charge. I still recommend this place for their fresh sashimi if that is something you are in for. read more
2 months ago
9 months ago
1st time to eat here and very disappointed. The quality of the food is okay but lacks taste. The salmon skin salad is dry and fish skins are totally burnt. Food is a bit pricey though! read more
2 years ago
Walked in at 5 on Sunday and we were able to be seated immediately. The restaurant is big with a cool layout! Drinks looked good but we stuck to water. Miso soup was tastier than most! My kids loved the chicken katsu and shrimp tempura- huge portions! And our rolls were amazingggg. They did sauce on the side since I don't like mayo but my husband does. The salmon lemon roll was incredible, as was the spicy salmon/tuna/shrimp tempura roll (don't remember names). Good service, we'd be back! read more
Really cute sushi place, good for a date night! Good: - Miso soup was $2 and came out quick - tasty and simple - Tempura mixed was great value, liked the fried vegetables - Really liked the Phoenix rolls since they came engulfed in flames! So cool Bad: - Took some time to get our sushi and flag down the waiters - the place is petty casual diner vibes, a little older Overall a nice Asian place to go when you crave sushi! read more
My brother-in-law recommended this place as the owners are very friendly and remember the customers. I ordered the chirashi, and the fish was tasty, and the su (vinegar rice) was good. Some places just use plain rice, but it's better to have the same rice they use for sushi, so this was a nice touch. The gyoza was very good...crisp and not soggy. As my BIL eats here regularly, he asked for the special dessert. The waitress initially said they were out, but the owner said they can make it for us. Of course, that made us feel special. The "rice cream" is ice cream with all the toppings put inside a rice cracker. Yum! The dessert is not on the menu, so you have to order it with a whisper (jk). Overall, I will definitely be eating here again on our next visit. Of course, I may have to bring by BIL to see if we get special service. The only question is, "Do I then have to pay?" :) read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
I always see this place whenever I pass by Alvarado & decided to try it out yesterday! The sushi was sooo good as well as their miso soup. The service was great and fast! It was a little loud but not crazy they had some good music playing as well. I loved the rolls as well as the dancing shrimp !! read more
1 year ago
**5 Stars - A Birthday to Remember!** My daughter is a sushi lover, and for her birthday this year she chose to visit Monterey--and we're so glad we found **Kuma Sushi** for her special dinner! From the moment we made our reservation, the staff was incredibly accommodating. They let us bring a birthday cake to store and serve after dinner, and the whole team went above and beyond to make the evening unforgettable. Everyone was so kind and welcoming, constantly wishing her a happy birthday. When it was time for cake, they lit candles, turned on a disco ball, and got the entire restaurant to sing--yes, the *entire* place joined in! It's not a huge restaurant, which made the celebration feel even more warm and personal. My daughter felt so special, and we were truly touched by the effort they put in. On top of the amazing service, the **food was fantastic**. We ordered quite the spread, and everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The cocktails were also excellent--balanced and delicious. We can't say enough about how attentive and kind the staff was. Kuma Sushi made this birthday one we'll never forget. We're so happy we found this gem and will definitely be coming back! read more
I really enjoyed the rolls here! We got the Auggy Roll and the Heavenly Roll. We also got the ZigZag Handroll. The servers are nice and had great customer service. If you are craving sushi, this place offers a pretty good selection of rolls, nigiri, and sashimi. read more
Came to Monterey for Mother's Day weekend and find this place on Yelp with 4.5 stars. After eating here for dinner not sure how they got those ratings. The quality of the fish is comparable to Safeway Sushi. NO TASTE!!! The salad was mixed with a creamy dressing, not your traditional Japaneses dressing. The poke had a lot of wonton chips than tuna. The Sapporo draft didn't like sapporo. The bartender was nice, but the sushi chefs were very slow. read more
6 months ago
go-to spot. best to make a reservation, dinner is always packed. every item we've tried has been perfect. kind staff. read more
1 year ago
We made reservations for a party of 9, for a birthday. Right off the bat, service was phenomenal to say the least. Drinks were fantastic and the food was just as amazing. They handled the large party fantastically. Appetizers and food came out fairly quick for how much we ordered. Which speaking of, ignore the poor photo I took of the little bit left. After we dove into all the food I thought to take the photo after we ate, silly me. ONLY slightly disappointing experience of our entire experience that was 5/5 stars was the miso soup. It was slightly too salty for about half the table. However in their defense some people like more salt than others but this one was heavy. With that said, Kuma is a must go to spot for locals and tourists. P.S. Ask them to turn on the disco ball, it's great! They only turn it on when asked the staff said. read more
3 years ago
First time here and without a doubt our last. It was just overly stimulating for us with all the noise, randomness of the servers and disco ball spinning, we couldn't wait to finish our meal and get out tbh. We ordered nigiri and it was ok. read more
Nice place, clean, good service, has a bar. Good place for lunch or dinner. The sushi is average but good. The California Roll is made with imitation crab and mayonnaise so it's really sweet, the wasabi is not very hot but the ginger is delicious and fresh. read more
1 year ago
Came in to the restaurant as a walk in and waited around 20 minutes which is really good considering how busy the night was! The restaurant had a very social ambiance and it was really nice to see the bar while being seated. Our server John along with many others were very helpful throughout the night making sure that our table was cleared, drinks refilled, and let us know when our food will be coming out. Our first order had three rolls, the baked salmon, North Star, and Apollo roll. These three were so good that we ended up ordering another roll after we finished. I will say that the North Star and Apollo roll are very similar in taste, but very delicious nonetheless. Our fourth roll was the auggy roll and it came out very quick following our first three rolls, it was also very delicious and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys more umami flavors. Overall Kuma was a very pleasant visit and I definitely plan on visiting again when I am in Monterey, the restaurant cleanliness, ambiance, and staff all made this experience a 10/10! read more
2 years ago
You know, you're always taking a risk when you try a new sushi place. Will it be good? Bad? Reviews are tough because some of the most solid places have 3.5 stars. I'll do my best to thoroughly describe the experience. We arrived promptly at 5pm and the place was already busy. Our waitress started off prompt, but as the visit went on became more and more scarce, especially after the food was delivered. As mentioned in a prior review there is indeed a disco ball in the main dining room, but it wasn't in use while we were there. The sushi menu is pretty large. What looked like specials on the board outside actually ended up being regular menu items. I ordered three things in particular that were mentioned in previous reviews: the heavenly, the phoenix, and the house salad. The house salad dressing is a creamy and slightly sweet ginger dressing that some restaurants use. If you're more used to the ginger heavy and chunky dressing you'd find at say, Benihana, this isn't that. Personally I prefer the more creamy miso style dressing. The greens were... large. That's the best way I can describe it. I had to really fold the leaves in half or jam big pieces into my mouth with chopsticks. If it weren't for the monster greens I'd give the salad a 5/5. Loved the dressing, but the greens were too large. 4/5 instead. I had to order the phoenix because they set it on fire, and my inner pyro simply couldn't resist. The roll is served in foil and the plate is set ablaze with a small torch. They tell you not to eat it while it's burning, which I'm sure they have to because someone did. It made it hard reaching my roll on the other side of it, but I was not deterred. It's a neat display and presentation, but it kind of ends there. In case you were wondering, the fire is mostly on the plate and doesn't cook the roll. It does kind of warm it to a weird in between temp that some will find not nice. The roll itself is kind of ugly. I'd describe it as "wet". The sauce isn't bad, there's a little spice, but just not any flavor. I'd give this roll a 3/5 for getting a chance to play with fire at the table in a sushi restaurant. The final roll I ordered was the heavenly. This one I enjoyed, but not enough to drive to Monterey for. Maybe if I'm already in town... The sauces were tasty, the fish seemed fresh, and I liked the flavor, but - I know, you were waiting for the "but" - the sushi rice was overcooked and gummy. It's sad because this otherwise 5/5 roll was dropped to a 4/5. My momma didn't raise no quitter, so I ate the whole thing. All in all it wasn't a bad experience. Definitely worth a visit if you're meandering around the area on foot, but not a place I'll go out of my way to drive to. Averaging out the entire experience I think it gets a solid 4/5. I took plenty of photos for your reference. read more
1 year ago
An amazing restaurant, food was 10/10, ambiance is lively and service was amazing beginning from the host stand all the way to our server. Only "downside" is that parking can be difficult to find as it is in downtown but there is multiple parking garages that should make it easier. read more
8 months ago
1 year ago
Great food & service! Delish sushi and a generous amount for the order! Will be back again. Only not great thing was being told 45 min wait and getting a table 1hour&15min later. Still worth the wait! Cocktails also were at a good price compared to most places in town. read more
7 months ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
Great service (high chairs available if needed). Got the teriyaki bowl for the toddler which she enjoyed. Absolutely loved the auggy roll (was craving unagi) and would go back just to have it again as well as trying more rolls read more
1 year ago
9 months ago
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3 years ago
Made reservations on Yelp for 6 people on a Saturday. Only a day before so it was 5pm or 9am. Got there at 5 when they open. By the time we finished, they were getting full. There is street parking so it can be tough if there are events going on. Everything we had was really good. The veggie tempura roll was my daughters favorite. She doesn't eat fish. It was only $8! She said it was so good and wants to go back tomorrow. She also had the vegetable udon and added the $3 tempura which is a really good deal. I always love baked rolls. I saw they had a lango roll online and that's why I wanted to try this place. It was so good. I will get it next time too. My son got the Heavenly roll which was also very good. The Agedashi tofu is also something we try at most restaurants. It was perfect. Came out super hot. Hand grenade appetizer was super good too but for $10 for 2 little bites is a little pricey. read more
More info about Kuma
414 Alvarado St
Monterey, CA 93940
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(831) 324-4745
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Ask the Community - Kuma
What days are they open? Are they open for lunch?
No, I wish they did though, because I would be there for breakfast. They open at 5 pm.
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