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Kuni's

4.2 (289 reviews)
ModerateSushi Bars, Japanese
Closed • 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

Kuni's Photos

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KUNI'S ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Trendy
Classy
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Kuni's

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Reviews With Photos

Grilled Octopus
Nabeel N.

Found this little gem during a quick weekend visit to Buffalo. Set in a really quaint neighborhood. Service was fantastic and the lots of great authentic options on the menu. The grilled octopus is a 'must try' Couldn't believe we found Yellowtail Collar in Buffalo of all places, and it was cooked to perfection. The rolls and nigiri were all great too. Will definitely visit again!

Ika Natto with qual egg.
Bonnie T.

First time back since Kuni san left. I have seen different reviews so not sure what to expect. The weather was not great and it was late, they were not busy, no wait, we got in right away, sitting at the sushi bar. We ordered some of the usual items. Ika Natto still is delicious, so is the seafood tempura (but somehow this dish looked smaller?) we also ordered the sashimi combo and the salmon collar to share. All food tasted great. Service was also very good, very attentive. For saki, we tried the strawberry cloudy saki, it was nice and sweet, like the rice wine my grandmother made. It was a comfort dinner, in a nice quite place. I definitely will come back.

Small Sushi Combo

Honestly i never write reviews but this place having almost 5 stars is so misleading. I'm a big sushi gal, this was the small sushi combo... $40 & I waited over 45 min. All of the fish were extremely subpar. I would rather get sushi from wegmans & spend 1/4 of the price than order from here again. The spicy tuna roll was okay, just absolutely not what i was expecting

a person holding a bottle of sake
Jen M.

We went for our anniversary dinner with a couple of friends 2 summers ago. It was a Thursday night in July and my husband had to go there in person (around 7pm) to put our name down for a table. Luckily, our friends live down the street so we just had some wine and chit chatted until they called around 7:40ish. I'd only been to Kuni's once and it was more than 12 years ago so I don't remember much other than how expensive it was (at least I thought it was for someone in their mid 20s). I still think it's expensive now even though I was in my late 30s this time, but we were able to order whatever we wanted and tried a ton of stuff, including various sushi and apps as well as some entrees. The most memorable dish was the wasabi pork shumai - we must have reordered it 4 times. But pretty much everything was delicious. The biggest problem we had was with the service. The waitress we had had some major attitude. She was super snooty and made us feel like we weren't good enough to be there. Our friends bent over backwards to be super nice to her but she was still b*tchy. We've been to actual fancy restaurants all around the world including Michelin 3 stars and have never been made to feel that way. So, 2 whole stars off for that. I hear the place is now under new ownership. Not sure if we would go back any time soon. Perhaps we would if that mean girl waitress is no longer there.

Sushi was amazing as always, hostess always gives great recommendations and service is great too. Really recommend trying their starters as they are fresh, infact everything is fresh here great dinner on a work day! Place is always busy so have some time set aside to wait for table. Intimate setting, perfect for 2 people.

Anna W.

My recent visit to Kuni's restaurant was quite inspirational. I'd like to organize 'making sushi fun night' more often. Yes! Let's make Japanese food and then let's go to Japan to enjoy a real thing. Kuni Sato is our local celebrity chef. I was surprised to see him, because the rumor was that he sold his business and moved back to Japan. My food was good. The miso soup came shortly after ordering it. Its temperature was perfect. I could dig in immediately and it was pleasantly delicious. Shrimp shumai were also delightful. I didn't taste it, but my companions had smiley faces. The Small Sushi Combo (Chef's Choice Combination) came nicely presented. It looked like a lot of food and it was. Bite after bite I enjoyed everything. However, nothing surprised me unfortunately. The mackerel was delicious, but salmon could have been much better. The tuna roll felt like a filler. I thought the wasabi was too spicy and soy sauce too salty... hahaha... Anyway, I would totally come back and eat more of their food. No doubt. The place is nice, cozy and our server was unexpectedly good. They don't take reservations and our waiting time was forty five minutes for three people. I noticed, they send everyone to the bar on the opposite side of the street to get a drink while waiting. The restaurant is located in a cute area. I wished they would suggest going for a walk or point of interest rather than the bar. Maybe garden walk ideas? Just saying...;)

a plate of sushi on a table
Michelle N.

The restaurant is on the small side, so it gets packed quickly. I recommend going earlier to get a table before the dinner rush. One of the most authentic sushi restaurants there is in Buffalo area. Their other food items are just as good. I highly recommend trying this place out!

Some of their awards
Linda M.

I must admit. It's been years since I've been to Kuni's. I visited several times when working downtown, early on at their original Elmwood location. Actually my very first visit was with a colleague who was here from Japan. He conversed with the chef, who I later realized was the owner, and did all the ordering. It was my first exposure to really good sushi. So here we are years later. We were in the area and decided to grab take out. The spicy tuna was outstanding. No skimping on the very fresh and tasty tuna and not overpowered by the rice. I enjoyed my 'go to' eel also but not as much as the tuna. We also ordered veggie tempura which might have lost some of its crunch during transport. The sushi was definitely the star of the dinner. Not sure what took me so long but I'll be back again. 2022-22

Spicy cod roe and whole grilled baby octopus
Lynette S.

I've been going to Kuni's since he first came to buffalo and had a little spot in the basement of the Guaranty building downtown. It was a real treat to sushi on my lunch break since I worked downtown. Fast forward 30 years and Kuni is still going strong. I can't even find the words to describe the magical deliciousness of the food I was so lucky to taste tonight. Sure, there were a couple underwhelming dishes but overall the meal was spectacular. I tried a few of the specials but the regular menu items were the most satisfying. The seaweed salad has to be from heaven it was so delicious. The service was super, sat at the bar and enjoyed every minute of my stay.

Mustard with raw fish
Alex L.

Haven't been to Kuni's in a while, but recently had a chance to enjoy some sushi and sashimi at the bar. The quality of the fish and rolls here are hard to beat. The focus is on the cut of the fish and the freshness of it and all the dishes really accentuate it. I had the ginger/mackerel combo, the spicy tuna and the Nuta which were fresh shrimp, mackerel, octopus and scallions finished with a vinegared miso. I had that along with some hot tea and miso soup and the entire meal was phenomonal. Service at the bar was great and the ambiance of the place is trendy, fun, clean and intimate. Highly recommend coming here for sushi!

Large Sushi Combo
Jennifer R.

Kunis is top notch in buffalo sushi - but these days you can get comparable quality fish pieces at several places in buffalo, and maybe for less money.... But Kuni's is ALWAYS guaranteed to be great, and have a menu full of specials that you can get nowhere else.

Vegetable tempura
Sireesha A.

After months of ordering take outs, I finally ended up in a Buffalo restaurant for dine-in. The outdoor seating was well spaced and sanitized. All the wait staff were wearing masks and I felt safe eating there. The place itself has been on my list for a while because of its eclectic sushi offerings (even for vegetarians). I shared vegetable tempura as an appetizer with my friend and got shiitake mushroom roll, avocado roll and Inari for my entree (believe me, there were more vegetarian options to choose from which was very inviting). The tempura was fried to perfect crispiness and had a variety of vegetables like mushrooms, peppers and some Japanese vegetable that we didn't know the name of but tasted good. At first, I wasn't sure if I ordered enough for my entree but looking at the 6 piece of each roll, I was more than satisfied about the portions. They had subtle yet a fresh taste which was paired perfectly with the soy sauce and wasabi. The inari is a sweet tofu pocket and almost felt like a nice dessert after the rolls. My friend was quite happy with her Japanese slaw too and we both left quite satisfied and glad that we could finally make this reunion happen in a sweet place!

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11 months ago

Best sushi in Buffalo. Always great service. Sashimi 21 is our favorite. Love sitting outside in the summer.

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2 years ago

Love it at Kunis. Great food and nice atmosphere. We find great options at Kuni and a reliable experience of delicious flavors.

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Saika Sushi

Saika Sushi

(285 reviews)

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I always get the best dining experience at Saika. There's always a wait, but I feel it's always…read moresooner than they say it will be. The booths are big and comfortable and the menu has something for everyone. Haley was our server and she was very on top of things. The food is always fresh and hot- I love their shrimp yakisoba noodles and rainbow rolls. I came back with some friends and had those, some pork gyoza and a Philly roll and it was great. For $26, it is always worth coming here.

It wasn't our first choice for AYCE sushi, but it was getting late, and we were hungry. The Saika…read moreSushi was just around the corner. Since my last visit, it's been continuously a fun and very affordable place. Don't expect exceptional quality, because it's still mostly about quantity. Some of the special rolls look pretty amazing, but we tried to avoid spicy tuna, spicy salmon etc., and crunchy toppings. Those are the components which are generously used and add volume. Also, be prepared to eat too much rice, although we tried not to. My favorite rolls were Coral and King. The Yellowtail Jalapeno was cut very thin, but with Pepper Tuna is a must to order. The Rainbow Roll could have had more fish, then I wouldn't complain about its appearance ;). We didn't have anything from the 'Kitchen Entrees' focusing just on the sushi menu. Besides Salmon Bites, which we both agreed tasted a little bit fishy, everything was fresh and very good. They were out of ice cream, the only dessert that wasn't even on the menu. Our servers, led by Kaley, were great.

Sushi Queen - Yummy Roll

Sushi Queen

(105 reviews)

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The Sushi Queen is a restaurant with an 'all you can eat' option for a truly low price…read more Knowing what you want in advance is the key to fully enjoying the experience. Lowering your expectations is also a good approach. The place was packed on Saturday evening, but we still got a table right away. It was located at the back of the room, next to the cash registers. Next time, I would definitely prefer to wait for better seating. Did I overeat? Yes, I did, but no regrets, and I would do it again :). The cucumber and kani salad were very good. We tried all three sushi appetizers. Beef gyozas and shrimp tempura from the kitchen appetizers section were yum. The tempura was pleasantly crunchy, and I almost ordered more. Our favorite things were classic rolls, salmon and yellowtail. The least favorite were the Classic Roll with Spicy Salmon and the Queen Roll with spicy tuna. No offense, but I thought spicy salmon and tuna that evening were pretty bad with absolutely no taste. I compared it to eating sawdust, but actually I've never eaten sawdust, so it was kind of mean from my side. We liked the flavors in general. The Christmas, the Rainbow, the Hollywood and the Dancing Crab (the most handsome) rolls were all very tasty. Perhaps due to the restaurant's high volume, some of our food was prepared very sloppily. I can only imagine how quickly all the chefs had to work to fulfill all the orders. They still should maintain some standard, in my opinion. Well, that's the consequence of visiting during the busiest time of the week, I suppose. Our server, Anna, was really pleasant. She thanked us for ordering extra sashimi for additional cost (still low). She also complimented the way we were ordering. My dining companion knew what to choose from the menu, and we gave her a longer list of dishes so Anna didn't have to check on us as often. It just worked out perfectly for us. Oh! There was this guy helping with the food service. He was probably in training, or maybe just filling in, or maybe just helping out on the weekends. His mood and attitude were pretty bad, but my companion said I should be more relaxed about it ;). Anyway, I'll be back. We had a lot of fun. Someday, I'd like to order from the regular menu for comparison. Maybe the special rolls are bigger and look tidier? The Sushi Queen is a good place to check out for an affordable dining experience.

I tried Sushi Queen for the first time a few weeks ago. It was on a Saturday so they were doing the…read moreall you can eat dinner menu. It's a great value. Great plum wine. Lots of rolls to choose from but I was also trying the Hibachi steak and shrimp so I kept it simple with a smoked salmon avocado cream cheese roll. The crab rangoon has the perfect cream cheese to crab ratio. The tempura shrimp is also great. Excellent service. The restaurant is clean and spacious with comfortable seating.

Ichiban Japanese Restaurant - Avocado salad

Ichiban Japanese Restaurant

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I come here often with my husband. I love sushi and have had it many different places and this…read moreplace is hands down the best in the area for it. The ingredients always taste and feel very fresh, the proportion of rice to fish is always perfect and it's very easy to eat with chopsticks and doesn't fall apart. This is always my first choice any time I'm in the mood for sushi, the top quality has proven to be very consistent! I would say the Hamachi Nigri and Romantic Roll are probably my favorites, but I really enjoy exploring their menu too since everything is so good. My husband loves the Sweet Potato Roll best (: The service is always great. We are a little more on the shy and quiet side but every time we go, the people there are super kind, friendly, attentive and always have a greeting and a goodbye. It really makes you feel valued. We made sure to order a lot of takeout here during the pandemic, because I don't know what I would do if we ever lost this place.

First time here, and we'll definitely be back. We got the clear mushroom soup. It was just ok. Also…read morethe fried dumplings. I prefer a sesame ginger dip, but I love dumplings, so it still satisfied my dumpling craving. Tons of different rolls. We had the Hot Mama, Snow Roll and crunchy tuna with tobiko. The tempura in a roll is quite good...crunchy. Who doesn't like crunchy? What we figured out is that the regular roll was just as good as the specialty rolls. All that was just under $70 with two glasses of wine.

Teton Kitchen Thai & Japanese Cuisine

Teton Kitchen Thai & Japanese Cuisine

(1k reviews)

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Have you seen the viral date night idea of making battleship boards and then getting sushi and…read moreplaying battleship with sushi? Well, of course my husband and I had to try it and what better place to get our food from than Teton. Because we needed a lot, and definitely had left overs, we went with the love boat for 2 all variety of fish for $69.00, as well as two tuna handrolls. I love their tuna handrolls. They are scrumptious. Teton is great for gluten free people and they modify to make sure everything is good to go. There was so much food. The sushi and the rolls were great and fresh. The ordering process online is extremely easy, even when you are ordering with a dietary restriction. If you want quality fish, go here. Taka, the owner, is great. Do something different, order some takeout and play homemade battleship with your spouse or a friend.

Upon entering, I was immediately greeted and told I may sit where I like. Throughout the entirety…read moreof my meal, service was always friendly and attentive! That includes clearing of items you're done with immediately and no waiting for your bill. I was never rushed; they were just great at their job! Honestly hard to find over the last few years and I was very grateful for that experience alone. The ambience was a very cozy-casual. As I was dining alone this time, I enjoyed the 80s music and videos playing on the TV haha I have to be honest ... I really really wanted to order a roll! But I'm trying to do better about trying other things. So I ordered the Atlantic mussels and the pan seared scallops with veggies with fresh ginger sauce and rice, at a spice level of 3/5. The mussels were very generous and in a large bowl. My biggest pull, aside from the mussels themselves, was that in the description it had a creamy coconut sauce. But I did not taste any coconut and it wasn't creamy. It was broth. It wasn't bad or anything, just not quite what I was expecting. I did appreciate, in general, that there were a couple of mussel options. I hadn't had them in quite some time. The dinner entree was very good. I loved that there was a 1-5 spice scale to choose from. I picked level 3 and was a little worried it wouldn't be spicy enough but it definitely was! It was perfect. The sauce was good and the scallops plump. Veggies were fresh and rice sticky. I had water to drink and it was also very good (felt it deserved a mention lol). I would definitely come back here, but I would definitely order rolls next time! It's what my heart really desires! Side note: great place to indulge in for a whole food diet! I felt very satisfied from my seafood and veggies!!

Taisho Bistro Japanese Izakaya - Chicken Yakitori

Taisho Bistro Japanese Izakaya

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Second time being here…read more Ambiance- Perfection, hidden gem, very clean, large seating never crowded. Service- Very attentive, never felt like I was waiting too long or too little. Service was prompt and to the point. Very respectful staff Food- Had many of the sushi rolls Rainbow, Chopper, kamikaze and Akazaru. Every single roll was amazing and full of taste. I don't know where they get their fish from but it is some of the freshest fish I've had in the area. Also had the spicy miso ramen which was another perfectly made meal. The spice was full of taste but not so hot that it took away from the meal 10/10 restaurant.

Ordered Okonomiyaki for lunch delivery via DD. That may have been my first mistake, which is why…read moreI'm giving it a mid 3 stars which won't really impact their average review rating too much, or perhaps unfairly to some extent, since even if it had been good, it would likely have been destroyed during the delivery process anyway. By the time it arrived it was stone cold and was stodgy and clumpy, so perhaps you either eat it hot right from the pan, or maybe it's best not to order it at all by delivery. Nevertheless the flavor was not great anyway. It really had no flavor at all other than the nori, and there was way too much bland mayonnaise on it that ruined it completely. I tried to recover it to some degree by placing it in a hot pan to try to crispen it up somewhat, which obviously did help texturally, but the mayonnaise ruined it. I was temped to try and scrape it all off and apply some better quality fresh spicy Japanese mayonnaise that I have in my fridge, but the dish was falling apart and too stodgy, so I ended up just throwing it away and making my own fresh, which is probably what I should've done in the first place. I was just being lazy and thought I'd order it in instead to save cooking. Lesson learned.

Kuni's - sushi - Updated May 2026

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