During my stay in Visalia this past month, I was highly recommended to try Sushi Kuu. As a huge seafood lover (and coming from the Bay Area), I was excited to check it out. I went on a Thursday evening around 5 PM, and the restaurant was almost completely full. Luckily, my friends and I were able to grab a table and started ordering right away. I decided to splurge a bit and ordered the chirashi bowl, while my friends shared a couple of rolls. Our meals came with a complimentary salad, which was surprisingly delicious and a great start to the meal. When my chirashi bowl arrived, I was really impressed with the presentation. The assortment of fish looked beautiful and fresh. Coming from the Bay Area, I'd say the quality is definitely comparable. I especially loved the tuna -- it was fresh, buttery, and flavorful. There was also the perfect amount of rice to complement each piece of fish, leaving me feeling satisfied but not overly full. I tried a piece of my friend's sushi roll as well and could immediately taste the freshness of the fish. Everything felt high quality and well-prepared. There's street parking right in front of the restaurant, plus additional parking across the street. I'd recommend coming a little earlier in the evening because by 6-6:30 PM, I can easily see this place being completely packed. I can definitely see why this establishment is popular because of it's food and nice interior decor. I noticed a lot of people ordering bento boxes, so that's definitely something I'll be trying next time. read more

Sushi Kuu - Chirashi bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

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SUSHI KUU.... This is a hard one... believe it or not, you can have a great restaurant that is just too good... so good.. that it's always super busy with a 30-45 minute wait... and has pandemonium going on because of the large occupancy.... SK has really descent sushi that is somehow outdone by the amount of people at the restaurant. The service is on par but you kinda have to speak loud to get your order in... Date night...reservations... even so, expect to wait... AMBIENCE: 3.5 SERVICE: 4 PRESENTATION: 4 FOOD: 4 PRICE: 4 Why the 3 star review? It's lacking space... this GREAT restaurant has outgrown its location and needs to find a larger place. read more

I have been to Sushi Kuu multiple times, and it has become a local go to for me. The food is consistently great. The sashimi is always fresh and well prepared, and there are several rolls I keep coming back for, including the Lemon Drop, Nemo, Green Goblin, and Butterfish. There is a good variety on the menu, and it is easy to find favorites. The only reason for four stars instead of five is the seating process. They are always busy and working through a long waitlist, which is understandable, but the process itself feels a bit inefficient and could be improved. read more

Sushi Kuu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

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Great food! Everything we've tried so far has been wonderful. The only downside to the restaurant is it's very noisy. There's a lot of hustle and bustle, which can be stimulating, but because there is such a huge turnover of customers it's hard to settle in and just get relaxed with a group of friends. We go there for the food, not for the rush. read more

The Green Goblin was a fresh, creative take on a raw sushi roll, with a tangy sauce and just the right amount of heat. The salmon and tuna were impressively fresh, the ingredients worked well together, and the portion size was solid. Even during a busy lunch rush, the servers supported each other, so we were consistently checked on -- . The dining area was spotless, and the string lights, trellises, and exposed brick gave the place a great vibe. The space itself is large, but they've filled it with plenty of tables, which means it can get pretty noisy -- though on the plus side, that setup helps keep the wait time down. Prices were very reasonable, especially considering the quality and ambiance. Parking is street-only. The menu has plenty of options, as any good sushi spot should. Our chicken yakitori appetizer arrived toward the end of the meal, after we'd nearly finished our entrées, but it wasn't a big deal. Overall, a great lunch experience. read more

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I think we found our new go-to sushi spot in Visalia. We can on a Saturday evening and while the place was busy (bigger inside than I thought!), we were seated promptly at a table for two. Lively ambiance. I was actually pretty impressed with how efficient the service was. We didn't wait very long at any point during the evening - drink and food orders were taken quickly and everything came out shortly after - and we didn't feel rushed at any point. The prices felt on the high end, but nothing too crazy. We ordered a few rolls and some nigiri. Good ratio of fish to rice and everything tasted so fresh. Good selection of sake and Japanese craft beer too! Heads up - they're closed on Wednesdays and Sundays. And they're closed between 2-430pm on the days they're open. read more

Sushi Kuu - Nigiri set - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

We had a good dinner here the other night. It was Friday night during Lent, so it was very busy, and the wait was 1 hour. Once seated we were waited on very quickly. The thing that is confusing here is that you don't have one assigned server. There are multiple servers just serving all the tables. This makes it quick to ask someone for help, but you end up getting asked the same thing multiple times by different people. If one of them takes your drink order and goes to put it in, another one will see you don't have drinks yet and come to take your order that you already placed. It also makes it hard to remember who you ordered what from. I'm sure it's meant to increase efficiency, but I think it mostly increases confusion. The food at dinner was delicious, however! We had the garlic edamame, veggie and shrimp tempura, and chicken gyoza for appetizers. They were all delicious! The shrimp tempura was slightly soft inside but overall everything was great. The sushi rolls were amazing too! We had the green goblin, the volcano roll, and the firebomb roll with added cream cheese. The fire bomb with cream cheese was especially good. Finally, I ordered a chicken teriyaki bowl to go. First I had to find the server who I ordered it with. I ordered it with my meal, and she said she would put it in as we were getting close to finishing our meal. It didn't get put in until we were done eating, so we had to wait for a while to prepare it. When I opened it up to eat the next day for lunch, I was not impressed. The chicken was very bland, with no seasoning on the meat itself. The chicken was moist, but not very crispy or grilled. There was a huge helping of chicken, but it was almost too much with the serving of rice. Finally, there was almost no teriyaki since in the bowl and none served on the side. The sauce barely covered part of the rice, much less the huge mound of chicken, so unfortunately flavor was definitely lacking. Overall a great place for sushi and the food is delicious, but there is some room for improvement when it comes to the order of service and takeout quality. read more

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Sushi Kuu is by far the best Sushi I've had, including a good bit of overpriced coastal locations. You really can't go wrong here, but the Oh Toro nigiri is phenomenal.. as far as the rolls, you really can't go wrong with the Silver Kuu, Cherry Blossom, Poprocks, Dragon, Spider, it's all 10/10. read more

Came by for lunch to enjoy some sushi and I was not disappointed. The sushi was fresh and delicious, and the service was great. The restaurant was very clean and had a fast-paced, energetic atmosphere. Sitting at the bar was a nice touch--you can watch the chefs prepare your sushi right in front of you. Definitely a great lunch spot! read more

Sushi Kuu - Lunch sushi special - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

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Wow! This is one of those "I'd give this place 6 stars if I could" kind of reviews. This place is killer. Headed over from the Convention Center with a friend and colleague for lunch during our conference. The place was already bustling and quite full upon our arrival just before noon. Greeted and seated promptly. Fabulous! We opted for the hamachi kama (collar) for our appetizer and it was incredible. Meaty, super smoky and just so tasty. Yum! We agreed on two rolls: Lemon Drops and Fourth of July. Both fantastic! The Lemon Drops was bright and citrusy while the Fourth of July had a spicy kick and a satisfying crunch. They complemented each other really nicely. The fast and friendly service continued throughout our visit. Even though they were busy, we received our orders promptly and we never felt rushed. If you like sushi and find yourself anywhere remotely near Visalia, do yourself a favor and get yourself to Sushi Kuu. I'm certain you'll be glad you did. read more

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We came to Sushi Kuu during a dark, rainy weeknight just before Thanksgiving. The inside was bright, loud and festive. Packed crowd with maybe a 15-minute wait. Excellent layout with spacious booths along the perimeter, open kitchen in the back, and even art displays of samurai armor and cherry blossom trees in the front. Food and service were great. I'm continuously surprised you can get excellent sushi in unexpected places, from strip malls to conference catering in Norman, OK. The nine-piece nigiri comes in a 3x3 wooden tray like a tic-tac-toe board with seriously fresh fish and well-seasoned fish. Their wasabi is actually fresh, which is uncommon in most USA sushi places. The unagi and inari were both worth getting as well. The Bento boxes come with lots of food, and you can't go wrong with the Teriyaki chicken with tempura veggies. My wife also commented that the ramen was also solid - savory milky broth with lots of fixins. Definitely recommend! Parking can be a bit tricky and its unclear whether they take reservations. read more

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I was in Visalia for work for 1 day so I asked some locals where the best sushi was, and luckily they told me...Sushi Kuu! A very memorable experience. The waitresses are top notch and are quick to please. You never have to wait long before ordering or getting another drink. This place gets busy fast so make sure to get there at 4:30 when they open. Otherwise you might have to wait until a different day. Very pleasing to sit at the bar and watch the chefs work their magic. Thank you sushi kuu! read more

Sushi Kuu - Fatty toro! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

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A place that should be on everyone's list. If you're not from the area this place is worth the trip from Fresno or Clovis. If you're a person from Tulare or Visalia and you've never been then same on you because you are missing out. This place is always good and consistent. They're always busy so the word is out. The rolls, the sashimi, bento boxes, and appetizers are must orders. The service is always impeccable. For this visit we got the sashimi platter, spicy tuna, popcorn chicken, chicken teriyaki bento box, and another roll that I can't remember but it was topped with eel. My kids love it here as does my wife also. If you don't come, oh well more for the rest of us. read more

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Wow! This sushi was amazing. I was in town and was very impressed when we came by to try some of the rolls! First off the tempura was perfect. Very crunchy and delicious. My favorite item was the new new, it was crispy rice with spicy tuna. We also got a crunch roll and Harley roll. The Harley was so zesty, I hadn't tried anything like it before. The quality of fish was fresh and very good, the service was great too. It was a Thursday night and very busy, but we were seated within 25 minutes. read more

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Food is amazing every time! When you sit and order the food comes out quick too. Sushi and teriyaki bowls are delicious we did not care for the ramen. read more

Honestly best sushi place in Visalia. But be ready to wait even on a Wednesday you are waiting an hour to be seated or more! But worth the wait! read more

We love sushi, there's a couple of good places in town, but sushi cook has been my favorite lately. If you enjoy the taste of fresh fish without all the extra layers of sauces, this is our favorite place get yourself a sashimi set and some hot green tea, delicious meal and wonderful atmosphere inside. Servers are all very friendly and food is delicious. Mid-week for dinner is better for us so we don't have the crowds, it can get a little bit loud on Fridays and weekends. read more

Sushi Kuu - Nigiri (or sashimi) set with a California roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

Great food, great services, good portions. The food was delicious, I enjoyed their chicken teriyaki lunch bento box, so yummy! read more

Sushi Kuu - chicken teriyaki lunch bento box - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

Best Sushi in Visalia and best Ramen in the valley. This is one of the few spots that offer fresh Oh Toro, melt in your mount wagu of tuna. You will want to order a separate order for everybody at the table as it is hard to share! Read a lot of stellar reviews about the ramen so I ordered the pork belly ramen. Noodles were cooked perfectly, broth was rich and tasty, and the pork belly was perfection. Is it the best in the valley, can't say I have found any better Nice location on Main Street, parking can be tricky but persistence will pay off. Get there early to avoid the line, very popular spot! read more

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Delicious food! My daughters loved the food and the service was great! Do recommend, so go eat now!!

Hands down this is the best sushi in Visalia! There can be long wait times, but I'm usually willing to wait for good food. Servers are attentive and the food comes out in decent amount of time after ordering. The replica shogun warrior armor in front is cool too. read more

First time finally able to get in and try! And it was I incredibly delicious!! We got the spicy cucumber salad, chicken app, and a roll. So fresh! Amazing service as well. Can't wait to try more read more

Sushi Kuu - Cucumber salad - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

Everyone in our party enjoyed the food and for the price there was a lot of food included in the bento boxes. I'm not much of a sashimi eater but I tried the cherry blossom and liked it a lot, the fish was nice and soft. We also ordered a sparkling yuzu drink (alcoholic) and really enjoyed it. Overall the service was welcoming and friendly, the atmosphere was nice and relaxed, a very good choice for a dinner with friends or a date night read more

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Wow, I loved this sushi place. Super clean, fish is fresh. The salmon sushi was *chefs kiss* I felt really safe here, and I'm very picky about sushi. So happy Visalia has a good sushi spot. Good service too. read more

They have the best Ramen noodles soup in town. Their service is great specially the server who clean up the tables, he is really attentive with all the customers, also the atmosphere is very friendly. read more

The best sushi in town, hands down. The service is always great, all the servers come to help, they are not assigned designated areas. The ambiance is very Japanese and modern. The freshness of the fish is consistent. The best sushi in Visalia, it is worth the wait read more

Sushi Kuu - Pop rocks (left) lemon drop (right) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

What a refreshing gem in Visalia. The sushi quality is comparative to some of the best restaurants I've visited in larger cities. Parking was a struggle despite it being a Thursday evening and they were bustling. We waited 30 minutes and were seated at the bar as a smaller party. The staff were incredibly attentive and smiley throughout our meal. The food took 15 minutes to arrive and I was delighted in how clean and meticulous the kitchen was. =ORDERED= *Chirashi: this bowl was incredibly generous and fresh. Each piece was tender and fatty. The yellowtail, fatty tuna and albacore were my favorites. The sauces were applied sparingly and I liked how they were more complex than the typical spicy mayo. The selection of 10 different fish was more than enough to satisfy anyone. The rice was warm, slightly sweet and vinegary. *Miso Soup: came with the chirashi bowl and was a warm, salty starter. *Scallop Nigiri: plump and sweet. The chilled mollusk paired well with the rice. Loved the bite each piece had. *Rainbow Roll: loved how each piece had a thick slice of fish. The inside was stuffed with avocado and imitation crab. A nicely executed classic, shining light on their spread of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and whitefish. A must visit spot for any sushi lover. Pricing was reasonable for the quality, especially for the chirashi bowl. The ratio of rice and fish was perfect. Surprising to find such high quality seafood in the Central Valley but I'll be back regularly for my fishy cravings. read more

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I just wanna start up by saying I love the ambience here very very comfortable on top of that. The food was absolutely fresh tasty seasoned well. It's very rare to find sushi spots where they actually season the nigiri on top of that rolls were amazing my only MINOR gripe is they serve Pepsi products but hey I understand and also well timed and really fast on bringing teams out read more

Sushi Kuu - Entry art - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

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Wow! Went there today for the first time and lunch was fantastic! So many types of entrees to choose from and mine was fresh and delicious. Restaurant was exceptionally clean with a very attentive staff. Servers were helpful and overall excellent. Very welcoming. Nice energy in the restaurant with other diners. Busy but exceptionally well managed. It could not have been a better experience! Five stars plus! read more

Everything is so good. Love this place we love the curry ramen with shrimp tempura. We always have this when we go there. read more

Sushi Kuu - Curry ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

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The spicy pork ramen was so delicious. The service was great, they were very inventive. The environment was very welcoming and clean.

Favorite sushi and ramen in town! The spicy katsu pork ramen was so flavorful and yummy! Highly recommend the heat and firebomb sushi roll! I would skip the teriyaki chicken next time as I wouldn't recommend it. Everything was great just my personal preference. The staff was so nice and attentive! Which made our experience so enjoyable. The family can't wait to go back. read more

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Service, any service, even bad service is better than no service. Long wait to get seated I can understand. More than 45min after ordering and all I have is iced tea to show for it. Wait , food just showed. Still , ridiculous. That being said the food is very good, no doubt. But the wait time for our food was simply not acceptable. read more

Every bite of the delicious food was worth it, and the amazing service would make anyone a loyal customer. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for good ramen and sushi. read more

Sushi Kuu - Spicey ramen and sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

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I've been eating here for the past two years, and I can honestly say they've had zero mistakes with my orders (knock on wood ). Seriously. wow. The food is incredible, the sushi is some of the best I've ever had, and the place is always family-friendly. Highly recommend! read more

The food was pretty good and the ambience was on point but for the price point they definitely could add a bit more. The servers were swift and on task but had a cold demeanor and were a bit rude. I was personally ignored a few times. read more

Sushi Kuu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

The inside is bright and clean. Do t let the outside fool you. The service was lovely and they were very efficient and took our drink orders as soon as we sat down. The green salad was excellent. It had a carrot ginger dressing and was perfectly dressed. The only thing that kept them from getting 5 stars was that the beef bento was DRIPPING in sauce. It was drowning. I couldn't even taste the beef because it was so saucy. If I was to get it again, I would get it on the side. read more

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This place is hands-down one of my favorites! The Nigiri set is amazing and an absolute must--I order it every single time. Their Ramen is incredible too; honestly, I could eat it any time of the day. Everything else I've tried on the menu has been fantastic--you really can't go wrong no matter what you order. Highly recommend! read more

Sushi Kuu - Nigiri set - Sushi Bars Near Me - Visalia, California

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It was 7:30pm on a Saturday night. Super busy and packed. I would recommend to make a reservation. We were seated after 20 minutes though, not too bad. We ordered salmon and bluefin tuna sashimi, a pair of flounder nigiri, volcano and caterpillar rolls. The sashimi came with 5 pieces. Decent quality and cut. The tuna was sliced smaller than usual but fresh. Salmon was good and fresh. The rolls were tasty, too. My only complaint is that the rice of the rolls was mushy. Overall, a nice restaurant with good quality fish selections in the valley for someone who wants to have their sushi fix! The ambiance is typical Americanized Japanese restaurant. Light-colored wood furniture with Japanese style tableware and deco. Sitting next to us were a couple who appeared just on a first date, so I guess a date night would work! read more

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This is the place to go to if you are looking for authentic Japanese food! It is fortunate for the Visalia, CA area to have Albert (Chef & Owner) to settle in Visalia, CA after stints in Las Vegas and New York! For authentic there isn't a Japanese restaurant between the Bay Area or L.A.! I always sit at the sushi bar to converse with Albert on what is fresh (most coming from Japan) that day and visiting with other Diners. One time there was someone visiting from San Francisco and it was his first time and he commented that there was no place in S.F. that compared to Sushi Kuu!! Albert brings in so much variety of fresh fish that every time is an Experience!! He makes 3 Specialty hand rolls that are served more open like a taco because he wants you to see what's inside. Albert makes all his own sauces and dips himself (not sharing with the Staff) because he wants to keep them "secret"! He makes his own house made wasabi and sho-yu! I don't usually order the rolls but I do recommend the Green Goblin!! It is a different roll you can't get everywhere! It has salmon in it (I don't care for farmed salmon- I prefer wild caught) So I substitute King Salmon instead and named it "King Goblin" and both are topped with jalapeño and a secret light citrus sauce! So good!!Everything tastes so flavorful and fresh that it's hard to have favorites! I'm posting a picture of his "Special List" to show the variety that he brings in mostly from Japan that Albert fillets himself and the varieties change by Season so try something while it's available!! Try the Super Oh-Toro "seared" sashimi style! It will literally melt in your mouth and by searing it - it brings the oil and flavor out! Also Albert makes a red oil with crunchy that you add to the fish! Oh so good!! If you are a sushi & sashimi fanatic or even ramen lover come here! The aju or broth he makes for his ramen and noodles are flavorful! Sushi Kuu also has many different beer from Japan and a large selection of sake!! Sit at the bar and meet Albert so you can appreciate his craft! "Tell him Tony sent you and he will know that you are a connoisseur of sushi delicacy Kam-pai!!! read more

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