Sushimakio

We came on a Sunday night around 8 and were pretty much the only people there. The waiter as very attentive and helped us quickly. We ordered a few rolls and some edamame. Everything was really very delicious. As far as sushi places go, this one is way better than the average. Everything tasted super fresh and of a quality that is higher than the normal places. The spicy salmon I usually get in other places is all mayo and just not spicy, but here it was so flavorful, a real treat! Would definitely come back here again if in the area.

The best sushi I’ve had in the hudson valley! The location is very low key, but not at all an indication of the quality of the sushi and the dining experience. It is a bit more expensive than other japanese restaurants in the area and 100% worth it.

My son and I had dinner and thoroughly enjoyed everything. We had both Sushi rolls and pieces, miso soup, seaweed salad all of which was excellent. The service was very good and our waiter was very personable, knowledgeable, friendly and accomidating

We had a great experience. The service was excellent and the owners are the best. The food was absolutely superb and we will be back very shortly.

I rarely use the 5star rating I come from the school of «earning it». I don’t think you do any justice to those establishment if you over use it. So here we are at SushMakio in Kingston. Terrific experience came highly recommended by trusted foodies and didn’t disappoint.
1^st. Knowledgeable wait staff
2^nd Fresh and lovingly prepared offerings
Uniquely designed all of the dipping sauces were extrodanary. Started with
Steamed edimomy then delicate schumy
Excellent. The entire meal was tops
For our table we will return soon.

The sushi is very nice. Unfortunately despite my informing both the waiter and chef ‘Makio’ of my shellfish allergy (and being informed that I could safely choose many items), one item we asked about and were not told contained crabstick came out. When I asked the waiter if he knew if it contained shellfish he didn’t know, so I asked the chef, who also didn’t give a clear answer. Of course I was unable to eat this dish as the majority of crabstick contains a small percentage of crab or crab ‘flavoring’, any tiny percentage of which is enough to put me in the hospital (or dead if not quick enough), and with a swollen head and face like a pumpkin, eyes nearly swollen shut and lips like sausages — a headache that is unrelenting and vicious.
Nonetheless, the waiter nor the chef thought this was anything to be concerned about, and despite me explaining the issue for future customers (it is a common allergy), they charged us for the dish, and gave no indication that they cared at all about almost killing me if I hadn’t happened to notice the bit of crab just before popping it into my mouth. It was the worst experience of near shellfish poisoning and complete disregard for what that means in a chef and waitstaff ever.
Shamelessly rude and money grubbing.
Edit in response to the restaurant response:
I wrote this review within 20 minutes of leaving the restaurant and arriving home. So if a similar situation occurred three months ago also (which I absolutely believe) and you have not amended your position on how seriously you take shellfish allergies which can be and often are fatal, then this is even more disappointing to hear.
The facts of our visit to the restaurant last night are that all the dishes were shared between us, we didn’t ever order separate dishes, just shared sushi plates, which is why I so clearly spoke to both the waiter and chef first, so that if I wasn’t aware of a particular ingredient, there were two others to catch the shellfish in the dish so we could choose something else.
As it was, my husband went home stuffed (because it was mightily clear after I had pointed out the shellfish that the waiter nor chef cared to offer a different dish) while I went home hungry. I have never experienced this total disregard before. After all, given that I had been clear, the mistake with the crabstick in the sushi (which was called something else on the menu I don’t recognize ever seeing before or was not mentioned) was with the waiter and chef who agreed to make sure I wouldn’t be served dishes with shellfish. Nonetheless, there was no apology last night, and I see, still none! Your reply makes your attitude towards this issue abundantly clear.
There was no discussion about the dish, other than me expressing shock and disappointment. No one offered to remove anything from the bill — who ‘offers’ to remove it? If you wanted to, you simply would have. Why did my husband eat the dish do you think? It’s because after my asking if that was crabstick, we were ignored, and it was left sitting there. There was nothing else to do. There would be no replacement dish that I could eat. We got a cold response from both chef and waiter.
I would suggest that rather than be so keen to pocket that extra $ 9 in future, you think more clearly on how that might affect the longevity of a customer returning to you again (we are locals, and we love sushi). If the mistake had been rectified caringly instead of palmed off and ignored, there wouldn’t be a bad review or lost future income. I found the treatment incredibly short sighted.
In regards to a review canning another restaurant, I think you are out of your mind. I don’t even know where this restaurant is that you claim I said tried to kill me. You are the only restaurant that comes close to that title, and happily accepted payment for the dish.
Oh, one other thing — I agree that the sushi is overpriced, too. There isn’t much in the way of exotic fish to really account for the prices being charged in my opinion, nor the rates of running a city restaurant, yet prices were certainly up there with any city sushi restaurant that usually has more of an array of sashimi on offer.

This place is the most authentic sushi I’ve found yet on either side of the Kingston-​Rhinecliff bridge. Intimate in size, the wait staff are finely tuned to chef who keeps a watchful eye on his guests as they enjoy the DELICIOUS food coming out. Nice vibe here.

Hands down best sushi I’ve had in NY state. Yes I am including the highest rated ones in NYC because this place blows them out of the water. If you want to challenge my opinion or the credibility of this statement just try it for yourself.

The owner/​sushi chef was outstanding and the service was better than any dining establishment I have visited in Kingston, NY. The sushi was delicious. I recommend any of the tuna varieties. I also really enjoyed the cooked appetizers. You cannot go wrong with Sushimakio.

I’ve been there a few times and seems like evrytime we go there, we end up happy and full. Thus, 2 thumbs up. It’s one of the few restaurants where I don’t have to tell my kids to eat and they will eat on their own. We usually get the gyoza, fried oyster, special rolls, chiefs hi, and sashimi.

The Good.
I love being greeted with a hot towel.
Instead of just Sapporo and Kirin, they had local Kingston beer as well.
The shumai and sugar snap peas were quite tasty.
The fish was fresh, the presentation gorgeous.
Overall, an enjoyable meal.
The Bad.
We probably ordered eight of the Makio Must-​Have and Signature rolls, plus a few appetizers and a noodle dish before it was enough food for four. This was far, far more expensive than we expected a sushi dinner in the Hudson Valley to be, mostly because the rolls were far less food than expected.
I do feel as though presentation takes precedence over taste here. The Graffiti Roll (shrimp, tuna, yellowtail, salmon, crab, avocado, cucumber, tobiko), while tasty enough, is essentially separate, smaller pieces of each of the fish listed, as opposed to a roll where all pieces include each ingredient listed. Not the combination of flavors we were expecting, and not ideal for sharing.
The Ugly.
–Our poor waiter accidentally threw soy sauce all over my mother. Luckily, none of it got on me.
–Being a horrible son that is relieved when your mother gets things spilled on her, rather than you.

Had another wonderful meal! Don’t miss the wasabi dumplings and spicy tuna tower appetizers.

Our first stop for dinner in Kingston and it was amazing! The food was very fresh and delicious! Every dish was amazing!

The BEST Japanese restaurant in the Hudson Valley.
Every dish is a winner. The highest quality of fresh seafood and a fantastic selection of Sake.
Impeccable staff too. THANKS Makio.

Absolutely delicious.
I came here based on the Unilocal reviews, and they didn’t steer me wrong. It was so nice to find some good sushi in the area. We loved everything we had. Dumplings, salad, hamachi sashimi, and a roll. So delicious.
Would have been nice if they had more non-​sushi items as not everyone loves sushi as much as I do, but what we had was wonderful. Also the service was just ok, but it was worth it.
It is small, so having a reservation seems like the thing to do.

I never thought I would say that the best sushi I ever had in my life, was at a sushi restaurant in Kingston, NY. I was surprised myself saying that, coming from living in New York City.
My boyfriend and I were in Woodstock for the weekend and decided we wanted sushi for dinner. After a quick Unilocal search, I came across Sushimakio. I called for a reservation and they were able to squeeze us in.
When we got there, we were impressed with the intimate setting, being able to see the Sushi Chef work his magic. We both got the miso soup, which we were not expecting for it to be as good as it was. Usually miso soup is just a simple starter, but here there was so much flavor, a soup we still talk about today.
Next, was the sushi. My boyfriend and I each got two rolls, both having snow crab in them, and we can easily say that it was the best sushi rolls we’ve ever had. The seaweed melted in your mouth, the pieces were perfectly wrapped together, and each ingredient was ridiculously fresh.
I’ve never had food that was at such a quality as it was at Sushimakio. You can obviously tell how much care the chef has with each roll, taking his time to perfect each piece, giving each customer an eating experience they’ll never forget.
When people ask where I had the best sushi, I always say Sushimakio. My boyfriend and I can’t wait to come back to try it again!

Upstate New York is a fascinating part of not just the northeast, but the country as a whole. Because of its proximity to New York City, families, couples, friends and singles all have been known to make their summer homes in the region. But cities like Kingston and New Paltz are also home to vibrant communities, including universities, businesses, and — as a result — people who make Upstate New York their home year round. That eclectic mix is great for the area, but it also means that enough restaurants have to exist to appeal to both sets of customers; fortunately, there are options like Sushi Makio, run by a New York City-​experienced chef, that offers both relaxed and premium sushi in Kingston, NY.
Sushi Makio is owned and operated by Chef Makio Idesako, a man who is as charming as he is experienced. You won’t have interaction with Chef unless you sit at the sushi bar, so if you’re a small group, I certainly advise that you do. When you’ve chosen Omakase like me and Mrs. Sushi Legend did, the interactions with the chef are part of the show. So when Chef Makio took out a block of Tuna Belly (Toro) just so I could take a picture (see top right of my blog post on
), I knew we had chosen a winner.
​The Food
Let’s get the important stuff out of the way first: The omakase at Sushi Makio is not strictly sushi. The good news though, is that the sushi menu a la carte seemed extremely reasonable. Most of the families who were seated at the tables ordered that way, and the sushi — to my eyes — looked delicious and beautifully displayed. And all of it — from the sushi bar to the tables — was made by Chef Makio. Be forewarned though, he certainly takes his time. So order a bottle of wine (or grape juice), check twitter, sit back, refresh instagram, and have some patience.
When it comes to food quality though, the delays are worth the wait. Chef Makio not only owns the restaurant and makes the sushi, but he also handles purchasing. As I’ve mentioned in other parts of this site, a chef who handles the purchasing is always a solid sign. In this case, I found it particularly interesting that Makio purchases virtually the whole tuna and cuts it himself, hence the block of chu-​toro and o-​toro that you see in the top right. Other highlights included the BC salmon nigiri (pictured right on
) and the chu-​toro tartare with quail egg, which chef will give you at the end if you ask nicely (but you didn’t hear it from me). The sashimi salad (bottom right) was high quality, but the heavy doses of vinegar let me down.
The Atmosphere
Sushi Makio is a non-​descript restaurant located in a strip plaza in Kingston. The inside is warm and welcoming, if not a little small, and the tables are adjacent to the sushi bar in what is — for all intents and purposes — one room. While Chef Makio exhibits all the traits of New York City in his preparation, the waiters have none of the Big Apple in what they do — and I mean that entirely as a compliment. The three I encountered were polite, knowledgeable and attentive. My water and tea glasses were hardly ever empty, and my plate was promptly cleared whenever necessary. They have been trained well.
The Verdict
Sushi Makio — and its namesake Chef — are a delight in a city where high-​end sushi is few and far between. I haven’t tried the table seating yet, but I have no reason to believe that it’s any different than the awesome experience I had at the bar.

OUTSTANDING SUSHI!!! Made by a Master Sushi Chef & Legend. Please don’t judge the book (location) by its cover. The true reference standard of a hidden gem.
MUST-​MUST HAVES: Spider Roll (Soft Shell Crab); Deadliest Catch Roll; and the Mussels appetizer.
Leave room for dessert the Mochi and green tea tiramisu is NEXT LEVEL!!!
I will eat here every time that I am in the Kingston, Woodstock, Bard College area.

Second time now … The longer we wait the better it get when we finally here. Chef always had something up his sleeves for us. We love this place.

This was our first time here. We love Japanese food and frequent two other restaurants in the area which are both good. We decided to try sushi Makio after reading other reviews. It is authentic sushi made by the owner who is obviously a master at what he does. The wait staff was great, music lovely and the food lived up to the reviews we read on Unilocal.They have mainly sushi, dumplings and udon soup. If you are looking for hibachi or the choice of cooked entrees like teriaki, sukiyaki etc., this is not your place.
We had the spicy tuna tower appetizer and sushi sashimi for two. The quality and texture of the fish was superb. It is in a strip mall off 9w so you would never find it if you weren’t looking. The interior is small so call ahead for a reservation. Ambiance is not what you come for, the food makes up for it 10 fold. Go! You won’t be disappointed!