Sushi Kuni

It was our first time here and I love how whenever someone walks through the door they’re like «HELLLOOO» and the waitress was extremely nice and helpful with the menu. The food is amazing and there are plenty of creative sushi rolls to choose from ! We will definitely be back for our next date.

Nice restaurant! Clean and great atmosphere! Great service! Our server joon was awesome. He was very attentive and answered all our questions! Food was really good! Fish was fresh! Definitely coming back !

We were having a sudden craving for ayce sushi and found this gem just in downtown monrovia! Right when you come in you will be welcomed, seated right away and the staff are very nice! Wide variety of sushi, from special rolls to NO RICE sushis! Also you get a free green tea ice cream on a cone as a desert! Price is great. 21 $ for ayce! I can say this is our new ayce sushi spot!

Decent selection. One of the better all you can eat sushi places around. Came here for lunch today it’s about $ 20 Per person.

My new favorite sushi spot and it’s all you can eat. The quality is great and there are so many options to choose from. I’m so glad they just lowered their prices to a new option. $ 21.99 I believe for all you can eat and $ 5 more if you want to add the premium items which are uni, soft shell crab, etc. (the items that are one per person)
Will definitely continue to come here :)

Was walking around and saw this place so I decided to give it a try. The sushi is okay, not the best but what got me super annoyed was the service. It was horrible, beyond horrible. We didnt receive our appitizer till the very end after reminding like three different waiters that we havent received it yet. They kept sending food to wrong tables, the table next to us even made a joke that they should of kept all the food they kept giving them. The whole atmosphere was just confused and it wasn’t even that busy. Oh and if youre going with more then one person, don’t plan on eating together because the food arrives like 10mins apart. Thank god the sushi is already cold. Not a place id go back to or recommend, there are far better places.

My friend treated me to a belated birthday lunch. It was very good. We got the AYCE sushi and sashimi for $ 26. It is rare that you get sashimi at an AYCE place. They have a side selection that you choose from and check off on paper. And they bring it all to your table. Feel free to order more anytime. But if you do not finish, that is just wasting food. I loved everything that they had. I love soft shell crab so I ordered 2. Oh just to let you know the sashimi is only 2 orders per person for each sashimi item. It is understandable they would want to limit it. But hey, it is great! So must get it.

It’s not bad – I wouldn’t say it’s amazing, but it’s definitely not disgusting. It’s actually pretty similar to AYCE sushi in West Co and Sushi by Jin in NoHo. The difference is that they are Korean owned and offer a ton of «Specialty» sushi, which give 1 order per person. Also, there is definitely a language barrier, as the waitress had trouble understanding «Uni» and kept giving us Tuna… Anyway, we ate almost the entire menu but here’s what I remember:
Godzilla roll: The soft shell crab was barely noticeable in this giant roll, but the unagi on top was very tasty. Overall, I did like this dish quite a bit, though it was overly saucy.
Soft shell crab appetizer: We actually ordered two rounds of this, though the second time had significantly more batter than the first, as well as extra sauce drizzled all over it. Both times were pretty greasy; I’d say the first batch we got was better than the second.
Green salmon roll: One of my faves, if not my absolute fave – refreshing, light, and great for the palate. It also looks pretty darn nice.
Big scallop nigiri (special): My favorite nigiri! They put a little dab of yuzu on top which makes the flavor pop! Get this one!
Sashimi (special): Salmon, tuna, and I believe snapper? Nice, thick cut pieces.
Monkfish liver (special): It’s not the best ankimo I’ve ever had, but it’s included in AYCE, and that’s the first I’ve ever seen so it gets props for that.
Nigiri (assorted): The general consensus was that they gave a lot of rice – not worth it; get the sashimi special then just rolls to save your belly.
Seaweed/​cucumber salad: I thought they’d be small dishes of marinated seaweed and cucumber but it came out to be a full salad… just be aware before you get it.
Yakitori (special): Most of the skewers were pretty decent, but the beef skewers are crazy dry. Choose your skewers wisely.
Anyway, overall everything was pretty decent. Despite the language barrier, service was good and waiters were friendly and helpful. Though honestly, I prefer Sushi by Jin in NoHo more, and AYCE Sushi in West Co second, but this is not too bad if I am in the area. I’m not sure if I would come again since the other two sushi joints are the same driving distance as Sushi Kuni, but if you live in Monrovia, I’d say you have yourself a solid OK sushi joint.

I usually don’t spend the time to complain on Unilocal about mediocre food or service, but Sushi Kuni really got under my skin and I thought I would share my experience with other Unilocalers who are hungry for sushi in the area.
Upon walking in I was handed 3 different menus 1 lunch (I was there at 8:45 pm, regular menu and 1 picture menu without pricing). I asked the waitress for the tuna poke on their picture menu and she rudely replied that it was only available for lunch. How am I supposed to know this? Obviously my mind reading ability wasn’t working. I ordered a couple of bugolgi dishes with a sashimi bowl. I paid for my Togo order and I went outside while waiting and saw a sign that clearly stated 30% off all day excluding ayce and combo items. I went back inside to ask the waitress about the sign and she looked at me as if I spoke a foreign language. She clarified with a male worker there who looked like either the owner or manager. He told me that it was for dine in only. I informed him that it didn’t say dine in only on the sign. off all day? I don’t think so. Waitress and waiter claimed it was dine in only and he couldn’t do anything about it.
I don’t mind paying regular price for what I ordered, but if restaurant owners use discounts on their front window to generate business, at least follow through with it. Overall the food was mediocre at best. Sashimi wasn’t stale but not the freshest. Bulgogi was average, but the only thing that prompted my review was the poor service.

Good quality food for the price. Terms of AYCE are clearly stated (basically don’t waste their food). The uni and monk fish liver was very fresh.
Friendly service.
Tip: Ask how big the cooked items are (i.e. champon), the portions even for AYCE are HUGE.

Pretty good, prices reasonable. For three rolls, edamame, tempura, tea and one large carafe of saki, $ 52
7 tables of 20 on Friday night, 7.00 pm.
No wait.
Carafes are small, Cheesecake was good but frozen. sushi very good, edamame good, tempura good.
No baked crab
Will come back!

Quick tips for this lovely sushi place!
1. While their namesake is associated with premium AYCE, they also serve bentos and other items a la carte.
2. The AYCE is one price only at $ 26.99 a person. There is no separate lunch price at all.
3. The AYCE includes some one time orders such as uni nigiri, monk fish liver, and many more «premium» items.
4. The AYCE has a long list of appetizers, nigiri, rolls, and maki.
I apologize for not reviewing this wonderful place sooner. After my recent fallout with Sakura Sushi House a place a little ways down the road, I was trying to find a different place to have AYCE sushi. I wandered into Sushi Kuni after receiving an AYCE menu in the mail and jumped at the chance to try it despite the hefty $ 26.99 pricetag.
Let’s start with the big elephant in the room. Yes, this is a Korean run sushi joint. However, that means that our expectations are not for the most authentic sushi, but our expectations should look towards quality and concept of their food. I approach this review with only the intention of seeing what their food is like and not nitpicking the details that get us there. Anyways, I digress.
The food is absolutely amazing and despite others reviews, I have never had issues with the freshness of my fish or food. Incredibly, every single time I’ve gone to this place for AYCE – maybe over 5 or 6 times? – I’ve never thought to myself that the fish was a little over or I was being served something old. Instead, the only though that I’ve had is why don’t more people like Sushi Kuni on Unilocal.In fact, the quality of the fish as well as the food preparation have impressed me more than anything else. As a result, I have always taken my friends from out of town here to eat because I know that this is something they will be impressed with.
As for the service, I noticed some comments saying how the service is pretty poor. However, I have never had any problems with service when I’ve sat at the sushi bar to sitting at a table. To me, the waitresses have always been courteous and attentive and willing to listen to any requests. In terms of food service, I’ve never had to wait more than ten minutes, even in a packed house for my AYCE food orders to flow from the sushi chefs.
Let’s talk about the food itself and the menu. The AYCE menu begins with many different types of appetizers. My girlfriend swears that in terms of appetizers, the best thing to get is the green mussels because the sauce is fantastic and the mussels are never rubbery, but fresh. As americanized as it sounds, I love their tempura shrimp. The batter is so light and fluffy and very delicate.
The premium part of their menu is a one-​time order only area. Although this contradicts the nature of the all part of all you can eat, it is still impressive given the choices that they give you. Among these choices include uni nigiri, monk fish liver, and even a three-​type sashimi plate. The uni here is very fresh and delicate, while the monk fish liver is almost like having a piece of butter in your mouth. The three-​type sashimi is composed of very thick pieces of salmon, tilapia, and tuna sashimi. My only gripe here is that at the beginning of this restaurant they used to use yellowtail sashimi rather than tilapia sashimi. Tilapia is such a gamey fish, I hope that someday soon they will change that part of their menu.
As for the rolls, there are quite a few different ones, but our favorite is the Baby lobster roll. The baby lobster roll includes crawfish which is baked in a creamy spicy sauce on top of a bed of California rolls. Now, the thing to realize about most korean style rolls it that there is a huge emphasis on size and presentation. This means lots of sauce and humongous rolls. Be careful about ordering way too many rolls, it can sneak up on you how much you’re actually eating. They also include some lovely rolls without rice such as the pink blossom roll which is held together by a hollowed out cucumber.
Lastly, they have various types of maki style rolls including their amazing hand rolls. Every single time we come here, we order something like 5 – 6 different kinds of handrolls because they are always packed fully with fish and a little rice.
At the very end of things I have to say, I am so impressed by this AYCE place, considering the quality, selection, and service that I have personally received. I hope that you will try Sushi Kuni soon!

This is my third time !!!
I can not take alot of picture — I kill sushi plant so fast !! People are nice as first time !
And food was really food ! I love All you can eat !

Went here with my mom on a Saturday for lunch special (available 11am-​3pm, Mon-​Sat). It was also the same weekend as a vintage car show on Myrtle Ave in Old Town Monrovia. Parking is available off Myrtle. Ample street parking also available if you don’t mind walking. The service is good and attentive. The food is average. Sushi rolls are pretty good, stuffed with lots of fish.
On our way out it was pretty gross because we were walking to our car and some random guy was peeing along the walkway with his kid walking around. It was pretty gross. I understand there was a car show going on, but come on guy, there are porta potties available off Olive and Myrtle. Really made the area seem cheap/​ghetto seeing that guy take a leak in public. Monrovia is suppose to be a cute and quaint little town.

This place is a hate crime to people who like food. This review is a letter to restaurant owners that need to understand how to create a system that both cooks and waiters both understand so they can coordinate accordingly. This restaurant delivered bad service in multiple levels, frozen sushi, and total disregard for their customers.
The place seemed like a nice and typical sushi spot. There was no wait and people can just walk in and get seated. We were seated and handed our menu’s and we were excited to see this place after seeing the reviews on this place. This place had a «premium» AYCE menu ($ 26.99 more expensive than the usual), which included Tuna Carpaccio and Sashimi Trio. They had sashimi in the Ayce? We were thinking we were bound to have a good time! There were 4 of us and only three of us had AYCE. One of my friend’s had a Spicy Tuna Stone Bowl instead.
So far, we ordered our food off the Ayce and the first batch of food was really good. Fresh fish on the trio sashimi and the Tuna Carpaccio. This was smooth sailing so far. Our rolls were fresh the first batch. The only problem so far was that our friend that didn’t get AYCE, hadn’t gotten his food yet and it was 30 – 40 minutes in. We asked the waitress and she said the kitchen is backed up. We were ok about it the first time. «The First time.» We then noticed not all of our rolls from our first batch came in. In fact, only mine and my GF’s one roll came in. My other friend that had AYCE hadn’t gotten anything yet.
We noticed that other tables were not getting orders as well. There was one instance one of the waitresses dropped our order on the table next to us, and it ended up being ours. It then happened multiple times and we also noticed this didn’t happen to our table alone. The other tables were getting different rolls and different orders. Somehow, their system was off; food was going to incorrect tables. We we’re really flustered at this point and finally, the waitress said that she lost our AYCE sushi paper. This basically means, she and the cooks don’t know what else we ordered. We were infuriated. She relieved some of our pain saying she would give us a 10% discount and would give us free drinks, including beer. We were like, alright, this is cool. So we ordered our second batch with all the missing items in our first batch and added more.
With all this going on, our friend without the AYCE still has not gotten his food yet. It has been an hour and a half already. If your kitchen is backed up by that much, you should not be in the restaurant business. Mind you the restaurant was not packed or busy in the slightest from our eyes. The waitress said the kitchen was still backed up. We were at the point that we’re complaining to them, «how can you guys be backed up for more than an hour? He hasn’t eaten yet!» It was truly a service gone wrong experience. At the same time, we were also complaining that they didn’t serve us Miso Soup, which would be the most basic items to give us while we wait.
So finally, this is hour 2 now. We have received some of our second batch and my friend got his stone bowl from the kitchen. Things have calmed down a bit. When we got our second batch, things were a little bit different. We got our nigiri, rolls, carpaccio and another sashimi trio. What was different was that the fish was super cold; It was icy; It was still frozen. It was UNFIT to be served. This is a top restaurant «No No.» This would be in every Food Channel judge cardinal rule saying you lost in the competition. I was livid. I just didn’t eat it.
There were just too many problems going on in this place. I don’t usually drop the one star for just bad service, but I do for a bad experience all across the board, which is just what happened. The Miso soup we finally ordered arrived in room temperature. Who wants room temperature miso soup… or soup in case? No one. It was just a downhill mess. To top it all off, the waitress came again saying she lost our second paper for our second batch. What are they doing? Are they shredding the paper as it comes by to the cooks? We didn’t get 3 rolls and a plate from the kitchen again from the paper. This place started out from a 5 star to a 1 star throughout the 3 hour experience.
We just wanted to leave so we got our bill. We looked intently at the bill seeing if they put the 10% off the bill. They didn’t do that. They short changed us on that. They put 10% on the people that only ate AYCE. Not even the person that waited the longest to eat. They person you probably should have said sorry to the most. We’re not stupid. You patronize us like this, It’s just unacceptable. Don’t lie to your customers. This was truly a horrible experience. I can only hope things change for the better.

I planned my boyfriend’s dinner here with a couple of his friends and I really wasn’t sure what to expect but it turned out to be pretty awesome.
First of all: all you can eat for $ 26! what’s great is that they have many selection plus dishes that were usually pretty pricey were on their menu of all you can eat — soft shell crab, very soft — almost like toro salmon sushi, plus some very creative sashimi dishes. we even ordered the Toro Tuna — which was a premium item so you have to pay a few bucks more but it’s so worth it cause it was literally melt in your mouth goodness.
The service: wonderful waitresses — so sweet and nice, cleaned up our dishes every time we were done. helped me with bringing out the birthday cake.
The food: super fresh, great selection, great presentation and great taste.
I was super satisfy with this place. I parked on the street but I believe they have a parking lot in the back.
I would definitely be back for some amazing sushi and wonderful service.

All YOU can EAT! What a great deal. Normally AYCE places have these tiny portions, but this place has full sized servings. The food is great quality and service is very good.
My kids are half-​priced, but little do they know, my kids eat adult portions when it comes to sushi. LOL!
The rolls are great, we are trying new rolls every time we go. The dishes we keep on repeat are: Agedashi tofu, carpaccio, udon, robata-​yaki and My King Roll.
TIP: Be careful sitting. They have odd tables. Instead of pedestal style, the tables have 4 legs, so you are bound to knock it when you are getting in and out of the table, My son bumped it so hard last night that he knocked over his water glass.

Most AYCE sushi restaurants start off with a bang and impress customers during their first year of operation. Thereafter, the quality of food and service tend to decline gradually over time, especially after the owner decides to cut down on operation cost. I visited Sushi Kuni twice this month. This restaurant is only 8 weeks old, but based on my recent experience, I have a feeling that Kuni has already begun its descent.
Don’t let that statement stop you from trying it for yourself though. Sushi Kuni is the only AYCE sushi bar in Los Angeles that offers premium seafood such as monk fish liver, giant Japanese scallop, sashimi, toro, and soft shell crab. Unlike what is found at 90% of the local AYCE sushi restaurants, Sushi Kuni’s chefs slice the fish to order, score the fish although it is not necessary, and even garnish the fish. The chefs aren’t robotic assemblers. Presentation seems to matter at this restaurant.
Robatayaki is also available at Kuni. There are two kitchen chefs specializing in fried/​grilled food and Korean meals. Although the robatayaki was nothing comparable to what is served Japanese pubs, it’s a nice change of pace to eating sushi and rolls. You’re allowed to order kitchen food at the sushi bar, which might not be possible at traditional sushi bars. You just have to accept that the meats are sometimes overcooked and doused in a thick sweet sauce.
The appetizer menu at Kuni sounds better on paper than it actually is. The execution is Japanese-​fusion style, meaning the albacore carpaccio is topped with a pound of fried onions. The salmon collar is perfectly grilled but unfortunately rubbed with chili oil that ruins the taste and interferes with the sweet taste of the accompanying ponzu sauce. As you can see, the preparation is closer to Katsu-​Ya fusion style than traditional Japanese.
Sushi was hit or miss. The sashimi trio was my favorite, because the salmon and yellowtail in it were top notch and tasted fresh, probably due to the high turnover of common fish. The best execution was the ika (squid) which is scored, lightly seared, and then topped with a dab of citrus flavored relish. I was also a fan of the ankimo (monk fish liver) which had the perfect sweetness level and was consistent between the two visits.
Other choices on the sushi menu were less than ordinary. The halibut had very light flavors and was a little more meaty than I had expected. The hotate had a pleasant dense and smooth mouthfeel, but it could use some yuzu dressing to enhance the taste. Kuni’s «bluefin toro» is chutoro, was sliced into very thick pieces and scored to a very interesting shape. It definitely carried more fat content that regular tuna, but it was significantly more chewy than expected, not melt in mouth or edible in one bite. In addition, the chutoro was topped with a stinging sweet and sour relish that I found to be a overly complex, I don’t think sweet flavors pairs with tuna. Finally, unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri was served straight out of the sushi refrigerator and slapped onto rice. It would taste better if baked just before served so the edges are crispy and warm.
Sushi rice and service were two areas where Kuni underwhelmed. I found the rice to be dry and not sticky enough. Service was a slight problem because the restaurant was understaffed. It took 1 hour for our first round of orders to be brought out, despite the restaurant operating at 50% capacity. Imagine what it would be like with a full house. I have to give credit to the chefs who were working hard without compromising on the presentation, but I think that Kuni needs another chef to help out during weeknights. The servers were polite and accommodating, but sometimes it was hard to get their attention
Despite serving the largest selection of seafood and offering detailed presentation for AYCE sushi standards, Sushi Kuni isn’t close to being a replica of Japanese sushi bars. There’s very little social interaction available between chef and customer except during order drop off. The only reason to come here is to try a diverse menu of Japanese fusion food for a fixed price.

When I heard that an AYCE sushi place opened up nearby I just knew that I had to try this place (especially after looking at those yummy pictures on Unilocal)!
Sushi Kuni is located in old town Monrovia, so parking spaces may be limited. I was able to snag a spot here on a Sunday night, so not too bad. But during busy hours on other days, there is additional parking behind the restaurant as well as some in front.
When we came here, we were immediately seated and I was overwhelmed with the delicious items on the AYCE menu. First off — they offer monkfish liver, uni, bluefin toro, fresh oysters, however these were only limited to 2/​person. As for the rest of the AYCE menu, you have your limitless nigiri and rolls and rice-​less rolls.
The monkfish liver reminds me of the foie gras of the sea. It was delicious. As for the bluefin toro and uni — YUMMY! The rice to fish ratio was great for the nigiri. Compared to other places, I’ve tried nigiri where the slice of fish was longer or short, but this place — it’s slightly more wider! WOOHOO! We literally were too full after the 2^nd round!
Service is friendly. For first-​time customers, you can sign up for a free membership card and get an automatic $ 10 off your total bill. For future transactions, you can get discounts on your meals with the card. Before the discount, AYCE costs $ 27.99/person. It’s kind of expensive, but you do pay for the quality though.

A great new addition to old town Monrovia. This place has changed owners quite a few times, but I hope Sushi Kuni will last.
Their AYCE option is around $ 27 (slightly more than you’d pay elsewhere) but I like it because it includes almost everything in the menu — like all the fancy rolls.
I will say that outside of the AYCE, it’s a hard sell for this place because all of the rolls are so expensive, but they are generous in size, so that’s a plus.
Overall the sushi was pretty good — the Godzilla roll and the Baked Lobster were standouts for me.
But … But … But … the thing I HAVE TO RECOMMEND: the Bulgogi Hot Stone Bowl!
I literally lost myself while eating this. Such great quality and the taste was soooo good. We had them add black rice (which cost $ 2 more — even with the AYCE, which includes the bowl on its own) and I loved that too.
I have to say our experience was overall really great. This place would be perfect for groups to come, get AYCE and grab drinks — orrrr for just grabbing the stone bowl (which is more affordable without AYCE) for lunch.
Stay Cheerful ;)