Kokoro Sushi

I’m usually generous with my reviews but my visit to KoKoRo’s was bad from start to finish.
When I first arrived there were open tables. It took 3 waitresses at least 10 mins to seat me. I would have left but I was curious how long it would take.
I heard KoKoRo’s, like most other Japanese restaurants is actually owned by Koreans. Nothing wrong with that in fact I was craving Bulgogi so I ordered that, along with some warm Sake.
The Sake finally came and it was boiling hot, as if it had been microwaved. It also had a funny taste to it, along with a long strand of hair attached to the side of the cup.
The salad came limp and drowned in dressing. The miso soup was brought without a soup spoon and was salty and just plain bad. After a long wait the Bulgogi came. There were more veggies than meat on the plate, and the meat that was there was more fat than meat. I had a few bites at best before I threw in the towel.
Probably the worst meal of 2016 so far.
I won’t be back.

Service isn’t always perfect but sometimes places get busy and for the most part I’ve always had great service. Last time I had a funny teenager server kept making jokes with me and my boyfriend but it’s nice to have someone so friendly… this is the best sushi you will get in town. I am a vegan so I stick with the yam and avocado maki rolls which are always amazing so there is vegan and vegetarian options, but I used to love the Oh Baby and the Crunch Roll! The green tea Mochi ice cream is amazing!!!

Our service was awful. Not only did the waitress drop a piece of our sushi on the table, she stated «I don’t want to touch it with my hand.» Yet, she still expected us to eat it off the table. Gross! She lagged on everything from bringing drinks, to asking if we needed anything. We asked a different waitress to bring us spicy, mayo and drinks. Our deep fried roll wasn’t even cut properly. Our tempura vegetables were still half way hard. The waitress that brought our check came by and saw that we were still eating as she wanted to pick up our check before we were done eating (makes you feel like you need to hurry and get the hell out)

I love Kokoro Sushi. My favorite…” Green Dragon roll.” It’s sooo good. The place is always full of hungry people. Not believe those other haters. This place is great.

If I could put negative stars for this horrible restaurant I would. My boyfriend and I are allergic to dairy and eggs and we’re vegetarian. We know it can be a hassle to eat out and order food. We were very nice to the waitress and asked before ordering if they would be able to accommodate our special needs. She said yes, but then we over heard the sushi chef and a customer sitting at the bar making fun of us. It was beyond insulting and rude. We will NEVER be back.

Food is great rolls are big the inside is very nice perfect for a casual night out or a dinner party ordering to go makes no difference in the food quality friendly staff

I’ve eaten here on several occasions for lunch or dinner, and while the food is good and the sushi chefs are skilled and friendly, the waitresses are not! Every time I’ve stepped across the threshold I’ve been ignored or very s l o w l y greeted by a non smiling waitress who acts as though I am an imposition to her shift. It is very disappointing that I’ve never experienced a friendly, pleasant, skilled, personable waitress at this place. Too bad for the management– they are loosing my twice weekly sushi business. I’ll only go back when all other sushi restaurants are closed.

I’ve been to this sushi restaurant a couple of times in the past and had an okay experience, but today upon arriving with my brother I decided I will never eat here again. The seat the hostess placed my brother and I smelled of urine, the waitress was horrible, and the time it took to receive a simple spoon was beyond me. It’s really disappointing because the food is good but everything else is horrible.

Such bad service! They don’t know how to greet. I went to samurai’s first and they had bad service so we left and went to kokoro but it was the same thing only worse because this place was fully staffed.

The guys are nice and cool but the girls are beyond rude! They also seem to care less for customers who aren’t dining in. I called to order and the girl asked me to wait a minute she then took 15 minutes and hung up! I was furious! I’ve also noticed how nice they are to the people dining in but when I arrive for a pick-​up, I don’t get the same treatment. As much as I do like the food, I’m not going back!

Went to lunch there with my husband and daughter. They have a great menu, good food, and good service. Nice atmosphere and very clean. I highly recommend.

Nice place to dine!
I ordered out this time for lunch. The hostesses were all very friendly, each and every hostess I encountered greeted me. The promise time was 10 mins longer than anticipated, and the sushi chef kept saying «1 second. 1 second.» Lol.
For my order, they mixed my hot foods w my cold foods in the bags – which I prefer cold w cold, hot w hot…
The food was good, but not better than M — i’s. It was very pricey for lunch. My roll was unstable, my shoyu dish had half my roll in it. I just don’t think a roll should ever fall apart like that. Wasabi was mushy and a little on the weak side. But again, food was good.
This place feels like a pop-​up franchise. I dined in a few places like this in the Bay Area w very similar menus. A special package deal for someone wanting to open a Japanese restaurant I guess?

The local fav for my sushi cravings. Jalapeño bombs, crispy goyza, raider roll, Niner roll, And the chefs special never disappoints. Large Saki and a tall Sapporo on draft please. The chef is a true sushi artist. The servers fluctuate in consistency but the food is always on point.

Okay so heres the scoop the food is awesome no doubt. But here is the disappointment the last 2 times ive gone the weight staff leaves alot to be desired. This last time we had 4 waitresses and oh man so much lacked it was so disorganized. It was sad really cause I love this place. A couple of the wait staff was really nice and the others confused and frazzled. I hope they get it together soon.

SOME DISHES ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS, SUSHI IS OUTSTANDING
We had great service and the wait staff were very accommodating so not too sure what the fuss is about. So here’s the food breakdown:
Chicken Teriyaki: The chicken was dry and overcooked. Come ‘on guys, this is a simple one to prepare. The beef teriyaki was tender and just a bit overcooked. The caterpilar roll and the sahimi was excellent and the servings are generous.
So for the dinners, the meats were overcooked and the sushi and sashimi was excellent. It would be great if the quality and preparation of the meals can be consistant and outstanding like the sushi and sashimi.

Came in for lunch (twice) while on my lunch breaks from my jury service at the Salinas Courthouse. Solid sushi selection with a variety of specialty rolls, veggie rolls, lunch and dinner boxes, donburi and more.
After poring through the menu, I decided to go with Noriko’s Rollwhich features cream cheese, avocado, salmon and crab all crowned with another layer of fresh salmon. This roll has a nice fusion of flavors and tasted very good. Even the lady at my neighboring table kept ogling my roll with sidelong glances and remarked how good my sushi looked. Norkio’s Roll is a perfect choice if you enjoy raw salmon as it comes with a double dose of salmon. My lunch partner had a bento box which looked quite good. Box came with shrimp and vegetable tempura, gyoza, 3 pieces of California roll, miso soup, salad and your choice of meat or fish.
Complimentary tea and miso soup come with your meal. The miso soup is really good too; it’s full of tofu, seaweed, green onions with lots of miso flavor.
Tasty selections, fast and friendly service in a clean and comfortable space. Good sushi spot near Old Town Salinas.

I’m really not a fan of sushi, but ended up at Kokoros just because my friend was craving it. I ordered the chicken teriyaki, had better– chicken was a tad dry. My friend had the beef teriyaki and it seemed he enjoyed it. Love the salad and soup. The jalapeño bombs are amazing! I’ll give them credit for that! The reason why I won’t do 5 stars is not because of the food but because of the service.
Our waiter seemed in a hurry and seemed to get frustrated very easily. She came across as friendly but was very short and in a way a bit rude. When my friend asked her about the menu, you could see the frustration and that’s terrible, specially for a waiter. I did enjoy the humor of the cute Asian boy. He was very funny.

By far my favorite sushi place in salinas! If you are on a time crunch, I wouldn’t recommend it just because sushi takes a while to make, especially when it’s busy. However, if you have more than thirty minutes, it’s a great place to eat. You can also make orders to go.
Some of my favorite rolls are the red dragon, green dragon, ichiban and Kokoro special. But most of the time I’ll order a Chef Special roll which always come out incredibly. They’re rolls that aren’t on the menu, and the chefs make up on their own. Try one of DKs special rolls if he’s working, or max and joeys. They’re all so incredible and different. You can also give them a list of things that you want in a roll if you don’t see it on the menu and they’ll make it for it too. The sushi chefs are great, and if you sit at the sushi bar you can watch them work their magic.
The servers seem a little understaffed at times, so patience is sometimes needed, especially on Friday and Saturday nights or during the lunch rush.
Ohh and don’t forget about Happy Hour Monday-​Thursday from 5:00 — 6:30pm. Some of their drinks and appetizers are half off. Edamame, gyoza (potstickers), combination or veggie tempura, ca rolls, Large hot sake, sake bombs, and draft Sapporo are all 50% off. The jalapeño bombs are my favorite appetizer and they’re unfortunately not on happy hour, but I order them every time no matter what. I could eat 2 orders on my own they’re so good!
So bottom line, if you have time for a sit down lunch or dinner, and have a love for sushi or trying new things, go to Kokoro,
I’m never disappointed.

One of our MOST FAV places to eat!
Sunomono Salad w/​crab is always a must!
Miso Soup is yummy!
California Rolls, Shrimp Tempura Rolls, Dragon — Caterpillar — Spicy Tuna — Spider Roll are amongst our FAV rolls!
The kids chicken or beef teriyaki plates are great too! Large portions!

Last night I was there for my 31^st birthday dinner, party of 8. Liza was our sever she did a fabulous job on keeping our orders straight. She has excellent customer service skills and the food was to die for! My favor is Salinas California Roll! Highly recommend this place!