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Home > Restaurants > Kuma Inn

All Reader Reviews of...

Kuma Inn

113 Ludlow St., 2nd fl., New York, NY, 10002
nr. Delancey St.
212-353-8866

7.7 "Recommended"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10		 Write Your Own Review
81% Would you go back?
81% Would you take a date?
0% Would you take kids?
54% Would you go on business?
72% Would you go on a special occasion?
Food: 8.1
Service: 7.5
Décor: 7.3
Value: 7.8
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  • Showing reviews 1 through 10 of 11

Real gem. Great food and value. BYO policy rocks.

birdwoodjack from 10002 | Posted on 6/4/09

Overall Rating: 10 (Highly Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? Yes
Would you go on a special occasion? Yes
Food: 10
Service: 10
Décor: 8
Value: 10

Love Kuma. Can be hard to find, but once you make it up the stairs you will be happy you made the effort. Food is excellent, could eat the Chinese sausage 3 meals a day and BYO policy makes it very affordable. Highly recommend you give it a try.

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1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Fantastic food, if a little cramped

sschwartz178 from 10002 | Posted on 10/1/08

Overall Rating: 9 (Highly Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? Yes
Would you go on a special occasion? Yes
Food: 9
Service: 9
Décor: 10
Value: 9

About a month ago I had dinner there with two friends. The table was on the petite side, but the food was outstanding! The chinese sausage was a big hit, as was the special of the night - steamed pork buns. My friend lived in china for years and she said the buns were the best example of that dish she'd tasted in the U.S. The service was great, very friendly. Don't be put off by the slightly stale/unpleasant smell in the stairway leading up to the second-floor restaurant. The restaurant is clean, chic, friendly, and fun. And BYO rocks!

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4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

fantastic value

lnfritz from 10016 | Posted on 3/10/08

Overall Rating: 8 (Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? Yes
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 8
Service: 7
Décor: 8
Value: 10

I've been twice, and it was amazing both times. something like 10 specials, lots of small plates for everyone to try, and everything was great, not over cooked, or over sauced. The tuna and london broil were favorites from the menu, and the crepes and tilapia we great specials. And the decor is very cute too. Dark, but inviting. Crowded but worth it. Plus byob is great!

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19 out of 36 people found this review helpful.

WE BASICALLY GOT KICKED OUT!

leeners from 10006 | Posted on 8/10/07

Overall Rating: 3 (Not Recommended)
Would you go back? No
Would you take a date? No
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 5
Service: 1
Décor: 1
Value: 1

A group of girls going to a BYOB tapas restaurant sounds like a great night in theory! When you buy 3 bottles of wine for 6 girls and it is almost certain there will not be a drop left. Unless the waitress tells you that there is a time limit because another party is coming and we may have to leave. Our mouths dropped and we could not eat any more of our food that we were in the middle of enjoying. The night was ruined and we will never go back again! Sadly, not a place to go if you want to enjoy a nice evening and service.

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173 out of 318 people found this review helpful.

Really, could this restaurant service be this awful?

fashion1601 from 10018 | Posted on 8/10/07

Overall Rating: 1 (Not Recommended)
Would you go back? No
Would you take a date? No
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? No
Food: 1
Service: 1
Décor: 1
Value: 1

I am all for supporting a small restaurant, especially a new restaurant that has been getting consistently good reviews. So with excitement, made a reservation and off we went with group of people. We of course showed up on time, and the place was half empty. We were greeted by the waitresses who were not very helpful, but the deal breaker was when despite the fact that the place was empty and we had the reservation, they decided to sit us right by the entrance of the toilet. Now this place is very narrow and literally the single toilet they have is the unisex and two feet from the table. When we asked politely to sit us elsewhere on many empty table we saw, we were told to sit or leave. Not very difficult choice. We left, and none of us, and I am telling all my friends will never go there again. Whose idea was it anyway to put the bathroom in the middle of the room and the kitchen by the entrance? Obviously they didn't design the space nor train the staff well at all. Highly recommend other many delicious restaurants.

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172 out of 354 people found this review helpful.

A feel-good dream of a restaurant

hautepanda from 11215 | Posted on 3/11/07

Overall Rating: 9 (Highly Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? Yes
Food: 8
Service: 10
Décor: 7
Value: 10

Eating at Kuma Inn is a little like reading Giant Robot, in that it makes you feel good about being Asian-American. The service is young and energetic, unpretentious, with zero attitude. All the dishes are authentic and delicious, so just order the ones that you've been wistfully dreaming about how your mom used to make them. You know the ones I mean. I particularly like the young coconut (you drink the water from a straw, then they split it for you and let you scoop out the flesh). Great for friends or a casual date. Close to a perfect restaurant experience.

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251 out of 515 people found this review helpful.

Big Taste, Little Plate

lunare9000 from 07302 | Posted on 10/7/06

Overall Rating: 8 (Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? Yes
Would you go on a special occasion? Yes
Food: 9
Service: 8
Décor: 7
Value: 7

Although I reserved for 8:00, our table for three wasn't ready until around 8:30, but our server was attentive and apologized -- an affable service that continued throughout the dinner. We were able to chat in relative comfort over a pitcher of sake sangria in the tiny booth at the door, the flames, aromas and bustle from the nearby grill catching our eye every few minutes. I was pleased with our server's knowledge of seemingly all the listed sakes, and like the diners before us, felt at ease to linger in the warm, cozy, aromatic space and order one more small plate of tasty morsels to share. It's easy saving room for dessert, though! Try the salmon in coconut sauce.

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253 out of 517 people found this review helpful.

Great food, intimate setting

ajl from 10022 | Posted on 9/18/06

Overall Rating: 8 (Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? No
Would you go on a special occasion? Yes
Food: 9
Service: 8
Décor: 9
Value: 8

I've dined here twice in the past month, and had a great experience each time. The food is excellent, particularly the seared tuna and Chinese sausages, and the sake selection is good too. The setting is intimate, on the second-floor of a Lower East Side apartment building, with an Asian-inspired decor. Be warned, though: Since the restaurant is a tapas place, it takes at least three or four dishes per person to feel really full, so it can get pricey.

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303 out of 613 people found this review helpful.

Fantastic

efn | Posted on 11/11/05

Overall Rating: 10 (Highly Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? Yes
Would you go on a special occasion? Yes
Food: 10
Service: 10
Décor: 10
Value: 10

I've been here several times and the place just never fails me. The food is terrific and always changing. The owner and staff are way cool. The karma is good: just go.

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270 out of 550 people found this review helpful.

Perfect

ChicChick | Posted on 3/5/05

Overall Rating: 10 (Highly Recommended)
Would you go back? Yes
Would you take a date? Yes
Would you take kids? No
Would you go on business? Yes
Would you go on a special occasion? Yes
Food: 10
Service: 10
Décor: 10
Value: 10

Kuma Inn is tucked away in a small renovated apartment in a Lower East Side tenement building. It is a little difficult to find on the street, but once you get up those stairs you feel as though you stepped into an oasis of warmth. Small and cozy, with beautiful japanese light installations on the walls and playing great music at a very conversational level the ever-smiling "King" will welcome you to his place and his very attentive staff will see to your every need. I recommend a large bottle of sake from their extensive list and then letting your waiter pick the specials of the day or surprise you with the most popular dishes...nothing disappoints.

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282 out of 553 people found this review helpful.

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