Kyoto Sushi Bar and Japanese Cuisine has two locations; one in Ontario, Canada, and one in northeastern Cincinnati, which opened in 2005. It’s got a menu with a lot of the great classic Japanese cuisine, but this place is mainly for sushi. With a few dozen different varieties, it’s the kind of place that really jumped on the sushi concept when there weren’t a lot of other places like it in the suburbs. As the popularity of sushi has grown in Ohio, the cuisine that Kyoto Sushi Bar serves has withstood the test of time. It’s really good sushi.
There are plenty of lunch and dinner entrees to try; rice bowls and soba noodles, seafood and tempura dishes, but to save time I’ll go straight to the sushi, which is just the best. The “house special” rolls are generally a mid-level of complexity for sushi; they’re not California rolls but you won’t find odd or unusual ingredients as far as the American palette is concerned. It’s a great menu to go for if you’re new to sushi or squeamish about some of the more exotic seafood My favorite is the Happy Hour Roll, which is a simple combo of shrimp tempura and cucumber topped with a little spicy tuna. It’s got the fresh and crisp crunch and a little bit of spice. Simple but delicious.
The gourmet sushi rolls are a little more complex and use higher-grade ingredients, but they come in rolls of six. You get the simple options, like the garlic tuna roll which is as simple as spicy tuna, garlic and cucumber, which has just a little kick to it. On the other hand you have my personal favorite, the White Tuna Tempura Roll, which has white tuna and avocado in a fried roll topped with spicy mayo. A few rolls will fill you up and you’ll really get to enjoy it. Altogether the cuisine is well-thought-out. Even the complimentary appetizers are great; the miso soup is hot and savory, and the salad is topped with a soy and ginger dressing which I found delightful.
Kyoto Sushi Bar looks small and unassuming from the outside, but it’s really a cool little hole in the wall once you set foot in the door. Especially if you’re a sushi fan, this is the kind of place that is worth dropping by, for all the great rolls to try.
Recommendations
- The sushi is the best option on the menu, and you’ll find it will be a great thing to try whether you’re a sushi veteran or if you’re new to the food.
- It isn’t apparent from the menu, but the options on the “gormet” menu of sushi come in rolls of six, so I suggest maybe considering two rolls or more, as opposed to one like you might be used to at other places.
- The menu of other Japanese cuisine is also pretty good, so if you go with someone who doesn’t like sushi, they’ll have something to try.
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