Kemuri

we had dinner there last night and it was absolutely DEVINE! we had reservations for 7 but they were able to get us in by 6. our server sebastian was so amazing , so accommodating and gave us the best suggestions ever and just all around the best service ! honorable mention for the dragon egg starter 😍 they were sooo good ! a little pricey but worth it for the service and quality of food.

I fell in love with this place. The food was great. My waiter was awesome. I even tried the dessert and it was perfect. Some of the items are a little pricey but I like to go big or go home. The prime rib took the cake out of everything I tried. 5 🌟

October 2025 - There is a small bar area in the back, the bartender Mr. M is extremely knowledgeable and a capable bartender; ask him about Nikka Whiskey from Japan.. August 2025 visit - perhaps it's what I ordered, the food was excellent. Service was very good. The bathroom is well maintained & one of the best for restaurants of this caliber in the area. I need to come back more often. <Previous review> When you're around this area this place worth a visit. Check out the sake in the yellow can, it is one of the best in the market as far as I'm concerned. Plenty of seating, parking may be a bit limited. Check the hours of operation, they do close early for lunch. Food and the service is excellent. Will be back in the near future.

Food was great but took forever to come out. Our host was great, knew the menu well and explained everything on the enormous menu well. Beef tenderloin grilled over charcoal came out cold - that was disappointing. Yellow yellow app was amazing, so was the Kemuri roll. The sichuan salmon was good too!

Food is always delicious at Kumuri. However, the service was a bit disappointing tonight. We had reserved a table for 6:15 PM and arrived around 6:00 PM. The hostess seated us in a good spot near the bar stools. I’ve always had a positive experience at Kumuri, but this time, we fell short. We didn’t have a server check in with us until 7:00 PM. When the bartender came to take our order, I wondered if he was also supposed to be a waiter for our section. If so, he did his best, but the management team should look into this if we’re too busy or if staffing wasn’t enough. Despite this minor issue, I’m still looking forward to visiting Kumuri again in the future.

beautiful restaurant, amazing food, great service! had the crazy monkey, they set on fire and was delicious! they’re dessert was amazing! it was a cappuccino ice cream type with creme brulee so good! and on top of that they aren’t expensive at all it was $52 before tipping!

Love this place! One of my favorites in Little Rock. Sushi is always fresh and I've never had a roll I didn't like. The spicy edamame, ribs, crispy rice are all delicious appetizers. I personally love their spicy rolls (crazy monkey, volcano, poison)! Service is always good and staff is all great. Ambiance is wonderful for a birthday dinner or date night.

Our first waiter was a little off but the food was generally good. The ketchup the fries came with was so good. The second time we came, we got Matthew, and he is an incredible server. Best waiter ever. The cappuccino creme brulee was amazing.

Stopped here for dinner on a road trip. The staff is wonderful. The service is amazing. And the food is delicious.

I typically go into a sushi place with lower expectations, but Kemuri far exceeded my expectations! Our server was super friendly and attentive, and we were overwhelmed by the large menu but the happy hour specials were great and we ended up all ordering sushi. We started with spicy edamame and calamari, I'd highly recommend both! For sushi, I got the crazy monkey roll (a fan favorite, they light it on fire at your table!) and a spicy tuna roll. We shared a cucumber avocado roll, and the others got dragon rolls, crispy shrimp, and shrimp tempura. We were happy with all of our orders and left stuffed! Would recommend to all sushi lovers.

This was chosen by a classmate and a good find. It's a large spot in a cute neighborhood with plenty of seating options -- you can pick the sushi bar, traditional restaurant tables, a regular bar, or another room that is a little bit more mood-lighting than bright/airy. We sat at the bar (different from the sushi bar, which is also an option) and had a very attentive and knowledgeable bartender. I tried the local filtered sake (who knew that Arkansas produces a large percentage of the country's rice?) and it was very nice. We each got a ramen bowl and a sushi roll. I got the wild salmon roll as I generally prefer simple rolls. The roll was very heavy on the rice, less so on the actual salmon. It was still nicely prepared and tasted good, but maybe not worth the price when you consider how little salmon you're getting out of it. I also got the Tonkotsu Ramen Bowl and added duck to it. The bowl was tasty, but slightly mild/bland -- to be fair, I asked them not to include the jalapeno because I'm terrible at handling any amount of spice. It was a generous serving and I happily took half of it home for lunch the next day. Overall, I enjoyed my meal here and I didn't think the prices were outrageous. It's a nice atmosphere that can lend itself to cozy casual or intimate, and I wouldn't mind coming back here even if it doesn't top my list. Definitely worth a visit to decide for yourself.

Food was fresh and tasty. I had California Roll and edamame. The Mocktail I ordered was a light, refreshing drink made with grapefruit, pineapple, and club soda. The host and wait staff were all pleasant and welcoming. If you plan on dining here reservations are recommended.

The food here is always incredible. I have never had a sushi roll I haven't liked and the fried rice is very good with all of the vegetables they add. The inside is nice with two separate rooms that have very different vibes. They also have two patios which I personally prefer over the inside but either is nice. The waiters/waitresses are always super nice and friendly. Only reason for 4 stars is because their sushi rolls can take about an hour to come out and their takeout also takes over an hour.

For the price and the taste? Absolutely not worth it. Hot garbage at best, I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. I was hoping for a good meal to take to the park but this was a letdown from start to finish. The tuna bowl was bland and when I added the ponzu sauce it tasted like what I imagine cat piss might taste like...truly awful. The sake sauce on the shishito peppers was way too overpowering and for $8, I expected more than just eight peppers. As for the miso soup... I've had miso all over the world and this just wasn't it. If you have functioning tastebuds do yourself a favor and eat somewhere else. The disappointment was overwhelming

I would move to this state just to experience Kemuri again. The rolls- transcendent. The toppings selected from the sea gods themselves. The service- impeccable. When I moved to the south I didn't believe good sushi existed. After 3 years, and traveling through LR- this is it. Kemuri changed my mind. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the edamame. The garlic didn't complement it well but still 5 stars. That's how good everything else was in comparison.

We dined at Kemuri for the first time for a special occasion date night last Friday night. We had a reservation for 6:45 PM and they got us seated pretty quickly (in a dark corner?) and we started to look at the menu. Took 10+ minutes just to get waters and 35-45 minutes to get our appetizer and at that point we were starving. It was busy, but not so busy for us to be ignored for so long. Our server didn't introduce himself and told us to just throw a dart at the menu and order whatever because it was hard to go wrong. We had PLENTY of time to figure out what to order because we sat for so long and the food really was superb, but my partner would be hard-pressed to return because the service was exceptionally bad. Would probably return because it's the best sushi we've had in Little Rock, but would maybe have a snack before :/

Was very good, but also a little pricey. The service is fantastic and I really like the feel of the restaurant.

Love this place! One of my favorites in Little Rock. Sushi is always fresh and I've never had a roll I didn't like. The spicy edamame, ribs, crispy rice are all delicious appetizers. I personally love their spicy rolls (crazy monkey, volcano, poison)! Service is always good and staff is all great. Ambiance is wonderful for a birthday dinner or date night.

This was my first trip to Little Rock, Arkansas. Since we were only here for 1 night we decided to go for sushi. This restaurant was fantastic! I was so hungry I didn't get pictures of the starters. We had the edamame, mussels, and tuna tataki, which was absolutely delicious. The edamame had just the right amount of garlic salt, the mussels were in a coconut lime sauce which was perfect, and the tuna had a thin crust of spice but it was not overwhelming. I had the princess roll with the jalapeños on the side and my husband had the Chefs Sashimi plate. JD our server and he did an excellent job of explaining the menu., which is extensive. Great ambience throughout the venue. Highly recommend this restaurant for great sushi dishes

It is a pricey meal, but let me just tell you it's also one of the best sushi experiences I've had in a long long time!! The service was perfect. The ambiance is pleasant and upscale. I'll definitely be back!

Always fresh and so so good. I have tried several of the sushi rolls and they are always fantastic.

Online ordering from the website returns an error. Ordinary takeout via yelp just spins. I know the food is GREAT!

The food is delicious and the service is always great here. I do wish that the lighting was a little bit darker but other than that the ambience is definitely conducive to a fun night out.

Went back for a date night and unfortunately, it was super disappointing this go around. This was a super calm Tuesday night with very few customers in the dining room. We were sat and not even looked at by a server for 15 minutes. We kept trying to make eye contact with people with no luck when finally a server came to take our order. The server apologized for the wait and said there was a miscommunication, which is totally understandable. He was a delight so this is not a knock on him. The sushi was almost inedible. Not sure if this was a fluke, but we were shocked by the drop in quality. Hopefully it was just a bad night.

Kemuri has a wonderful atmosphere--relaxed yet elegant. The staff is friendly, and the food is delicious and fresh, with a lovely presentation. A favorite go-to.

We were there for over an hour and had to leave without getting our main entrees. The service was slow and it wasn't crowded. The manager was rude and did not apologize for the fact that we had to cancel our order because of how long we had been waiting. The waitress could never give us a time frame of when our food would be ready. Very disappointing experience. We had dine here many times before and had loved our experience but we will not be back.

We just did sushi, apps and robata on our first trip so I'll have to review the entrees later on, we do plan to return. Decor was nice and staff was polite and helpful, they have a lot of staff so there's wanderers that can help you as well. We tried traditional and signature sushi rolls and the traditional rolls (Cali/Philly/Crunchy Shrimp) are perfectly on point, I felt the signature rolls are mostly "big & spicy" - not really my thing but my wife loved their take on the dragon roll. The appetizers were good, portions are pretty small though, same for the robata, everything was tasty but we wish there were two more bites on each plate for what we're spending. Wine selection was solid, cocktails were good. We'll go back for our next special occasion but a bit pricey to be a monthly spot for us.

Disclaimer: I have always adored Kemuri sushi and have eaten at their Hillcrest location since they opened. I never will again. I called and placed a to go order here on Sunday and the hostess said on the phone that it would be ready in 1 hour. I arrive 1 hour later and myself and 7 other people are left standing at the hostess table for 15 minutes without being addressed by anyone in the restaurant. After walking to the bar and requesting assistance for myself and the 7 other folks, we are prompted to pay for our meal. I pay my $90 bill and ask the shorter blonde hostess if she can check to see how much longer the wait should be and she said she would check. She then says there's no way for her to know, in a rude tone, and she just didn't seem to care at all for the 7 of us just waiting around for 15 minutes to be seen. Another woman asked the hostess if she could check on the status of her Togo order since she had been waiting for over 35 minutes just to pick up her food. The hostess said "she would get in trouble" if she asked her manager or the sushi chefs for an update. The woman and myself later told the manager about the hostess treatment and they didn't seem to care at all either. What changed at Kemuri to employ folks with such poor customer service skills? This is an expensive restaurant and I expect decent treatment. I understands delays happen, I've worked at several restaurants in my past, but to be treated so rudely after having to wait 35+ extra minutes for a $90 to go meal is wrong. All in all, such a disappointing experience for a restaurant that seemed to have it together. It seems they don't prioritize or care about their Togo customers at all. I won't be coming back. None of the staff cared and I'm still waiting at the restaurant while I type this. Update: I got home and my calamari tasted like cardboard. Maybe they're skimping on food quality just like employee quality too.

This is a small neighborhood restaurant and reservations would probably always be a good idea though we went on a Monday and didn't have any. It's laid out well and has an upscale feel without being overpriced. There are many food options as well as lovely cocktails. I don't drink but my granddaughter in law ordered the pearl orchid and lived it so much she had another to share with the grandson. I had the Robosta? Which is the Japanese equivalent to tapas Just small bites And I am still thinking about the truffle mushroom dish. My husband had bibimbap and it was so delicious. There was salmon cooked properly and then tofu coconut curry dish which was delicious according to the grandkids. Yes we will go back

We ordered 3 raw sushi rolls and it took an hour and a half to get it, while we had to set outside in the heat.... Wasn't impressed

The food was great and the our server was nice, however we made the reservation for our daughter's 21st birthday. He did tell her happy birthday but was kind of disappointed they didn't bring a dessert for her after dinner. It was a big birthday and we could have gone anywhere to celebrate her special night.

Had such a great dinner here! Beautiful area of town. Great outside patio that is dog friendly. Absolutely delicious sushi, ceviche, and cocktails. Service by Jason was top notch. Best restaurant I've been to in a hot minute. Must visit. Thank you thank you!

I went in for dinner my first day after arriving as a recommendation from a friend who did marketing for the area. The restaurant was clean and very modern. They have an aquarium with live fish to observe too. There were so many yummy options, I had a hard time choosing. I eventually settled on the pork belly bibimbap, which hit the spot. My server, Jimmy, was awesome! He was super patient with my indecisiveness and was so fun! Thanks for the great service and yummy food!

The food was a pleasant surprise. A wonderful recommendations by some friends. If you are in Little Rock you must stop by. The service was top notch, Grace was the most attentive server. The atmosphere was perfect for winding down after a long day.

Kemuri is one of those restaurants that you don't expect to find in the middle of Arkansas. It is an upscale Japanese restaurant that probably has the best sushi in town. We decided last minute to try and do a walk in to Kemuri for dinner and were lucky enough to get a larger table, albeit outside on a fairly warm day. I would definitely recommend reservations. The restaurant itself is fairly upscale inside, but still family friendly. Our group mainly came in for some sushi, so that's the only menu we looked at. As someone that grew up in Arkansas, I know sushi around here can be hit or miss. This is especially true after tasting what fresh sushi is like when I visited the coast. I ended ordering the Smoked Hamachi, yellowtail appetizer, roasted pork belly, and 24K Gold roll. The food took a little longer to get out as we were told the kitchen was backed up due to a large party, but our waiter was very nice and checked on us often. Once the food started to roll out, I was fairly surprised. The fish slices had decent taste and my roll was very good. The gold pieces were a little gimmicky, but you gotta justify the highest priced roll on the menu somehow. Kemuri is a restaurant that I will definitely be back to. If you are a sushi lover, then there probably isn't a better place in town.

Wonderful place and the best fish "fresh" you can get in Little Rock period. This place is amazing.

The food was great, but it was a bit long of a wait. Not a problem for date night, but you don't want to be in a rush!

After having 3 underwhelming meals in Little Rock we decided to give Kemuri a try. Very disappointing. If you're a fan of this place, rock on. If you've never been, maybe save the disappointment. The service was fantastic, but the food was just terrible. The sushi was way too warm and the portions were too large. They should be half the size they were. Also, dial back on the amount of rice a bit. Honest comparison in quality would be one of the sushi plates you can get from Kroger. The prices we paid just didn't align with the quality of food we were served. I also ordered the fried rice as a backup in case the sushi wasn't great. Do not order this item, you will be disappointed. This place was packed so maybe we were the only ones in the whole place to get bad food. I suspect that people eat here because there are no other options. Message to the kitchen: Catch up to the level of service your waitstaff gives if you want to stay in business.

We took a group for my sister's birthday, and had an amazing time. The sushi was so fresh and absolutely delicious. Definitely recommend.

Outstanding food and service! Attentive servers and wide variety of sushi. Definitely worth a try

Awesome food, great service. You will need to call ahead for a table if dinning in. Take out is a plus.

My wife and family have been going here for a while. The last several times, however, the service was lacking. Took forever just to get food etc. Well, they very much ruined my wife and I's Valentine's Day lunch. We had a reservation and arrived on time. We waited for an hour and half, with our 7 month old. We were patient and told our waiter after an hour. At the hour and half mark was when the waiter apologized. We had to get it to-go, and they comped us $25... we get into the car to go home and eat to realize the portions were so small we have to stop and get food on the way home.. my chicken robota was 2 very small skewers... we will not be returning and neither will my family.

Sushi was the best i ever had! Service was very professional, patient, even the sushi chef was very nice! Whole restaurant was quite and clean. Will visit again!

Food poisoning 11/19 with all 4 people in party. No response from management. Will absolutely never go back.

Food is always amazing, I get the Louisiana roll and it is the best. I came in for my high school graduation dinner and happened to mention it to our waiter, and they brought me a free dessert and wrote congratulations on it. Staff is always wonderful and the restaurant has such a cool look. My favorite special occasions restaurant by far. Service is fast enough if you want food before prom as well. Love this place! Picture is of the cappuccino jar dessert.

The price is not comparable to the quality of the food. Sushi is ok, but nothing out of the ordinary. Stay away from the fried rice. You'll be disappointed. Server was wonderful!

Kemuri is definitely a Neighborhood Gem! Misty, our Server, was delightful, very knowledgeable about the menu and food preparation and extremely helpful with our sushi ordering. We enjoyed the Salmon Roll, Yellow Tail Roll, Spicy Salmon Roll, and Spicy Crawfish Roll. Two days later, my wife is still talking about Kemuri and Misty. We will definitely be back!

Amazing food and Great service. This place is a gem. The food tasted very good and was very good quality. Everything was so well balanced. The atmosphere was very inviting and relaxing. The staff was very kind. We definitely will be going back.

Fantastic restaurant if you want to get your ramen fix in Little Rock, AR! I ordered the shrimp tempura plate and the ramen tonkontsu! It was 10/10! The waiter was great with his customer service and attentive with my food allergies on Xmas Eve! Parking is available across the street with a lot. On street parking is available as well. Must visit if you are in Little Rock!

Wow! I asked for a recommended sushi restaurant in Little Rockand I LOVED IT! The waiter made great recommendations on food!

I am in LOVE! Our server, Jason, recommended the Crispy Spicy Tuna and they are out of this world! They're like the perfect mashup of rice with hashbrown topped with spicy tuna. So delish! The sashimi was amazing and our salmon, cream cheese roll was lightly fried to perfection. We will definitely be back!!!

Full disclosure, we did not get the opportunity to eat there. We had just flown into Little Rock for a funeral and were in search of a good meal. The Yelp reviews were promising and the restaurant was open until 9! Perfect! We had to search for street parking and we walked into the moderately busy restaurant at 8:30. The hostess inquired as to whether we had a reservation and we did not. She proceeded to grab menus and then abruptly stopped and told us she can't seat anyone after 8:30. We explained that we were from out of town and looking forward to trying the restaurant and that we had checked the website which said nothing about no seatings after 8:30. She concurred that the online info does not state that and many would-be customers get upset. We would have been happy to have a quick bite at the sushi bar. She turned us away at 8:31. Posting a review only to let other diners know to arrive well in advance of 8:30!

Well worth it. The variety of the menu is great and the fish is very fresh. The robata is small plates, like tapas, but each was better than the next. The sashimi was great cuts of fish, super tender and flavorful. We had the crispy rice appetizer which Id highly recommend. If you like sushi and are in the LR area check this place out.

Everything was perfect, from the food, the ambient and the service. If you want ro go out on a little fancy date and have some amazing sushi, definitely this is the place. I recommend the mama mia roll and the dragon eggs!

My go to place for Bibimbap. Seating outside is great for an evening to just chill for sushi and drinks. This location is the best.

Elegant atmosphere, great service, and very good sushi! Who knew that Tuna and Salmon could get to Little Rock tasting so good!

Best sushi spot we've found in Little Rock! Everything was great. Especially the service! We tried: - Pork belly appetizer -- excellent - Yellowtail appetizer -- favorite dish - Bibimbap - Alaska roll Everything was delicious.