Kokoro Maki House

I have gone here a couple times with my family, and the food, service, and environment is always top notch ! Lanterns offer mood lighting, and dark wooden tables and chairs are very cozy ! The service is friendly, attentive, and the food is delicious and high quality. Their new ramen bowls taste fresh, are creamy, have the perfect amount of meat, and have the tastiest egg. Their maki house and dragon rolls are to die for, I always enjoy this place 😋💗

A good selection of Korean and Japanese food. The bento boxes are a great option for lunch. It is a nice, warm atmosphere and not loud. You order at the counter. The menu on the wall behind the counter can be hard to read for those of us who need glasses.

So good!! The kimchi jigae is my favorite! I wonder if they sell kimchi on its own??

My husband and I ordered several rolls of sushi for take-out. We were disappointed by the size of the rolls compared with how much we paid ($40). We classed it up at home using some of our own fun dishes. We might try one of their soups sometime while dining in—my husband saw a couple eating soup at a table while he was waiting for our food; the quality and amount looked much better for the price. Not satisfied with our experience here yet, but I will update the review if we try it again and enjoy a better experience.

Wow the food here is amazing. It is a sushi restaurant with plenty of Japanese cuisine and drinks as well. They have nice happy hour specials ($1 off a sushi roll!) and a nice selection of drinks, including sake and beer both American and Japanese. The food is the best- order a bento box which gives you a little of everything! Parking is across the street off Wornall. They have a tv inside playing news or sports. Definitely worth checking out!

Kokoro Maki House is my favorite little gem in Waldo. The ramen is rich and flavorful, the sushi is always fresh, and their Korean fried chicken wings are honestly some of the best around. I usually go for the bento box, which never disappoints. The atmosphere is quiet and relaxing—they don’t play music, which I actually love, because it makes it the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy the food. Highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great Japanese fusion in a laid-back setting.

Very delicious sushi at a great price! Happy hour every day 4-6 with awesome specials. Fish is fresh and orders are made quickly. My 11yr old loves the California roll and I ordered the Tuna plate which had a Boston roll, Spicy tuna and 2 tuna pieces. Have been here a few times now and will definitely return for the good food!

I can confidently say this is the best food I’ve ever had. Such high quality and amazing atmosphere. I recommend the Miso Ramen

Weekday lunch special is really worth it! Especially the bento boxes as they include a fountain drink. I enjoyed the chicken terriyaki, it was hot and the sauce was delicious. Salad was freshly dressed, cold and crispy. Portions were good, didn't leave hungry! My lunch companion had the two roll sushi lunch. He was pleased with his choice and we were both surprised it wasn't busier, this is exactly the kind of local spot that needs our business. Give it a try!

Had an excellent date night here with my wife. The employee at the counter was super helpful giving us recommendations and helping us pick what we wanted and even recommended things I'm excited to try next time. The decor was also awesome and really nice overall. We ended up getting an order of crab rangoon to start and splitting the Kokoro Maki, Volcano and Hot Mama rolls. It was all amazing! Our favorite roll had to be the Kokoro Maki but I'd order them all again. The Hot Mama had a perfect amount of heat. It wasn't overbearing at all but it warmed you up and had a perfect kick. This is an awesome spot and a place I'm excited to go to again! Next time I might try their ramen or just get a whole lot more sushi, but this is an awesome spot in Waldo for good Sushi!

I had the kimchi jigae (soup) today which was delicious. Their kimchi in general is amazing. The service is lacking- you order at the counter and then they bring you your food but they don't check to see how everything is, even though you've already left a tip upfront. They brought me a dirty water glass to drink from. I've been here 3 times now and it's never a stellar experience, I'll probably head elsewhere from now on.

Great sushi I love the owner and they are good Christian and they have good service and great location and great customer service

The food is good. I wouldn't say anything special but if you're looking for a quick bite of sushi without having to sit down c be waited on, etc. it's the place to go. Environment is less than exciting. One TV in a silent room playing a basketball game. Unfortunately the first table we sat at was super dirty. It didn't get cleaned while we were there. Decent food but nothing special about this spot besides it being okay for a quick bite

Delicious food nice people no a holes that's all you can ask 4 in a nice whole house trap? :-)

Very very good. Visited about a week ago and will return when in the area. Traditional Japanese cuisine and very fresh with a lot of flavor. Had a Bul go gi box with marinaded beef. Sushi freshly made. Service excellent.

Best small sushi house I've been too. The front staff is so helpful. I love haw cozy it is. Overall great experience for what I pay for. Good in price overall as well.

I'm sad I overlooked this restaurant for so long. I recently got the Korean fried chicken and spicy pork bento boxes and was blown away. Everything was so good. The crab rangoon had a nice crunch and a ton of filling. The chicken was so crispy, good flavor, and fell off the bone. The spicy pork was tender and delicious. Even the salad was good despite looking so uninspiring. My meal was so good, I went back within the week and had another fantastic meal. The staff is incredibly friendly. Do not make my mistake and overlook this place. I don't write many reviews, but I was inspired enough to post here and on Google Maps to spread the word.

Came here for the first time recently. Wow!! The yaki udon was so amazing, so was the tonkatsu ramen. Service was great- came out reasonably quickly and was super hot and fresh. The environment is very cozy and peaceful. I cannot wait to come back here and try more items on the menu!

We LOVE Maki... eat here often. Food is delicious, and service is excellent. Everything from Bento boxes, Ramon, sushi, etc... all wonderful.

This place is wonderful. Amazing ramen and sushi. Try the bento box for dinner, they are wonderful.

It's rare these days to find restaurant staff that care about ensuring the quality of food isn't lost when you do takeout. That's exactly what they did. The Chashu Ramen is some of the best I've had, even to-go. The atmosphere and decor is a wonderful mix of Japanese and Korean styles that reflects the menu offerings.

My wife chose the venue so take that into consideration when looking at the rating. I rarely find myself liking the sushi options in restaurants like this I frequent. Years ago I was spoiled with a chef's sushi special, and I haven't found a comparable roll since. That said, the house special did come very close. (S9 Kokuro Maki). I judge restaurants by key dishes like fries at an American restaurants, or crab Rangoon in the case of this place. Overall it's at or above average. I also had K2 Dolsot Bi Bim Bab, which had a good presentation, which I neglected to capture, but I wasn't a fan of the taste. My wife bought Chicken Katsu Bento Box, which she loved. I'd recommend you give them a try. There is a nice ambience with thick, dark wooden chairs and tables with rounded edges and round, paper lantern lights.

First time here so I ordered to go. Ordered from the menu on their website "sushi box special" under LUNCH SPECIALS. I come in and i just have 1 roll ready that's not even packed and ready to go so I'm sitting there slowly watching her pack my 1 roll. Worker there tells me that's only a dinner special and I understand menu changes, but this is the menu on their website. Even though I ordered through the phone and said the same thing I said in person. I'm on a crunch time so picking up 1 order was not worth my time: I'm sticking with Jun's sushi. Too bad they're not open for lunch.

Tried this spot per a friend's recommendation. It's a self-service, dine in or takeout spot offering Japanese and Korean cuisine. So if you dine in, make sure you completely clean up after yourself and clear the table. It's a Korean-owned restaurant, known for their bento box meals. I thought the flavor of the bulgogi was super legit. My yellowtail nigiri was really good as well, but I think the star of the meal was the fried tofu teriyaki. So tasty!

Regret The veggie Ramen was basically a package of instant noodles with no vegetables. The Yaki Udon was just covered in hoisin sauce. The Tuna sushi Roll was tiny.

So far this place is my least favorite place for ramen. The guy working the front even said it's not traditional ramen like other places but I must of misread the menu because my non-traditional ramen was $17. I will say I like the flavor of the broth but barely any vegetables and 4-5 quarter size pieces of me. We also got sushi and it was my girl's turn to choose so we got her favorite, California Rolls. They were $7 no bad the price is about right, but when we received our rolls they were about the size of a hot dog. Probably the littlest rolls I've ever had. My girl and I had ramen and shared a sushi roll. The kids split a teriyaki chicken and a order of crab rangoon and three sodas with a 10% tip I paid $88. #grosslyoverpriced

Food was so so...not really very good. Servers where friendly but we had a decent sized group and they brought food out before the entire group was even there. Definitely, not the same the last time I visited the location.

Kokoro's location is prime! In the heart of Waldo, I've been here a couple of times and have left satisfied but not overly wowed. The lunch specials are decent... you can get 2 makis for 10$ or opt for a bento box for a couple more dollars. On my most recent visit, I opted for the bulgogi lunch box which came with 2 pcs california roll, 2 fried gyoza, salad, rice and of course bulgogi. The service is FAST, and The meal was satisfactory. The rolls were not all too impressive and the salad had a little too much dressing doused but flavor was good. I like my gyoza pan fried instead of the deep fried one I got... but the bulgogi was definitely the main show. Solid flavor! I would come back to try their dolsot bibimbap, though probably not their sushi. The menu has a variety of rolls, soups, and Korean dishes... something for everyone! Though this will by no means be my go to sushi house, I would definitely swing by if you're in Waldo for a nice warm meal, or if you're just starting to venture into Asian flavors.

I've always been one to try new restaurants and this was one on my list. When I saw it had less than 4 stars I wasn't sure so I had to see for myself. When we walked in, it was super quiet... they could definitely use some music or something. Then you should know you order at the counter. They don't have menues besides what is online or what they have on the wall behind the counter. Think of it like a sushi cafe - order at the counter and they bring it to you. But it's self serve drinks including alcohol. We ordered edamame, and 4 rolls (Philly, Kokoro Maki Roll, Spider, Sunday Morning). The food was just fine. When I think about the rolls, they had good flavor but they weren't well rolled so they broke apart when you picked them up, especially the Spider Roll. They were cut super thin and were extremely flimsy. I wouldn't say don't go there because it's good to support a local business but go knowing this isn't going to be the top of the line sushi restaurant. The staff was very nice and appreciate of our business.

I love the variety of this spot! Family owned business and very casual vibe. The Ramen was just ok for me but the bulgogi was fantastic. I also love getting their sushi, everything is always super fresh and you get a lot for your money. Never too crowded and takeout is available. Fast service for lunch and they have Wifi! Everyone should go here!

This place was so good. We got so much food and ate all of it. We also got the mochi which was good. Sadly. the place was empty around dinner time.

So happy to finally make my way to this sushi house. It's a small place but it's definitely worth the visit. There's so many sushi, bento boxes, and vegetarian options. I went with a friend that's vegetarian so this was a happy surprise for her. She had more than the avocado roll as an option. The price range is very inexpensive compared to other sushi restaurants, the price range is what a happy hour would be elsewhere. Although they also offer happy hour! You order at the register using a menu and a dry erase marker, so many options! The staff is 3 people, like I said small place but I did not experience a long wait. The sushi was made fresh and the cashier brings it to your table, they were different hats. I almost wish I could order and pay at my table in order to tip better, the service was great once we sat but we had already paid. Next time I am bringing cash. The actual food was great! I ordered my classic California roll because I can't pass it up, I also order yum yum roll and a house salad with ginger dressing. Yum yum to it all, the yum yum roll was spicy and delicious. California roll was by far the best one I have ever had. Not sure if this is a good or bad: because it's made fresh and there's hardly a wait, the rice on the rolls was not super cold like I'm used to. Still fantastic but just off. I highly recommend it's a cute place in Waldo and I will gladly be back. Only negative would be: they don't offer hot tea A bonus * plenty of parking and not crazy busy after work.

I usually go for the bento box dinners but every once in awhile I'll get the sushi. I like their rolls better than their nigiri though. It's a cute little casual place. You order and pay at the register and the food gets delivered. Fountain drinks and water are at self-service stations. I like how fast the food comes out too.

I love this Japanese/Korean fusion! It's one of my favorite sushi places. My favorite thing off the menu is the yaki udon noodles pan-fried. It is super delicious with a good balance of sweet and spicy (spicy is optional). They also have a good option of bento that you can do. It comes with soup, salad, and sides. For sushi I would recommend Sex in the City!

Sushi was delicious! Fun little find. Definitely want to come back and try one of their bento boxes next time I visit. When you arrive, you order at the counter and then it's more a serve yourself in regards to beverages or getting silverware.

Kokoro Maki House is one of many reasons why the Waldo neighborhood is such a charming area to dine. Late on a Saturday evening, my friends and I got a tip from a One More Cup barista that Kokoro has delicious and reasonably priced sushi. Good taste in coffee must mean good taste in sushi because we loved everything we ate at Kokoro! To be honest, the ordering process was a bit confusing at the beginning. We tried to order at the counter only be to told they were out of rice and it would be a 30 minute wait. We sat down at a table to browse through the menu. We thought we were getting table service, but he never brought our drinks and we ended up ordering at the counter after all. With the ordering ordeal behind us, we enjoyed some of the most fresh and most creative sushi I've ever had the privilege of tasting. My friends adored the "Hot Mama" Roll, saying that the blend of spice and fish was perfect. I loved our roll that had apple slices and cream cheese. The sweetness of the apples and cream cheese paired well with the smooth fish. I can't wait to return to the lovely Waldo neighborhood to enjoy some more sushi at Kokoro.

Outstanding place- i've been there numerous times and it never disappoints. They offer a variety of meals and I switch between a dinner bento box and one of their amazing sushi rolls everytime. Their Yum Yum Sushi roll is by far my favorite off of their menu. Got the Tofu Teriyaki bento box this time (a new item i've never ordered) and it was 10/10. Really good crisp on the tofu + teriyaki sauce made it a great entree (the chicken and pork teriyaki is good as well)! You also receive miso soup, a california roll, crab rangoon, and their house salad (I could eat this salad for every meal)! For the price, you get a large amount of food not to include the kind staff at Kokoro that make it a welcoming environment! Really great place, highly recommend it to everyone looking for some great food with lots of options!

Went in hoping for a nice bowl of ramen and left severely disappointed. What I was served was essentially a bowl of instant ramen with some sautéed cabbage an onions in it. I've had instant ramen better than this.

Above average Asian fusion place. There is sushi, a bunch of Korean dishes like Bulgogi and kimchi jigae. We got the sex and the city roll and the pan fried udon noodles. The sushi was actually amazing and the fried fish hit the spot. I've never had and Friday to noodles but they were definitely flavorful and high-quality noodles. This definitely isn't one of the premier sushi places in Kansas City but the prices are very reasonable especially for their lunch special.

Great vegan options. Although not listed as vegan they have several vegetable rolls that work and are delicious!

Food: sushi rolls aren't bad. They taste like your run of the mill sushi place. The menu is vast. Lots of options. Kokoro offers more than just sushi and sashimi. Korean meals are a staple here. I had the Bulgogi and some salmon nigiri. Bulgogi had a nice presentation. Flavor was average. Nigiri was average as well. The fish didn't taste very rich. Atmosphere: it's a cute place. Typical paper lanterns, cherry blossom patterns, fountains etc. It's never been very busy when we have been for dinner. Maybe most people do take out. Service: some people might have a language barrier issue - we had a communication issue with the bill. You also get your own drinks here and go to the front to pay. We have been here twice and probably won't return. If they upped their quality a bit more, we would be back. It's fair food for a fair price. I would suggest it for lunch or a quick meet up with friends. You get what you pay for.

Wonderful family owned business!! They have great lunch and dinner specials! It's a Japanese/Korean restaurant that serves both great sushi, Japanese, and Korean dishes! Also, everyone was so kind here!!

Very good food and good portions, wonderful service each time I come. They are always so friendly and the food is so fresh and you see them make every piece and the lunch special is great also.

second visit to this place, whereupon my original impression of this place was hopeful. despite a mediocre experience the first time around, i was hopeful that the next experience would likely be for the better. i enjoy the self-serve style that represents majority of casual dining in Asia. i enjoy the concept, but the food was disappointing and prices are too high. on the food bi bim bap @ $12: rather than daikon, i was served slices of wilted white onion. did i have more than 2 slices of beef? and then that lettuce.. they did not just buy that for $.99 from walmart (aldi's?) and give me only a helping. i mean, you should have given me a little more for how much i payed, don't you think? Last, that rice. some cooked, some not.. please don't do that. teriyaki (entree) @$13: what the.. china dragon down by holme's rd would have given me something better and for less ($8). they might even give me a fortune cookie with that.. maki house, Not okay! I think the boy behind the counters was embarrassed, and rightly so. for paying a minimum of $12/person's meal, they should offer better quality if even to make up for its lack in quantity. really, guys, i was very disappointed.

Went here for lunch...you order at the register like at fast food restaurant and fill your water, get napkins, etc. ordered 4 different rolls from lunch special and it was disappointing. Most of the roll was rice and there was absolutely nothing special. Perhaps, other menu items are better? Customer service was lacking and the lady seemed bothered when I went up to ask for the low sodium soy sauce.

I had been craving my cheap sushi and korean food for so long and when we finally had a chance to make it out there we were left underwhelmed. When we walked in we noticed there were a few small changes including new people we didn't recognize. We ordered the some of the usual items: sex and the city, yum yum roll, shrimp tempura roll and kalbi. The rolls were still good but the kalbi was not flavorful and you only got 8 small pieces of ribs for 15.95. Definitely not worth the money on that one! I'm hoping they were just having an off day but it will be a while before I venture out here for my cheap sushi and korean fix.

Had I known more about Kokoro Maki House, I'd have visited here long ago. For some reason I imagined this to be a somewhat fancy-pants sushi restaurant and was never looking for that when I was in the hood. Finally I was in Waldo and was craving sushi and opted to give this place a try. It ended up being MUCH more casual than I had imagined, but that's what makes me like it so much and so much more likely to return. How casual are we talking? You order at a counter off a plastic menu and get your own drink from a fountain. But the prices reflect this level of service, and the sushi is pretty dang good! Cheap, quality sushi? Count me in! Nothing on the menu is particularly creative or will blow your mind, but all of my rolls and nigiri tasted fresh. The miso soup was good, as was the seaweed salad. I'll be back, definitely.

Nestled in the Waldo neighborhood, Kokoro offers up great sushi rolls for even better prices. Do not expect an upscale atmosphere; you order at a counter and fill your own fountain soda, but you save a pretty penny off your food for doing so. My boyfriend and I shared 4 rolls, one I forgot and the others were the caterpillar, spider, and sex in the city. We weren't there at a busy time, but the rolls came quickly nonetheless. All were tasty and we were absolutely stuffed without depleting our wallets. I would definitely recommend if you're needing a reasonable sushi fix.

Authentic, bargain prices, absolutely fresh sashimi/sushi, great taste, cool easy relaxed atmosphere. There simply is not another sushi restaurant in Kansas City that is as fresh, as wide a variety nor as bargain priced as it gets at Kokoro Maki House. Family owned business so service does slow down during peak hours, but you will not regret it. They've recently expanded their menu so lots of new items. Be weary of spicy sushi, when they say spicy, it actually is quite spicy. Highly recommend this place.

Great spot with lots of Asian options. The bibimbap is awesome, they also have a fantastic selection of sushi rolls and Korean dishes. I've eaten here twice and had a good experience both times. They have great takeout options (I'm reviewing during the 2020 coronavirus scare).

Bento boxes are a lot of food and very good. Sushi is better than many of the pricier places in KC.

I'll echo community leader Matt's comment about Kokoro Maki House. I've driven by for years and never stopped in. Yesterday I found myself in the area late afternoon doing some work at an espresso joint nearby but needed something simple for dinner. Didn't need a white table cloth or a bunch of pretense, just something good, quiet, relaxed. Boy, this place was the prescription! Dinner: spicy tuna roll, Salmon and Yellowtail nigiri. That's it. Deadly simple, easy, healthy (my opinion). The nigiri was nothing special and I didn't expect it to be. But the spicy tuna roll... probably the best I've ever had. Too many restaurants turn this into the most boring item on the menu. Not here. Check out the photo I added. It was moist, covered with toasted sesame seeds, had a nice sauce atop (this is the sriacha & ranch dressing trick I think, and I'm OK with that). The tuna chunks were large and plenty of avocado to go along. Too many places make these so compact and wrapped in seaweed that they're unpleasant to eat. I was actually saving it for the last bites of the meal. Usually it's the other way around. On my way out I told them exactly what I wrote here and thanked them. It was truly a great roll. So, casual is the order of the day here. You order at a counter, they bring the meal out and explain what's on the plate. It's really relaxed, almost a small cafe feel. No pretense, no b.s. Food was good and I got exactly what I wanted. What's to not like? I'm not often in this area looking for food, and there are plenty of options in this part of town but this is right up my alley. I'll be back next time hunting down that spicy tuna roll.

Small restaurant that is an absolute gem. Delicious entrees and fresh sushi, this place was delicious. Highly recommend the dinner bento box, it was fantastic and worth every penny. I had the spicy pork, my wife had the chicken teriyaki. Both were delicious! Will be coming back for sure!

My favorite restaurant. Their food is always 10/10, and my entire family is always excited to go. It's my go-to place for food, and everyone whose went with me loves it too. I get the California rolls and they're amazing. The people are nice and the food is great, if I could I would give more stars.

I liked it. The seaweed salad was very good. The miso soup was not the best. Do not recommend. The Sushi was on par with other sushi places... I'm no expert, but it seemed fine to me. I didn't get a roll because I was trying to avoid fried and cream cheese in this visit. A few regulars stopped by for pickup orders. That was encouraging. No Ragrets.

The food here is good, but the way it is set up annoys the heck out of me. When I go for sushi I like the option of ordering as I eat so my sushi is super fresh and I can judge my level of fullness. Here you order at a counter, pay, and wait for your sushi. Sure, you can place multiple orders, but having to pay each time discourages me from doing that. I want to try some of the non-sushi items as they sound delicious. Prices are good. Service is meh.

Went to lunch on a Monday at 11:15am. Overall, after the meal, I was full and I had plenty to eat. Service is fine and you pay before being seated. If you just needed a quick meal before heading back to work, this would be fine, but if you have the time and was wanting quality sushi, you might as well travel somewhere else. Food was okay. I was in the mood for something hot with my sushi, so I opted for the lunch special which consisted of ramen and a california roll. Ramen was store bought packet with some additional spices and veggies, nothing special. You did have a choice of mild or spicy. On the cali roll, the sushi rice was okay. It was kinda grainy, not very compact, and the flavoring was off slightly than what I'm used to. Crab and cucumber was decent quality. Also, I know it's not mentioned often, but I had a pepsi and the soda was flat. The tank just needed changing. If I had a short amount of time and wanted some sushi, I might consider going back, but I won't go out of my way to eat here. My one experience can't justify the whole menu of course, but if the sushi rice on a cali roll doesn't fit my needs, I'm not sure if this is the place for me.