Kyoto Sushi — Restaurant in Groton

Nestled in between Dollar General and a small dry cleaners in the unassuming Groton Shopping Plaza, Kyoto Sushi is, by far, the best sushi restaurant that I have had the pleasure of dining at in all of South Eastern Connecticut. All of the staff are pleasant, friendly, and attentive. The prices are great and the portions are generous.

The food, however, is the really special part. Their produce is always at the peak of ripeness and savour, especially the avocado and cucumber, and their nori is top quality, flavorful and light without being tough or too fragile. Their rice is always perfectly seasoned with just the right levels of sugar and vinegar, and it is never overcooked or overworked. Their fish is somehow always of the highest caliber, properly bought, stored, and sliced, it is tender, fresh, and always delicious. Their tuna, yellowtail, and salmon are all strongly recommended.

They have an extremely long and inventive list of special rolls named after various US states (though probably that is a reference to the Groton submarines of the same names), and all are worth trying. Their spicy salmon, tuna, yellowtail, shrimp, etc. rolls are the best I have ever had; rather than mulching up the fish with mayo and hot sauce, these rolls are made like standard futomaki with a delicate and well flavored spicy mayo drizzled on top. You get all the same great textures of regular sushi with the added sting and creaminess that you would expect in a "spicy" roll.

Special highlights include the Salmon and Avocado salad, an intensely flavorful and refreshing meal unto itself, and the Poke bowls, some of the best I have ever tried. The regular rolls are also worth mentioning. Rather than the usual maki style (one filling, rolled thin, cut into 6 pieces), all of the basic rolls are actually futomaki (2 to 3 fillings, more rice, cut into 8 pieces), giving you more flavor, textural contrast, and value than you would usually expect. I could be happy just eating a couple of cucumber and avocado rolls at this place, they are just so good.

Go to Kyoto Sushi, give them a try. They also have a thriving take-out side to their business, though I would always prefer to have these delicious, fresh, and expertly prepared treats right off of the sushi chef's...

By far the best hidden gem in Groton. The sushi is amazing, I've been coming here at least once every couple weeks for the past year, and have never had a bad experience. The food is prepared perfectly, the staff is friendly, and anyone who knows sushi knows, the rice is the most important part, and they have excellent sushi rice. The fish is always fresh, properly prepared, and the lunch special deal is out of this world. Two very large 8 piece rolls, or 3 prices Nigiri Sushi/Sashimi with one roll, or 6 pieces Sushi/Sashimi, with salad and miso soup, all for $11. You cannot beat this deal anywhere, just make sure to get in before 3pm. Trust me when I say this, I've been eating sushi for years and lived in Groton my whole life, this is the best sushi spot in Groton, or really any surrounding town for that matter. Make sure to try a Poki Bowl as well, I tend to eat a large portion and for just $12 it fills me up, most people need to take some home, with a generous portion of fish, not like other places where they put cheap filler in. Overall, I will keep coming here as often as I can, absolutely my favorite restaurant. When I say 5 stars I really do mean 5 stars, on top of all the great food and friendly service, unlike some other Sushi restaurants, they also serve hibachi-style dishes for if you have a friend that doesn't eat sushi, they can get a very generous portion of different kinds of hibachi. Again, very affordable. Two people can easily eat for $30. The service is also lightning-fast, for me I usually wait no longer than ten minutes for food, most of the time under 5 minutes to be honest. Hopefully if you read this you take the time out of your day to come here, cannot...

Called for pick up and the man who answered the phone didn't even speak english. I ordered a "Philadelphia roll" and he asked me what number... the online menu didn't have numbers and I had to sit there getting more and more frustrated with him until a cheerful and polite girl finally picked up the phone. Finally ordered 6 rolls with her (which they confirmed 20mins.)... Get there to be told they didn't have the ingredients for salmon??? Replaced with other roll which took them another 15 minutes to make and they even ran out of coke?? They only offered 10% off for inconvenience. Upon bringing the food home (3 minute drive) I realized that the rice was soggy and overcooked. The roll themselves felt warmer than they should have been despite being in an AC'd car and the rice didn't even have the proper vinegar + sugar flavor that they should have. The girl who finally answered the phone was very polite and had great hospitality but otherwise awful experience- never going back...