Kurama Omakase — Restaurant in Keene

It was my day off and I had an appointment at the vet in Claremont and, you know, I wanted to make a trip of it and take myself out for lunch/dinner. So I periodically get into Yelp and just check around and see if there is something “promising” out there that is new or that I might have missed. Imagine my SURPRISE to discover an omakase spot in Keene! I was excited.

I finished up at the vet Wednesday afternoon and drove over to Kurama Omakase. I arrived shortly after 5pm and parked in one of the spots on the street right outside. Kurama looked very empty, but the “Open” sign was lit, so I went in.

Now! Here’s the thing. I REALLY want to support Kurama Omakase because they are the ONLY restaurant anywhere in Vermont or New Hampshire (that I know of) who are even attempting to offer Omakase. From what I could gather, the sushi chef is also the owner. Which is another thing I REALLY want to support. In all honesty, Kurama is the only restaurant I have ever been comfortable even trying to eat Omakase at in VT/NH. These are big things. I would like more people to be able to experience Omakase and Kurama is out here making that happen and doing a good job at it.

The sushi counter is very nice, big, roomy, L shaped. A good number of people can sit and have Omakase. The Omakase being served here is Edomae style. Which is the oldest, most traditional style developed in Tokyo area (before refrigeration). The focus in Edomae is individual pieces of fish (sushi) that have been “flavored” in some way. My Omakase at Kurama included classic flavors: freshly zested lime, truffle, fresh shiso leaf, etc. Pieces were well executed. Flavors were good. Fish was good.

I, personally, don’t love Edomae style. What I love is all the crazy, “fusion” type creative combining of ingredients to make bites that are deeply layered with flavor and texture. But I also get that the market for that kind of Omakase does not yet exist in Keene, NH. The only thing I’m going to “ding” Kurama on with their Omakase is serving a pre-made, frozen mochi ice cream as the dessert portion of an $85 meal. That’s not okay.

However! The SHOWSTOPPER at Kurama was the Crispy Rice roll that I had after my Omakase. I decided to order something off their regular sushi menu to give it a try. The Crispy Rice roll is deep fried sushi rice with your choice of chopped fish (I chose salmon), guacamole, scallions, roe, Teriyaki sauce and spicy mayo. DELICIOUS!!! Also wonderful mix of textures. Great mouthfeel. GET THIS ROLL.

The real problem at Kurama is the atmosphere. It’s not great. The team needs to work on maintaining and professional workplace. Of course this is a problem that can be fixed and if you came with a group of people it would not matter as much. And if you get take out it won’t matter at all. But it was not a great Omakase experience for me to dine alone. They should work on that. If you are offering an elevated dining experience, like an $85 Omakase in Keene, NH, the ENTIRE experience needs to be elevated. Kurama needs to STEP UP their service in the...

How you rate this restaurant just depends on what it is that you're looking for. It's got by far the best quality sushi in the area. My mom said it's the best fish she's had since she lived in Japan. It's the only one that uses real wasabi (most use a horseradish paste that's been dyed green). It's also got some great appetizers. The crab rangoons are the best you'll come across, the gyoza's on point, and this is the only place i've been to in New Hampshire that serves takoyaki. What they specialize in is omakase, which is when the sushi chef makes and serves you a multi course meal. It's definitely an experience.

Now, the downsides. It is, of course, expensive. The omakase costs over $80, not including drinks or the tip. Make sure you ask the price before buying anything listed as "market price" because they have some very expensive imported ingredients and you don't want to be blindsided by the bill. There's usually only one sushi chef making multiple meals so service can be a little slow. Lastly, they didn't do a great job on the non food aspects of the restaurant. Their best tasting Japanese beer and sakes aren't on their beer and sake list. Their bathroom looks like it belongs in one of the cheapest restaurants in town, not one of the most expensive. All this being said, if what you really care about is just high quality japanese food, this is the...

I have nothing but great things to say about this place. First of all, when we arrived, my sister and I were greeted as if we were old friends. Everyone made us feel so welcomed! We wanted some sake, but weren't quite sure what we wanted; the waitress was quick to grab us some samples so we could make the perfect pick. The chef thoroughly explained what was being served and was so friendly. The food was INCREDIBLE. The fish was so fresh and the rice was warm... Everything melted in your mouth. The chef explained to us that most places use California sea urchin when serving uni, but theirs was from Japan. Having tried uni at a few other places, I must say, the flavor and mouth-feel was superior to anything I've ever tasted. It was delicious.

All around, I have nothing but praise for this establishment. I will gladly go again and am looking...