Social Profile: 
✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out
… View more
Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 5–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 5–9 PM |
| Thursday | 5–9 PM |
| Friday | 5–9 PM |
| Saturday | 5–9 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 526 Main St, Covington, KY 41011
Phone: (859) 919-1900
Website: https://nagomijapaneserestaurant.com/
Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
Nagomi Japanese Restaurant – Authentic Japanese Sushi, Dinner …
Celebrating 30th Year Anniversary! Nagomi Japanese Restaurant. Mainstrasse Village in Covington, KY, Near Downtown Cincinnati. (859) 919-1900.
Nagomi Japanese Restaurant | Covington KY – Facebook
Details. . 94% recommend (36 Reviews). . $$. . Closed now. . 526 Main Street, Covington, KY, United States, 41011 ; Links. . nagomijapaneserestaurant.com …
Nagomi Japanese Restaurant in Covington, KY – Visit Cincy
Savor authentic Japanese cuisine at Nagomi in Covington! From sushi rolls to bento boxes, we cater to all, including vegans & vegetarians.
Reviews
Hyeon Woo Shim
Horrifying, Expensive Experience by a Delusional Chef. Avoid if You Can.
Summary:
– Stale smelling/tasting fish across the board.
– Discolored, yellow avocado on rainbow roll that the chef admits to have cut the day before.
– Very small portions for the price and quality/taste. Price-to-quality greatly exceeds even that of NYC’s in our experience.
– Chef who is proud he is Japanese, but whose food and integrity does not come close to anything we’ve experienced in Japan.
– We only ate 50% of the food because of the quality/taste. Take a look at our last photo. That’s how much we left.
The Food:
Miso soup came out first for the Sushi Dinner and was passable.
Salad came out for the Sushi Dinner, and we were shocked by the small portion. The greens seemed stale, with a lot of brown spots. It was edible at best.
The Rainbow roll had an unpleasant scent, which indicated the fish was old or mishandled. The most obvious issue, however, was the avocado placed throughout the roll. It clearly was yellow/discolored. Given these factors, we decided not to eat any part of it and asked the chef for a refund only on the rainbow roll. However, his response was: “do you want fresh avocado?” He also explained to us that avocado becomes that color when cut the day before… He claimed that the various fish were fresh. He refused to provide a refund and insisted we pay 50% of its cost because according to him the fish was fresh. The fact that he served discolored avocado despite having fresh avocado is a clear indication of his lack of integrity and mindset as a chef, so we couldn’t trust his claims. We are also sushi lovers who have tried sushi many times in Japan and in the US. Of course, there is a subjective element to the assessment of freshness, but the unpleasant smell was real for us. If it was fresh, then it means he needs to fix how he handles/prepares/sources his fish. If it wasn’t fresh, then it would mean he lied. We took the 50% refund on the roll because the chef could not be reasoned with and we were ready for the nightmare to end. What was he going to do with a fresh avocado? Was he planning to reattach it to the roll that the old avocado already touched? It did not make sense to us.
The shrimp tempura roll was stale and soggy. The shrimp had no bounciness and simply disintegrated in an unpleasant way in the mouth. We heard microwave sounds, and the shrimp was unnaturally hot on the inside, making us suspect it was microwaved, not feshly fried. The chef insisted he fried it fresh and offered to show us in the kitchen how he makes tempura. We declined his offer.
The salmon roll was also very unsatisfactory. The salmon did not taste fresh, and the spicy sauce on it tasted like nothing we’ve had in a bad way.
The $50 sashimi dinner was truly not worth its cost and edible at best. The shrimp nigiri tasted strange; the tuna roll also did not taste like tuna. The california roll was also a sad size and taste for its price.
We still paid for everything except for 50% of the refund on the rainbow roll, yet we left half the food uneaten because we couldn’t trust it anymore, not to mention the taste.
We thought we were in an episode of Kitchen Nightmare. In the chef’s mind, his food had no issues. Yes, there is subjectivity involved, but this… this was not it. We think the chef needs a Gordon Ramsay in his life. The woman who helped our table, whom we presume to be the chef’s wife, at least seemed nice.
The Atmosphere:
– Completely silent, no music.
– Feels like a residential home converted to be a restaurant.
– This is the least of this restaurant’s issues.
One last note:
During our back-and-forth, the chef suddenly asked us a baffling question:
“Chinese or Korean?” Our intepretation is that he wanted to chalk up our complaints as those of non-Japanese people who don’t know any better. Regardless, we cannot think of any interpretation of his question that would not make a dent on his character.
… moreSummary:
– Stale smelling/tasting fish across the board.
– Discolored, yellow avocado on rainbow roll that the chef admits to have cut the day before.
– Very small portions for the price and quality/taste. Price-to-quality greatly exceeds even that of NYC’s in our experience.
– Chef who is proud he is Japanese, but whose food and integrity does not come close to anything we’ve experienced in Japan.
– We only ate 50% of the food because of the quality/taste. Take a look at our last photo. That’s how much we left.
The Food:
Miso soup came out first for the Sushi Dinner and was passable.
Salad came out for the Sushi Dinner, and we were shocked by the small portion. The greens seemed stale, with a lot of brown spots. It was edible at best.
The Rainbow roll had an unpleasant scent, which indicated the fish was old or mishandled. The most obvious issue, however, was the avocado placed throughout the roll. It clearly was yellow/discolored. Given these factors, we decided not to eat any part of it and asked the chef for a refund only on the rainbow roll. However, his response was: “do you want fresh avocado?” He also explained to us that avocado becomes that color when cut the day before… He claimed that the various fish were fresh. He refused to provide a refund and insisted we pay 50% of its cost because according to him the fish was fresh. The fact that he served discolored avocado despite having fresh avocado is a clear indication of his lack of integrity and mindset as a chef, so we couldn’t trust his claims. We are also sushi lovers who have tried sushi many times in Japan and in the US. Of course, there is a subjective element to the assessment of freshness, but the unpleasant smell was real for us. If it was fresh, then it means he needs to fix how he handles/prepares/sources his fish. If it wasn’t fresh, then it would mean he lied. We took the 50% refund on the roll because the chef could not be reasoned with and we were ready for the nightmare to end. What was he going to do with a fresh avocado? Was he planning to reattach it to the roll that the old avocado already touched? It did not make sense to us.
The shrimp tempura roll was stale and soggy. The shrimp had no bounciness and simply disintegrated in an unpleasant way in the mouth. We heard microwave sounds, and the shrimp was unnaturally hot on the inside, making us suspect it was microwaved, not feshly fried. The chef insisted he fried it fresh and offered to show us in the kitchen how he makes tempura. We declined his offer.
The salmon roll was also very unsatisfactory. The salmon did not taste fresh, and the spicy sauce on it tasted like nothing we’ve had in a bad way.
The $50 sashimi dinner was truly not worth its cost and edible at best. The shrimp nigiri tasted strange; the tuna roll also did not taste like tuna. The california roll was also a sad size and taste for its price.
We still paid for everything except for 50% of the refund on the rainbow roll, yet we left half the food uneaten because we couldn’t trust it anymore, not to mention the taste.
We thought we were in an episode of Kitchen Nightmare. In the chef’s mind, his food had no issues. Yes, there is subjectivity involved, but this… this was not it. We think the chef needs a Gordon Ramsay in his life. The woman who helped our table, whom we presume to be the chef’s wife, at least seemed nice.
The Atmosphere:
– Completely silent, no music.
– Feels like a residential home converted to be a restaurant.
– This is the least of this restaurant’s issues.
One last note:
During our back-and-forth, the chef suddenly asked us a baffling question:
“Chinese or Korean?” Our intepretation is that he wanted to chalk up our complaints as those of non-Japanese people who don’t know any better. Regardless, we cannot think of any interpretation of his question that would not make a dent on his character.
Jesse Hughes
If you’re not sure about the food you might find on your trip to Japan. This is the most authentic place in the Cincinnati Tri-state area. Come check it out. Service was very polite, very Japanese. Food was amazing, and the chef visited with us. It is by reservation only, just like most things in Japan. I highly recommend this place. I’ll be back for sure. Even my Japanese mom didn’t complain about any of it. Lol That’s saying something. The prices align with the authentic quality of the food.
They made it feel like we were back in Japan, but less expensive.
… moreThey made it feel like we were back in Japan, but less expensive.
Brandon Massengill
I went here for their Valentine’s Day special and was absolutely delighted. It was my second visit, the first was also a fantastic experience. We had a five-course meal and everything was delicious. The Tako-yaki was a treat! The seaweed salad was incredibly light and flavorful. The Dobin-Mushi Soup was so warming, so amazing. Their sushi and nigiri are fresh and filling. The server, Reiko, is always a wonderful presence, and takes care to make sure we are informed and feeling welcome. I would eat here every day if I could! I will always treasure my experiences at Nagomi.
… moreAmy Daily
Delicious sushi, seaweed salad, miso soup, appetizers, and deserts. Ambiance is quaint and comfortable. Definitely recommend to anyone looking to try Japanese food or someone who already loves Japanese food. Great for date night, celebrations, and special occasions. We had an expensive meal, but there is definitely a range of options!
… moreCrystal Robinson-Fisher
Excellent food and service. I had the vegan teriyaki bento box. It was very satisfying with small portions of different dishes, each one delicious. My husband had the udon and the server was nice enough to ensure he was not vegan since the noodles have eggs. We will go back when in the area. The dining room is very small and intimate.
… moreZach Schunder
I had one of the best dining experiences of my life here.
The food was spectacular. I appreciate the time and craftsmanship that went into my meal. It was beautiful and delicious.
The owners are such wonderful and attentive people. They even were kind enough to let me practice some Japanese for my upcoming trip.
The atmosphere was great. It is a nice small space that feels so cozy and quaint.
Everyone should dine here.
… moreThe food was spectacular. I appreciate the time and craftsmanship that went into my meal. It was beautiful and delicious.
The owners are such wonderful and attentive people. They even were kind enough to let me practice some Japanese for my upcoming trip.
The atmosphere was great. It is a nice small space that feels so cozy and quaint.
Everyone should dine here.
Henry Chen
Don’t know what happened to this restaurant (judging by its ratings) but a week ago, my friends and I found this place for dinner. A small dish of Eel Don was charged 40+ bucks, and a shabu shabu bowl of soup and veggies and proteins was as expensive as the Eel Don. Even in Columbus, Ohio, we could easily get an Eel Don for 30-ish bucks that got a much larger portion AS WELL AS amazing taste (this restaurant put a load tons of pepper in an Eel Don…) & 20-ish bucks for a delicious meal of shabu shabu…
If quality were good, we would have had no complaints. However, portions were so small, it could barely fill half of our stomachs. Comparing to the tastes of foods I used to have back in Taiwan and Japan, tastes were blend, not delicious, and somewhat tragic.
We also got sushis that looked awfully filleted, that tasted NOT FRESH as well. Even Kura Sushi chain sushi would taste so much better than those.
Last but not least, salad portion was smaller than the size of my fist, and my friend who had a piece of salmon sushi found A STRIP OF PLASTIC in there. By that moment, all we wished for was to finish our foods and run away from there. No matter how great the interior and exterior of the restaurant looked – and how nice was the servant – foods were UNACCEPTABLE.
Before commenting, I’ve scrolled through some of the other comments with 1-star rating. The only thing I saw was the chef’s replies showing how delusional he is about his foods and the prices he put on the menu for his “Authentic Foods.” This place is absolutely not authentic. If you wouldn’t believe me, pay a visit to Japan and have actual authentic restaurant dishes.
As a person who has tasted a lot of Japanese foods in both Asia and the US, I would 100% NOT RECOMMEND this restaurant. Such a wrong spending of money.
… moreIf quality were good, we would have had no complaints. However, portions were so small, it could barely fill half of our stomachs. Comparing to the tastes of foods I used to have back in Taiwan and Japan, tastes were blend, not delicious, and somewhat tragic.
We also got sushis that looked awfully filleted, that tasted NOT FRESH as well. Even Kura Sushi chain sushi would taste so much better than those.
Last but not least, salad portion was smaller than the size of my fist, and my friend who had a piece of salmon sushi found A STRIP OF PLASTIC in there. By that moment, all we wished for was to finish our foods and run away from there. No matter how great the interior and exterior of the restaurant looked – and how nice was the servant – foods were UNACCEPTABLE.
Before commenting, I’ve scrolled through some of the other comments with 1-star rating. The only thing I saw was the chef’s replies showing how delusional he is about his foods and the prices he put on the menu for his “Authentic Foods.” This place is absolutely not authentic. If you wouldn’t believe me, pay a visit to Japan and have actual authentic restaurant dishes.
As a person who has tasted a lot of Japanese foods in both Asia and the US, I would 100% NOT RECOMMEND this restaurant. Such a wrong spending of money.
Kayla Hensley
I LOVE this place! They have amazing food, and great atmosphere. It is a great place for an intimate date or just to go for fun. I have been here several times and it never disappoints!
… moreJae Kim
I came here right at opening. I was greeted by a nice asian lady. I ordered the sashimi meal and the portions were great. The fish quality appears to be good too. This is a hole in the wall location. I’d highly recommend this as a sushi spot. There is parking nearby.
… moreTyler Michael
This is a great spot! The owners are so kind, every time I go they always come by to say hello.
Lately, I’ve been enjoying the ramen during their lunch service! The Dora-yaki dessert was also so incredible. I don’t have a picture because I accidentally ate it first 🙂
… moreLately, I’ve been enjoying the ramen during their lunch service! The Dora-yaki dessert was also so incredible. I don’t have a picture because I accidentally ate it first 🙂