Kata Nori Hand Roll Bar

I first tried Kata Nori's hand rolls during the Cafe Caphe Lunar New Year pop-up event in January. We arrived at the event a little late, so the only hand roll selection was the avocado hand roll, in addition to their delicious crudo options. Because I'd heard a lot of good things about Kata Nori and had upcoming reservations for my sister's birthday, I wanted to see what I could anticipate before my first visit, so I ordered the avocado roll. I expected it to be just another avocado roll, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it exceeded my expectations. Not only did the avocado taste fresh and wonderful, but the flavors of the hand roll blended perfectly in my mouth. Reminiscing about the fresh flavors of the avocado hand roll, I couldn't wait for my sister's birthday so I could reorder it and try even more options. Unfortunately, my phone did not eat first. So I don't have many images to share, except from this particular picture of my Martini. That's not to say I didn't enjoy my time at Kata Nori; some may argue that the cuisine was so wonderful that I forgot to take pictures. Although some may mistake the place for another sushi restaurant, it's safe to say that you won't find anything similar to a standard California sushi roll. But don't let that discourage you from booking a reservation at Kata Nori; if you're up for it, prepare for a fantastic evening of fresh ingredients, flavors, and fish. Also, be prepared to shell out a decent amount of $$. Because by the time you're finished, you've probably ordered half of the menu items. Nevertheless don't worry, you won't recall how much the meal cost because you'll probably be making plans for your next visit here.

Come here to kick off my birthday night with my friend for my favorite martini! This is the only place in Kansas City that I've been to that makes it perfectly and correctly! Everyone was so nice and made my night here special. I also tried two of the blue crab hand rolls that were a 10/10. Great place for social time, date or drinks. They also have a lounge area if you just want to hang out and drink. Highly recommend coming here.

What a special dinner! Came here to celebrate our daughter's fiancé's birthday. Reservations for 5:30pm and we were running a little late but they held our table for us. Cute little restaurant. Everyone sits on a U shaped table as they make the hand rolls in front of you. Flavors were delicious with wonderfully seasoned and well planned dish after dish we ordered. We each had the "4 roll set" and for a fifth hand roll had the hotate hand rolls. I think my favorite was the crab but the spicy tuna was a close 2nd. This was my first time having Japanese hand rolls and it is a delicious twist on sushi. The crispy seaweed paper really add to the sushi rice and fillings in each roll. We also ordered:Hamachi Crudo - had red orange slices and is amazing.A special of the day tuna crudoKinoko (another favorite of mine with mushrooms thinly sliced and deliciously seasoned)Sunomono (cucumbers with seasonings)Madani sashimi Special of the day Sashimi Service was top notch. I really enjoyed the slow pace at which they brought you the food. They gave you enough time to enjoy each bite (and enjoy good conversation) and not hurry you or keep you waiting too long.For that special occasion or just a night when you want to be pampered with a delicious meal this place is hard to beat!

I haven't tried any other Japanese restaurants in Kansas City but when I'm there and want sushi, I'm coming here! I tried the wagyu and spicy sake hand rolls which were delicious - I liked the wagyu better. The hand rolls were great fresh but then the seaweed was harder to bite through after a few minutes of being served so I recommend eating the rolls right away rather than waiting. I loved the ambiance and space. The seating concept around the sushi bar counter is a cool experience!

We had an amazing dinner at Kata Nori. It's a very small and charming space, so reservations are necessary but worth it. We sat at the bar and watched the chefs prepare handrolls, crudos, and sashimi. It's a lively atmosphere and the food comes out quickly. The staff is kind and patient about explaining the options, especially for someone like myself who is not a sushi pro. We started with a four handroll set and moved on to furikake rice, kinoko, maguro, the walu walu, and finished with green tea and yuzu ice cream. I really cannot say anything negative about any of the dishes. Everything was fresh, delicious, and beautifully presented. We absolutely loved the kinoko (king trumpet mushrooms delicately prepared with a yuzu vinaigrette), the maguro (a refreshing dish with watermelon and blue fin tuna), and the walu walu (the only cooked dish which is a mild, perfectly baked escolar with crispy leeks). Absolutely wonderful! The drinks and sake options are also awesome and, should you choose to bring your own wine, the corkage fee is $25. If you love fresh seafood and sushi, put Kata Nori on your restaurant list!

I have been raving about Kata Nori for well over a year and honestly, I'm ashamed of myself for not yet bringing every single one of my friends here. Why do I go anywhere else? That's really what I should be asking myself. To have a place like Kata Nori in KC makes me feel very proud. This establishment is high class, authentic, FRESH, quaint and personalized for each person. The experience is not one that I have had the pleasure of having ever in any city I've been in. I'm sure it exists, but I'm also sure that Kata Nori could stand up to any competitor. Every single one of the hand rolls, crudos, sashimis, drinks and more are amazing. I especially enjoy the mushrooms, the scallop hand roll, the watermelon crudo and the special barracuda sashimi. I highly recommend both visiting Kata Nori (book in advance, it is small!) and their instagram account for some beautifully curated sneak peaks at what they have to offer.

Absolutely delicious. Kata Nori is the perfect place to go on a romantic low-lit date cozied up to the small bar. Kata Nori is also the perfect place to impress your friends and family with how cool you are -- but only a small group of friends and family. This is not a restaurant to bring more than about 4 people. It's a beautiful, intimate counter space built for small groups. Definitely make a reservation if you're going on a weekend because there are only about 25 seats. They have a small lounge area for you to wait and drink if you take your chances with a walk in. First Friday weekends are particularly busy! The menu is concise but powerful! I can make no conclusive recommendations for how much food to order -- every time I go, I just black out and keep ordering food until I can't eat anymore. The hand rolls are only a couple of bites each, and the small plates are indeed small. The hand rolls are prepared fresh at the bar before your very eyes. They are presented to you, and you are to eat it immediately while the nori is still crunchy, the rice still a little warm, and the seafood fresh. Order a hand roll set or several at a time, and your meal is perfectly paced out by the chefs. The three hand roll set is a solid place to start. Despite only "hand roll" being in the name of the restaurant, don't sleep on the crudo and small plates! The kinoko mushroom dish is my absolute favorite thing on the menu. There's a great selection of cocktails, beer, wine, and sake. The Snow Maiden unfiltered sake changed my mind on not liking sake! Limited to street parking in Crossroads or finding a paid lot somewhere. Only a few blocks from the Crossroads streetcar stop!

Loved this spot. Everything was fresh and delicious. Place was busy. Make a reservation. We got the five roll combo.

Great experience last night. The quality of the fish is top notch and the service was excellent. We had 5 hand rolls, a crudo, and the mushrooms between 2 women. It was the perfect amount of food. The fatty tuna hand roll was my favorite. They all have some type of texture in them which is just a little bit different than sushi rolls. I wanted a spoon to eat the scallops with because the sauce was wonderful. And finally the mushrooms!! These are must if they are on the menu. They are fabulous and the sauce is again perfect.

Probably one of my top favorite restaurants here in KC! These hand rolls are something I've never experienced. I am used to eating traditional sushi. The sushi chef makes everything on the spot so everything is crunchy and fresh!The rolls I ordered were the hamachi, the spicy tuna, and the spicy sake. I would have to say that they were all great but the hamachi had to have been my favorite, I easily could've eaten 5 of them. I also ordered the walu walu which was served in a bowl it as baked escolar, topped with crispy leeks, and octo vinegar, the octo vinegar really enhanced everything and took the flavors to the next level. The baked escolar was similar to sea bass but less light and more meaty with a drier consistency.I am already planning my trip back here. I came during lunch time but I would make reservations ahead of time cause I could see to is place filling up. They seem to have limited seating because the only seating I saw was around the sushi bar.