Long story short, we found affordable sushi in Hamden for as low as $2.50 for a California roll at Kumo Japanese Restaurant. Remain CALM, this is NOT a drill.
Let me start off with saying that I am a very avid sushi aficionado. I'm also an adventurous foodie in general. After those two qualities collided during my sophomore year of college, I ended up with a not so great weekend of food poisoning from sushi at a hibachi restaurant VERY well known by the Quinnipiac community.
So needless to say, I've been cautious ever since. When I heard from my friend about this other hibachi and sushi restaurant just a mile from where I got food poisoning, I was skeptical. What made me even more skeptical was that they had 50% off all sushi and rolls all day, EVERY DAY.
Something wasn't right, but I knew I had to investigate for you Hamdenites on a budget. As Michael Scott once said, "I am ready to get hurt again."
After an orgo exam that had me wanting to treat myself (and nap for 1000 years), I decided to try the absurdly low-priced sushi at Kumo. I immediately found the mini-catch: they don't deliver. Although it isn't a huge deal, it becomes tricky if you want cheap sushi and don't have a car on campus. However, it's worth the 10 minute drive for sushi this affordable.
I looked at their menu online, and was so surprised to see it was true--50% off their rolls, hand rolls, tempura rolls, sushi, sashimi, AND special rolls!
With prices this low, you almost definitely question the quality of the sushi. Being the adventurous foodie I am and getting much, much reassurance from Julia that she never got sick, I took a leap of faith and put my entire digestive system back on the line.
When I pulled into Kumo's parking lot, my worries grew more and more when I saw the exterior. The building itself wasn't run-down, but needed some updating. The sign from the street was also outdated, and looked pretty cheap. Took a couple deep breaths right about then. #doitforSpoon
Walking in, I noticed right on the door that they were Zagat rated in 2011 and 2012. Cue sigh of relief. Up until this point, I was never disappointed by anything that was rated by Zagat within the past few years (even got the 2017 book for NYC restaurants to take this foodie to the next level), and I didn't expect any less from Kumo. Zagat, I LOVE YOUR WORK.
The interior wasn't anything extraordinary, but a good amount of people were there for sushi. It was pretty clean, it wasn't outdated, and it was a casual atmosphere. The hibachi section was not very busy, but it was comforting to me that more than half the tables for sushi were filled, and I was excited to dig in.
Let's cut to the chase. The sushi was great. It didn't smell, it tasted great, and it looked amazing. My bill with THREE rolls and two pieces of salmon sushi came out to around $13. The best part is that I didn't get sick after that first time, my second, third, or even after my fourth time there. As of now, I can't find anything fishy with Kumo's catch of the day *knocks on wood*.
So if you have a car or a friend with a car, get yourself Hamden's most affordable sushi to go or to dine in. Bring a cool pal who enjoys eating sushi (or chopsticks) and pig out affordably.