Kuma Inn
113 Ludlow Street, Lower East Side, NY
map & more
Neighborhood
Lower East Side
Nearby
Arlene's Grocery
Bowery Ballroom
Mercury Lounge
Rockwood Music Hall
212-353-8866
You know that friend of yours that thinks Kuma Inn is the greatest place ever? Right, that’s the friend you should never take restaurant advice from. It’s funny, for being such a mediocre restaurant, Kuma Inn really puts a spell on some people. It’s got to be because this is one of the only reasonable BYOB options in town. Or maybe people simply enjoy smelling like a deep fryer for the rest of the night.
Kuma Inn has been a LES staple for nearly a decade, and remains the same exact sh*t box of a restaurant that it’s always been. Walk up a random flight of stairs and behold the smokiest studio apartment you’ll ever pay money to eat in. Laminated press clippings greet you in the waiting area and framed post cards from the Philippines keep you company in the sweaty, windowless bathroom. Tasteful design touches, indeed.
If the food, Asian inspired small plates, was incredible, these points would all be moot. As you’ll read below in the food rundown, it’s not. There are definitely some reasonable dishes on the menu – we’ve always enjoyed the tuna tartare and the rice crepes. But unfortunately not a single dish gets us fired up enough to want to come back.
Am I being a little harsh? Maybe. But after leaving Kuma Inn, I didn’t feel sufficiently clean for a week…and I shower at least once a day.
Food Rundown:
Wasabi Pork Shumai
Tasty pork dumpling nuggets with a serious kick. If you can’t take a heavy dose of wasabi, don’t order these.
Steamed Edamame with Thai Basil-Lime Oil
Spicy edamame literally swimming in a pool of oil. These are good, but are also so greasy that they need to serve you some wet naps on the side.
Yellowfin Tuna Tartare with Rice Noodle Crisp
This is easily one of the best things on the menu. The tuna is fresh as can be, and goes really well with the crispy rice noodles. Definitely order this one.
Pork Buns
A special that’s often available, these buns were hearty, but quite disappointing. The braised meat taste is bland, and there’s way too much bun. You have to dump an entire thing of hoisin sauce on each one to actually get some flavor going.
Chicken Wings
How these rice vinegar, garlic and soy wings are starred as a “signature” dish is incredibly questionable. We can’t imagine that people actually enjoy these. That is, unless wet, slimy, chicken wings are your thing. Gross.
Rice Crepes with Kuma Bolognese
This is another signature dish that could have been better. The steamed and then pan-fried rice crepes are nicely done, with a soft rice cake inside and crispy exterior, but we need more bolognese on these! Why so stingy on the sauce? I would definitely order this again, but it’s not a dish I’m still thinking about.
