6 Historic Rte 66
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
*Disclaimer: We were not paid for this review. All opinions are our own and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
Karma Sushi, in historic downtown Flagstaff, is the best place in town for sushi. Not only is the food absolutely delicious, they also get bonus points for accommodating gluten-free and vegetarian diners. The trendy setting and great service make it one of the best choices in town for date night. They are also known for their daily happy hour specials, which runs from 3-6pm daily. Also, a variety of lunch Bento Boxes can be ordered from 11am-3pm daily.
The menu at Karma is large, consisting of both traditional Japanese and creative selections. We tried the Chicken and Veggie Fried Rice (both served with a delicious bowl of Miso soup). At only $8, this was a fantastic value and the rice being able to me made gluten-free was a nice treat.
The Maki Rolls (we tried the avocado cucumber and asparagus) were delicious and again affordably priced ($4 for 8 rolls). There are many interesting rolls to try out including a variety of seafood options like Spicy Salmon, Seared Lobster, and Striped Sea Bass. Most of the rolls can be made gluten-free and a few even vegetarian.
The highlight of the menu is wide variety of Signature Rolls, available in all sorts of tempting combinations. One example is the Good Times Roll: a delicious combination of snow crab, ahi tuna, tataki sauce, and scallion. You will find a few gluten-free selections, as well as one vegetarian (a Lotus roll filled with asparagus, avocado, mango, and cucumbers).
Although a full drink menu is available (including great Happy Hour deals from 3-6pm daily, I recommend a simple steaming mug of hot Jasmine Tea. The flavor is delicious and perfectly compliments your Japanese meal.
Update: They now offer a variety of ramen bowls including a delicious sounding Miso Hippie. This bowl features fried tofu, scallions, wavy noodles, crispy onions, black garlic oil, and nori chips in a lightly spiced vegetarian tantanmen broth.
Service at Karma was great: one of the most professional waiters we have encountered downtown. Our waitress was very knowledgeable about gluten-free and dairy-free options. She was able to easily customize our meals (for example, we chose to order the rice and miso soup without tofu).
Karma, with its dim lighting and trendy setting, is one of the few date worthy restaurants in a downtown filled with casual pubs and coffeehouses.
The room is a bit cramped and noisy (and could definitely be spruced up in the design department), however, it's one of the few places in town where you feel like getting dressed up to go out.
I would say the only downside is the noisy setting. It's so loud that it is hard to have a conversation. It was also very hot due to the crowds. A nice outdoor patio to take in the cool Flagstaff summer temperatures would be nice.
In addition, there is just too much table space here, and not enough decor. I wish a bit more thought would have been put into the design, rather than just maximizing the available dining space.
Overall, Karma is a nice dining choice in the area, especially for those looking for a nice date night restaurant and/or craving some great Japanese food. The large menu (featuring many gluten-free & vegetarian options), great service, and affordable pricing makes it one of my top picks in Flagstaff for a date or celebratory dinner. Anyone who likes sushi, ramen, rolls and sashimi should be pleased with picking Karma as their restaurant of choice.
