The owner and chef is working at sushi maru in Brandon.
jodi D
If you relocate or re open please advice miss it terribly when in town. The best sushi ever!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
John H.
Very sad to see that they are closed permanently. This was by far my favorite sushi restaurant in the Tampa Bay area. A restaurant that's been open for 35 years has been doing it right. I very much hope that their decision to close was one of their own and not due to the rising cost of everything and the havoc that Covid had on all industries. Should the owners decide to reopen or try a new location I sure hope I find out. Because I will be one of their first customers
Michael Pool
Great sushi and fantastic value. Happy hour is a great deal, 2 large hot Saki for the price of one.
Drury E.
I love this place since moving here in 2013 I've probably been here over 30 times. It's always excellent. This is the place to get good consistent sushi. Check out this beautiful Toro!
Annah P.
I have a friend who SWEARS Matoi is the best sushi in Tampa, this was actually my second time here. The last time was 10+ years ago, so that should probably tell you enough. Anyways, based on her recommendation I gave it another shot. It was not even close to the best sushi in Tampa (very sorry, Molly). We arrived right around 6 pm and it was pretty empty inside, we thought it would get busier as it got later, but it never did. The menu is quite large, but very dated. You'll notice white paper taped all throughout the menu to cover the items they no longer serve. We started off with the Crab Rangoons which were decent. We also did 4 of their specialty rolls: The Matoi Roll, The Lobster Roll, The Steve Roll, and The Volcano Roll. The sushi was... not great. I think the best out of the 4 was probably the Lobster Roll and even that was just okay. I typically enjoyed fried sushi, but these were deep fried. The batter was so tough and heavy. Honestly, it reminded me of fried oreos at the fair. The one thing I did like was their happy hour Monday-Friday from 4-8 pm. It includes 2 for 1 Beers, House Wine, and Hot Sake. Also, the sushi was still pretty expensive, It's one thing to have cheap and just "okay" sushi, but this was not it. I would rather spend a few extra bucks at Soho Sushi or Yokos.
Mimi K.
We chose this place because it offers both Korean and sushi. We had kimchi stew and yukgejang along with some rolls. Yukgejang was excellent. Both Korean dishes came out in stone bowls so they stayed hot through the meal. The kimch stew was ok. Three stars... I felt it could've had more flavor, and I don't mean msg. The rolls were good, the rice was seasoned just right. For a Korean meal, there weren't many side dishes(banchan), only four. Service was good enough. The ladies were working hard to make sure everyone was getting what they needed in timely fashion. The only thing that bugged us was how run down the place is inside. The overall deco needs a rehaul. The booth seats look and feel like they are about forty years old, lumpy and worn down. But, yes, we would go back.
Christina S.
Good AsIan food and friendly service. You won't go home hungry. We ate "family style" so we could all sample the dishes. My Chinese family prefers it to Tampa's Chinese restaurants.
Daisy Siri
Love it overall. The sushi rolls were really good & delicious. The restaurant & service was really good.
My Lam
Good sushi and good Korean food! If you can’t decide where to go to eat between sushi and Korean, come here!Update: February 27, 2022I have come back here many times since my post 3 years ago, but I really recommend anyone that want some fresh sushi to come here! The waitress here is so motherly loving and welcoming! I spilled a little kimchi sauce on my shirt and she came and tried to remove the stain for me! They are so welcoming and their sushi is the best in Tampa! The presentation and the freshness of the sushi is just melt into your tongue! The price is reasonable for the quality of their food!
Excellent experience for Sunday lunch. Terrific menu, attentive service, and everything was perfectly prepared and beautifully presented. Highly recommend!
Chisa M.
Yes. Yes. Yes. The food was great and the sake choices were plentiful. Sushi without good sake is a bummer. We got the best of both worlds.
Barbara Kenny
Great service - fabulous fresh sushi
Allison M.
My boyfriend and I have been here twice now and both times we were so impressed! The food, service and atmosphere are amazing here! We ordered 5 different rolls and they came out (looking and tasting great) in less than 10 minutes after we ordered. This is our new favorite sushi restaurant in Tampa, we will definitely be back!!!
Y T.
The photo they show is a fake, They DO NOT allow you to sit in front of the Sushi Chefs. They lead you to the side of the bar where plates, to go containers & storage boxes are piled. The place is a mess. They have become way to comfortable. The best part was the delightful gal, (Sushi chef) behind the bar. I didn't have the pleasure of enjoying a cocktail, as they shoved a bowl of soup in front of me, handed me my requested hand rolls over the bar & not even on a plate. Then served me luke warm Saki. I felt discriminated against & unwelcomed. Very disappointed. Sushi was just ok.
The owner and chef is working at sushi maru in Brandon.
If you relocate or re open please advice miss it terribly when in town. The best sushi ever!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very sad to see that they are closed permanently. This was by far my favorite sushi restaurant in the Tampa Bay area. A restaurant that's been open for 35 years has been doing it right. I very much hope that their decision to close was one of their own and not due to the rising cost of everything and the havoc that Covid had on all industries. Should the owners decide to reopen or try a new location I sure hope I find out. Because I will be one of their first customers
Great sushi and fantastic value. Happy hour is a great deal, 2 large hot Saki for the price of one.
I love this place since moving here in 2013 I've probably been here over 30 times. It's always excellent. This is the place to get good consistent sushi. Check out this beautiful Toro!
I have a friend who SWEARS Matoi is the best sushi in Tampa, this was actually my second time here. The last time was 10+ years ago, so that should probably tell you enough. Anyways, based on her recommendation I gave it another shot. It was not even close to the best sushi in Tampa (very sorry, Molly). We arrived right around 6 pm and it was pretty empty inside, we thought it would get busier as it got later, but it never did. The menu is quite large, but very dated. You'll notice white paper taped all throughout the menu to cover the items they no longer serve. We started off with the Crab Rangoons which were decent. We also did 4 of their specialty rolls: The Matoi Roll, The Lobster Roll, The Steve Roll, and The Volcano Roll. The sushi was... not great. I think the best out of the 4 was probably the Lobster Roll and even that was just okay. I typically enjoyed fried sushi, but these were deep fried. The batter was so tough and heavy. Honestly, it reminded me of fried oreos at the fair. The one thing I did like was their happy hour Monday-Friday from 4-8 pm. It includes 2 for 1 Beers, House Wine, and Hot Sake. Also, the sushi was still pretty expensive, It's one thing to have cheap and just "okay" sushi, but this was not it. I would rather spend a few extra bucks at Soho Sushi or Yokos.
We chose this place because it offers both Korean and sushi. We had kimchi stew and yukgejang along with some rolls. Yukgejang was excellent. Both Korean dishes came out in stone bowls so they stayed hot through the meal. The kimch stew was ok. Three stars... I felt it could've had more flavor, and I don't mean msg. The rolls were good, the rice was seasoned just right. For a Korean meal, there weren't many side dishes(banchan), only four. Service was good enough. The ladies were working hard to make sure everyone was getting what they needed in timely fashion. The only thing that bugged us was how run down the place is inside. The overall deco needs a rehaul. The booth seats look and feel like they are about forty years old, lumpy and worn down. But, yes, we would go back.
Good AsIan food and friendly service. You won't go home hungry. We ate "family style" so we could all sample the dishes. My Chinese family prefers it to Tampa's Chinese restaurants.
Love it overall. The sushi rolls were really good & delicious. The restaurant & service was really good.
Good sushi and good Korean food! If you can’t decide where to go to eat between sushi and Korean, come here!Update: February 27, 2022I have come back here many times since my post 3 years ago, but I really recommend anyone that want some fresh sushi to come here! The waitress here is so motherly loving and welcoming! I spilled a little kimchi sauce on my shirt and she came and tried to remove the stain for me! They are so welcoming and their sushi is the best in Tampa! The presentation and the freshness of the sushi is just melt into your tongue! The price is reasonable for the quality of their food!
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent experience for Sunday lunch. Terrific menu, attentive service, and everything was perfectly prepared and beautifully presented. Highly recommend!
Yes. Yes. Yes. The food was great and the sake choices were plentiful. Sushi without good sake is a bummer. We got the best of both worlds.
Great service - fabulous fresh sushi
My boyfriend and I have been here twice now and both times we were so impressed! The food, service and atmosphere are amazing here! We ordered 5 different rolls and they came out (looking and tasting great) in less than 10 minutes after we ordered. This is our new favorite sushi restaurant in Tampa, we will definitely be back!!!
The photo they show is a fake, They DO NOT allow you to sit in front of the Sushi Chefs. They lead you to the side of the bar where plates, to go containers & storage boxes are piled. The place is a mess. They have become way to comfortable. The best part was the delightful gal, (Sushi chef) behind the bar. I didn't have the pleasure of enjoying a cocktail, as they shoved a bowl of soup in front of me, handed me my requested hand rolls over the bar & not even on a plate. Then served me luke warm Saki. I felt discriminated against & unwelcomed. Very disappointed. Sushi was just ok.