Tatsu Haarlem 1 — Restaurant in Haarlem

weeeelllllllllll...this is an edit update...went back again tonight and it was a bit of a different experience...the manager met me at the door and said that i could have a table for an hour and a half, instead of the usual two hour time. that stayed with me the whole meal...who wants to feel rushed while they're eating...? and when i wanted to explain this to him as i was leaving, he just brushed me off... it's a shame...i was going to eat there again next week...next month i have people visiting and would've brought them here. but now i'll just take them to Miyagi and Jones...otherwise, the food and service were still good. i'm glad that manager wasn't there the first time.

ate there 2 weeks ago...am planning on going again, soon...probably a few times since i have a few things to do in or near Haarlem...the dishes were EXCellent...LOVED the deluxe shrimp roll...but the maguro was wonderful/fresh and there wasn't ANY dish that disappointed...i went early so during a lot of my meal it was quiet, except for some kids running around. but i LIKE that it's children friendly. the wait service was considerate and friendly. they don't just throw the dishes at you. and they pick up the used plates quickly...i had a VERY good experience and am, very much, looking forward to eating there again...p.s. i read someone's review that said the portions had become smaller? 2 maki instead of 4. so why didn't they just order it aGAIN? do NOT let reviews like this deter you from a very nice eating experience...and i promise i have absolutely no affiliation with this restaurant beyond having eaten there once. i plan on stopping there tomorrow to eat on my way to the Bimhuis for a jazz event. that's how much i enjoyed...

In this place, I tasted the worst roles in my life. Sushi/role is always raw fish and wasabi should go with it (because it protects you from parasites), but when you are served not fresh wasabi, it is a signal that the establishment does not care about the health of its customers. The tunnel was not fresh and had a bad taste. One of the rolls was supposed to come with soft cream cheese, but instead of the classic salty Philadelphia, it had something cheap added to it, and combined with mayo, it felt like I was eating raw fish with sweet butter and rice. In another roll, they added a sweet mango topping, again paired with raw salmon. I don't know who created these roles, but it felt like he had Covid and this person's taste buds were completely atrophied. There are classic, time-tested role recipes, and I don't understand why you need to conduct such terrible experiments on your visitors?

The service was also impressive. My boyfriend and I ordered the same drinks, but they brought him a drink in a glass with ice, and for me, they just put a straw in the bottle. When I told the waiter that the food was not good, he said, sorry you had a bad experience... and walked away. He was not interested in finding out exactly what the customers did not like and showed no desire to somehow improve the service.

For people who are fans of Asian cuisine, I DO NOT RECOMMEND visiting this establishment, because it will be a real culture shock for you. There are many places where you can eat tastier and cheaper. Don't waste...

Probably Tatsu is becoming emblematic for the Japanese cuisine in Holland. The food has lost its quintessential Japanese appeal. Just like the typically Dutch style Chinese/Indonesian restaurants once did. Still, more has gone wrong since this place opened under the name Sumo and later became Tatsu. Sumo was a nice and uncomplicated place to have a varied low cost Japanese lunch while shopping. Not top class Japanese food but good enough and in a pleasant atmosphere. I understand the need to economise service and production with this Tatsu low cost deal. But after yesterday the slow decline in quality has crossed a border with us. It already started wrong, the plates on the table weren't properly cleaned. I will not comment on the service because let's be fair; What personal honour is there to be had from executing computer generated orders? The sushi type dishes were , let's say, acceptable. The wasabi was just green and had no taste or punch. In general the fried dishes were greasy and overcooked with the distinct flavour of old overheated oil. After lunch I went upstairs to the restrooms, as I grabbed the hand railing, it felt really sticky. Also the floors were not cleaned. The restaurant isn't maintained any longer, it has lost its pride. For us the experience yesterday meant it was our final visit. We hope that authentic Japanese restaurants will follow authentic Chinese restaurants and join their club of Fine Eastern Restaurants. Japanese cuisine is so much more than sushi and so far, far away from...