MoonSha Japanese Bar and Restaurant — Restaurant in England

This was the first time I've visited Moonsha for around 10 years. In previous years, I always had positive experiences during every visit & was really impressed each time I dined here. However, I feel it has gone downhill & unfortunately, I had an underwhelming experience on this occasion.

The service left a lot to be desired for...The table & menus were a bit sticky upon arrival, which I found off-putting. Two out of the three members of staff who served our table certainly weren't warm or friendly & seemed to just be going through the motions, as if they didn't want to be there. No one checked in on us to ask how everything was with our food, neither whilst we were eating or when the plates for each course were cleared.

I didn't find the food & drink terrible, hence my three star review, but the Soft Shell Crab Salad starter was just alright. I liked the Moonsha Salad Dressing, but personally, I think the dish would have been much nicer (& not to mention, fresher!) if the crab meat wasn't deep-fried in a somewhat greasy batter. Also, the small portion of (deep-fried) crab meat, served alongside the salad, wasn't enough to justify the cost. I had the Seafood Ramen Soup for the main, which again, I found to be edible, but subpar. I'm not sure whether I made a bad choice or if I would have experienced the same with every other dish, but it lacked seasoning / flavour & didn't taste fresh. The Lycheetini cocktail tasted amazing & I really enjoyed it, but the garnish could've been a bit more interesting, rather than just a single glaced cherry placed into the bottom of the glass. I also had the Skittles cocktail & it tasted OK, but for the price, I was disappointed with the excessive amounts of ice that they watered it down with, as you can see from the photo.

The place looks lovely with how it's been decorated, but there isn't a lot of atmosphere to match it. The fact that it was quiet early on a Saturday evening says a lot. It did get busier & more lively later on but bizarrely, started to feel more like a nightclub at this point, rather than a restaurant. This is partly due to the type of music they play.

In a nutshell, it's overpriced & what they charge isn't reflected in the quality of the food. The service was poor & atmosphere lacking somewhat, so for those reasons, I won't be...

We ordered 2 'Moonsha Sushi Platter Deluxes', which were pictured on the menu to come on a Japanese wooden platter ship, but when we were served the food came on what looked like white plastic chopping board trays..

I ordered a cider and they put ice in it which would of been nice for them to ask me first, as I had to fish them out of my drink after.

When at the table with our food and drinks a member of staff kept looking over to see if we had finished our drinks repeatedly. And even came over at one point, mid conversation and started to try and pour the rest of my half full drink from the bottle into my glass, which is so rude, trying to get us to buy more drinks.

There wasn't any atmosphere in the restaurant at 7:30pm and staff seemed a bit unhappy, no "thank you" or general courteousness normally expected at restaurants.

The Sushi rice its self was ok in 2/3 rolls, one being drier and a little harder than the other 2. The fish was of fair quality, crab sticks were used in the rolls rather than real crab which was a little disappointing for just under £30 for basically 3 rolls. (£24.90 online menu, £26.90 on the menu in the restaurant)

For the price I was very disappointed tbh. I have eaten at multiple Japanese restaurants in Nottingham, Derby, Birmingham, London, Manchester, Leeds and Burton on Trent. And the food at Moonsha in terms of portion size, quality and price is the second worst and most expensive I have had, even London was cheaper and offered more food of better quality..

Location, there is a pay to parking near the restaurant which isn't far to walk.

Would I go back? No I don't think i would, mostly because of price,...

We travelled to Derby for the day and were delightfully surprised to find a Japanese restaurant. We started with some cocktail orders where the staff were very attentive and offered some recommendations. The drinks were very nice. We ordered the Chicken Gyoza and the Takoyaki to start, both dishes came much quicker than first anticipated. The Gyoza were fried, but perfectly crispy to a point where they were still soft. The flavours were good and the accompanying sauce paired very well. The takoyaki were a real treat, a beautifully cooked batter full of flavour and covered in a pair of sauces that fit the dish perfectly. We both then ordered the duck and plum sauce 'Kamo duck' bento box. This also arrived pretty quickly. The sauce was amazing, and the duck was melt in the mouth. The salad was fresh and seasoned really well, salad doesn't have to be boring it was very tasty. The rice was perfectly cooked, sticky and fluffy. But wait, let's get back to the sauce because I cannot understate how good the sauce was with the accompanying duck. I was ready to charge into the kitchen and attempt to steal any form of supply they had of it. All in all, it was a fantastic dive into the world of Japanese cuisine. The staff tried to be very attentive, the place may need a little more work but they are definitely capable of doing so much. A very expansive menu with a lot to offer. We'll definitely return if we're in the area again. If there was a greater demand for Japanese food, I can see this restaurant doing great things.

Thank you Moonsha, hope to see you again.

PS. We were a bit eager on the Gyoza before took the photo. You...