Murasaki Asheville — Restaurant in Asheville

We went in at 5pm without a reservation and the staff was more than accommodating and seated us immediately... clearly they were not yet busy. Our server seemed to be very new and somewhat nervous and we ordered appetizers based on her recommendation...they were very good. We ordered 4 different sushi rolls to eat immediately and 2 rolls to take home to my partner. 3 of the rolls were absolutely excellent...by far the best I have had in Asheville. The 4th however, was not. Esthetically, the 4th roll was gorgeous, but there were "crunchies"(panko) inside that was just rancid...as if fried in old fryer oil...it wasn't edible. When our server finally returned to check in, I did my very best to kindly make her and the kitchen staff aware. Let me be clear, I most definitely was NOT complaining. In fact, I went out of my way to make clear that I just wanted the staff to know, giving them the opportunity to do a quick quality check of the ingredients. Honestly, I was pretty happy at that point and felt pretty excited to have this new addition so close to home. I expressed to the server that I would go ahead and settle the check as we were still waiting for the 2 to go rolls that I had ordered with the original 4. She brought the bill very quickly, which included the roll I gave feedback on, and I was happy to pay it along with a 25% gratuity...no questions...times are tough in the restaurant community. An hour later, having not even a gesture of acknowledgement from our server(or anyone for that matter), I was finally able to get our server's attention in order to inquire about our to go order. She informed "We're really busy...sorry." In fact they were really busy. But honestly, we had been waiting for over an hour having already finished our meal and paid for it...with literally zero communication. I mean, I get it... you're busy. But really?? I genuinely feel as though I went out of my way to be kind, gracious, and definitely more than generous. I paid for a roll that I didn't eat... because it was inedible. I was more patient than most, because I spent 35 years in the industry and will continue to show solid support and patronage to our struggling local restauranteurs and their staff, but this experience could have gone so differently...I should have left feeling very positive, but instead, I left with a very bad...

I read some of the reviews before trying out...decided not to order Ramen before even going...but I honestly don't get the Ramen trend.. I went with my neighbor friend who is a retired executive chef at a large hotel restaurant in Asheville. We walked in at 830ish on a Sunday night...just locals who live a few blocks away and Sundays are the only day we have free. The staff was very pleasant. not annoying pleasant.. we just didn't feel like we were walking in 30 minutes to close like we came at 7. server was very pleasant as well. food was phenomenal! The review that said 10 other sushi places down the road...I have lived in Asheville for 10 years...I prefer not to call out other businesses...but from my experience this isn't drive thru sushi that you get from the 10 places down the road. even the Places I favor, this has blown me away. Quality and freshness of food and presentation not tacky or cookie cutter. I had rock n roll. and the gangem style...interesting flavors with beef and fried kimchi in a roll...I enjoyed it! we ordered a tuna Tataka app and the Wasabi sauce was subtle but good. All the flavors were surprising. I'm over the check box sushi menus...it ALL tastes the same. the Rock and roll with the fresh jalapeño on top and sweet sauce and presentation.. I am impressed! quality is above anywhere in town...maybe people like "or" are just used to the "mashed" tuna rolls. I don't really pay attention to reviews complaining about staff and people having to wait etc...like the sign says..."just like everyone else we are hiring" Only suggestion is to highlight the menu more...everything is in same font and hard...

There are a lot of great sushi spots in Asheville. I'm willing to bet the last time most of them updated their menus was around 2010. Murasaki is bringing fresh, interesting rolls that aren't the same 5-7 rolls you see in other places around town. The salmon carpaccio, and the smoke toro are the perfect start to any sushi sit down, and yes, toro costs more because that's what it costs and holy mother of ocean it's worth it. As far as rolls go, King of the Sea is one of the brightest, most flavorful things I've put in my mouth in a long time. Legend of the Ten Rings is Wagyu and Lobster and gets better literally every time I have it. The Morning Glory makes salmon, parmesan (yes, that's what i said) and lemon work in a balance that you just have to try to believe. Listen, I'm not going to tell you this place is a great place if you're on a budget or if you aren't looking to really get into quality fish--good food, particularly good fish in the mountains costs money. Staffing is hard across the board right now, but all my regular folks at Murasaki are attentive, courteous and on point and do the best they can depending on the room. Be kind, be patient, and don't come on Google posting about servers' English proficiency, it just makes you sound awful and racist. So if you're looking for a nicer sushi place for a date night or a business meal--this is your jam. If you're looking for buffet quality sushi or "white tuna" that's gonna mess up your insides but only cost you $4 a roll, you can look elsewhere. Thank you Murasaki for bringing better sushi to the south...