Matsuri Restaurant — Restaurant in Baltimore

When we first visited this place nearly two years ago we thought it would be our go to. The decor is evocative of authentic Japanese vibes. The cooks are nice and always busy. There was a friendly young woman a few times during dine in, but the past few times we picked up orders to go there was another young woman who seemed diligent but just visibly in a bot so good mood.

So the food! First impressions: authentic and fresh. However, gradually we started noticing that not everything is okay here. Not sure what is going on, financial troubles? But the place is unattractive and depressing. Instead of getting creative and rethinking their approach they are cutting corners and offering lower quality food. The happy hour was a complete disaster. I know some places serve smaller portions at discount happy hour prices but here we were served old stock refried crunchy rolls. Yuk. Somehow we were too shocked and embarrassed for them to complain. The tuna looks a little too bright and after watching videos on how fish un the US is sold “refreshed” with added color and scent, it’s scared me. Seeing how they cut corners on serving old rolls I just don’t trust the rest of the ingredients. It feels like a family place. I know the economy sucks and it’s the small businesses that suffer. And do I wish them well but I also want quality food...

I was quite impressed with the quality and the flavors of the food here. It truly caught me by surprise....mainly because I haven't really had good Japanese food on the East coast outside of NYC.

I enjoyed that they have the bento boxes, something common in Japanese restaurants, especially the ones in America. A bento box offers you a variety of menu items on one plate, or in this case, a box with divided compartments. The one I chose was the shrimp tempura and spicy tuna roll, both really delicious! You get a few choices and some items have an additional cost. It also comes with salad, miso soup, pickled vegetables, and your choice of shumai or gyoza. I went with the vegetable gyoza (dumpling) deep fried. Well the gyoza isn't really authentic, tastes just like the ones you buy from a frozen bag.

The shrimp and vegetable tempura was delicious, crispy, chewy on the inside, and hot. The dipping sauce was good, but I do wish I got some grated radish (daikon) with it. The sushi was really good too! I grade a sushi on the rice and how well it's cooked....this rice was just right, not over or under-done. The spicy tuna itself was pretty tasty, not too spicy as well.

Service was great! Quick! And the price was decent. Would definitely come back here again to try other things...

Matsuri is such a gem to have nearby. I've been a bunch of times but keep forgetting to review because I always leave in a daze before drifting home to pat my stomach for the rest of the night, lol.

This is the only sushi place in Bmore I've been that does justice to ama ebi. The fried shrimp head takes me straight to heaven. 👼🪽♥️

The sushi rolls are also so pristine in terms of structure + flavour. ✨ You'd be hard pressed to find a sloppy roll. The rice also has lovely chew + seasoning. I could eat all of Matsuri's sushi rolls without any soy or wasabi and be perfectly happy - they're that good. 🤤

The tempura has amazing texture, but definitely needs the sauce to add flavour. The shrimp is better than the vegetable tempura, for my personal taste. The eel over rice is also so indulgent in texture and flavour. If you are with someone who doesn't like raw fish, this is a great choice for them.

I don't think Matsuri is the spot to get random freebie slices like Kiku on Light Street, but I don't think you'll care since the quality is so top notch. 👌💯 This restaurant is on my frequent flyer list, especially if we are dining out...