Sushi Monster — Restaurant in Belmont

We went here a little after lunchtime and this place was busy. Inside was simply decorated. Every time someone enters, the whole crew happily greets you. It is definitely a welcoming vibe.

I placed an order to go, and the 2 ladies there were happy to help.

I ordered:

Teriyaki steak (dinner portion) - The teriyaki steak came with salad and miso soup. They told me the order was a bigger portion, which was perfect for my husband. I'm glad I ordered an extra order of rice, even after they said that the rice was more than enough. Sorry, we are filipino and love our rice, lol. The steak was super tender and flavorful.

Combo B2 (bul-gogi, beef teriyaki, bbq beef short rib, 3 pcs CA roll, and 2 pcs shrimp tempura) - This was perfect for me. A sampler of all the meats. All the meats were so tender, but all stood out in their own way. They didn't taste like they were marinated all in the same sauce if that makes sense. Each one stood out on their own. I loved it. The shrimp tempura was not the standard one that we all know. This one was light and crunchy. It's not soggy and greasy likeli how the other shrimp tempuras get. I wish I had ordered more rice because the portions were on point.

Gyoza - This was crispy and crunchy. Almost felt like it was deep fried and not pan-fried like other places. It was also a 2 biter for me, not where you usually pop a whole one in your mouth.

Spicy tuna roll - To my surprise, it wasn't spicy, but it was flavorful.

Godzilla roll - I think this is the standard dragon roll. Their dragon roll didn't have shrimp tempura. This was delicious.

I highly recommend this place and can't wait to go back. The only bummer was that their credit card machine wasn't working when I went. Had to pay Venmo. Good thing I had Venmo. This place was a little pricy but...

6/1/23: Spider Roll is delicious and tastes as if real crab. Golden Roll (Fried California) is a new GoTo roll for me here, nicely prepared, good presentation. Edamame is the largest portion I've seen to date in a sushi restaurant....and served within minutes. ICE COLD Sapporo served in a frozen mug actually froze some of the beer in the top of my glass, excellent. Only mild complaint is pricing, highest in area, but as long as sushi is top notch, I'll continue to come back. 4.8 Stars (-.2 for pricing).

Previous: Great overall experience. Very attentive staff, greeted as I walked in the door (and everyone else as well). Drink and appetizer served within a minute or 2 of walking in the door. Although the Edamame wasn't piping hot, it was warm+ and plentiful, but a couple dollars more than other locations. The beer was served with a frozen mug...unlike most others, and a big plus (helped earn the 5 stars. Since ALL CRAB IS IMITATION HERE, and no choice for substitution, I ordered a smoked salmon roll instead of the traditional California. Only 6 pieces here (instead of typical 8), making each piece more expensive as well. I finished off with a Firecracker roll. It hit the spot, but might continue doing so all evening. Florida sushi restaurants don't know what heat is relative to this roll. Overall great experience, but I do side with Chris Wahl's comments (below) though in...

Not sure if I have done a review before this, but my last trip was VERY disappointing. Normally 'the monster' is very good. My wife and i went for lunch in early February (23). We had Toro, Hamachi, uni, and a few others. It was fantastic. Great freshness, generous cuts of fish, and great uni. Last week, on the other hand, was lousy at best. Very small cuts of Hamachi, uni that was not fresh, and marginal for serving. The ama ebi heads were soggy with oil from the fryer. Not worth the $80 or so for one for lunch. (21.99 for cold sake included in that amount) The place is, to me, a bit on the expensive side, but worth it when the fish is fresh. Unfortunately, if it isn't consistent, it might warrant going back to Yokahama in RWC. They are not quite as good with freshness and variety, but service is good, prices fair, and nice interior. Sushi Monster, on the other hand, is more casual. Nothing fancy about it. And that's OKAY with us. My last lunch...