Matoi — Restaurant in San Diego

Not only is this my new favorite sushi restaurant, but it's become my favorite restaurant in general, regardless of cuisine or dining format. I'd give it 10 stars if I could.

My significant other and I went here to celebrate our 5 years together and from the moment we walked in we were met with a warm welcome and an incredibly beautiful and intimate setting. It's a small space (which is what you want) given that there were only ~10 or so dining that night. This meant that we were able to enjoy conversation with Chef TJ and the rest of the staff without having to fight against much ambient noise. Speaking of conversation, Chef TJ educated us, as well as the other diners, regarding the origin of omakase and the traditional approach he brings to Matoi. We were greatly looking forward to gaining an understanding of the cultural significance of this dining format and we were not disappointed in the slightest.

The ambiance was also 10 stars, in my opinion. As a passionate fan of 90's-00's hip-hop, the musical backdrop was absolutely perfect. Chef TJ's hit on something here, sushi and hip-hop just hit the soul so well together. The music was never too loud and never distracted from the food. We were also able to learn that Chef TJ chose this music because it's something that's important to him as a person and so he brought it into his restaurant to share his passion with his diners. As a guest of his, I felt honored to get to know him in this way and share in the music just as much as the food.

The pacing of the meal was also aboslutely perfect. You have enough time to savor the small dishes (we had 12 coureses total) and take your time contemplating the flavor, mouthfeel, aroma, etc., prior to the next course coming out. Chef TJ explains the origin of each ingredient as well as how best to enjoy each dish. There were several dishes I hadn't had before, so the explainations were greatly appreciated. He also explained that the fish is shipped in fresh, never frozen, which differs greatly from 99% of what you're likely to find in other sushi restaurants. I can't stress how much better the fresh fish was compared to similar dishes I'd had in the past. Honestly, I don't know how I can every go back to anywhere else but Matoi. Besides the fish, he also sources the best Japanese rice, ginger, wasabi, and other traditional ingredients such that they are the truest expression of the traditional Japanese dish that he is creating. You can 100% smell and taste the difference, even the mouthfeel was borderline mindblowing for me.

As for drinks, I have to recommend their Sapporo or any other beer they have on tap. It's served in a huge glass mug that's been chilled and the beer tap also further chills the beer as it's being poured. This makes for the coldest and crispest beer I've had in my life. It's certainly the most refreshing beer experience I could imagine and it was actually a great way to freshen up my pallet prior to my next bite of food. If beer isn't your thing, you can't go wrong with the sake. They have an extensive selection and the staff are more than happy to help you with pairing the right sake for your taste preference as well as the best compliment to the meal.

We left happy, educated, and full of the best sushi I've ever had. I'd be there every day if I could, and...

A classically run, private Japanese omakase bar in a cozy space. The bar and kitchen are stocked with dozens of small batch, fresh ingredients, which change with the seasons. TJ (owner) and Takahisa (sushi chef) have a wealth of knowledge about their food and cooking techniques.

As a starting appetizer, the mozuku was sweet and refreshing with thin angel seaweed and two barnacles. The ankimo (monkfish liver) was rich and dense, offset by lemon, green onion, and other garnishes. The miso tataki highlighted the fresh, meaty chunks of fish with peppercorns and ginger.

The sashimi platter offered several seasonal fresh fish slices. The fresh scallops, bigeye tuna from Hawaii, Spanish toro, and raw sweet shrimp were standouts among the great spread.

An ice cold oyster was served in a pristine washed shell with sweet and sour ponzu sauce. A great palate cleanser.

The sweet shrimp head returned deep fried and crispy, placed on a bed of spicy, slightly acidic sauce. Great combination.

A piece of warm, moist, and silky smooth Patagonian tooth fish was served with a miso sauce. It was paired with a fried miniature river crab from Kyushu on a little stack of crisp green beans and sesame sauce. Nice pairing of flavors and textures, along with grabbing you visually.

The hamo and shishito tempura was served with three types of flavored salt. The summer eel and the green tea flavored salt was a nice match.

The tako with jelly was a cold and clean dish. The octopus was lightly boiled to retain its tenderness and then chilled. The pickled cucumber provided acidity and crunch. It was topped off with a slightly sweetened plum jelly.

The nigiri selection was OUTSTANDING. The chefs shared many fresh types of fish. The alfonsino / kinmedai was slightly torched to bring out a rich umami flavor. The tachiuo / silver belt fish was also lightly torched and such a nice bite. The Northern Californian sujiko was ikura joined by the fish’s membrane, which was a first for me. The kamasu / barracuda had a touch of lemon and natural oils. The jabara toro was referred to as tuna ‘bacon’ from Spain - cold, refreshing. The uni / sea urchin was farmed from La Jolla and was the best I’ve tasted (incredible). Overall great selection of fresh seafood that was treated very well by the chefs.

We enjoyed learning about the changing seasons influencing Matoi’s daily menu and Matoi’s traditional sushi style from Japan (edomae). Also learned a great deal about the evaluation / decision process when torching / searing fish (based on fat content, skin thickness, fish type, etc.).

Among many of TJ’s passionate beliefs is the topic of eating salmon or yellowtail sashimi. Warning - you’ll get a friendly earful of knowledge...

puts on educational hat

The word "matoi" represents a flag that firefighters carried during the Edo period to draw other firefighters to the scene. Are we the firefighters rushing to the scene of some fire sushi? Is it a tribute to the "Edomae" style of omakase that Chef TJ preps from the Edo era? Does the blood on the blade hanging behind the counter contain actual blood of customers who dissed his sushi? Perhaps...

Something that most people may not know about is that the Edomae style of sushi involves AGING the fish and harkens back to the days where they had to preserve the fish longer and involves techniques such as marinating in vinegar or soy sauce, salting, simmering, and boiling the fish.

takes off educational hat puts on reviewer hat

Chef TJ and staff bring together a curated omakase experience unique in the SD area and is a must eat for anyone who takes their sushi seriously. As he preps the food, the experience that you want to achieve depends on the level in which you engage. I happened to be dining with a collection of quieter folks and in the beginning it was a rather soothing experience to hear the knife hit the cutting board while 90's rap played over the stereo. After some questions prodding about the origins of the food and his own personal preferences for sushi the place livened up as Chef TJ let loose a bit more so don't be afraid to talk it up!

Nearly everything is made solely by him and the preparation time between dishes encourages one to slowly enjoy the meal thoughtfully and intentionally. Some dishes are meant to be eaten a certain way and I found that the respect to traditional methods added to the authentic experience.

I'll be back in the fall to try his personal favorite fish (I forget the name but it's seasonal to the fall) and to try the ice cold beer sapporo chugging challenge.

Pro tip: get the ice...