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Categories: French, Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
24250 Town Center DrJoins us dinners until 6:30pm to enjoy 2 for 1 drinks…
Tue-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Tue-Fri. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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Maru is hands down the best restaurant in the SCV and food wise could compete with just about any restaurant on the West Side. It is basically 2 restaurants in one. Sushi and Japanese - French fusion. The sushi is as fresh and perfectly prepared as it gets. Much of the fish is flown in from Japan and includes rarities such as Scorpion fish I have not seen on many sushi menus.
The fusion menu is awesome and goes like this:
Best Appetizers:
Duck Confit Salad
Crispy Duck Risotto
Hierloom Tomato Salad
Warm Fingerling Potato Salad
Proscuitto and Walnut Salad
Mains:
Curried Lamb with crispy rice
Shortribs (some of the best in SoCal)
New York Strip with espresso sake sauce
Seabass with braised leeks and thai chili sorbet
The deserts as just as good as everything else, my personal favorite being the berry cobbler.
We always bring our own wine and sometimes do Sake as well. They have some good wines on the menu though. In you are ever in Valencia, this is the only game in town.
People thought this was:
So I've been putting off writing a review of Maru for a while because well I don't know if I can say Maru is a 5* in my book.
I've been to Maru 4 or 5 times and have never once ordered sushi. Crazy for me but the dinner menu calls to me. The wife and I very rarely eat at classy joints, as both of us love hole in the wall restaurant. The cool thing is I would classify Maru as a classy hole in the wall, food is top notch but the location/seating doesn't match the entrees coming out of the kitchen. If you can make it out on an evening that Maru is frying up their much sought after Fried Chicken consider yourself LUCKY! The service is "slow" as each entree is prepared to order and served up as pretty as they can make it. The staff, in my experience, is attentive and very personable I also enjoy the fact that the check comes when I ask for it even if our group has been just sitting here for the last hour nursing the desert over some good conversation. I've heard stories of people without reservations being turned away for the evening but I've walked in quite a few times and opted for the non-prime table and was sat almost immediately each time.
If you're up for some non-standard fare check out Maru it's definitely not your typical sushi bar.
People thought this was:
I am going to have to change my 5 star rating of Maru to a generous 2 star experience. I took a full 24 hours to cool off before I wrote this, so let me elaborate...
I made reservations to celebrate my wedding anniversary. I called Thursday and told them I needed reservations for "tomorrow night." I remember saying this. I went over specifics with them, what I wanted and where I wanted to sit (private booth area, etc). Imagine my surprise when we show up and they had no idea about our reservation.
After some checking, they figure out they had us in their book for the following night. They then proceed to seat us at the worst table in the place, literally 5 feet from the front door. The table is awash in a sea of florescent light. Very classy and romantic. I explain that I made a special request. There is no apology. There is no attempt to correct the situation. There are no options that are presented to me. The kid hostess obviously does not know how to handle such a situation and proceeds to seat us. My wife urges me that it is "OK."
Service is slow. I start with a miso soup. I used to get awesome miso soup on the westside, hand-made and not from a packet. So, I ask the server how their soup is made. She has no clue. I got the miso soup, it was just OK and not what I was hoping for. I have had better at many other places.
I ask the server for entree recommendations. She raves about the short ribs. I order them. I also order a glass of wine to go with it. I order what I think is a meritage (primarily cabernet). I ask the server about the wine and she has no clue other than it is "popular."
The server returns and tells me they are out of the wine. No harm, bring me something comparable. She brings me something that she also knows nothing about.
I am sipping my wine when about 10 minutes later, the server returns to tell me that they are out of short ribs. Now, I have ordered a glass of wine to match my food. I am now committed to a heavier beef dish. So, I opt for the skirt steak.
After an eternity, our meals finally come. The pasta that comes with my steak is just OK. It comes with some unique greens that our server knows nothing about. All in all, our meals are a disappointment.
While eating my steak, I note that my wine is really very flat, not very expressive at all and not something I would expect @ $19 a glass. I know a thing or two about wine. I tell the server. She replaces it with a slightly better glass of shiraz. I ask her how long the original wine had been open. She explains she had just opened it. Guess what, some 4 year old cab blends may need to be decanted prior to serving. Perhaps that was the problem?
So, we are in the middle of eating and suddenly we are approached by the other server who asks us if we want to order dessert. I tell her I would like to finish eating. She then places the dessert menu flat on the table in front of us. When we ignore it she actually pushes it in front of us.
You gotta be kidding me. Can I finish my meal first?
I can appreciate that at 20 minutes before closing, the employees are eager to get home. But does that mean I have to be strong armed into ordering now? It was so tacky. It was so insulting.
If I had wanted to be treated as such on our anniversary, I would have googled the nearest Applebees. My wife and I could have feasted on buckets of all you can eat riblets. I could have worn my old shirt, so it would not matter that I got sauce stains all over it. I would have washed it down with a nice cool glass of Charles Shaw merlot, because that is good drinkin' stuff. Then, we could have hurried up and ordered their baked cookie sundae, cause you know they have that. And we could have leisurely eaten this all while the staff closed down and mopped up the trash, the food, and the childrens vomit off of the floor. But, I digress.
Not to inconvenience the staff further, we opt to take a cheesecake to go as we really wanted to try this. We also wanted to try the peach tart and home made ice cream, but at this point we just wanted to go. So we took a dessert to go. It was good, not great.
The whole process of getting the dessert and check took forever. We suddenly were being assisted by the other server, without explanation, who told us that our server was on a break. Who gets a break @ closing time? Our original server did manage to come back to give us our check, minus any apologies for the problems. All she said was "here you go" and handed us the check. Not even a thank you. I reciprocated with a very generous 7% tip and we left.
I am not so sure I will return here. I have held this place out to many, many people as being the best in our valley. I always sing their praises. I have now reconsidered my stance on this place. I still have high hopes for the sushi part of their operation, but I would say to bypass the dining room until they make some major improvements. For one thing, how about hiring a more seasoned wait staff?
People thought this was:
Quite simply, this is the finest dining in the SCV. Tops in food and tops in service.
Now being the…
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Maru is no longer 4-5 star in my book. They have got rid of two great sushi chefs and now the one who was making rolls on the corner is taking the head chef role.
My standard for sushi is extremely high and Maru has always met my expectation in the past. However, this place has turned out to be just another average sushi place now. Actually, considering the price, I am never going back here again.
Without me telling this to my parents, my mother visited the place last week and came into same conclusion by herself. Their sushi is no longer anything to be excited about and not worth paying high cost for.
However, if you are looking for great fusion food, (excluding sushi, of course), this is still the place to be in Santa Clarita Valley. There is no other place that compares to Maru.
But, extremely disappointed. Their downgrade in sushi quality and change in sushi chefs means that I once again have to drive all the way down to Los Angeles area to get sushi. :(
People thought this was:
If price is not an issue for you, this place has hands down the best Sushi bar in Santa Clarita… Read more »
Incredible food! I've been high end restaurants all over the country and even in some parts of the world and Maru still remains on the top of my list. And it's in Valencia! It's weird but don't let its location fool you. Or the name. It really should read "Maru" and not "Maru Sushi" on their sign. This is not a sushi restaurant by any means. Yes, they have some of the best sushi you will ever taste but they also have another separate fusion menu with about 15 appetizers and 15-20 entrees.
The only reason why I give 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the service. It can be very inconsistent. Most of the times it is great but if there aren't enough servers, it can be pretty bad. It kinda seems like there's not a lot of teamwork going on; kind of like everyone (management included) is working against each other. This restaurant serves excellent food but it really needs to focus more on giving outstanding service as well. The customer is not the enemy (even though some of them may tend to act like it).
Despite the spotty service, this restaurant serves some of the best food in the Los Angeles (county) area and definitely offers the most variety.
The food here is still the best in SCV hands down, whish they would get a westside location!!
Ok so here is the scoop, The fact that this place is missing a 5 star rating because some dude… Read more »
We frequent Maru at least 2 times per month. Maru is by far the best sushi in Santa Clarita. We've never been disappointed. This is the type of restaurant that you can experiment with, as you will undoubtedly love anything they prepare. The only thing preventing the fifth star is the service. It doesn't compliment the cuisine. Overall, however, this is one of our favorite restaurants.
A wine dinner with Edward Sellars: Seared Divers' Scallops with a blood orange Nage Over wilted Swiss chard & arugula with Paso Robles Blanc du Rhone 2005 we were equally astounded at how well "disciplined and passionate" chef Jason Park had used his fine French restaurant experience to it's fullest. And I was again reminded that the best fish is sushi-grade. The scallop, the size of my mighty palm, had been slowly sliced by me to take full advantage of every bit of sauce and Swiss chard.
The second course was Pan roasted Skate Wing over Pomme Puree over Wild Porcini Mushrooms with a Warm Herb Vinaigrette and only recognized by fifty percent of the guests beforehand as fish. Skate Wing, to which guest Dave Bossert referred to as similar to a Flounder (not an inside joke to his Disney friends), was much more delicate and flavorful. It was to be the second dish I would not leave a scrap on my plate of. Others, in the mood to joke, were happy to find that Skate Wing wasn't pigeon or the collar bone of some other small animal. The delicate fruit of the Paso Robles Rousanne 2005 was another perfect match to which Sellers remarked, "We make wine that balances the food and does not become the food."
Next came Roasted Peking Duck Breast over a Chopped Udon Risotto with a Cherry-Syrah reduction paired with our first red wine of the evening: Paso Robles Cuvee des Cinq 2004. This award winning wine had the room buzzing with words like "elegant yet understandable" and a wine that you "don't have to wait four years to drink; this was made to drink today".
We now wanted to linger when the fourth course of Lamb Sirloin Confit over Banana Fingerling Potatoes Tossed with Crème Fraiche and a Boysenberry Glaze was served with another wine I had chosen for my own: Paso Robles Cognito 2004. Produced as a "black label" the first year; Sellers had since decided it had to be produced again. Seller's wines showed that he's interested in perfecting his craft, making great wines and not just making money."
Then came our finale: Chocolate Cherry Tart Tatin with a Tahitian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream paired with Paso Robles Grenache 2004. The Grenache was only slightly sweet as opposed to other red dessert styles with 15% alcohol and had been blended with nothing less than Chateauneuf du Pape. This choice did not fail to please.
The wait staff, that had been attentive all evening, couldn't help but comment that they had been getting "rave reviews".
People thought this was:
OMG WTH, as in a good way. Like literally, the food here was so amazing, that I can't even use words... i was reduced to saying letters!
At first, you pull up, and its on a fairly pretty street, but its in front of a Westfield mall. And you're thinking, ok, we're in front of a mall.... last time I remember, I don't necessarily associate amazing restaurants with mall atmosphere.
And the restaurant itself is fairly inconspcious... its just one room, fairly plain decor. But really, who cares what the restaurant looks like, its the taste we're after right?
And damn, they just knock it out of the park! I had the curry lamb on crispy rice, and wow, the greens on top, with the lamb, that was so juicy and tender, with the perfectly seasoned and salt curry, mixed in with shiitake mushrooms and the crispy rice, was just so delicious. Even when I finished, I still wanted more.
Actually, my friend had some rice left over from his plate and used some of that to soak up the last few bits of the curry sauce.
The concept was unique, as this is a french japanese fusion restaurant, and at least for the lamb curry, it really really worked. I would definitely come back here in a heartbeat... its just so far!
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I love the food here, but have experienced poor service on my last few visits.
Last week, a friend of mine and I were out driving around, looking for some good grub. I wanted sushi and I asked him if he'd ever been to Maru, as the food is great. He said "no", so I looked forward to introducing him to a great restaurant...or so I thought.
We got to the restaurant at 9:41pm by my watch, and they closed that night at 10pm. I asked the host if the sushi bar was still open, and she said "yes", but that we'd have to sit at a table. She led us over to our table, and as we sat down, dropped the menu's on our laps, took our drink order and asked, "are you ready to order?
Of course, my answer was, "no" but as a waiter of 7 years, I could understand her urgency, as closing time was coming up in 15 minutes, or so. "No problem," I thought, "we're just getting sushi...that shouldn't take too long or be too hard to prepare."
The waitress returned with our drinks very quickly -- even before my friend had a chance to look at the menu. She dropped our drinks and demanded, "You have to order right now!"
I was incredulous. "Can we just have 2 minutes to look over the menu?"
"No," she said. "We're closed."
"But my watch says that it's 9:45. You don't close until 10pm, right?" I asked, really hoping to eat and not be embarrassed by suggesting this place to my buddy.
"No," she replied curtly. "Our clock says 10pm. We're closed right now."
Now, granted. I don't set my watch by the atomic clock in Colorado, but I'm pretty sure that my watch isn't now, and wasn't then, FIFTEEN minutes off. I pleaded with the waitress about how quickly my order could be filled, and she just looked off to the back of the restaurant where the sushi staff and management just seemed to glare back at me...
...so I got up and left. They obviously didn't want my business...so I won't give it to them. And I sincerely hope that you all won't either. There are alot better establishments in the SCV valley that practiacally beg us to come in time after time. Wolf Creek is one of them. So is Eggs 'n Things, or Mojito's. Even Le Chene.
Personally, for my money, I'd rather spend it somewhere that they act like they appreciate it...
02/08/09 -- Just an update that my sister recently had a very bad experience there recently, too.
People thought this was:
The best filet in town! Tender and served over garlic mashed with a tasty salad on top! Who knew the sushi place is the best steak in town. Mmmmm... will stop before I get hungrier.
We went here about 5 years ago and then again last night! Why haven't we been going here more often??
The vegetarian selection is SLIM... but i ended up ordering a custom veggie tempura roll caterpillar style.. they didn't make a fuss and made it for me...and it was delicious!
My husband got the baked scallops and CA roll. He liked both very much.
We finished it off with delicious chocolate bread pudding, that makes you smile with every bite!!!!
(Side note... we had chocolate bread pudding at Foxtail in WeHo, about a year ago... and have been on the hunt for the same/better quality ever since! Sadly we never found it.. till now!!)
All in all .. it was a great dinner.. I wish there were more vegetarian options.. but that just comes with the Sushi territory. As long as there is 1 great roll.. then I am happy.
=)
By far, my favorite restaurant in Santa Clarita. Everything I've tried I love, the chilean sea bass, teriyaki, and more. I'm not a sushi eater, but I hear that is excellent here as well! My boyfriend says they have the best filet minon he's ever tasted and it's the only thing he orders every time we go. He gets cravings for it!
The wait staff is very polite and the restaurants is clean and simple with a nice Asian flare.
My husband and I are Sushi fanatics... Maru is definitely on the top 3 of our list when it comes to freshness and quality. Their oysters are huge and mouthwatering with fresh goodness! My favorite is the Spicy Tuna Roll. BEST SPICY TUNA EVER!!! I sat at the Sushi Bar and the chef was super fun! Their sushi menu is just a list with no descriptions so if you're not familiar with rolls or hand rolls not to worry.... just tell the chef what ingredients you like and he'll make it. Our bill for just the two of us was a little over $100. We left Maru stuffed and over satisfied! I pay anything for top quality sushi and excellent service.
Oh my god. After looking on yelp for a japanese restaurant in the area of Valencia / Santa Clarita, I was impressed by the write-ups on this place. What a total disappointment. A $33.00 sashimi dinner that at my regular place is 14.00 and much better. The tuna and whitefish were veiny and tough, everything else was just ok. My wife had a suchi platter for about the same price and was equally disappointed. First time she ever left uneaten sushi on her plate. For a mall restaurant way over priced. I was yelped....into a mediocre place
Let me start off by saying my expectations were not high as I sat down with my colleagues for the following reasons:
1. It's not Japanese owned
2. I'm a traditionalist and don't believe in Japanese Fusion foods. They serve non-Japanese dishes called Tuna Carpaccio, Duck Risotto, Popcorn Shrimp Salad, New York Steak and something called Spicy Tuna Meatball sushi.
3. They serve wine and coffee
4. We were in Valencia
Well, after my first bite of the Tuna Carpaccio, I must admit I was sold. The sushi was above average and even their fusion sushi was not bad.
This place is pricey and I sweated a little bit when the President told me to charge it to my division. There were 5 of us and we ordered a couple of bottles of Kosta Brown Pinot Noir. The bill came to $788.00 including tip, so thank God the President is the one approving my expense report.
Service was good and the bathroom was clean!
People thought this was:
This is my favorite restaurant in Valencia. Everyone says great things about this restaurant so I will just highlight some of my favorites:
Sushi: Toro
Appetizer: Crispy Duck Risotto
Entrees: The Shorts Ribs, Chilean Seabass
*Important note: When it comes time for your dessert order the VANILLA ICE CREAM. It is beyond amazing. I know it sounds boring, but you have never had ice cream like this. It is homemade, and has the most lovely textures and flavors. It is like eating silk. Fresh vanilla bean silk.
People thought this was:
The sushi here is really fresh... i tired it last year on my birthday.
We actually ate food off of the main menu. The food was good tasty but i honestly couldnt get over the spicy tuna cut roll... fresh and amazing.
Its a bit up there in price, but once you sink your teeth into the sushi you know why!
Excellent sushi, unique menu items and good service. I'd go back.
Maru is the only reason I would ever go to Valencia besides Magic Mountain and the place I work at in the Valencia Town Center. When I'm having a "I hate work" day, I take my well deserved lunch time and walk straight to Maru and sit at the sushi bar. Luis is usually the sushi chef there at the time and I give him my order of spicy tuna meatballs and a yellowtail roll. After that first bite, my worries and feelings of frustration melt away. This place is my sushi heaven. Everything at Maru is crafted so masterfully that it's worth the $30+ lunch for myself.
I usually stick with sushi here but they also have bento boxes with the usual combos of teriyaki, tempura, miso soup, and salad. They're ok, but nothing spectacular. Same goes for the don buri bowl. The duck confit is wonderful. The salmon skin salad isn't prepared the way I've had it in other restaurants where the skin is very crispy. The salmon's only slightly toasted and they put a bit too much of that sweet dressing over the entire salad. They also have a corn soup there that's awesome. Since I usually stick to the sushi bar, I go with what's on the standard sushi menu, and sometimes I'll really splurge and go to the daily menu where they'll have the prices for toro and other seasonal fish. And to end a great meal, you can't go wrong with their freshly made ice cream.
If I could afford eating here every other day, I would do it! It's hands-down, the best restaurant in Valencia.
Stopped by this place after reading the rave reviews on YELP and I must say dinner was fantastic. After a grueling day @ Magic Mtn, I needed some solid food and ordered the sushi combination with a spicy tuna roll, salad, miso soup and 7 random pieces of sushi.... I judge sushi places by their fish first *obviously* but also by their ginger, wasabi and RICE! I usually order sashimi, but the sushi pieces were perfectly textured and fresh. Very important when you're eating raw fish.
This place is legit... Comparable to my #1 favorite sushi place in Little Tokyo - Sushi Gen! Located in a shopping mall, I would usually not expect such a great sushi experience. I ended my experience with the chocolate bread pudding even though I was completely full but since I won't be back, I had to.
Everything from the tea to the dessert was great....
We ate at Maru while in Valencia purely for the fact that it came up as the highest rated restaurant in the area on Yelp. I have to say thanks again to Yelp!!
I have to say first off, that I am not a sushi lover. I wish I was. But I just can't do it. I've tried, but it just doesn't work. Luckily, most sushi places offer me something else, so that I can still join my friends/family in sushi excursions!! As far is Maru is concerned, I got a lot more than I normally do!
I ordered the miso soup, followed by the shrimp and polenta. This was absolutely phenomenal. It was served with A LOT of shrimp, which I didn't expect. The polenta was excellent, and it also came with yummy swiss chard and mushrooms. My friend and I both declared ourselves of having "foodgasms" (she got sushi). My boyfriend also got a tasty cooked entree, the chilean seabass. This was served with whipped potatoes (not mashed... There's a difference.) and random vegetables that I can't remember. Another friend in our party got the grilled salmon teriyaki, which he liked. Everyone, except me, ordered sushi (don't ask me the types, I can't remember), and they all liked it a lot.
Service here is very quick. My glass never got less than half full (not just because I was optimistic, haha...), AND the waitress barely chuckled when I requested a fork (that's unusual at sushi restaurants for me...).
Prices are a little steep, but this IS a sushi restaurant. Cheap sushi places make me nervous...
People thought this was:
I came here for the first time in a long time, maybe a year or more, largely based on what other yelpers had to say . . .Kudos to you my fellow yelpers you did not disappoint! The service was a 5 star-the waitress, engaging, and eager to please. In addition to her, we were asked by the other staff, servers, seater/greeter, and I think the owner as well, "if everything was OK" I did not feel that this was bothersome, but instead in this recessionary times, I felt these people really appreciated our business, not just our bucks. Hooray!
The bill with drinks for two, and a tip of $10.00 came in at about $70.00. so I give the price also a 4 star rating. Now for the food:
We ordered one appetizer, tempura combo, shrimp and veggies, which was perfectly crunchy and cooked. The sauces for all dishes were excellent. The main dish, split, was a combination plate, miso soup, and 4 types of sushis (10 pieces), the sushi fish was very fresh, and we had more than enough for two people. I recommend the cold and creamy, milky and pearly, Saki, unfiltered, Nigori, made right here in the good ole USA, San Francisco. We also split a big Sapporo beer. Great atmosphere, lovely people all around. I even like the quirky "sliver" nature of the physical layout of this small dinner. The restaurant is "shoe-horned" into a very small and narrow outdoor mall space. The bathrooms are placed just off the area where the food is passed through to the waiter/servers. While this sounds a bit cramped, and it is, I actually appreciate the quirkiness of this establishment's lay out. Kind of reminds me of eating in one of those little hole restaurant's in SF or Manhattan. You got to love the close proximately of your fellow diners. I think it adds to the atmosphere rather than detracts. No squeamish "peoplephobs" allowed! If you can't smell and check out the other person's sushi than you are not packed together close enough. Hopefully everyone smells good, and has applied their Deodorant, or better yet went home and showered/bathed before they arrived for dinner. This place may not be for the claustrophobic or the privacy obsessed. 4 stars all around. Two thumbs up.
People thought this was:
Now, I honestly haven't been to too many sushi places in So Cal, probably a half dozen at most. To be honest, I've found them mostly uninspiring and mediocre. I can't believe this place is in Santa Clarita. I'm guessing the soccer moms and NASCAR dads up here have no idea what they have because this place had the best sushi I've had since moving to California. It is even better than the couple places I've been to San Francisco. Granted, I didn't have Yelp to help me last time I was in San Francisco and I haven't exactly hit up any of the other top sushi places in Southern California. Still, this place is good. I'd heard much about this place from Carson R., and while he doesn't really eat sushi, all the kind words he had for this place are deserved.
I was happy because in spite of the upscale decor, they still had bento boxes. I briefly considered a teriyaki/sushi box, but took the cue from my co-worker and ordered the sushi/sashimi bento box. It came with what seemed like fresh made miso soup, fresh spring mix salad, and of course sushi, sashimi, and a giant dollop of rice.
The miso soup was, well, miso soup. Like I said, it was fresh, but not much else can be said about it.
The salad was where things started to get good. Even though it was a simple salad of lightly dressed greens, I felt that they put some effort into it. Every green in the salad was high quality - not a single wilted piece or brown corner. The dressing was a very light sesame-ginger that was not overwhelming and applied sparingly to the salad, which I liked.
As for the sushi and sashimi, as typical with a bento box, it was chef's choice. As typical with chef's choice, chef's choice ended up being tune, yellowtail, salmon, and a California roll. This is where Maru Sushi really excelled. Every piece of sashimi and nigiri was fresh and very delicious. The yellowtail was exquisitely buttery and the tuna melted in my mouth. As for the California roll, I think it is the best California Roll I've ever had. It was made with fresh crab, NOT imitation, which was a revelation for. Needless to say I was very happy with the sushi.
The service was prompted and polite, though perhaps not overly welcoming. No complaints though. The restaurant itself was nice. As one of my dining companions remarked, however, it was a little more upscale than I like in my sushi joints.
All in all, this is probably the second best meal I've had in Santa Clarita. I'm not sure if it's worth the drive all the way up here from Pasadena, but I definitely think that if you are in the San Fernando Valley, it may be worth the trek.
People thought this was:
Maru is my favorite overall restaurant in Valencia, whether for sushi or cooked food. The sushi is very high quality and well-prepared. The cooked dishes are also excellent, and they really know how to cook a steak. (The kobe beef, which is served with hot stones on which the slivers of raw beef are placed in order to cook them, is a masterpiece of presentation.) Maru really knows how to do it all, and the quality is consistently among the top restaurants in the Los Angeles area.
So, why don't I give them 5 stars? Well, to me, 5 stars is perfection, and the sushi is not quite as good as, say, Nozawa or Sasabune, and the cooked food is not as good as, say, Restaurant at the Hotel Bel Aire or Cafe Melisse. I mean it's pretty darn good, at times even great, but I have never had one of those true "roll my eyes back" moments. Yes, they may be the best restaurant in Valencia, but I feel to give them 5 stars is to give short shrift to the truly amazing restaurants out there. If this is 5 stars, then what is French Laundry or Gary Danko or Fontaine du Mars or .... ?
Also, the service is extremely variable. I've been going to Maru since they opened, and sometimes it is efficient and attentive, and sometimes, you wait 40 minutes for your main course, and the server never stops by that entire time.
On the other hand, the managers are extremely gracious. Once I became a regular here, I was impressed with how they greeted me every time. After I stopped coming regularly, they continued to welcome me warmly, even after months would elapse between visits. Although they never said it, I got the feeling they were expressing, "We're so glad to see you again."
What's best about Maru is if you are an adventurous eater, there is always something amazing on the menu. I had my first skate wing here (incredible), jellyfish (crunchy), kobe beef (succulent), and more. It's fun to order the Japanese scallops, flown in fresh that day, and compare them to the local scallops. The uni is the best I've had, with the consistency of butter and a faint taste of mild coffee.
They also take their wine seriously, and I've had fun sampling high-end sakes from their menu. (I once made the mistake of ordering a 1.5L bottle of sake, and the waitress didn't warn me that it might be too much for a party of four. Fortunately, they were willing to re-seal the bottle and hold it till my next visit!)
I'll end, as any meal should, with the desserts. The better desserts are truly world-class; seasonal, as they should be, and prepared with creative whimsy. Even the molten chocolate cake, which you can get at so many restaurants, has been taken to the next level, in both presentation and flavors.
You can drop some serious $ here, but you can also "squeak by" for about $60 for two, if you stick to the combinations and "package dinners."
I wish I could give 4-1/2 stars...
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Maru = YUMMY! I'm vegan, my husband isn't ...however, when we come here for dinner...we leave with full belly's and silly grins on our face. They make me a special roll - Avocado CRUNCH roll - which i still get charged $11 for (the same price as an of-the-sea crunch roll) but boy is it worth it !! He get's a Rainbow roll which he says is the best he's ever had. I'll take his word for it.
If you are in Valencia for some god awful reason (i have an excuse, i live here!) you must go to Maru for (vegan) sushi...you won't miss the fish!
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Great food, great service! I wanted toro sashimi, but they were out. The waitress suggested another sashimi, but I couldn't remember what she served us. I guess I'll have to go back to find out. I'll definitely be back again!
Absolutely tasteful! Thanks to our wonderful waitress for recommending the Scallop roll. I had an orgasm in my mouth right there!
Filet mignon - delicious.
Spicy tuna roll - yum!
Small place but the atmosphere is great. Service is top notch.
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Very Disappointing...based on the other reviews, we expected a lot better food. Curry lamb was suppose to be lamb chop, but it was not lamb chop and it was quite tough. At the price of $27, one would expect a lot better quality of lamb. The $12 crab salad was not fresh and uninteresting. The beef and wild mushroom ravioli tasted like canned beef stew that's roughly chopped with non existence wild mushroom for $27. The Tempura Udon noodles were fine, except we had to request the Tempura on the side. Otherwise the Tempura would be swimming the Udon broth and be soggy.
The wine was priced outrageously high. A small glass of Ferrari-Carano Fum Blanc was $16. A whole bottle of the Ferrari-Carano Fum Blanc costs $17 at the winery and the prices at the wineries are almost always higher than retail stores. Ridiculous....
The service was adequate and the Hamachi Sashimi was very fresh and tasty. The best dish we had was the seared sea scallops with English pea ravioli.
We would not return even if someone else is picking up the tab.
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Is there any possible way to give more than five stars...like maybe ten. They just added fried chicken to their menu. Yes....it is everything you're thinking and more. Plus they have a little spicy dipping sauce for it and it comes with one of two of the best deserts they offer (berry cobbler or bread pudding). I heart heart heart Maru!
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Life (especially in Valencia) would be very different without Maru Sushi. We have been enjoying… Read more »
Maru Sushi in Valencia is a great place, a very nice small restaurant, with great quality food. They also offer a gourmet menu which they print everyday, with excellent choices. We've been going to Maru since the first day they open, which was a very chaotic day, we left after seating for more than an hour and without eating. We waited and tried again, and we have been Maru's customers since then.
Everything is always fresh, the restaurant is located in a very nice area of the city. Great sushi chefs too. The best in SCV, and not only for sushi. I have tried all sushi and Japanese food restaurants in SCV, and nothing compares, not even close to Maru's food. Overall I think Maru is the best restaurant in SCV, and one of the best in California.
Prices are reasonable, and you really get what you pay for or more.
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I first wanted to try this place cause of the name Maru which was my pledge name in college for my sorority... LOL
This place was just okay for my hubby and me but so far one of the better sushi places in the SCV but does not live up to our standards really good sushi...
Hubby just reminded me about the expensive price and poor service but keeping at 3 stars...
Sat at sushi bar, sushi chef was really great. Food was good too. But this wench of a waitress was getting upset cuz she wasn't getting her orders from the chef fast enough. I guess she blamed us for her orders being late as we added our orders to the chef's because in the middle of our meal, she walks over, and reached around and SNATCHED our menu without saying anything. I think her name was Chika. Chika YOUR ATTITUDE IS WORSE THAN YOUR ORANGE HAIR! Believe it or not, I left 20%+ for tip because the chef was that great. I think the owners are a couple, and the wife was very nice about it because she went so far as to ask what was wrong without us asking anything. As great as she was, and the sushi chef was, I will not be going back because the waitress was very disrespectful and basically ruined our night.
People thought this was:
Good, not great. We could have hit it on a bad night. Service was inattentive and not too concerned about it. We had to ask for water 3 times, and when a busboy came to our table, he filled up our kids soft drink glasses with water. Our waitperson seemed to be giving much more attention to the tables surrounding us. Could be that they were short-staffed, but we all were definitely feeling ignored.
I'm not sure if it's customary to bring sushi ordered by two different people to the table on the same plate, but that's what happened. Not a major problem, but it did seem strange. My wife's Blue Crab Hand Roll with Organic Greens was more aptly named "with Organic Green" ... She said that it wasn't particularly flavorful although there was a generous amount of crab. My daughter had the 13 piece sushi combination which she said was good, but the rice had too much wasabi floating on it. Probably should have ordered it without wasabi. I had the Tomato and Cucumber salad, which was definitely not what the menu made it out to be. Yes there were Tomatoes ( a bit under-ripe ), Cucumbers, and Avocado, but there was also a giant mound of greens. It was all pretty good ( except for the off-season tomatoes ), but the menu should probably be updated to mention that it's essentially an organic green salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocado.
The Japanese food ordered by some in our party was all pretty good. The sashimi was very fresh. The teriyaki was also good.
I had the filet mignon which the menu stated was the "Best steak in Valencia" Granted, we're not from Valencia, so I wouldn't know what sort of competition's out there, but it wasn't the best steak I've had. It was very good, but not great. It sat atop a rather heaping mound of garlic mashed potatoes ( a little too garlicky for my taste, but that's just me. I don't like garlic fries either ) The steak was under-seasoned, and the sauces that surrounded the plate had very little flavor.
Overall, I'd say 3 stars. I would have loved to give this place a higher score. It's a beautiful restaurant, and we were greeted very nicely when we arrived. As the night wore on, we felt compelled to say that we wished we would have dined somewhere else. It was a special night for us. We were seeing some very dear friends whom we only see once or twice a year. A little water would have gone a long way in moving this from 3 to 4 stars.
People thought this was:
I have never had a bad experience at Maru. It has always been awesome, whether we are coming to celebrate or just grab lunch. Everything I have had here has been delicious. I will admit that the owner is a friend, but even without him there, it is always a great experience.
Food. Everything is good. All sorts of great textures and flavors which all go together so well. Jason (owner) is a man who knows what he is doing and gets down to the details to make each dish as perfect as can be.
I have tried half the entrees on his non-Japanese menu and each one has been satisfying - meaning, you know how you order food and you look at what the other person got and think, dang, I should have ordered that? Well, that has never happened to me here cause everything I have ordered has been great.
Like others have said, I love the sorbets here and only get sad that my favorite flavors are no longer in season since Jason makes the sorbets with fresh fruit. But then there are new flavors to try. Oh yeah, and the coffee is really good here.
As for the service, I don't really know what people are talking about. I have had four different waitresses here and they have all been good. They are informed and good about recommendations. Last time I went, they told us the duck was running low and might be sold out for the night and she checked with the kitchen before a friend ordered it and got the last one. I am sure Jason wouldn't keep a bad waitress cause he cares about service as well as the food.
One random/useful comment. For some reason, no matter how much I eat here, I never end up painfully stuffed. I am full in that good way, but never bursting and in pain. And their portions are very good, not huge but not small either - what you would expect from a fine dining establishment. Adds to the great dining experience. +)
And I would say ignore the guy and the picture story - except for what he said about the food. One star, come on. That is ridiculous after saying the food you tasted was great. It is like saying I went to a swimming pool but they wouldn't let me bathe in the pool and so I am going to rate them down - you go there to eat and enjoy, not to take pictures. And I know that Jason was polite about the no picture taking even giving an explanation.
Anyway, go try it for yourself and you won't regret it. It is so good, this is where I celebrated both the night I finished taking the California Bar Exam and three months later, when I found out, I celebrated passing it too. Good for every occasion. +)
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Do you know why there are no pictures posted here for Maru Sushi? Because the owner stops people from taking pictures of the food they've ordered. At least he did me.
I had just finished shooting a gorgeous duck risotto confit when I was asked not to take pictures of the food. I said OK, no problem, and told him to cancel the rest of my order (Hon Maguro, Wah Gyu Kushi, and Chilean Sea Bass, none of which I will ever know the look or taste of). I received my bill immediately.
The reason why no food pics are allowed at Maru Sushi? The owner was blunt: "I don't want people trying to steal my recipes." Admittedly, the duck risotto was fantastic. I savored every last spoonful. But I wasn't trying to steal the recipe. Like everywhere else I take pictures of food, I wanted to capture the moment and share the good news.
If you're not a food-photo fanatic like me, you can ignore this review. The food, from the one appetizer I tasted, easily rates four out of five. But I'm giving Maru Sushi one star for their ridiculous photo policy.
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DE-LIC-IOUS!!
...and such a great atmosphere. There's not topping Maru in Santa Clarita.
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Everyone else has said it all.
EXCELLENT!
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Well, I was able to sneak in a photo of my delicious 911 roll - but this was just my app - EVERYTHING I had there was so delicious!
I was up in Valencia for the weekend, on a Magic Mountain excursion, but I did NOT expect to have the best sushi I've ever had!
I had the duck risotto (thanks to the suggestion of fellow yelpers)
The spicy tuna "meatballs" sound gross, but are spectacular!
Tuna sashimi - like butta
911 roll - hot and fresh, just how I like it! (can you tell tuna is my fave?)
We also ordered the lava cake, but they sold out! :( 5 stars nonetheless!
This place rocks, and a reservation was a must, because I overheard the hostess telling guests that it was a 1-2 hour wait, b/c they had to accommodate the reserved customers first!
People thought this was:
Someone in the back has some serious culinary cojones-- Foie gras and sushi? You better be damn sure. And they were. The foiegras was buttery, silky, incredibly rich and just mind-bogglingly delicious with the blueberries. Their nigiri sushi... not as well assembled as I would have liked, but it's one of those "big fish small rice" kinds of places and damn, the only thing that would have sent this place into my "Jewels of the Crown" list would have been freshly grated wasabi root, instead of the green stuff.
Incredible selections on the sushi menu; this will not be my last time here that's for sure.
Some of these selectinos include LIVE ama-ebi (sweet shrimp), Japanese sea bass (something fishy about that...). On top of this, lunch here is overwhelmingly CHEAP. Well, not for me and my friend. It was like $100 for lunch, but like you know. We ate a lot. But they have some nice specials that run under $25. Their sushi rice thing (chira something something...) is huge, comes with tons of raw fish and it's $22. Which isn't bad. The environment is really clean and modern. I love it.
If you're in this neck of the woods (which I'm not that often), give it a shot it's pretty good.
Valencia, CA
Category: Indian
Canyon Country, CA
Category: Japanese
Newhall, CA
Category: Restaurants
Valencia, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
Valencia, CA
Category: Mexican
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