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Matoi Sushi
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars
602 N Dale Mabry HwyTampa, FL 33609
(813) 871-3237
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
28 reviews for Matoi Sushi
Review Highlights
"Matoi Sushi is a nice Korean cuisine/sushi restaurant."
(in 12 reviews)
"We also had the Bul go ki stone pot which was yummy, but I..."
(in 2 reviews)
"...incredibly fresh and the Dynamite roll and Pirates roll are..."
(in 1 review)
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28 reviews in English
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Review from Mike S.
Tampa, FL
11/5/2011
This is my favorite Korean restaurant in town, also serving sushi and some other Japanese dishes. You get plenty of kimchi, which is fine if you like it like I do....but clearly a love-or-hate dish. Pungent, sorta hot, highly garliced, fermented chinese cabbage which is a national dish of Korea. I also like their version of another Korean favorite, bul-go-gi, which is a barbequed beef dish. Most Korean dishes come as a combo platter so you can sample and learn what you like. Others who like sushi seem happy with the sushi offerings. Service is generally good but can get erratic when the place is busy.
If you have never tried kimchi or other Korean food, this is a good place to start learning. And if you expect some unwelcome guests at home, drop by Matoi first, sample some kimchi, do not brush or mouthwash, and the guests will leave in short order. -
Review from Rick M.
Tampa, FL
2/2/2012
Absolutely wonderful sushi experience. I have been three times in the past month. Their menu is full of the usual sushi dishes plus so many creative extras, but everything is presented wonderfully and the sushi is extremely fresh. Try the Jalapeño appetizer its amazing. They are a bit on the pricey side, but considering the amount of fish you get, it is understandable. The waitresses are very friendly and provide prompt and courteous service. I can't wait to go back.
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Review from Joe P.
Tampa, FL
12/31/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Excellent sushi, very creative on the rolls and very friendly staff. the Korean food is also very good. The spicy seafood soup was amazing.
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Review from Jia Z.
Cherry Hill, NJ
12/11/2011
Their sushi and sashimi isn't bad at all, considering we're in florida.. and their korean tofu is pretty good. This place is a korean owned restaurant. Service is helpful and friendly.. we'd go back again.
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Review from Peiney A.
Jacksonville, FL
1/29/2012
There's probably a reason this restaurant has been in business since 1987. The sushi is fresh, "healthy" portions and tasty. They offer a sample of 4 Korean side dishes a small appetizer. The staff is super friendly, bathrooms updated, parking lot, tv's, saltwater fish tank. Dim lighting but I don't want bright lights anyway. I found my local sushi spot!
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Review from Jay N.
Parrish, FL
1/21/2012
Best sushi in FL!! I'm a local electrician and any time I'm working even close to this place its where I go for lunch. Great prices and the best sushi around. If you get a chance to go try to sit at the sushi bar the nicest, most generous chef's I've ever had the pleasure to meet.
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Review from Marie S.
Tampa, FL
12/6/2011
REALLY great Korean food!! 5 stars for that! The galbi is the best I ever had. I have been going to Matoi for years, since it was "sam o jung" 15 years ago... consistently delicious food and friendly service.
Our whole family loves this place, even down to our 8 year old.
Sushi is 4 stars, still very very good though... this was my first place that I fell in love with their sushi but since then I have had a lot more of it, at a lot fancier places so that is where the minus 1 star comes from. For the value though, this place is great!
Try it out if you like korean food and/or sushi! -
Review from Jason P.
Gibsonton, FL
11/26/2011
Friendly service and very good sushi! Would definitely eat there again. Went there for lunch with some friends on a Saturday afternoon.
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Review from Joseph M.
Lutz, FL
9/27/2011 2 Check-ins Here
My wife and I were able to get out for one of our exceptionally rare date nights without the kids. Matoi is a completely different experience when you don't have to tell little ones not to throw stuff, to sit down in their seats and not to squeal. The sushi is awesome compared to Tampa standards for sushi. The fish is incredibly fresh and the Dynamite roll and Pirates roll are works of art as well as delicious. The KimChi is a must try, and the Dynamite is a can't miss. Service has been good both times we have dined here. Better without kids! We had the sizzling Korean short ribs last time and they were great too! They are a little pricey, but worth the difference in price. http://Restaurant.com and groupons help but we still spent over $60 for 2 of us... without alcohol purchases.
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Review from Thuy H.
Tampa, FL
8/22/2010
I have been here 3 times with 3 different size groups and the experience is different each time. The first time, it was a very large group of 20 people. We stuffed ourselves into the "private" room and the service was good for the number of people that was there on a Saturday night. The waitress ran around like chickens without heads but they got all of our orders in and it came out in a reasonable time.
The second time, it was HORRIBLE. There was 10 of us and it took forever to get our food. It was busy but not so busy that they should be taking that long. When we got our food, they were missing things like forks, spoons, refills, etc. We asked several times and we asked several different waitress. It was so bad that the owner came out to kiss our butts a little.
The third time, it wasn't so bad. It was again a Saturday. We got in before the evening rush. The waitress was pleasant and she did a good job with helping us get what we really wanted. I think we got better service this time because it was slow and the group was alot smaller... just the 3 of us.
The sushi here is good; I would give it a 4 star. The reason why I give it a 3 overall... they always give us better service when there is a Korean in the group. ALWAYS. -
Review from Priscilla S.
Tampa, FL
5/31/2010
Matoi Sushi is a nice Korean cuisine/sushi restaurant. The food looks amazing and taste pretty good too. A friend had a gift certificate so we went with a few friends. We tried what looked good on the menu because there was so many foods to look over. After ordering what looked and sounded familiar, I was disappointed on the Volcano roll which didn't look like a volcano, the Scallop Roll did. Next time I'll order that. We also had the Bul go ki stone pot which was yummy, but I wish they added more bul go ki! And the only side dishes we received was kimchi and kimchied radish. Other places give way more than that. Overall, nice place but a but pricier than most.
The service was okay. We had like two different people serving us. The first one was helpful on what we should decide to eat. The other one was nice but when we had a question about our bill because they added a 18% gratuity when we had 5 people, and not 6 or more. So the male waiter thought we didn't want to pay the gratuity, when really we wanted to know why they put it there if the menu says otherwise. It turned out it was the other servers fault, but because we sort of gave them a hard time we decided to let it go and just pay up. Then they tried to treat us with an overdone Volcano roll at the end as an apology. We were full by then. Dessert would've been better. lol -
Review from Mike P.
Mesa, AZ
8/2/2011
"Tampa's Best Sushi".....I hope that the area has more to offer than this place. While it wasn't bad, it certainly wasn't memorable. A bit pricey for what you get. The New Tampa roll was ok, but the sauce on top tasted like it was made a few weeks ago. The yellow tail was fresh, but not as firm as I normally like. Overall an OK sushi house, but not even close to being a high end restaurant
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Review from Brian C.
Tampa, FL
10/12/2010
Probably my favoriet sushi place I've ever eaten at. Definitely my favorite in Tampa. Haven't had a lot of their specialty rolls, but I'm sure they are as great as their simple traditional rolls, which they create with perfection.
Can't stop eating there. -
Review from Carlos H.
Updated - 12/23/2009 9 photos
Well it's been 2 years since my last visit to Matoi and I have to say that it improved incredibly. Their Korean menu is awesome, though dinner is a little pricy. I had their Galbi ($18) which was amazingly good, cooked to perfection. I did not think at first glance that it would fill me but it got me pretty full.
Once my party arrived for our sushi social we moved into the private room and the service was good. Waitresses took care of us well and everybody's food looked fresh and delicious. I had a California Roll which was great. My friends ordered entrees such as Chicken Katsu, Tempura, Udon, and they all enjoyed their meals.
The room was nicely decorated and was a nice backdrop to a social. For dessert my friend and I split a tempura ice cream which was pretty good, though maybe not the best I have had. Overall this place has improved a great amount since my last visit and I'm very pleased with them.Listed in: Tampa Asian Food Lover, Tampa Bay Sushi, Tampa Korean Food
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/5/2007
The stuff stated earlier by Mark is SO TRUE and I wish I had read it before my visit to Matoi. My… Read more »
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Review from Raymond Z.
Plantation, FL
12/12/2009
I'd always heard good things about this place, but I never went. Finally, I decided to bring 3 friends for dinner. The sushi/sashimi specials were relatively well priced, with most being under $14, although the portions said (if I remember) that it was about 4 pieces of nigiri and maybe 3 pieces of rolls.
The individual sushi/sashimi/rolls were pretty well priced, with I believe most basic rolls like a California Roll and Tuna Roll being ($4-$5) about. The presentation was wonderful, I liked the dishes they used to set the food with the curved upraised plates and bowls.
The Korean food on the other hand was quite expensive, like $12 for Bibimbap. I chose to get the side of kimchee w/3 vegetable appetizer for $4.50.
My friend got the baby octopus for around the same price...there were more vegetables than octopus and it came with a little side of teriyaki sauce.
The service was wonderful, the waitress Sue (strangely, that's my mom's English name) was very kind and attentive. When I ordered miso soup she gave me what was left of the soup, and then later a full fresh bowl.
The decor was nice and looked traditional-ish with a blend of modern style. Brown wooden paneling, a nice fish tank in the middle, and a spacious sushi bar (although we sat at the booths). One thing I will say is that either the booth seats are too small or the table is too high.
I would definitely come back here again (especially for the lunch specials on sushi and Korean) -
Review from Holly H.
Olathe, KS
3/9/2010
my husband and I had been searching for a new sushi restaurant to call our own since moving to Florida - we haven't gotten many chances to experiment. This place was recommended by a good friend of ours who said it was the best in Tampa.
Maybe going with high expectations was a problem. We went, and the food was ok, but we felt it was too expensive for what it was. Neither of us were that impressed and we both left without that "mmmm, that was some yummy sushi" feeling that we normally do after our sushi experiences. -
Review from Jeremy A.
4/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
One thing that I noticed right off the bat is this place is pricey even for lunch.
Its a korean / japanese please which is an odd but inviting combo for me since I love Korean.
We ordered all korean which prompted the waitress to try and get us to order sushi and even bringing us some free. I dunno, maybe they were trying to get rid of it.
The Galbi was ok, but 18.99 ouch. The banchan was limited and it was real small portions of like 4 items.
The soondubu was decent and I wish they had a combo with galbi, but they didnt.
Even though the korean was very expensive, the sashimi seemed reasonably priced so perhaps i would come back to try some of that.
The service was good and prompt as well. -
Review from David F.
Tampa, FL
7/25/2008
Go to Matoi for the sushi, not the Korean food. They have some of the best traditional sashimi, sushi and rolls in town. If you're looking for flowery overdone Americanized sushi, this is not the place for you.
I agree with some of the other reviewers on the service, not always the best. But lunchtime is a breeze. -
Review from Michael L.
New York, NY
This is based solely on the korean food. I ordered the kimchi chigae (soup) with tofu, pork, vegetables. I havent had korean in a long time, so this really hit the spot. The kimchi chigae had the right amount of heat and the soup itself was flavorful. There were clear noodles as well which was a nice touch. The pork was above average with the right amount of fat, and was not overcooked at all which is fairly easy to do in this kind of dish. The dish came with 4 banchan, none of which i really liked except the kimchi. The age (ah-geh) tofu was decent, but ive had better in other places.
Cost: about average if not slightly above. Kimchi chigae was $11, tofu was $6..
Based on the korean food alone, its not bad and worth going to. staff is friendly as well.
overall: 3 star korean food, 4 star for it being in an area with not much korean food. -
Review from Trang T.
Hillsborough, FL
12/13/2010
a bit pricey, and miss l's dolsot bi bim bap "could've been better," but my hwea dup bap was exactly what i was looking for! oh to be filled to the brim with sashimi.. /rubs belly.
the ambiance was great. authentic japanese down to the server bell you get to ring. prices still a bit much for the young professional, but luckily, the groupon discount made prices perfect. -
Review from Dottsy Z.
1/21/2009
I'm surprised at the low star rating. I honestly liked Matoi Sushi. I sat at the sushi bar and I was treated very well by the chef. I ordered three different rolls (spicy tuna, yellow tail, and chef's choice) and the fish was fresh and each roll was delicious. This is not one of those trendy sushi bars that boasts rolls with creative/silly names that make people say "Ooooh what's in it?" They are simple, yet tasty rolls. If I'm ever in the area again, I will certainly hit Matoi for their sushi.
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Review from Korinne j.
Miami, FL
2/4/2009
Very fresh sushi. It doesn't look like much from the outside but the fresh delicious sushi makes up for it on the inside. I have been here dozens of times and have never had a bad experience. Do not go expecting a 5 star restaurant. If you want traditional high grade sushi in a casual atmosphere you will not be disappointed. They offer takeout too.
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Review from Dustin S.
Tampa, FL
3/15/2010
I have been all over the country and in some of the most recognized sushi places out there and I have to say if you want great sushi, in Tampa, Matoi is the best around. The ONLY reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 is the atmosphere. It has gotten better once they did the remodel but it is still a little "old" to me. I am not a prude but I do enjoy a little bit of a scene when I go out to dinner. If you are just looking for a low-key chill dinner with some fantastic sushi....head to Matoi's.
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Review from Adam H.
Tampa, FL
9/29/2008
Love this place... Great specials, and the owner is behind the sushi bar most of the time, so the quality usually fantastic!!! In my top three sushi spots in Tampa for sure... Try the TWT roll, is freaking amazing.... If you're into good food before ambiance, this place is it....
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Review from jeanie a.
Seattle, WA
9/17/2010
I was in town for business and I ended up eating here three out of four nights. I'm from Seattle so I'm used to some decent sushi. The service and the food were great. I ate at the sushi bar and Steve, the sushi chef, took good care of me. I love the TWT roll (white tuna). I want to marry it. I ordered it each night. The spicy ponzu sauce is so good I wanted to drink it straight out of the bowl. I wanted to try something different but each time I decided I wanted to order the TWT roll one last time. They also have korean food so each night was a dilemma. It's in an unassuming neighborhood but has fantastic food. You will not be disappointed.
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Review from Thomas C K.
Tampa, FL
7/14/2007
Not recommended - last visit was a disaster!
We had visited this restaurant in November 2005 and although our initial visit was somewhat spotty in regards to their service the food was not too bad and we decided to go again on January 15, 2006.
Well, this was our last visit.
Why, the service was atrocious and the food was - at best - mediocre. Our waiter who was friendly but totally devoid of any skills and took 10 minutes to come to our table. Then we waited for another 20 minutes before our drinks arrived. Then after another 20 minutes both my appetizer and main course arrived but nothing for my wife. Since the main course was Udon soup with tempura I did not want this to get cold as I ate my appetizer and asked for it to be returned. Well, as expected, the main course arrived later with a soggy tempura which had obviously been simply reheated and the Udon soup was only noodles and broth with no other ingredients. When my wife's main meal, salmon, finally came it was about half the size of that given to a diner at the next table and half the size of what it had been when we visited previously.
The waitress continued to be very confused and "dittzy" even though the restaurant was not very busy. In other words we were very disappointed and will definitely not recommend this restaurant - there are too many other good ones in Tampa. -
Review from Grant J.
Tampa, FL
6/28/2010
We sat at the bar and ate sushi, and it was very good and fresh. The staff was very friendly and the price was right. I just moved from Minneapolis and surprisingly there is good sushi in the Midwest, however the quality and price is right at Matoi. I will definitely go back. We also spoke to a very nice couple that were regulars from St Pete and this is the only place they go in Tampa and I can see why. Also the place doesn't look great on the outside, however once you get inside it has a great atmosphere, cool fish tanks and clean newly remodeled bathrooms.
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Review from Mark S.
Tampa, FL
2/8/2007
We had dinner there the other night. They tried to seat us at the worst table possible although there were plenty of available tables in better locations. Some prodding yielded an acceptable table. After ordering it took a fairly long time, and the waitress seemed a bit confused. I had a bibimpop (Korean rice dish) which was acceptable, but not very exciting (go to Corea Won on Fowler Ave. if you want better Korean dishes-see my review on them). My wife had a variety of sashimi items, which were very good. Once the check came they tried to charge $68 for the sashimi, but, again, prodding yielded an adjustment to the correct $27. Bottom line: Good sushi (even though, after one visit it is difficult to judge if their stuff is consistently fresh-seems to me that, by experience, most sushi places in Tampa Bay have their good and bad days...) and mediocre Korean dishes. The staff does not really have their act together, i.e. watch what dish you get and what is on the check! (should point out here, that once problems were recognized, swift and friendly rectification occurred...why not do it right the first time, though?)
