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Mon-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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5 Stars for always friendly service plus the following sushi, sashimi, and hot dishes!
California Roll: melt-in-your mouth.. something about their avocado and their crab meat mixture
Salmon: always fresh, fatty (in a good way), glistening
Uni: fresh, sweet, delectable, melt-in-mouth
Unagi: warm with the perfect amount of sweet glaze on top
Unakyu: unagi (eel) with cucumbers roll. it took me a while to try this roll but such a great combo between the grilled eel and fresh cucumber!
Ankimo: Monkfish liver. Sounds gross but absolutely amazing. It's cut in slices topped with green onions and immersed in a citrusy ponzu sauce. The sauce truly makes this dish. Price isn't outrageous either. Get it whenever they have it!
Agedashi Tofu: perfectly fried outside, soft inside with the loveliest blend of green onion, grated ginger, bonito flakes and wonderful warm broth
Kara-age: Japanese fried chicken. Squeeze the lemon. Dip in salt/pepper mixture of own creation. Perfection. (Or get their tartar sauce, which is for another entree, and that tastes pretty darn good too)
Miso Soup: HOT (the way I like it) and just the right amount of white miso (as in, not too much). It's also finer and not gritty like other Japanese joints.
Nabeyaki Udon: Prawn and veggie tempura, fish cakes, spinach, few pieces of chicken, egg (i like to eat it towards the end for half-cooked, gooey yolk) in a hot beautiful broth. Seriously beautiful broth. Not too salty, no msg; you can tell they took care to make it.
Any of their combination entrees. Sushi with chicken or beef teriyaki. Tempura with chicken or beef teriyaki. Sushi with tempura. etc
Oh and, sesame-flavored ice cream. Creamy and fragrant.
OMG...the food here is great! My husband and I were in Lynnwood last night with my in-laws and wanted to try someplace new to eat in the area. My husband and I love Japanese food so we wanted to see if there were any good restaurants in the area. I checked Yelp and found this place. What a find! I'm so glad the other reviews mentioned the physical location of the restaurant because it probably would have been a little more difficult to find.
When we walked in we were greeted by the friendly hostess who seated us immediately. The hot towels that were given to us was a nice touch. The menu was filled with a variety of items to chose from. I ordered the Beef Teriyaki and Sushi dinner combo which included a new york steak and 5 pieces of nigiri, 3 pieces of cucumber roll and 3 pieces of tuna roll. While a little pricey at $20.95, you certainly do get a lot of food for the cost. And, the sushi was great quality. My husband got the Matsu Sushi dinner which included a whopping 10 pieces of nigiri, 3 pieces of cucumber roll and 3 pieces of tuna roll. My mother in law ordered the Tempura dinner and my father in-law got the Chicken Teriyaki and Tempura dinner combo. I was really amazed by the amount of food we all got with our dinner choices and it was all so delicious. Everyone was more than satisfied with their meals. The service here is great. We received our food in a timely manner and our water glasses were alway filled.
Came here on Saturday for lunch. Guess what...no longer open for lunch on Saturdays. Please update your web site!
Went to try this restaurant after all the 5 star ratings. Have to say that it is good food. Size… Read more »
Came here for lunch the other day and we were impressed! This little Japanese restaurant is in a little strip mall by a Korean restaurant, a bowling alley and a small burger drive thru. I would've never thought to try this place if it weren't for my friend's recommendation. It is authentic Japanese food...a little hard to find these days since a lot of people are so into the modern "Asian fusion" type food. I love it when I can find authentic Japanese...not like Wasabi Bistro downtown where the food is so overpriced and not good at all! The servers are friendly, fast & attentive. I had a ten-don and it was a good portion- 2 shrimp tempura, 1 eggplant, 1 zucchini, and 1 broccoli piece over rice. Very reasonably priced here. Will definitely be back!
Great portions. I ordered Beef Suikiyaki for the first time and this place did not disappoint. The broth was really tasty and the beef was tender. Authentic Japanese
I found it!
Sushi Nirvana.
In an unassuming, slightly seedy strip-mall in Lynnwood, across from the Police Station.
No Joke.
I came here for lunch on a Saturday, and the signs on the outside of the door stated that they were NOW OPEN for lunch on Saturdays!
I was so relieved that they were, because I don't know what I would have done if they were not.
My sister and fellow-sushi-lover and I walked into the tiny restaurant, and we were the only customers in there (apparently the Saturday lunch must be very new). We were greeted with "Moshi Moshi", and seated, and served a great cup of tea from a sweet Japanese lady. The interior of the shop was homey, clean, and friendly, reminded my sister and I of our favorite chinese spot near our parent's house in MLT.
We ordered two lunch combos- I went with a chicken teriyaki and sushi for 11.95, and sister-dear went with a sushi and sashimi combo for 15.95.
OK, it was a little pricier than our other favorite sushi spot in Lynn-Hood, but when the food came out, I knew we were in for a treat.
The miso soup was delicious, not salty at all, and I finished the whole bowl. The salad was standard lettuce carrot and cabbage and had that dressing stuff on it, but it was nice and light and so refreshing on such a hot day.
Then, the main course. A whole california roll (tuna and veggie), FOUR pieces of assorted nigri, perfectly cooked rice, fresh ginger and wasabi, and a large portion of gently cooked perfectly juicy chicken teriyaki. A huge amount of food, and it was all great.
The sushi was absolutely amazing, perfectly seasoned, the freshness of the fish was astounding, it left no odor on my breath afterwards, even when I burped.
I snagged a piece of my sister's fresh tuna sashimi. It was tender, perfectly cut and perfect thickness, and seasoned with what I can only describe as Love.
We got a more than ample portion of sushi with our meal. Matsu-san really is the best sushi chef I have encountered in my short, inexperienced time as a sushi connoisseur. 30 dollars for two people to eat(and have leftovers) left a pleasant taste in both of our mouths.
If you want fresh, delicious, reasonably priced, real sushi made with love and attention, In the north end, come to Lynnwood! Now open for lunch Saturday!
Located in an unassuming strip mall in Lynnwood, this Japanese restaurant provides solid fare for a decent price. There are better restaurants in Seattle but sometimes one finds themselves north and craving some sushi without dealing with Blue C at Alderwood.
We went directly at 5 p.m. but noticed that during our meal, the restaurant began to fill up with regulars and patrons waiting on to-go orders. Our waitress was exceptionally friendly and brought us hot steamed towels after we placed our order. She checked on us a few times during our meal but never to the point of harassment.
If you are in Lynnwood and crave Japanese food, this place will fit the bill. We were pleased with the items we ordered and you can check out my uploaded photos if you'd like a good idea of the portion size.
It's always nice to see Japanese restaurants in the US serve miso soup Japanese style (no spoon). It gives you a more authentic experience. I never knew you weren't supposed to eat miso soup with a spoon until I lived in Japan.
The sushi and sashimi was good and gets served with the nice beige ginger, not that weird pink stuff. Ginger isn't pink. Pickled ginger shouldn't be pink.
I got take out from here tonight: chirashi and Spicy Tuna roll. They have two different versions of chirashi here that are $4 apart, so I got the pricier one to see what it was all about... and wow, what variety! Probably the most varied assortment on chirashi I've ever seen. Big slices too! But only one of each kind of fish, and I wanted more salmon. :( The fish itself was pretty good.
Additional kudos because the spicy tuna roll was made with hot sesame oil and not spicy mayo. I love the authenticity that brings. The spicy tuna was heavy on the tuna and light on the oil, so it burned just enough to give me a kick, but didn't leave me running for water.
The server was super polite, and the place was quaint but felt authentic. The one down side was the sushi bar. Chairs at the sushi bar were super low. Boats were stacked on all sides, blocking the view from the patrons to the sushi chef. Add the banners hanging from the ceiling and you really can't even see into the sushi prep area. I guess it's the chef's choice, but it's really such a shame. The only time I saw the chef was when his arm emerged from behind a banner with my to go order.
Overall, a good experience. But far away. I'll only be back if I'm in the neighborhood, but I will definitely remember this place.
Stopped by here since I was nearby for a work appointment. I nearly decided to go to the Korean restaurant 2 doors down - but decided to stick w/ Japanese since I've been hankering for sushi.
I had a lunch special for $9.95. For the price it was fine. Nothing stellar, but all seemed reasonably fresh & well-prepared. There were only a few others there for lunch on a Friday - don't know if that is normal or not. Service was fine & it was a clean, pleasant environment.
And yes, it is in kind of a random strip-mall...but isn't everything in Lynnwood?! (don't hate, just kiddin' sorta)
Side note: several places - restaurants & retails spots seemed shuttered along this pretty major road (Chevy's, billiard place, etc...). Sad sign of the times I guess.
I love this place. Love it. Their rolls are fabulous, and their fish is wonderful. I've had many of their dinner entrees and they have all been wonderful.
The teriyaki is fantastic!! The sauce is light and thin, not goupy and overpowering like "TERIYAKI" places.
Tempura is wonderful. The Sukiyaki is my boyfriend's favorite meal there.
When geoduck is in season, get it here. It's so fantastic!! It is family owned and operated by wonderful Japanese family.
When you come in you get a hot steamed towel, then they give you the little salads, sunomono and I don't remember what the other are called.. You get soup (miso), and an iceberg salad with their special radish dressing.
We often go here for birthdays because we aren't rich. Their prices are good for how much food you get; we always get too much so that we have leftovers!
It's a beautiful crime that a sushi restaurant of this quality is located in the same strip mall as Lover's Package.
I was turned on to Matsu by reading the reviews here on Yelp. Yet another excellent recommendation from the community! The fish here is always astonishingly fresh and tasty, and the teriyaki chicken was a real awakening to me.
Sublime sushi, deliciously light tempura, addictive teriyaki.
Service is friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere is mellow; I often see families with small children munching away happily.
My favorite sushi restaurant in the 'Hood.
This is a really small place that is hidden away behind Dave's Burgers, next to the Lovers Package. I came in a few weeks ago and had their special for lunch. The special changes frequently and is always posted on the outside of the restaurant on a dry erase board.
The decor of this place is a little old school, there are booths on both sides with a few small tables in the middle. The booths were a little worn so make sure you fit your butt on the middle of the 2 person booth seat or else you'll feel the springs on your buttocks. Never the less, the food was quite good, my girlfriend had the chicken yakisoba and a sushi roll and she really enjoyed it. My special came with 4 pieces of California roll, chicken katsu, small bowl of rice, soup and a small salad. We spent a little under $30 dollars for the both of us with tip included so it was quite reasonable. The sushi roll that my girlfriend got looked really fresh.
All in all, good local place for Japanese food with reasonable prices. We will be back!
Well, since I've been writing mostly about Japanese restaurant since I joined Yelp, one more review for Japanese restaurant wouldn't hurt, yeah?
Matsu Sushi.....hmm.
Okay, you sushi lovers, I will give you one more insight.
Not all sushi chefs possess same skills and experience and you agree, right?
Here are my top sushi chefs (I'm talking sushi not hot foods) in Seattle area based on my own criteria (ALPHABETICAL) My criteria has nothing to do with whether the place has customer lines out the door. The only criteria is their expert skills at preparing highest quality end products. And no, it has nothing to with whether he has good social skills/humorous with English speaking customers sitting across the sushi bar.
Jae ; Chinoise Cafe On Madison, the youngest in the list but can stand against any of them.
Kazuo san; Red Fin, formally at I love Sushi Bellevue/Seattle. Definitely one of the best, some of you would know him for sure.
Matsu san (the owner Matsu Sushi); yes he is quite old now but back when he was in Japan at young age, he is known to have earned high places in All Nippon Sushi Tournament. Since many Japanese sushi chef in US actually have never worked sushi bar in their home country, I think that has some merit. Excellent knife skills. No, he won't make you a fancy roll with crisped macadamia nuts outside ^^.
Nishino san; a genius at creating something wonderful out of nothing.
Saito san: Saito's sushi and sake bar, is it still there? Anyway, a perfectionist when it comes to nigiri.
Yama san; Tokyo in Factoria, well I gave poor review for Tokyo in general but has nothing to do with his skills. Some have grown up eating sushi made by him since childhood are now in college. Very well balanced nigiri and sashimi.
So, why did I list top sushi chefs here?
Because in my own opinion, Matsu san stands above them when it comes to pure skills.
Please don't expect a 'fun time' with him if you visit after reading my review. He wants to serve you with his foods not with his mouth...
I still remember his wife's killer tempura... :)
My wife and I love this place. Fish is very fresh, portion is reasonable, and the chef is very skillful. My favorites are the Unaju for dinner and the Gyudon for lunch. In my opinion this is probably the best Sushi restaurant in the greater Everett area.
I don't live in Lynnwood but am up here working a lot. This is the only sushi place around and luckily it is good. I have been coming here for a long time. The food is reliable and the staff is very nice. I think the rolls are really good!
Six of us fit snuggly and ate contentedly at a booth at Matsu Sushi, a place that filled quickly after 6 PM. Absolutely delish, fresh sushi that satiated the palates of four. Two in our group are sushi fanatics from San Francisco, and they were very pleased with this find.
Two others consumed the udon noodles and the chirashi dinner with great delight. The large chunks of fish and roe tucked into the corners of the Bento were both very tasty and colorful.
Yelp was the beacon that pulled us into this lovely, friendly Lynnwood sushi place, right behind the famous Dave's Burgers drive-up...but that's another story!
- Greeting: Polite, friendly (is it me or family owned restaurant has warmer feeling than a chain restaurant?)
- Wait time: I got table right away on Christmas eve, don't know about other times.
- Price: Most expensive thing on the menu doesn't go over $20. For the hot pot I ordered, it was about $17
- Ambience: Hole in a wall type of place, cozy atmosphere, comfortable lighting. Men's bathroom took me a while to find, had to go through a maze behind the kitchen area to find it.
- Food: I ordered lamb sukiyaki & yosenabe (seafood hot pot). Their soup base was clear, crisp, not so greasy, keep making me wanna drink more before I realize I was dying for thirst from excessive sodium intake. x_x The lamb and seafood are juicy & tender. I saved the soup for take home YUM YUM =D Gotta try this family-owned restaurant if you're in the area looking for Japanese food!!
- Payment: Takes Visa/Master/Cash.
- Parking: Restaurant is part of a plaza, so there is plenty parking right outside.
I've become a Matsu regular. Good quality sushi at a reasonable price. Surprisingly, dinner prices/portions are quite reasonable. They also serve a very nice lunch special -- for $9.50 you get 3 pieces of nigiri, 4 pieces of California roll, chicken teriyaki, shrimp and veggie tempura, and miso soup. I leave feeling stuffed and happy.
The one negative experience I had was one lunch when I ordered the tempura and sashimi (it's better at dinner). Several pieces of fish were still frozen, and when I drew attention to this, I was told that it might take some time to defrost. No offer to replace the frozen sushi. At the end they did give a discount, but I wasn't thrilled with how they dealt with the error. The fact that they were once frozen doesn't bother me as it's a fairly common practice (the FDA recommends freezing to kill parasites and bacteria), but the fact that they were still partially frozen when served was problematic.
I read the reviews and went there with high expectations. I guess I'm a little more critical of Japanese food, since I've been exposed to tons of it.
The food was good, but not excellent. Matsu is a great neighborhood place that has good food. The level of the quality is not where other reviewers place it though.
I had the saba (mackeral) my girlfriend had the tempura and her daughter had the udon. None of which jumped out as super fantastic. We also ordered a number of pieces of sushi. The rice was cooked well and seasoned properly, but not equal to Shiki or Shiro's.
I would go there again since it's in the neighborhood, but not for a special occaision.
In regards to decor, the place needs a face lift.
Been going here since they've opened up and Matsu serves amazing Japanese cuisine. You will NOT find overly battered tempura, super sweet teriyaki, or ridiculous sushi rolls that mask the taste of the fish. What you WILL find is authentic flavors, kind service, and a cozy feel while you dine.
* Sushi: Their spicy tuna roll has a wonderful balance of spicy with high quality tuna. The sushi here is definitely prepared by a sushi chef that cares about what he serves; fresh, flavorful, and elegant sushi.
* Tempura: Lightly battered like it should be. A generous portion of veggies and shrimp and the dipping sauce is light and not overly sweet.
* Sukiyaki - Enough for two as it's filled with lean cuts of beef, tofu, veggies, and clear noodles.
The broth is perfect over rice.
* Teriyaki - Come here to taste what teriyaki should taste like. MMMMM.
* Udon - A delicious broth with tender noodles served in clay pots
And to finish it off - you must try the COFFEE JELLO. Yes, it may sound odd but you like coffee ice cream, right??
It's really tasty.
In the end, they are consistent with their food & service. They are super sweet family who runs the restaurant.
Oh, lunch time bento boxes are wonderful too. Matsu plays this funny background music (it's pleasant) and I find myself humming it when I'm at home. Need to find out where I can get the cd. Go and you will know what I'm talking about. Enjoy!
After reading some good reviews for this place, I just had to visit it, and did check it out for a Friday dinner. As already mentioned by others, the place is located in a strip mall, and the place itself is small, making it seem more confined with a few tables spread all around. But it's not so bad, because when I went in, there's a real sparse crowd: only a couple. This should have clued me in not to proceed, but I did, anyway. So I perused the menu, and there it is: for a small place in a suburb, the food lineup are priced quite high, like the type you'll see in similar but good quality Belltown establishments (Shiro's, Wann, etc.. come to mind). So I just had to try it, because the food, then, must be good! Well, I just know from experience that the freshest ingredients produce good-tasting sushi or sashimi everytime. Not tonight, though. As if the anticipated taste from the usual morsels took a day off or something - very average for me. About the only positive thing that I can remember is the quick service. Maybe because we're the only ones they're serving on a supposedly hot and bustlin' Friday night. I don't know, maybe this place deserves a second visit to prove me wrong. But then again... maybe not.
This wonderful restaurant reminds me of the day when Japanese restaurants were run by a family, usually the kids out front with Pop behind the sushi counter and Mom in the back slaving over a hot stove.
Needless to say the old style flavors, are a true test of a good Japanese restaurant. One must taste the tempura, this place serves up some of the best, fresh oil, no fishy flavors. Sashimi is of decent grade and served up beautifully.
This is a great place for a mixed group, both non and sushi pros will like this place. My wife doesn't like raw fish and it is sometimes hard to find a place with a good balance between sushi and non-sushi items. The menu has a great mix of both, sukiyaki and teriyaki are done well along with the grilled mackerel, one of my favorites aside from the sushi combos.
Service is top notch, they actually still offer the hot towel and with your dinner a small cucumber or seaweed salad is served along with miso soup!
Try the mochi ice cream for an after dinner treat, that's if you have the room!
Oh what these people can do to fish and rice! Sheer artistry.
Friendly staff, sushi to die for and moderate prices. Why are you still here reading this? Haul your butt to the northern reaches of Lynnwood and partake of perfection.
This is becoming our favorite North End sushi restaurant. The fish is always extremely fresh, and there is often a wide variety of special sushi options. It's also large enough to feel kid friendly (an important factor for me, and something that distinguishes this from our other fave place, Taka Sushi). The sushi runs the gamut from very traditional to some moderns rolls, but the focus is on good, fresh fish.
This place is hard to find...tucked away in a little strip mall between white linened children kicking each other and a commercialized sex shop, but KEEP LOOKING. Do not give up! It's worth it!
You know when people always talk about that hole-in-the-wall with the amazing food? This is one of those places. It's small and simple and dated inside, but very clean and worth the half an hour you will spend driving up and down 196th and 44th trying to find it.
I love the sukiyaki, the vegetable tempura, and the majority of their sushi rolls are pretty darn tasty. Beware: I am a vegetarian and cannot attest to the quality of the fish or anything but I've heard no complaints from my non-vegetarian dining partners. Most dishes come with so many opening courses like lettuce salad and thinly sliced cucumber in vinegar (sorry kids, I ain't one of those I-know-all-the-names-of-Japanese-food types) that I'm almost full by the time the main course comes around. They do the hot towel thing and all that jazz, so it's about as authentic as Lynnwood is going to get.
If you like Japanese food, GO THERE. It's a hidden gem!
Great Japanese food, the best in the area! The tempura and sukiyaki are great!
Very friendly and quick service. Prices were pretty average. Clean and well kept restaurant. Wide variety on menu.
We came here with friends before we headed out for a Halloween haunted tour (see Bastyr University Haunted Trails). Matsu is located on a seemingly run-down strip mall, next to a Mexican place with painted bedsheets for a sign. Nice.
I went with an assortment of nigiri and roll sushi, while Betty opted for the sashimi and sushi dinner. The wait for food was long, but since it quickly got rather crowded, we chalked it up to business. The service was kind and attentive, although this is generally par for the course in most Japanese restaurants.
After ordering and during the wait, I got a chance to look around the place; while it's certainly no SoDo sushi joint, in terms of decor, the owners have a good attention to detail, right down to using the vented hanging cloth to cover up boxes in the hallways. It looks and feels like an independently-owned Japanese restaurant, and doesn't go overboard or is too kitschy (e.g., Sushiland or Todai).
We chose this palce based on Yelp reviews; I probably should have noticed that most of the reviews say the tempura and sukiyaki are great, but few mention the sushi. Now I know why. While the fish on the sushi itself was quite wonderful and mouth-melting, the quality of the other ingredients was lacking. The seaweed was old, announced by its tough chewiness, and the rice felt and tasted like it was made from a make-sushi-rice-at-home kit -- none of the fluffiness or subtle vinegar quality that are hallmarks of good sushi.
Overall, Matsu Sushi earns three stars, primarily because the service and fish itself was good. It is definitely a pricier locale, though, and we caught a glimpse of a couple that walked in, stood over a table and looked at the menu, then walked out.
If I ever do come around to going back here, I'll definitely go with sashimi, sukiyaki or tempura.
CONTEXT:
Date: October 2007
Time: Dinner
Table for 4, no reservations
Lynnwood, WA
Category: Sushi Bars
Bothell, WA
Category: Sushi Bars
Lynnwood, WA
Category: Restaurants
Lynnwood, WA
Category: Sushi Bars
Edmonds, WA
Category: Japanese
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