- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Matsuhisa
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
20 reviews for Matsuhisa
'Overpriced but worth it', I can't put it any better so I won't.
If you find yourself in Aspen, especially for a special trip (anniversary, birthday, vacation, etc.) don't miss this place.
Excellent fresh sushi (especially given the nearest ocean is 2k miles away) and the atmosphere/bar area is great.
As good as it is, get ready to choke on the bill..especially if you're drinking any vino/cocktails.
Tried the two levels of omakase here with my brother.
It was good, but given the expense wasn't amazing, although the peruvian-spiced lamb chop I had was pretty great.
They have two omakase menus, one at $100 and one at $150. The differences between the two aren't that noticeable, except that the $150 menu gets you real wasabi with the sushi, yet $100 is only going to get you the reconstituted stuff. Really?
The dishes were good, but given the price they ought to be...
There are two types of eateries in Aspen: Those that are overpriced and rip you off, and those that are overpriced but worth it. Matsuhisa falls squarely into the second category.
Having eaten at a few places in Aspen I've developed a negative reaction to the extremely expensive decor of most restaurants, since they constitute the majority of places to eat and only about 1/3 of the time is it indicative of an objectively worthwhile restaurant. However Matsuhisa's atmosphere is modern but understated, ritzy enough for a business dinner but not ostentatiously so. They were playing Thievery Corporation (Richest Man in Babylon) which gave it a more "young" feel (in a good way).
I got the sashimi sampler and it did not disappoint. For $30 I got a plate of six or seven types of seafood, all of which were extremely fresh and flavorful. The chefs garnished each fish with either a certain type of herb, vegetable or fruit that complimented the specific fish quite beautifully. All of it was served on top of a banana leaf so that the presentation too was quite elegant. Probably the best plate of sashimi I've had yet.
Dessert was unfortunately generic, but it did the job. They offered mochi ice cream, banana spring roll, fresh fruit or the "bento box" which is this trojan horse of a dessert. You're of course going to ask your server "what's in the bento box?" and he then proceeds to woo you with descriptions of chocolate and icecream. I actually wish it had been a real bento box, with little compartments of different things, instead it was a store-bought quality sundae served in a bento box. I still ate most of it.
I'm giving this four stars instead of five because our head waiter (like most in Aspen) was pretty relentless about pitching the $100 sampler entree, when I said I hadn't been to this particular chain before. He was also noticeably disappointed/short with us when we ordered less expensive items. A bit gauche. Also he treated us like total n00bs by giving us an explanation of everything on the menu including appetizers. It was well intentioned, but could have been done in a way that assumed we were intelligent.
Would eat here again. When my parents are in town so they can pay for it! Our bill was over $100 for two people.
This place used to be a great restaurant. It is a Nobu restaurant, so in any other city in the world you would have to book a reservation months in advance. Since its Aspen however you can walk just in. The food used to be fantastic, the portions were great, the flavors incredible, and it was well worth the extravagant prices. In the past year and a half however they have reduced their sizes drastically and increased their prices. The food is still good. I recommend the Yellowtail with jalapeno and Anticucho skewers.
The reason for my low review is because of what this place used to be, and if you look at it now it doesnt even come close. Its just so disappointing because this used to be a 5 star place in my book. If you want the best Japanese in aspen go to Kenichi and go to the bar when the owner is working. He will make some of the most inventive creative dishes you've never tasted, and if you ask he will give you a tour de soy sauces.
I am not going to deny the yum factor of this restaurant. The fish is excellent and melt-in-your-mouth fresh. I gobbled up my food in 20 seconds flat. The decor is woodsy. But the best part of the decor was the bathroom. I loved the zen-ness of it!
Our server was a little...different. He was super well versed in all the items of the menu, but cut me short when I tried to order more sushi. That kind of annoyed me. I am going to chalk it up to the restaurant getting busier by the time the end of our meal rolled around.
Oh, by the way, $6 for iced tea? Really?
I have been to Nobu in South Beach and Manhattan, and I really think the experience I had at Matsuhisa was better than either of them. We sat at the sushi bar and had a great experience from beginning to end.
There were so many specials, they made my head spin after awhile, but we had a few of them (the crab claw was outstanding) and they did not disappoint. All the sushi was fresh and had great flavors. Our waiter was extremely nice and attentive, and our sake that he recommended was perfect. Overall a great evening and a top ten sushi experience in a town that has no less than four other sushi places! The love their sushi in Aspen!
So I had dinner here on Valentines 2009 with my best friend while we were visiting Aspen for a snowboarding get away... we had their soybeans, lobster roll, rock shrimp, chicken on a stick and cali roll... which didn't taste bad and i did eat everything we ordered... but I wouldn't suggest going unless you are craving japanese in Aspen. We sat in the lounge upstairs because they were booked for the night and we couldn't make reservations... they advised us to come in and dine in the lounge/bar area... so we got there before they opened and had no problem getting a table...the set up was pretty cozy. The servings weren't that big and I'm pretty sure it was a little on the expensive side... we ended up going back to our hotel and getting dessert. Parking wasn't the greatest... luckily we got street parking right in the front of the building. Service wasn't that great... sometimes I thought they forgot about us. I enjoyed the food... but if I ever visit Aspen again... I probably won't go back... I had better Japanese...
P.S. Check out the photos I posted from my Valentine Day dinner with my best friend. I have 6 pixs from my experience. (^_^) Enjoy!
Matsuhisa was a place I had been hearing about for a while. I have never been to the other Nobu locations, but I really loved the food here. The staff was really nice and patient, considering a couple people in our party were about 45 minutes late and we wanted to wait for them to order. We ordered all kinds of dishes, including beef skewers, spider roll, tuna tataki sushi, the house special (which has salmon, tuna, yellowtail and crab), and for dessert we had the Mochi Ice cream. GREAT!
Best get nimble with those chopsticks, or that last piece is mine.
Two experiences at Matsu, the upstairs lounge the best. My *first time* was in the downstairs dining room, during the Food & Wine summer festival, one table over from Emeril and Mario. The standout dish, a must-consume, is the Jalapeno Yellowtail, with a salty citrus yutsu-soy sauce. The only way to make it work $$, is to go with Mom & Dad, or to snatch up somebody else's and throw on the charm.
The lounge upstairs is the Aspen date spot, for the 10 or 20 of us still kickin' it old school, with dimly lit booths or the bright, clean sushi bar. The Atom roll, topped with silky salmon (get it while it's hot!), Japanese unagi, and fresh scallops disappear, no chewing necessary. Mark shrieked when I tipped the scallop shell into my mouth and drank ALL of the delicious juices. But, baby, when you're paying 10% of your monthly income on one meal, it's survival of the fittest.
Wow, I don't know what to say. I was so excited to grab a cocktail and dine at Matsuhisa's. Nobody told me they were closed for an employee party the one night I'm in Aspen. I would have cried myself to sleep if I hadn't fallen asleep from the cocktails and food I had elsewhere.
Can't wait to dine there... I know... I probably shouldn't be allowed to Yelp this. Well I will soon.
Matsuhisa "Nobu" Sushi
Still a bigger fan of the Nobu in Malibu, California, but considering the location -- excellent sushi and great bites.
Aspen has everything... why wouldn't they have a Nobu?
Indulge yourself if you must.
Date Rating: 9
Pick up Scale: 3
Strong Suggestions: Make a reservation in advance... if it's high season you will be without a table if you don't call ahead of time.
My co-worker and I were treated to an extraordinary meal here by a very generous person and I think we ate everything on the menu and many things off-menu. You wonder where fresh fish is coming from in Aspen, and I'll just say that based on some of the prices, it's well taken care of between Japan and FedEx. Honestly the parade of food was beyond, and somehow we found room for all of it. I especially learned to appreciate the hand-rolls, something I don't normally order when I go out to sushi. The freshness and quality were excellent, and we could not go wrong with their amazing wine list. Manager Christian Henrichon was especially helpful and super knowledgeable about wine. Yum!! (bring your platinum card of Amex black!)
I have two words for you: Miso Tai. Hands down the best and most unusual sushi plate I have ever tasted.
I have been to Matsuhisa several times, but this latest visit was amazing. We had the best waiter, who helped us navigate the some 300 dishes on the menu, and we were not disappointed -- unique flavor experiences around every corner.
Our waiter did recommend one appetizer -- the soft shelled crab -- which was thoroughly un-enjoyable. We took one bite and set it aside. He removed the charge from our bill, which was unexpected but appreciated. Also, we ordered some chocolate hazelnut dessert special -- basically adult Nutella with salt -- it was spectacular.
Hands down, the best sushi I've been fortunate enough to eat. The quality of the fish, attention to detail and flavor are top notch.
Yes, it is a scene but I feel like all of Aspen is. The other review that notes the price is about right when doing the math, about $100 per person
An amazing restaurant. My husband and I were vacationing in Aspen and tried this place out. I don't have a single complaint. Everybody was wonderful, from the servers on up the the manager, Rachael, I think. She suggested certain dishes and we loved every one of them. We would definitely go back.
Fresh fish, good selection, nice staff. The food quality to price ratio is a little off, but I think that's true for most Aspen restaurants. I'm glad I checked this place out; however, it's not somewhere I'd come back to.
One of Nobu Matsuhisa's places, and so, so , so, good! Nobu trained the chef himself and comes by fromt ime to time to check the quality. We sat upstairs in the loungier seating, and ordered off the left side of the menu only. It was $300 for 3 people, and well worth it. Some of the most creative sushi I have ever seen, and the tastiest. Definitely a treat!
Nobu in in the mountains. After trying the Vegas Nobu, I thought this place would be almost as awesome.... It's not nearly as good, but probably the best sushi I'll have on a snowboarding trip until I make it to Hokkaido.
great food
the sushi is UNREAL.... a tad pricier than the usual. atmosphere is pretty, hip people, decent nightspot, crowded during high season. if you want to impress someone-- this is your chance! ps: upstairs lounge is best!
