On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Loading...
This is a review for their lunch buffet.
$12.95 for a sushi lunch buffet is a steal. Monday through friday 11am to 2pm. I have free time between classes and this works out perfect. As far as the sushi is concerned, there is just enough variations to keep you coming back for more, and there is also non sushi items such as teriyaki chicken, udon, and salad. The sushi itself is "ok." I wasn't really too impressed. The quality of the fish leaves a lot to be desired, and the udon wasn't really udon. The fish slices were very thin, and some of the nigiri tuna and salmon weren't fresh at all. You can tell they just reuse the fish day after day. For the lunch buffet price, this is definitely a place to go. I can't imagine people would actually pay real sushi bar prices here for sushi. I wouldn't bother coming back for dinner or on the weekend. I might be wrong about their after lunch sushi. Maybe the chefs actually give some effort and would wow me if I came during dinner hours. But I won't risk it.
Because of the cheap price during lunch hours mon-friday, I give it a 3 star. Other than that, probably deserves more of a 2 star.
been a minute since i've been here. the last time was bout six years ago when i took myself out on a date. which i like to do on occasion. because i love myself and i always come first (figuratively and literally).
the good thing bout taking myself out on this specific date is i was by myself so had nothing to be embarrassed bout. because the story that's bout to follow is... well... sort of embarrassing.
it started off nice enough. headed here with book in tow. ordered a green tea, edamame and shumai for my apps. then unagi rolls and tuna rolls as my main dish. used to be a big fan of this chain until bout 20 mins after enjoying this particular meal.
mins after finishing my meal, walked over to Balston mall to go play video games until the movie i was going to watch (Hero) started. got on one of my fave shoot 'em up games... you know that Zombie one? i can never remember the name. something House of Zombies or some shit. well, doesn't matter. i think i got into bout five mins of kicking some dead ass when it hit.
the sweats. i got them bad. and then my belly started to make some nasty sounds and i started to feel light-headed... and then... BAM. i almost shit my pants. stopped playing immediately and made a dash for the movie theatres bathrooms. fortunately had a ticket already so was able to get in no probs... made it into the woman's bathroom just secs before possibly soiling myself.
there was a line. a movie must've just gotten out. SHIT! i thought to myself. i was sweating profusely and shifting back and forth. made eye contact w/ the lady at the front of the line. she saw my discomfort and before i even had to say anything she told me to go ahead of her. i gave her a private blessing in my mind for her to have multiple orgasms and good food for the rest of her life as i ran into the next available stall.
it was just in the nick of.
you know what's amazing? normally, when i have to do a number two in a public bathroom, i have stage fright and can't do it while there are other ladies around. or, i just flush the toilet often so as to cut down on the noise and/or smell factor if someone comes in after i'm already doing the deed. but when it's an emergency, like this specific incident, i don't give a flying fuck who can hear or smell what.
ten mins later... i made it out of there alive. and feeling WAY better. whatever bad thing i had eaten from Matsutaki seemed to extinguish from my body immediately. i washed up and headed into the movie just prior to it starting. i didn't have another episode after that, thankfully.
but... that was also the last time I've been to Matsutaki. and i have no plans of ever going back.
People thought this was:
If my uncle, the sushi-chef, knew that I had gone to an AYCE sushi lunch buffet, he would probably beat me. Then disown me. Then beat me again, before spitting on me. He is a sushi snob and frankly, who can blame him?
However, there was a UYE, and never one to turn down hilarity at any time, I quietly prayed that my uncle will never read this review, and quickly sped away to meet fellow Yelpers for all you can eat sushi and inappropriate conversation.
To start with, the buffet island is small, so my expectations were tremendously lowered. As a Yelper, I know that is blasphemy, but I wasn't here for the food, but for the company. Then I got in line at the buffet, and I realized that although the sushi island is small, every single inch of it is jam packed with rice ball goodness! Obviously, as a pro, I go for the nigiri and laden my plate high, before going for any of the maki rolls. There weren't any signs next to the rolls, so I really couldn't tell you what they were, but I will say this - the maki rolls were quite tasty! But I'm getting ahead of myself. On the other side of the island, is a counter where the "hot foods" where. Yeah, I know I said I was here for the company, not the sushi...but I was here for the sushi, and definitely not looking to fill up on fried rice and tempura. Classic neophyte mistake.
Smaller then the average nigiri at most sushi places, I wasn't too disappointed. The rice was squeezed a little too tightly (my uncle would be screaming obscenities at the chefs if he saw this), and the fish was sliced *thin*. On my first pass, it was only a few minutes after 12, and the slices were not quite that thin. Let's just say it was bulimic thin. On my second pass, which was around 12:30, the fish slices were anorexic thin. Like Rachel Zoe swearing that she eats all the time, but we all know better, thin. Another .0005 of a millimeter, and it would be translucent thin. You get my drift.
As I mentioned, the maki rolls were pretty tasty! Not traditional by any sense...there were plenty of odd and warm cream sauces and other concoctions that I can't even begin to describe...but as long as you're not a "purist", these were pretty tasty. I only wish there were signs as to what these rolls where - they missed a marketing opportunity, as there may be a chance that I may wish to order these rolls again in the future (not really...but other people might!).
The service was pretty good. Although we were here during the busy lunch rush, our waitress came by a few times to check up on us, take away dirty plates and refilled our water. One small hitch was that one of the Yelpers had to leave early (she got a call and had to go), but she still had like 6 pieces of sushi on her plate. The waitress kindly checked with the manager, but wouldn't let her box it up to go. It's a small thing, but it's obviously going to go to waste, and it wasn't as if there were a mountain high plateful of sushi - this was obviously an emergency...I guess I just would have liked to see a little bit of flexibility from them.
Overall, this was a fun place for lunch. Be aware that this is a popular lunch place, so if you plan on coming, get here early (before noon), and if you're coming with a large party, call ahead with reservations.
People thought this was:
Missing my childhood restaurant experience, I decided to head to Matsutake for hibachi.
I was seated right away on a quiet Wed evening dinner service. The service was not personal but attentive.
The fried rice was great, and I loved that the vegetables were cooked al dente rather than overcooked as in most previous hibachi experiences. However, everything else went down hill from here.
We got the filet mignon/lobster and steak/chicken combo. The steak was so thin that I can barely taste the steak. It also wasn't very fresh either. It had an unpleasant dark red, almost black tint to the meat.
The lobster, also tasted, old and rubbery. I wasn't expecting mind blowing lobster but I think I would rather have school cafeteria popcorn shrimp.
The chicken was very dry, but I half expected that so I wasn't too disappointed.
Overall, I think I will keep my nostalgic moments in the file cabinet rather than dine here in the future.
People thought this was:
I love this place! I frequent Matsutake for lunch since it's within walking distance of my job. I'm not a fan of sushi, so when we go in, we always request to sit at the hibachi grills. Every chef we have ever had always puts on a great show and the food is always fabulous.
I order the same thing every time I go to Matsutake - Hibachi chicken with fried rice. The lunch special comes with the meat or shrimp of your choice, fried or white rice, grilled vegetables and miso soup. The trip to Matsutake is worth making just for the fried rice. Skimp of the diet for this meal and indulge yourself because it's well worth it!
People thought this was:
Had a successful UYE here with a handful of other folks. We all came here for a Thursday lunch outing. Sushi lunch buffet was $12.95. The restaurant looks nice and spacious. This restaurant opens at 11:30am for lunch so there was hardly anyone there.
TIP 1: Get there before the lunch rush, otherwise you'll be spending more time in line rather than eating.
My first plate I organized 14 pieces of sushi, 6 pieces of rolls, and 1 dumpling.
The sushi was artfully made and plated on the buffet.
Sushi pieces were perfectly bite-sized with a slight lean fish/rice ratio.
Considering it's a AYCE sushi buffet it was perfectly acceptable.
There was a large variety of interesting rolls avaiable as well.
There is also a section of typical asian food like fried rice, lo-mein, dumplings, tempura, teriyaki chicken, etc.
AFTER the lunch rush arrived I went up for seconds.
I had to wait in line to get the sushi.
My second plate I brought back 12 pieces of sushi, 4 pieces of rolls, 1 dumpling, 2 tempura, fried rice, and teriyaki chicken. This time however I noticed a noticable difference in the thickness of the fish. Not considerable but definitely noticable. Not paper thin slices of fish, although I did have one that looked anemic. After my second plate I realized how important it is to follow TIP 1.
I had an enjoyable experience here, and for a fairly decent sushi buffet, I'd say I'm a fan. If I had gotten there a little bit later and saw the sushi I may not have been impressed.
People thought this was:
Every once in a rare while everything goes right in my world. Sure fate can be a cruel mistress at times but today must have been her spa day, or there was a sale on shoes. How else would I have scored a parking space directly across the street at 11:30am?
Met up with a bunch of Yelpers for the Arlington Lunch Bunch outing to the sushi buffet here. I had a tight window to fit in some lunch and this was a great option. Here's a BIG hint in finding the place - its directly across the street from Chevys (which is in the Ballston mall). Hopefully this will help you avoid the "where the hell is it, where the hell is it, where the hell is it" chant that I was doing.
Matsutake avoids the my biggest peeves with AYCE sushi buffets in that in order to contain costs, places usually skimp on the fish portions and go way overboard on the rice. Not so here. Yes, the nigiri pieces and rolls were maybe 1/2 to 2/3 normal size, but EVERYTHING was proportionally reduced so while yes, the little slices of fish were smaller, they still covered their little ball of rice nicely.
There were 6-7 nigiri options offered including sake (salmon), maguro (tuna), unagi (eel), hamachi (yellowtail), ebi (shrimp), "krab" and at least 1 other. Nothing stellar, but the fish was all fresh and you really can't beat the price.
Also offered were at least 10 rolls. I'm not a huge maki person. Other than ordering when sharing with friends, I enjoy the simplicity of hamachi and scallion over more complicated "special" rolls.
That being said - the first thing I popped in my mouth from the buffet was some mystery roll with a white sauce and tobiko on top. My immediate reaction was "What the hell was that, and damn, I want more of those!" (Photo - http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
The rolls offered were interesting and not just variations on a theme as I've found at other sushi buffets. There were also about a dozen non-sushi items available. I sampled a few of these. Loved the tempura onion rings and sweet potato slices. Fried shrimps had a nice sweet glaze and the dumplings were OK (but needed sauce). Only real disappointment - and I think only because I just didn't personally care for the dish - was the battered and fried tofu.
All in all - it was a great lunch and my only real disappointment was in having to leave my fellow diners early and miss out on the rest of a very boisterous and intriguing conversation. I will definitely be back for the buffet again - and might even drop by for dinner some night.
People thought this was:
3.5 stars
I've passed the place a ton of times, but of course, never went, til I did lunch with the Arlington Lunch Bunch yesterday. Everyone hit up with sushi buffet, which looked nice and fresh, and not horribly priced at about $13.
I decided to skip, though, which leads me to say that Matsutake doesn't have the best lunch buffet for those allergic to seafood. I know, I know, not all sushi has some sort of something that swims sans fins, but since the sushi wasn't labeled, I played it safe, getting the non-sushi pickings from the buffet: fried rice, pork, fried green beans, and green beans & chicken, all of which was pretty tasty (although, I must admit that my stomach felt kiiiiiinda weird. Not sure of the cause, but just in case you need to know...)
Overall, not a bad spot. The restaurant itself is quite nice, very spacious, with large hibachi grills. I would try it again for dinner, but probably not for lunch.
People thought this was:
**Lunch Buffet Review**
I am Asian. Asians eat a ton of rice. That being said, even I wasn't properly prepared for all of the rice consumption which awaited me at the UYE luncheon at Matsutake.
At first glance, you don't think that there is really much to offer. The buffet tables are pretty small yet these people seemed to jam pack as much crap as possible onto them. The sushi selection on table one was very impressive. My favorites were the fried tempura sushi rolls followed by the seaweed salad rolls (I'm making up the names, just going based on what I saw/tasted). The regular sushi rolls boasted more rice than fish so I passed on those as much as possible. But I am telling you... those fried sushi rolls... TO. DIE. FOR.
The second table boasts the buffet's warm selections which were about average taste wise. The chicken dishes were super super dry but I fell in love with the deep fried shrimp thingies. Yes, I realize that dish, too, has a name but in terms of lunch buffets one must move fast to avoid being trampled by businessmen on the go.
Overall not a bad deal for $14.11 with tax. The servers who cleared out plates were fast replacing them and my cup of water never went empty.
People thought this was:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
March 25th, 2009
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Now this is just a personal problem of mine, but it really irks me when non-authentic Japanese restaurants pop up, make chains, and invade neighborhoods. I had a restaurant gift certificate to this place or I would most likely never have gone. And I mean never.
Continuing my ramen hunt from Maneki Neko, I ordered the ramen here. They warned me when I ordered it that it was going to be spicy and that it was not authentic. Well, they were half right. It wasn't spicy, but it also was not authentic in the least bit. Unless you count dumping a square block of Maruchan Instant Ramen into a pot of water and cooking it with the included packet of seasoning authentic. They did add some other 'toppings', but they didn't mask the tell-tale ramen noodle/sauce combination.
My best advice is to only go here when you have a gift certificate of some kind and only order sushi. The sushi is pretty decent and if you're getting $50 worth of sushi for about half the price, I'd say go for it. Oh, and sit as far away from the hibachi (grill) tables as possible. The annoying, loud groups enjoying their theater meal tend to echo in this large, empty restaurant.
People thought this was:
So I went here for dinner and uh not so good to say the least. I ordered the Hibachi steak which was prepared properly however the shrimp, chicken and rice were a bit off. The shrimp were "creamy" no other word to describe them they didn't taste fresh nor good. The chicken was VERY salty, could've just been our chef though as he seemed to douse everything with soy sauce. The rice had bits of it that were crunchy as in not cooked all the way. The salad was about the only thing I really enjoyed. Probably wouldn't go there again for Hibachi...
Sushi...ah yes, the beautifully addictive food that is so sexy when properly prepared and when the quality of fish is excellent. With that said, what separates a good sushi place from a great sushi place? Well it's a question that may be answered by two more questions:
What are you looking for? What are your expectations? Allow me to describe Matsutake to better convey my choo-choo train of thought...
As you walk into the main area of Matsutake, you'll see the wide selection of sushi on display; the centerpiece of the restaurant. Yet you must accept that as a patron of Matsutake, you're immediately embracing the idea of "quantity" versus "quality".
The quantity of sushi you stuff your face with is amazing for the price, but you'll notice that the quality isn't top notch...then again most people that come to sushi buffets aren't looking for top quality sushi. For this reason, I myself keep Matsutake in a separate category from other sushi places because I know it's a buffet and its assumed that the fish quality won't be on the same level as a non-buffet sushi restaurant.
With that said the sushi isn't bad and is tasty...for buffet quality sushi. The quality of the fish isn't to the level of Todai's fish, but its good. The one thing you'll need to remember as the weather warms up is to get to Matsutake a few minutes before noon. Anytime after the 12pm mark will guarantee a looooooong line at the sushi bar. Badged employees from the various local offices congregate at Matsutake with blank faces, growling stomachs and one single thought (which probably has that drooly Homer Simpson like voice) playing over and over in their head, "Suuuuuuu-shiiiiiii".
Get there early! By 12:30pm most of the rolls and fan favorites (such as the Unagi) will be dwindling or will be complete gone. The times I did arrive late, I ended up dining on some of the hot bar food (noodles, fried rice, General Tso's chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, etc) until the sushi was replenished. The sushi buffet has a small hot bar with food that's not the best, but will hold back the hunger until they bring out more sushi.
For those of you that don't want the buffet, you can order sushi by the roll or by the piece. Matsutake also has "hot grills" where they'll cook up the food in front of you.
Now with the description out of the way, let me get back to my main point about "What makes a sushi place great?" Depending on what you're looking for and your expectations, we can now answer this question. I've always had low expectations of sushi buffets, and for this reason the quality of Matstuake's fish can't be held to high standards. The fish won't make you sick and is not bad, it's just "okay". I (and my coworkers) seek out Matsutake for its relative cheap lunch buffet that allows us to gorge ourselves on a wide variety of sushi.
So "okay" quality combined with cheap eats makes Matsutake a "good" sushi place...definitely not great but what do you expect for the money you pay. Plus we tend to frequent Matsutake for it's close proximity to our office. My coworkers and I are just like the other mindless cows that are drawn to the sushi buffet line by hunger and the attractive notion of leaving an all you can eat sushi buffet with bloated stomachs. :-)
People thought this was:
I come from a little area called Stafford, aka FredVegas. Now growing up, we had plenty asian families who immigrated to our humble spot and set up shop in the form of restaurants. I know hibachi well, I LOVE hibachi. I love it so much that every time I go home to FredVegas, I wait till I hit mile marker 140 on I-95, I call my favorite hibachi spot and they still recognize my voice and know my order by heart. You may find this sad, but for me it's comin' home.
So, how does the big city Matsutake compare? It's anemic at best. The food here is made with no love. The white sauce is thin, the miso is bland, the steaks sear to an unappetizing cafeteria grey. Sure the hibachi tricks are fun, and the sushi is fresh (not to sure about that lunch time buffet though), but I'm a grill girl and this place does not cut it.
One nice point, I'm psychologically allergic to eggs. Matsutake will make their fried rice sans eggo if you ask politely.
People thought this was:
Wow, I'm surprised at all of the bad reviews. I admit I'm no sushi connoisseur but it has become my latest obsession after bubble tea. I love California rolls and cucumber and avocado sushi. I always order one of these at sushi joints so I've tasted many variations of them. I expect freshness each time, and that is exactly what I got at Matsutake.
I came in to Matsutake and ordered takeout. The hostess is so nice and attentive. She immediately greeted every customer and quickly ushered them to a table. There was no waiting for a dine-in customer.
I ordered the Matsutake lunch box which contained chicken teriyaki, vegetable tempura, 1 california roll, 2 pieces of gyoza, miso soup, house salad and steamed rice. At $14 for the lunch box, it seemed expensive for lunch but I was willing to give it a try.
Ten minutes later, I received my takeout in 2 bags. Holy cow! That's a lot of food! Everything was delicious. There was plenty of food for 2 people.
People thought this was:
Is it ironic when a place that serves uncooked food takes an hour and a half to bring it to you?
Went with Chris yesterday on his recommendation, and it wasn't that great... but I'll give them a pass as an off night. The sushi wasn't all that spectacular, kinda small, and a little bland... maybe I was spoiled by the sushi back home.
We got in around 6:30pm, and it was fairly empty, and we were seated promptly. Took a little while to get a drink order, and other wait for the actual order. Then they told us the sushi chef was backlogged so it might be a little bit... that little bit turned into well over an hour. The did offer us miso soup, salad, and edamame for free (at least they made the effort), and when it came time to pay thay threw in the drinks, so it was alright.
They'll get another chance in the future
People thought this was:
I was really torn. Three or four stars. I would say four stars for the hibachi grill and three stars if you order something off the menu. Every time I have gone to the hibachi grill I was never disappointed. The cooks are entertaining and skilled at their craft. Even if you've seen the onion volcano 100 times it's still cool! One time our cook dropped some butter on the floor and slipped on it and burned his hand. Did he stop? Nope. He kept on cooking and later joked about it with our table. It's a great place to go with a big group of friends for good food and a few laughs.
I do not recommend ordering anything but the hibachi grill. I went there one night and wanted to try something different. I didn't sit at the hibachi but instead at a table. I ordered a tempura dish. It was terribly greasy and unappetizing. My companion ordered a seafood bowl and was disappointed to find imitation crab meat with a rubbery consistency.
People thought this was:
The sushi at this joint was AYCE... or all you can eat if you arent a pig like me. Just come here during lunch during the week and get your eat on.
Anyway, the sushi appears to not be chilled and stacked 3 layers high under heat lamps?? wtf. I mean its nice to see that much sushi out, but the quality is pretty crappy. But you are paying only 14 bucks or so, so you get what you pay for.
I thought it was a little gross, but whatever, like a bad hangover, you soon forget and just pile it in. I paid 14 bucks, so I have to get my fair share.
This definitely ain't Todai, and I think even il Mee is better, because for a few bucks more you get korean bbq!
People thought this was:
I didnt try the sushi here...but I did try the Hibachi! I can honestly say it was one of the best I've ever had. The steak was really tasty and the chicken was awesome too. I went there for my birthday with a bunch of friends and they all loved it there. They also brought me birthday ice cream which was really nice of them =)
YOU GUYS SHOULD TRY IT! dont go for the sushi though..because from what i read here..its not that great :P
I used to live next door to this place and when it's cold outside and you want a good meal this is the perfect place to go.
The sushi lunch buffet is well worth the price but you have to come hungry as it has sushi and other cooked items. It can get really crowed so expect to rub elbows with your neighbors.
The hibachi is excellent. I usually get the filet and shrimp or the steak and shrimp. The chicken is also pretty good.
People thought this was:
I went here for hibachi the other night and was pretty impressed. I've walked past it dozens of times, and have been wanting to go, but never got around to it. I've only been to a hibachi restaurant once before, so I don't have a huge frame of reference, but it was about as good as the other place. I got the hibachi steak, which also comes with a bowl of soup, a salad, and some rice. Which brings me to my one big complaint: fried rice costs extra. I just opted for the steamed rice, which was good, but it's hard to screw up.
My chef, whose name I sadly didn't get, was very friendly and definitely knew what he was doing. He gave a couple shrimp to me to try out, as well as some fried rice. It was all really good, and I'm not a huge shrimp fan. He put on a good show, and everything tasted great without being horribly greasy like I've heard hibachi can sometimes be. I'll be back for sure sometime.
People thought this was:
Still great sushi bar, all you can eat. (But it's not cheap!) Awesome Wasabi. Great tempura too!
People thought this was:
Best weekday "all you can eat" lunch buffet sushi!!!!
Okie, weekdays and you're in need of a serious…
Read more »
A Korean-run sushi restaurant. Went for saturday lunch buffet. Sushi was pretty good in buffet standard. Fish was not bad, and it wasn't one of those sushi buffets where you get stuffed with rice because fish is so thin.
They have about 7 nigiri and 7 rolls, with a few chinese dishes in the back. The selection is not huge but $13 is hard to beat.
People thought this was:
I've been to this restuarant twice and I have to say that it's shocking how little prepared they are for the lunch rush. The last time we were seated immediately but had to run around the restaurant to get drinks and our meals in time to get back to our conference.
This time we were told at the door that there was no more food! We were told we would only have to wait 10 minutes. 20 minutes later we're seated and go up to the buffet. We were all finished with our first plates before we finally flag down a waitress to ask for water for the table!
The food isn't the best, but it's good enough for the price. I can see this place being good if you're not in a hurry and not there at a rush hour.
People thought this was:
I am surprised by all the rave reviews! I really want to give zero stars b/c I got food poisoning...and yes, I'm sure it was from here.
Went here for lunch and had the sushi and hot food buffet.....got really bad cramps. Then the food poisoning symptoms ensued. I would never recommend this place to anyone.
A good place to get hibachi in the area. For those unfamiliar with hibachi, it's where you sit in front of a big cooking surface and the chef prepares your food, usually with a bit of a show... knife twirling, lame jokes, etc.
Matsutake has a number of choices for hibachi, including chicken, steak, shrimp and tofu. Prices range from about $22 to $28, including salad, soup, rice and vegetables.
The staff is friendly and the food is good. It's a good place to go with a group of 4-6 if you want to do something a little different.
You can usually by discount certificates at http://restaurant.com ($25 gift certificate for $10) that'll cut the price down. Be sure to read all the restrictions.
People thought this was:
They say you get what you pay for, and it seems to be true for Matsutake. One of the better, but also more expensive hibachi places I have been to, Matsutake was pleasantly suprising, with large portions, in fact larger than many other places I have been to. One order from the hibachi and a sashimi dinner was enough to overstuff myself and my girlfriend. That's abnormal given my claims of still having my college student appetite on weekends.
Many other reviewers have given Matsutake lower ratings probably mainly because of their sushi buffet. I am cautiously wary of anything that is buffet since that tends to mean a drop in quality, sometimes a very steep drop. If you're gonna check out the place, there's no harm in splurging a bit. On our next visit, we plan on recruiting a few to come conquer their titanic sushi boat.
People thought this was:
The Hibachi/Teppenyaki is amazing. Just delicious. A step above Benihana, it is a great place to go with a large or small group; the chefs are very entertaining while making the food, and make the experience quite enjoyable. the ingredients/meat is of high quality and meat eaters and vegetarians alike have had a great time in my experience.
The sushi is OK; you really should go here for the Hibachi grill.
People thought this was:
A solidly average hibachi joint, with surprisingly good chefs balanced by surprisingly mediocre food...you gotta love the fact though that every Saturday night, the restaurant closes off a portion of the restaurant and cooks up a veritable hibachi feast...for the employees. Given the surprising lack of empathy many restaurateurs show their subordinates, that's damn heartening to see.
People thought this was:
This is really 2 restaurant experiences in 1 and I couldn't review it until I had them both. The first part is the Hibachi grill and the second part is the sushi. It's difficult to get both of these at the same time because they are both so good that you wouldn't want to eat the other one.
Hibachi:
The chefs were really good. They knew all the tricks. I love the volcano onion the best. All the food was flavorful as well and reasonably priced. The meals all come with miso soup, salad with some kind of ginger dressing and whatever main course you ordered plus rice. Watching them make the food is half the fun and it's a good thing to do with a bunch of friends. Especially people who haven't seen anything like this before. Also make sure to get some Sakè to get the full experience. I might be biased because I love places where they cook in front of you, (Mongolian BBQ, Hibachi ...)
Sushi:
I've tried a bunch of the sushi places around the area now, and have to say that this one is the best. I sat at the sushi bar and really got great service. The waitresses were around often and asking if I needed anything. Also I got to talk to the sushi chef who was very nice. Even though he had been making sushi all day he was still cordial enough to have a conversation. I felt so good that I was willing to try something new. I got the Octopus and it was fantastic. The prices are the same as other places around, but the sushi is superior.
People thought this was:
The lunch time sushi buffet here is pretty cool, I don't know of anywhere else where you can get the variety of sushi in an all you eat buffet. It's usually pretty crowded, so you don't need to worry about the sushi sitting out too long. And the price is good, considering that it's all you can eat. The sushi is just OK though, not bad but not the best either. I've gone here for dinner too and gotten sushi, and it's pretty much the same, not bad but not the best.
I've also tried the hibachi grill for dinner, and it was pretty good. It's pretty much the same as any other hibachi place though.
People thought this was:
Disclaimer: Mitsutake is practically in my back yard, and I unfairly rate things higher for convenience.
I had sushi, and did not sit at a hibachi table, so I will rate the experience based solely on my sushi order.
I have recently moved from Ann Arbor, MI, where I ate from our numerous sushi restaurants frequently, so I will use this as my baseline for comparison.
The sushi menu did not offer a lot of variety, but what they did have was delicious, no less. I ordered a shrimp tempura roll, a spicy tuna roll, and a Philadelphia roll.
Shrimp tempura roll - The masago was on the inside of the roll, which was new for me. I liked it.
Spicy tuna - The tuna seemed to have the "spice" mixed in with the meat, and not applied to one side of the roll during assembly. The flavor of the particular spice used was different from what I was used to in MI, as well, but was still delicious.
Philadelphia roll - In Ann Arbor, we tempura the whole damn roll! Mine at Matsutake wasn't deep fried, but I didn't mind.
All rolls seemed to be about $0.50 to $1.00 less expensive that what I was used to in Ann Arbor, so this was a welcome change for me.
This place has a sushi buffet at lunch, but unfortunately, I don't work at all near where I live, so I can't take advantage of that.
The decor is modern and wood. The atmosphere would have made me feel comfortable and smart, if I were susceptible to environmentally induced moods. :-P
My friend and I got a table by one of the many large windows, which I liked, because I could people watch from time to time.
Not a big deal to me, but the music was "interesting"; they were playing Top 40, but from the 80s and 90s. Two songs that I remember particularly (because they seemed so out of place) were Nirvana's Come as You Are and Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise. It was ok, because it served as a good topic of conversation with my friend, providing the opportunity to wax nostalgic.
Bottom line: I'd go back because it's close, but I still want to try other places in the area to find my favorite sushi hangout.
People thought this was:
The website i use for all my happy hour needs (http://www.schnozbot.com) said that Matsutake had happy hour specials but when we asked the hostess, all we got was a blank look. That being said, we had a go at it anyway and decided to order sushi.
The peanut-ginger dressing on the salad tasted slightly sour, and the salmon skin in the SS rolls was completely burnt. Maybe it's supposed to be crispy or have a smokey flavor, but it was thisclose from crumbling into pieces. That being said, I did eat 5 pieces with the hope that some of the pieces would have some non-burnt pieces of SS but gave up after 5. Luckily the mackerel nigri was thickly cut and had a great briney taste, and the salmon nigri had a great texture. Califronia rolls had the nice fat roe that I'm particularly fond of, which is always a plus.
Matsutake is right across from the Ballston mall (and down the street from my gym), so the locale is favorable. The waitstaff is friendly and polite, even though I was slightly thrown off by the hostess (who was dressed like a 14-year old on her way to the beach but was courteous enough).
If you're not getting habachi, ask to sit by a window facing the street. People watch, enjoy a cold glass of asahi and/or sapporo, and avoid the salmon skin rolls ;)
People thought this was:
This one is fresh in my head...I just went last night! I love this place! It is usually not too crowded, which is always a plus in my book!
I have two different things I get here: either the hibachi chicken or hibachi chicken and filet, depending on where we are in my credit card month :-) I always pay the extra $1.50 for the fried rice. The fiancee gets sushi, which she enjoys.
The hibachi entrees come with two dipping sauces. If I were more sophisticated, I would know what they are but I am not, so I don't. The one sauce is much better. I pour it all over everything.
One thing about this place, and I know this will sound funny, but I wouldn't recommend sitting at the hibachi tables. I know that sort of defeats the purpose of goign to a hibachi place but you can order hibachi from the regular tables. The reason I make this recommendation is that the hibachi process can go really slowly. They will often wait for the table to fill up before even starting. I swear we we there an hour one time before we actually ate. Sitting at the regular tables ensure you get your food faster.
Another thing is price. It's expensive. I personally think it's worth it but because of the price, we don't go very often, even though it's so close to home.
People thought this was:
The best "sushi all you can eat lunch" you will ever have.... dinner not so wonderful [one star] for the money way over priced...for what it is !
But not for the lunch... the best anywhere in the DC area !
People thought this was:
This was my first time having Hibachi, and I loved it. The atmosphere was great, and the hibachi chef was a lot of fun. After sharing a plate of sushi and hibachi with my beau, I left the place completely stuffed! I remember leaving and all I could say was, "wow!". From memory, the sushi was pretty good, but I do believe I've had better.
People thought this was:
I had the lunch buffet. For the money ($13 with tip), I would have to say the sushi buffet was about average. My main complaint was the nigiri. The fish to rice ratio was not good... fish was too thin (almost deli thin). Everything else was ok.
People thought this was:
Hibachi goodness! I did not have any sushi, that will have to be next time. We had the hibachi which was pretty standard. It was delicious mind you, but it's pretty hard to screw up. Our cooker dude wasn't the best he dropped the knives a few times and knocked over one of my sauces. I had the chicken and shrimp and the chicken was a bit overdone, but the vegetables and shrimp were great. Nothing extraordinary, but I left satisfied and overfull! :) I would go back for the both the hibachi and to try the sushi.
People thought this was:
Four stars for their all-you-can-eat Saturday afternoon buffet. It's reasonably priced at $11.95 per person. The buffet serves a large assortment of maki rolls and nigiri, miso soup, and tempura veggies.
People thought this was:
Matsutake has the best sushi that I was able to find in Arlington during the 2 years I lived there. Incredibly fresh and flavorful. Expensive, though. They have great plum wine, and the atmosphere is very nice.
People thought this was:
Sorry yelpers. I think you are wrong on this one. Based on your favorable reviews, my family and I trekked out to Arlington for this so-so place and it so was not worth it. The ambiance was modern, clean, but had little personality. The prices were on the high side - $23 for my salmon. The California roll was good and fresh and my hibachi salmon was MUCH better than mom's bland (albeit plentiful) chicken. All in all, Benihana is better.
People thought this was:
Arlington, VA
Category: Japanese
Alexandria, VA
Category: Sushi Bars
Arlington, VA
Category: Japanese
Arlington, VA
Category: Sushi Bars
Arlington, VA
Category: Sushi Bars
I lived in the DC area for a few years, so here's…
A long list of places around my apartment that you…
If you work, live or visit the Ballston area or…
The good, the bad, and the ugh of eats in the…
Various places I've gone for sushi (and a few I…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
