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Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: WallingfordTue-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Tue-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
"Solid Japanese food. Their menu seems diverse for a small joint: udon, bento, salad (including seaweed), donburi, katsu, teriyaki, regular…" read more »
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The best bang for your buck at Musashi's is surely the Chirashi bowl, an off-menu item consisting of a stone bowl with a variety of fresh sashimi (and some cooked unagi) on a bed of sushi rice. It's delicious and filling. And it's only $14! Also, one can enjoy complimentary green tea with your heaping pile of raw fish.
Would get 5 stars, but it's cash only (a minor inconvenience) and sometimes it can be a bit of a wait to be seated due to the small dining area.
How disappointing. Since my last review, the quality has dropped. The rolls have been getting smaller (admittedly, it's still big compared to typical sushi pieces) and not rolled as tightly so it tends to fall apart when you pick it up. My husband has also noticed that the sashimi has not tasted as fresh as it has in the past.
An earlier reviewer mentioned that ownership has changed and I guess that could very well be the reason for this. Unfortunately, based on our recent experiences, this place is no longer our favorite sushi restaurant.
Here are some suggestions for those who have never been to Musashi's: on a cold day, remember to… Read more »
Yep, I finally got 'Musashi-ed'. And yep, it was all that and a bag of chips.
There were a few people waiting before us, be sure to go inside and sign in. Somebody will come out and get you when there is a table available. The wait time wasn't all that bad, around 15 minutes. The hardest part about waiting was smelling all the food from the outside!
I had the Chirashi bowl which was delicious. The pieces of sashimi were so fresh, I'm salivating typing this out right now.
My friend had the spicy tuna roll and the califonia roll as well as the vegetable skewer. She enjoyed her food and also noted how fresh the tuna was.
For the price, the quality of the food is awesome.
This is a great place in Wallingford for a quick satisfying meal. The rolls are Huge.
I'm not a big sashimi fan so I love california rolls, veggie rolls etc...there's not a huge sushi taste, more like rice and it's warm..but altogether not bad since it's Huge...once again.
And I love how I have a huge dispenser of tea right next to me. That give musashi extra pts.
Place can get crowded, they have a small kitchen, and it's hard to find parking...
Holy Crap! this place rocks.
Now I know why there is always a line out the door!
cheap yummy sushi!
"wait. it's how much? for that? wow."
about 75% of the times i dine out, this sentence is said with a tone of disbelief and resentment. i feel like my hard earned money is being wasted on a meal that was mediocre at best.
musashi is pleasantly in the 25% bracket in which the meal was cheaper than the price paid.
the sushi was good, the rolls however, is what won me over. the rice is well made as is their miso soup. on a cold october evening, there is nothing like that miso soup to warm your insides.
the reason why i'm giving it three stars is because of the fact that it's so small. there is a good chance that you have to wait outside and they won't seat you unless your entire party has arrived. they also do not accept credit. CASH OR CHECK ONLY. luckily, i had my check book with me.
So musashi, i liked you for your price and food. but for ambiance and sundries, i have to say three stars. good job!
The sushi here is affordable and tastes great at the same time.
I especially love their Chirashi bowl (not on the menu), which has tons of sashimi slices compared to other places I've been to. Plus, I was shocked to see that it's ONLY $14 for the quality and amount of food in that bowl!
Make sure to go there when they just open for dinner (5pm) so you can beat the line and get your food faster.
Their maki (rolls) are quite small, so you might have to order several if you have big appetite at the time.
Cash and check ONLY. Not good for a big group of people because the place is TINY and cramped. And they're closed on Mondays.
this is the value sushi place. great sushi at a great price. I frequent this place regularly and am never disappointed. sometimes there is a wait but it is worth it.
Four stars, only because a good food doesn't just come from the food, but also the decor, ambience, cleaness, friendliness of the restaurant and its people. Seriously, how much money would it cost to make some new, nice looking menus?
Anyway, food is definitely a 5 star. The California Roll isn't just another california roll you had before. It's a hard-core, stuffed with some quality ingridient roll. I was VERY impressed. I usually avoid california roll because everyone thinks they can make it with some crab meat and mayo, so it usually turns out to be less than a mediocre deal. I highly recommend this roll, the rice is with a perfect stickness and sourness, amazing taste.
Finally some REAL japanese Miso soup, not one of those mixed with instant powder salty shit. They know what they are doing, they make the food true to its origin, with their own originality.. if that makes sense.
The place is always busy, which I have to point out, that its about time to redecorate, and put some lights on the roof and clean chairs table s and MENUS!
Sparse interior, always loud and generally cool inside temps on anything but a warm day. There's no valet, no maitre'd, no place setting until you sit down and barely any seats. The wait is long and when you do enter, it is bustling and hurried inside.
So how can I give this place a 5 star rating?
Simple, the food.
Superior ingredients, fresh seafood and great value. Preparation and presentation are tasty and consistent.
I just realized that I've been going since 1992, almost 20 years. Heed the other comments as it does get crowded - plan on waiting, arriving off peak hours, or just order take away.
We been here so many times but this is the first review for Musashi's.
This is a great value/budget sashimi place you will ever find in Seattle that still delivered with good quality and decent service.
Frank's favorite has always been their bento combo which has grill chicken, beef, and mushroom, zucchini, 10 pieces of sashimi, 2 pieces of tamago, rice, and a choice of soup or 'salad'. All these for 10.50! What a bargain :) And my favorite is just simple grill chicken with rice. Personally I think their rolls have a little too much rice so we just stick to sashimi instead.
During dinner time, there's always a line outside the door, wait time can range between 30 to 50 mins. Inside is small and cozy, not much room to move around. Staff are generally nice and efficient.
A restaurant that offers this price point for great sushi is hard to find and I think it makes Musashi stands out from other more expensive place. It's simple food with lots of comfort.
Much has been made of the chirashi bowl, which, is certainly an off-menu steal at $14. There hasn't been much description about it though - saying it's fresh sashimi over rice doesn't quite do it justice.
Musashi's is a no frills family-owned Japanese restaurant, with minimal decoration. The walls are covered with posters for local events and the place resembles a diner, almost. The thermos of tea at the table, right when you sit down, is a pleasant touch as other yelpers have mentioned. But the chirashi bowl...
is housed in a traditional bowl used for...well, chirashi. Most Japanese restaurants spend some time arranging the fish to hide the fact there isn't really much fish in there. Not Musashi's. The typical bowl really isn't that big...but Musashi's does it right b/c there is practically a block of fish in there; it's as if the dish were an ice tray denture, but instead of water, you filled it up with fish. The cuts of sashimi themselves aren't particularly big, but there is just a very generous serving of tuna, salmon, hamachi, unagi, albacore, one shrimp, with some small scallop pieces in the middle and scattered tobikko throughout. Fresh! Delicious!
As an aside, I was feeling extra hungry and also ate the sukiyaki beef bowl, which tasted better than it looked, definitely homemade and a few notches better than Yoshinoya.
Driving along 45th near Interlake, you can't help but notice crowds of people hovering around the front door of this little building. Ahhhh....this little building is none other than Musashi's
After waiting about 40 minutes or so, my friends and I finally were able to get counter spots, which is an interesting location to eat because I was looking right into the eyes of the sushi chefs! Awkward...
Anyways, I LOVED the food! The salmon and spicy tuna rolls that I ate were fresh and delicious! I also ordered this combo teriyaki with chicken and beef served on skewers. The meat was also very good and tasted rather fresh! The homestyle kitchen definately served up some good Japanese eats. Next time I will have to try the Chirashi bowl that everyone keeps craving over.
The venue is a bit small, but still comfortable. They have a good system of writing your name on a pad as a waitlist. It seems to be efficient and frees up time for the servers. Speaking of which, the servers are very nice and prompt as well. They explain their dishes well and kept checking my water levels even when it was jam packed!
So, this is a great small sushi venue if you have some time to wait, and don't mind being a smaller, close eating environment!
A good sign if you are going to try a place for the first time is if there is a line of people outside the door waiting for a table. Well there is rarely a time I have gone by this place that I have not seen a line, well, unless they are closed that day.
Musashi's isn't a snotty, high end place to have sushi. It's a hole-in-the-wall, cramped table seating, affordable and downright tasty sushi place. The menu is basic and that's all you need. No fancy rolls or random sauces, just good, sizable cuts of fish served simply and promptly.
There is nothing bad that I've had here. The salmon nigiri is stellar, the California rolls are tasty and the hidden gem is the chirashi bowl. Lots of cuts of fish heaped into a bowl of sushi rice. And to top off the whole experience, every table is equipped with a thermos of tea, aaahhh...bliss!
This place only takes cash or check so leave the credit at home. But bring your appetite and your patience as you will inevitably wait for a seat at this place. But it is all worth the wait!
This is hands down the best place in Seattle for cheap, fresh, plentiful, delicious sushi. Ever since I learned you could order the chirashi off the menu, I've never looked back! Delicious.
The only problem is they're not open Mondays!
Never disappoints. But that's because I know this place is not for sitting in - it's for calling ahead (30-45mins) and then picking up your sushi and eating somewhere else.
The telephone call is part of the fun - it's really loud in there so the ordering process over the phone is all a bit uncertain - I just order some rolls, an uncertain amount of tuna, an uncertain amount of unagi, and maybe some shrimp sushi and never really know how much it is going to cost or how much I'm going to receive... and then pick it up and find it's much cheaper than I expect and there's much more food than I expect... and it's delicious.
Calling is definitely the way to go. 5 stars for calling ahead and picking it up. (minus a star if you want to eat there)
Cash only.
This is my favorite sushi place in Seattle. It's worth the long wait. You get SOOOOO much food for your $$ and it is so good.
I am 4 months pregnant now and I can't eat sushi. :-(
The SECOND I have this kid, I am going to have a big dinner at Musashi's!!
There are a ton of sushi places in and around Wallingford, but I always choose Musashi. Even when I have to wait for an hour (we go next door to Olympic Pizza and have beer while we wait) to get a table in the tiniest restaurant I've ever seen. The waitressess are nice, even when people are impatient because they have to wait. (like it's the waitresses fault anyway).
Order the Chirashi Bowl-you get a ton of sashimi (more than the platter) and it's all fresh and tasty. The spicy tuna rolls are also fantastic. They give you a carafe of hot tea, which is also a nice touch.
The best part about this place is that it's cheaper than other sushi places, but you still get good food. For two people we usually spend $25 (without booze). A nice tall Sappora goes really well with those spicy tuna rolls though.
Cash or check only!
I've taken off a star, and if I could, I'd take off a star and 1/2. I've been a huge fan of Musashi's for years. Apparently, it's changed ownership. What's very apparent is that the quality has changed and not for the better. I've eaten there twice in the last month and both experiences left me wondering, "What the heck happened?" The cuts of fish weren't up to par, the unagi (which I used to love here) wasn't quite right, and the rice (the true signature of any good sushi joint) was mushi. If you've been a regular at this place, be prepared to lower your expectations.
Musashi's is one of my favorites! Sure, you have to eat it and beat it to be courteous to the folks… Read more »
This. Place. Is. AMAZING. Uuuuhhhhhmazeeeeing. They have the best sushi in Wallingford... actually, the best I've ever had, ever. You won't be disappointed!
The only thing you have to watch out for is their odd hours, like ever other sushi place in town. I believe they close at 2:30 for lunch, and open around 5 for dinner.
Random notes: they have small tables and usually have a line out the door. Also, cash only!
Great sushi. Sitting at the bar was a delight, the sushi chef who waited on me was fun and great at suggesting rolls. See you soon, Musashi's!
Great quality sushi and definitely a place I check out when I'm in the Wallingford area. Prices are reasonable and the flavors are true to form. The service has always been pleasant and quick to please.
Lines can be long, but it is definitely worth the wait!
Absolutely love it! Soup and Salad are the MUST! My favorite is Chirashi Bowl, which is a little bit of everything on top of sushi rice.
They do have grilled rice balls. I love them too.
My sister normally orders $10 sashimi (you can choose what kind of fish you want. Salmon and yellow tails are our favorite) It's totally worth it!
It's Cash Only... Make sure you bring cash with you.
We got here before 5 (when they open) because there is ALWAYS a line and waited outside till they opened. The service is very friendly and helpful.
Their noodle salad is tasty and the sushi is great. We got the spicy tuna and veggie. I love that they have tea (free) on the table.
This is by far, the best place in Seattle to get good sushi at a great price.
I ended up at Musashi on a Monday night as it came recommended by yelp. We walked in around 7pm and were lucky to grab a table for 2 right away, shortly after we sat down a line started to form that never went away. We ended up situated next to the restroom which has a lot of people squeezing around our table which wasn't to bad but I wasn't exactly excited about it either.
The service was reasonably fast and friendly and I always enjoy getting free tea with my meals. Though we had some old school brown ceramic coffee mugs for tea cups didn't bother me but was kind of interesting. We ended up getting whatever the sampler plate like thing was along with some extra salmon. The fish was fresh but not the highest quality but above the average for the price you pay.
My only real compliant about this place are that when given our selection of regular and smoked salmon it wasn't pointed out which was which.
Parking is not to bad. You'll only have to walk a couple blocks at most and I wouldn't want to park on 45th anyways.
For the price this place it pretty awesome. Bonus for being close to Molly Moon's for desert.
If I lived in the neighborhood I'd eat at Musashi's every week. Or rather, I'd call in my order ahead of time and take it to go. This is a very popular, very small sushi restaurant and you will probably have to wait 15+ minutes for a table (even on a weeknight). Once seated the service is pretty fast, considering how busy the place is.
I'm not a sushi expert, but the food was delicious, fresh and both my date and I enjoyed what we ordered. I did a double-take when the check arrived. I hadn't really been paying attention to the prices on the menu and was shocked at our tab. We shared a couple of rolls, several pieces of nigiri and tea for about $20. Well, $25 with tip. I'm used to paying at least twice that for sushi. Also, don't forget to bring cash. No credit cards.
There is a lot of great sushi in Seattle to choose from. What Musashi's lacks in ambiance and speed it makes up for with tastiness and low, low prices.
Being a vegetarian - there are a few good sushi maki's that are 100% vegetarian that actually taste good. But lo and behold - I'm not kidding - this restaurant has the BEST and Unbelievably delicious vegetarian sushi around!!
For meat eaters - I hear they have really Awesome beef skewers!! Teriyaki beef skewers, that is!! They have a lot more entrees for meat lovers that will not disappoint!
There's a reason why people are patient and wait outside just to taste this delicacy!! YUMMY! If you don't want to wait that long - just order "take away" and you'll get it in no time!
This place is a MUST TRY restaurant - very casual environment - it's all good!
The ONLY thing to remember - This restaurant only takes CASH. Make sure to bring plenty of it! You can never have "too much" sushi!!
I don't want it to be a pop quiz, but it's CASH ONLY. Settle down... It's a mom n pops joint, and they keep their prices modest and serve mean sushi. Just know that. I did tell you so stop with the bitching and enjoy please.
Now, this place is smaller than you think. I'm talking walk-in closet small. Pretty sweet place if you want to take your hot date, and be within eskimo kisses close ;)
Love the basics (onigiri), maki rolls, sushi, skewers. Sweet take out spot, nice Japanese family running the place.
Since I moved back to the city I have been trying to link up with friends from college that I haven't seen in some time. We've got a group together that tries to do dinner / happy hour at least one night a week so that we can catch up and simply socialize.
"Let's go to Musashi's tonight."
We drive by it and my friend says, "There it is." I look and see what, from the outside; appears to be a hole-in-the-wall, living room sized restaurant. You ever heard the saying about not judging a book by its cover? This place defines that!
As we're driving by we notice a line out the door. The place is packed inside and there are a good 10-15 people outside. It's about 37 degrees so I take this as a good sign. We park and then walk in and get put on a waiting list. We were told about 20 minutes so we decided that was enough time to walk across the street for a drink or two.
While the two of us were at the bar (forget the name!) I overheard the two ladies sitting next to us talking about "their table" and wondering "if it was ready". Being the outgoing guy that I am I ask if they were in fact discussing being on the waiting list across the street at Musashi's. After confirming my hunch, I suggested that we might have a better chance getting a table if we had combined our parties. Got a laugh from them which was alright because I was just trying to strike up conversation.
The ladies paid their tab and walked across the street and we followed suit a couple of minutes later.
Still waiting outside the four of us were talking about sushi and as their party was being called for a table one of them told my friend and me to order the sashimi bowl.
"It's not on the menu and it's basically the chef's choice."
We were called for a table about a minute later and ended up at the bar. Niiiiiiiice. Actually it wasn't that nice because you can't really see anything which is a shame because those guys seemed quick!
We ordered a couple of rolls of tuna, salmon, and pickled mackerel. We then asked for the sashimi bowl and two Sapporo's.
We get the sushi a couple of minutes later and I was absolutely amazed at how good it was. After plowing through our rolls we shared the bowl. Ahi Tuna, Eel, Salmon, and Yellowtail. I think there was Red Snapper in there as well but I'm not positive.
I've been a Shiro's fan since I moved here and will probably still go there from time-to-time but this place was comparable and much cheaper.
After we finished we handled the check and headed out but not before stopping by the table of the ladies that suggested the sashimi bowl.
"Thank you!"
This is the best Sushi, I have tasted so far in Seattle. The sushi is as fresh as it get. It is a great deal for a fresh tasting sushi.
My only complain is that I would love to see that the service is improve. Besides that, this is just a wonderful place for Sushi
That's right people! This place is as good as it gets for sushi at this price. I have gone here numerous times and I have never been disappointed. It is constantly fresh and always tasty.
I stick to my favorites here - hamachi maki, sake nigri, special bento, and the chirashi (not listed on the menu, but probably the best bang for buck). I also like their California roll, but only get half a roll.
Now please do not go in there expecting fancy downtown Seattle sushi grade. This is a mom and pop, cash only kind of place. Quick, friendly service and unbeatable prices for what you get.
Also, there will be a wait (I mean, what do you expect!), but you can beat the rush a bit by doing take-out. However, if you are going to do take-out, order it early! Sometimes the wait for take-out is longer than if you just waited for a table.
If I lived in Wallingford, I would get mercury poisoning from coming here too much. Like whoa.
Want value? Go here. Period. Best value you're gonna get for sushi in Seattle.
OK granted there is always a wait to get in this place, and its kinda a hole in the wall, and you will feel cramped and claustrophobic when sitting inside. But I just can't bring myself to give this place less than 5 stars because the sushi is that good! I think this is the 4th or 5th sushi place in Seattle my husband and I have tried and this is definitely the best quality. Get the chirashi bowl (not on the menu) for plenty of fresh raw fish! Finally the value of this place can't be beat- my husband and I GORGED ourselves on sushi and paid ~$30 total. Oh and did I mention this place is walking distance from my home. Woohoo!
Musashi's is pretty much my favorite place to get sashimi in Seattle. My boyfriend and I always get the CHIRASHI BOWL (which isn't on the menu.) If you're a huge fan of sashimi, then I recommend you order this item. It's about $15 dollars but there's so much rice, salmon, tuna, scallops, unagi (eel) and another type of fish which I still can't figure out what it is, but it is definitely worth the money.
Their special bento is to die for as well if you want some veggie skewers, beef and egg with your rice.
Waiting can take awhile which is why we always order take-out. I'd also recommend the noodle crab salad. mmmm... There's a whole lotta goodness in that little bowl of salad.
And if you do dine in, their green tea is pretty tasty too!
My all-time favorite sushi place! Every single item on the menu (and especially the things that *aren't* on the menu...) at Musashi's is delicious, fresh and cheap! You can't get any better than that!
I only wish the wait for a table wasn't so long, or wasn't right in front of those giant windows! Waiting for a table, watching everyone inside eating all that spectacular sushi... it makes me sushi-feral!
If you do decide to try Musashi's, please... eat slowly and contently until you are happy and satisfied, and then GTFO!!!
Bring your cash and your appetite and your patience to this place and show up early. The price is right, the quality is high and the food is fantastic. They have about ten tables inside and don't take reservations, so show up early and you may have a wait anyway. Dress for the weather because if you're waiting, you're doing it outside and standing up.
The food really is worth it, though. Their fish is perfect. The price is perfect. The service is friendly. And the tea is good, hot and included.
For the sushi novice, this place is nice because you order by the single reasonably-priced piece. It makes for a great no-commitment order that lets you try what you're interested in without having another piece sitting there taunting you. It's pretty much ideal.
Again, don't forget the cash. They don't take plastic.
I went there twice in a row after I tried out this place.
oh, waiting is killing me but that's fine........maybe not in a snowy night.
Mayo salad, miso soup, spicy tuna rolls and JIRASHI BOWL!
What a perfect night eating like this.
Fish is all melting in my mouth smoothly and it's sooo fresh!
Yum yum, I'm craving for jirashi bowl again...
I don't get it. My sister, her friend and I came here to see why people raved about it. The fish was okay. The inside of the restaurant was so small I felt claustrophobic. The sizes of the fish are WAY too big. In my opinion, it's not the way sushi was meant to be. I like my raw fish cut thinly with a small portion of sushi rice beneath. There was waaaay too much rice in all the nigiri. When I left, I felt really nauseous from the thick luke-warm pieces of fish.
I wouldn't come here again. I like Kozue so much better.
These people are SO LAZY. This is one of those restaurants afflicted by 'always closed when Katie drives by' disease.
The chairs, always up on tables. They mock me.
Of course, now here in Ballard there are so many different poses of sushi to enjoy, that I don't really care if M is open.
OK, you don't care about this! Let me tell you that YES the sushi is fresh and tasty! The service is swift and friendly! I've tried about half the menu and everything was great.
If you like standing outside waiting to get into a little sushi joint, than there are worse places to wait for. Musashi is pretty good!
Just never open when I'm around.
This place is simply fantastic!!
Yes the reason you open a restaurant business is to make money but more importantly to feed the hungry. That is the case with Musashi's. They serve a nice,big portion food and it tastes great!
For $14 you can get Chirashi bowl: 20-piece sashimi (salmon, tuna, yellowtail, shrimp, scallop, unagi, fish egg, etc over rice. Simply fantastic.
The nigiri is cut perfectly. now this is what I would say nice sushi. not too much rice and the fish cut is perfect (unlike the Kozue wannabe chef). $1.50-$1.70 a piece is reasonable for this great tasting nigiri. Just FYI, Kozue's disgraceful costs you arms and leg for $2.50-$3.50 a piece.
The only downside is that they accept cash only which means I cannot take advantage of my cashback credit card... and that the place is too small. I'm giving 4 to 4.5 for this one!
Weekday Specials!
Shoreline, WA
Happy Hour - $3 and Up…
Seattle, WA
Neighborhood: Wallingford
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Wallingford
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: University District
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Wallingford
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Fremont
Category: Japanese
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