Matoi

Matt Harder a month ago

Matoi Sushi is a great little spot that’s easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there. It’s small and intimate, which I actually liked because the focus is on the sushi, not the scene. Chef TJ was friendly, knowledgeable, and took the time to talk with us about the fish and answer our questions. You can tell he really cares about what he serves. The quality of the fish was outstanding, especially for the price. If you’re looking for a flashy, trendy sushi restaurant, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for really good sushi at a great value, I’d definitely recommend giving Matoi a try.

Taylor Le 9 months ago

My husband and I were able to get a fast reservation with the Quick Omakase Experience. The experience was ~ 1 hour. This was our second visit (first one was the full omakase, several years ago). Majority of the group was already seated for a full Omakase experience. Chef TJ served us at a great pace even though we had a slightly different menu than the rest. Fish was fresh and there was an option to add on more nigiri at the end. Chef TJ and staff were kind and refilled my tea throughout the night.

Bo Ng 9 months ago

It is an absolutely wonderful and intimate omokase dining experience. Every dish was well thought out and curated according to what is in season, achieving the exceptional flavor standard that chef TJ wants to create.

Josh Baltazar 10 months ago

TJ really makes this restaurant unique and puts his own spin, hearing hip hop music during Omakase. The chef is really interactive with everyone and makes the meal fun! For this experience, we did the Omakase. As for drinks I started off with a Suntory Premium Malt Small. Then 3 Small Appetizers - Tako Jelly, Ankimo, Misotakai, Sashimi Combination - Toro, Mirugai, Kanpachi, Namadako, Aji, Okiaji, Hotate, Palate Cleanser - Negitoro Sumaki, Grilled Dish - Mehikari, Fried Dish - UchiwaEbi & Wakasagi Tempura, Steamed Dish - DobinMushi, Nigiri - Nodoguro, Aoyagi, KobujimeHirame, Hagatsuo, Sawara, Sanma, KamaToro, Uni, Dessert - Green Tea Ice Cream. When it comes ot the Small Apps, I would rate it like 4/10. Sashimi 2/10 - I really hated the Octopus and clam. I really really really liked the Palate Cleanser Negitoro Sumaki. The Grilled Dish - Mehikari was great too. Fried Dish tempura was 5/10. Steamed Dish was 5/10 too. As for Sashimi the ones that were good was Nodoguro, Hagatsuo, Sanma and KamaToro. These were ok: KobujimeHirame, Sawara. The one I didn't enjoy was Aoyagi (Conch). Nice to experience, great food and a fun meal!

Kylyn Hoover 11 months ago

I've been to a lot of omakases, especially around San Diego, and Matoi is definitely one of my favorites. One of the best things about Matoi is that the selection of fishes is fairly different from others. So whenever I come here, it feels like I get to try something new instead of a menu where I've tried it all before. I highly recommend you try it at least once while you're in San Diego. It's a must try and worth the experience. TJ is really knowledgeable and you can get a fun conversation with him.