I'm not quite sure about this place. I just got odd vibes. I felt like I wasn't wanted there. Perhaps it was a little too fancy schmancy for my obvious lesbian self. Then again I could have been having a bad day. I visited during lunch and the place was pretty dark. The windows were high up on the wall, so most of the light came from the candles on the tables. Odd for lunch, but that's just me. Service was meh. I could have used some more ginger and wasabi towards the end of my meal (and water) but since I didn't see my server, I didn't get it. Finally another man came by and noticed my confusion and I asked him how did I go about paying since I hadn't seen any servers really. The sushi was good but nothing to write home about. read more

To tell the truth, we came here by accident. Actually, we came to downtown for M Kokko. However, it really surprised me! We ordered twisted mango roll and M special roll and the bun! I love the twisted mango most! It has white shrimp tempura, salmon, sweet chili aioli and mango! It is really an amazing combination! First a little bit sour because of the mango, then spicy because of the chili sauce and finally crispy because of the tempura! The bun is really good too! It has large eel! Recommend this place! read more

M Sushi - Delicious Twisted mango! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Great place! This is my favorite sushi place in the Triangle area. It is extremely hard to find but if you park across from the Y you can walk into the alley where it is. You can also park on Main street by the Marriott and Durham Hotel and walk in the alley way that way. It's worth the difficulty locating the place. The ambiance is dark and intimate. The long sushi table is a great add and you can watch your sushi being made while waiting. The bar menu isn't extensive but it's sufficient. We ordered a few different rolls and all were great. The menu itself was not extensive but that's what makes it even better. There are a few small plates that I have been wanting to try but the sushi is so great that I haven't been able to get to that yet. Highly recommend this place! read more

The fact that you have to make a reservation to eat here makes it unique and sought after. The atmosphere is what you would expect from a top end sushi/sashimi establishment. We ordered two Grande Omakase's ($87+ ) which consisted of a 9 course meal. The sashimi was great with thick pieces and plated well. From there on the quality and quantity of the fish fell off quite fast. There was no doubt that the flavor and presentation of the meals were amazing; however, anyone that has spent time in a fine sushi establishment knows when quality/quantity depreciates. After the first course of thick meat everything else seamed too thinly sliced compared to more exquisite places like Uchi in Austin, TX. The seventh course was fried...who fries salmon? Also, the squid don was too heavily dosed with onion cream. Upon arriving I was sure to give this place five stars but after spending 200.00 on a 9 course meal that could have been better I decided to leave it with four stars. M-Sushi can improve with quality cuts and better beer selection. Also for the price of the meal there should be no charge for wasabi relish (which was amazing) I will be coming back again too see if they will improve on what can be improved on. read more

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The crispy rice with tuna appetizer! Get it! I want ten more of those umami nom bombs. Octopus: well cooked and the beans it came with were tasty. All the rolls were delicious. They really know how to combine flavors. The rolls come with 6 pieces so I recommend ordering two. Sashimi was fresh and you could really taste the distinctions in the fish. I liked the dark basement feel, the finishes felt festive and fit the mood well. Great look and feel. read more

D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s. It's as fresh as it's going to get for Durham. This small corner store in downtown Durham is an absolute gem. I usually go for their bento box during lunch which is so price worthy. The bento box comes with 4 sashimi, 4 nigiri, small unagi-don, potato croquette, seaweed salad, and 8 pieces of rolls. Honestly, it's so fresh and delicious that it's a shame that I can't eat it everyday. Go try it if you have not! read more

Full disclosure: I was lucky enough to eat at Morimoto in Philly when Chef Morimoto was actually in the restaurant picking the omakasi. It was no bullshit amazing, $75 got you 8 courses and the Iron Chef himself came out afterwards and awkwardly asked us, in broken English, if the meal was too "fishy." It was not. Flash forward to 2017, Durham, Msushi. I admire the attention to detail here. The rice has the subtle taste of vinegar. The waiter is eager to explain why the salmon has been "cured." And while the omakasi is actually a tasting menu, not TRUE omakasi, I think for Durham, that's ok. The portions are small (even the rolls). But the food is delicious. read more

The staff were amazing and the food even better. Definitely a must for anyone in or visiting Durham.

Take our money. Take all of it. When I die, bury me in a grave with the vegan bento, the truffled soy sauce, the crispy rice and tuna, the miso soup, and the entire sushi menu. WTF is this place doing in NC? This place should be in the West Village in NYC. An entire Netflix documentary should be dedicated to M Sushi. How did Durham get so lucky? read more

Everything was amazing! I'm not a big sushi person but my husband is, so I took him for an early Christmas present. He loved everything, absolutely everything. My favorite was the nigiri. Everything was so fresh and the presentation of the different plates was beautiful. We are already saving up to take the (adult) kids. I say saving up because while the food was phenomenal, it wasn't inexpensive. Everyone working was so nice, and the services was great. I can't wait to go back! read more

Enchanting. A great new sushi experience. Although the rolls here are DOPE it would be a mistake to not venture out further. The Chirashi bowl is my absolute favorite;but the lite Omakase is also a great choice if you're not sure where to go. Their tequila cocktail was okay (but probably not worth the price). Although I know that they've revamped their drinks menu since then. To be honest though, the food was so on point there's not much they could have done to detract from my experience. Definitely recommend a reservation or do a late dinner (after 9). Sit at the bar and get to see everything that goes out and plot your next order. Recommendation: Go with a good date late night. Split everything. Make sure to order: Chirashi, Futomaki. Grab cocktails at the Durham hotel after (RIGHT next to it). read more

Cool atmosphere. Ordered the grand omakase. All courses were good. Left full and satisfied. Will be back.

This is one of my favorite meals I have had in quite some time. Talk about fresh fish!! I love sushi and sashimi, and I have eaten my fair share in my foodie life. But this place has some of the best sushi and fish I've had. They import their fish from around the world, and you can tell they really love to give you quality food and quality fish. Because of that, it is definitely not the cheapest place in the world and adds up pretty quickly, but who wants to eat not quality raw fish? I sure don't. So for a special occasion this spot which is a really cool, underground basement level sushi spot is dimly lit and there is a long sushi bar and tables throughout the space. They have cocktails they have paired with the flavors of fish they serve most often, the miso soup is great, and they have a few omakase style menu offerings which if you are looking for a fun way to sample this menu, I definitely recommend it. There is a smaller omakase or a larger one, and we did the smaller 5 course one which was so much food! All fish based of course with some great sauces and that poke too! Really everything we had was so so great and tasty and we even got an order of their steamed buns with eel which I do wish had been a little bigger, but wow that flavor. M Sushi, you are now one of my favs in the area. I will definitely be back, and if you have a frequent sushi card, I need one. read more

I truly loved this place! It's very quaint and has really cool unique flavors. We ordered the twisted mango roll (a must), futomaki which was fantastic with the salmon, tuna and cilantro /shallots. The only think I was truly bummed about is that they were out of the lobster app. which ended up being fine Bc we had extra room to try out the sister restaurant M Kokko and I get another date night! read more

M Sushi - So delish, twisted mango..unique with lots of great taste! Shrimp tempura, crab meat, serrano with sweet chili and of course mango! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

this place is hip, so if you have put some nice jacket or high heels on, the ambiance would suit. But let us get serious about food: The rolls are barely better than what you get at Sushi Love at less than half the price. The fish is no fresher than Sushi Love. The food is plated better though, and that is what you are paying for in addition to the ambiance. The wine selections is very poor and the dude is clueless about beer. They make you wait quite a bit even when you have reservation. And the service is absolutely the worse within 250 mile radius. That, I don't get it. Their understanding of hospitality is to put people with chic clothes and no courtesy on the floor. read more

I was here with my date this past weekend (Saturday evening) and all I can say is that it's the best sushi restaurant in the entire area. We started with the grilled octopus, then moved onto the nigiri omakase and the sashimi. Every piece of the nigiri (including the uni) was well presented and explained by the sushi staff. By the end of the evening we were treated (by the owners) with some green tea tiramisu. Overall, the food was superb and the service was equally as great! If you are looking for a truly great culinary/dining experience in the triangle area, M Sushi is the place. read more

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The best Japanese food I have ever tried in Durham! Great taste, great atmosphere and friendly environment! read more

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Unbelievably fresh and delicious. It's hard to get a reservation but so absolutely worth it. The lunch specials are so reasonably priced, and honestly you can't go wrong by picking anything from the menu. read more

Seriously, y'all - this sushi joint has just raised the bar on quality, authentic sushi in the Triangle. Tucked away in a quiet alleyway, finding M Sushi feels like an achievement. You descend down a short flight of stairs and are treated by the Holy Durham Trinity: exposed brick, minimalist/modern decor, and an open kitchen. My husband loved the vegan bento box, and I inhaled the M Roll (which they were able to customize for me to remove the scallops) and a basic Yellowtail Roll. Would also highly recommend the Salmon 123* small plate! Seriously, a symphony played when I had my first bite. The only miss of the night was the pacing of the plates - we were hoping the small plates would come out as the first course before the sushi. Instead, everything came out at odd times throughout the meal. Don't waste time- get yourself here! Reservations recommended. read more

I was strolling down Chapel Hill St one night. Pizzeria Toro was too crowded to satisfy my craving for pizza but I passed by M Sushi and decided I would give it a try. I was warmly welcomed and promptly guided to the bar. I ordered a wide array of sushis and they were all excellent (Uni sushi is so good!). The chef owner is talented and is probably one of the nicest person in the industry. I enjoyed the finest sushi, great drinks and a good conversation. Seriously, don't miss out on M Sushi. read more

This is definitely the highest quality sushi I've had in the triangle. The fish tastes so fresh, and the dishes never disappoint. The atmosphere is very dark but secluded, and often very busy. With that being said, it is very difficult to schedule a reservation. If you decide to eat here, be sure to book far in advance! read more

We lived in NYC for two years and this place reminds me of all the awesome little restaurants we found there. It has a super cool and cozy atmosphere and the food was amazing. We sat at the bar and it was really fun to watch the chefs work and receive our food right over the counter. There are two reasons I took one star away. One was because we made a reservation and some people who did not were seated before us. The second reason was that near the middle of our dinner we wanted to order more saki and our waiter did not appear. It took a very long time to see him towards the end of the meal. read more

I would like to consider myself a sushi enthusiast and I have to say this place tops all sushi places I have been. If you haven't been to m sushi yet and you are in durham, you are missing out. This place is a must!!! read more

After traveling the country to eat amazing sushi, who knew it could be found in Durham, NC? M goes above and FAR BEYOND the call of duty to deliver some truly amazing flavors and experiences to even the most educated palettes. The secret to gorging on amazing sushi and sashimi is to order the regular old Omakase, NOT the Nigiri Omakase. While I have had both, the regular Omakase comes in a few dollars cheaper and delivers a half dozen beautiful courses of amazing food - somehow providing nearly three times as much mass for less money... and you STILL get some nigiri in the mix. While I no longer live nearby, I will GLADLY return to M whenever I make my way back to North Carolina. It is an absolute gem and deserves all the praise it has accrued. I have been avidly pursuing sushi for the better part of the past decade and I specialize in creating sushi of my own. M will live up to the hype and exceed it. Sit at the bar for the best service, helpful tips when dining, and a view of the masters at work... :) read more

This is my all-time favorite sushi restaurant in the Triangle. The quality of the fish here at M Sushi continues to impress me. I enjoy it every time I go here. The Nigiri omakase is amazing! They serve waygu here that can be grilled right at your table. Their Hokkaido uni is great! And they swipe their fish with a subtle sauce that makes the fish taste to perfection. I speculate that they fly the fish in from Japan. read more

I'm relieved that Durham has a great sushi place! Everyone will tell you that this place is pretty expensive. It's actually not bad and pretty average considering the quality of the fish. I hear they have their fish flown in fresh. At least the really pricy ones. We have only ever gotten the rolls and never sashimi or the omikaze. You can't go wrong! They have beer, wine and sake options for drinks. Next time I would try the dish that comes in a bowl as it seemed to be a huge portion for the money. Something similar to a poke. read more

Wow!!!! Freshest fish ever!!! Love everything about this place! I got the light Omakase, and i was stuffed at the end! Imagine getting the Grand omakase. But i want to try next time if I am in town again. read more

M Sushi - Light Omakase - Sushi Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Fantastic meal, great ambiance, attentive service. The staff here is amazing. They work as a team to make sure plates are cleared and service is seamless. If you get lucky you'll be served by Tequila. Or ask for her - she's fantastic. Great smile and makes you feel like you're her only customer. Above that, the food is well-balanced in flavour and appearance. Loved the pottery plates made in NC. Between the two of us, we enjoyed the Omakase, a tuna special roll, the vegan bento, and an Orion rice lager. The presentation was beautiful. Elegant and thoughtful. The flavours were expertly balanced. My favourite was the crudo, with the salmon course a close second. Don't let the hidden location deter you from trying this place. I recommend making reservations at the bar. Make reservations online and then call to ensure a seat at the bar. Did I mention the Peruvian fusion twist? Enjoy an expertly crafted pisco sour and a spicy pepper condiment with the salmon. Creative, fun, and oh so tasty. read more

One of my favorite places to eat, and my husband's as well. I always get the Vegan Bento Box (which is incredible), and my husband generally gets their Nigiri Omakase, which he absolutely loves. While I don't eat fish, he's been eating sushi since he was five years old and said this is the best sushi he's ever had, and it's consistently good. I've brought multiple people here and they always deliver quality, amazingly delicious food. One time we did have a waiter who wasn't the best (a little odd, not great service), and while I'm surprised he's still employed there I've been lucky to only have him one out of the twenty times I've eaten there. All other waiters and waitresses are truly great. read more

So good I went back twice in the same week! Amazing service! Awesome atmosphere!!! Upscale food and a relaxed vibe. The wait staff really knows and understands what is served. Very knowledgeable! Put this one on your list for sure!! read more

Seriously the best sushi in town! It is pricey tho. The service is exceptional and the food was amazing. We got that multi-course meal they have (I have pictures with this of every dish). The dishes are a work of art. The fish so fresh. The rice is so good and the owner told us that it is uniquely made compared to other sushi places (which definitely shows). I will definitely be back once I save up a bit haha read more

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M Sushi is consistently the best restaurant in Durham. It would be a top notch sushi experience in any big city but they do it Durham style: cool vibe, excellent quality and creative menu. Our server was a little "I'm a sushi expert"attitude-y which was unusual and slightly annoying but that detracted little from a great V-Day dinner. No special evening chintz here, either, just the usual super professional and friendly sushi chefs doing their thing. M Sushi is a huge asset to this city! read more

I have been to a lot of sushi places, but this one easily takes the cake. Amazing food and chill ambience. Great for a date spot.

Best sushi in the triangle. Unbelievably fresh. The dumplings were amazing. Sat at the sushi bar. Service, food, experience were all five star. read more

Fabulous sushi spot! We stopped by at 5 since there were no reservations available on open table. We got lucky that a 5:00 reservation had canceled. Every other table was marked as reserved and sure enough the restaurant was soon full. Our server was attentive, hot food and sushi came out fast. The Wagyu was super marbled, as it should be, and it was awesome. I also had the lobster that I'm pretty sure comes out raw, but it is served with some kind of butter fondue over a flame, so you "cook" the lobster in the butter and that was so amazing that I ordered a second lobster tail. I forgot to take a pic of the first one and then ate half of the second tail before the pic! We'll be back next time we visit Durham! read more

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Durham finally has a distinguished sushi restaurant that can hold it's own against the best sushi places in the area. This should come as no surprise to those of you familiar with Sono in Raleigh. M Sushi is the newest venture by Sono Chef/Owner Michael Lee, and the whole rub is that it's not just a sushi restaurant, it's also a seafood restaurant that incorporates influences from Peruvian, Spanish, and Japanese cuisines into their menu offerings. I had extremely high hopes and expectations for M Sushi and they were completely shattered, they knocked it way out of the park! What I had here was some of the absolute best sushi I have ever had in my life! I love sushi! Lately I've been eating it less and less though, because I'm sick of constantly being disappointed by local establishments where my experiences always involve mediocre sushi and me paying way too much for it. I have found this to be almost the standard for the larger triangle area. Aside from a few exceptions, the best you can hope for around here is finding a good place that does some unique or imaginative specialty rolls that do a great job of covering up the fact that their fish just doesn't have a lot of flavor. Well apparently there is a God, because M Sushi now exist in my hometown, and the quality and flavor of seafood here is almost entirely unparalleled in the area. Everything I've had here has been incredibly fresh and flavorful. Even something as unsuspecting as Shrimp (Ebi) Nigiri was a game changer for me. It was like I had never even tasted shrimp until I had it here. The layered, rich, and sweet flavor was unbelievable, and just about the same could be said about all the other seafood I had here. Obviously as soon as I saw the Light Omakase offerings I had to order it. I'm so glad I did, as it was definitely one of the best meals I've had in a long, long time! The Crudo and Chirashi were the highlights of the meal, and from now on, will be the things I crave whenever I get sushi on my mind. The Crudo's fried onions, radishes, oil, and micro greens elevated the flavor of the already stellar fish in this dish to a whole new level. The Chirashi was just phenomenal! The mixture of fish, micro greens, and pickled veggies all complemented each other perfectly. On top of all that there was crab meat mixed with an aioli type sauce spread across the top of the rice, and this is what made this dish extraordinary. I can't put a finger on it but the aioli had something extremely rich in it that made every single bite of the Chirashi even better (I'm guessing pork fat). Of course the Sashimi and Nigiri were also amazing and among the best I've ever had; but really any of these four dishes would be extremely satisfying in their own right. Based on everything I had here I don't think you could go wrong trying anything off the menu. I'm personally thrilled this restaurant is now part of the food scene in Durham. It's just a best in class restaurant no matter how you cut it. I love that they are not just a solid sushi bar, but also have unique offerings that take the cuisine into a new direction. The atmosphere of this place is flawless, distinct, and cozy. I think it's obvious by now I'm enamored with M Sushi, so hopefully you will still take me seriously when I tell you that if you love sushi or seafood, you are doing yourself an extreme disservice by not dinning here. read more

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Great Omakase. I'm sold on this place and the atmosphere is perfect sushi joint. Not too loud and the food is the center. Hard to find, but on par with any I've had in the western world for sure. read more

This place ruined other sushi for me because it's just so good. They pride themselves on fresh food, our waitress informed us even that the chefs pick it up from a fish market each day to ensure only the best quality of fish for their wonderful cuisine. They've quickly become my go-to sushi place and the menu speaks for itself. read more

HANDS DOWN THE BEST FISH IN THE TRIANGLE. Fish is delivered on Tuesdays and Fridays, so the fish is always fresh and delivered whole fish from Japan and Hawaii. This is serious sushi. It blows An, Waraji, etc. Out of the water. The quantity of the food in the little omakase is a great value at $37, but when you factor in the quality and preparation of the dishes, it is a steal. Thank you M Sushi. You have been the sushi restaurant we've been dreaming of - the last thing to complete our move to the triangle. It feels like Tsukiji market is right in our backyard! read more

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Amazing sushi, has to be the best in the triangle area. The menu is extremely large and has a wonderful variety of food. The quality of all the ingredients are top notch, especially the fish. The tuna is so soft, the unagi is amazing, and the salmon is to die for. Although it is not cheap it is worth the price. read more