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Matoi is an Edomae Omakase sushi restaurant emphasizing the freshness and quality of seasonal fish from Japan. Matoi's concept is having traditional Japanese cuisine with a laid-back atmosphere and 90's hip-hop. Their mission is to educate people on Japanese cuisine and culture (and to make the best sushi possible). I was looking for an upscale Japanese restaurant for dinner to celebrate a 7 year friendship-versary. Ended up at Matoi for Omakase (3 appetizers, sashimi, nigiri, seasonal dishes, and dessert). We opted to order Sake (by the bottle) on side instead of the sake pairing. Food & seafood was really fresh! My roommate even tried their Ankimo (monkfish). Inventive with a creative twist. We sat at the bar and interacted with Chef TJ (from San Diego, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Pittsburg, Tijuana, and Japan). We also ended up ordering a few extra nigiri pieces on the side after the Omakase meal was over. Food was delicious. Service was friendly. Ambiance was upscale but not pretentious. All in all - amazing time and perfect place to celebrate 7 year friendship-versary!! ENJOY!!
Food was amazing. I got to try some things I've never had before. Was lucky enough to try an autumn dish the chef only serves 2 months out of the year. Service was excellent. No complaints there. Restaurant is small and intimate. Nothing too overwhelming. I also really admired the ceramics used for our meal. I found the menu to be quite generous and unique.
Earlier this week, someone told me - "you eat a lot of Sushi". I responded that I don't eat as much as I'd like to. And I blame experiences like I had at Matoi - because they set the bar so high that I refuse to go to places that I feel will end up in me leaving totally disappointed. So ... Ended up here with a friend for dinner. 5PM seating. Glad it was the early seating because parking in this lot can be challenging. Arrived on "Ran" time and hung out until the doors opened. No place to sit and wait FYI. No lobby or seating outside. It was all good - I stayed in my car with the AC. Parking was free. No time limit. Ushed in at 5PM. Seated at the counter. Three parties. Two behind the bar, including Chef TJ. And one server. In the small venue, with the chefs right in front of you - and the server on the opposite side of the counter - they were able to engage and make sure we were well taken care of. As for the Omakase. Overall, I enjoyed everything with only a few exceptions. I'm not normally bothered by textures, but one dish was slimy and that turned me off. It was one of the things I tried off the menu meaning it was served almost last - because if I had it first, my experience might have been soured. Otherwise, I enjoyed the cuts and portion sizes. I left fat and happy. Here's the answer to the question you're probably wondering about - yes, I'd go back. Of course, as it's in San Diego, and not, it wouldn't be regularly, but I'd definitely go back when the craving hits and or to take someone if they wanted to go.
I've been struggling how to write the review for this Omakase experience. The experience itself wasn't bad. Chef owner TJ was very thorough in walking us through each dish. He was very detailed in his explanations, often times I felt he was perhaps a bit too detailed. For example, the lady next to me was curious what some of the fish looked like. Rather than just use words to describe, he would take out his fish book and flip through the pages. He did this a few times, grabbing the book and flipping through the pages in between using his bare and unwashed hands to make sushi. Thankfully I was one of 4 people who were served by the other sushi chef. I found the back and forth between the book and sushi to be unsanitary. Who knows where that book has been and under what other conditions he flipped through the pages! Another unsanitary thing I noticed was the moving shrimp heads were placed on each of our plates, but the chef asked us not to touch it because they will take them back and fry them. Well, not everyone listened because the annoying lady next to me was playing with the shrimp head. And guess what, her shrimp head got mixed in with all the others, so for all I know, I could've eaten the one that she played with! While I appreciate the attempt to wow us with the presentation. I wasn't particularly thrilled with the concept due to cleanliness. Chef TJ was anti-salmon and anti-yellowtail, and went through great lengths to try to convince us to not eat these 2 fish due to their high content of toxins. He insisted that sushi restaurants serve these 2 fish only because they are cheap, but these are very unhealthy. I would beg to differ. I took what he said with a grain of salt. If they were so bad for human consumption, I'm sure the FDA would have a thing or two to say. I love salmon sashimi, especially salmon belly, so it's gonna take more than some know-it-all chef to get me to stop eating it. TJ seemed to be very pro tuna and pro mackerel, my two least favorite fish, especially mackerel. I'm not a fan of him, but what I disliked the most was his arrogance. One of the customers was an old grandma who had never been to an Omakase, so she wasn't aware that the plate on the counter was for the chef to place fish on only. She had placed a piece of fish there and he rudely snatched away the plate and told her not to put her food on it. I thought it was rather rude, as he could've politely explained to her and taken the plate away. As a Sushi Chef, I'm sure he felt disrespected; however, his mannerisms were equally, if not more disrespectful. Another thing I noticed was fresh wasabi was not served. To me a good sushi restaurant should always have fresh wasabi. I'm not a huge fan of wasabi, but if I'm gonna have some, I prefer fresh over the packaged stuff. I noticed that a good amount of wasabi were smothered over rice for the raw fish served. Oddly enough, I could barely taste the wasabi. So far my review has not been very favorable, but it gets worse.... My friend wanted to try a few of the à la carte items so we ordered the sweet shrimp, tuna roll and chopped tuna roll. TJ convinced us to try the aged shrimp instead. He said that he killed the shrimp the day before. Man, we really regretted listening to him. To say that the shrimp was aged was an understatement. They were slimy in texture, an indication that they were spoiled. This goes down in history as the nastiest thing I have ever eaten at a high-end sushi restaurant. My friend and I looked at each other, debating whether to spit out the spoiled shrimp or just swallow it. We didn't want to make a fuss so we swallowed it. We paid for it later if you know what I mean.... The tuna roll and chopped tuna roll were very average, nothing special about them. If we only stuck with the Omakase, then I would give this a three star rating; however, the spoiled shrimp really brought this down to a one star. One of my pet peeves is being served spoiled food. There's no recovery from that. Also, I don't care how good a restaurant is, if the owner is not respectful, then I would not support their business. One thing I really liked was the sour plum wine sake, but the server replenished my friend's drink multiple times and never bothered to ask if I wanted another drink. For a $185 per person Omakase experience, I had expected better customer service and higher quality ingredients. There are so many other Japanese restaurants that offer Omakase experience. I would not recommend this place.
we came and celebrated Valentine's Day here and we are so happy that we did. We did the fast Omakase which we loved. It was a great variety of different fishes and the chef was great. He was so nice and explained to each cut and we got to learn a little bit of history and the making of how he became a sushi chef the sake was also great and the service was amazing. They were quick and attentive, and it was a small room which was like intimate and perfect. The sushi itself was great. The fish was very fresh and there was like a lot of cold, different textures and unique twists to each Nigiri.
Upon entering the restaurant, we were wonderfully greeted by the staff. The restaurant was small but cozy where you are seated at the bar with a full display of the chef and his performance of making each dish. Chef TJ walked us through each course, explaining what each dish contains, where they are from, what season is best to consume these ingredients and how to properly enjoy each bite. Some ingredients are rare and not well known by customers; chef TJ quickly grabbed his book and showed us what a specific lobster looks like. If you ask me, that's awesome as chef TJ takes the time to educate his customer, truly show his passion and knowledge of his dish (I've read some previous reviews stating he over explains and how he grabs a book to show how some fish or rare ingredients looks like). Each course was amazing, fish was fresh and every bite was seasoned to perfection. Every sushi place served tuna and salmon so why not try other fish variety? Chef TJ incorporates mackerel, squid, scallop into our menu and it blew my boyfriend's mind away-totally changed his POV. At the end of the dinner when most parties had left, my crew stayed behind and had an amazing experience with Chef TJ. We learned where he learned his skills, what inspired him to open his restaurant and a peek into his life experience as an individual who lived in Japan for a long duration (over 10 years if I'm not mistaken ). He taught us the Japanese culture and what he gained from his residency (yes he is white but get over it lol). I truly believe we judge a book by its cover far too quickly but once you understand what an individual has been through and their stories, it makes a world of a difference. Honestly one of the best restaurants experience I've ever had. Will definitely be coming back.
My husband and I love going around San Diego and trying new omakase places when we get a chance. So far we've tried Ichifuji, Moments, Sushi Ota, Sushi Gaga, Soichi, Harmoni 2b1, Hidden fish, and Komatsuya. There are many more on our list we will try, but the above is what I have Matoi to compare with right now. This one is one of those more intimate/traditional ones. There's only a limited amount of seats per session and everyone gets the luxury of sitting at the "bar" where we watch the sushi chef do their magic and get served our sushi one by one as we eat. I would have to say Matoi has been my favorite from all the ones we've tried, my husbands 2nd favorite. Our reservation was at 5pm. We chose to do the 2hr omakase, they also do offer a 1hr omakase option. They provide a combo of hot and cold foods. All the fish was so fresh. The hot foods were very tasty. They play interesting music - rap & hip hop. You can tell he is very passionate about what he does. Great place, would actually come back!
We're die-hard fans of Edomae-style sushi and have tried it across the globe, so our expectations tend to be high. We were intrigued by this spot's promise of Edomae Omakase paired with '90s hip hop, but the overall experience didn't quite live up to the hype. The fish was fresh, but the quality was mid-tier. Freshness and quality aren't the same thing, and to really stand out, you need both. Based on that, we'd rate the food around a 3.5. As for the '90s hip hop, t was playing, but it was barely audible. Definitely not a defining element of the experience. The native Japanese chef was kind, respectful, and very professional. The American owner/chef brought a more casual vibe and cracked a few jokes, some landed, some didn't. All in all, it's worth checking out if you're curious about Edomae Omakase. But if you go, I'd recommend the $90 option over spending twice as much for a longer meal that doesn't necessarily deliver more value.
This will be a pretty long one, so get ready! First things first, if you're looking for the utmost "traditional" omakase experience... don't let a white man appropriating Japanese culture be the one to deliver on that. Chef TJ single-handedly ruined my experience here, by his unprofessionalism & lack of accountability. The day of my reservation, we received a phone call saying that the restaurant had overbooked for the 7:30pm time slot & they would be cancelling our reservation. The reasoning was that they were in a transitional period between softwares, & they hadnt noticed the overbooking until that day; since we had been the last party to make a reservation it was us they'd have to cancel. A few minutes later, the restaurant called back saying they could squeeze us in for the 5pm dinner, but we were not able to do this, as it was our anniversary & had other plans before dinner. They then said that they could get us in for the 7:30pm dinner, but we'd be seated at a table rather than at the bar. We made sure to ask if this would change the experience in any way, & we were assured over the phone that the experience would be the same, just not seated at the bar. When it was time for dinner, we were seated at our table, while the other guests sat at the bar. We were offered a complimentary bottle of sake for the issues we'd experienced with the online booking. So far, the night seemed to be picking up. Once dinner started, we realized that the guests at the bar were receiving more items than us; we noticed that our table was only displaying the $90 quick omakase, rather than the full experience. Obviously, this made the experience sour once again, as we felt isolated from the full bar experience AND we were not being delivered the full omakase, as we had been told over the phone. By now, the lack of communication was becoming very apparent. By the time other guests were reaching their first round of nigiri, our experience had come to an end.
Came here on a Saturday as a solo omakase diner. The restaurant is located in a plaza with plenty of parking, which is one of my biggest concerns for convoy. The interior is very cozy and unfussy and the hip hop music gave a casual vibe. I think there were 10 total people and the bar was totally full. Chef TJ served a unique variety of fish that I have never tried before plus some old favorites. I think that some of the composed dishes were a little lacking in seasoning. Everything was very well prepared and fresh. I did remove one star for the service. The service was a little awkward and unrefined. Drinks going unfilled, napkins not replaced, dishes not cleared in a timely manner before the next course came out, and the server constantly reaching over at bad times/bumping hands while I was trying to eat. Not to say the service was bad, just a little awkward.
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.
We came here to try the quick omakase which lasts an hour and has 11 dishes. Chef TJ is welcoming and a fun character. The vibe is chill and laidback with 90s hip hop playing softly in the background. The rice to fish ratio in the nigiri is one of the lowest I've seen ever! Meaning the smallest amount of rice to fish. For my personal taste, the sushi rice could've used a bit more vinegar. But once the chefs switched to red vinegar for the sushi rice, it was perfect and complimented the fish so nicely. The otoro is one of the best I've ever had. I ordered a second round after the omakase was finished. We also ordered uni which was local to San Diego and it was sublime! Service could use some improvements when it comes to the small things, like offering water refills without being prompted, refilling ginger, wiping sushi plate after each dish or offering all guests with a bag the option for basket storage (I wasn't offered it but another guest who came after me was, not sure why the inconsistency). Overall, I'm not sure if I'd want to come back to try the full omakase before I try another restaurant. Although each nigiri bite was delicious, I can't say I was thoroughly wowed by what was served in the quick omakase. I'd recommend you try it for yourself though!
Thank you Chef TJ and staff for taking good care of our rowdy party of 7! We really enjoyed the experience, it was very intimate and had fun engaging conversations. The sushi is more on the traditional side so the focus is more on the rice and fish rather than experimental toppings. We ordered a few different carafes of sake but our favorite was Black Dragon (and yes, the chef is more than happy to drink with you!). I've had quite a bit of omakase in san diego, and this is one of the better ones for overall experience. I'll have to check out this place again the next time I'm in town!
2 years ago
2 years ago
1 year ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
Chef and staff were very personable and approachable. The menu is seasonal (as it should be!) and was amazing when we went! I think we had 3 different uni which I had never experienced! Def worth it! read more
3 years ago
All of my Japanese friends recommend this place as the BEST sushi restaurant! So I have been wanting to try this place for a while. Matoi indeed serves the BEST not only sushi but Omakase course. First time I tried, it was shocking how fresh all the food they serve! From appetizers, side dishes, and of course sushi!! They even taste better than most of the sushi restaurants I have been to in Japan. I enjoyed everything they served in Omakase, I had to go back the next week. I love how each dish is presented. All the traditional is kept in each dish, and everything is authentic!! This restaurant is a true gem! Service is great and I love the sense of home that they provide at this restaurant. I feel like I'm home in Japan. read more
2 years ago
Before I even mention the phenomenal dining experience, I want to mention that Chef TJ really cares for his customers. He was quick to respond when I noticed my text confirmation showed the wrong reservation date. In spite of being the ONLY chef, he is quick on his toes (or rather his hands) so that guests aren't left waiting too long for their food. I bring all visitors here for a special dining experience. His staff are very attentive. The food is exquisite as are the sake and soju . Despite inflation, the prices are still reasonable. This is a pure omakase restaurant so don't expect to order takeout or rolls. It's awesome to have an intimate dining experience without being pretentious. Except for him wanting another chef, nothing needs to change. I'm sure he is severely overworked but he doesn't let it show. read more
2 years ago
Phenomenal is probably the best word to describe the experience my partner and I had. The restaurant is small and very interpersonal. The staff is very friendly and it feels the same as dining in Japan. The chef described each dish well and provided great commentary on how to enjoy the meal. The food was fresh and delicious. Even items that I have tried before and didn't like were amazing. read more
3 years ago
Where do I even start? My boyfriend and I were looking to try omakase while visiting SD and I think we might've experienced the best omakase in SD. My boyfriend and I were very excited for Matoi because of the unique dishes that they served; one that excited us the most was the raw octopus and it turned out to be our favorite dish of the night! The first dish that was served to us was such a great start. This is when I knew that this omakase will be nothing like I've ever tried. All of the dishes served were executed so well that I kept thinking "wow this is genius". The different concepts and flavors that you're introduced to is really one-of-a-kind. This omakase was so comfortable and casual but also felt so prestigious with all of the rare bites that were served. Chef TJ was so great! He walks you through all the dishes; what it is, how it's being prepared, how to enjoy it, etc. Might I also add that the portions are so generous. Not even halfway through the meal, I was getting slightly full so I requested less rice for my nigiri pieces (if you thought that the nigiri pieces were looking kinda skinny and small, this is why) If you like trying new, one-of-a-kind culinary delights, THIS IS THE SPOT! 100% worth the price and will definitely be back! read more
2 years ago
We were very excited to try this restaurant, but IT TURNED OUT TO BE AN HORRIBLE DINNING EXPERIENCE. We had $175 omakase and it was $200+/person with drinks and gratuity. The fish was on average, but not great, you will receive the same quality of food from Sushi Ota, Kokoro or Soichi. You would expect to receive a little better service and enjoyable dinning environment with this amount of money you pay. I later had diarrhea the next morning and it was the only meal I had for that day. My guest was fine, so you can make your own judgment. Chef TJ is very arrogant and disrespectful. Make sure to read his rules carefully on the website before you make the reservation(some rules were not even listed on the website for example, how to place your chopsticks). As he defines this is a " true" Edo style, tbh, the presentation of the dishes was nothing close to the traditional ones we had from our experiences. My guest was very confused by the printed rules that they showed at the bar, however, we were still trying to be positive and follow the rules, just wanted to enjoy the night until Chef TJ literally rolled eyes on us a couple times. I wasn't sure why, maybe we did not use the chopsticks or source plate the way he wanted lol? You will be paying $200+ to learn how to eat a piece of nigiri in a very unpleasant way. There is no waiting area in the restaurant, you will need to wait outside if you arrive a few minutes early. On the night we dined at Matoi, Chef was running behind with the previous party so there was a bit wait before they allow us to walk in. After we entered the restaurant, no one greet us or lead us to the bar, we had to find the name tag and seat ourselves. The pace was very slow and took over 3 hours to complete the whole menu, because there was a group of four guests appeared to be Chef's friends, Chef TJ was drinking with them for the whole night, two guys were keep going out to smoke during the time, the other customers at the bar would need to wait for them to finish their food before the next course. One of the ladies in that group was getting drunk in the middle of the meal and started harassing me and my party. We felt very offended, but Chef TJ did not stop her, is this a part of the "Edo style" experience as well?! This is the noisiest omakase dining experience I have ever had. For the entire night, Chef TJ did not check on us for even once, instead he was giving us an terrible attitude. It finally cracked me up when he pulled out the Uni boxes with "Mitch" logo on. Mitch sells local SD Uni at the farmer's market, $5 for one live Uni with 6-8 pieces in it. For Soichi lovers, Chef TJ quoted that night " Soichi's menu is made for white people." Words to words. For Michelin Guide reviewers, Chef TJ quoted that " Michelin recommended list and stars are meaningless." Words to words. Furthermore, I totally agree with other reviews that grew up as an Asian, the spirit of our culture is treat others as you want to be treated, respect others the way you want others to respect you (己所不欲，勿施于人. 己欲立而立人，己欲达而达人.) On Matoi's Website, it says their mission is to educate people on Japanese cuisine and culture.Matoi has definitely failed to present that they value or understand the core of Japanese culture. PERIOD. read more
Business owner information
Matoi O.
Hello Yili,…
1 year ago
this is my first ever yelp review, but the chef was amazing!! so funny and skilled, i really enjoyed the full 3 hours i was here. super authentic, and i think the experience was even better than i could've imagined read more
3 years ago
Chef TJ and his staff offered the best omakase dining experience I've had by far. With the warm and inviting atmosphere, beautiful and delicious dishes, definitely a treat that can't be beat. Each dining experience is very personal, you really get to know about your food and where it comes from while getting to watch Chef TJ carefully prepare the fish right in front of you. My boyfriend and I went here for our first anniversary and I can say that it was worth every penny. Reservations were easy to make with lots of reminders days before the event. We definitely will be coming back soon, hungry for more of what Matoi has to offer. read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
We have had this place on our list for a while and so happy we made it here. Truly a worthwhile experience. Food is exceptional, Chef TJ a delight to spend time with and met some wonderful people at our dinner which made the entire experience even better. All the courses were thoughtful and well executed. Pacing was perfect. We will come back and one of the very best in SD. read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
Allow me to say OMG!!!! Best omakase and best food experience I have had in my life. The food was worth every penny. The chef was entertaining and nice also the staff. Three hours of wonderful experience. The food was exceptional. Everything tasted amazing. Loved the fact that he incorporated different and unusual types of fishes that not usually used. My soul and my belly were happy. Hands down best omakase in San Diego. Highly recommend. read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
I did a friends trip recently to San Diego and thankfully I'm friends with people that enjoy sushi. We had omakase at another place the night before but I really wanted to try Matoi so we had two omakases during our trip! We made reservations for 7:30pm. There is 11 seats available around the sushi bar. It is a little tight squeeze depending on your personal bubble space. The earlier group was still having their omakase when we arrived. One of the ladies told us there would be some waiting time so we walked around the lot. It was my group of 3 and the other group of 8. When we were seated, Chef TJ straight up told us that he is slow and there's gonna be a lot of food. There was a guy in the other group who knew Chef TJ personally it seemed like based of their convo. He's a regular too and he was hilarious. So I enjoyed Chef TJ's presentation of everything. His non-nigiri items were incredible. THAT LOTUS ROOT SANDWICH AND CHAWANMUSHI. Wow delicious. He had the hella fatty tuna (not o toro, even fattier lol) and octopus in his sashimi that I'm glad I got to try, but I'm okay with them not being my favorites. Very chewy. That uni towards the end was great. I'm usually hesitant about uni lol but this uni was good creamy. Not too overwhelming. My group had plans after but with the time, we did have to rush out. Chef TJ was so respectful and nice about it. He asked the other group if he could quickly make the rest of our nigiri so we could make it in time for a speakeasy. THANKS PHAT AND KELLY (if you guys read this ever!) His website say to plan for 2 to 2.5 hours for the experience but honestly I think the best way to truly have the best experience here is pick the 7:30pm time and plan for 3 hours instead. I did like how his omakase included more people. It's not usually the case to have that many people for one chef and it's fun to observe people. Matoi would be a great place if you had a large party, well 11 people max. If I'm ever in San Diego again, I would definitely come here again! P.S. Hello Phat! If you ever read this and plan to go to Japan, me and my friends would join your organized group lol seriously! read more
1 year ago
4 years ago
Disclaimer: I have tried many omakase in Japan and other Asian cities so I do set the bar high... 4 stars as comparison to other sushi places in San Diego. But when you can't travel to Asia without quarantine, Matoi would def fix your nigiri craving. Chef TJ wasn't as chatty as I thought he would be. We probably had him on an off day. Hip hop music was tolerable but I didn't care for it. It just didn't vibe well with the omakase experience. Waitress was friendly and helpful. The appetizers were good but the sauce for oyster was a bit overpowering. Sashimi was out of the world fresh. Nigiri were awesomeeeeeeee. I'd say their fish were fresher than the few times I visited Soichi, sushi ota. The execution on some dishes could be better but the restaurant is still new & sure the chef will figure it out the balance of the flavors. I definitely did not care for the lotus sandwich. Bland & batter was too thick. Would I come back? - yes but not often. read more
3 years ago
Great time, great sushi with Chef TJ. This restaurant was by far the most upbeat, fun, and sociable Omakase. Everyone in the restaurant were having good conversations, pouring each other drinks, and learning about each fish through Chef TJ's fish book. I'll definitely come back TJ!! read more
4 years ago
Business owner information
Teresa L.
Hello Catlynn,…
4 years ago
I am EXTRA particular when it comes to sushi, but more so when it comes to omakase. Besides being only allergic to shrimp, I will eat everything that the chef chooses. Chef TJ's omakase hands down is one of my favorites, and I've had plenty here and in Japan. He elegantly chooses the right flavor profiles to hit your palate just in the right spot. Which makes you excited for the next dish to come. Not only am I particular to the dishes he dished out, I was also thoroughly entertained with his engagement with his patrons, including myself. He would provide insight on his favorite and second favorite nigiri. Which I would have to agree that they were both excellent choices. *5-stars for food *5-stars for friendly service * 5-stars for his comedy show (basically conversations with him) * 5-stars for an EXCELLENT omakase I will definitely come back for me. read more
Dined here with my friend for her birthday the other night. It was either here or Hidden Fish. We both had the Omakase Oyabun $140. Everything was fresh and delicious but -- as with most omakase experience -- I wasn't 100% satisfied and was still pretty hungry. I guess I never learned my lesson. I eat more than most so I prefer to order a la carte.. Music was poppin though. Really enjoyed all the old school hip hop and gangsta rap. read more
2 years ago
What an amazing experience! Highly recommend. Unique high end Omakase in a casual atmosphere. Chef TJ does a great job in explaining every single course. 10 out of 10 read more
3 years ago
I cannot say enough amazing things about Matoi. Chef TJ is INCREDIBLE. My boyfriend took me here for my birthday for our first omakase experience and it was one to remember. The quality of Chef TJ's fishies were amazing. Each one hand selected, with a different cut, sauce, and plate. The waitresses were so attentive and very elegant in presenting/placing our plates down. Even the chopsticks looked fancy. The toro was our favorite, I could eat toro everyday. Chef TJ is super conversational and made our dinner funny and light as well. I would give this 10 stars if I could. We also heard from other customers dining that this restaurant serves more Omakase and better quality Omakase than most restaurants in San Diego. read more
Went on a whim since my friend needed one more on his reservation. Was not disappointed. Sushi chef was well organized, knowledgeable and studied both here and in Japan. He probably isn't expected to perform well since he's American, but don't let that cloud your judgement. Didn't even know this omakase place opened up and he said it started just last July 2021. Nigiri was delicious as expected. Most were soft like butter like a good unagi, which coincidentally was the last piece. Of course I can't remember the names, but the only negative I have is that there was a intestine looking thing in one of the appetizers which I didn't care for. Probably just a palate thing for me since it tasted like it looked. On top of that, he has decent saki collection to go along with his Japanese beers. Loved the experience and the fact that he had gangsta rap on in the background mostly from the 90s Ruthless records, Deathrow and Aftermath labels. Will definitely come back. read more
5 years ago
3 years ago
Been to a few omakase places, but this is one of the best!! Not only best in SD but even better than some of the places I've been to in LA. We got a few add ons and drinks, our bill came out to be almost 600 with tax and tips but it was so worth it. Chef TJ is pretty passionate with what he does and he really seems like he cares about his work. I liked that the service was good, and everyone was so personable there. It was a great date place. Overall, 100% would come back next time I'm in town. read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
3 years ago
We had an amazing Omakase dinner for my daughter's birthday. Food is delicious. Fish are fresh. Atmosphere is cozy and fun. Chef DJ is passionate and a master of his craft. His attention to detail is incredible. He explained every single dish. Entire staff provided great service. It was truly a wonderful experience. We highly recommend Matoi. read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Made myself a reservation here on the Monday night before Valentine's day as a treat to myself! To say the experience blew me out of the park was an understatement. Chef and the staff really care about keeping the tradition alive here. The only thing they ask is you PLEASE RESPECT THE RULES, which were fair and very easy to follow. Everybody was extremely friendly and the vibe was laid back. The food was nothing short of high quality and fresh. Each course was lovingly prepared and the taste and experience did not disappoint. My favorite course was probably the jabara toro towards the end, but let me be perfectly honest I did not have a single thing I did not like at this establishment. Would rate it higher if I could. The only add on I ordered was the chutoro, but you had a wide selection of fresh ingredients to add on if you chose. Please keep in mind these are NOT included in your base price. read more
More info about Matoi
4212 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
Kearny Mesa
Directions
(858) 737-4556
Call Now
Visit Website
http://matoisandiego.com
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DO they have unseared albacore?
Every meal is different, this is a true Omakasa restaurant.
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Matoi - sushi - Updated July 2026
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