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    Mai Japanese Express

    3.0 (148 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Mai Japanese Express Photos

    Business Info

    MAI JAPANESE EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Mai Japanese Express

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    Reviews With Photos

    Kitchen counter
    Hugo O.

    Stopped here for a quick bite while out running errands. I got the spicy sushi rolls. Boy was I surprised at how big it was when it came out. I was gladly surprised as a big hungry man. It was absolutely delish. Like I will remember and crave this dish. So good! I would try the hibachi next time I am in town! The restaurant ambience is calm and quite great to be able to enjoy your meal. Service was immediate attentive and friendly.

    Tuna tataki, squid salad
    Lauren K.

    This was some of the best sushi I have had and the service was really fast and very friendly. Nice atmosphere inside and very quiet/intimate. I am going to come back for sure. The portions were great as well. Very surprised by the tuna tataki and squid salad, that was delicious! Highly recommend coming here. The prices were very reasonable here as well.

    Chicken hibachi
    Lawrence C.

    Go to staple in Arysley with great Japanese food. Service is ok and they can work on the ambiance a little bit to be more inviting. Typically get food to go but it's fine to eat inside also.

    Ocean Roll (tempura crab, yellowtail, avocado, crème cheese, topped with aioli mayo)
    Nate S.

    Look, this is no high dollar fancy pants sushi bistro but I was pleasantly surprised today giving Mai a shot for dinner. Food was fresh, the service good and prompt and it was clean and didn't smell like fish and cleaning chemicals which tends to be the case so often with places like this. I ordered 3 rolls: California roll, Ocean Roll & Hot lava roll. My only complaint is that there's cheaper imitation crab in many of the rolls which seems to be used as a filler. I'm glad I went--while not overly fancy, Mai scratches the sushi itch.

    Kids chicken plate
    Donut D.

    Yes, the restaurant is at a convenient location with plenty of parkings and seemingly clean. The staffs were attentive and service was quick but only 2 stars for me. The sashimi and sushi rolls i ordered were not fresh. The salmon was lack of the fresh texture and the color was more like a faded orange. Very disappointed. The tempura was very greasy. Their known habachi was ok.

    Dumplings
    Megan P.

    I went here for lunch and ordered take out. The staff was friendly and the service was quick. There was plenty of parking at this location. There prices are reasonable. I ordered some sushi and some dumplings and they were good. I will be returning to try some other things on there menus.

    Salmon & Shrimp 6oz
    Kierston D.

    The staff is nice, restaurant is never full so it's easy to get a seat. The food is okay for the price you pay. My shrimp today tasted very old unfortunately. Hoping next time is better

    My receipt. ‍‍
    Shondra H.

    Food was ok. Sushi was fresh-sort of. It's kind of weird tho. It's like the place has no soul in it. I quite figure it out. Oh yeah. GIVE MORE RICE ON YOUR HIBACHI PLATES!!! I had the kids chicken and my boo had the adult size, but the rice proportion was the same. They used imitation crab on the sushi tho. Oh well.

    Richard H.

    What a nice place. The kitchen uses see through walls. So you can see what and how they prepare your food. This place is roomy with tables and booths. They only have one small tv but it is showing kids shows. I ordered a lot of sushi but nothing remarkable. When I left I was full but I dropped $35 in the place. This place is very homey and a place I would frequent if I were in the neighborhood. But it's not special or has anything out of the ordinary. It is a good place for a good meal.

    Shrimp fried rice
    Mina A.

    My experience wasn't good at all. Of course you all know I am a fried rice lover. This place was not it. The quality was off. There was like 3 shrimp that they cut each one by 3's. The rice was hard and had alot of lumps of rice stuck together. The workers all was at the counter eating food. I do not recommend this place from my experience. Was a waste of money

    Soft-shell crab
    Amanda W.

    I went in on a Monday afternoon and it was super slow so the waitress was super attentive and the food came out very fresh and quick. The dragon roll was good and the sushi prices are relatively cheap. I really liked the soft-shell crab, it was super crispy and freshly fried. It didn't taste too oily either. I wish I could try the other rolls so I would definitely come back again if I'm in the area! Not sure how the restaurant runs when it's busy but I would definitely recommend this place for a quick lunch.

    Plum wine
    Dawn R.

    This is the second time in a week I've had Japanese hibachi. Lol ! My husband and I had a craving for steak. We initially tried to go to the restaurant inside Embassy Suites, but it was ridiculous. They had closed their restaurant and were trying to run it from their bar/lounge area. So, we wanted to stay nearby and chose Mai. This place has been here FOREVER and is right around the corner from me, but I've never been there. I'm glad we checked it out. I started out with the salmon avocado roll ($6). It was good and a decent size. We both got the steak and shrimp hibachi (large size $16). The portion size was perfect. They asked my husband and I how we wanted our steak cooked, but not sure why they even bothered to ask. I asked for mine medium; he asked for his medium-well done but what they gave us both was well-done. Not a hint of pink anywhere and the meat was a bit dry and firm as a result. I really disliked the shrimp sauce. They gave us a pool of it in a dish and it was the consistency of Campbell's soup out of a can before you add liquid. It looked like it had come straight out of a jar. I put just a bit into the rice and it was just ok. I guess after having absolutely phenomenal sushi and hibachi earlier this week, I got a bit spoiled. This place will work in a pinch and the parking is easy in front of the restaurant. Our waitress was fine, but pretty much left us alone other than ordering food. I got a plum wine and it was good. This is a cheaper option if you want to forego the entertainment of one of those restaurants that give hibachi performances and would rather not socialize around a grill. This was just a sit at your own table and order. There are 2 entrances to the restaurant. One facing the street you come into Arsley on, and one facing a common plaza area with other restaurants. We'll likely come back for the cheaper hibachi pricing. It satisfied our shrimp and steak craving, so that's what is important.

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    4 years ago

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    7 months ago

    great experience every time, wide variety of sushi options as well as hibachi and fried rice.

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    1 year ago

    Chicken hibachi takeout was dry and unseasoned, and the broccoli was old. The rice also had no seasoning.

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    3 years ago

    Very clean. Fast service and nice workers. The food was great and overall we enjoyed our visit.

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    8 years ago

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Mai Japanese Express

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    Konnichiwa - Charlotte

    Konnichiwa - Charlotte

    4.3(262 reviews)
    6.8 miDilworth
    $$

    Met 2 other folks here for some sushi. Love the cozy atmosphere. Walls are a warm green and lots…read moreof booths. 2 of us got the crispy tuna rice, I love the texture and the flavor. It's served slightly warm with a tiny jalapeno and a dash of chili hot sauce on each piece. I got the Summer roll ($16) and loved it. It was shrimp tempura, lobster salad, mango slices, and chili sauce. I also got the lychee vodka sake tini ($15) and it was delicious. The other 2 gals loved their rolls also. Our waiter was good about checking on us, but I did have to flag him down to get regular soy sauce. Only light soy sauce is available on the table. Free Parking is in a garage directly behind the restaurant. Definitely will return !

    If I had known Konnichiwa's rating was a 90.0 before walking in, I probably would have opted out --…read morebut I had already been seated and ordered a glass of wine, so I decided to give it a fair chance. Unfortunately, the experience fell short in several areas. Given the location, you'd expect the service to be A1. Instead, I was highly disappointed. Our server was friendly enough and did share the popular items, which I appreciated, but the follow-through from the kitchen didn't match the expectations that were set. I went with the recommended Panther Roll, and it was not at all what I expected -- it came out half-baked and lacking in both flavor and presentation. The crab Rangoons were even more concerning; they were fried in what tasted like old oil, leaving a heavy greasy aftertaste. The batter itself didn't seem right, and overall they were difficult to enjoy. I've worked in the hospitality industry for seven years and recently started writing reviews to offer honest feedback that can help restaurants improve. I genuinely dislike writing negative reviews, but this visit left me no choice. Konnichiwa has the potential to be a hit with a more engaged, enthusiastic staff, consistently hot food, and some attention to kitchen maintenance -- especially the fryer and oil. I hope this feedback is helpful, and I truly believe with a few adjustments, the experience could be much better.

    Photos
    Konnichiwa - Charlotte - Indoor seating

    Indoor seating

    Konnichiwa - Charlotte - Good size portions as you can see

    Good size portions as you can see

    Konnichiwa - Charlotte - Streetview

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    Streetview

    Yama Loso - Totoro Roll

    Yama Loso

    4.7(135 reviews)
    5.1 mi

    I had the best time here kinda late at night last Saturday. We got there at about 10:24pm and were…read morereally just happy they were open. The host greeted us and was super nice, she did mention the kitchen closes at 10:50 but that we were more than welcome to come inside just that we should order soon. I really appreciated that!! Our server was nice and attentive and I made sure to order quickly. I was starving anyway so this was all perfect, honestly lol. I tried the sora roll which is: spicy yellowtail and cucumber, topped with yellowtail and avocado, crispy shallots, masago, spring onions, and yuzu miso reduction. THIS WAS FANTASTIC!!!!!!!! I probably could've eaten two. I will 100% be back very soon to have this again lol. I also tried their brussel sprouts and really loved those too! They were cooked and flavored perfectly. I also really love the ambiance of this place. It was perfectly dime lit and it just looks soooooooo nice inside. The decor, the bar, everything was super nice. This is a great date night spot for sure!!!!

    It's in a hip neighborhood with quite a few new construction apartments, one rt across the street…read morecalled Ellos. And, the light rail is a walkable distance. The only access problem was the parking as the parking lane is very narrow. I don't know if there's additional parking for Yama but I drive a truck so I had to back out of the parking entrance. Just drove around the corner onto a Main Street, not South Blvd, n viola there was street parking on the side, no signs for time limits. All good. It was for a late lunch with visiting friends. Atmosphere for this meetup made us stay later than we should have bc I think we stayed til around 4:30pm? Lunch service finished maybe around 2:30-2:45? Felt badly for the person at the reception but he said it was no problem. I hv bn to Yama in Waverly a couple of times n now Yama Loso. Both serve a modern twist to Asian dishes. I love traditional Japanese meals but I also enjoy twists in recipes once in a while. Spicy edamame for starters. Looked great but I can't eat spice at the moment so I can't rate it tho my friends did eat it all up. Ate the sushi rice bowl but w/o the spicy aioli sauce n asked for something else which was on the sweet side. Comforting meal, not overwhelming, just right. Edamame, cucumbers, yellow pickled daikon, tuna, salmon, avocado. A simple lunch was all I needed. Then, the hamachi neck part came grilled, not on the menu but if they hv it they'll serve it tender n juicy. Only reason I left a star out was bc of the parking. Other than that, I'd probably go there again if I'm on that side of Charlotte but for me Waverly is closest.

    Photos
    Yama Loso - Yama Loso

    Yama Loso

    Yama Loso - Tempura bento box. My favorite

    Tempura bento box. My favorite

    Yama Loso - Tori Kaarage

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    Tori Kaarage

    Mai Japanese Express - japanese - Updated May 2026

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