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and in for a late lunch, sat at the sushi bar. staff was super friendly. the ambiance is pretty open. i ordered the tonkatsu ramen and a soft shell crab roll. a lot of jasmine tea. they use loose leaf! the tea was a nice surprise. came out in a full pot. better than any boba tea you can have. the ramen was flavorful, lots of pork slices. ramen was cooked yay right. the soft shell crab was deep fried perfectly, crunchy. the roll was good, lots of flavoring and textures going on. happy to have tried and would consider going back when in the area.
Just a quick update! We've been coming here once a week for almost two years now, and every-time we are blown away by the staff and the food. I won't go anywhere else for my sushi anymore! Andy, Winnie and their staff are some of our favorite people!
I had the chance to try Maru over the long weekend and WOW! I am so grateful to have a wonderful sushi spot back in Village Gate. They are currently offering 10% off your first order and have a SUPER easy online ordering and takeout process. Ready in 15 minutes, and I was grateful to be able to order while I was running errands then just swing in. We went with a few maki rolls, gyoza, and four delish sushi pieces. The interior is more or less the same as Cali Rollin', and the staff here is absolutely wonderful and sweet. Post-Coronatimes, it looks like you'll still be able to watch the sushi being made at the bar, which is nice. I was super delighted when the hostess let me know they threw in some crab and seaweed salad to try - and I was on my way. Gyoza: delish! Only 4 pieces for like $6 seemed like a stretch to me, and I likely won't order these again, but they were really good if you're in the area and get a craving. Salads: these are both SO good. The spicy crab salad is what they use in their spicy crab roll, and has a really nice kick to it. Super fresh and refreshing on a hot day. Sesame is heavy on the seaweed salad. If you're debating between the two, crab beats seaweed in my opinion! Sweet potato tempura roll: YESSSSSS order this. I would order two of these rolls in the future as this roll was such a lovely mix of sweet, crunchy, and savory. Dip in soy sauce, add a little wasabi, tastebuds rejoice. Spicy salmon roll: Almost exactly the same as what you would get at Shema! Super fresh tasting, no arguments here. Tuna cucumber roll: this did not light me up like the others. Had an odd chemical taste to it (don't know how else to explain) and likely would not order again, but this could just be a one off problem. Sushi: Both salmon and white tuna were excellent. ~$5 for two pieces and they do not skimp on the fish. For the price, convenience of location, amazing staff, and delicious eats - this will be my new sushi go-to!
Where do I even start? My parents and I have become regulars at Maru over the last several years, close to the time they first opened their doors. We're a big sushi family, and have tried most sushi spots in the city. At this point, we don't bother to go anywhere else besides Maru. Almost every single Friday, that's where we are because no other restaurant is doing it as well as they are. First, the food: I'll put it bluntly, no other sushi restaurant in Rochester compares. Obviously in a sushi restaurant, the freshness of the ingredients is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. The quality of the ingredients here is top-notch ALWAYS, and the flavor takes it to the next level. Our favorites are the yellowtail sashimi (a MUST), the calamari salad, the kani salad, and the mix-up roll- but you could seriously order anything on the menu and you won't be disappointed. Second, The Vibe™: The vibes are immaculate. I cannot emphasize enough how much the owners care about their customers. They are always there, either out on the floor chatting with customers or serving or behind the counter actively making the food. The staff is attentive and fun. Food comes out fast, the music is never too loud, and everything is always clean and tidy. In conclusion, it's insane that Maru isn't packed to the gills at all times. If you're a sushi person, you need to try this spot and thank me later.
This sushi spot is a hidden gem and over looked unfortunately. Located in the old California rollin people know is closed and opening right before covid, such a horrible time for such an amazing spot !! Everyone must stop by and try this new spot. The staff is super nice, service quick and attentive. There is a private fee to the atmosphere. But the best part is the sushi!! I tried three rolls the tnt, Maru Maru and the mixup and Mixup was my Favorite!! I'll be back soon to try the rest of the rolls.
I personally didn't like ramen until I went to this restaurant! The food is delicious and flavorfull!! The chef also does an amazing job with the sushi and presentation. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable about the menue and ingredients. The environment is relaxing and elegant.
My fiancée and I are working on trying every sushi restaurant between Rochester and Syracuse and this has been one of my favorites so far! Despite having a pretty minimal sushi menu, everything was absolutely delicious and of superb quality. We started out with a pot of tea, miso soup, and pork gyoza. The tea was steeped perfectly and the miso soup was the best I've had so far. It's flavor was strong and the load of fresh green onions added a really enjoyable touch. The gyoza were great as well. The pork inside tasted fresh and the shell was nice and crispy. For our entree, we split The Village Bridge which came with white and regular tuna, salmon, and (I believe) red snapper sashimi and then the same fish came as the nigiri. The chef also selected a smoked salmon and cream cheese roll, as well as the coral reef specialty roll. Every piece of sashimi was absolutely bursting with flavor and the quality of the fish was excellent and fresh. The same goes for the nigiri. I'm not a fan of cream cheese in my rolls but I forgot to mention that to the server so it's totally my fault that I wasn't a huge fan of the smoked salmon roll. To be fair, I could taste the smoked salmon in it and it was great. Finally we finished with our coral reef roll. The spicy tuna was nice and soft with actual spice to it along with the flavor, the salmon added a nice little chew texture to balance the tuna and then the crunch continued to add to the textural complexity of the roll. The menu here may be small, the food may seem a bit simple at first, but the flavors are outstanding. This restaurant doesn't need to hide behind complicated stuffed rolls because their sushi fundamentals speak loudly. Their quality fish and ingredients stand out and are what make this a culinary experience.
The sushi was very good! We started off with 2 appetizers, Fried Shumai and Edamame both good. We ordered a few signature rolls, the Mix up (highly recommend) the coral reef ( I love spicy! This was a little too spicy but still good), The Blue dragon ( very good .. Sliced avocado on top, Yum!), and sweet potato tempura.. how can you go wrong with Fried Sweet Potato! I can't wait to go back..
We wanted to try a new sushi spot on a Friday night and so to Maru sushi we went. The space is large with a big sushi bar, lots of booths and tables, and a separate wine bar on the opposite side of the sushi bar. Lots of available tables for walk ins on a Friday night. The service was quick and friendly! For apps we ordered the fried shumai and the sweet potato kani salad. Both were great! I loved the crunchy texture of the shumai and the sweet salty flavor profile once you dip it into the dipping sauce. It's a generically palatable dish that I think anyone would like. If you are expecting a large shumai with distinct shrimp and pork fillings however, I would skip this dish. The inside is pretty hallow and I couldn't quite distinguish what the filling was. The kani salad was delightful. I loved how much crab was in the shredded salad. The dish had a great balance of spice and freshness. I loved all the texture as well. The kani salad was our favorite dish of the meal. For sushi we ordered the yellow tail and red snapper sashimi. For rolls we got the blue dragon and the coral reef. The yellow tail sashimi was good and fresh tasting. The texture was pretty soft and buttery. The red snapper had a totally different texture. It was fresh tasting but the fish was very firm. If you're looking for a buttery feel in your sashimi I would not recommend the snapper. We have never tried red snapper before so maybe that's just how it is. The signature rolls were a bit of a let down for us. The blue dragon contains eels with cucumber topped with eel sauce. There wasn't much eel in the roll we got and the sauce over powered everything so we can only taste the sweetness of the sauce. The coral reef roll was better but it wasn't anything that is too out of the ordinary. I liked that there was ample amounts of spicy tuna which gave it a good kick. I also like the crunchy texture of the tempura crunch. I definitely liked the coral reef roll better. Overall Maru is a good casual spot. We both agreed that the apps are better and more interesting than the actual sushi.
I am not a big sushi person and even I like the sushi here! I got the sweet potato tempura and a cucumber avocado roll. The sweet potato tempura was to DIE for. I don't like seafood, so that was definitely the best vegetarian sushi I've had!! The cucumber avocado was good too, especially with a little of their spicy creamy sauce. My boyfriend got the Maru Maru and Dragon rolls. He loves eel and he really enjoyed both of these. He said that Maru is definitely an upgrade from California Rollin. We also got the seaweed salad and gyoza--both were great! We will definitely be getting sushi from here again! I should also add that you can place your order online and even schedule later pick up times. I placed my order while I was working and I was able to pick it up right after I got out of work. It was ready on time and a very fast pickup process!
3 years ago
On my first trip to Rochester, Maru proved to be my "go to" place for dinner. The sushi is fresh and the staff is welcoming. I had a remarkable, kind, professional, and knowledgeable server named Dani. Each night, she helped me choose the best meal for evening whether it involved sushi, sashimi, maki, green tea, sake, and even dessert. Dani is not only an exceptional ambassador to Maru but to the City of Rochester as well. I do hope Maru expands their sushi menu a little to showcase more variety. While in Rochester, I hope this becomes your "go to" establishment as well. read more
Still one of our favorite spots. They've got an updated menu this year, but the food and service remain top notch! The patio space is very inviting. We've even brought our dog along for a piece of sashimi or two. If you're looking for a great spot for dinner with friends or if you want to eat sushi outside, you can't beat Maru! read more
and in for a late lunch, sat at the sushi bar. staff was super friendly. the ambiance is pretty open. i ordered the tonkatsu ramen and a soft shell crab roll. a lot of jasmine tea. they use loose leaf! the tea was a nice surprise. came out in a full pot. better than any boba tea you can have. the ramen was flavorful, lots of pork slices. ramen was cooked yay right. the soft shell crab was deep fried perfectly, crunchy. the roll was good, lots of flavoring and textures going on. happy to have tried and would consider going back when in the area. read more
2 years ago
Just a quick update! We've been coming here once a week for almost two years now, and every-time we are blown away by the staff and the food. I won't go anywhere else for my sushi anymore! Andy, Winnie and their staff are some of our favorite people! read more
I had the chance to try Maru over the long weekend and WOW! I am so grateful to have a wonderful sushi spot back in Village Gate. They are currently offering 10% off your first order and have a SUPER easy online ordering and takeout process. Ready in 15 minutes, and I was grateful to be able to order while I was running errands then just swing in. We went with a few maki rolls, gyoza, and four delish sushi pieces. The interior is more or less the same as Cali Rollin', and the staff here is absolutely wonderful and sweet. Post-Coronatimes, it looks like you'll still be able to watch the sushi being made at the bar, which is nice. I was super delighted when the hostess let me know they threw in some crab and seaweed salad to try - and I was on my way. Gyoza: delish! Only 4 pieces for like $6 seemed like a stretch to me, and I likely won't order these again, but they were really good if you're in the area and get a craving. Salads: these are both SO good. The spicy crab salad is what they use in their spicy crab roll, and has a really nice kick to it. Super fresh and refreshing on a hot day. Sesame is heavy on the seaweed salad. If you're debating between the two, crab beats seaweed in my opinion! Sweet potato tempura roll: YESSSSSS order this. I would order two of these rolls in the future as this roll was such a lovely mix of sweet, crunchy, and savory. Dip in soy sauce, add a little wasabi, tastebuds rejoice. Spicy salmon roll: Almost exactly the same as what you would get at Shema! Super fresh tasting, no arguments here. Tuna cucumber roll: this did not light me up like the others. Had an odd chemical taste to it (don't know how else to explain) and likely would not order again, but this could just be a one off problem. Sushi: Both salmon and white tuna were excellent. ~$5 for two pieces and they do not skimp on the fish. For the price, convenience of location, amazing staff, and delicious eats - this will be my new sushi go-to! read more
2 years ago
Where do I even start? My parents and I have become regulars at Maru over the last several years, close to the time they first opened their doors. We're a big sushi family, and have tried most sushi spots in the city. At this point, we don't bother to go anywhere else besides Maru. Almost every single Friday, that's where we are because no other restaurant is doing it as well as they are. First, the food: I'll put it bluntly, no other sushi restaurant in Rochester compares. Obviously in a sushi restaurant, the freshness of the ingredients is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. The quality of the ingredients here is top-notch ALWAYS, and the flavor takes it to the next level. Our favorites are the yellowtail sashimi (a MUST), the calamari salad, the kani salad, and the mix-up roll- but you could seriously order anything on the menu and you won't be disappointed. Second, The Vibe™: The vibes are immaculate. I cannot emphasize enough how much the owners care about their customers. They are always there, either out on the floor chatting with customers or serving or behind the counter actively making the food. The staff is attentive and fun. Food comes out fast, the music is never too loud, and everything is always clean and tidy. In conclusion, it's insane that Maru isn't packed to the gills at all times. If you're a sushi person, you need to try this spot and thank me later. read more
6 years ago
This sushi spot is a hidden gem and over looked unfortunately. Located in the old California rollin people know is closed and opening right before covid, such a horrible time for such an amazing spot !! Everyone must stop by and try this new spot. The staff is super nice, service quick and attentive. There is a private fee to the atmosphere. But the best part is the sushi!! I tried three rolls the tnt, Maru Maru and the mixup and Mixup was my Favorite!! I'll be back soon to try the rest of the rolls. read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Maru has been great every time I've come, one of my favorite spots. Great veggie options. It's a clean, quiet, and nice place, with friendly and attentive staff. I recommend read more
3 years ago
I personally didn't like ramen until I went to this restaurant! The food is delicious and flavorfull!! The chef also does an amazing job with the sushi and presentation. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable about the menue and ingredients. The environment is relaxing and elegant. read more
My fiancée and I are working on trying every sushi restaurant between Rochester and Syracuse and this has been one of my favorites so far! Despite having a pretty minimal sushi menu, everything was absolutely delicious and of superb quality. We started out with a pot of tea, miso soup, and pork gyoza. The tea was steeped perfectly and the miso soup was the best I've had so far. It's flavor was strong and the load of fresh green onions added a really enjoyable touch. The gyoza were great as well. The pork inside tasted fresh and the shell was nice and crispy. For our entree, we split The Village Bridge which came with white and regular tuna, salmon, and (I believe) red snapper sashimi and then the same fish came as the nigiri. The chef also selected a smoked salmon and cream cheese roll, as well as the coral reef specialty roll. Every piece of sashimi was absolutely bursting with flavor and the quality of the fish was excellent and fresh. The same goes for the nigiri. I'm not a fan of cream cheese in my rolls but I forgot to mention that to the server so it's totally my fault that I wasn't a huge fan of the smoked salmon roll. To be fair, I could taste the smoked salmon in it and it was great. Finally we finished with our coral reef roll. The spicy tuna was nice and soft with actual spice to it along with the flavor, the salmon added a nice little chew texture to balance the tuna and then the crunch continued to add to the textural complexity of the roll. The menu here may be small, the food may seem a bit simple at first, but the flavors are outstanding. This restaurant doesn't need to hide behind complicated stuffed rolls because their sushi fundamentals speak loudly. Their quality fish and ingredients stand out and are what make this a culinary experience. read more
3 years ago
The sushi was very good! We started off with 2 appetizers, Fried Shumai and Edamame both good. We ordered a few signature rolls, the Mix up (highly recommend) the coral reef ( I love spicy! This was a little too spicy but still good), The Blue dragon ( very good .. Sliced avocado on top, Yum!), and sweet potato tempura.. how can you go wrong with Fried Sweet Potato! I can't wait to go back.. read more
We wanted to try a new sushi spot on a Friday night and so to Maru sushi we went. The space is large with a big sushi bar, lots of booths and tables, and a separate wine bar on the opposite side of the sushi bar. Lots of available tables for walk ins on a Friday night. The service was quick and friendly! For apps we ordered the fried shumai and the sweet potato kani salad. Both were great! I loved the crunchy texture of the shumai and the sweet salty flavor profile once you dip it into the dipping sauce. It's a generically palatable dish that I think anyone would like. If you are expecting a large shumai with distinct shrimp and pork fillings however, I would skip this dish. The inside is pretty hallow and I couldn't quite distinguish what the filling was. The kani salad was delightful. I loved how much crab was in the shredded salad. The dish had a great balance of spice and freshness. I loved all the texture as well. The kani salad was our favorite dish of the meal. For sushi we ordered the yellow tail and red snapper sashimi. For rolls we got the blue dragon and the coral reef. The yellow tail sashimi was good and fresh tasting. The texture was pretty soft and buttery. The red snapper had a totally different texture. It was fresh tasting but the fish was very firm. If you're looking for a buttery feel in your sashimi I would not recommend the snapper. We have never tried red snapper before so maybe that's just how it is. The signature rolls were a bit of a let down for us. The blue dragon contains eels with cucumber topped with eel sauce. There wasn't much eel in the roll we got and the sauce over powered everything so we can only taste the sweetness of the sauce. The coral reef roll was better but it wasn't anything that is too out of the ordinary. I liked that there was ample amounts of spicy tuna which gave it a good kick. I also like the crunchy texture of the tempura crunch. I definitely liked the coral reef roll better. Overall Maru is a good casual spot. We both agreed that the apps are better and more interesting than the actual sushi. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
This place makes the best sushi I've ever had! The dragon rolls are the thing dreams are made of. read more
6 years ago
I am not a big sushi person and even I like the sushi here! I got the sweet potato tempura and a cucumber avocado roll. The sweet potato tempura was to DIE for. I don't like seafood, so that was definitely the best vegetarian sushi I've had!! The cucumber avocado was good too, especially with a little of their spicy creamy sauce. My boyfriend got the Maru Maru and Dragon rolls. He loves eel and he really enjoyed both of these. He said that Maru is definitely an upgrade from California Rollin. We also got the seaweed salad and gyoza--both were great! We will definitely be getting sushi from here again! I should also add that you can place your order online and even schedule later pick up times. I placed my order while I was working and I was able to pick it up right after I got out of work. It was ready on time and a very fast pickup process! read more
6 years ago
Maru is my favorite sushi spot in Rochester. As a matter of fact, I'm writing this review while making a second delivery order from Maru this week. My go-to roll is Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese. Basic, I know, but it is very creamy and a perfect fire-extinguisher for any hot and spicy roll you decide to get from the list of signature rolls. The staff is very pleasant and willing to give suggestions. One not so pleasurable thing about this place is that every single time I got to dine there, I had to wait for almost an hour to get my order, so if you opt for eating sushi at the restaurant, I would suggest visiting it with a great company. :) So far, I've tried Maru Maru, Blue Dragon and Coral Reef from the list of signature rolls, and every single one of them made me really excited about the next meal from this place. The wait was always worth it! read more
3 years ago
6 years ago
I was so excited to try Maru!! I legitimately mourned the loss of California Rollin' and was so excited that another sushi restaurant would be filling the space!! So, because of COVID-19, I ordered using DoorDash on a Sunday night. DoorDash said the delivery would take around 55-65 minutes, so I was shocked when 30 minutes later I got a text saying my driver was approaching with my food! WOO! Food was packaged well, no issues with anything sliding or moving during transit or anything like that. So, I ordered a Blue Dragon Roll and a Firecracker Roll. The Firecracker Roll was absolutely great - the tempura was nice and crispy and the crunchy spicy tuna had a great kick to it. I would definitely order this again!! The Blue Dragon Roll was a bit... odd. The roll came with about 9 pieces and 6 of those were great, tasted fresh and well balanced. Then 3 of them had a really strong taste of cigarettes - not food smoke, but specifically cigarettes. I'm chocking it up to them being new and it being a weird time, and it wouldn't be anything that stopped me from ordering from them again, but it was a bit odd! Overall - good food, got to me very quickly, and I can't wait to try them out once we can all eat together in person again! read more
Me and the babes decided to check out a hot new sushi restaurant in the village gate last night called Maru. It's located where California rollin used to be and right across the atrium from Serena's. Anyhoo on to the food! I was going to go for the tuna tartare app with wonton chips but I couldn't pass on my main betch - spicy salmon roll, which was delicious and satisfying. However the star of the night was a roll named coral reef which basically combines two of my fave rolls together which is awesome! Spicy tuna wrapped with salmon/avo and then rolled with crunch = yum yum yum!!! Everything tasted super fresh and really satisfies my sushi craving for the time being. Was too full to try anything else but next time I would like to try their ramen with bone broths that they simmer for 10 hours. The babes had some ramen and rice and avocado and he was pretty happy after a long day out and about in snowy Rochester weather. I'd say this was a successful outing and we had a great time! read more
4 years ago
Delicious ramen and sushi. Fast service and kind staff. We've been here a few times now. It's a great place for dinner before a show at the Rochester auditorium across the street. We'll definitely be back. read more
3 years ago
6 years ago
I tried Maru for the first time and it was an excellent experience! Their location in Village Gate is perfect and they have several tables outdoors, as well as a decently sized indoor restaurant. The menu includes basic rolls, sashimi, signature rolls, ramen, and appetizers. All the of signature rolls sounded AMAZING and it was difficult to choose! I ended up going with the Firecracker roll and the basic spicy tuna roll. Both were excellent and tasted very fresh. They do not have their liquor license yet, but did offer sodas. I took one star off because they had one server working and the service was quite slow (it took approx. 45 minutes to get food for 4 people). But I understand the current circumstances. Overall, I definitely recommend trying Maru for excellent, fresh sushi in a great location! read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
Maru by far has the best Sushi and Ramen in the Rochester area! Not only is the food so fresh and delicious, but the service is phenomenal too. The owner/ head chef remembered my buddy and I after only being their one time prior. He greeted us right as we sat down. Highly recommend trying the Village bridge as well since the chef will only give you the best! read more
This was my first experience at Maru & I have 0 complaints. The sushi was fresh and delicious and you can order a bunch of food without your pockets feeling guilty. The service was great and everytime we had an empty glass or plate they were present. This is 100% a place I will go back to. There was outdoor and indoor seating -- it's in the old California Rollin building -- but I love sitting outside in the summer. It was great! read more
5 years ago
6 years ago
We ordered Shoyu chicken ramen here. I don't know what kind of animal this "chicken" came from but i would not trust this place. We had to throw it out, it turned our stomachs thinking of what this could be made from. I feel bad leaving a poor review for a brand new place during the coronavirus crisis but selling food with either VERY old spoiled chicken; or worse; selling food made of non-standard animals and calling it chicken is unacceptable. The place looked lovely inside and they did refund the order immediately, so added a Second star ... but we won't be back. read more
3 years ago
6 years ago
3 years ago
Seem like good people and a nice place. I got the spicy miso ramen and it didn't have any spice in it at all. The broth tasted weird and the pork seemed like it came out of a microwave. The noodles weren't that good and overall just not good ramen in my opinion, especially for $18. read more
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More info about Maru Izakaya
274 Goodman St N
Rochester, NY 14607
Neighborhood of the Arts
Directions
(585) 685-8108
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http://maru-izakaya.com
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Ask the Community - Maru Izakaya
Does Maru Izakaya offer guests the option to order one dish at a time, savor it, and then make a decision on their subsequent order?
Yes, they are VERY accommodating!
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3 reviews that are not currently recommended
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6 years ago
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