We came here after looking for a new place this past Friday night. Parking was very limited so you are going to want to keep that in mind if you go. Our food: It was good but there were a few issues. We both ordered shrimp hibachi which comes with a choice of white rice, brown rice, or noodles, and a choice of miso soup or salad. My partner got the miso soup, and I chose the salad. He loved the miso. I can't say how the salad was because I realized after we left that I never received my salad. Our server said it was coming right up when she brought the soup but then showed up with our entrees and told us the sushi had a lot of orders and was running behind. The sushi we ordered was delicious which arrived after the entrees, which for us is fine. My partner chose the noodles, and I chose the brown rice. The shrimp was good. The brown rice was good though I was expecting fried rice (my confusion, not theirs) but there was enough sauce on the vegetables to mix it all together and it tasted great and was probably much healthier. The veggies were great. My partner's noodles were not good. The noodles were hard, some of which seemed not cooked at all. The flavor would have been great if it weren't for that. Atmosphere: The place is clean. It was pretty noisy but that's not unusual, particularly on a Friday night. It was a hot day and the AC was on so it was comfortable. Only complaint is our table rocked quite a bit. My favorite part was the sushi. I liked it better overall than he did. He's a bit more picky than I am, so I might come back, but I don't think he'd ever want to. read more

Love eating at the bar and the chefs are great to talk with while they're making your meal !

Visited Master Chef this evening for a later dinner (7:45pm) for the first time as they just recently opened. I'm an avid sushi and ramen eater, I compare all my sushi and ramen to the food I've had in Honolulu, Hawaii when visiting family out there as it's very authentic and fresh. The closest thing I've had to this quality has been at IYA in the village commons in South Hadley so I was interested to see how Master Chef stacked up. It was a small shop and only has about 5 or 6 tables but they do have a pretty good size sushi bar. It may fill up during dinner or weekend hours but I went after dinner time and it wasn't busy at all. Food quality was very good. Our sushi tasted fresh, flavorful and was presented nice and didn't fall apart. Our Ramen was good as well but I didn't like the noodles as much as I like Iya's. The noodles were a little lighter/softer than Iya's and felt closer to what you might find in a pack of top ramen then you would in a traditionally run noodle shop like they have in Honolulu. Maybe the noodles were a little over cooked or maybe they were a different type but the ramen was still delicious I just prefer Iya's though it was way better than the ramen I had at Arigato in Amherst. Sushi quality and taste was on par with IYA and destroys Ichiban in South Hadley or Tokyo Asian Cuisine in West Springfield. My party of 4 got there around 7:45pm and we sat at a table. We ordered sushi and Ramen and the waiter was very nice and they were very accommodating when one of us wanted to do some substitutions to a sushi combo meal. **Now for the negative stuff: after ordering our food it took 30 minutes for one of my party to get a salad that came with her meal and one basic sushi roll for another in my party. It took another 10 minutes to get the rest of our sushi and ramen. So a 40 minute wait for food when it wasn't busy at all, we were the only party at a table and there were maybe 6 people at the sushi bar. No one acknowledged the fact that we had waited quite some time for food. I also ordered hot & spicy miso ramen and it came out the non-spicy version. I did see the waiter say something to the cook that helped bring the food, maybe he was asking what the deal was but I can't prove if it was an order with the order getting put in or an error making it. The waiter brought out a cup of sriracha and chili oil which is what they use to make the hot & spicy version and I mixed it in myself. Someone in my party also never got the miso soup with at his sushi combo meal was supposed to come with but he was satisfied buy his sushi and didn't complain. I think maybe because they just opened their work flow is not quite mastered yet and I can understand some bumps in the road in the beginning. Their sushi was excellent and ramen was good so I will definitely visit them again but probably with only 2 or 3 people total and sit at the bar as I don't want to gamble on a bigger party at a table this soon Incase it takes long again. IYA has better timing and workflow and slightly better ramen which is why I took 1 star away from master chef. read more

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So glad I checked Yelp to find this place. If you don't put this place in your GPS and don't know your way around, like me, then you're bound to pass this place. The sushi wasn't the best I've ever had, but I imagine if I got a specialty roll instead of a boring spicy tuna roll then I'd be more satisfied. I'm looking forward to trying something new next week! I also got the hot and spicy ramen and ooooooooh my goodness was it delicious. The pork belly that was sliced in there was absolute heaven! I love pork belly and this was some of the best I've ever had! Can't wait to go visit this place a second time before going back home! read more

Master Chef - Hot and spicy ramen...and the pork belly is to die for!!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - South Hadley, Massachusetts

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I was a first time sushi taster when I entered this restaurant tonight. I was feeling brave as my boyfriend raves about the stuff all the time and I never bothered to try it. So I got the salmon/sake sushi and I found it to be amazing! It was very fresh generous cut of fish that had a lot of delicate layers of flavor. I also had the Shoyu Ramen bowl and it too was fantastic Again there were beautiful intricate flavors that made enjoying this meal slowly so extraordinary. Pros: Wide range of menu items (including items not sushi related.) also has kid friendly selection. A seat at the bar gives great viewing access to the knife skills and culinary abilities of the Master Chef. During my time sitting at the bar, I saw the Master Sushi chef pull out jalepanos, cream cheese, soft taco shells, cucumbers and red peppers and create myriad of dishes any of which I would be honored to try. The best soy sauce ever. It enhanced everything it touched. Cons: Very small parking space/lines need to be re-done so maximize use of parking spot. They are busy! If you come between 7:00 and 7:30 on a Friday night wait times can average between 20 minutes to an hour. People line up along the back wall waiting for new spaces to open up or for their take out orders. This latter actions made me nervous as I did not want to spend a long time at the bar eating as I sort of felt watched. My advice: come on a non-peak time i.e. week night/lunch. Sit at the bar; interact with the staff and patrons (Master Chef has a very kind smile) Try not to kick yourself in the pants when you see the Master Chef make a dish for another patron that you will then want to try immediately Remember (you can always come back). Check out their facebook page for their daily specials. http://www.masterchefsouthhadley.com/ Consider placing a phone order as their menu is online. Enjoy! #masterchefsh read more

I was really confused first walking in to the restaurant but I was quickly greeted with our waiter who told us to take a seat. The service was really quick and our waiter was really helpful and I hadn't had suishi in awhile so I was nervous but I was pleasantly surprised. I will be repeating my visit often. The prices were reasonable. Food was delicious! read more

Sushi always fresh, service is timely whether take out or in the restaurant, the spicy meals have well proportioned spice/flavor without overwhelming the taste and lastly, the noodles and Hibachi are a good addition to the menu and offer enough variety to keep you coming back to try more. The ambiance of the restaurant can be described as quaint with a touch on NY hustle n' bustle because of its smallish space. The Lunch Special menu is a bit light, but the part selections are multiple and flexible. Overall, for Sushi and Noodle fans, this is a "must try"! read more

Great food and service. Really loved their veggie sushi trays at the holidays, and their regular sushi is always delicious.

this place! The Spicy Ramen is amazing! The sushi is always fresh and beautifully plated! They are accommodating to help my daughter learn to love sushi! read more

Ordered takeout, the sushi was great. Next time plan on trying the spicy seafood Ramon. My daughter enjoyed her sushi as well.

I decided to try out Master Chef to change it up from my usual Thai Place across the street. I went with my girlfriend and our best friend and we were just WOWED. My girlfriend and I split the roll combo, and the spicy tuna was so delicious! Also our server Yanna was so sweet and friendly and super accommodating!! read more

Amazing food and BYOB! The waitress was friendly and attentive. Started with delicious shrimp tempura and beef gyoza. The tempura batter was so light, which tasted great. Shared specialty rolls Lion King (a kick of spice), Tiger, and Energy (deep fried eel). All were large and tasted fresh. read more

I ordered the Sushi dinner combo, salmon & avocado roll, beef gyoza, beef yaki soba, edamame, & kimchi, to go for my friend to pick up. Everything was pretty good until we got to the sushi. The rice tasted like it had either been under cooked, or refrigerated and hardened. It was inedible. I had to eat the filling and pull apart the seaweed. I called them (while my dinner was cooling) and the woman who took my order seemed apologetic, admitted that she tried the sushi and it was undercooked, and offered a refund. I hate complaining about food, but was upset that half my meal was inedible, and felt an obligation because I would think they'll want to know before sending out more sushi with that horrible rice and potentially lose more customers. Well, I was feeling ok until they called back about the refund. My friend picked up and he heard them say "this is bullshit" when they didn't realize he was already on the line. Really? You're a Sushi place. The least you can do is make sure your sushi rice tastes ok before your shift. I'm understanding about mistakes, it happens. But if you don't care or appreciate someone telling you that you have a major problem with a huge component of your meals that night, that's a bigger, systematic problem. I'm giving 2 stars because they did process the refund. But the fact that they didn't think they did anything wrong speaks volumes. There aren't many good Sushi places around. I hope this place isn't on the decline with their quality control. read more

Great sushi!! Love that it is BYOB. It is a very tiny restaurant, get a reservation if they take them!! We waited a little over an hour on a Friday night which wasn't unbearable because they gave me a wine glasses and let us open our beer. Putting our name in was a little disorganized as I asked them if I should give my name she said no, they just memorize when people come in I suppose. Your best chance at fast seating is in the bar area. Great sushi and if you sit at the bar you get to watch them make it! read more

Definitely fresh, great presentation, and I love the Korean items on the menu. (You just can't find much of that out here). Decor is nice and hip. Might be a tad over-zealous in their sauce and garnish use on their rolls. It looks pretty, but overwhelms flavors. I ordered a rock and roll (which I waited 25 minutes for after I finished my first initial order), he asked me if I liked spicy (I do), was really disappointed because spicy is all I could taste. Generous cuts of fish for sushi and sashimi, but I didn't get the chance to order any. I went on opening night, they were clearly understaffed. Bar was full of empty glasses. People waiting for a table were staring down people sitting at the bar...awkward. I'm the type of sushi fan that will keep ordering to sample new things, but I elected for the check because they were so overrun and slow. I'll try again on a weeknight, hopefully they'll have nailed their service down by then. Service needs to be as good as the food, or I won't recommend. read more

Excellent fish and great decor. The staff was friendly and passionate about the food. I will be returning. read more

Best.pork.belly.tacos.ever. Not a food item you'd expect to get at a Japanese restaurant but they were seriously amazing. The sushi is absolutely beautiful and delicious. The ramen was fantastic as well! The four stars is really only because the place is very small (I think there are only 6 tables and the bar?) and the wait can be long with no where to really hang out while you wait. It's also BYOB so I think that makes people hang out at their tables much longer after they are done eating (gotta finish that whole bottle of wine)! But the food is fantastic, definitely check it out. read more

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My wife and I have to eat Sushi pretty much once a week. We lived in Vegas for 7 yrs then Cali for a bit before moving to Colorado. In Colorado Springs good sushi was a hard to come by. We just recently moved to South Hadley. I can say I really wasn't sure how it was going to be in a little town like SH. I was immediately blown away buy the quality of food. I started with the sushi tacos (AMAZING). I also had the Kim Chi (another win). Finally I had the sushi lunch special. The fish tasted so fresh. I immediately knew this was going to be the place I would frequent while living here. It actually weighed in a little bit on where I wanted to live cause I didn't want to get to far away. Master Chef is a must try no matter if you have never eaten sushi or you are a sushi connoisseur! Love this place and John is as hospitable as they come. read more

Recently, this past Thursday I had the pleasure of having dinner with my brother and his wife at Master Chef. As we walked in we were greeted by a nice waitress who told us it would be a 15 minute wait, this was a bit of a concern considering we had my brothers two year old son with us. The food was absolutely amazing, and everything ordered came out in a timely manner starting with the appetizer followed by sushi and finally the main entree. Our waitress was really understanding , and gave us some good recommendations. I would definitely recommend trying spicy tuna tacos. Overall I would give this restaurant five starts .. the food is good service is great. I would come again read more

Amazing sushi restaurant - quality and price is hard to beat. We loved the veggie tempura- so much and great crispy ness and light breading. Sashimi was fresh, large and well priced. The rolls were fantastic - we got the rainbow and some salmon ones. Staff was great too. Only average decor but loved the busy atmosphere. We will go out of our way to return on our next trip through the area. read more

This is our go to sushi spot in western mass! Always great service and food! Chefs are always on point, the server we usually have at the bar has a super bubbly personality and she's so friendly and polite. 10/10 read more

We had a wonderful meal at Master Chef. My wife and 4 year old son got to sit at the bar and watch the Sushi Chef make sushi in front of us which was entertaining. He cut off a sliver of mango and gave it to our son as we were waiting, and a piece of crab stick. Later on in the evening, the waiter gave my son a marble soda which was well received. They are excellent with kids here. It should be noted that this place does not serve any alcohol. But they do encourage BYOB. There is a liquor store just up the road. The food was excellent with very good portion sizes. We will be returning soon because there were too many good things on their menu. If you go to their website, you can get take out too; it seemed their take out business was very popular. read more

This is a great sushi place for the family and has awesome food for the nonsushi lovers too!! Ingredients are fresh, food is made to order, service is great. Enjoy! read more

I had to wait over 45 minutes for a take out order and they did not start my order until the 45 minute mark. The gentleman who took my order had the audacity to tell me that i came too soon. read more

First visit- great sushi and hibachi. I did take out. Will return - food was awesome.

Been here for sushi twice and both times the afternoon waitress was very personable, attentive, and helpful! Sushi is good and prices are reasonable. read more

One of the best sushi restaurants in the valley. The fish is always fresh and the portions are generous. The specialty rolls are very attractive and delicious. The ambiance is cozy but seating is limited. read more

Ya know, usually much better experience... I've had lots of very good meals but this evening not the same level of detail in prep or savory flavor. But I'll try again, maybe just an off night. read more

My husband and I were driving by and opted to try. We have become quite addicted to sushi over last 6 months. We have sushi once if not twice weekly. I will cut to the chase: very small yet cozy dinning area. We opted to sit at sushi bar. We noted large volume of take out. We arrived as the dinner rush started. Only 1 server, but she was very kind and able to answer all of our questions. 1 primary sushi chef. They do utilize a rice machine. Hand rolls not bad, not perfect, a little unbalanced in chopsticks. They do have a thick rice roll and use a lot of sesame seeds. But very tasty. We were able to see the yellow tail and salmon get sliced fresh. Sauces are a little on sweet side. The hot ramen broth was amazing and the pork belly tacos are MUST try. 4 stars because: we waited 25 min for tacos, 2 other parties that arrived after us were served first. Staff never check in and we felt forgotten, even though we were at counter. We waited another 30 minutes for 2 hand rolls. If you not in a rush and want a local cozy place to get fresh sushi, try Master Chef. They are BYOB but they charge a fee. read more

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Best sushi. If you drive past this place you're nuts... food is spectacular- all of it, not just the sushi.

Service sucked. It took an hour to get a couple of rolls and a ramen noodle. The waitress told me that Saturday's was not a good day to go out and eat at there restaurant. You would think they would staff more people on a busy Saturday night. I also woke up feeling nauseous from the food I ate. So if you don't mind waiting for an hour for your food and don't mind getting sick this is the place for you. read more

I really like this place. We sat at the bar for sushi. It's a casual, yet nice place that was once a home that has been converted to a restaurant. It has a really cozy atmosphere and the staff is very kind and friendly. We went a little after lunch time, and it was quiet. My meal was served hot and it was very tasty! The sushi menu is large and the sushi is very fresh. This will end up being one of our favorite sushi spots in the area. Definitely a place we'll revisit soon! read more

Staff was cordial. Food was ok. Atmosphere was lacking. Won't go back. For sushi I head over to Iya's kitchen, I find that to be far superior. read more

If I want sushi, I go to the Master Chef. That's all you need to know. It's that good. Why go to a mediocre chef when you can go to Master Chef! read more

Sushi was excellent and very fresh. Arrived a little before our order was ready and watched it being prepared. Sushi chefs here were very skilled craftsman. All my rolls looked delicious. I felt like the prices were pretty average for this area, we got 8 rolls and it was about $60. Will go back at some point. read more

This place really seems to be setting themselves up for longevity and success. My guest and I accidentally arrived only ten minutes before the kitchen closed. I was blown away by the kindness and service we received. I was treated just as well as the first customer of the day. The food had great portions for the price and tasted great! The downside --the decor is a little odd the lighting is a little bright the music a little loud and no alcohol :( My only hope is this place adds some rotating specials because I will be back frequently! read more

My fave sushi spot in the western mass area! Love sushi but I learn more towards sashimi. My friends and I come here almost every week for dinner. We love ordering an appetizer and the sashimi combo to share since it's a lot for one person to finish. Tried almost all of their other dishes and they are just as good! We love sitting by the bar to watch the chef prep the sushi plates, but the bar can get pretty packed real quick! read more

Best sushi and sashimi in the area and for a great price. The staff is always consistently friendly and helpful. Service is amazing and the sushi chefs are skilled. read more

We eat Sushi 1-2 times a week. We frequent a couple places in the area, but we were in South Hadley and figured we'd give Master Chef a try. I like to start with the positives. The dining area is clean, the fish was fresh tasting, the server was friendly and food was served quickly. Unfortunately that's just not enough. We got a little bit of everything. A few different rolls, sushi, sashimi, miso soup, udon noodles with shrimp and seaweed salad. First came the miso soup and seaweed salad. It was ok, but not great. Miso was little too salty and chicken brothy. The seaweed salad was a very small portion but tasty, eerily similar to Costco brand. Then came the entrees of sushi and noodles. The sushi rolls are made so poorly. Basic rolls fall apart from poor technique, have way too much rice (like 3x), are absolutely covered sesame seeds and contain very little fish. Some of the rice on the rolls was crunchy, seemingly from being dried out. One roll was ordered as a hand roll, but arrived as maki. The a la cart sushi ordered included uni and salmon. The uni was fantastic. Big portion, fresh with great taste. The salmon was bland and seemed as though it had been sliced hours before serving. Poor flavor, a bit slimy, it even had some skin on the edge. The udon noodles were overdone in the pan and therefore a bit dry. It was a bland dish overall, but the shrimp was done well. Service after the meal became very slow. There was only one server on the floor and she became overwhelmed with 5 tables and running the take out register. We waited more than 20 minutes after finishing our meal for the check to be processed. As others have stated, it is BYOB here, so be sure to grab a bottle of sake on the way over. I give Master Chef in South Hadley 2 stars. 1 of the stars for the uni, the other for not giving us food poisoning (my starting base for any restaurant). We won't be returning patrons, I'd suggest looking elsewhere unless you really like a ton of rice with bland, hyper-Americanized "sushi rolls". read more

Best sushi around! Sit at the bar and watch the chefs at work. Tiger roll is one of my favorites.