My boyfriend booked a reservation at Matsu to surprise me for my birthday dinner, and on the drive there he let me know where we were going and I was really excited to finally try it out! They had many articles and accolades in the past that lifted my expectations, and of course, the price tag definitely set a certain standard even before going in. - PARKING - Street parking only - we got there about 10 minutes before our reservation at 5:30pm, and found a spot on the same street. - SERVICE - It was a little hard to find, but after referring to a photo of the building someone took, we found the entrance. When you walk in, its very dimly lit, so the change in lighting is very drastic. The front desk is at the back of the restaurant, but someone came forward to greet us. I noticed this kept happening to parties that came later on - they were unsure whether to wait at the front or to walk through the restaurant to the back. We let them know we had a reservation and were seated right after as there weren't many people dining yet. The host was very eloquent in his wording and how he presented himself. The silverware is constantly taken away for a new set at each course, and I jokingly asked who the dishwasher was because they must be very busy! Every course is delivered at the same time as your fellow tablemates - even the bartender comes by to help serve/wait the tables here and there. Everyone was attentive and very professional. - FOOD - 10-Course Meal ($165): I believe they have raised the price since our meal to $170/175. Quite a hefty price tag and there was a similar restaurant with a tasting menu at around the same price, so my expectations were on par with that previous experience. Unfortunately, it did not live up to the same expectations. The food flavor combinations didn't work for me personally - sometimes one ingredient was overpowering, and sometimes the mixture of the ingredients didn't mesh well. The quality was there for all the dishes, but nothing really wow'ed me until the end. The dessert during our dinner was a miso ice cream with caramelized white chocolate, and it was delicious. The flavors mixed so well, and gave the wow factor that I was looking for the other 9 courses. - OVERALL - I'm happy I got to try Matsu at least once, but I don't think I would spend the amount we did and also drive as far as we did for what we got. The restaurant I paid a similar price for was a much better experience for me, but it could be personal taste/preference. read more

I hate leaving bad reviews, but I feel others should be made aware. Overall our experience dining at Matsu was a disappointing one to say the least. The food was pricey for us to mainly throw it away. The majority of the courses were raw/undercooked. In my two years of living in SoCal, Ive never had a worse dining experience. Staff has a big head on their shoulders but nothing to show for it. I am all for creative and innovative dishes, but the chef misses the mark here. The restaurant is cold and uninviting and the food leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Hard pass. And in response to your note below, nothing hateful...just the truth. Sorry if you are unable to handle criticism and use it as a learning experience. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors. read more

I can see this place is trying really hard to be hipster fancy. The servers are all wearing casual clothes and the lights are dim and the utensils and plates are all fancy. I liked the environment although it was a bit cold. That's my own fault though...should have brought a jacket. The food was just ok. I was also charged $5 for a tea bag so that made me feel kinda bitter. We did the 4 course meal. They weren't really memorable. The wagyu beef had some sort of flavoring on it that took away from the richness of the beef. I've definitely had better wagyu. I did enjoy the matcha dessert. It was interesting, with the pine. Otherwise, can't really tell you about the rest of the dishes. Like I said, not very memorable. read more

See all

1. Scallop with miso: Nice flavor with clean fresh taste of the scallop 2. Cabbage dashi with caviar: surprisingly slightly spicy. Dashi has a light flavor while the caviar added on a needier saltiness to the dish. 3. Squid with sunflower: squid was tender and not chewy. Good flavor. Didn't like the texture of the sunflower. 4. Tempura ebi with dynamite sauce: nice juicy shrimp well fried in tempura batter. Sauce was a bit too salty 5. Gindara with curry potato mochi: The fish was bland and had too many bones to swallow. This sauce again was to salty and hard to balance with the fish. 6. Uni with shiitake and mustard seeds chip: mushroom was too sweet for the lighter taste of the uni 7. Pork with rose: pork is sweet/salty with just enough fat. The rose is supposed to be bitter to offset the sweetness of the pork. You do get a bit of that as an aftertaste 8. Duck with teriyaki sauce: duck was tender but the sauce was really salty. Pear went well with the duck. 9. Wagyu supplement with sukiyaki sauce. Meat was somewhat tough for a Wagyu and sauce was too sweet. 10. Mochi waffle witty yuzu sorbet: Like the cheapness of the waffle with the sweet tanginess of the sorbet. 11. Tangerine dessert: didn't like this. The sesame have the dessert a smokiness that didn't go well with the citrus. The sorbet had a artificial taste to it. Remind me of tang. Service: very good. Were able to accommodate our quicker eating time which we greatly appreciated. Overall, food started off strong but in the end, most dishes were overpowered by the sauces. Would've been nice to get a menu at the end. read more

See all

One of the absolute best dining experiences I've had in a long time, wow. We had the 10 course vegan menu...don't scroll past, hear me out--phenomenal. Seriously. I'm not a hardcore vegan, but I'd say I eat that way about 80% of the time. My bf is a full-on meat person and decided to also try the vegan menu; what Matsu does is so magical he said he could convert to veganism easily if it always tasted like this, and that was just the first course. It just got better as the night went on. The service is top tier (our server, Coltrane, was so warm and attentive and knowledgeable) the atmosphere and decor have the perfect vibe, and the food?? Sheesh! I woke up this morning and it was the first thing I thought about. Matsu is for sure our new go-to spot, bravo. Thank you for an incredible experience. read more

Eat here. Not so much a meal as it is an experience. We did the 8 course vegan and it was super tasty with subtle flavors. Tempura carrot with dynamite sauce was probably my favorite. The sunflower chili was very unique, packed with flavor and was our spiciest. The cabbage hand roll was the only course that missed for me, it was a bit weird, all cabbage. The sweet potato wrapped up the savory and was the little "extra" food I need to fill up. Dessert was a waffle with mochi ice cream and a subtlety sweet syrup. Service was fantastic. It's 8 courses and they keep the quality service going the whole meal. Awesome. read more

See all

Well....the things that are important to us, missed the mark by a long shot - which is why we are giving it 2 stars. We saw a lot of marketing for this restaurant and we're so excited for a Japanese fine dining experience to come to Oceanside. Often we have to drive to LA or Orange County to be able to enjoy really good Japanese food. We had very high hopes but we're extremely let down with the food. I've bullet pointed the positives and negatives below. Positives: -Presentation was beautiful -Service was excellent -Drinks we're good Negatives: -Very pricey for what you get. Prices we expect from a Michelin star restaurant - which we leave in awe of the food. Instead we paid the same for food that was just underwhelming. We felt terrible about spending so much money this food... -Most food was below 5 out of 10 on taste. We tried the scallop, Uni, pork belly & all were pretty flavorless. Uni and pork belly are things to me that you don't need to do much too. They are just so rich, but this chef somehow made it taste like nothing. We also got the A5 Wagyu (for extra) and each bite took a full minute to chew. It was the worst wagyu we have ever had. -The decor inside was not something you'd expect from a fine dining experience. It still reminded me of the flying pig personally. I hope the chef makes adjustments because we'd love for this restaurant to be a success. Maybe he needs to spend a few years in Japan learning from the chefs there. read more

See all

Matsu is modern, Japanese kaiseki-inspired haute cuisine. The big issues here are that the portions are too small, high-end ingredients are scarce, and the prices are very high for the 8-course omakase-style dining option. Oceanside, to my knowledge, does not have any restaurant establishment at this level besides Matsu nor has it had one in the past. That means that Matsu is the first restaurant in the city's history to have serious Michelin star aspirations. With that, though, comes serious expectations. When considering the prices charged, $140 per person for 8 courses (or $75 per person for 4 courses), I'm comparing this to other restaurants I've dined at similar price points. Matsu fails in two major areas. First, the ambiance is not up to par for such an establishment. The Flying Pig interior (now moved to Mission Ave) is still discernable and has simply been given a very dull gray treatment. It could really use some upscale partitions and decor to compete with places like Jeune et Jolie (Carlsbad, Michelin 1-star) or n/naka (Los Angeles, Michelin 2-star). Second, the way they do courses is a bit too stingy. For example, if you do 4-courses for $75/person, you get roughly the same amount of food if you 8-course for $140/person. You pay almost double, but you get to sample more, but you don't get more food. I'm not a big fan of that template. In addition, if you splurge for the 8-course option, you still do not get wagyu or caviar. At other restaurants that do kaiseki, if you pay for the top tier option, you get the top tier dishes. Having discussed the pricing and portions, it's on the dishes. The presentation is excellent. Each dish was presented like a work of art. The portions are too small, though, in my opinion, and a couple of dishes did not work. The beginning dish with uni and nasturtium pedals was a bit bland and after course #1, we had exhausted the entire evening's delicacy-level ingredients. The box crab with shaved carrot/carrot dashi/carrot leaves was beautiful but difficult to eat. The long, shaved carrot pieces could not be combined with the box crab without falling off the fork. The mushroom and custard dish was served too hot and burned the mouth. After a few bites, the bowl was half-filled with oil and wasn't particularly appetizing. One piece of the mushroom was also nearly inedible (it had to be chewed over and over and was too fibrous). The smoked artichoke heart with the "chicken gel" didn't look too appetizing but it did taste pretty good though, again, quite stingy for one of the courses in my opinion. The real highlights were the duck, finally, a full-sized course and it was prepared perfectly. (Though, it is hard to cut duck with a knife on a curved bowl versus a flat plate.) The cuttlefish pate with spicy sunflower heart was probably the most unique dish they offered and I thought it really worked well. The dessert was spectacular as well with lovely flavors and textures at play: sake lees ice cream with persimmon compote and salted, chocolate pie crust crumbles (?). Service was excellent, enthusiastic water pours was appreciated, and the cocktails were good albeit a bit too icy/watery and not enough kick. Overall, I think Matsu is in the beta-testing phase right now and will hopefully work out some of its kinks over time. If you want to book Matsu now, I would suggest doing the 4-course menu. read more

See all

The food is really good and the service is on point. It is perfect spot to take a date or catch up with friends. read more

See all

I am extremely happy to find another amazing fine dining restaurant in Oceanside. Matsu has great tasting menu selections, drinks and ambience. I am already making recommendations to friends and colleagues to try it. Yes it's a bit in the pricey range but well worth it. I anticipate that this will be the next restaurant in O'side either to receive a Michelin star or recommendation in the near future. In addition to the spectacular food, try a variation of a classic drink made in the style of one of their mixologists, you will not be disappointed! read more

See all

Extremely disappointing given the cost of the 10 course omakase dinner (which you have to pay up front). I understand placing a deposit for an experience like this but paying up front was something that already had me hesitant but it wasn't a big deal. From what I read, they might be chasing a Michelin star but they have quite a ways to go to even consider it in my opinion. Parking - they really need have a valet service or at least a dedicated parking lot. It's just street parking and for the price of dinner/a meal, you would think this in itself would also be provided. Service - when you walk in, you don't really know where to go or what to do. There isn't a host/hostess and it seems like the nearest person to the door helps you out? I believe our waiters name was Andrew but could barely even hear him since he was soft spoken and to ask him to repeat himself a few times. When the courses are being brought out, there's an individual server/waiter that delivers each course, so if there's a party of 4, there are 4 different people delivering the course. Then, it seems like a random person tells you what the course is (it was never the same person). Ambiance - Eh. It's dark inside which means once the front door opens, your eyes immediately turn towards the door since it's a tunnel of light that enters the restaurant. They're going for that Japanese aesthetic which I think they do meet when it comes to the tables themselves but the surrounding decorations are very underwhelming. Food/drinks - By far the most disappointing unfortunately. I ordered a Kaiso and 3/4 of the drink is filled with foam and it takes seemingly forever to get to the liquid itself but it is fairly nice. Overall, the flavors of the courses are overpowering and it didn't pair well with the other ingredients. I wish I wrote the names of the dishes down but one of them had a crepe/pancake like texture which did not contrast well with the filling. The scallops had this bold/strong egg(?) sauce that missed the mark completely. They served a fish with like 3 small rice-like items that were so heavy, I have no clue why they served it with fish. The yuzu in one of the desserts was extremely strong that sat on a waffle and the mochi(?) had more of a rice cake texture. read more

FOODIE HERE: Here's the thing. The food was pretty good but for the price paid, I would expect it to be much better. You shouldn't have to send back food because it's cold. Also we waited about 30 minutes between course 1 and 2 and 20 minutes between course 2 and 3. I wouldn't spend your money here. There are many other great places around for 1/3 the price. The wait staff was great. Whoever the floor manager was (or at least I think he was) seemed very frazzled. read more

AMAZING! One of the best dinning experiences of my life. Chef Eick is the best! Every resturant he has worked in/owned he has killed it! Totally in love with the vibe of the resturant and the food was great. Also the cocktails were delicious :) I took my best friend for her birthday and we had a blast! It felt like a speakeasy going in. The staff was super informative and we got fancy knives for our food. read more

Matsu - Japanese Near Me - Oceanside, California

This place was awesome! The service was excellent. The courses were well spaced allowing us to enjoy them, and have nice conversations in between. The tempura shrimp blew me away. All 10 courses including the A-5 wagyu were perfectly balanced and delicious. My wife is generally not a fan of shellfish or exotic foods. But she ate every bite of the shrimp, scallops, hamachi, caviar and snail! The two course dessert was to die for. This place is worth every penny. It's not dinner. It's an experience. read more

See all

This is a long one because I'm pretty bummed about the whole experience. Finally went for the Tsuki Night. We ordered four dishes, the pork belly Kaling, potato salad, hamachi sashimi and kabocha mochi noodles. Instead we received the ago-don, kakiage tempura, hamachi sashimi and kobacha noodles. It was hard to determine what each meal was so we started eating it and figured it out after, we told the waitress and kept it, but after the second mistake it was pretty annoying. Then the pork belly ended up being sold out, but we probably would of received it, if our ordered had been placed the first time... In short, we didn't receive 2 dishes we wanted to try and ended up paying for 2 dishes we didn't want. The waitress was unapologetic and inattentive. There was another waiter that was super attentive to his tables and we think we would of had a better dining experience with him. The food was pretty good, but I do have to say that getting what I didn't order probably didn't allow to enjoy it as much. For example, I am not a big fan of tempura. The hamachi was great, the anago don was yummy, but wasn't a big fan of the mochi noodles but that's okay! It was fun to try! And im Glad we did! We left wanting the pork belly and potatoe salad :( The drinks were absolutely great, we had 4 total and would of had more if I waitress would of came around LOL. If we return, we would likely sit at the bar. I was hoping for a more fine dining experience and didn't get it unfortunately, so it was extremely disappointing since we were looking forward to it so much. We often set up our friends night dinners, last one was Valle, so we wanted to try this place before we committed to the 10-course menu and we were disappointed. Again, if we return, we are sitting at the bar. read more

See all

A for creativity/ambiance, F for dietary accommodations, C for price to quality ratio. I actually liked a lot about Matsu and there is plenty of potential! For $180 per person for omakase, the price to quality ratio and attention to detail was not there. The non-vegetarian omakase is a lot of veggies for the price tag as opposed to say high quality fish at other omakase places at a comparable price range. I get you're paying for quality ingredients, the chef's experience, etc. but it doesn't quite add up for me. I was between 3-4 stars and what pushed it over was that they knew we had dairy intolerance but clearly some dairy slipped in and 2 people in our party reacted badly. They did try to accommodate us and I believe they did for most dishes, but I was having a bad time in their Very Beautiful Bathroom before dessert and the other person reacted shortly after leaving Matsu. Luckily, we're fine but if it were a true allergy, that smells like a negligence law suit in the making. First fish dish started strong, drinks were fire and their sauce game is good. The one (1) piece of prawn tempura was tasty, but soggy since it was served in the sauce. Squash dish was very hard and felt like carving a pumpkin with a butter knife. Similarly the duck was delicious but hard to cut--though maybe that's more because the knives were dull. The squid burrito-type dish was creative but a lil off. The squid wrapper was way too big and there was too much dried sunflower leaf powder on the outside that was bitter and coated my mouth in an un-ideal manner. The chef was also Quite Serious and perhaps would benefit from being more personable, but to each their own and I'm sure he's occupied with doing his main job well. I LOVE and respect the creativity and concept of this restaurant and I'm hopeful that they will improve their technique! (Sorry, I don't mean to be harsh--my intent is to be 100% respectful and 100% honest. But I apologize if it comes off as critical.) read more

What originally launched as a pop-up restaurant has now opened as Oceanside's first fine dining restaurant. I had the pleasure of attending opening night and was impressed. This contemporary Japanese restaurant was exceptional. Make you reservations now, as this restaurant will soon be on a several months' waiting list. The tasting menu, with a la carte options, was divine. The presentation, the flavors, the integration and combination of ingredients, and quality of food was outstanding! There's a nice selection of sake, wine, and interesting cocktails. The most exceptional item on the menu was their A5 Japanese Wagyu, with a BMS rating of 12! Yes, that's right, 12! What that translates to is the absolute highest rated, most exquisite and rare beef in the world. This dish was the most phenomenal piece of meat butter I've had the pleasure of eating. My second favorite was the pork belly. The fried curry leaves, tart cherries, and parsnips paired exceptionally well with pork belly and made for an indulgence of blissful flavor in every bite. Additionally, the service was perhaps the best I've experienced in the San Diego metro. Every employee we interacted with was exceptional. Our server, Joe, did a impressive job of describing the menu and was impeccable throughout the evening. Chef William Eick and the entire team at Matsu did a phenomenal job. Michelin will soon be knocking at Matsu's door for well deserved recognition! read more

See all

Beautifully presented ten course was delicious the service was great. Little dark inside but he table was lit enough to enjoy the color of carefully presented dish. read more

See all

Those who know me know that I am a big fan of Chef's style, knowledge and execution of true uncompromised Japanese flavors and exquisitely beautiful plates. I've been to Matsu several times and with each return it has suprise me with how expansive the growth of the restaurant is with each visit. The beverage program is ever evolving with the seasons as is the menu. This trip I sat at the bar and had some small plates from the bar menu. The beef tartare is outstanding. The buttery A5,the texture of the Brussels paired with a sort of Szechuan spicy, creamy & sweet sauce is spot on, so spot on. The ebi, a take on the dynamite shrimp of days past is perfect and will make you forget that the fimiliariry that comes from that sake bomb sushi spot has turned into a dish that is purely Matsu's. Speak with Echo for any beverage and wine pairings to accompany your meal and I'll see you back in the restaurant for another 10 course next time. read more

See all

We had an amazing dining experience at the Matsu chef counter. The food was creative, fun and well thought out. They have an incentive wine , sake and spirit selection . Let the chef and staff suggest what to pair with the dishes. The entire staff really worked to make our dinner a special night . You could fly and go to Noma in Copenhagen or a Michelin star restaurant in Japan or go to Oceanside and and experience Matsu ! We will be back ! Go ... Manga manga read more

Matsu - Tangerine 4 ways - Japanese Near Me - Oceanside, California

See all

I don't know what took us so long to get here! My husband and I had stopped in for drinks a few times and have eaten at Chef's previous restaurants so it was overdue. We decided to stop in and sit at the bar versus booking the pre-fixe menu. The bartender, Roland, greeted us and welcomed us back in. We haven't sat down for drinks there for probably a year so, remembering our faces was a kind gesture. He walked us through the menu and highlighted plates not to miss (the tempura shrimp, the burger) and unique plates like their signature sunflower. Every plate was both artistic and delicious. He also shared the meaning or inspiration behind the cocktails we tried and paired some unique wines and a sparkling sake with some of the plates. You will spend more than the average dinner out but this is beyond average and a true experience. I never quite understood why they chose to keep the windows closed and essentially blacked out, from the outside it seems odd. But when you spend the evening at Matsu you'll see why...you kind of feel like you've been transported and it works perfectly for the vibe inside! I'm so impressed with what the team at Matsu has created. We'll be back! read more

We went here with another couple and had an amazing experience. The food was absolutely beautiful and so good. So fresh and interested plating. The service was off the charts good. Michellin worthy. The ambiance was fine dining and was really good. To make things better, they had such interesting cocktails. We were so excited to try each others. It was really great. I recommend this place. read more

Everything I had at Matsu was spectacular. From the minimalist decor, customer care, the drinks and especially the food. It's Japanese fine dining done beautifully. I highly recommend getting a reservation or getting on their wait list, they're worth the wait. You can also walk-in and sit at the bar where they have a shorter somewhat different menu than the tasting menu (though there are some overlaps). read more

See all

We reserved the 10 course vegan tasting option (would have liked vegetarian, but that was not an option during booking). The savory dishes were mostly great, with the sunflower and squash being a favorite. The cabbage could have been better, it was very one note and there was now flavor in the filling. Our issue was with the desserts. There were 3 dessert courses and they were all disappointing!! The first was the yuzu sorbet with cherries. The sorbet was good but the cherries were tough and bitter and the chocolate/cocao crumble was chalky and tasted like bitter dirt. The second dessert course was candied persimmons and tangerine with cherry blossom sauce. The candied persimmons were good, but the tangerine was literally a peeled half tangerine on the plate as is with some sauce over it! I cannot believe that was a fine dining dish, to have done nothing with the orange, not even separate the slices. The 3 dessert course seemed like an afterthought. The portions on that were not even bite sized. It was a tiny piece of sponge cake, agar coconut jelly (such a tiny piece, you could barely taste it) and a strawberry cut in half. For an establishment trying to eventually get a Michelin star, there is much lacking. The service, staff and ambience were all great, but sadly we will not be returning as the food. read more

Matsu is a mixed bag that has potential. Modern Japanese small plates. They have cocktails, wine, and beer, with a small sake menu as well. Ambiance is modern and chic and while the previous location of Flying pig looks and feels totally different. High notes: -Yummy and innovative cocktails. -Food favorites were carrot&crab, white fish and duck. -Lead/Female Manager of staff had poise and clear professionalism she saved our night. -Estetic is minimalistic but elegant. I really loved it! Things to improve: -Servers seem to lack understanding when it comes to timing/coursing, in addition to very basic service needs like water?? This was disappointing from beginning to end. -Sake menu is weak. - 8 course omakase menu left alot to be desired. I don't reccomend with its current set up of options ( though this probably changes seasonally??) or due to timing issues. Overall I think it has potential. Highley reccomend for a different experience or for someone who loves modern Japanese. Hope chef William can work out the kinks he is a very creative chef. Go for a great cocktail and a few small plates! read more

See all

I was very excited when I learned that Matsu opened a new restaurant in Oceanside and was trying to be a Michelin star restaurant from SD Eater. + The decor is simple and nice. - Matsu did not meet my expectations. 1. Service is pretentious. First, the waiter came over and explained about the menu just to confuse me and I did not see him again. Many servers walked around with serious faces but our water were not refilled. 2. I am looking for innovation. Some tradition I think should be respected. Serving sake in big wine glasses is not cool. 3. Food was OK, but too expensive for what it was. The menu offers a "fixed price" option at $65. However, unless you like sweet potatoes which I don't, you have to pay extra for something that you can eat. I ordered duck breast and it was chewy. 5. We asked for regular water, I just noticed they charged for 2 still $10 Leaving Matsu, I have more respect for real Michelin star restaurants and start not to trust SD Eater. read more

See all

Loved the Matsu. So cool that Oceanside is getting more great restaurants. FOOD- We did the 4 course tasting menu which was a great experiences I really loved the crab / carrot dish and the Sake Lees dessert. I mean you HAVE to get the dessert! It was so good and tasted like fall. The duck presentation was nice but really hard to cut the duck in a bowl (I struggled). SERVICE- The service was exceptional and we enjoyed our waitress. She spent time explaining the menu to us and was really friendly with good energy. DRINKS- I don't think I would necessarily recommend the cocktails we tried. AMBIANCE- love the minimalist vibe and the pine backstory that plays a role in decor. read more

See all

Really nice gastronomic experience! A fun and refreshing twist on Japanese cuisine. Loved the tempura dish and the cod Great service and sake list read more

We enjoyed a great dinner last night, however, when the Duck was served it was un-edible. The meat was full of tendons and impossible to cut. When we tried to eat a piece, it was not possible to chew or eat. Both plates were sent back to the kitchen and we were surprised that no one asked us if the meat was ok. Then we were surprised to find out that we had not asked for the additional Wago, that no one had mentioned to us and I had to ask them to explain. We had our deserts and paid our bill. No one ever came back over to our table. When I notified the restaurant of the issue later that evening, this was their response: "We are happy you enjoyed a great dinner last night and thank you for your feedback. We greatly appreciate all feedback as we continue to work daily to improve the guest experience. We look forward to you dining with us again to see our continued growth. Respectfully, Matsu Management" read more

Top notch experience, one of the best in San Diego! This will be a Michelin rated restaurant soon. read more

Matsu - 10 courses, each with presentation - Japanese Near Me - Oceanside, California

This was one of the best meals I have ever eaten and I eat out for business all over the world. Chef prepared food that was thoughtful and layered with flavors and textures that will blow your mind. We are blessed to have this gem in Oceanside as it rivals any restaurant in NYC, Chicago or LA. Also, the bartender is also unbelievably talented. Thanks for a wonderful experience chef! As for the couple of reviews that were one star, if fast food or same old, same old you can get everywhere is your vibe, don't eat here. If it's out of your comfort zone just leave that as a review. We don't need to hurt our local businesses. read more

See all

Enjoyed omakase at Matsu for my birthday and if I could give 10 stars I would! Every course was even better than the last and by the time we were finished, we couldn't pick a favorite. Everything was beautifully plated, tasted incredible, and the two courses of dessert were the perfect cherry on top. We were given complimentary sparkling wine and for cocktails we ordered the Hotei and Koi -- both were so refreshing! The Hotei came with a garnish that tasted like a pineapple fruit roll-up and I wish I had an endless supply of it lol. Service was top tier and the ambiance was great. We came on a Thursday night and it wasn't fully packed so it wasn't too loud at all. Highly recommend for date night or a celebratory meal! read more

Wow. High quality ingredients, dishes thoughtfully prepared so that you can savor and enjoy each bite. Each of us at dinner were mmmm'ing at first bite and cleaning our plates. Get ready to spend a pretty penny, but have your taste buds thank you. Portions were appropriate for the 4 course meal which was $65/pp + extra for certain dishes... like the A5 Wagyu (BMS 12, which only 13 chefs in the US are allowed to import such high quality meat!!). Not only did it melt in your mouth, but the texture of the light char and well balanced seasoning kept you wanting more. We left full and more than satisfied. Our server was Blake, he explained each cocktail and dish very well, and even influenced our choices (in a good way)! See my pictures of each course we enjoyed at my table. Highly recommend if you enjoy finer dining, Japanese style. It is not just a sushi restaurant, far from it. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. read more

See all

After a long time of waiting for Matsu to open, it's FINALLY here! Coming in from the outside, it's very much a "hidden gem" type of style. From the outside it's almost easy to miss it, except for the sign that says matsu. It feels almost like a speakeasy type of vibe. The. When you enter, you see beautiful woodwork and decor all throughout the restaurant. The staff is all very professional and courteous, offering fine-dining service while also respecting your space as well as offering an almost casual-family welcome type of feeling. As far as the food goes, it's all incredible. It's not at all like Japanese food Californians/Americans expect, chef Willy uses much more traditional Japanese inspired techniques, ingredients and style. I won't bore with too many details as I tried about 8 different dishes, but this is one thing I'll say, DON'T SLEEP ON THE WAGYU! It literally melts in your mouth with an explosion of delicious beefy flavor. The cocktails are not like anything you've had before, utilizing, like the food, unique ingredients not found at any other restaurant in San Diego. The sake is delicious, I believe the one I had was called "3 woods?" Idk, something with 3 in it. It reminded me of mead without the honey, very clean and delicious. For dessert, I HIGHLY recommend the matcha and pine. That sorbet was like all of the scents/flavors you'd expect in a forest. Insane. So very excited for chef Willy and co. to finally bring this place to light. Kyle, the bartender, makes a mean cocktail; and Mark, while young, has established service unparalleled anywhere near that area. Big kudos to everybody involved! And congrats Oceanside on its first true Fine Dining restaurant! read more

See all

We started our meal at 7:30pm we didn't finish until 11:30. the wagyu course was introduced by the waiter (before we had even tried it) as "chewy" which was a huge red flag. Never, have I ever had "chewy"wagyu. It was so chewy that i (and my husband) had to chew it up and spit in my bowl - a literal choking risk. it was absolutely atrocious. My husband and I did not eat this course. My son ate some of his we left balls of chewed up meat on the side of our plates - embarrassing all around. Upon complaint they refused to take this course off the bill saying "we'd eaten a few bites" - taking off my own only as I had taken one bite. what the hell. Have you ever heard of this in an establishment expecting this kind of $ (The wagyu taster was 55 additional $ p.p)This was a $1000 + experience and way, way below par. When we questioned paying (for this course only - we had already paid $$$ in advance for the rest, they suggested we had drunk two bottles of wine between three and that we were over the legal limit (?) and if we didn't pay for the Wagyu she would call the police. It was a bizarre kind of threat, which I contemplated going through with but we were with my son for his birthday and so didn't. Have you ever heard of such a thing! We had two bottles of wine to pair with our courses, which the waiters kept pouring as the food was never arriving!!!! We have pictures of food which at one point. was an hour between. I was limiting my alcohol as I am taking antibiotics and kept stopping the waiters filling my glass. really that's not the point anyway, we weren't loud or confrontational and we tried to be patient with the extreme delay. We had a cocktail each before the meal. I didn't drink mine as it was too strong. Some of the dishes were wonderful, some were ok, the waiters were kind and apologetic, the manager was bizarrely rude given the wait for food and appalling wagyu. We didn't have any negative interactions with staff at all aside from the manager. The 4 hours is ridiculous- the waiter apologized and said there was a problem in the kitchen. The manager then said that was a normal time. A complete lie given their OWN staff had already admitted to a problem with the kitchen. Do not waste money on the tasting menu and we would not come again. We've eaten all over the world. Valle in Oside by comparison was leaps and bounds above this place in every single way. We all work hard for our $, and you can't bill yourself as michelin deserving and behave in this manner. You served food that was poor quality and poorly done and you should have taken it off of the bill without complaint as any Michelin- esque restaurant would do. You should have apologized for the insane wait and handled this whole thing differently. We won't be back and we will be wholeheartedly not recommending to others. This is a true and factual account of our experience. read more

Matsu is a very special place. Every dish is unique and so good! Matsu will get a Michelin star soon! For for it and get the wagu supplement. read more

See all

We were at the bar with Roland . He introduced me to a Japan white wine . The service was impeccable and the intimate dining room painted in an old money navy was tranquil . I felt like it was NYC but in Oceanside . The attention to detail and small but vey cool staff was perfect. I can't wait to go back. I want more vibe, food and attention to detail , so on point. Enjoy my new favorite place xo Toby read more

This 10 course meal was exquisite, every plate served was delicious. Very comfortable atmosphere and the staff is very welcoming and knowledgeable. Being a food nerd I was very impressed and happy to have had dinner there. read more

See all

Fantastic experience at Matsu! Ordered the 10 course omikase and would recommend that. We did not get the wine pairing but opted for cocktails throughout the meal. At one point the bartender came over and inquired about the sort of cocktails we tended to enjoy which resulted in us ordering two "bartender's choice" cocktails. He nailed them and I would highly recommend going this route if you have even a passing interest in cocktails. Would definitely recommend Matsu! read more

I was so excited to try Matsu. We would have celebrated our 20 year anniversary here but unfortunately, it was not meant to be. The restaurant uses Tock to make reservations which I've used many times. You are required to prepay for your reservations, again, no big deal as I received a gift card for our anniversary that would cover our meal at the Chef's Counter. It went down hill from there. The system would not take my gift card. I know with gift cards when used for restaurants you have to have enough to cover 20% gratuity. My GC had more than enough. I tried to make reservations 6 times and it would not go thru. So I thought I could call and pay over the phone. I sent an email to Matsu but sadly their reply was that they cannot take payment over the phone. We have been to high-end restaurants where we are able to reserve with a credit card but there was no option for that. I am sure the food is AMAZING but for me and my husband we will never know. read more