**LOCATION** Musashi appears to be a very hole-in-the-wall type of restaurant. If you didn't know it was there, you probably wouldn't realize it was there. Or maybe it was because I'm not familiar with the area and it was dark at night (LOL). We found street parking fairly easily as it was a weekday. **WAIT TIME** We went on a Thursday shortly after 7pm and it was fairly busy. I think it was because most people there were for happy hour (until 7pm). The bar was open so we decided to just sit there instead of waiting for a table. Our waiter offered us hot tea or water and brought them out soon after. Our two Sapporos also came out quickly too. **FOOD** We initially ordered some appetizers and entrees but added on a few extra nigiris toward the end. We were a bit disappointed when the skewers and special spicy tuna roll came out because the portion sizes were small. The cartilage was also a weird texture too imo. However, everything else was pretty good. The salmon and ikura donburi bowl (chef's kiss) was delicious and I wish they had a larger portion of the roe!! Random side note: I really liked their sushi rice for some reason (not too sticky or vinegar-y) and ate the majority of the rice in the donburi bowl hahaha. We ordered the following: -Chicken heart skewer (1 skewer) -Chicken cartilage skewer (1 skewer) -Shishito peppers -Salmon and ikura donburi -Special spicy tuna roll -Hamachi nigiri (2 pieces) -Tobiko nigiri (2 pieces) **SERVICE** It felt like a family-owned restaurant although I'm not sure if it actually is or not. We interacted with mainly two servers and they were both friendly. It did take us awhile to get their attention for our nigiri orders halfway through. It was likely because we were seated in the corner of the bar and not in clear line of vision for them. **AMBIENCE** The restaurant is that of a typical Japanese sushi place... nothing outstanding that stood out to me. The interior is separated in two rooms so it is a more intimate/cozier setting, compared to if it was just one big room. Overall, this place was not bad! I might consider coming back for happy hour if I were in the area but otherwise, may just try another place first. All of the other reviews rate this place pretty highly though so I'd recommend for you to try it yourself! read more

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I ordered Osechi this year and the experience was great. I called in my order, received an order number, confirmed a time for pick-up. I arrived at the agreed upon time and was in line for no more than 10 minutes. Easy! They always do such a lovely job and will continue to order from here until I get up the nerve to make the dishes myself (and even then, I'll probably still order extra sides from Musashi). I also appreciate that I never have to spell out my last name when I order from here :D The food itself was pretty good, and my favorites were the imo kinton, daifukumame, and gobo. There were some components that were under-seasoned, but that may just be me as someone who tends to over-season dishes. However, not a big deal because it's so much tedious work to cook this food. Thank you, Musashi! read more

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Every time we go their food is the best. Yesterday couldn't make up my mind so got the Ribeye Steak dinner. The salad and Miso Shiro were first rate and the Kirin Draft beer was so good. Wife had a sushi roll and Chawanmushi. We'll be back! read more

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Value option in the downtown Berkeley area. Decent selection of fish, and very filling. Their daily specials are a neat touch - certainly check those out. read more

Musashi - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My go-to for sushi catering. Fish tastes great, veg sushi platters are also an option, platters look lovely, easy ordering, catering pickup availability is more extensive than restaurant hours. read more

What a hidden gem at Berkeley! This is by far the best sushi restaurant I've been to thats semi close to the campus. The portion size is great and the pricing is fair. I got the soft shell crab for appetizer and tried their chirashi and soboro. This was one of the best soft shell crabs I've ever had. Their batter is a little thick but the flavor is great! Their chirashi had a large variety of fish. They have two pieces for each fish so it was a fun bowl to share with someone to try all the fish out. The sushi rice underneath was perfectly cooked and seasoned. This was my first time trying mappa and the soboro one was very good and comforting. I love that they include the chawanmushi, which was very very silky smooth and delcious. I think the chirashi was very worth the price. It was $29 for a huge bowl of fish and even after sharing half, I was stuffed afterwards. Definitely would come back again. read more

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This is a nice restaurant. Food is good and the people are very nice. I have come here many times. I would give them 5 star review. However, when I was waiting to be seated tonight, I saw the chef at the front kitchen using the same knife to cut both raw meat and cooked food. This can get someone sick. Hopefully the restaurant owner sees this and make the correction asap. read more

I saw their party platters and had to give them a try! They have quite a few options for different sizes and combinations of sushi to feed various amounts of people. We ordered a large nigiri combo which accurately feeds around 4-5 people depending on how hungry you are. I placed the order over the phone ahead of time, and pickup was quick and easy! The tray was presented beautifully and all the sushi tasted super fresh as well. I can't comment on the in person dining experience, but would definitely recommend trying out a party tray if you're looking to feed a crowd! I'll likely be ordering again :) read more

Musashi - Large nigiri combo - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Already a line at their opening time, 5:30pm, on a Saturday. I got there right as they opened but there was only bar seating left for my friend and I. Small, lively, and comfortable, but maybe since we sat at the bar, we often felt forgotten by the waitresses. - Agedashi Tofu: $6.50: soft, warm, delicious. The fried coating was crispy on top and gooey on the bottom where it touched the sweet brown sauce. Enough to warm two bellies! - Mini Chirashi Bowl: $17: great one-piece selection of a variety of fish, including tuna, salmon, shrimp, squid, yellow tail, roe (on a lemon slice), and more. All the seafood was top quality melt-in-your mouth, and the sushi rice was warm. Perfect portion, but looked smaller and cuter than I expected. The food is definitely on the pricey side, but well worth the quality. Also, I've heard that their weekly special is a steal!! It's two options for $8.75 each, every Tuesday through Friday from 5:30-7pm. Can't wait to check it out! read more

Musashi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great service. Sashimi dinner a price performer. Tempura solid. Robata grilled skewers were good but would have liked a bit more salt (as opposed to me adding soy sauce) Will definitely be returning read more

素晴らしい日本食を見つけました 今は1番お気に入りに登録しています。週一で、食べに行っています。店に入ると日本にいる感じの落ち着く店のインテリアで、従業員の人も、笑顔で、サービスも最高です。夜5:00-7:00までハッピーアワーで、チキン唐揚げと揚げ出し豆腐最高　ドラフトビール大ジョッキー＄５でお得　イカげそフライが、ビールが進みますよ。後驚いたのが、武蔵サラダーの大きい事＄5で、3人前ぐらいある。サラダードレッシングも胡麻ドレッシングでとても美味しく2個注文しました。武蔵サラダ絶対注文するべき！後　焼き鳥が最高です　日本で食べた焼き鳥を思い出します。おすすめ　軟骨　ハツ　鶏皮が最高です。焼き加減　塩加減　食べる時に一味唐辛子を振って食べて下さい。飲んだ後の豚骨ラーメン最高です。是非みんな食べに行くことオススメします。私達はこれからも、通い続けるます。コロナで大変だと思いますが、これからも頑張って欲しいと思います。 read more

We were in Berkeley on a weeknight and decided to go to Musashi for dinner after a business meeting. There was one couple waiting outside at 7:15 p.m. so we put our name on the wait list. They were seated soon after we arrived and had the choice of table or counter seating. They took the table and we were offered the counter. It was a bit awkward at first. The server took our drink order and walked away. A couple of minutes later, he returned with our drinks and left us again. We sat there looking at the walls where the evenings specials were listed. It seemed like a very truncated menu. There were Robata Specials. On another board were some Happy Hour specials (which we missed) and some fish flown in from Tsukiji Fish Market in Japan. As our server walked by again, we stopped him and asked if there was more menu than what was on the walls. Oops! He brought us two plastic encased sheets. We ordered a bunch of food so we could try flavors and variety: Agedashi Tofu - 5 - Served burn-your-mouth HOT! Very good. Kaki Fry - 5 - Medium sized Oysters breaded and fried. Just what we had hoped for. Seafood Robata Sampler - 3 - Decent sized pieces of Salmon and Snapper and three Scallops. While the pieces of fish were large and flavorful, the scallops needed some help. They were on the smaller size, a bit dry and very bland. Tempura and Sashimi Dinner - 3 - For the price, this was a bit of a let down. There was a good mix of Tempura Veg but only two Prawns. The real disappointment was the Sashimi. Three pieces of Maguro, Two pieces of Salmon and Two pieces of Hamachi. My fault for not asking what came with the order. The accompaniments of Rice, Miso Soup, Pickled Vegetables and Salad were all very good. Shiro Maguro, Hamachi and Natto Nigiri - 4 - Good sized pieces served at the correct temperature. The one real suprise was the pre-order appetizer. A small dish of Okara. My wife said that she hadn't seen this in years when her grandmother used to make it at home. Our total with tip and tax was $100.00. We're willing to give Musashi another try. What we had was decent with some minor misses. read more

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Been wanting to try this spot for awhile since it seems highly rated, and there aren't many highly rated sushi spots around here. Was looking for a go-to sushi restaurant. But mehhh I was pretty underwhelmed. We only got the sashimi/nigiri dishes so maybe their other stuff from the kitchen is better? FOOD The fish wasn't very fresh. The hamachi kama was really fishy and all the sashimi lost its firmness. The sashimi cuts were pretty small too and the plate was 70% other stuff like daikon strings and shiso leaves. MOOD It's a quaint little restaurant in Berkeley. It's not the classiest sushi spot, but it's classy for Berkeley UC area standards. 'TUDE Nice staff! Came to check on us and refill our water often. No complaints. They gave me college student vibes. read more

Musashi is a solid sushi place for Japanese food/tapas in Berkeley. --chirashi sushi: average, not the freshest or most delicious but affordable for a chirashi order --salmon & ikura donburi: average, lots of salmon though, affordable for the portion ***--shrimp Ten Don: over rice, it's an interesting dish that I don't see very often on Japanese restaurant menus, it's simple but delicious, the rice underneath is full of shrimp flavor ***--Gindara (cod): DELICIOUS, very good, reasonable pricing ***--chawanmushi: steamed egg dish w/ various toppings, yummy, if you haven't had this dish before I highly recommend --ramen: can skip --shrimp tempura: pretty standard ***must-orders read more

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Good food reasonably priced. I buy their sushi platter often. Service with a smile.

Overview: The ramen was disappointing. Good nigiri. Bad service. I ordered salmon and yellow tail nigiri as well as a bowl of shoyu ramen with chicken. The nigiri was good and the fish was fresh (4/5). It was really the ramen and service that brought it down to one star. Even if the specialty is sushi, if you're charging and putting ramen on the menu, it should be decent. The egg was way over cooked and I didn't even want to eat the chicken (see photo). Broth was alright. Service wasn't great either... no one came to refill my glass until I was done with my meal and I wasn't given a menu until I asked. I live near this place and was so excited to try it out but probably won't be coming again. read more

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We met friends here for dinner on a Friday night and discovered they have a GREAT happy hour menu from 5-7 PM, so you can actually get there and enjoy it on a regular work day. The service was warm and the food satisfying. It's a small place with a mom-and-pop vibe and, after ordering practically everything on the HH menu, we left happy and not feeling broke. Definitely worth a return visit! read more

Came here for dinner on a Saturday night. I ordered the Rock n roll and also an order of California rolls. The rock n roll sauce was much sweeter than any I've tried and it took away from the eel and the rest of the roll. The California roll was fine, nothing that special. The soy sauce that was served was very salty. I dropped almost $30 for the meal and was pretty disappointed with the quality. read more

The place is a perfect dinner spot. The staff is attentive and friendly, and the food came out with reasonable time. The place itself is decorated in a cozy wooden aesthetic. I had the Chirashi and was blown away. All of fish and etc was beautifully presented and tasted fresh and satisfying. We also shared sake that was delicious and gave a fun buzz. Chill spot with excellent bites. read more

I agree with so many Yelp reviews on this one: You can find better sushi, you can find cheaper sushi, but as a local Japanese joint, this place is tops. And this place does so much more than fresh sushi. They have ramen, katsu, teriyaki and all the Japanese favorites. Their fish is super fresh. They have a sushi chef at Tokyo Fish Market; it's legit. Their prices aren't cheap, but you're getting a solid portion of the freshest fish around. Their sushi rice is incredible. If you're looking for super fancy rolls topped with mayo, this probably isn't the place for you. While they do have your standard rolls, they're pretty basic in terms of variety. No sexy combo's, no sexy names. Recently, we went for happy hour and it's a nice little offering until 7pm Tuesday-Friday (they're closed Mondays). They also have a special of the week T-F, and recently it was a heaping plate of chicken katsu and rice for $8. More rice and cabbage than chicken, but an incredible deal nonetheless. Staff is great, the space is large, with ample tables and a ton of seats at the 2 sushi bars. Glad this spot is so close, as when I really like to splurge, it's usually on sushi! read more

This place has some of the greatest weekly specials of any restaurants. Each week, they offer a different high quality Japanese dish for a really cheap price. It's so good and so cheap, I'm probably going to come every week. I got the Kaki Nabe, an oyster and mushroom hot pot, for only $8.50. The broth was very light but had a nice dashi and soy sauce flavor. There was a good amount of vegetables which were very tender and went well with the light broth. I usually don't like oysters because they're too fishy, but the oysters here were the least fishy oysters I've had. I also got the Robata Sampler, grilled meats on sticks, and it was super good. If you like meat, you have to get this. The meats are all super tender and juicy and each meat they gave me had a different flavor. Also, it was only $12 for 4 sticks of meat so it was affordable. read more

Hidden gem in Berkeley away from the typical place near campus. Solid offerings including a wappa, picture a rice bowl with yummy toppings. And they offer beer by the pitcher!!! What's not to like? read more

So why the five star? Because they earn it day in and day out. Very straightforward and honest in their presentation, preparation and pricing. Sure you can get higher end, but everyday dining is what they're all about. We started with Kara-age, Agedashi Tofu, and fried Oysters which each dish was prepared beautifully. For entrees we had Ramen, Hamachi Kama and the Chawanmushi. Again in the context affordable/freshness/service this place is a superstar. Now for the service. Our waitress was special. She was not only friendly and professional, but had such a great attitude that you just feel happy. Been coming here for years and don't see slowing down anytime soon. read more

Musashi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Quick Review - Dinner only - Restaurant appears small on the outside, spacious and lots of seats in the inside - Friendly and also fast responding staff - Main staff speaks in Japanese - Portions are perfect - one will feel full after eating their dishes (along with eating the side dishes too) - Tea is so good! We arrived at the restaurant fifteen minutes or so after it opened. At first glance, the restaurant appears small and cramped from the outside. I was completely wrong when I entered. There was a bar stool area, where customers could see the itamae create sushi, but there was another room dedicated to more seats and a second sushi bar. We got a nice and snug seat beside the window, so I was already loving the place. We asked for tea and water and it was served as we were browsing the menu. The green tea is very good! I love the strong but rich flavor of the tea, and it was also piping hot. The tea was so pretty with the dark green color! We spend the day walking around Berkeley, so sitting down and having a cup of hot green tea immediately relaxed our nerves and fatigue. Onto the ordering. We requested a lot today because we decided to celebrate Mother's Day a week early. Mother wanted to order the wappa meshi with the crab and egg, and she took the offer to replace the miso soup with the udon noodles. It also came with salad and chawanmushi, so it was a pleasant and gorgeous meal, perfect for the celebration. We also ordered a roll of eel. I ordered the sushi platter because after walking and eating at other places, my stomach was craving more fresher dishes instead of fried dishes. My other relative ordered the ramen. The side dishes came first: salad, udon noodles, and the miso soup (the miso soup was for my dish). The udon was presented in an adorable bowl, almost as tall as the tea cup. The taste was so good though! The noodle texture was on point; it was so chewy and bouncy! Next time, I am definitely ordering myself a bowl of udon here! Returning to the topic, after finishing off the side dishes, the wappa meshi and the ramen arrived, then the rolls, the sushi dish platter, and then the chawanmushi. I also want to send two thumbs up with the chawanmushi! It was more piping hot than the green tea, so be careful when you start eating it. It tastes like a savory tofu pudding (but it's egg), and it tastes so good! I was very amazed with how juicy and tender the shrimp was in the chawanmushi. The savory pudding had a smooth velvet mouth feel too. I will go on to explain my dish, the sushi platter. I enjoyed quite so. The platter was like a piece of art. The platter was colored black, so the nigiri and rolls stood out like a moonlight in the dark sky. Each of the sushi dishes, nigiri, sashimi, and rolls tasted fresh and sweet! They use flavorful nori seaweed, so along with the fresh taste of the fish, there was a toasty flavor of the nori. It was a great combination, and I would say this was the most delicious sushi I have eaten in the East Bay so far. Of course, I haven't explored as much, but I would put this on the top tier of places I would come back to have dinner. read more

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Authentic Japanese menu and setting. "Old school", fresh ingredients, reasonable prices, chalkboard specials daily. Fairly easy street parking after 6 pm. Attentive staff. read more

Great food, cozy atmosphere, friendly service. Can't go wrong eating here! It's a go to restaurant when I'm in the area with lots of variety to choose from. read more

Such fresh, authentic dishes to eat in the restaurant. Or order catering for special occasions! My family has ordered party trays for years :) read more

Loved this un-assuming and quaint little sushi spot! We ordered the karaage & hot sake from their happy hour that runs from 5-7. Then for our main course we ordered the Tsukune set that came with chawanmushi, miso soup & their house made pickles. The Tsukune meatballs came with sweet shaved scrambled eggs & sauce over rice. My favorite was definitely the meatballs & the chawanmushi. Then ended our meal with umeshu. We spent about 65$ for 2 people, and left pretty full. Will definitely be back! read more

Musashi - Jack stripe nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I've only been to this spot twice but boy do I need to come here more. The sushi and other raw options are great here but the cooked foods are where Musashi shines. Everything is both tasty and affordable for what it is. FOOD - 5 stars - We started off with the sashimi platter, agedashi tofu, and karaage from the happy hour menu. All three were delicious and a steal price wise. For the rest of dinner, we got the unagi wappa, chirashi don, and hamachi collar. The unagi wappa itself was my the first time trying a wappa and I need to have this more. It was tender unagi on top of a layer of shredded thin omelette, on top of rice with an extra layer of unagi sauce in the middle of the rice. Although a very full dish in an of itself, it also came with not only a simple miso soup and some japanese pickles, but also a silky chawanmushi that absolutely made this the perfect set. The chirashi don had a hearty portion of fish and other seafood that is unheard of at this price. The hamachi collar had a solid amount of meat on it with a good mix of the firmer more flavorful head meat and the softer more luxurious cheek meat. I was very happy with the food :) AMBIANCE / SERVICE - 5 stars - Musashi has a very homey vibe with plenty of seating and attentive staff. It's always a pleasure chatting with the staff and even though we only showed up 10 minutes before happy hour was over, they were still very graciously let us take our time and order a few happy hour items before moving on to regular dinner ordering. OVERALL - 5 stars, you have to try this place! read more

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Food here is definitely good! It's fresh and there are a lot of options! A line starts to form fairly early, so I recommend coming EARLY if you want to avoid a wait! (Plus, that'll get you in for HH!) I got there at 5:45pm on a Friday and waited about 15-20 min. There's tea and water in the waiting area though which is a nice touch. The pricing was a little steep for dishes that were pretty rice heavy. My favorites were the unagi wappa (so flavorful!!) And the kaarage - SO yummy and flavorful (probs one of my favorites in the States). I also love the miso and chawanmushi here. Def worth coming to check out! read more

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What a lucky find! Great food. Friendly service. Extremely reasonable. The kara age is crisp, moist and flavorful. The Robata Sampler is a must try. Charred meat and veg, cooked perfectly. The Chirashi Bowl is a double-must try! Endless sashimi on top of seasoned rice. Visually stunning, but even better tasting. Fresh. Best that I've ever had. If I lived nearby, this would be my weekly go to. Loved it. read more

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Happy national sushi day! To celebrate, I decided to get some sushi rolls from my all time favorite Japanese restaurant in Berkeley! While Musashi isn't a super big restaurant I always feel right at home whenever I go. Not only is their food delicious, their staff are super nice and welcoming. I really can't wait to go back again. read more

Musashi - Dragon Roll - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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One of my favorite sushi places. Atmosphere transports you away because it is a very cute shop with a second seating area that you can't see from the street. Food is really good, my boyfriend loves that Karaage here. The grilled options are also really lovely as well as the rolls. Highly recommend! read more

Love this place. So glad they made it thru the pandemic. Been coming here with friends in the past 2.5 years and every meal has been delicious and lovingly prepared! LOVE!! read more

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20 min wait for a delish meal. Wish there had been more veggie options! The fish was juicy crunchy and quite delicious. Rolls were small but tasty and fresh. Space is small and dim lit. read more

Musashi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I was initially going to buy a lb of Hamachi from Tokyo Fish Market and cut it up myself into sashimi for my father's 90th birthday. While perusing their website, I noticed that the great Bentos and sashimi/sushi platters they sell there are actually made by Musashi. So of course my laziness kicked in and I changed my mind and ordered 2 large platters directly from Musashi, one consisting of all Nigiri and the other of various maki rolls with some inari rolls, which is my dad's favorite. They were a big hit and my dad loved all of it. I have never eaten at Musashi for sit down service but I plan to ASAP. read more

Musashi - Large Nigiri and x-large sushi roll party platters - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Hello, $13 mini chirashi bowl! Ordered through Postmates, and it came nicely presented, they even put a tape over the cup with miso soup. Compared to previous pics, the amount of fish HAS DECREASED since management changed, but it's still a good value. But the fish, oh the fish! Such delicious and fresh scallop, such tender milky salmon. Sign me up!! Would love to try their happy hour sometime soon. read more

Musashi - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I was really excited to eat here, they seemed to have a lot of options on their menu that were very intriguing. We wanted to have a night at home so we ordered everything to go. When we got home and started to eat, we were shocked to find a few very unpleasant surprises. The gyoza were soggy and unimpressive, the avocado in the sushi was brown and one of the side dishes with our meal had shellfish, something that was not disclosed on the menu. Luckily I noticed this before I almost died. (I have a shellfish alergy) What made this whole encounter even worse is that when I went back to try to get a partial refund at least, I was treated like some sort of criminal. They took out the food I had brought back and skeptically inspected it in front of me. They then proceeded to argue with me about my complaints. I was honestly in shock about the whole encounter. Despite the cute decor, the tea and the hole in the wall appeal, I do not think we will be back here. Terribly unimpressive food and even worse service. read more

Musashi - Sushi, with very brown avocado. - Japanese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Chirashi was okay. No wine on the menu. Just sake and beer. Nice staff. Fell short coming from NYC. Had bigger expectations.

I love Musashi--I feel like I often end up eating here when I can't think of anything else to eat-- it's always a treat. In college, one of my pasttimes was checking to see what the weekly special is. Nowdays, I usually end up just getting the mini chirashi bowl which is always fresh and beautifully presented. Other recommended dishes are the tempura, karaage, and nigiri. I also like ordering fish ala carte-- like the saba, salmon, or the gindara... For the nigiri-- I like the ume shiso nigiri in particular. Thanks Musashi for being the best! read more