I thought I would give this one more chance... The service here is horrible... We waited almost 30 minutes for a server, who was nice, took our order and we didn't see her again for another 25 minutes... At this point, we just paid for what we got and left... Kids were pissed and were mad that we didn't go to Red Coral, but we had some friends who swear by this place... Never again.. Sorry guys.. read more

I'm so sad to be writing this review. I've been coming here weekly for two years and unfortunately, things have really taken a turn. A few weeks ago, we asked for the complimentary cucumber salad that we've always been served and were told that they no longer do that. We would need to pay to get the cucumber salad. We were fine with paying but when we asked, it was a clear annoyance. The restaurant has fired 90% of their waitstaff which means long (20 minute) waits for drink orders. Tonight, they have one sushi chef making sushi for a full restaurant. I've tried to overlook the glaring issues during my last few visits, but unfortunately, tonight sealed the deal. I won't be here again. read more

Excellent! My husband and i tried tomodachi bc we wanted a new sushi spot. Hoping it was good when we first ordered it and we were so pleased. Service, takeout, quality, packaging to presentation. We definitely give it 5 stars! read more

Went for my mother's birthday and the service was horrible. They were really busy and could have used another server or two. First off, our food came out piecemeal so not everyone could eat at the same time. Then we kept having to ask for water until finally I got up and served myself. My mom asked for green tea and it never came. Then much of our food was cold and we had to ask several times for ginger and wasabi, which they usually bring before you get your food. Finally, our miso soup came after our dinners! I asked to talk to the managers and it was one of the sushi chefs. He just said someone had called in sick. He didn't even give us a discount or offer us something free to make up for the horrible service. We have been many times, but will not return here again. read more

Sheila and I went here for lunch yesterday to celebrate her 10 year anniversary with the company. I have never been here before, and had high hopes. The meal did not disappoint. We both had the combo lunch with chicken teriyaki and California roll, and although that sounds to be a pretty basic no fail meal, everything was very tasty. The chicken was moist and the sauce full of flavor. The roll was packed with crab and plenty of wasabe was offered for a good bite. Needless to say we were both very satisfied. I definitely want to come back here for dinner and sample their sake. The only reason, I wouldn't give this place 5 stars is the service was a bit slow. Don't know if that's because the kitchen staff was not on the ball, but the restaurant was not crowded and our server could have been a bit more attentive. Other than that, definitely a place to recommend. :) read more

When I go to sushi restaurants, I like seeing pictures of the rolls. Unfortunately, there are no pictures in the menu. However, they do have descriptions of their special rolls, and a description is better than nothing! Our server was very friendly and very attentive. He brought us edamame and was always coming back to make sure we were doing fine. His name was Greg. So thanks Greg! One of the best servers I've encountered in a long time! read more

Tomodachi - Tomodachi roll. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Thousand Oaks, California

I loved this place and my first review was a 5 star one...but after the service I received today...eh. I called to place a pickup order and the phone rang for a very long time. I thought maybe I had called the wrong number so I hung up, googled the number, tried again. Same thing. It rang until it reached a voicemail. I was certain they were open so I tried again...same thing. I tried calling another sushi place that I like but they were closed on Mondays so I gave Tomodachi one more shot. This time the dude answered the phone! Yes! Finally! I told him I would like to place an order for pickup and this is how the conversation went down. Him: "Did you just try calling a bit ago?" "I did but nobody answered." "Did you call over and over again?" "I called a few times." I was waiting for him to tell me there was a problem with his phone but instead he said, "I was on the other line and that was really annoying. I couldn't hear the other person because you kept calling." Then he breathed like he was too annoyed to continue and said "what do you want?" in such a rude manner. Dude, if you heard the damn phone ringing, pick it up and ask the caller to HOLD! Jesus. I get people have bad days, but this isn't the first time I've had a poor customer service here. Decent sushi, but rude staff. read more

Not related to the one in Simi Valley(gross), but sibling of the one in Westlake(great). I'd say a 3.5 to be fair. Nice, hip and large location. High quality basic cuts, but not sublime. Also, very rarely do they have specials (Mirugai or Toro). A sushi chef there says they cater to white people which is fine. Spicy Tuna Biscuit - is good but nothing beats Brothers Sushi in Woodland Hills in that Department. Sashimi Platter - It used to be a great deal! 4 pieces of Salmon, Albacore, Yellowtail, and Tuna for $24 dollars. Large and sumptuous slices. The last two times I've gone they've served three. Losing my business. . . I usually could care less about the ambiance, but I can't honestly ignore the fact that the place often smells like raw sewage! The food is great really, but the smell needs to be acknowledged. read more

Great food great value, this place has fresh food and great service. Can't beat the value. Had a sashimi salad. The only complaint I have is that they don't have a healthy dressing, the soy balsamic is full of oil. Overall though 5 stars read more

Tomodachi - Sashimi salad hold the shrimp and add an extra piece of salmon. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Thousand Oaks, California

My best friend and I decided to try this out last week. The place was very busy, so we knew there might be a wait. They seated us and walked away. We filled out the sushi form and waited... and waited... and waited. No one even came over to give us a water or give table settings. After a long while, we decided to just leave. A table nearby said to us "I don't blame you for leaving" meaning they were having a long wait too. read more

I go here about once a week and if I had more money I would eat here everyday. I am so happy that Newbury Park has this hip little sushi place with really good fresh fish. The decor is much too nice for this city and I love the silver fish across the wall. There is some interesting art work all over the place. There is a weird giant boob with nipple exposed and a foot by the cash register. Yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno is my favorite. The presentation is beautiful! You plate comes out with a flower on top. I also like the blue crab handroll, the Eel delight, the Albacore delight and the Tomodachi roll. read more

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Really enjoyed the food from Tomodachi. I highly recommend the combination dinners. The sushi is amazing! read more

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We got our weekly Covid19 takeout order from Tomodachi Newbury Park tonight. The quality and presentation were great. Order was on time and exactly what we ordered. Great experience. read more

Love this place. Tomodachi is all about the fish, and the fish is excellent. If you are in it for a quality meal, something that's as good or better every time you return this is the place. I've been to just about every sushi joint in the area and this is the only place who's offering's are great every time. The "Albacore Delight", the "Yellowtail Jalapeño sashimi", the "Salmon sushi w/sweet seaweed" should not be missed. read more

Tomodachi is underrated. Their food is incredible quality and so delicious. They offer dine in and takeout and both are equally amazing! Tomo and the other chefs will make you the best and freshest sushi ever! My favorite sushi place. read more

Absolutely AMAZING food and service. Everyone is incredibly kind. The fish is better than Nobu....... Not to mention the fact that U actually get great thick cuts of fish. 10 stars if possible read more

After less than stellar experiences at Sushi Oaks and Sushi Yusho, we did not have high expectations for Tomodachi. Boy, were we surprised. Things started off on a good note when we called in our pick-up order, the woman who took our order was pleasant and patient. We asked for some modifications to the rolls, those were not a problem. When we picked up our order, there were people eating outside. The place inside was quite spacious, with a nice sushi bar. It looked like a pleasant place to eat. Our order was ready on time, and paying was quick and easy. The real pleasures started with the packaging. I felt like we were given a large designer bag. I told me wife not to through it out. The sushi itself was on a faux-aluminum tray, wow it looks beautiful. But the best part was the ginger and the wasabi - it was much better quality than the cheaper stuff we received at the other restaurants. We even got a real orchid with the order! Our kids loved the flower. The food was very good, and the quantities were large. The avocado roll had plenty of perfectly ripe avocado, and the spicy tuna rolls were good. And the modifications we asked for were correct. Hurray! My wife said that the place for sure must be expensive, but no, the prices were about the same as the other 2 sushi restaurants in Newbury park. Between the good service, good food, fair prices, and beautiful presentation, we will be back for sure. Thank you Tomodachi! read more

Been going here for about 5 years. Love the outside patio. Always best when BJ served us at the bar. Never had to order at the bar pre covid. He always knew what we wanted. Negitoro to die for! read more

Was so happy to support this restaurant post Covid lockdown and it was so disappointing. No air conditioning. Flies inside. Just left after sitting at the table for 25-minutes without a waiter visiting us. Such a bizarre vibe. Sumo Sushi is a better choice right down the street. read more

So good! We went here during COVID-19 and were only allowed outside seating. I don't know why they didn't do this sooner regardless, it's a great space! The food was excellent, the Sapporo was cold (they even brought frosted glasses!!), and the service was excellent. We have gotten take-out previously and were so impressed with how they packaged the sushi we decided to eat in Newbury vs Westlake. You can't go wrong with either location! We will return soon. read more

1st time. Stopped in to meet friends. Sake was delicious! Super friendly staff. Tv had the game on. Nice crowd. Not too noisy. Fish was delicious. Fresh clean and tasty. Had mostly sashimi but added a couple rolls with shrimp. Yummmm! Def be back read more

Thanks BJ! Our take out Covid19 style really hit the spot! Delicious. The to-go presentation was great, and the sushi choices were delicious. Cheers! read more

Tomodachi - Yellowtail, amberjack, salmon, Toro, Japanese scallop with tobiko., - Sushi Bars Near Me - Thousand Oaks, California

I've been going to the Newbury location for quite a few years and I'm ALWAYS happy and looking forward to my next Friday night sushi night. The owner and the staff are beyond awesome. The portions are unlike other restaurants and the quality surpasses all. read more

So glad I found this place! I recently moved to this area from the city and was struggling to find top-notch sushi. The chef here though is super legit and gets the fish fresh daily. If you're looking for quality nigiri, you won't find anything on this level anywhere around here. Good service & prices too! I recommend trying the Spanish mackerel read more

Last weekend my BIL & SIL took my hubby and I to dinner here for the first time. We didn't have to wait for a table, which was nice considering it was almost 7pm on a Friday night. The service was good, the food was tasty, and the prices were reasonable. We ordered a bunch of different rolls (cut rolls, hand rolls, and sashimi) and everyone enjoyed them. I don't eat fish, so I had miso soup (tasty) and a veggie roll, which was delicious. My only complaint is that my roll was HUGE and I couldn't possibly fit a whole piece in my mouth, which meant I did an awkward "try to catch the falling rice and veggies without looking like an idiot" manuever. All in all, it was a nice dinner and we'd definitely go back. read more

Another situation where Gaijin have no clue regarding how to rate a sushi restaurant. First of all, the service just sucks from the absence of any kind of greeting when you enter to the service. Our waitress was slow, got the orders mixed up, and was even serving several dishes several times form other tables to our table. I lost count on how many times she had to go back to the kitchen because she served us someone else's meal. Then when she finally got our meals to the table all about 10 minutes apart, she couldn't remember who ordered what. After leaving, I realized she forgot the soup and salad that goes with the dinner. Regarding the meal itself, this is absolutely one of the worst sushi restaurants in the 805, The sushi was...how can describe it....BLAND! However, I guess if you're a California transplant, it is a cultural experience.worth writing home about. read more

I was totally surprised by how good everything was. Good sushi in Thousand Oaks? The complete lack of decent ethnic dining in the area led me to believe this would be nothing special. But it was, oh, it was! My husband and I meandered in here around 8 pm on a Sunday, and luckily they were open till 9:30! We sat at the sushi bar with some other pretentious older people, and the sushi chef made us feel at home. He barely spoke English, which quickly assured me that this would be good. I don't remember the details on everything I ate, but we ate a lot of GOOD, FRESH fish. The quality was high, the portions were large, and everything was melt-in-your-mouth yumminess. Did I mention this was at 8 pm on a Sunday? I wonder how good it is during their busy hours. The hand rolls were great, and they offer rice-less rolls...definitely unique, and definitely delicious! The sheer volume of fishy options blew my mind. I hope to be back! The sushi bar is definitely where it's at! read more

Within walking distance from my office, this place is firmly embedded into my lunch rotation. It is a newer building with clean and nice decor. I would say that the quality is not consistent and varies from visit to visit. But overall, I enjoy it and keep coming back for the convenience factor. However, if I wasn't so close, not sure I would come so often as it is not exactly cheap. Overall I would call it good (occasionally great) sushi at acceptable prices with nice ambiance. read more

Tomodachi - Beautiful salmon sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Thousand Oaks, California

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Not to discount anyone that rates this 4-5 stars, but I do have to question if they have ever had excellent sushi. We ate here for dinner tonight because we had a $25 gift certificate that we purchased for a $1 from Restaurant.com. Deal was if we spend over $35 (which isn't hard to do with sushi), $25 is taken off your bill. The sushi presentation was beautiful, but the flavor was just average. There wasn't anything special that stood out on the menu as far as specialty rolls that you haven't seen before. I had the "Tomodachi Roll", which probably would have been better had the avocado not been under ripe (think chewy avocado with your sushi). I also had the "Crunch Spicy Tuna" which was also just average. The serving sizes were average and seemed to be reasonable with regards to the pricing of sushi. We sat at the sushi bar and had our order taken quickly by the chef. However, service was very slow after we got our food. As we finished plates of sushi, we had to move them to the side, as they were never cleared (even when we got our final bill all of our plates were still sitting). We finally had to ask to have our bill after waiting almost 25 minutes...we kept thinking maybe the chef was just busy. If I was in the area and just HAD to have sushi and this was the only place to go, I would consider eating there again. However, there isn't anything with regards to the atmosphere, the quality of the sushi or service that would take me back again. I have other favorites I would frequent well before I would go back there again...even if I had another $25 gift certificate. Thankfully I only purchased one! read more

A friend and I have eaten here 3 times. Today being the last time. The place is not really understaffed due to lack of lunch crowd, but somehow the service is always bad. Our waiter, who has been there for every visit, never writes anything down. Today he managed to repeat back the wrong order while walking away. So we chased him down to correct him, to find out he had put in for the correct order even though it was wrong to what he said. Ya following me? He never refilled our water, my miso soup cup was dirty, the spicy tuna roll was fishy and soapy, he hurried us on our check because "it takes like 10 min to process but you don't have to hurry" and requested we return with friends because "it's good for business". RRRRIGHT, sure. All in all, I won't be returning. read more

This is still my preferred lunch sushi spot, but I had to update my review as a reminder to myself that if I'm tempted by the ramen, I'm better off sticking to sushi. I had the tonkatsu ramen today and it was a bit of a disappointment. I crave tonkatsu ramen. I want it to taste like the pig died in the pot and has been rendering into a delicious, creamy, porky dream for days. The broth today was weaker than I like. The noodles were too soft and overly starchy. There was only one piece of char sui in the bowl. There was egg, but I prefer a flavored egg. So yes, I'm overly picky. I'm sure there are many fans of the ramen, so don't let my peculiar particulars dissuade you from ordering. This is simply to remind myself to go with the lunch menu next time. I'll be perfectly satisfied with some sushi, sashimi, or tempura. read more

When I want sushi, I want Tomodachi. Living in the Conejo Valley for 8 years, I've had my sampling of the sushi bars around. Tomodachi is my favorite. Every dish is fresh, and each roll seems tastier than the last one. Even the simplest rolls are created with a delicate touch and superb flavor. Our last experience there included my two young daughters, and they were very helpful with keeping the kids happy while we waited for our sushi. In fact, when it took a few minutes longer than anticipated, they gave us a free appetizer as an apology. Truth is, we hadn't even waited that long! Good customer service and great tasting sushi! read more

I love this place. The only reason I'm not giving it 5-stars is because it's not an "inexpensive" good eats place and I like to reserve those ratings to my benchmark restaurants. The prices are aligned with other Japanese restaurants, but I was spoiled by delicious sushi in Katy, TX at the Happy Buddha on Mason Road (my 5-star pick) and another gem named Tokyo in Beaumont, TX. Don't judge, I've lived in a lot of little quaint places that tend to have great food quality. That said, my review in order of importance: Food: I can only rate the sushi and sashimi. Absolutely delicious and fresh based on core sashimi pieces (salmon, tuna, yellowtail and albacore) and sushi rolls. I've gone a couple of times since moving to the west coast and it doesn't seem like you can go wrong with the uncooked or cooked rolls. My rule of thumb - If the California roll and spicy tuna roll are good, then I venture to other items. On a side note, the salad that comes with the lunch menu is not iceberg lettuce! They provide a healthy selection of broccoli, tomato, radish in a spring mix tossed with a light ginger dressing. Service: Attentive, but easy to be because the place is usually empty. Ambiance: Clean, remodeled/refreshed dining room with two flat screen televisions. read more

The service here need EXTREME help. If you go be prepared to wait 45 to an hour for your food. Unfortunately for them, the food is really good. But the whole situation is frustrating. read more

Food presentation was great, service was excellent. Sushi rolls: Albacore Delight: mouth wateringly delightful, Tomodachi roll: yummy! Be prepared to pay about $14/roll, -for that price I was expecting the roll to be a bit larger than what we received. read more

You have to try the salmon with the marinated seaweed on top. Amazing! And if you love miso soup, tomodachi has the best around. We were lucky to be served on our first visit here by the main man himself, Tomo, and his charm and demeanor has kept bringing us back for more. Now that we are regulars, when he sees us he always makes something special for us which we appreciate immensely. It is that kind of service that is lacking these days, and it really means a lot to feel like he appreciates our business and wants us to keep coming back. If you have yet to try tomodachi, do yourself a favor and stop by today! read more

Have been here so many times so yes the sushi and food options are really good. And we keep coming back because it is yummy but the service leaves much to desire. Getting someone's attention when you come in can take a few minutes. Then having them come back to ask for your drinks/food order can also be a couple minutes. But then when the food gets there we remember why we keep coming back. We have tried their Ramen, several sushi options, appetizers and all have been really good. If only their customer service could improve... read more

I'm debating on giving Tomodachi four stars but I just can't. In terms of the sushi and quality, wonderful. I tried Tomodachi on a whim with a friend the other week and it's now my go-to spot instead of Sushi Planet in Westlake. Ten times less crowded, no blaring music and light shows, and the quality never seems to be hit or miss. But. The only hours listed are on Yelp. I got off work last night (Saturday) at 8:30 pm thinking Tomodachi closes at 10:30, as advertised. Have some salmon and a roll, am contemplating on another but having trouble deciding and then when I look up, the sushi chefs have already started packing everything away. All the fish was gone, everything in plastic bins wrapped with cellophane. Nobody asked me if I was finished or if I wanted anything else until they were standing there with nothing to do. Only then was I asked if I wanted more and I'm not going to be that jerk who asks you to get everything out again when you just packed it away. Clearly you gave me the sign that you are closing and no longer want my patronage because you want to go home. So I'm still finishing eating and the chef asks the host to come over. He asks him when they are closing in a mildly rushed manner, and I kid you not the clock had only just gone 9 pm. On a Saturday. When your restaurant advertises that you are open until 10:30. The exact reason I went to Tomodachi instead of Sushi Planet, but had I known I would've been rushed out the door, I would've gone to Sushi Planet. I paid my check and left still hungry and disappointed. I'll be back, but obviously during an earlier time. I highly advise Tomodachi to update their business hours on Yelp and to make sure their customers are satisfied BEFORE packing all the sushi and food away. I'll gladly take my business elsewhere who happily lets me stay until I'm done and doesn't silently shoo me out while looking at their watch. read more

the sushi is very good here; however when you order the chicken teriyaki the chicken is not fresh it's actually hard to chew and over cooked not in a good way read more

This place used to have great sushi but tonight was a terrible experience. Got $50 worth of take out, which all fit on one segmented tray, and rolls were so small you could eat two pieces in one bite. About the diameter of a quarter. Sashimi yellowtail was rubbery and thin and at $18 I expected more than 6 small slices. Wasabi was either mixed improperly or had flour added - you could eat a spoonful without a treat - and no ginger included at all. Servers there are great but the sushi tonight was way below par for this otherwise great spot. I don't know if it has new management or new owners or what, but if you want to stay in business in this area, you'll have to do better than that. read more