We appreciate the Yelp recommendations to try Wasabi. I am often skeptical of places along a main tourist area but Wasabi is the real deal...at least for the area. We were quickly seated at the sushi bar and the restaurant filled up quickly with other lunch clientele after that time. Sushi chef was efficient and our eel roll was fresh and delicious. Only 8 pieces so not that large. Would have paid more for a larger portion as we were sharing everything. Hot melt in your mouth yummy shumai were devoured. I saved some wasabi to add a little spice. Tempura appetizer included 2 large shrimp and veggie assortment. All around good meal! read more

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We came here after seeing it on Mountain Xpress's Best of WNC. I appreciated the vegetarian sushi section of their menu and they had plenty of non-sushi vegetarian options as well. I ordered a house salad and 3 sushi tolls - sweet potato, avocado, and mushroom and cream cheese (which I had never seen before). The prices were not bad for sushi. We came on Saturday night of a holiday weekend. We weren't expecting to be sat down right away because of how packed downtown was that night, but we were happy to get a table for two right away! Service did take a while, but we understood because of how full it was. Once we ordered, the food came out quickly and the add-ons we requested, like sauce, came out right away! I was let down by the house salad because it did not seem fresh. The ginger dressing was delicious, but some of the lettuce looked like it had been cut a while ago or stored for a while. The sweet potato roll was great, but I wish it had been dressed up a little bit perhaps with a drizzle of eel sauce on top. They brought me a side of the eel sauce quickly, though, when I asked, which was very appreciated. The avocado roll was top tier - fresh and a nice portion of avocado in the roll. The mushroom and cream cheese roll was interesting. It was probably my least favorite, but I just don't usually go for raw mushrooms. I wished they could have a veg combo with cream cheese, like with cucumber or another fresh veggie. Overall, we had a positive experience, but maybe knowing it had been so highly rated, I had higher expectations. I'd like to go back and try some of their non-sushi items, which looked good too. read more

Wasabi - sweeet potato roll, avocado roll, mushroom and cream cheese roll - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

After all these years Wasabi is still my favorite downtown sushi restaurant. I appreciate the outdoor seating especially on a nice summer day. The inside is small and quaint but the sushi is always fresh and delicious. read more

Wasabi - Sushi roll lunch combo - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Amazing food and service!! We were in a hotel close by and stopped by for a late dinner. We were so impressed!! Takoyaki did not disappoint but the Hotate Gai stole the show!!! Bacon wrapped scallop?! Probably one of the best things I put in my mouth ;) The tuna dumplings were a close second and my husband who loves raw tuna would 100% agree to getting multiple orders of this. read more

Wasabi - Tuna Dumplings - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Small place with plenty of tasty offerings. A robust sushi menu for the veteran sushi lover or a first experience. Also great hibachi choices and combinations as well as vegetarian options. The staff were friendly and our server was so sweet and attentive. Our food was fresh, delicious and cooked perfectly. read more

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I just had to compliment this place before I even ate the food. 1) I walked in like 2 mins before they closed and they let me order takeout; they were so nice and this food looks amazing. 2) their staff handled a HUGE table of loud crazy kids with patience and professionalism, which had to have been challenging. Everyone left having had a great time. It's cute inside and has a great patio! Will update the food but already love this place. read more

In a smallish town with a surprisingly expansive number of sushi options, Wasabi is the OG. We revisited their prime downtown location and while we didn't order The Boat, we ordered a boatload of food. Per usual, the quality of the sushi rolls was great and the sashimi were fresh and well cut. The service was friendly and attentive. The space is pretty narrow and can sometimes feel a bit cramped, but the overall vibe is good - people enjoying sushi and the company of friends/family is always fun. read more

Good food & good location if you are downtown. Portions are good too service is good .......

Our regular sushi place was closed on Tuesday nights and we had a friend visiting from Charlotte so we headed over to downtown Asheville to wasabi. Service excellent presentation very good , the appetizer selection was part excellence and we all had our share. The entrées were presented. Well taste well sized well. I highly recommend wasabi one of the best in Asheville. read more

Wasabi - Entres - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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We were on the way to the airport and decided to stop for dinner and had the urge for sushi. Found this little Jim on yelp and decided we needed to try it. It did not disappoint! The restaurant isn't big but it's big on flavor! The staff was very friendly and answered any questions that we had. we started out with the miso soup and we're pleasantly surprised that it had seaweed added to it. Then we did the oyster shooter special. It was absolutely amazing! It had sake a raw oyster, a quail egg it was fabulous. We had three different rolls and every single one of them were great and then when we didn't think we could eat anymore we ordered the fried cheesecake. Oh my gosh, it was so delicious. The entire meal was so very good. We sat at the bar and there was also table seating and seating outside. It would be a fun place to eat outside in the summer. read more

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Very popular downtown sushi place with open layout and outdoor seating. The service is prompt, but the sushi is mediocre with mushy rice and simple taste profile. Most of the items on the sushi menu feature tempura - fresh fish items are only reserved for à la cart orders. The beef appetizer with leeks was off putting with beef overdone and under seasoned. read more

This is my go to sushi place when I'm in Asheville. Every time I go, the food is exceptional. The decor is "meh" when compared with other larger chains. But that doesn't faze me. Their special rolls never disappoint. The service is on-point. The only thing that keeps me from giving a five star review is the Asian lady at the front counter. Every time I come in she is being rude to staff, rude to a customer, or otherwise abrasive in her communication. Never a thank you. Never a query about the experience. read more

Great sushi. I ate here each day of my 3 day visit. Prices are very reasonable. Staff is friendly and it's close to several hotels. The place is tiny, probably holds 80 people between indoor and patio. A sign said it's been voted best sushi in Asheville the last 20 years, I'm not surprised. read more

Asheville has so many great options for dining. We stopped here for dinner on Friday and we're impressed with their casual Japanese dining fare wirh excellent affordable Japanese cuisine. I tried the spicy salmon roll and the volcano roll. Definitely try the volcano roll read more

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Wasabi is a good option to dine in Downtown Asheville. I like the hibachi here. My waitress remembered me when I arrived. It is a busy place even in January. I went with the filet mignon hibachi and was served a generous portion that I couldn't finish. It came with a side salad. They forgot my silverware as I think they thought I was better with the chop sticks but that all got sorted out fairly quickly considering how busy it was. I enjoyed my meal and the sauces brought out added to the flavor. I will eat at Wasabi again as I left they said they'd see me in April. read more

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Went back again tonight and was automatically charged gratuity...if this is a management mandate I feel bad for the servers as we all tip more then 20% but she missed out since it makes a client feel judged prior to having the ability to tip for the service...if it was the server then it should have been stated to us when the checks were dropped. Food and service were both fine...just some constructive criticism for ownership/management! read more

Wasabi - This business no longer excepts Go Local Cards. FYI - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Fried garlic tofu- amazing! Sushi was great and fresh as well- service was friendly and fast.

Sitting in front of the sushi bar was pretty neat. My friend enjoyed her sushi, I enjoyed my shumai and gyoza :) price tag was left on the bottle of sake we got though, made me cringe at how much it was marked up read more

Wasabi - Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I really like the Sushi rolls I ordered. Service was good and nice ambiance. Recommend!

A downtown gem Great service, very delicious varied food selection, and amazing lunch specials 7 days a week The outside area in the spring,summer and fall is a very nice space read more

Just had takeaway lunch ordered around 1145. Two roll lunch special including spider roll and spicy tuna. Was definitely leftover from yesterday. I was so looking forward to it. I still give them 3 because of my past experiences with them. My first time for lunch and probably one of the first customers of the day. I'm in foodservice so I get it. I'll be back just wanted to put it out there. They're usually very good. read more

What a serendipitous find!!! We stumbled on this gem of a restaurant trying to find another. Good variety, swift friendly service and a lively ambiance! Every bite was delectable and excellent to the end. We began with the Spicy Kani Salad--tastebud delight, scintillating blend of textures of crab, crunchy cucumber and crunchy garnish mixed in the salad topped with pretty Tobiko. The House Seafood Soup was devoured without any pictures. The dark clear savory broth held treasures of fish cake, scallop, mussel, crab stick, shrimp and Shiitake mushrooms. Fantastic flavors in the Tuna Dumplings. Again, a surprising melange of tuna sashimi and scallops wrapped dumpling style, sitting in a sweet chili sauce! The Asian Curry with Scallops served with brown rice was such a comforting dish--perfectly cooked sweet snow pea pods, tender sweet potato shards, shiitake slivers, onions, all swimming with seared scallops in a lovely coconut curry with the barest hint of sweet. Alas, too full for dessert. Hope to visit this hidden treasure again! read more

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I honestly think I am being nice about leaving 2 stars for this sushi place. I am surprised by all the 5 stars. Once we were seated, we asked for water right away, which we got but then it was a good 10 minutes before our waitress came back for our other drink orders. Because of that, we all knew everything we wanted, drinks, appetizer, sushi. We ordered the calamari for the appetizer, which surprisingly did come out first but when we each took a piece it took us about a minute to chew one piece. I have never had such over cooked calamari as this place. I was with my niece who also went to culinary school and she is never one to send things back but it was so bad she flagged down our waitress to let her know that we didn't even want another place but something completely different because we were not willing to risk them to be over cooked again. Not to mention that for calamari it took about twice as long as it should have to come to the table. So we got the pork Gyoza instead which were fine. We ordered the Spider Roll, Godzilla Roll, Blue Ridge Roll and Red Dragon Roll. I tried a each of them and the best way I could describe them is bland. For the Red Dragon Roll being $18.95, is should be wonderful and be able to taste something, especially the lobster but you couldn't. The only part of the roll that you could taste the lobster was the two end pieces that had a large piece of lobster sticking out. It really is unfortunate that the sushi was so bad here because it is right in downtown so by default I would think that is why they have so much business, otherwise I don't think they would have much. read more

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Ordered the Chirashi and the fish itself seemed pretty good quality but the cuts were lacking. The sushi rice didnt taste like much and the seasoning was too much and salty and took away from the sweet/vinegar flavor sushi rice usually has. Not only was the fish cut small but there were not many pieces. I prefer a few more pieces over the careora and small pieces of radish/oshinko they provided. Complimentary miso soup was okay and the service was very quick. read more

Wasabi - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

They aren't exactly the friendliest people but the food is good. I went in and sat at the bar by myself for a quick lunch and I was seated there by the front door lady and was there for 10 mins before anyone came to me ( and everyone saw me... they weren't that busy). The food was super good but don't go expecting friendly service. The restaurant was pretty and clean . read more

We probably go to Wasabi 3-4 times a year, but what always brings us back is the absolute freshness and authenticity of the sushi. The sushi chefs (and there are 3-4 of them) are really good. They know what they're doing! They cut the fish beautifully (sliced properly and never any gristle) and they know the right ratios of rice to filling to topping. If they can't get fresh, they don't put it on the menu. We feel very safe eating raw fish there because there is so much turnover and we know they are watching their inventory. We have never had anything close to questionable there. Another dish we often order is the Salmon Hibachi with veggies and rice, and comes with soup or salad. There are 2 big filets of salmon grilled perfectly and the veggies are crispy tender and seasoned lightly. Sharing the Hibachi with a Godzilla roll and 2-4 orders of sushi (favorites being uni, which they often don't have, yellowtail and salmon) is a really filling dinner for 2! And we usually bring some home. The service was very good and surprisingly fast for a Thursday night with a substantial crowd and to-go orders lined up. We were quite shocked at the sake menu prices recently - they only have one hot sake: small is $4.00, large is $7.00. That's reasonable, but there are no other cheap choices. Wiish they had some other hot ones as they are my favorites. So you go from that to Premiums bottles which are $13 -$29 for small and $49-$70 for large. They need more reasonably priced options for sure. As with just about everywhere lately the prices have gone up! The best deal is still lunch. You can't beat the quality and the quantity from $12-$17.Recommend highly but for a real value for the money go for lunch! read more

Wasabi - Super fresh and made beautifully - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

This place was so delicious! We stopped in on Saturday afternoon with no reservation and were sat immediately (outdoor seating). It's a pretty chill place, cute but no need to dress up. The portions were fantastic and the food was incredible. I got the teriyaki tofu and my wife got the hibachi chicken. Exactly what we were craving. read more

Wasabi - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

I dined here Saturday night & sat at the sushi bar. I just wanted a quick, good meal. I ordered a ginger salad to start and chose to rolls for dinner. One thing I noticed from the menu was a lot of fried rolls. I'm not a huge fried person but the menu wasn't super extensive. The Godzilla roll was a large sushi roll but the inside was a bit mushy. I don't know why but it wasn't my favorite. I was hungry, so I ate it but I wouldn't choose it again. The spicy tuna roll is a staple sushi roll anywhere. It's hard to mess it up. Well, it wasn't that good. The tuna mix tasted odd & not like a normal spicy tuna roll. Again, not my favorite. I am a big sushi person & foodie, so my standards are probably higher than most but it was just an average meal. For the two rolls & a salad it cost me about $30. Not terrible. The waitress was nice & attentive. The sushi chef was kind as well. I think I'd try another sushi spot in the city next time. read more

Wasabi - Godzilla Roll & Spicy Tuna Roll - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

We were able to walk in and get seated at Wasabi on a Wednesday night at 7:30 pm. The place was packed and for a good reason. The food was outstanding. We started off with a miso soup and salad, both delicious. I ordered yellowtail sashimi and shrimp and vegetable tempura. The sashimi melted in my mouth, so fresh and good. The tempura was really good too. The shrimp was so large that I asked "where is the shrimp?" I thought the shrimp must be some kind of vegetable because I had never seen such large shrimp. This Japanese restaurant had amazing vegetarian selections too. My husband ordered the garlic tofu entree and the iniri avocado roll. He loved both. read more

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The service and food was excellent. I ordered the sashimi deluxe. The assortment of fish was great and it was very fresh. Nice presentation as well. I highly recommend Wasabi if you truly like sushi/sashimi. read more

Great food and the place is small and cozy. The food was great and service was quick. I would recommend getting there early because it does fill up quickly. Highly recommended. read more

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I should have kept walking but I did bookmark this restaurant just in case I was in the area and looking for a good spot to eat. I order chicken and shrimp hibachi. It came with shrimp sauce and ginger. Let's just say the only flavor I had was from the ginger sauce. The whole meal WASN'T seasoned at all. If you like the taste of PURE protein, this is the spot for you. It came with miso soup or salad. I already had a veggie salad roll earlier so I was hungry for real food. Not sure if the sushi would have been better. I hate to leave 2 stars for anyone but I was not interested in forcing this meal down my throat for $19. I wouldn't recommend sitting outside unless construction is over. Too noisy. read more

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Cute asian sushi restaurant located in downtown. They have some outdoor seating. Our server, Mary, was very nice and attentive. Many options including a wide variety of sushi and hibachi. We had sushi rolls including a Godzilla roll amd salmon roll which were both very good. My daugjter had the shrimp hibachi which came with soup or salad and a choice of rice. Large portion with lots if shrimp and very tasty sauce. Loved the gimger dressing on the salad, too. Chicken katsu was also a good choice. Huge amount of fried chicken cutlet served with sauce and rice. Overall, food was good, great service, and reasonable prices. Mary brought us a piece of fried cheesecake on the house as we were celebrating oir wedding anniversary. So sweet! read more

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Super fast service, very attentive to your needs, food is outstanding! I've had sushi all over the US and this place ranks in the top 5 for sure! Super fresh, and totally delicious. Well worth the stop. Parking is a bit tricky, but the area is super cool. Enjoy! read more

Wasabi - Sushi bar, from my seat. Tables available also. - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Service during lunch time was fast, the sushi quality was excellent, and we have been here many times before and have never had a bad experience. Definitely great quality fish! read more

Wasabi - Wonderful salmon nigiri, salmon sashimi was incredible, and Alaskan roll - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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WOW Spectacular Sushi and Rolls. Hollywood Roll- Soft Shell Crab !!! Wasabi Roll, Rainbow Roll, Seaweed Salad Roll, Spicy Salmon Roll, added Hot Saki, Anise Melon and Basil Saki Coconut Mango and Lemongrass Saki and always our FAVORITE. UNI Sushi for dessert!!! read more

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This is for the locals @ lunch. Of ALL the sushi place in downtown Asheville (well...Asheville doesn't have an "uptown " so that by itself sounds silly - I should know...I grew up here)...the restaurant has THE best sushi lunch deal. My go to is a 2 sushi lunch with a small green salad..$14 MAX Now while they are not beating everyone else by say $10...they are offering (a) fast turnaround of a pick up order (b) include a salad and (c) do it for $3-$4 cheaper Add in just nice/friendly staff and you have a place that can keep locals fees on there lunch breaks...without breaking the bank (I should know...I work for one...) read more

Yes. Yes. Yes. We celebrated a coworkers birthday here during lunch on a Friday. We didn't call ahead as it was a last minute plan but they were able to accommodate us on the patio right away. Because it was just two of us and neither picky eaters we decided to order a few things and share. This is the proper way to eat sushi IMO! We got a few different pieces of sashimi and sushi, the sweet heart roll and edamame. Everything was fresh, delicious and now it's all that I am currently craving. Parking is less than ideal but I work downtown so I can walk over easily. From a quick glance it does look like they have lunch special during the week days. Which I am a huge fan of. They do close between lunch and dinner to feed the employees, which I am also a big fan of cause no one wants to work while hangry. The serves were friendly and fast, I would have liked to sit and enjoy more saki but I understand we arrived too close to closing hour. Next time! read more

Wasabi - our beautiful spread! - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

The sushi was 5/5 , cute spot with outdoor seating, it was packed for a Monday evening but lots of places were closed by the time 6:30/7 arrived. Hostess was kind and gave me the options of seating (he was the most exciting part of the trip). I opted for the bar. My sushi came pretty fast, great presentation & fresh! Hats off the the chefs! My server was at the bar but had a big table so my food was accidentally left with togo orders. The hostess came to check on me and refill my drink after sometime passed which made me happy...it was a long drive to town. The owner/manger seemed to not be helpful and get in the way. She was standing by the to go orders just looking around while my food sat there and then she almost gave away the wrong order. She also stood behind the bar and saw my drink was out & i was clearly finished with my meal (all the trash was piled). She only person didnt speak or acknowledge me or even ask if i needed anything which was strange. I was the only black person in the entire place....sooo to me that may be the reason. Ill never know & Didnt care but took my food togo she made it awkward. The servers did a good job cleaning up the bar area it was pretty clean!! Nice location near a lot and I wanted to give this place a 4, because the hostess, sushi & my server were solid. I witnessed her carrying 12 drinks at once! Another server refilled waters and didnt let the pitcher touch the glasses !!! A1 service right there but the manager and Luke warm to go food...its a 3.5 she stared as I left and walked right by her. strange vibes for sure. cute vibe for locals. read more

Wasabi - Philly roll and another roll with shrimp tempura - Japanese Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

We loved it all. It is a popular place and service is fast. The ambiance is authentic, local and as expected. Food was delicious. read more

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