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Zest Sushi And Small Plates

4.4 (116 reviews)
Closed • 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Order Zest Sushi And Small Plates Takeout or Delivery

Zest Sushi And Small Plates Photos

ZEST SUSHI AND SMALL PLATES ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Intimate
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating

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Curry Shrimp
Cole K.

So much to say about this place. Food: 3.5/5 Service: 2/5 Ambiance: 3/5 Positive: Ambiance was nice. My child didn't put her fingers in her ears the whole time we were there. The food came out quickly. When we first made it there, because the wait time was 45 minutes, I asked for some juice for kids which they provided to me without charging me. The front desk representatives and servers seem pretty nice. The food was good, except for the shrimp curry. It tastes like a soup, not rich and not filling. Other than that, I strongly advise the crab cakes for appetizers along with the crab wonton. The sushi were good, but I had better sushi before, if I come back, i ll try something else. There was a young lady that was very helpful and kid to us, I wish I remember her name. Negative: We made it there around 8:10 pm and we were told that it would take 45 minutes to find us a table. I went to check in on the status of our table after 45 minutes and I was told that they didn't have room for us because some people made a reservation and they couldn't let us seat on their tables. I asked for a solution. They suggested setting up a table outside, which we agreed. It took them over 10-15minutes to set things up but I have to admit that the server tried her best to set us up as soon as possible. They seemed very busy that evening. My husband realized that they have over 5 empty tables with a total of 10 seats; supposedly all reserved. They ended up setting a table inside as a big party left. We were 4 adults 2 kids. I even told them I can get a 4 chairs tables because the kids always sit on our laps as they are little. We finally sat inside at 9:35. 1.5 hours after we got there. The people who supposedly made a reservation and for which the tables were reserved never showed up. 6 empty seats behind us. Another set of 2 tables and 8 chairs were available. on the other side; they were occupied when we got there but they left after a while yet it was "reserved" for clients who didn't show up. Overall, the reservation system needs improvement or just don't do reservation at all. If people don't show up within 10-15 minutes of the reserved time, call or notify cancellation. We almost left for firebirds in Morrisville. Our bill was close to $200. I don't think I will be back.

sushi
Trisha G.

The sushi was amazing and light which I love based on the rolls I got. The chef is super friendly and was also our waiter, so we got extra care in our questions and concerns. Overall, great location too so I will be back!

Hamachi Jalapeño
Lynette F.

We enjoy small plates and while in Cary we made a point to make a reservation. We started with Hamachi Jalapeño. Service is fast and very attentive. Then we enjoyed the Poke Boomer 2.0. Beautiful atmosphere and delicious food.

Yellowtail Nigiri, shrimp tempura roll, oysters rockefeller

I came in on a whim, uber driver told me it was good sushi. I agree. Great sushi & cocktails. Staff was super friendly.

Half Baked Sushi, Edamame
Natalia L.

This roll is ammmmmmaaaaazzzzing! We were visiting Cary, and we came back twice within 24 hours. I loved this place!

Kailah D.

Zest is a cute spot in Downtown Cary if you're looking for sushi and other small plates. There's a vast amount of indoor and outdoor seating options. Now that it's warm out it was so nice sitting outside while enjoying our meal. I didn't get a picture of the table top tenderloin but it was a nice being able to cook it ourselves and it came out pretty tasty. Enjoyed everything we ordered and our server Sarah was a delight.

JJ O.

Food is very Americanized version of Japanese cuisine. The sushi and small plates we got were not good. Brussels sprouts weren't fully cooked and sushi had an unpleasant flavor. Server was nice but only checked on us a few times. Will not go back again.

Crouching tiger and half baked rolls
Donna B.

The service was absolutely amazing! Our waitress offered suggestions seeing as though it was our 1st time here. We got oysters, 2 sushi rolls and wings. The wings were so darn tasty! I got the half baked sushi roll and loved it! My husband got yhe crouching tiger roll....of course I snuck a piece of his roll lol....great great and great. We enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant and will definitely return to try more items!

Seafood Trident salad
Sergio M.

We decided to finally give Zest a try! Love all the outdoor seating. Inside was gorgeous as well. Lots of space. We made reservations online about 2 hrs before they had any reservations available. We got seated early. The hostess was very friendly. Our server was great. Fast, efficient. He took our drink order right away. We had a couple mocktails. Very yummy. ( I forgot to take photos! ) We ordered and food came out as it was ready. First up the fried calamari. Really good! It came with a sweet chili dipping sauce. Then came : Seafood Trident salad : fresh lobster, crab meat, shrimp, avocado, spring mix with a red wine vinaigrette. Hidden dragon roll: tempura shrimp,cucumber, topped with bbq eel, avocado, green onions, and a nice amount of ginger and soy sauce on the side Our mains came out next The CAB Steak Skewers and the Oysters Rockefeller, and the Oysters Imperial. Everything was flavorful and cooked to perfection. Zest is of excellent quality and freshness. So be ready to pay for it. It's some the best service and freshest seafood we've had in a while. Totally worth it for! Be it date night or a special occasion or a nice lunch / dinner exploring all downtown Cary has to offer!

Shrimp Tacos
J M.

We enjoyed our visit to Zest. We had several items, including the calamari and tempura shrimp roll. Both were excellent. For our entrees, we had the Miso Salmon, which was outstanding, and the tofu curry, which was great too. Kids had a California roll, shrimp tacos and buttered ramen noodles. The shrimp tacos looked amazing. I highly recommend this restaurant and can't wait to go back and try some other items.

Salmon seared
Danielle O.

The place is super cute, clean look inside and I love the warmers outside for the colder times. I'll start by saying this isn't true and authentic Asian, definitely lives up to the name fusion. If you want quality Asian flavors, I'd go elsewhere. The food wasn't inedible but it wasn't our favorite. The items like the coco shrimp and the Napa salad were overly dressed and tasted like eating mayo. The mussles were good but I wouldn't call that a green curry? It was very liquidy and more like a chicken broth. The fish quality for nigiri, especially the Toro was a little questionable and cut too thick for nigiri. The lettuce wraps were regular cut chicken, pre assembled on thin lettuce and served hot, so the lettuce was completely wilted and warm. Wouldn't call these lettuce wraps. The more American dishes I would argue were better and what i would only get going forward if I came back because the fries and cheese steak were delicious. The mocktails were also good even though they don't make their own purees and syrups. Again, we ate everything and it wasn't the worst, but it wasn't Asian and it wasn't high quality. Now the service, the service was really great! He was super attentive, honest, kind and not intrusive. Service 10/10, food 4.5/10.

Tuna tartare
Melissa F.

This place was amazing. We sat outside. The cocktails were tasting and the service was excellent. We shared tuna crudo and tuna tartare. Both were excellent. The edamame appetizer was also very good. Highly recommend trying the oysters! The North Carolina ones were our favorite. I would return

Outside
Kellie B.

Went back to zest to try again after our horrible experience at the bar! Things were so much better from the hostess to the weight. Staff of the food. Absolutely awesome loved it.

Boomer

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Sarah was great server, friendly and very helpful in recommendations. Loved the food. Second time, we will be back for more!!

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Page 1 of 3

Ask the Community - Zest Sushi And Small Plates

Masa Sushi & Ramen - 2 pc unagi nigiri

Masa Sushi & Ramen

4.4(238 reviews)
5.3 mi
•$$

The facility this restaurant is open used to have my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant prior to…read morecovid that was closed during 2021 and since then I did not enter the shopping complex because I was so sad to saw that place close. This week my teen reminded me that a new Ramen place has opened in the same facility so I decided to give it a try. The ambience is cozy, though I found that tables are very close to each other, so it is very hard to keep a conversation going without you either disturbing the other table or worrying about having someone else listen to your conversation menu is fine. I did not care for sushi because I was there for Ramen. Besides, they have a vegetarian Ramen is what I was looking for, my daughter ordered a teriyaki Ramen. My vegetarian Ramen had a lot of tempura in it, which defeated the purpose a little bit for me because it was a little oily. The taste was more or less like a red curry and there was very less vegetables mostly it was sweet corn and one or two bok choy on the other hand my teen, who is very hard to please loved the teriyaki Raman and is already planning to go back this weekend to try the other ones , all in all I gave this place a four star because the umami of the Ramen was very comforting, even though I did not like the taste much

I took my boys to Masa Sushi & Ramen to celebrate my older son's birthday, and this year was a much…read morebetter one than last, when he spent his birthday in the hospital. So spirits were high right from the start. For the record, I've been here a handful of times before, usually for lunch, but this was my first dinner visit. Parking was easy and plentiful, and even though the restaurant was fairly busy, we were seated right away. Always a nice win. We kicked things off with a bowl of edamame that was perfectly salted. The boys went with miso soup, which was flavorful but came out lava hot. Like, ice-cube-required hot. Tasty, but proceed with caution if you have kids. For sushi, we kept it simple and solid with a mix of one classic and two specialty rolls: Spicy Tuna, Phoenix, and the Crunchy Roll. All were fresh, well-made, and hit the spot. Food came out quickly, service was friendly and attentive, and the overall value felt right. Since we live nearby, this will definitely stay in our regular rotation. A great, easy dinner spot for sushi with family.

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Masa Sushi & Ramen
Masa Sushi & Ramen - Tonkatsu Ramen - soooo good!

Tonkatsu Ramen - soooo good!

Masa Sushi & Ramen - 2 pc unagi nigiri

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2 pc unagi nigiri

Oiso - Another Bento Box

Oiso

4.6(355 reviews)
1.8 mi
•$$

This is my latest favorite Sushi place in Triangle. It is a Korean owned sushi place, so I love…read morethat this place has Korean seafood/sushi dishes. Oiso is in a big shopping center, so there is no headache when it comes to parking. But the parking does get busy during dinner/evening time. Service is superb. Everyone is so friendly, and service is top notch. This place is not super big, and it's never too crowded, where I do not get any service. It's perfect, and I hope it stays that way. My go-to dish is Hwedupbap. Think of it like a poke bowl, but Korean style :) I love the spicy + sour sauce (Chogochuchang sauce) that comes with the dish so so much. The portion is GENEROUS! I repeat: The portion is generous. Mama didn't raise a quitter, so I always finish my bowl. But it is hella big for anyone who loves to eat. It comes with lots of veggies and raw fish, and it's perfect. I cannot wait to go back to this place for more fish :)

What a great find! This adorable hidden gem felt like walking into a time warp back to when I was…read morestationed in Japan. There were only 3 people managing the restaurant, the server, sushi chef and a runner but they three of them were keeping the flow moving quickly. What we ordered: Fire Station Roll, Rainbow Roll, Crispy Rice with Salmon and steamed gyozas. Everything was delicious! It was my first time having crispy rice, my husband ordered it thinking it would be similar to fried rice but we were pleasantly surprised when it came out. I typically prefer fried gyoza but the steamed was perfect, they came with a lovely light but flavorful dipping sauce. My only critique is I would have liked low sodium soy sauce, I didn't ask for it so not sure if they offer it but I will next time.

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Oiso
Oiso - CHIRASHI DON

CHIRASHI DON

Oiso - Ebi Lover

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Ebi Lover

M Sushi - Cary

M Sushi - Cary

4.5(133 reviews)
1.3 mi

Ambiance is nice. I really like the food, it was a great experience and the service was superb. I…read moresat at the bar and my chef was in front of me, her name is Carina I believe. I ordered "Grand Omakase" and I liked that she's able to accommodate with how I want things. I also liked how she's very clean as far as preparing my food. This restaurant is a must try.

My view on sushi as a whole has completely changed...in an absolutely amazing way…read more Omakase Style: basically translates over as "I leave it up to you." The chef curates a multi course and highly personalized tasting menu. My wife and I had the pleasure to partake in this unbelievable experience for our 21st anniversary, and it was hands down one of the best meals we've ever had. Not this month, not just sushi, not just in NC...but one of the top meals of all time anywhere. We had the Grand Omakase, which came out to 10 courses in total. I won't go into detail on each and every course, but let's just say that each and every course was of the highest quality fish, sushi or meat we've had anywhere. From the sushi flown out straight from Japan, to the beluga caviar and A5 Wagyu, and everything in between. We've had sushi across the nation and overseas, 100s of times. This has taken the top #1 spot out of all of them, especially with what we were served in the Grand Omakase package. Impeccable service, 8 sushi chefs all working efficiently at once in an open style sushi kitchen, all within a classy (but not pretentious by any means) establishment. The Grand Omakase package here is one of those bucket list items for anyone who loves sushi, top shelf meats and fish, and enjoys a high level foodie experience.

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M Sushi - Cary - Bar area.

Bar area.

M Sushi - Cary - 1 of 8 from the Omakase Lite

1 of 8 from the Omakase Lite

M Sushi - Cary - M Special Maki

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M Special Maki

Sushi Mon - Tuna and otoro nigiri

Sushi Mon

4.5(459 reviews)
7.0 mi
•$$

Had a great meal here! We started out with edamame. Just…read morewish it was a little more salty but that's my own preference. The rock salt salmon was so yummy. We also had the black cod which was nice and buttery. Didn't realize it came with two handheld pieces and one played piece. Nice surprise! Had the seaweed salad which was good, very forward tasting. we had the truffle tuna roll and rainbow roll. both were fabulous. truffle tuna was tangy and clear cut. rainbow roll was so good we got it twice! simple but crispy and smooth. We came on a friday night, only waited about 20 minutes to be seated inside. our waiter was so nice and didn't mind us ordering a few things at a time. Would totally come back!

Visited Sushi Mon on a recommendation from a local. Initially I wasn't sure about it because…read moreseating was in what seemed to be the lobby of the building it's located in. Later I saw the actual restaurant is a bit small with a few tables and sushi bar so I'm thinking they have out grown their space and after eating the food I can understand how that happened. As mentioned it has a small footprint but we didn't wait long. Our server was very kind and provided excellent service. We started with the gyoza which were out of this world! They had the perfect char on the dumpling without making it too seared. The Sashimi plate was incredible, each piece of fish melted in your mouth. If I have to give one critique I'd say our yellow tail was still a little frozen but that didn't stop me from devouring it. Crispy Salmon Roll was light and refreshing and their Rainbow Roll was like no other I've had. My husband and I have two reference points when it comes to sushi; mine is Japan where I was introduced to it as a young Marine, his is Hawaii where had the most amazing sushi about 5 years ago. Not many places can compare to those experiences but Sushi Mon was VERY close!

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Sushi Mon - Inside. Sushi bar and dining room. This is pretty much it. They had additional seating outside in the office lobby which was weird.

Inside. Sushi bar and dining room. This is pretty much it. They had additional seating outside in the office lobby which was weird.

Sushi Mon - Nigiri Omakase. $45. Includes miso soup, chef's choice of 8 pieces nigiri, hand roll, tamago. See my review for description of each nigiri.

Nigiri Omakase. $45. Includes miso soup, chef's choice of 8 pieces nigiri, hand roll, tamago. See my review for description of each nigiri.

Sushi Mon - Inside. Sushi bar and dining room. This is pretty much it. They had additional seating outside in the office lobby which was weird.

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Inside. Sushi bar and dining room. This is pretty much it. They had additional seating outside in the office lobby which was weird.

Akami Sushi Bar - Shishito roll - special roll, not on the menu

Akami Sushi Bar

4.6(228 reviews)
6.4 mi
•$$

This is one of my favorite places to take people for sushi…read more Gas station sushi? Yes, please. Being completely honest, even my husband was skeptical when that's how I described it to him before our first visit, and now he shares in my joy in introducing people to this wonderful little spot. They do à la carte service, with some regular features, some specially curated; and some timed options. They close between lunch and dinner, to reset - but don't kick people out right at closing. I have seen other patrons tell people walking in as they are closing up, that they are closing up though, which is kind of cute, and helpful to the business.

Grabbed lunch here recently and had a great time!…read more First, there were a handful of dedicated parking spots for Akami, so that was nice :) We came kind of near closing so there were a few openings, but I'm not sure what it'd look like during peak hours. We were seated immediately and ordered quickly because of the aforementioned closing :) I got a couple of specialty rolls (the phat boy and the voodoo rolls) while my wife got a sashimi appetizer platter. The food was prepared quickly, and oh man, I was not ready for the amount of food I received. Next time, I'll definitely get one roll and then a couple of pieces of sashimi or something. Anyway, the voodoo roll in particular was super tasty! Maybe the best sushi I've had in the state. The phat boy roll wasn't bad but I'll probably skip that one next time. My wife enjoyed her sashimi as well. Service was polite and efficient throughout. Overall, I really liked Akami and would definitely come back!

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Akami Sushi Bar - Sushi counter with the specials highlighted

Sushi counter with the specials highlighted

Akami Sushi Bar - Spicy scallop hand roll

Spicy scallop hand roll

Akami Sushi Bar - Miso Soup

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Miso Soup

Wasabi Restaurant - Thai Dumplings

Wasabi Restaurant

3.7(314 reviews)
3.7 mi
•$$

UPDATE: I've visited Wasabi post-COVID a few times and it's still a pretty solid stop for pan Asian…read moretype cuisine. I am a bit disappointed that the days of BOGO sushi are no-more here but I've still enjoyed the Florida and Tokyo rolls here as they have been my go-to for years (so many work group dinners and lunchtime visits). The Teriyaki Chicken is still a solid choice as well, served with rice and some steamed veggies. Recently got to come here with a group of work colleagues and we started out with a great appetizer choice of the Wasabi Platter (spring roll, shrimp in blanket, satay, steamed gyoza, fried gyoza) plus a plate of the Fresh Basil Rolls (made of shrimp, chicken, lettuce, cilantro, cucumber, bean sprouts, carrots, basil leaves, vermicelli, rice paper, house made hoisin sauce, ground peanuts). The group at our table devoured these appetizers, good stuff. For my meal I went with what looked like a new selection on the menu, Chicken Katsu (panko chicken cutlet). I will note at this point that it did take a longer than expected time to get our main plates out to us, one at the table even said "we did put in our orders, right?" But when our meals arrived, it was worth the wait. With my chicken katsu, it was perfectly cooked (fried golden but not overdone), but the accompanying sauce and spicy mayo made this one even better. I would definitely get this selection again and hope it stays on the menu. Wasabi is still serving some of the best Asian meals in Cary and I am glad they have continued through the years in MacGregor Village.

We came on a Monday night. It wasn't very busy so we were immediately seated. The restaurant is…read morenice as it has many tables and the indoor decorations are welcoming. We started with the Edemame and crab puffs (aka krab rangoons). For one main course we had the wonton soup, fried rice, shrimp tempura roll, and Tom Ka soup. Everything came out super quick and was delicious!! We can't wait to come back.

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Wasabi Restaurant
Wasabi Restaurant - Tuna Truffle

Tuna Truffle

Wasabi Restaurant - Sesame chicken

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Sesame chicken

Zest Sushi And Small Plates - sushi - Updated May 2026

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