Matsuri restaruant - Baltimore - TravBuddy

My brother and I have been to this place several times. We are big fans of Japanese food, but we think this place is just OK. We go there when we have to find some place to eat in Downtown. It is located in the heart of the Federal Hill, surrounded by lots of bars and it’s easy to find the spot to park the car. The moment I walk into the restaurant, I feel like I’m in a small sushi bar somewhere in Tokyo. The décor is cozy and eclectic at downstairs. The upstairs is decorated more traditional Japanese style. The atmosphere is friendly and the service is quick.

Come to the main part – food. My brother and I agree that the food from sushi bar is not great. The sashimi is not fresh. The sushi is just OK, even though they have a lot of choices. We’ve tried a spicy tuna roll once and we felt really bad about it. They would probably mix tuna with some sought of Vietnamese Shiracha sauce, which ruined the taste of tuna. We are quite picky about the spicy sauce. You know we have Thai tongues. However, they do have great bento boxes. The bento boxes come with miso soup and salad. Whenever I have sashimi in my bento box, I always ask my brother to finish it for me. My bro loves their beef sashimi. This is the only Japanese restaurant in Baltimore that serves beef sashimi so far. The thin slices of raw beef with vinaigrette and cucumbers are just perfect. Also, the seafood tempura is also great; they have scallop, soft shell crap, shrimp and fish. This is worth the price.

If you happen to be in Baltimore downtown and crave for Japanese food, this one would be doable for you.