Matsuyama
939 Front St, Novato, CA, 94945
Matsuyama Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Novato for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
939 Front St
Novato, CA, 94945 - Phone (415) 209-9823
- Website https://www.matsuyamanovato.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 3:00pm
- Mon : 11:30 am - 3:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Sara C.
Good ramen here and they serve it with Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese Mixed Chili Pepper) so you can spice it up if you want (a salad was also included). The service is welcoming and friendly. They will explain the items on the menu if you ask. This is small place divided into sections with screens. There isn't a parking lot, but there is free street parking. I would come back again for ramen and try other dishes.
(3)John F.
This is an average Japanese restaraunt. They take no chances, it's competent but a bit uninspired. We had a tepid appetizer of edamame, luke warm and unspiced. Delivered with our main dishes, not as an appetizer as we requested. Our shrimp and veggie tempura was very good, the batter light and not overly oily or greasy. Rolls were ho-hum, just what you would expect, no stretch points. The most serious deficiency was the lack of real crab on the rolls. Rice was too chewy for my taste. Service was professional and non-chatty. Dinner came in at $34 before tip, with no alcohol but leaving us full and satiated. The Dunken Monkey in Trukee it ain't, but it's predictable and we had no regrets.
(3)Jonathan B.
Tiny spot visible from the corner of Diablo and Redwood Blvd. The store is really cute with a nice feel to it. They have higher quality food that is light and fresh and is really delicious. My only complaint is that the food comes in smaller portions than I'd like. Still a great place to come and dine though.
(4)Carol H.
I enjoy dining here because the food & service is always good. I never have to ask for more hot tea or water - they are watchful and arrive with the teapot & water pitcher in hand for refills. Really anything on the menu is tasty. Although, I like the tempura and teriyaki anything! Friendly, consistent and reasonably priced. Matsuyama is a regular on my dining out line up.
(5)Sophia O.
It's a pretty small place off away from downtown so it's pretty quiet. We usually go to Taki in Pacheco Plaza, but they were closed so decided to give this place a shot. The (mixed) sashimi appetizer is great! Big slices & great quality. You know sashimi is good when you don't need much soy sauce or wasabi. The dragon roll is awesome! The roll is only 5-6 big pieces for $10 ish. My 3yr old LOVED it! Who doesn't love a good dragon roll?!!! We also got the appetizer crispy egg rolls whatever they're called. Not your average egg roll. I think there was a bit of potato inside it as well as veggies. In any case, they were AMAZING and perfectly fried! Not overly greasy! Great food, but service was definitely lacking! First, they missed part of our order leaving my mom to wait for her food til I was almost done. Second, they filled our tiny cups so much that water spilled quite a bit. Doesn't help that the table was a bit wobbly too. Would I come again? Sure. I would just make certain to have our waitress repeat our order. Oh and the rolls are smaller than Taki, but also cheaper... But very similar quality. In all honesty, at this point I cannot say which has better food. Taki definitely wins for service & experience (including ambiance).
(4)Alexandra B.
Honestly, I was not very impressed with this place. I called in and ordered a sushi roll to go. After waiting about how long they told me it would be, I drove over to pick it up. Once I went inside, I awkwardly stood in the small entryway (feeling like I was blocking the entrance when people tried to come and go) for several minutes before being helped. Then once someone came and tried to seat me, and I explained what I was there for, they then just walked away and left me standing there even longer. I didn't know if they were still working on my order, or just "had better things to do". While I was there, I had time to look around. It's small (I could basically make eye contact with all the other customers while I stood in the entrance, ha ha), and older, plain and a little run-down looking. The outside also looks kind of dingy, and I didn't like how the parking area was not well-lit. Finally they called me to the back near the kitchen, and gave me my sushi roll. I asked if they had any sauces (at my old sushi place in Santa Rosa I got a type of spicy mayo), but all they had were packets of soy sauce and a little packet of one other spicy thing. No other options. So I left, ate my sushi roll, and decided that next time I want sushi, I will try a different place. Maybe if I ate there, rather than getting food to go, I would have a different opinion. I see this place has gotten a lot of good reviews, so I'm sure they have some really great food, etc. But considering there are a lot of options out there, if I'm not impressed the first time, why go back.
(2)Antonia M.
It's really great when you can return to a food establishment and the FOOD IS STILL GREAT !!! The boats are the best deal around; be sure to bring your appetite. What you may not know is that the onion rings are the BEST around (and I don't particularly care for onions). They are battered fried in Tempura batter and when you bite them, the onion stays intact and does not come apart from the batter - really amazing !
(5)Tara M.
This is my favorite place to get a Bento Box. (chicken teriyaki, rice, vegetable tempura). The sushi here is not good though, but if you're looking for a Bento meal to fill you up for only $12 its a steal. The service is amazing here, the staff always friendly, and the Bento Boxes are reasonably priced. Just stay away from the sushi and you'll be okay.
(5)Alena N.
Came for their lunch and the bento boxes are such a good deal! They come with plenty of food and all of it is $10.95 such a good deal for all that food. Don't recommend getting sushi here
(4)Brandon C.
I have been going to Matsuyama for many years and the staff is very kind and patient. Service is pretty prompt. This is not super fancy food. This is the kind of food a Grandmother from Japan would make you. This is the kind of place you could show up in your PJs and nobody would bat an eye (I have seen a few PJ wearing diners there). Have some miso, get some tempura and relax.
(5)abigail a.
My boyfriend, my son, and I came here a couple of evenings ago for dinner. Normally we go to another sushi spot but we were in the area, so we checked out the yelp reviews and decided to give it a try. Based on the restaurant's look outside, I can't say it was inviting. It's a small building that looks kind of rundown and unkept. Inside was nicer, though. Small, but pleasant. The background music was nice and soft, so table conversation was easy, as well as ordering with our waiter. It was neat and wasn't crowded. The service was good, in my opinion. We were greeted right away after walking through the front door, our drink orders were taken shortly after being seated, and we were continuously checked on. Our waiter was very professional and pleasant to talk to. He had an easiness about it that we really liked. The girl who brought us our water was kind if quiet but polite and attentive. Our food came out quickly, too. As far as the quality of the food, I would say it was ok. My son and I both got chicken teriyaki plates with the mixed tempura, and my boyfriend got some kind of soup (I forget which one). He says it was pretty good though. The dinner plates were pretty good, also. Chicken was good, teriyaki sauce was good. The beat thing was probably the tempura. I liked that the batter was light and didn't taste of heavy grease. Other than that, everything was pretty much like any other Japanese restaurant. We didn't try the sushi though, and to be honest, it's because of the reviews we read on yelp. Too many people agreed that the sushi wasn't the best and for my boyfriend and I, if we're gonna spend money on sushi, we like for it to be great, not mediocre. All that being said, I wouldn't mind coming here again if I was craving chicken teriyaki and rice. I think I'll stick to my normal spots for sushi, though.
(3)Claudia F.
Went to pick up an order and a saw one of the workers serving salad with her bare hands , not even gloves . That was enough to never ever go back .
(1)Lenka O.
This is my go to for when I want an awesome meal for a great price! The staff are always really helpful and nice. I have been coming here for as long as they have been opened and I've never left dissapointed!
(5)Jimmy P.
Try the deep fried spicy tuna roll!!!! Miso soup and salad is the best out there!!!!!
(5)Melissa D.
I've loved this place since high school. The sundrop roll is consistently made & amazingggggggggg. The lunch/dinner combos are great too. I like the avocado rolls & mixed tempura when I go that route. Give it a try!
(4)Greta S.
Great little Japanese restaurant. The staff is so nice and the food is great. I ordered a sushi boat special the first time I ate here- this was a great deal! More recently, I had the chicken teriyaki donburi bowl, which was also delicious.
(5)Cierra M.
My all time favorite sushi place in Novato. I've never had a bad experience here at Matsuyama. If you're looking for quality sushi I would seek elsewhere, but ice never been disappointed by the freshness here. Service is honest and quick (but not too quick) and food is exceptionally delicious for the price, which is cheap. My one recommendation would be to go for lunch. They have great bento box deals all under $11 and at least 20 different options. ENJOY!
(4)Sarah K.
My bf and I decided we wanted some type of Chinese/ Japanese food since our favorite Chinese restaurant is still closed. We stopped in, it was relativity busy we were seated. My bf and I have not eatin all day and we were hungry, so we ordered quite a few items. Now I'm not a skinny women, I do have some weight on me. Now if I could I would of rated them a 0 but I can't and the food is good, but the women who took the order from us made a comment about how much food we were ordering and the way it was said it was a response like oh your ordering a lot of food cause I was "Fat" this made my dinner sour! No one should complain about how much food you order, hell your getting bussiness and more money! Don't know if I will go back
(1)Yessica M.
I love this place. The quality is great, service is always good, and prices are reasonable. I always get the vegetable tempura udon and a bento box. It's so tasty!!!! I hadn't been here in years and came back this last week, definitely as good as I remembered it! My coworker loved it as well.
(5)Brandon A.
My Bento box was very good. The miso soup was that is to be expected nothing more. The service here is also very good. My favorite is the temperature shrimp. Very good quality.
(3)Colette P.
Great food, great service, and fair prices! Best sushi in Novato. Try the tempura veggies !!
(5)Diane C.
I love this place! The sushi is not the best, but I love the bento boxes and all other stuff. Staff is friendly.Love the tempura! We go there all the time, in fact my husband will be picking up dinner there for tonight. Yummy!
(5)Dee C.
My regular sushi place, Taki, is not open on Monday so we Yelped and found this spot. For the first time my fellow Yelpers have let me down. I am seriously questioning how this place can have 50 reviews and many 5 stars. The service was prompt and very courteous. Our order was taken within minutes of us sitting down and before we knew it, our food was there. ( YAY! Because I'm hungry!) Nothing about this dinner seemed fresh except the salad which consisted of iceberg lettuce, carrots and cucumber with a surprising tasty yellow dressing. What came as more of a shock than anything was the soy sauce. At first dip of sushi into my soy I thought my tongue was going to curl up and fall off. It was SOOOOOO salty! It was disgusting :( We asked for a replacement, we got it but it was just as bad as the first. I asked for a low sodium, it wasn't available. I asked that we get a credit for the items we had not eaten and the check. I got the check however it did not have a credit for the items. When I asked she looked at me like she didn't understand what I was asking. I tried to explain another way and still she just stood there. We ended up paying over $40.00 for salad, two sodas and 3 pieces of sushi. Do yourself a favor and hold out for sushi on a day other than Monday :)
(2)Tempura A.
My family and I ate here on a Monday afternoon because all the other reputable Japanese restaurants in Novato were closed. After we paid the bill and walked out, I regretted ever setting foot in Matsuyama, but at least my curiosity was satisfied for $30. Pros: Ginger beef was edible. Tonkatsu, though small and thin, about a quarter of the size one would expect to be served, was edible. Cons: Salad dressing was a bright canary yellow goop that tasted like overly-sweet garlic mustard. My better half didn't find it as offensive as I did, but he did say it was not appropriate for the cuisine. Poor quality medium grain rice was overcooked and had a subtle mothball flavour to it. Cooked fish was not fresh. The withered pickled cabbage was inedible to the point I spat it out onto my napkin. It tasted like rotten cabbage soaked in a saccharin marinade. Bento box portions were ridiculously small. A side of cold tofu consisted of a small bowl of teeny cubes--a suitable size for miso soup. It was not hiyayakko. Admittedly, it was my bad for assuming this. No air conditioning, so the dining room was uncomfortably warm. Did not refill our water glasses despite the hot day. The level of service was more like a fast casual restaurant. Word of advice: As much as I loathe Panda Express, which is a stone's throw away from Matsuyama, it would have been a MUCH better option. This was some of the worst Japanese food I have ever tasted.
(1)M M.
took 40 minutes to get our appetizers and another 45 minutes to get our meal. Udon soup was not good at all, I would have been happier with packaged top ramen! it had barely any flavor. my husnd go the udon noodles with chicken, it was edible but not worth our wait or the $11.95 it cost. WORST thing was the child's beef teriyaki plate we brought home for my little sister. she ended up feeding it to the dog and ate cereal for dinner. The beef looked like beef shaped dog treats anyway. Tempura and miso soup were good but no better than any other restaurant.
(1)Jessica M.
This is our go-to quick Japanese dinner around the block. Decent tempura, teriyaki, etc. Very friendly service.
(3)Tyrone V.
Matsuyama is slightly above average in their entrees and average in their sushi (of which comes in small-ish portions). I like the variety in their menu though: they have ramen, udon, and soba, in addition to the mainstays.
(3)Sandy B.
The worst Japanese restaurant I've eaten at ever. Everything had a funky "off" flavor. From the seaweed salad and cucumber salad (with gross funky imitation crab) to my tempura salmon roll which had a strange sharp chemical flavor that I figured out was the seaweed wrap. I wound up picking it apart and eating just the rice and fish. Really disappointing.
(1)Andranik P.
We frequent Matsuyama, and it's a fantastic place to eat from the friendly staff to the solid ambiance and music, and most importantly, the fantastic food! Pick up a big bowl of ramen or udon, try the great sushi, and take advantage of their awesome bento boxes!
(5)Desire R.
Good food, service
(5)Scott M.
My wife and I stopped in with our one year old the other night after moving into town. We'd driven by the restaurant multiple times, noticed it, but never really had thought of going in. Glad we did. There's another sushi place in Novato that we had been going to. It was always obnoxiously loud with children, but now that we have a toddler, we thought this became the sushi place for us breeders. The sushi was OK although the nigiri always had huge pieces of fish that were worthy of 3 bites and I don't like trying to bite through an oversized piece of OK raw fish. I'm no sushi snob. Ok, I've been to some top sushi places in SF and Seattle, but I'm no connoisseur. When we got into Matsuyama, it seemed alright. The staff was very welcoming and we were seated promptly. My wife got a variety of things and I, holding a squirming 1 year old, opted for the sushi dinner so I could reduce my thinking to a minimum. My meal came with the salad and miso soup. I donated my salad to my wife and we both had the miso soup. It was good and all that I really ask for in miso soup. Moving on. My dinner came out and it had the california roll and nice other pieces from the chefs selection. They were manageable in size and very attractively presented. My dinner was $13 or $14 which was a good deal for what I got. I'll definitely go back. Maybe takeout so I can enjoy my meal slowly after my son goes to sleep, but definitely will be back.
(5)Dan M.
Now usually I frequent Taki or Sushiholic but I was in the mood to try somewhere different tonight. I love Dai, great man and great sushi but my wallet is a little light right now so decided to try Matsuyama. I almost always go with the Yelp Reviews and the reviews were mostly positive. I ordered take out and drove to pick it up. Now the food comes out and it's huge but me I am thinking they put each roll in it's own container. There was a Large soup, and since we ordered two I didn't think to check it. We get home and it's all wrong. Good spread but didn't want teriyaki chicken and salmon I wanted sushi and so I call and go back to pick up my "right" order but noooooo it's not ready. We wait and while we are waiting she accuses us of taking a container. WOW! We get our food and go to the car only to notice our soups missing. My girlfriend goes back in and comes out with one soup when we had ordered two. By now I am PISSED off. So I decide no more, I will just be thankful for what I have and not return again. YOU THINK THAT'S THE END?? I asked for a Sunny Roll with real crab. I got a Sunny Roll and Fried Snow Crab. the miso soup was "me so pissed". NASTY! I judge a sushi joint by the Oshinko Maki. If the chef skimps, serves subpar oshinko or subpar rice then any sushi they serve would be of low quality. I got all three. The rice had a hint of fish smell and taste and there were three thin slices of crappy oshinko. If you want quality sushi at reasonable prices and you are in Novato, go to Taki or Sushiholic...... my stomach hurts...... no for real my stomach is aching right now.
(1)Julie G.
When I lived in Novato, this was my sushi place. I don't typically order rolls and tend to stick to the Nigiri (usually hamachi, ebi, anago, hirame, katsuo, maguro, sake, toro and katsuo) AND NOT ALL AT ONCE; just a list of my typicals! :-P I've never had an issue with the fish not tasting fresh. They have other items on the menu for the non fish lovers. Udon is one of my favorties on a cold day and this is not your typical plain fish stock and noodles; it's jammed packed with yummies- my favorite is the Nabeyaki udon that comes with a poached egg atop chicken, squid, bok choy, broccoli and a side of tempura. It's a lot of food for $13. The donburi is also very good. The last time I was there was for my going away/birthday dinner. I had the udon and a few pieces of nigiri with tons of leftovers the ladies also brought me a scoop of green tea ice cream with a candle in it and sang me happy birthday; very sweet! I'm surprised that others had such negative experiences.
(4)Allie R.
Very much like grocery store sushi. Not bad, but not what you would expect from a sushi restaurant.
(1)Pei W.
Very disappointed, the tamago was at the edge of being rott,en , with the price, should have at least fresh egg roll (tamago). We had 2 dinner box , food is good portion but the sushi rice is so hard and cold , it didn't taste like sushi rice at allall. The rainbow roll and the chirashi are pretty rough made , with not so freah raw fish on top. We also ordered a tampura udon , which the broth is pretty sour (so weird) . Regardless the food , the restaurant is ok and the servers are very friendly. I don't think we will come back again , cause with the price and food quality we could find somewhere else so much better.
(1)Ann P.
I really, really wanted to like this place - but I will never go back. I wish we'd had the experience others apparently had! Service was horrible....in all fairness, it was crowded when we first got there, but we were still seated right away - which was the only thing I can say was good about this place - oh, and the prices were good, too. But when you don't really like what you're eating, is that still a good deal? Even though things thinned out considerably while we were there, the service still sucked...it took a long, long time for our food to come, and when it did, it was cold. Rolls, tempura rolls and the unagi were all cold, and they got our order wrong by putting the tobiko on the wrong roll. Just not good...all the way around.
(1)Alice K.
When I was in high school and I made minimum wage, I saved up for this place. While it changed over the years, I find the minor imperfections endearing. Service is short and sweet, which is what I like. I like that they are straight to business but still courteous. If you have an issues with understanding the menu options, they are very patient and quick to inform you. The ambiance of the place is soothing, with the music being where it's supposed to be; in the background. My friends say the sushi isn't as good as it used to be. I wouldn't know. The salad and the miso is very good. The tempura never fails me, and neither do the entrees. Knowing what you order has a lot to do with how you'd enjoy it. The lunch and bento-box special is pretty generous and fairly-priced. If you go in at an earlier time with a friend, it'd only be around $20 to get you both full of good food and have enough to tip. I hated growing up in Novato. Matsuyama is one of the top few reasons I ever venture back.
(5)William W.
I've have been going here for over ten years . It has only started to get worse and worse in the last two years . John I hope you wake up and smell the sushi soon or your Shop will go down like your food and service...
(1)Malison M.
Best Japanese food in Novato, hands down. It's actually comparable to my hometown area in San Mateo where you can trip and fall into an awesome Japanese restaurant. Everyone who works in the restaurant is extremely friendly and the Sukiyaki is some of the best I have had. We tried various types of sushi, unagi-don, some appetizers, miso, salad, tempura, and the sukiyaki. Everything was great! Definitely going back. They blow Taki out of the water. I should also mention ALL OF THIS FOOD only cost us $53.
(5)Jennifer W.
I got the beef sukiyaki lunch to go, and it was some of the best sukiyaki I've had besides my mom's (my personal gold standard). My previous visits here have always been awesome, and the service is always welcoming and nice.
(4)Casey D.
I'm obsessed with Matsuyama!! This is my main sushi joint for sure. the prices are right, the food is terrific, and my girl Winnie is the bomb. I've been coming here for years and will continue to eat here for as long as I'm alive. The salad dressing is delicious, the soup great, deep fried tofu yum, rice yuuuummmm, california roll yuuuummmmm mmm! I just love Matsuyama.
(5)Paul S.
I have been going to Matsuyama's for years with my parents, both at their original location and the new location that they moved to. The service was quick and friendly. Our waitress was very personable. I had their 2 item bento box dinner and split a sunshine roll with my mom. The beef teriyaki was tasty. Not all Japenese restaurant's teriyaki sauces are the same, this one's is very good. The tempura was very crispy, which is how it should be and exactly how I like it. No soggy tempura for me. The sunshine roll, tempura prawn wrapped in rice and covered with salmon and tobiko was very delicious too! I highly recommend Matsuyama's for Japenese food in the Northern Marin vicinity!
(5)Miss G.
ZERO STARS! I only marked 1 star because I had to. This was the most horrible restaurant experience I have EVER had, and I am a low maintenance customer. When I politely shared how dissatisfied I was with their "ramen", they basically told me too bad. I didn't eat more than 2 bites and they still made me pay for half of it. I am not looking for a free meal anywhere, but in my 10+ years in the restaurant service industry, we would never treat a customer like this. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR REAL JAPANESE RAMEN, DO NOT COME HERE. I understand that we aren't in Japan, but they all looked authentically Japanese. I guess I am just accustomed to the San Francisco ramen houses who know how to properly execute their dishes. The manager wouldn't even come out and talk to me. The employee REFUSED to go back and talk to him/her after I said it is not okay that you are handling business this way. She said. "That's fine. We have regulars." I got to see some of their regulars about to leave the place as I sat down. Drink enough sake, I guess anything tastes good. I will NEVER be coming here again. And I HIGHLY suggest you dont waste your time or money. What a crappy scene in one of the best days ever.
(1)T B.
I've passed by this restaurant many times on the way home, and finally tried it out a few weeks ago. I ordered the combination tempura/chicken teriyaki combination. For lunch, it's a little under 9 dollars, and for dinner it's about 13 dollars. I agree with some of the other reviewers in that the tempura is done quite nicely, with a nice crispy batter that isn't overdone. The chicken teriyaki was also nicely done. In fact, the taste is about the same as you would find in other Japanese restaurants around the greater area. Portions were slightly smaller in terms of the chicken teriyaki, compared to Taki's, but that suits me fine as I don't like to eat too much. Overall though I was impressed by the quality of the food and will definitely try the other items in the future.
(5)Jennifer L.
They have really good bento boxes!! The service is really good, we enjoy eating there at least once a week!!
(5)Diane D.
If there is a better Japanese restaurant than this, it's in Japan!! Beautiful atmosphere, wonderful, friendly, knowledgeable servers, extensive menu with pictures, fresh, fresh fish for the BEST sushi and sashimi. Great prices and I'm going back tomorrow! My new #1 favorite!
(5)Luke S.
Awesome. I come here on my birthday and breakup dinners
(5)B K.
The food here is decent however the service is atrocious. The servers are rude To the extreme that I left a one dollar tip both times I went here. I usually am a 20% to 25% tipper Because I believe service also makes a meal. I would never go here again
(3)Stewfan R.
This is my go to place for lunch. Food is good, staff friendly and remembers what I get. Decent prices and good variety. Must be good cause its always packed when I go.
(5)Ann-Marie S.
Don't judge a book by it's cover on this restaurant. I've driven by this restaurant for many, many years, but never went inside as it always looked dark and quiet. Strangely enough, there were always many cars parked out front and in the parking lot. I finally decided to give it a shot and was very pleasantly surprised!!! Not only was the price incredible, but the amount of food I was able to get was also fantastic! I love Japanese food, but rarely get it because of the cost. With Matsuyama, I can now enjoy Japanese food more frequently!
(4)JM C.
Great salad! Udon is fresh! Excellent tempura!
(4)Ashley R.
Everytime I come here they remember me. Best, hands down veggie tempura, and star roll ever.
(5)Darren C.
First off, I like the is place. It was good. Good Sushi, Good Service, Good Prices. Now for my review. I seriously had to talk my coworker into going to this place with me. When we pulled up to it he said "What THIS place!" He and I have both had often driven by this sort of nondescript, semi-dated looking restaurant that had no resemblance to the hip sushi places of modern day. Heck I wasn't sure if it was even open. It look like 1970s Marin, a back in the day place that hasn't kept up with the times. He made me Yelp it to read the reviews before he went in. Good reviews so in we went. Maybe we're sushi snobs and expect the servers to be in all black and the place to be super hip. The servers weren't and the place wasn't. But the server was really really friendly and helpful and the sushi came very quick and it was very very good. The place was quite too, and did not have those tiny narrow tables for two so close to the next tables, so you couldn't hear yourself think. The place was busy, but never too loud. It was actually very pleasant. I sort feel like I found a little gem of a sushi place here, and would recommend it to anyone. Thumbs Up!
(3)Doug G.
Initial impression was that it is run by Chinese, not Japanese. Ordered Chashu Ramen. The waitress didn't understand when I asked for "chashumen", which is more commonly used. The salad was ordinary and the sweet vibrant yellow dressing tastes like McDonald's honey mustard sauce. Chashu was sliced and tasted Chinese and was grilled, not slow cooked. Soup base tasted Chinese as well. Noodles were overcooked. For Chinese food, it would be fine, but don't think for a minute that it is Japanese food.
(2)Andrew W.
Best lunch combo in town if you want sushi and you can get it for dinner too! The tempura is good, all their terryaki is good! The sushi is good, basically it's all good! The combo comes with a salad and some miso soup, delicious and not to pricey! The sake is served warm and cold if your drinking and the staff is always very friendly and helpful. If your in town try it.
(5)Dave M.
We've been going to Matsuyama for years. It has a pleasant atmosphere, the food is consistent and tasty, and the service is good. It's got a "mom and pop" feel to the whole experience. It's not upscale dining, but that's not usually what we want. We want a decent dinner place for a relaxing meal before a movie. Their three-item combo, with soup and salad, is our regular choice. The mixed tempura, California roll, and gyoza are some of our favorites. We've never ventured too far into the sushi menu, nor do we eat a lot of Japanese food, so I can't address the finer points of comparing it to other restaurants, but considering that we discovered it by chance, and have been coming back regularly for years, this earns five stars for what it is: An unassuming dependable, small, yummy, simple, Japanese restaurant.
(5)Ahna P.
Not a fan of their sushi one bit. The rice rim on the rolls is at least 1/2-3/4" thick. Then the rolls them selves are cut into huge pieces, not bite sized mouth friendly circular yummy-ness. But! The cooked food is pretty darn tasty. The Ramon is great, nice fresh veggies tossed in. And the little bottle of spicy powder they serve with it adds just enough zing. I agree with my pal Christine, the bio-hazard colored dressing is very off-putting. But just add a few pours of soy sauce. The flavors balance out so much better. Sort of cuts through the mayo based dressing.
(3)Akdov T.
On one hand they're nothing to write home about. The food is decent but not inspiring or even particularly authentic. Rice, fish, lettuce with weird orange dressing over it, On the other hand they're cheap. $7,50 or so for a two-item combo lunch. Does every meal you eat need to be spectacular? Sometimes you want to drop a five and change and get a basic meal that's good for the price. And that's what this place is good for. The true joy of this place is shrimp by the shrimp. You can order, Ã la carte, as many tempura shrimp as your wallet and stomach can handle for $1.50 apiece. It's genius. At the end of your meal you're still feeling a little hungry? Measure your remaining hunger in UNITS OF SHRIMP. Even if you don't buy any shrimp by the shrimp, just knowing that they're there if you need them is oddly comforting.
(4)Elle Q.
While not great, Matsuyama is a reasonably affordable lunch option. Their bento boxes are a good value, the service is pretty good, and the food is decent. I still prefer Taki (and Sushiholic), but as this place is convenient to where I work, I'm sure I'll drop in again from time to time.
(3)Ruben M.
Cheap decent sushi and the only place in Novato to get Ramen. Great value.
(4)Roy C.
For lunch, their Bento Box is decent. The best Japanese food I've tried so far in Novato. Way better than Sushiholic yelp.com/biz/sushiholic-…
(3)GHADA Y.
This used to be my favorite sushi in Novato. Last time I was in town, my mom and I had a hankering, so I went and picked it up. It's under new ownership!!! I didn't see the funky Japanese gal who always rocked the side pony smiling as I walked in the door. Nor the slight, sweet looking Japanese man that I'd see if the side pony gal wasn't there. They both worked or owned the original location in San Marin plaza. I was so happy to learn that they re-opened at the Front St. location several years ago. Now, it seems, it is under new ownership. Though friendly, the food was, well, bad. Nothing tasted good or fresh. Just blah. Next time I'm in Novato, I'll make the trek to Take in Ignacio. It's always been a good second to Matsuyama.
(1)Cristy R.
Went to this place Friday night. It was TERRIBLE. I would not suggest this place to my worst enemy. The service was bad, the sushi was even worse. Cheaper than some places, but someplace like Sushi Ran or Sushi to Dai For is much better and similar price. Don't suggest it at all.
(1)Erik U.
I'm not hating just so you know. I've only been to Matsuyama 30 times so, take my word for it. I was bumed when they went on vacation. This is the best place to go for a cheap lunch for sure. The fish though, I have to admit has never been the greatest quality. Portions were always great but one thing that bugged me is that this is the only sushi place in Novato without a sushi bar. I can't see my fish! I can't talk to the chef, it's all hidden. The place is in an old KFC building and kinda small. I used to frequent this place once a week without fail until sushi holic rolled up to Novato. I don't hate the place, but they need to step up the quality to compete for my service, since they can't compete on any other level. Honestly the only reason I'd ever go back is that it's 2 minutes from my house.
(3)Laurel F.
I've always thought that getting Japanese food To Go was kind of a strange concept; it is usually an expensive cuisine, presented in lots of small dishes and bite sized portions, and so much of what is wonderful about it is the presentation on the plate. Not exactly the kind of food you want to pay a lot for only to see it stuffed into Styrofoam boxes. That being said, we usually get food To Go from Matsuyama at least once at week. As other reviewers have noted, their food is "homestyle" Japanese - what my father affectionately calls "peasant Japanese"- and this style of food and the reasonable prices perfectly lend themselves to carry out. Their food isn't fancy, and this isn't the place I'd go if I really wanted top notch sushi, instead, they do a good job with the basics: ramen, udon, soba, teriyaki, and tempura. This isn't going to be the best bowl of ramen of your life, but it's yummy and satisfying and the price is right. The sushi is actually perfectly tasty, it's just not on the level of the more serious and expensive sushi places in the city. We love the yam tempura appetizer (finally, the best part of vegetable tempura offered as it's own dish), wakame (seaweed) salad, niku (beef) udon, beef teriyaki, and the sukiyaki. They offer some nice bento boxes and combination "boat" dinners for reasonable prices and have large portions. They have a wider selection of menu items than many Japanese restaurants, with lots of appetizers, entrees, and side dishes. The interior of the restaurant (a remodeled 1970's KFC) is clean and decorated with lanterns and other Japanese decor, and the service is prompt and pleasant. While they sometimes have an off night, they deserve four stars due to the reasonable prices and good solid food. Matsuyama is one of those reliable neighborhood restaurants that you are glad to have around, and are happy to pick up food from when you want to vegetate at home and still eat a comforting bowl of sukiyaki.
(4)Joey J.
A friend of mine and I always used to laugh at their commercials in the mid-90s. "In Japan, Matsuyama means Mountain Pine. In Novato, Matsuyama means restaurant that gets less business than Tijuana Taco." Okay, they didn't mention the Tijuana Taco part in the commercial (it was something about fine Japanese dining. As an aside, if anyone has any footage of the Bali Hai kid, that and several other early-to-mid 90s Novato cable commercials, well that's prime YouTube material). Fortunately, business has picked up for them since then. It's not bad Japanese food though, and if you're not in the mood to drive down to Sausalito, this is a decent alternative.
(3)christine e.
mediocre at best. Salad had some bizarre bright yellow dressing on it. Not the typical miso/mayo mix. It looked biohazardous. The fresh raw fish was very warm, that's scarey! Teensy unagi pieces in the unagi roll. That artificial pink ginger stuff as well. Me no likey.
(2)Resa G.
Great service, food and fair pricing. I typically prefer to have sushi in the City, but Matsuyama was not at all a disappointment. Sometimes, one can get sashimi that has that "fishy" taste, but every type of sashimi and sushi I had here tasted very fresh. Their staff is very accommodating and right on point when bringing your sake and beer! You've GOTTA love that!
(5)Amara R.
This is THE worst Japanese restaurant I have ever been to. If it can be called Japanese at all. I'll explain: As I was waiting for my order to go I overheard the cooks and staff speaking Chinese! My eyes immediately widened with doubts. Don't get me wrong, I love the Chinese and the staff deserves 5 stars, but what are they doing making Japanese food?! The approach and style are completely different. Anyways, on to the food. Horror was the next expression to wash over my face when I opened the to go box. It consisted of everything I ordered but looked nothing like it should. The rice was rolled into a ball and had tin foil wrapped around it which created a metallic taste. I shudder at the memory. The teriyaki salmon was a thin, dry, limp piece of pink matter that smelt like fish tank. The aftertaste is similar to a make out session with a smoker. The avocado roll was the biggest fail of the meal. It actually looked like an avocado roll but disappointed me thoroughly. It was prepared without the Su, the vinegar and sugar that is added to the rice to create the tangy sweet taste. No miso served and a laughable salad on the side. If the food were good, even decent, it would have been worth the money but it was neither. I should have known. Most restaurants that look like they were formally an A&W usually disappoint.
(1)Duckie A.
I don't eat raw fish so this review is based on the cooked items on the menu. I LOVE BENTO BOXES!!! Yummy!!!! My favorite thing to get here is the 3 item menu with Shrimp Tempura, Beef Teriyaki and Tonkatsu. It's the thing I always get cause its the thing I want the most. The place is very clean and the staff is always nice. The price of the meals is very reasonable too! When I need Japanese and I'm working out in Novato, you will surely find me here. ^_^
(5)Kathryn F.
This restaurant is decent. The food isn't rave worthy, but the various dishes I have had are all good.
(3)Deric H.
We go here for work alot (not because I want to). Bento box is nasty. I love sushi, but this place is a sorry excuse for sushi. Steer clear, or at least make sure it is fried and dead.
(1)Jackie M.
I was having a craving for tempura, so we got some take out from Matsuyama. The tempura was delicious, it stayed nice and crisp even after being carries home. The Ton Katsu (I got the combo) was a little on the dry side, but the sauce made up for that. The combo came with a salad and miso soup, very traditional Japanese style for both of them, very enjoyable. With so little Japanese food in Novato, it's nice to find there is at least one good place to get my fix.
(4)Claudia M.
This place was really good. I highly recommend this place. Because of their wonderful sushi and atmosphere. They have reasonable prices, the prices have never gone up since they opened. I commute here from San Francisco because it is totally worth. I love all the specialty rolls. I like the homemade salad dressing because it makes the salad taste delicious. The sushi tasted so fresh when I take my first bite everytime I come there. I was very satisfied with the service. They also have one wonderful chef that cooks excellent sushi.
(5)Erik H.
The sukiyaki and the ramen are good. I recommend this place to anyone wanting good Japanese food.
(4)Andrew S.
I have been a customer since the original restaurant was in San Marin shopping center. My wife and I eat here usually once a week and love the sushi. It is fresh, tasty and reasonably priced. Also if you like greasy fried stuff, try the garlic chicken...yum! The staff is nice, the locale is quaint...what more could you want in Novato?
(4)Brittany S.
When this place was in the San Marin shopping center, my friends and I went there all the time. The sushi was great back then. What the hell happened? The sushi is AWFUL now. I suspect they may not have a sushi chef anymore - just a cook in the kitchen. Anyway, that being said, the cooked dishes are still very good and reasonably priced. My favorite is the Sabayaki, you don't see it on many menus outsides of San Francisco, but its delicious. Its a piece of brined mackerel broiled, if you're into seriously fishy fish, this is a winner. Mackerel has 3x the omega 3's of salmon, so give it a try sometime.
(3)Scott N.
For what it is this is a good place. It's a cheap Japanese lunch joint (at least my use of it). They have Ramen and Udon at decent prices, they have a great bento box setup. This isn't the best sushi in the Bay Area by far, but for Novato not bad, and a great cheap eat for lunch. Service is friendly, and usually very quick. I've started eating here at least once a week as a good place to get my soup fix. I've had sushi here a couple of times, and it's good, but don't expect excellent, just good. Updating - I'm dropping this place a star. The staff are friendly, but the quality of their udon and ramen has definitely gone down quickly since they opened. Not sure what it is - but the broth tastes very strange and it didn't before.
(3)Sober L.
I like this place a lot. The food is good every time im here and the pricing fits my budget. Get everything. It's all delicious.
(4)T J.
Well, once again, we were totally disappointed. They used imitation crab (yuck) in the california rolls. The cucumber salad was just a bunch of chunks of cucumber (not cut nicely) and some immitation chunks on top, w/ a side of rice vinegar to pour on yourself. (Huh??) The roll were chewy, old-like and kind of tough. The maguro tuna was nasty! It was definitely NOT fresh at all. It looked real pink but it did not melt in your mouth and it had a weird "off" flavor. I thought I was going to throw up. Seriously. I ate it though, downed it w/ sake ! This was definitely one of the worst PLACES. Too bad, the place was kind of nice on the inside, and had a friendly wait staff. (Except i didn't like the fact that our server had on dirty nasty tennis shoes and talked like he was high on weed. (The half jap guy)) A girl sitting across from us boasted how "excellent" it was when she paid. OMG Have these people ever REALLY had good sushi??? NEXT.............
(1)Lauren T.
Decent Japanese in Novato? Surely you jest.
(4)A M.
I used to eat at Matsuyama all the time, especially for their lunch and dinner combo specials which are really affordable. I always knew that the quality of their sushi wasn't great, but its a good place to get teriyaki, tempura, noodles, etc. About a month and a half ago I went in and was really unimpressed with the sushi I got there--the rainbow roll I got was so skimpy with the sashimi slices on top, and the tuna roll didn't taste great. However, I still thought it was a decent place to go, again because they have good food besides sushi. A few weeks ago I decided to get one of the lunch specials to go, with chicken teriyaki, california roll, and hamachi (yellowtail) roll. I bit into my first piece of hamachi and it was like biting into a tough piece of fat in a steak--it was so bad that I spit it out. I looked at it, and it pretty much was a lumpy piece of fat. When I looked at the other pieces, I noticed that they were equally as bad. I've never been served sushi that was as disgusting as that was, it was completely unedible. I felt like because I was getting my food to-go they felt that they could give me a cut of fish that really should have been thrown out since I wouldnt be there to send it back. I was highly disappointed, and won't be ordering any sushi there again.
(2)Alex C.
I do not really eat a lot of sushi so I am not really a great judge of Japanese restaurants. We had cooked items the other night here and everything was pretty good. As LW points out, the main waiter was a little out of place and the service in general was confused. I was thinking to myself, "Listen I wish I spoke Japanese, but I am really not understanding what you are trying to indicate?" But Marla is right that the place is a good value. We ordered the safe stuff and I am not offended by imitation crab as LW is. The interior is pretty nice, except I honestly feel uncomfortable in a Japanese restaurant without a sushi bar, even though I rather not sit at one. I guess I take the whole "see"-food thing rather literally. Based on what we had, they deserve their three stars, but we will not hurry back.
(3)m s.
com'on a sushi place in Novato of all places, this is already a disadvantage. I decided to give it a chance, and well I was right. I think the owners are Chinese trying to sell sushi to all the people of Novato. Be warned the fish in the dishes are like artificial crab and the takeout service is horrible. Go here if you want to eat 'sushi' fast food made of artificial seafood...
(2)