Matoi

Wow I had one of the bestest omakase in my life. At first I was skeptical since the chef was non Japanese but wow food and drink were one of the best!I can tell chef Tj is veryyy passionate about what he does and serious about good eating. I looooooved every bite and I can't wait to try different season fish.The ladies were very nice. The place is very small but intimate. I wish I could eat the goodness little sooner but chef TJ had a lot of interesting informations to share during his prep so I really enjoyed full 2 hours and 30min dining experience. I would love to come back here again. Really really loved the food and taste, my favoriteeee omakase ever

Still one of our favorite omakase experience in San Diego. One of the best with quality, variety, service and entertainment. Chef TJ still making sushi fun and exciting and no shame with making us eat sushi the way he wants us to eat it (no additional soy sauce and 90s gangster rap blasting in the background). We always have a good time here! Make resos thru Tock and pay the deposit. It's a small bar area but the omakase is to die for!!! We love the jabara toro and the nodoguro. Uni doesn't have any funk tasting and it's the only uni I enjoy. Their chawanmushi is always so delicious too. We tried recreating that at home with no luck though... worth the price, come and eat sushi while listening to 90s gangster wrap.

Sadly, after 12 years in San Diego, I will be soon departing to Minnesota next month (May 2024) and so, my friend, a hardcore sushi foodie (a.k.a. snob!) who regularly eats out at famous sushi joints in US and Japan, took me here for my farewell "real" sushi dinner. And what we had was very likely the most authentic Edo Mae = 江戸前 or Tokyo style = THE OG sushi in SD! Actually, the chef TJ is an American from Utah but trained in Japan (and even opened the first Matoi there in Tohoku) before he moved back here and opened this restaurant. He is very serious about mastering and serving legit Edo Mae. We tried his sushi omakase course + additional pieces = about 20 different types of fishes - all directly flown from Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo and some of these are rare to find in US, like ishidai (striped breakfish), ainame (fat greenling) and shogo (baby kanpachi = greater amberjack). All nigiris were excellent but stand outs include kohada (gizzard shad), aji (Japanese horse mackerel), nama dako (raw octopus) and tamago (omelette). Of which, kohada, which is prepared as "sujime" or pickled with rice vinegar, is the most important fish in Edo Mae Sushi and often used to test the craftsmanship of sushi chefs. TJ's kohada was truthful to the classic and achieved the right balance between vinegar and salt which masterfully brought out kohada's delicate umami. We were also impressed that he prepared two types of sushi rice; one with regular rice vinegar but the other with red vinegar (made from pressed sake lees) which was actually the way sushi rice or "shari" was used to be often prepared in Tokyo. My friend said chef TJ maybe the only one in San Diego following this tradition, which isn't commonly practiced even in Japan. Matoi offers two time slots: one starting at 5 pm and the other at 7:30 pm. We started at 5 pm and wanted to try more fishes but unfortunately run out of our time because the next groups for the 7:30 slot were waiting. So, if you want to try more sushi, then the later time slot is recommended. (TJ said there is a "secret" third slot starting at 10:30 pm-ish mostly for his regulars occasionally... but he already invited us to come back for the secret slot after the first visit... so, it may be that you just need to ask for!). Even though TJ is not a Japanese, he very likely serves the most authentic Edo Mae sushi in SD and he is the only sushi master at Matoi - meaning you can really count on his quality control; I cannot stress enough the craftsmanship matters as much as or even more than fishes (and rice) for REAL sushi. I have had rather disappointing experiences at other famous sushi restaurants (even in Japan) when sushi was not prepared by less qualified sushi chefs. BTW, because TJ is so serious about serving you the truly authentic Edo Mae Sushi experience that he could prepare in SD, he asks his customers to follow the etiquette which is prominently posted on Matoi's homepage. You better follow the etiquette, because these rules really enhance your sushi experience! And if you do not follow these rules, as keeping the well-established Japanese tradition (as I was taught as a kid growing up there; obviously I wasn't good at following...but...), he will ask you to leave - just like any true sushi master in Tokyo will! So, Matoi is HIGHLY recommended for the most authentic Edo Mae Sushi experience in San Diego, IMO, including the sushi etiquette. BUT no needs to be fearful; I found TJ is very friendly, highly knowledgeable (ask him any sushi related questions!) and a nice guy!

I love that this place is located in a parking lot especially since it's located in convoy area. There was plenty of parking, the restaurant is easy to find, and it was seamless making reservations. You have to put a card/deposit down. Okay moving on....Omg. Omg. Omg. This was one of the best omakase experiences I've ever had in my life. Everything was so fresh, tasty, and unique compared to other experiences I've had. We ended up ordering more marinated tuna and perch because they were so stinking delicious. My friend and I went on a Thursday at 5:00pm. Definitely have to make reservations for this place. We were lucky and happened to be the only ones in the restaurant at the time and got a one on one experience with the chef. Chef TJ is so knowledgeable, passionate, personable, and sweet! He talked to us about his time and training in Japan and educated us about the different fish. I'm definitely coming back again. I cannot say enough great a things about this restaurant.

A delicious omakase in San Diego! Shoutout to our cousin for taking us here!We had a reservation at 7:30PM for a Saturday evening meal. I believe we were sat on time and we got right into drinks and the course. Staff was friendly checking in on us and Chef TJ was fun, positive, and created a great omakase environment! I won't go into too much detail of each fish (as the menu can change with each service), but for the value, I thought it was an amazing meal! Parking is relatively easy to find in the plaza. I'm headed back to San Diego next week...so I'm going to have Matoi again :D twice in 2-3 weeks is my kind of vibe!

This is normally way out of my budget, but treated a friend of mine to a birthday dinner and we still talk about it! An incredible experience, I've never had an omakase like this before. The menu is so unique, and the flavor combinations that chef TJ comes up with are mind blowing. It's an intimate setting and you have to reserve your spots in advance. Well worth the money in my opinion! We are trying to find another excuse to book. Doesn't have a Michelin star yet, but 100% deserves it. Can't wait to go back!

I have known Chef TJ for some time, first enjoying his cuisine about 5 years ago. The man is an absolutely phenomenal genius of a sushi chef. Chef TJ continually challenges your palate with new and interesting fish. He always has whatever is fhe best, freshest fish at the time you enjoy his true Omakasa. Others have written out long list of what they were served or taken photos of the menu on the day that they got to enjoy the work of Chef TJ, I see no need to do that because each experience is different, each time you are lucky enough to dine with Chef TJ. What I ate will have no reflection on what you may be served. Now if you are lucky enough to have my very favorite cooked dish and I have added a photo of it below with a description attached as a caption. The restaurant itself is in a strip mall and inside as well as outside literally looks like a sushi bar in Japan. Also the best Uni and Scallops are from Hokkaido just like Chef TJ was reported to have said.

This obscure Japanese restaurant was truly exceptional. This was our first Omakase experience and the sushi bar ambiance, attentive service and friendly conversation with both the chef and fellow guests created a truly unforgettable experience. They have two seatings, 5:00pm and 7:30pm and the place only seats about 11 or 12 people at a time. They require a deposit when making a reservation...oh yes, you MUST have a reservation. But the deposit is returned a couple of days after purchasing the meal. The food was beautifully crafted and incredibly fresh. Every bite involved meticulously paired flavors and textures. The chef explained the origin of the dishes and the best way to savor each unique taste. The Omakase experience included 12 courses with a trio of appetizers and dessert. We opted for the Sake pairing and it was worth it in every way. They over pour the Sake into a box, so once you have finished the glass, you tip the contents of the box into your glass for a second serving. The experience felt like a gathering of old friends, with the chef sharing stories and insights along the way. We can't wait to go back!

The original place we wanted to go was closed on this day and Matoi was our second choice.We had a reservation for 7:30pm. There were 11 people total at the bar for this private experience. You got 90s hip hop in the background and chef TJ who has amazing sense of humor as he speaks in Japanese to the staff and English to us.Matoi was the right choice and worth every penny. One of my favorite was the soup that came out in a tea pot. I managed to have room for a hand roll and was just delicious.

Matoi which I think means to wrap up or envelop, like sushi im guessing or are we being enveloped in the sushi experience? Matoi is a high end omakase only place ($165). Owned and run by Chef TJ who was trained in Japan and worked in high end sushi restaurants around town.The meal started with 3 small appetizers, mozoku (seaweed), ankimo (monk fish liver) and hotaru ika (firefly squid) I liked all three of the items, the seaweed was flavorful and had a great texture, the ankimo had good flavor like a mild foie gras, the firefly squid were very tender.Sashimi plate came with Toro, Maguro, Hirame, Mirugai, Aji tataki, kanpachi and koshodai (sweet lips). I loved all of them, but I was glad that Mirugai (geoduck clam) was included and it was the first time I had Koshodai.The grilled dish was a miso marinated Ebodai. it was very delicate, but a bit too soft for me but I was glad to have tried another new fish. I didn't dislike it just not something I'd go out and order myself. It also came with a whole fried river crab which you could eat whole, shell and all.The fried dish was deep fried shrimp paste sandwiched between 2 thin slices of lotus root. It was unique and creative.Steamed dish was Chawanmushi (a steamed egg custard) this was perfectly done. Nice and jiggly texture it came with a ginkgo nut, shiitake mushroom, and a piece of uni on top.The following Nigiri zushi dishes wereNodoguro (black throat sea perch) always one of my favoritesMadai (red snapper)Namadako (raw octopus) - not my favorite but I was glad to try it for the 1st time.Hagatsuo (striped skip jack or bonito) - a bit lighter flavor than your standard bonito. Another first fish for me.Kohada (gizzard shad) marinated. Usually I don't care for this fish because its pickled and the vinegar taste is too strong. Chef TJ uses really fresh Kohada so it requires very little pickling. So I actually liked this one.Kamasu (Japanese Baracuda) another one of my favorites maybe because its torched?Jabara toro (bottom belly) This was so soft and tender! Unbelievable!Uni (sea urchin) from San Diego, which is sweeter than what comes from Japan.Matoi only holds 10 people and has 2 seatings per night 5:00 and 7:30, reservations should be made online. It is probably the most adventurous omakase in town as most other places just serve items that the majority will like or enjoy.Chef TJ is very knowledgable and brings in items that you won't find at other places and/or things that you wouldn't normally order. So you may not like everything he serves but it is an adventure. I like the fact that he speaks English as a first language so he explains things about the fish, like where the fish lives, what it eats, ect. You just won't find that at other places. He is a bit opinionated as one diner said that San Diego Uni is the best, which he replied that Hokkaido is the best. That might be reflected in the price but everyone has a different preference.He is a one man show but has a helper in the back ground making the cooked items and serving beer. The omakase comes as a set price and meal but you can order more alacart items that he has a menu for but if you want something you can always ask, theres more items on there that are not on the list, I saw a guy order negitoro hand roll which was not on the menu. He also said there was Hokkaido uni which was not listed either. just be aware that theres no price listed so be prepared.Absolutely loved it here, I liked that he actually made me realize that I don't dislike kohada, it just has to be prepared properly! Also glad I got to try a few new fishes; one of the best Omakase in San Diego.