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Deli Matuba (Formerly Matuba), Owner Kunio Yasutake's Switches Concepts to Japanese Quick-Serve on Cordell Avenue in Bethesda - Closed


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I could only find one mention of this place on the site, and it was in passing. Anybody have a thumbs up/down opinion on this place?

The reason I ask is that I got roped, not all that reluctantly, into going to the following event at the Bethesda location:

"Nov. 1 is "Sushi Day". $20 worth of sushi for $11.01. Only from 5:30-6:30pm."

which apparently means you get:

"2 pieces of tuna, salmon, eel, and shrimp,
1 piece of yellowtail, flounder, salmon eggs,
3 pieces of california rolls and salmon skin rolls,
and miso soup."

Which certainly sounds like a healthy amount of sushi, and I'm wondering where on the spectrum of sushi quality it will likely land. Specials like this make me skeptical about food quality, but I'm also a sucker for a good deal, so...

Also wondering if anybody else was planning on attending. The 5:30-6:30 thing is definitely a hindrance, but might be less of a problem if you're already out near Bethesda for work.

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Lisa and I have gone there many times for both lunch and dinner.

They have a rotary sushi bar at lunch time - something like $13 gets you all you can eat off the conveyor belt. We've done that when we're in a "run and gun" mood for sushi. Quantity, not quality, and get out fast. Thin strips of acceptable quality tuna, salmon, and eel mostly. Lots of junk like terriyaki chicken sticks and fried bits of mystery meat in pastry.

Dinner at the sushi bar is a different experience. The fish served there is of much higher quality. We've never actually ordered the a la carte sushi and always opted for the omakase plate. I believe their deluxe omakase is only around $60 for 2 people and yielded some very imaginative sashimi and sushi pieces. It's not all that filling, though - we did have to supplement our order . But when compared to the pedestrian omakse we got at Sushi-Ko (I still can't believe Sietsema likes that pathetic excuse for a sushi restaurant), Matuba definitely excels. Kaz Sushi Bistro is still the best omakase in the city, but this one ain't that bad.

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Lisa and I have gone there many times for both lunch and dinner.

They have a rotary sushi bar at lunch time - something like $13 gets you all you can eat off the conveyor belt. We've done that when we're in a "run and gun" mood for sushi. Quantity, not quality, and get out fast. Thin strips of acceptable quality tuna, salmon, and eel mostly. Lots of junk like terriyaki chicken sticks and fried bits of mystery meat in pastry.

Dinner at the sushi bar is a different experience. The fish served there is of much higher quality. We've never actually ordered the a la carte sushi and always opted for the omakase plate. I believe their deluxe omakase is only around $60 for 2 people and yielded some very imaginative sashimi and sushi pieces. It's not all that filling, though - we did have to supplement our order . But when compared to the pedestrian omakse we got at Sushi-Ko (I still can't believe Sietsema likes that pathetic excuse for a sushi restaurant), Matuba definitely excels. Kaz Sushi Bistro is still the best omakase in the city, but this one ain't that bad.

Wow that is really suprising about Sushi Ko. Was Koji there when you went? I have had some amazing sushi there. Disclaimer: usually when I have gone it is WAY before dinner rush with almost no one in the restaurant. We usually sit at the sushi bar right in front of Koji and he took our orders made it himself and discussed each piece and the variety and selections were great and amazingly fresh. This one plate he did with a few different presentations/cuts of orange clams was phenomenal. He also served what he said was one of his favorites (due to a really good batch of octupi) which was lightly boiled octupus with small slivers of this jerky tasting gelatinous cube. Pretty interesting. Had a really good soft shell roll last time I was there also (It has been a few months). Great sushi but definitely bordering on overpriced. For value I always liked Murasaki in Tenleytown. Get the 25 dollar sushi and sashimi entree. Beth and I used to get this and share it along with a roll or two and were stuffed. Most times I have been there the cuts of fish they use were HUGE. A lot of the sashimi was two bites for Beth. (faux pas I know)
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Wow that is really suprising about Sushi Ko. Was Koji there when you went? I have had some amazing sushi there. Disclaimer: usually when I have gone it is WAY before dinner rush with almost no one in the restaurant. ---snip snip snip---
We only had the omakase once and it was so bad we can't find it within ourselves to ever go back. We were seated at the sushi bar during the dinner rush. And I wouldn't be able to recognize Koji so I'm not sure who was making our sushi.

All we got was basically a deluxe sushi plate - standard nigiri and maki served all at once. There was lots of it and it was decent quality, but that's not what I think of when I think of omakase. I'm looking for imagination and creativity in addition to top quality ingredients. Presentation becomes almost as important as food itself. Sadly, that wasn't what we got. I'm sure it wasn't lack of communication with our server - if memory serves correctly, omakase is right on the menu. So I have no idea what happened.

We'll stick with Kaz for now, I guess.

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We only had the omakase once and it was so bad we can't find it within ourselves to ever go back. We were seated at the sushi bar during the dinner rush. And I wouldn't be able to recognize Koji so I'm not sure who was making our sushi.

All we got was basically a deluxe sushi plate - standard nigiri and maki served all at once. There was lots of it and it was decent quality, but that's not what I think of when I think of omakase. I'm looking for imagination and creativity in addition to top quality ingredients. Presentation becomes almost as important as food itself. Sadly, that wasn't what we got. I'm sure it wasn't lack of communication with our server - if memory serves correctly, omakase is right on the menu. So I have no idea what happened.

We'll stick with Kaz for now, I guess.

While I was not sitting in from of Koji (others were) my omakase meal was presented plate by plate and was pretty damn good. If you do decide to try again call and reserve the bar spots in front of Koji.

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We only had the omakase once and it was so bad we can't find it within ourselves to ever go back. We were seated at the sushi bar during the dinner rush. And I wouldn't be able to recognize Koji so I'm not sure who was making our sushi.

All we got was basically a deluxe sushi plate - standard nigiri and maki served all at once. There was lots of it and it was decent quality, but that's not what I think of when I think of omakase. I'm looking for imagination and creativity in addition to top quality ingredients. Presentation becomes almost as important as food itself. Sadly, that wasn't what we got. I'm sure it wasn't lack of communication with our server - if memory serves correctly, omakase is right on the menu. So I have no idea what happened.

We'll stick with Kaz for now, I guess.

The omakase I had at Sushi Ko back in May wasn't like you described at all, it was multiple courses, some from the kitchen and some from the sushi bar, and in my case was excellent.
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We only had the omakase once and it was so bad we can't find it within ourselves to ever go back. We were seated at the sushi bar during the dinner rush. And I wouldn't be able to recognize Koji so I'm not sure who was making our sushi.

All we got was basically a deluxe sushi plate - standard nigiri and maki served all at once. There was lots of it and it was decent quality, but that's not what I think of when I think of omakase. I'm looking for imagination and creativity in addition to top quality ingredients. Presentation becomes almost as important as food itself. Sadly, that wasn't what we got. I'm sure it wasn't lack of communication with our server - if memory serves correctly, omakase is right on the menu. So I have no idea what happened.

We'll stick with Kaz for now, I guess.

You know the quality shouldn't matter who you sit in front of but I was just saying my experiences were all sitting with Koji and he was leading us through personally. But it seems like he ran a fairly tight ship. Just from watching it looked like the others were all turning out pretty quality stuff. That is really too bad, I wonder what happened.... And by the way Koji is tough to miss he stands in the front corner of the sushi bar and looks to be about 17.

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Well, the thread got a little side-tracked, but report back from sushi day: the sushi was in the middling area of not-bad but not really-good..the salmon eggs and the salmon skin roll were the only things that were trying to push out of mediocrity. Good amount of sashimi (and one roll) for $11, but still a little hungry (as often happens to me with even the best sushi), so we stopped at Jaleo and got their cheese sampler and some cava sangria. The Sushi Day special probably didn't fully represent the talent of the sushi maker, but I still don't know if I'll go out of my way to go back. Maybe if I'm already in Bethesda, but that doesn't happen often.

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It's been quite some time since I was there, but the Arlington Matuba used to be a frequent lunch spot. They always have two reasonably priced weekly lunch specials - a bento box that includes a meat (chicken teriyaki, salmon, mahi-mahi or something along those lines), along with a piece or two or sashimi and a roll, salad or veggies of some sort. A sushi lunch special is also offered. Can't speak to current prices, but they were in the $6-9 range when I was last there. The sushi-tempura lunch items were always popular with coworkers (the tempura was always lightly fried and not at all greasy.)

The service was always kind and efficient. It's a cozy little place that is easy to miss, tucked in near the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse (with parking and an entrance in the rear of the building).

I think I need to get back in there and see how things are tasting these days!

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How, nothing has been posted for a while, on this one, eh? Unfair.

We had the most delicious rolls at Matuba on Columbia Pike in Arlington last night. I believe all three are specials, so won't last long.

The first one was "spicy tuna roll deep-fried". Spicy tuna rolled up in sea weed, dunked in tempura batter and deep-fried. And then covered in rice and another layer of tuna (raw). Spicy mayo drop on top. Oh My God.

The second one was called, I believe, "Salmon Tempura roll". No rice in this roll, other than a tiny bit to make sea weed sheet stick together. Beautiful presentation. Salmon and avocado rolled up and then deep-fried.

The third one was "White Tiger Roll", which also featued some kind of tempura.

Ah, I love everything deep-fried.

Oh, and their sea weed salad is much better than most places.

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Cold and rainy days demand hot sake, and $5.95 yields a very generous pour, and if that plus their excellent (and uncharacteristically unwatery) miso soup doesn't warm you up, nothing will. $1.50 tuna sashimi on Monday night is the perfect follow-up after you've thawed and a great deal given the apparent quality of the tuna. "Splurge" on the shrimp tempura rolls with spicy mayo ($6.95 for 6) for a demonstration on how creamy and crunchy are supposed to play together.

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I haven't been here in years (8+). But now it is right around the corner from my office. I will treat myself here again soon. Do they have seats at (the sushi) bar for single diners? I honestly cannot remember.
They have seats at the sushi bar. I don't know if they require you to bring a friend. :rolleyes:
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Over the past year, I have now been back to the Bethesda Matuba maybe 3-4 times. Once in the main dining room (delicious) and the rest of the times my co-workers dragged me to the all-you-can eat back room conveyor belt section. The back room is not bad, especially if you are looking for volume. While I still prefer the front room (still have not sat at the bar), the conveyor thing is fun with a group. Bear in mind they start it at 11:30 for lunch and it fills up fast. I think it is $13/person.

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I was i need of food, short of time, and I couldn't remember the name/location of the Japanese with the takeout counter in Bethesda and I drove by Matuba. I turned into the parking building and there was even a meter with an hour on it: a good thing as I had run out of the house with no change/cash what-so-ever. I wanted the conveyor belt sushi and after a rather cold reception that was totally unhelpful, and with no easily readable signage explaining that it is in the back, I found it on a trip to the restroom. I sat down and then had to go back to the front to pay first. At that point, I was almost ready to just split, but I stayed and was glad I did.

I am a huge fan of salmon skin roll and theirs was very good. I think I had 4 or 5 of them. The rice was well textured if a mite low on vinegar, but better than Kotobuki or the ghastly stuff WFM uses at their sushi cases. I had a bowl of edamame, several rolls, pretty good tempura {the broccoli was inedible, the rest pretty good} and forgettable chicken teriyaki. The guilty pleasure were the deep fried shiu mai which were loaded with sugar {and who knows what other chemicals} which clearly came from a bag to the deep fryer. I kept it to a single plate of three just to minimize the risk of genetic damage.

One great suggestion is that do not sit down conveyor belt from the chef with two pre teen boys in between you and the fresh food. During the time they were really hungry, the pile of plates in front of them were as tall as they were. I think they took about 20 plated before letting a measly plate of edamame pass so I could begin my meal. They took about 7 plates of watermelon, eating each before taking the next, without a single plate getting past them. I think they were CGI special effects and not real live humans, but I digress. They out ate me at least 3 to 1 while I was there, and they had piles of plates in front of them when I sat down.

In short, not worth a detour, but it filled the bill {an my hungry stomach} for about the same as a BGR and a drink in less time than my BGR lunchtime experiences have been. I'd go back when I was in a rush. And it sure beat going to the Bethesda WFM and getting sushi out of the case. In a more leisurely time frame and with a different jones, BGR would fill the bill nicely but quick and BGR are not used in the same sentence often.

Now would someone point me in the direction of the Japanese take out sushi place in Bethesda?

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Now would someone point me in the direction of the Japanese take out sushi place in Bethesda?

Do you mean Hinata, the small grocery store with the sushi counter at the back? If so, it's on the north side of St. Elmo, just a few doors down from Old Georgetown Rd. You were right there.

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One great suggestion is that do not sit down conveyor belt from the chef with two pre teen boys in between you and the fresh food. During the time they were really hungry, the pile of plates in front of them were as tall as they were. I think they took about 20 plated before letting a measly plate of edamame pass so I could begin my meal. They took about 7 plates of watermelon, eating each before taking the next, without a single plate getting past them. I think they were CGI special effects and not real live humans, but I digress. They out ate me at least 3 to 1 while I was there, and they had piles of plates in front of them when I sat down.

Dude, proper seat placement nearest the fresh stuff coming on the conveyor is KEY.

Still, I do far prefer the front of the house, but you can tank up there for a reasonable amount of money. And I agree, their advertising of this place is sorely lacking and how you go about paying for it, etc. I would never have discovered it if not for my office buds.

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I've been going to Matuba in Bethesda for years, and I've never been disappointed. It's a very friendly environment, too. Several years ago, I took two of my friends there, and they (sisters) started going several times a week, lol.

Us too. They are particularly nice to our children, whom we have been carting there since they first started eating mushy rice. Also, once my older son ate four plates of gyoza, so now he's "The Boy Who Eats Gyoza Like Godzilla Munches Buildings."

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Unfortunately, Tako had so underperformed out last two visits, its off our list.  Their "Master" chef returned to Japan.  Matuba is our go to spot, usually for the surprisingly good AYCE.  You can order bean sprout salad which is fabulous and miso soup, plus take for the conveyor belt.  The sushi bar in the front has amazing daily specials which can make for a pricy but worth it experience.  The front sushi bar is the best sushi we have had in a long whole, but we must admit that we ahve not been to Shshi Taro.  

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This post makes me sad because I have a long history of eating sushi at Matuba, dating back to elementary school.  (There used to be a picture of me on the wall).  I haven't visited as frequently since adulthood, but I reliably visited at least once a year.  Robert Dyer reports that it is closing and re-opening as "Deli Matuba"  whatever that means.

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Looks like they have closed for good, per Robert Dyer.  It makes me somewhat nostalgic as we were regulars when I was growing up (there was a picture of me on the wall at one point, and it didn't say refuse service next to it!).  Although a Japanese family friend is responsible for my love of sushi, Matuba made it accessible. I haven't been in a while, but I will always have the great childhood memories.

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3 hours ago, pras said:

Looks like they have closed for good, per Robert Dyer.  It makes me somewhat nostalgic as we were regulars when I was growing up (there was a picture of me on the wall at one point, and it didn't say refuse service next to it!).  Although a Japanese family friend is responsible for my love of sushi, Matuba made it accessible. I haven't been in a while, but I will always have the great childhood memories.

I, too, have warm and fuzzy feelings about Matuba. The harsh reality is that this is, at least partly, the free market at work - thirty years ago, Matuba was the best there was (with a couple of exceptions), but it really never was much better than "neighborhood sushi," which really isn't good at all. Still, each time one of these restaurants closes, I feel like a part of me closes as well.

Screenshot 2016-08-01 at 11.18.58.png

Also, if it eases the feelings a bit, many of these restaurants weren't designed to be multi-generational; they were families opening small businesses, and sure enough, the restaurants supported them for the duration of their career.

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1 minute ago, DonRocks said:

I, too, have warm and fuzzy feelings about Matuba. The harsh reality is that this is, at least partly, the free market at work - thirty years ago, Matuba was the best there was (with a couple of exceptions), but it really never was much better than "neighborhood sushi," which really isn't good at all. Still, each time one of these restaurants closes, I feel like a part of me closes as well.

Screenshot 2016-08-01 at 11.18.58.png

 

It was always the reality for me that it was pedestrian sushi, even in the late 80's and into the 90's.  My introduction to sushi was in the womb, and spearheaded by our close family friend whose husband is a famous Japanese reporter covering Washington politics.  She would only take us to certain places, at certain times when she knew who was working.  There were times when she thought a place had slipped and she wouldn't take us out period  For a long time the Japan Inn was her go to place.  If we wanted California Roll, she had to ask a junior chef, so as not to offend the head chef.  She would not have approved of us eating at Matuba, but it is a fond memory of growing up and learning to try new things.  To this day, I consider myself very adventurous.  My parents and wife have learned to trust me when I drag them to a place that is out of the ordinary or off the beaten track.  So for me, Matuba has a central place in my palate today. 

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20 minutes ago, pras said:

It was always the reality for me that it was pedestrian sushi, even in the late 80's and into the 90's.  My introduction to sushi was in the womb, and spearheaded by our close family friend whose husband is a famous Japanese reporter covering Washington politics.  She would only take us to certain places, at certain times when she knew who was working.  There were times when she thought a place had slipped and she wouldn't take us out period  For a long time the Japan Inn was her go to place.  If we wanted California Roll, she had to ask a junior chef, so as not to offend the head chef.  She would not have approved of us eating at Matuba, but it is a fond memory of growing up and learning to try new things.  To this day, I consider myself very adventurous.  My parents and wife have learned to trust me when I drag them to a place that is out of the ordinary or off the beaten track.  So for me, Matuba has a central place in my palate today. 

I remember the first time I went was in the early 1980s, with a friend of mine who was dating a Japanese man. She told me that it was pronounced "Ma-Tsu-Ba," not "Ma-Tu-Ba," and that's how I've been saying it for over 30 years. Is this correct? I've never even verified whether she was right or not.

Of course this person also said, that same evening, that the dish was pronounced "To-Hu" not "To-Fu" ... if it says how long ago this was, this was perhaps the second time I'd ever heard the word "tofu" (the first time was a statistics professor I had in college, where I had a 115 average going into the final and he *wouldn't exempt me from taking it*!)

I don't know why I remember these things I just do.

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