Love Japanese Food? Then You’ll Love Matsuri For Authenticity

A Japanese restaurant owned by a Japanese hotel serving up a truly authentic experience, Matsuri is a place perfect for those seeking immersion into Japan. Bring on the sushi and donburi.

Tori No Karaage, Tekka Don Donburi Rice Bowl

 Sake, Blush On Ice

Clean and classic Japanese flavours and minimalistic decor that doesn’t take away from the food.

The ambience is simple and unobtrusive. Their use of wood in its many forms lends to a minimalist atmosphere leaving all the attention on the food, true to their motto of “eating with your eyes”.

We love that they offer a range of traditional Japanese dishes that go beyond just sushi. Think Udon noodles and Japanese curries. This carefully-crafted menu has a big selection of dishes to choose from, so don’t be afraid to ask your server for some help. Of course, there are great sushi and sashimi options, plus salads {we can’t get enough of But a Reishabu, sliced pork on lettuce drizzled with a sharp Japanese vinaigrette}, Soba {we do love ourselves some well made buckwheat noodles} and Miso {a delicious brothy soup with seaweed and vegetables}.

We had the Tori no Karaage and the Tempura no Moriwase to start off our meal. The Tori no Karaage is chicken crumb fried in potato starch which is as succulent as it is crispy. The tempura’s light batter and crispness were perfect on the palate. And we knew our experience wouldn’t be complete without ordering sushi, so we ordered the Futo Maki, four neatly crafted pieces of sushi which didn’t skimp on the freshness. For mains we shared a Tekka Don Donburi Rice Bowl Meal, essentially sushi in a bowl and a Niku Udon, a simmering pork broth jampacked with that classic Japanese umami flavour.

Matsuri serves wasabi ice-cream. Its intimidating green colour made us a little uneasy to begin with, but once we dug in we found that the ice-cream had the perfect balance of sweet and heat. Just how we like to end our meal!

Perfect for anyone who’s a fan of the cuisine, the dishes here are small portioned according to the Japanese way of eating. So, you might have to order a little more than you usually would.