Every night I experience chronic mouthwatering while passing Masu Sushi & Robata on my drive home. Being a relatively new sushi supporter, it took me some time to muster up the courage to venture in. Luckily, I have some experienced sushi orderers as friends who were totally game for going with me and even for braving the sub-zero Minnesota temperatures and horrible traffic.

Food:

Since there were three of us, we decided to order “family style,” so that we could all try out a couple different options. This is definitely my favorite approach to sushi ordering, because where I may not be as daring with my own order, it’s easier to try something new when you have a co-pilot!

Edamame:

This is a pretty standard starter. I don’t think there’s anything negative to be said about salted soybean pods. I will say that Masu’s seemed to be steamed pretty well. They weren’t too hard and they weren’t overcooked.

Miso Soup:

I’m addicted to Miso Soup. There’s just something about a food that manages to make tofu tolerable that is both baffling and intriguing. Plus it was like -10 and on a cold night hot soup is always a necessity.

Sushi Rolls:

Due to my inexperience, Nellie and Lisa were willing to stick to the tamer side of sushi. We ordered the Spicy Tuna Roll (Tuna with Gobo, Avocado, Lettuce, Chive and Spicy Mayo) and the Dynamite Makizushi roll (Yellowfin, Albacore, Avocado, Lettuce and Chili Sauce). Of the two, my favorite was the Spicy Tuna Roll, but they were both delicious.

Side note: While I love wasabi mixed into my soy sauce, I do not understand why they also send out sushi with ginger. I find ginger to be repulsive and only acceptable when in a liquid-ale form. Which brings me to….

Drinks:

I’m not a sake person (unless you count sake bombs) so I chose to instead order one of Masu’s signature cocktails; Pear Pressure. Made with the right amount of Grey Goose La Poire, Cointreau, and garnished with a Vanilla Bean Riesling Poached Pear, this cocktail was both potent and pleasurable. The pear was the perfect garnish both in appearance and in taste.

Service:

It was pretty slow due to it being the same night as a snowstorm so we were seated immediately and our waitress was very attentive.

Atmosphere:

There were a few different dining set ups, booths, tables, and high tops. The place settings really fit the vibe of the menu and the interior decorations were nice and bright. There were a lot of fun art pieces on the walls and I really wish I would have taken more pictures, but I guess that’s just something to leave for you as a surprise when you go yourself!

Masu Sushi & Robata
330 East Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Monday–Thursday: 11AM – 12AM
Friday: 11AM – 1AM
Saturday: 4PM – 1AM
Sunday: 4PM – 11PM