Comments on Kansas City Lunch Spots: Matsu: 427 Westport Rd.

"omakase" I believe is the Japanese word that mean...

2008-12-23T16:23:00.000-06:00

"omakase" I believe is the Japanese word that means you are in the chef's hands.

I also have bad experiences at Matsu, and won't ea...

2008-12-15T09:55:00.000-06:00

I also have bad experiences at Matsu, and won't eat there again. I live in Brookside so I have gone to Domo a couple times out of convenience, and while I find it better than Matsu, I'm not that crazy over it.

I like Sushi House, Wa, and even Kona Grill. I think I've had my best sushi around at Sushi House. I think I like Jun, but I haven't been there in a long time - I remember thinking the dining room felt stuffy.

Recently tried Kato on Barry Road, a part of town ...

2008-12-15T00:56:00.000-06:00

Recently tried Kato on Barry Road, a part of town I almost never venture, on a friend's recommendation. It was really great. Like Sushi House, but it's about the most expensive place anywhere. Still everything is usually high quality and fresh. It's not cheap to ship stuff to Kansas City and discard when something gets a bit old.

To answer Erin's question (Dec 10th), Yes. Domo a...

2008-12-14T11:29:00.000-06:00

To answer Erin's question (Dec 10th), Yes. Domo and Matsu's are owned by the same people (person) in the form of "MamaSan". Rodger - with whom you mention in your review is the husband and they've made a huge success (if you ask this author) in keeping their doors open in the Westport scene for well over the last decade.

The missing sushi chef - though you might think was on a smoke break (or otherwise) was more than likely running a 'fried roll' to the kitchen - and had a few minutes to devote to this obligation.

As a menu designer, I have worked in and for a number of restaurants in Kansas City (Jun's, Kabuki and Matsu included). My favorite (and this is a biased opinion) is the Kabuki in Crown Center. Ted Hamada - who took ownership roughly three years ago has the standards this author seeks in a sushi restaurant. Ted's laid back demeanor, lists of regulars and 'hotties' on the floor, along with some of the most consistent sushi chefs in town are well worth the visit.

Koji and Fumi (the Fuminator) at Nara are by far the best duo you're going to find. Master's of their craft, (and Japanese to boot) fresh fish and fun are what you should expect from sitting at their counter.

I'm also a big fan of Friends. I've had some spot...

2008-12-13T11:53:00.000-06:00

I'm also a big fan of Friends. I've had some spotty service, but the sushi has always been great.

I believe Shaw used to write a blog (actually a pr...

2008-12-11T22:33:00.000-06:00

I believe Shaw used to write a blog (actually a precursor to blogs-- this was a long time ago) called Fat Guy. Even though I was like 15 at the time and knew nothing about the New York dining scene, I'd read his Fat Guy reviews all the time. He's a great writer.

Friends on 39th. Great sushi.

2008-12-11T20:28:00.000-06:00

Friends on 39th. Great sushi.

Are Matsu & Domo owned by the same people? The men...

2008-12-11T11:31:00.000-06:00

Are Matsu & Domo owned by the same people? The menus look the same, and I feel like I've heard that they are, but I've always had better experiences at Domo.

I've never been to Domo, but we went to Nara once ...

2008-12-10T16:37:00.000-06:00

I've never been to Domo, but we went to Nara once on a gift card friends gave us for our wedding, and we plan to return. It was delicious! We still have dollars left on that gift card, so we need to get back down there.

We also like Sakura, but Leo tends to shy away from it because of the types of sushi available...having fried stuff and things stuffed with mayo and cream cheese just rolling past ya like that can be hard to pass up! I'm fine with it, though. :D

Friends is our fave place in town, even though we haven't been able to get there as often as we used to (we used to about twice a month - at least - prior to the wedding and the home construction...you know, when we still had money), so we don't get the kind of service we like. Its still our first choice, though, even on non-dollar sushi nights!

I also like to splurge on the "place in Town Center" now and then. It's called Sushi House, and although it can be pricey, unlike Matsu, its totally worth it.

Leo took me to Matsu for our 2nd date. It was ok, but the next time we went there put the nail in their coffin for us. We don't like the place. The prices are too high for the quality they provide. There are waaaay better choices that are too close by to have to go there, so we just don't!

this is my least favorite place for sushi in town....

2008-12-10T14:48:00.000-06:00

this is my least favorite place for sushi in town. i much prefer domo - even though it takes a long time to get your order. nara's sushi is terrible, too. honestly, sakura's sushi train is pretty good sushi at a really good price.

my favorite, favorite is Wa in lawrence.

Pregnant women aren't supposed to eat good, stinky...

2008-12-10T13:59:00.000-06:00

Pregnant women aren't supposed to eat good, stinky cheese either. That totally sucks.

In the book, the MSG and sushi issues were 2 different rants. The problem according to the author is that sushi gets lumped in with all raw seafood, when oysters and clams account for 85% of all raw seafood illnesses. This puts sushi in a safer realm than most fully cooked things we eat. Plus women in Japan have been doing it for centuries.

All that being said, I have no idea how true any of it is :)

It's not the msg in sushi that is bad for pregnant...

2008-12-10T13:46:00.000-06:00

It's not the msg in sushi that is bad for pregnant women, it's the fact that the food is raw.

Pregnant women aren't supposed to eat undercooked eggs, either. Or too much tuna, or anything that might damage the baby.

I have the "what to eat when you're expecting" book, and I swear, in one chapter it tells you not to eat something, and then two chapters later it tells you how wonderful it is. Fucked up if you ask me.