Musashino Sushi Dokoro

This is my all time favorite restaurant! I’ve been to Uchi and it’s very good and an experience (the chef trained at Musashino’s) but this is the best food I’ve ever had. We love to sit at the bar and watch the genius chef’s at work. It is truly spectacular. Looking forward to trying out the new location. Made sure to drive down (I live 2 hours away) to catch the last week at this location!
UPDATE
We tried out the new location and it didn’t disappoint. It is bigger and also has patio seating. There’s a bar inside to enjoy pre-​drink cocktails while you wait. We took a friend who was not fond of sushi prior to this day and now Musashino’s is his favorite restaurant and he’s ready to go back! We always order the Miso soup (delicious) and there is a wide variety of sake. We start with a roll (Ozzy II and Big Southern are favorites). We end with Sashimi (Chef’s choice) and usually end up ordering a la carte sashimi pieces at the end of the dinner. Everything here is delicious and never disappoints!!!

Same taste, same good service! Only thing they no longet serve my favorite appetizer, grilled squid! :(New place are spacious, more roomy and i like it better than previous location!
Not sure but Paul G’s feedback on poor service… I am here for dinner on Sat. Its almost full at 6:15pm!
Be sure call ahead to reserve your table!
4 out of 5 now, will come back next time to check if they stay as good!

I am a huge fan of musashino. If I had a choice of my last meal it would come from musashino.
At least it was until tonight. If I didn’t know what Smoky was capable of I would never go back. The food was not the same as the old location. It was okay at best. The service was horrible. We were in our 3^rd round of sushi before we got plates. The appetizers we asked to come out first came towards to end of the meal.
The new location is nice but what made musashino great was apparently left at the old location.

I love the food here, I have to be honest.
Today when we went, I really had to pee. As beautiful and as well maintained as the restaurant is you would think the bathrooms would not be DISGUSTING!
I mean you walk in, a mirror is gone. The toilet is on the floor. There is no lock. The toilets were disgusting. The soap was industrial grade dish soap. I mean the bathrooms were like a rural area truck stop.
Please clean your bathrooms up!

My favorite real sushi in Atx! Real as in nigiri, raw, fresh sushi. Came here for dinner on a weekday, and there was no wait. The rice is cooked perfectly and just complements the fish. Had a lot of a la cart pieces of select fish. Must try the avocado Kama (baked avacado with seafood and special sauce, gyu tataki (raw meat in a sauce kind of like ponzu sauce)! As for raw fish– fatty tuna otoro (melted in my mouth! No soy sauce needed, market price…) then their botan ebi sweet shrimp comes with a whole fried shrimp! Not just the head is my favorite. Sushi came out fairly quick and service was great!

BEST SUSHI I’VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE! Why does it have to be so expensive and right now the street from my house though? I can’t stop coming back for more! It’s boarder line an addiction… My bank account says no but my taste buds say otherwise…

What a great sushi restaurant, and one of the very best in Austin! I’m perplexed they’re moving soon to sort of near the triangle area. I guess it makes sense since right now they’re nestled in an office complex next to a gas station and a major highway …
The fish is always good, but it does seem like if you can tell what day they get the delivery, the day before is disappointing. Not for freshness, but because they may run out of certain items.
I kind of wanted to try the squid-​ink black sabbath roll but by then we had already had plenty.
Also, Sapporo on tap is something you rarely see in a sushi restaurant, or almost anywhere, and I like that a lot. Sushi is beer food, after all.

Hands-​down this is my favorite sushi place. This place tops Sushi Hana for me. All of the sashimi melts in your mouth. Freshest fish I have ever tasted. The sake was great too. I love how we were offered warm towels in the beginning to cleanse our hands. Felt nice. The uni here is spectacular. Make sure you get there early because they open at 5:30 and by 5:35 they were already a full house and now I see why. All of the wait staff were good looking. I guess you can say that’s a bonus Keep it up!

This restaurant is one of my favorites in the city. The ambiance, staff & food couldn’t be better. If you’re looking for quality (appropriately priced) Sushi/​fish look no further.

I have eaten sushi at Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. This is the only place in Austin or even in Texas that even comes close. If you really love sushi, don’t bother going anywhere else!

The food is delicious — there are several starters that are absolutely to die for. The only thing that I didn’t like is that there is no reception area and a very tiny bar. So people waiting for tables end up in the front aisles and watch you — wishing you to hurry along.

Hidden treasure.
This is not a «hot» new restaurant that everyone’s talking about.
This is not downtown close to all the action.
There is no sign on the highway. In fact there is no sign really in the parking lot either. One just has to know to go to the Mo-​Pac facing lower level door of Chinatown on Greystone to access Musashino.
So why are 90% of the seats filled on a Tuesday night?
Because this place is GOOOD!
I think this was my very first time ordering nigiri zushi: fish piece draped over a pillow of rice. I never thought I would like it and have always ordered rolls or cooked food at sushi places in the past. A bit overwhelmed by the extensive menu, I asked the chef in front of us to choose what we would eat. This was a very good decision. What I was served at Musashino was excellent. The flavor, freshness and texture of everything were excellent. Even the rice was perfect in ways that I didn’t know rice could be perfect. I am now completely sold on eating slices of raw fish on pillows of rice.
Overall the ambience and service were great. Inside is very warm and cozy with lots of wood. The sushi bar itself is fairly shallow, and there is no room for knees at typical distance from the eating surface, but even sitting back far enough for my knees to be comfortable was not a problem for dining.
Musashino is my new favorite place in Austin for traditional sushi.

I don’t post on Unilocal Austin. As a small business owner, I feel that feedback, both good and bad, is hand delivered to the manager or owner.
In this case, however, I want to publicly sing the praises of Musashino. In a time of need, they accommodated something that was slightly outside of their typical policy. This is the essence of good customer service and the woman at the front desk was flexible and accommodating.
But, you’re probably not reading this review for its commentary on customer service.
I wouldn’t have given Musashino 5 stars if they weren’t the true sushi stalwart of Austin, TX. They are non-​gimmicky. This isn’t the place to explore double-​deep fried «blah blah blah» rolls. They serve fish that is fresh and well prepared. In the rare cases where they have made mistakes their apologies have been genuine. I wish that Austin had five more sushi restaurants like Musashino.

First time visit — overall very good. Sushi was fresh and very tasty. Although there was not a large crowd (probably less than 10 people), the service was relatively slow with two sushi chefs.
As far as costs pretty typical of higher end sushi restaurants — not a cheap lunch.
As far as the décor, we were downstairs (apparently upstairs is more Chinese and limited sushi?). It was pretty dark and felt a little cramped. It was pleasant enough and quiet so we were able to accomplish some business.
Overall very satisfied and will go back again.

If you believe sushi is about the fish and nothing but the fish …
(as does a certain Samuel C)
then Musashino is the best Sushi Choice in Austin — hands down.
Their fish trumps that of pretty much anyone else in town.
I could end the review right here and justice would be entirely served.
****
Except that this visit, I was with Japanese people who ordered extensively from the non-​fish appetizer side of the menu as well as from the sushi side.
The sushi was its usual glorious self.
The surprise this visit is how good the non-​fish appetizers can be.
Okay, the tempura was standard issue.
But a lot of dishes that would normally be ho-​hum really sing at Musashino.
Fried tofu here is spectacular.
Fried tofu is dullness in cubes nearly everywhere else on the planet —
Another star is a marinated chilean bass cooked half way.
We have all had the standard yadda yadda grilled on the outside only tuna —
but this is the first time i have seen this trick on a thinly cut white fish fillet.
I fell in love with this manifestation immediately.
I would have proposed marriage to the seabass right then and there,
but other people were watching, and I did not want to start unnecessary gossip.
Still if you skip the appetizers and go straight for the raw fish, I would understand.
It is hard to argue with «best in town».
But Musashino has range — and you can play around on that menu
without falling out of five star heaven.

In my opinion, this is the best sushi in town! I wish they were closer to my house but, Über is a good idea if you want to indulge in the saki!
I have been here for lunch and for dinner and have always had amazing food and service. This place is a bit pricey but, worth it and is the sort of place you take a very special someone or out of town guests.
Make sure you ask what their daily sushi specials are and definitely get a few pieces of any of the tunas that they offer. The tuna is so fresh and goes down just like it was butter. Texas hybrid and the spider roll are my two favorite rolls that I have had here thus far. Their saki selection shines and you’ll be feeling nice and tingly after a carafe.
The tiramisu dessert was surprisingly well made for it not being an Italian restaurant.

Musachino is my FAVORITE sushi place in Austin. Why? Because 1) you can taste the freshness of the fish. 2) Their rolls are not like other sushi places. A lot of sushi places tend to put a bunch of fish together, top it with something crunchy or spicy sauce on top and call it a roll. Majority of the time, it’s overwhelming. Just a hot mess in your mouth. The rolls at musachino are carefully craft to enhance the flavor of the fish, in a good way!
Ankimo appetizer: monk fish liver in ponzu sauce. This is one of my favorites. I love that the appetizer already comes with the ponzu sauce. A lot of other restaurants, you have to ask for!
Avocado kama: An avacado topped with spicy crab and shrimp! I like to call this, the asian version of guacamole. You take everything out and smush it all together. The spicy sauce tastes amazing with the avocado!
Gyu tataki: raw sliced beef in a soy sauce vinaigrette. You cannot go wrong with this dish! It has a citrus soy sauce flavor that I can’t get enough of!
chicken teriyaki: for the non-​sushi lovers. This. is. the. BEST. chicken. teriyaki. EVER!
Texas hybrid: my favorite roll! You can choose between tuna or salmon. I prefer the salmon. It is wrapped in rice paper vs. the usual seaweed. Paired with a jalopeno garlic spicy sauce. Do yourself a favor and dip the roll in the sauce (not the soy sauce). It would not disappoint!
Texas chainsaw: (off menu) shrimp and salmon in rice paper, surrounded by a citrus fish sauce flavor. Again, this roll does not need soy sauce! It’s a very simple yet delicious roll.
Texas road kill: again, you can choose between tuna or salmon. It’s topped with various types of smelt caviar (masago, habenero, jalopeno). With a spicy sauce on the side. If you like a little kick to your roll, this is the one for you!
The rolls are simple yet delicious! I highly recommend this place! It would leave you wanting more!

Close to the real deal, but not close enough. It’s a hidden sushi place with no signs AT ALL. HIDDEN. It’s in the restaurant called Chinatown Restaurant down stairs in the same building, we had to call to find it. Hostesses told us there’s no sign and they’re found through word of mouth. Sounded so legit!
The waitress was good, but she slacked on some things. I had to wait awhile for an extra plate while everyone was done with the first appetizer.
–Tuna Tataki Appetizer (⁵⁄₅) So good we ordered TWO! The tuna was seared nicely, it came in a martini glass with avocado with their hybrid sauce that was really good.
–Gyu Tataki (⁵⁄₅) The meat was very tender, seared just the the tuna tataki and the vinaigrette wasn’t too overpowering even when it was soaked. Also served in a martini glass.
–Bakudan Mussel (²⁄₅) I could make better mussels than this. The mussels were chopped in 2 – 3 pieces with a bit of spicy mayo (needed more) topped with the bonito fish flakes. I don’t like things that taste too squidy or fishy, not something I expected in a mussel.
–Mutsu Kasuzuke (⁵⁄₅) Since they didn’t have Hamachi Kama, the cooked version we decided to give this a try. Amazingly delicious, the fish was very soft and moist, the marination was on point. Makes my mouth water! I would come back here just for this.
–Sunomono (¹⁄₅) I thought this was the cucumber salad but it came with a bunch of the dark seaweed. I was expecting more cucumbers, but I felt like this was okay.
–Road Runner Roll (⁵⁄₅) This was our favorite roll, at first the squid ink infused rice kind of threw us off, but the waitress said there wasn’t a flavor to it so we decided to try it. It’s a nice creamy roll and it came with the delicious hybrid sauce they had. We got the salmon inside instead of the soft shell crab and it was great.
–Chainsaw Roll (²⁄₅) I saw this roll in pictures, but I didn’t see it on the menu. This is a raw roll, soaked in fish sauce, and it’s rice-​less. The roll was really chewy, maybe it was the rice paper that was wrapped around it that made it chewy and really fishy (hence the fish sauce). None of us really enjoyed this roll.
–Shima Zushi (¹⁄₅) Fishy as well, felt like the fish has been sitting in the sun, one and done. Gave the other half away.
–Hamachi Kama (¹⁄₅) Really fishy, nothing to enjoy about it. Came with the chilli pepper, SUPER SPICY.
–Champ’s Sashimi (⁴⁄₅) Only downfall was that I wish it was a bit colder, though the salmon still tasted pretty fresh. This is just like a regular salmon sashimi, but this one came with a side of jalapeño soy sauce.
–Ankimo (¹⁄₅) Usually, I love foie gras and by that I mean the duck liver. Never had I tried the foie gras of the sea. The anikimo is harder than a regular foie gras, theres not really a taste to it, a creamyish pâté and they topped it with this pink thing which made it un-​edible to me. Taste super super super fishy.
–Spicy Scallop (⁰⁄₅) Fishy taste to the scallops, I took one bite. One and done. Too bad they ran out of the hotate, probably would have been a better selection.
–Botan Ebi (⁵⁄₅) I always eat the fried head of the shrimp of whoever orders this. It was so crispy and flaky, probably the best ever! My friends also said the raw part was the best they had ever had. I don’t eat the raw part of this, but I believe them.
I also wanted to try the Avocado Kama, but it sounded the same as the baked mussels besides the fact it came in an avocado. Next time I will definitely try it though, probably way better without the fish flakes.
All of this was shared between the 5 of us, I was pretty full afterwards. It wasn’t a fun feeling to have to go drink afterwards though. Though many things were not up to my standards, I would still come back for the few things that I did enjoy. It was basically 60 buck per person which wasn’t too bad, next time we will probably have to try the Uchiko an set reservations since they had a long wait.

This was hands down my favorite place for sushi in Austin. After a recent visit a couple months ago though I can no longer say that’s the case. What made them my favorite was the dim Tokyo style atmosphere and good service. Even more than that was how top quality the fish was. It was better than I had had anywhere else in Austin which includes: Uchi, Uchiko, Hanabi, Osaka, DK Sushi, Kome, and Soto.
On my recent visit, I went with the sushi/​shashimi combo and my friends and I shared the chasu appetizer. The chasu had good flavor, but was a bit too dry for my liking. Between the shashimi and nigiri, it tasted very average to below average on a few pieces (some had a firm weird texture). The salmon piece was torn too and I asked the sushi chef about it. He said it’s still ok to eat. Fortunately he replaced it with a fresh one that wasn’t too bad. It was disappointing and my friends agreed that it wasn’t as good as they have have had there too. Maybe it was ordering the combo. The best stuff I’ve had here is when I’ve ordered their specials or their single piece nigiri al la carte. Maybe it’s the departure of their head chef. I don’t know, I just know now I don’t feel as confident singing their praises anymore.

Walking in, notice the few tables, low lighting, and wood décor… yes, that translate into an intimate, cozy setting for date night. I really do love that they have kept it traditional.
We started with three tempura soft shell crabs severed with tempura okra. It was cooked perfectly. The little legs were tender. We ordered several rolls and the Eastside, eel and mint, was my favorite. The asparagus was a close runner up. We were very happy with the combinations in the other rolls, like Yellow tail and fat tuna. The several sushi places we have been recently seem to create rolls with only one fish, as if that is the extent of their skills.
I definitely would like to return for another date night.

I was really glad to find this sushi spot. This is the most authentic Japanese sushi experience in Austin I’ve had so far.
Two of us shared a sashimi plate and were treated to a few delicious assorted slices. We got fatty tuna, regular tuna, salmon, scallop, and a few other ones I can’t remember. The fish here is comparable to what you would find in some of the other top sushi restaurants in places like Los Angeles and New York.
If you like authentic Japanese sushi and don’t care much for things like California rolls or spider rolls, this is your place to be.

Maybe this isn’t the best sushi in the world, because we’re inconveniently not placed near an ocean, but for my money, this IS the best sushi in Austin (Sorry Mikado, consistency)
Prices are good, sashimi is sliced thickly, and they serve the best tuna in town. Going on Tuesdays is a good plan (truck delivery) and recently, I had the freshest, best tasting yellow tail since I «learned» sushi, 30 years ago on Santa Monica Blvd. My favorites here are the seaweed salad (fresh, not too sweet), the avacado kama (OMG, wear elastic), spicy spider roll (best spider in the city) and of course the honking big rainbow roll (like the buffet of sushi).
The ginger is always fresh, the sushi chefs are friendly and the place is so cute. Never too loud, and always low key in vibe. The waitresses tend to swing widely in skill, but oh well.
As a bonus, they make the coldest Cosmopolitan in North Austin. I’m a fan

Id like to start this review with the fact that I’m not a huge fan of sushi (it kinda sux lmaoo). However even the non sushi lover can find dishes to satate their taste pallates.
I had the eel over rice and it was pri good. The eel was the the right amount of chewy with really nice taste to it. We also had so much sake the waitress lost count on our bill ayyyy lmaooo.
The service was pretty good except for the time they tried to bring out my entrée, opened the box to reveal only a box of rice lolololol.
The only knock here is the price of the food. I think charging over $ 10 for don Katsu is an atrocity against fried pork LOL.

Still dimly lit and traditional in décor, I was really hoping that the restaurant, who provided the jump start for some famous Austin chefs, including Tyson of Uchi, was better. The sushi was more traditional and the fish was good quality, however, we found the rice to be on the sweet side.
The bento box was just not very good. The salmon was candy sweet and chicken teriyaki was dry.
Overall, it’s ok to stop in for a bit, but I didn’t feel like they stand out in any way from any other Japanese place (we miss Daichi and Soto in Cedar Park!) Service for us seemed rushed. Our order came out at different times and even before we put down our utensils, someone was already taking our plate away.
This was out first time back in years and I don’t see us coming back anytime soon.

I’ve been in search of a good Japanese katsu curry place in Austin ever since eating at Coco Ichibanya in LA… and with Musashino I think I’ve found it! :D
The chicken katsu was crispy and well-​breaded and the curry itself was hot with just the right amount of spice — enough to know it was there but not too much that it overpowered the overall flavors. The consistency of the curry was creamy and gravy-​like, which is what I like (versus soupy), and there weren’t any vegetables in the curry (I think there might have been tiny pieces of onion). The dish is pretty expensive ($ 17) compared to other places, but you get A LOT, and I ended up having leftovers even after splitting the dish with a friend. It’s better quality and taste than other places anyway, so I’m fine paying the price.
We also tried the chashu (pork belly) appetizer, which was my friend’s favorite part of the meal. The meat was so tender and so well-​flavored, I kind of wish they would serve this with rice as a dish itself. (Or maybe they do and I just didn’t see it on their super huge menu!) It was a bit pricey ($ 15) for the amount you get, but it’s a nice restaurant and they can do that.
The third thing we ordered was unagi nigiri. The unagi here was one of the top-​quality I’ve had, and I would have ordered more if I hadn’t already ordered a crap-​ton of other stuff already. I could probably just eat a whole plate of these and still want more. It wasn’t super fatty or drenched in sauce to hide the low-​quality of the meat, and it was cooked so it was just the right texture :)
Although the restaurant was super loud, it’s not too surprising considering how many people were in such a small space. And it’s honestly no wonder there were so many people here — it really is a great restaurant. The service was quick and very friendly, and the food was all really good :) I will DEFINITELY be returning here for more curry, and (if I’m feeling rich) to try more of their sushi menu!

As a sushi lover I can say I was in HEAVEN. Took a little drive to get here but if I could I would definitely come here every day holy cow. Let me share with you my experience:
Roadrunner roll: I ordered this with salmon. The fish was excellent, and the presentation was fabulous. I was not a fan of the hybrid mayo on the side though.
34 special roll: this was also delicious, I ordered it with tuna. The jalapeño soy sauce was pretty good, but I like my traditional soy sauce and wasabi mix.
Otoro: my friend said he’s had better, but this was my first and so I loved it. Fatty and tender and fantastic.
Overall, service was excellent– our waiter was so nice and knowledgeable about sushi and fish. Ambience was beautiful– I felt like I was in Japan. The house Cabernet Sauvignon was also a good pairing to the sushi. SUSHI LOVERS COME HERE NOW.

It’s really a 4.5 star review, but I’m rounding up for the Texas Chainsaw roll that I can’t get anywhere else (not even close to it). This roll is not on the menu, but you can ask for it. It is salmon, tuna and shrimp wrapped in rice paper sprinkled with masago and a thin slice of key lime with every piece, all in a light fish sauce. It is steep at $ 17 for the roll, but worth every bite to me.
The other item I come here for is the tempura ice cream (vanilla ice cream) with coffee beans. They have a good selection of nigiri, rolls, and hand rolls. I love tako (octopus), sake (salmon), hamachi, and unagi nigiri. Have not had a bad piece of sashimi/​nigiri here. Spider handroll is good (soft shell crab).
Their other popular item is the avocado kama, which in my opinion is better than the one at Uchi.
They close on Mondays and most of the major holidays. Come early to avoid the wait during dinner time.

Musashino, you made me feel a bit sad.
Granted, you are still one of the top places in Austin to get fresh fish, but now that I’ve been to other certain sushi restaurants of your caliber in Cedar Park, I guess my eyes have been opened a bit. You are still more central to most Austinites, and a fun place to get some delicious sushi, but your service and price made me take off my rose-​colored glasses for a while.
The service here was acceptable, at best. We arrived at 9 pm (an hour before closing) feeling like we knew what we wanted and could get in and out in an hour. It wasn’t very busy, but it took several minutes for the hostess to come to the front. She sat us, and we were greeted, got our drinks, and then an eternity later, we finally got to order. I was frustrated because it was close to closing and I didn’t want to be there past closing (I have weird anxiety about this — it makes me feel so rude I want to melt into my chair and die).
Before our food even came out, she came over to tell us it was last call. I think it was 9:30. So, you can see where the problem is here. 9:30 and still no food, but I am expected to know if I want any more. Great.
Finally, we get our Sashimi Moriawase (sashimi for a group and bowls of rice if you want), which was not as beautiful as some other places I have seen it in um, cedar park cough Soto. I was a bit disappointed, but all in all it is an amazing value for fresh fish and you don’t have to make any decisions. I was incredibly impressed by the albacore, wow! Best I had ever eaten. I actually never had liked it much before.
My biggest problem of the night was that the server didn’t tell us what the types of fish were that we received. I feel like that is the cardinal rule of sushi. I even asked her to come back and tell me, and she said one of them and walked away. I was pretty bummed!
We also got the Road Runner roll, which was WOW one of the best rolls I’ve eaten ever. Musashino really kicks ass with their sauces. The road runner is perfectly spicy, and very stunning because it has black squid ink rice with habanero caviar.
So food-​wise, I was a happy camper. Except that while eating said food that took so long to get to me, they started closing up shop. We weren’t even the only ones in there. They were sweeping, talking loudly, doing receipts, and even the kitchen staff walked through with cigarettes in their mouths to go smoke outside. One of these offenses may not rub me the wrong way, it was just the sheer ignoring of the fact that we are still trying to enjoy the $ 100 of food we ordered.
Also, we didn’t even get any water or service after the bill was dropped off with our last roll.
Ugh, it’s so disappointing, but there are just so many great sushi places in Austin, and when I’m dropping $ 100 on food, I have a certain expectation of service level. I ended up feeling a bit remorseful and that I could have spent my money better elsewhere.
So, service was a 2 (for the level of restaurant this is) and the food is still a solid 5. That leaves me with a 3.5, which I round down because of the high prices. Sorry Musashino, I feel like we could have had a great life together :(