Matsu Sushi Lunch Deals

Matsu Sushi has great sushi lunch deals.  They offer different sushi sets with soup and salad ranging from $6.95 to $13.95 for lunch.

You can get two rolls with soup and salad for just $10.95!  One catch is that these lunch deals are only for a limited sushi selection.  Matsu Sushi offers a variety of other rolls (yummier ones too) that are not included in their lunch specials.

I like the Sashimi Set D which I enjoyed today for just $11.95!  This is a great deal for good quality sushi.  My favorite piece is the sashimi salmon.  It is a fresh, yummy, fattier piece that I relish.

Sashimi Set D

• Description: 5 sashimi pieces of tuna, salmon, red snapper, shrimp and krab and 2 nigiri pieces each of tuna and salmon.
• Price: $11.95
• FoodMe YUM Rating: 8 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 9 out of 10

The lunch set came with soup and salad.  I had the usual miso soup which was warm goodness as always.  The salad was a different story this round.

Instead of the usual, default house ginger dressing, I tried the Jaranch dressing (described as a Japanese version of ranch by the waiter).  I only had a couple of bites of my salad. This dressing is not recommended.  I had lunch with foodie gal pal, Maude, and my dude, Brian, and they both agreed.  Maude had the Jaranch dressing before and when asked if she wanted to try some she responded.  “Eh.  No.”   Brian said “It tastes like watered down Hidden Valley.”   The Jaranch dressing lacked a rich creaminess and the flavor was off.  Stick with the tasty house ginger dressing!

Salad with Jaranch Dressing

• Description: Salad with Jaranch dressing
• Price: Complimentary/Included/$2.00
• FoodMe YUM Rating: 2 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 2 out of 10

Matsu Sushi Favorites

Matsu Sushi

• 1009 Farnam Street, Omaha, NE 68102
• Phone: (402) 346-3988
• Website: http://matsusushi.wordpress.com/
• Cuisine: Sushi, Japanese
• Price: $$

Matsu Sushi is a small, charming Japanese restaurant located downtown on the outskirts of the Old Market District.  I have dined at Matsu Sushi many times for both lunch and dinner.  It is a favorite spot for good quality Japanese food at an open and relaxing environment.

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If you want the fancy, modern, atmosphere of Blue Sushi Sake Grill or Hiro, then this is not the place to go.  Matsu Sushi is off the beaten path.  It has a down-to-earth, modest atmosphere, friendly service, and is usually not busy.  On my visits, there are usually only a few other dining parties, one or two servers, and one or two sushi chefs.

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Matsu Sushi serves the standard Japanese fare but also includes some unique dishes. They have an expansive list of sushi which is detailed nicely in their supplemental sushi “picture” menu.  Their sushi menu includes a reference letter/number, price, picture, name, and list of ingredients for each sushi item.

Spontaneously, Brian (my dude) and I went to Matsu Sushi for dinner on Friday, July 8th.  Their food was calling to me that night.  I ordered what I craved, Jean’s Favorite Chicken and Seafood Udon (includes salad).  Brian ordered the Yoko Roll and Disco Shrimp Roll which came with complimentary soup and salad.  Matsu Sushi also served us a surprise dish of crab wontons on the house.

The salad has fresh lettuce, cucumber, and carrot with a tasty ginger dressing.

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Salad

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• Description: Salad with ginger dressing
• Price: Included/Complimentary/$2.00
• FoodMe YUM Rating: 7 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 10 out of 10

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Matsu Sushi offers two complimentary soups, Spicy Mushroom Soup (clear broth with mushroom) and Miso Soup. Both soups are good, but I favor the traditional Miso Soup over the Spicy Mushroom Soup.   I enjoy the warmth and taste of a good miso soup.  I like to hold the warm bowl in my hands and drink the soup while savoring the taste.

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Miso Soup

• Description: Miso soup with soft tofu, chopped green onions, and seaweed.
• Price: Included/Complimentary
• FoodMe YUM Rating: 9 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 10 out of 10

Jean’s Favorite Chicken is an appetizer unique to Matsu Sushi.  I am not sure who Jean is but this is FoodMeOmaha’s favorite too.  Each piece is a delicious morsel of tender chicken with battered fried coating seasoned with Chinese five spices and cinnamon.  So far, this has been a hit for 4 out of 5 people who I have shared this with.

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Jean’s Favorite Chicken

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• Description: Spicy breaded chicken with Japanese spices.
• Price: $7.25
• FoodMe YUM Rating: 9 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 9 out of 10

Matsu Sushi’s Seafood Udon is my favorite udon soup in town.  The variety of seafood and vegetables is a unique version of the traditional Japanese udon soup.  The hot noodle soup includes scallops, white fish, calamari, fish cake, shiitake mushrooms, onions, scallions, red peppers, and carrots.  I love the chewy noodles, scallops, white fish, shiitake mushrooms, and warm broth.  Those are the highlights in my mouth. The calamari was slightly overcooked that night but regardless my craving was satisfied.

Seafood Udon

• Description: Hot udon noodle soup with seafood.
• Price: $9.95
• FoodMe YUM Rating: 9 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 9 out of 10

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Brian’s Yoko Roll and Disco Shrimp Roll (left to right) did not disappoint.  I love cilantro and there was a great cilantro taste for both of these rolls. I favored the Yoko Roll over the Disco Shrimp Roll.  For the Yoko Roll, I liked the masago, spicy salmon, and cilantro combination.  I do not recall tasting the peanuts.  The shrimp did not stand out in the Disco Shrimp Roll and tasted similar to a california roll but with a cilantro flair.

Yoko Roll

• Description: Roll of masago, cooked spicy salmon, peanuts, cilantro, krab
• Price: $8.95
• FoodMe YUM Rating: 8 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 8 out of 10

Disco Shrimp Roll

• Description: Roll of shrimp, spicy krab, avocado, cilantro
• Price: $8.95
• FoodMe YUM Rating: 7 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 7 out of 10

Matsu Sushi surprised us with a dish of crab wontons on the house. The crab wontons were decent but did not have the “I want again” factor.  I felt that it needed more of the cream cheese filling. It was a nice surprise though and I enjoyed trying something new.  This is how I discovered Jean’s Favorite Chicken!  Thanks Matsu Sushi!

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Crab Wontons

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• Description: Wontons with cream cheese filling
• Price: Unknown
• FoodMe YUM Rating: 5 out of 10

Matsu Sushi also has great lunch specials at very reasonable prices.  For example, you can get two rolls (limited selection) with soup and salad for just $10.95. My favorite lunch special is their sashimi set.  Matsu Sushi has fresh, good quality, well-cut sashimi that I favor for a great price.  A FoodMeOmaha review at Matsu Sushi’s lunch specials will come at another time.  Coming to a stomach near you.

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Matsu Sushi

• FoodMe YUM Rating: 8.5 out of 10
• FoodMe Service Rating: 8 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 8.5 out of 10
• FoodMe Atmosphere Rating: 8 out of 10
• FoodMe Overall Rating: 8.5 out of 10

4/4/2015 Update: A colleague friend recently found this post online. As a result, I wanted to mention that FoodMeOmaha and Brian have not been to Matsu Sushi for a couple of years now. We were disappointed by our last several visits since the food was not as tasty.

Omaha Prime…Prime?

Omaha Prime

• 415 S. 11th Street, Omaha, NE 68102
• Phone: (402) 341-7040
• Website: http://www.omaha-prime.com
• Cuisine: Steakhouse, Seafood, American
• Price: $$$$ Entrees $25 and up

Omaha Prime is a steakhouse located in the Old Market district.  I have never been to Omaha Prime and was motivated to try this place due to a Groupon deal (I love my deals!).  Plus, I thought it was apt that the restaurant’s name included “Omaha” for my first FoodMeOmaha restaurant review.

I commonly check out the restaurant’s website before visits to mull over the menu (and look forward to food selections).  On Omaha Prime’s website, their headliner is “America’s Greatest Steakhouse – We Only Serve Prime USDA Steaks.”  (Warning: I did not order steak).   I like their online menu since it has pictures, descriptions, and pricing for each food item. The menu has typical steakhouse options including various cuts of steak, prime rib, seafood, and a la carte sauces and side dishes.

On Thursday, July 7th, I went to Omaha Prime for dinner with my dude, Brian.  When we came inside the place seemed deceivingly small, but then we were led upstairs by the host to the dining area.

Omaha Prime has a fine dining atmosphere.  Servers are all dressed in white and are very courteous and attentive.  There are white table clothes, three forks, assorted wine glasses, etc.  The typical trimmings of a fine dining restaurant.  There is a nice view of the Old Market Passageway.  The atmosphere is quiet and classy but not overly stuffy.  Most of the customers are dressed in suits or business casual attire but you can get away with wearing jeans and a nice top.

Our waiter was polite and approachable.  Since I was a newcomer, he presented us with a tray of food and provided explanations on different cuts of meat from filet mignon to the porterhouse steak.  A big bundle of asparagus and 1 lb potato was also shown to explain the “generous family-style side dishes.” So, what was ordered?  As I warned, not steak.  Alas, other food called to me that night. I can’t fairly judge Omaha Prime as a steakhouse but I can share my perspective based on what we did have.

Brian ordered ice tea that is worth mentioning.  I liked the ice tea.  It was freshly brewed and very refreshing.  Brian, an ice tea fan, gave Omaha Prime’s ice tea a solid nod of approval.  I ordered the Sampler Platter (an appetizer) and French Onion Soup as a meal. Brian ordered the 18 ounce Roasted Prime Rib and a la carte Roasted Garlic Demiglace sauce.  Of course, I planned on sharing.  Prime rib is one of my favorite foods and I am a huge garlic lover.  We also ordered the Blue Cheese Potatoes and Sautéed Mushrooms.  Omaha Prime served complimentary bread after we ordered.

The complimentary bread was decent.  Warm buns with soft butter.  It tasted good but nothing that stood out and made me want more.

Complimentary Bread

• Description: Warm buns with soft butter
• Price: Complimentary
• FoodMe Taste Rating: 5 out of 10

The Sampler Platter was lacking in both portion and taste.  Only one Wild Mushroom Spring Roll, one Jumbo Cocktail Shrimp, and one Shrimp Cake was included in the platter.  The Wild Mushroom Spring roll had the nice crispy outer layers of a spring roll but lacked in the filling.  There wasn’t much mushroom taste and it was bland.  The Jumbo Cocktail Shrimp tasted like cocktail shrimp.  The cocktail sauce was different.  It was similar to a tart version of homemade ketchup.  The Shrimp Cake was the best out of all three appetizers but still wasn’t special in my opinion.  Shrimp was used instead of the typical crab.  It had a crispy outside with a slightly sweet brown sauce on top and had a subtle shrimp taste.

Sampler Platter

• Description: Includes a sample of Wild Mushroom Spring Rolls, Jumbo Cocktail Shrimp, and Shrimp Cakes
• Price: $10.95
• FoodMe Taste Rating: 4 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 3 out of 10

The French Onion Soup is warm and filling.  The melted gooey cheese on top is cheesy-gooey-licious.  The beef broth with onions and soft soaked bread is hearty and warms your body.  I liked it.  However, after a while it was a bit saltier for my taste.  Note that I am not a big salt person.

French Onion Soup

• Description: A warm and hearty onion and beef broth soup served with croutons and cheese.
• Price: $7.95
• FoodMe Taste Rating: 7 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 7 out of 10

The prime rib did not stand out for me.  Somehow it lacked the delectable prime rib melt in my mouth goodness response.  It was cooked medium and was chewy and the meat itself was plain.

Roasted Prime Rib (18 oz.)

• Description: Thick cut of prime beef.
• Price: $27.95
• FoodMe Taste Rating: 6 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 3 out of 10

I enjoyed the Roasted Garlic Demiglace.  The sauce did not have a strong garlic flavor but had a nice depth.  I detected that it was made with wine.  The sauce complemented both the prime rib and the mushrooms.

Roasted Garlic Demiglace

• Description: A rich brown sauce made from roasted garlic.
• Price: $3.50
• FoodMe Taste Rating: 8 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 8 out of 10

I am a mushroom fan and these were decent.  The side dishes are definitely meant for sharing.  The Sautéed Mushroom with the Roasted Garlic Demiglace brought it up another level.

Sautéed Mushrooms

• Description: Sautéed mushrooms
• Price: $6.95
• FoodMe Taste Rating: 6 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 6 out of 10

The bleu cheese potatoes were good.  I liked the creamy bleu cheese sauce and the chopped tomatoes and green onions added a nice accent taste.  If you like creamy bleu cheese and potatoes then you should like this dish.  Note that the potatoes doesn’t warm up as well for leftovers.

Bleu Cheese Potatoes

• Description: Baby red potatoes seasoned and covered in melted bleu cheese.
• Price: $7.95
• FoodMe Taste Rating: 7 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 7 out of 10

Omaha Prime…Prime? Based on my one visit I felt that Omaha Prime was lacking.  It did not have the “Prime” food experience.  At this price range, I expect melt in my mouth goodness.  The food was decent but nothing that stood out as a must have again.

Omaha Prime:

• FoodMe Taste Rating: 6 out of 10
• FoodMe Service Rating: 8 out of 10
• FoodMe Value Rating: 3 out of 10
• FoodMe Atmosphere Rating: 8 out of 10
• FoodMe Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

Introducing FoodMeOmaha!

FoodMeOmaha is a blog of my FoodMe perspective of Omaha restaurants.  Omaha is known for having more restaurants per capita than in any other U.S. city.   I live in Omaha and I love food.  From favorites to new finds, food delights me.  From tasting to sharing, food feeds me.  FoodMeOmaha!

I have received many comments on my eating ways.  “She eats more than I do.”  “Menus are her porn.”  “Food is part of the sharing and I love sharing my food with you.”  “You should start a food blog.”  “I love your appetite.”  “If you change your eating, I will stop loving you.”  So, this is me sharing my food experiences with you.  I hope you enjoy!  Feed me what you think!

Special thanks to Brian Gerdes and Maude Moreno for the inspiration!