That cost $350? Wtf? My most recent trip I did the premium nigiri omakase and got 25+ pieces.
1 Like
Hi @formersushichef,
That definitely sounds like something went wrong. I would call them back and ask to speak to the manager and tell them what you experienced.
In the future, if you went to a restaurant that promised you a seat in front of the specific itamae you wanted, and they didn’t do it, you should ask them to honor it, and if they can’t, then it’s best to leave.
Also, that definitely doesn’t look like the right amount of food for $350, unless you had Sake or other drinks and that was included in the price.
2 Likes
didn’t have give you tamago and dessert to end the omakase? wtf?! something went wrong
Yea the more I think about it, the more I think I should have said something at the end of the meal. the entire meal costed me $500, I had a $175 sake and I did ask for a la carte uni nigiri (1 piece), so the premium omakase must’ve actually been closer to $300. Still, that’s Shunji and SGO territory so I would expect my meal here to be somewhat comparable. I’ll give them a call later tonight to see what the manager will say.
$265-ish pre tax and tip?
here’s what my friend had at mori a few weeks ago:
12 nigiri + 1 handroll
he thinks his tab was around $150 pre tax and tip but that sounds quite low? they probably messed up on your bill?
1 Like
This was your clue to turn around and leave the restaurant!
I am sorry it went so wrong. Maru-san should be embarrassed to have this occur in his restaurant!
You need to speak with Maru-san or write to him. If he has any pride, he should welcome you to a free premium omakase.
2 Likes
In fairness, I don’t think I would have left the restaurant either. I wouldn’t have been happy about them not honoring my request, but I would have given them the benefit of the doubt that if Maru san hired someone to work along side him, he’s probably not just some random hack.
I would have definitely said something when that check arrived though.
i would’ve given them the benefit of the doubt too especially since the former sidekicks there were take-san (shin sushi) and yoshi-san(SGO)
1 Like
Hi @formersushichef,
Yah, seeing what @moonboy403 just posted at $150 pre tax & tip, and you can see my report above (that was $250), they must’ve screwed up your bill. Definitely give them a call and speak with Maru-san directly or the manager at least and explain what happened and the amount you were charged (and just the mediocrity of the execution / your thoughts on the meal overall).
I think it’s important to give restaurants feedback so they know what to improve on, or else they will never know if a customer is happy or disappointed.
1 Like
those were the good old days!
I have been watching his sidekicks ever since - they do not look like they have a clue no matter how long they hand out next to Maru. I also think that both Yoshi and Take were pretty great sushi chiefs before they got to Sushi Mori.
Let’s not forget that Maru-san was the OG sidekick!
3 Likes
Great point @tailbacku. 
All master sushi chefs that we appreciate now started at the bottom and made it to “sidekick” before coming into their own.
I guess it helps when we can share our experiences to help find out which sidekicks are legit / have talent, and which ones are just best to avoid. For example, the last time we took a chance on a sidekick was at Sushi Note (which I wrote about), and it was a complete disaster / terrible sushi. It looked far worse than what @formersushichef shared here.
Looks like it.
One of the perils of LA FTC sushi faves. Lack of deep bench. Stopped going to Kiriko after a disastrous meal when I got shafted to super inexperienced sidekick #3. Shunji, make sure you dine with Shunji, sidekicks not strong either. Mori used to have a strong bench but no longer seems to be the case. Sorry but at the cost of these meals - it’s really not acceptable for diners to play Russian roulette.
4 Likes
@formersushichef Sorry to hear about your poor experience there. It’s super not cool when they tell you that you’ve reserved a seat with Sergio and you get a side kick. Happened to me once in NYC (15 East) and once at Sushi Tsujita (asked for Hide-san and got someone else). Both times, I didn’t walk out, but I did order the bare minimum omakase to cut my losses (especially since the knifework wasn’t as good).
As for the QPR, I’ve been wondering the same thing about Mori. I love dining in front of and chatting with Maru-San. Previously, I would go and get all the appetizers and 25+ pieces of nigiri, and the bill would come with a $2 handle before tax and tip. The last couple times, I didn’t count (but should have) but feel like I probably got between 8-12 pieces of nigiri, with about the same amount of food that you did, and my price came in at about the same level as yours. I did get dessert though! I think I’ll do a count next time, but I’m starting to think SGO is a better value (which is might be surprising to some given their headline pricing).
2 Likes
This is very true. One day we took a chance on a sidekick at Mori who turned out to be Yoshi, and ever since we only sat in front of him until the day he left, at which point we went back to Maru.
By the way, Yoshi used to moonlight at Mori on Thursday nights.
1 Like
next time i go, i’ll tell maru-san that i wanna cap it at $250 pre t&t
1 Like
The sushi looks beautiful to me…
Not even dessert?! I would definitely bring the issue here to the attention of the restaurant.
1 Like
Another data point from Mori. A wonderful experience as always, and the rice is still my favorite.
Tofu with karasumi The salinity of the karasumi added a nice kick to the purity of the tofu
Spiny lobster with chi-ayu (baby sweetfish), pickled cauliflower, kabura, and yam, along with broccolini and bamboo
Owan with Turnip and Ground Lotus Root and Shellfish
Nigiri courses
Tai no kobujime
Hokkaido scallop
Tako
Sayori
Hata with shiso and yuzu
Aji
Buri
Seared Tachiuo
Iwashi (outstanding!)
Renkodai
Sawara
Shima Aji
Akami zuke
Nodoguro (seared)
Otoro
Saba with kelp and shiso
Botan ebi
Mirugai
Kamasu
Santa Barbara Uni
Kuruma Ebi
21 pieces of nigiri in total
Handroll (Santa Barbara uni with yama imo) (!!)
Kanpyo Maki
The damage was $3-flat before T&T
Red bean dessert with mochi balls
Not included in the omakase
Also not included in the omakase
13 Likes