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Table for 2 - Matsu, Oceanside, CA
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Matsu

$50 and over
Creative Japanese

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 6 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Innovative
  • Romantic
Matsu follows a new light in modern Japanese cooking while paying homage to centuries-old tradition. We honor the philosophies behind the culture and its cuisine while expressing the local terroir and what grows naturally around us. The menu is our study of pristine, simple ingredients, the overall experience a balance, providing a sense of omotenashi, or Japanese hospitality.

We currently offer a 10 course tasting menu that constantly is changing with the seasons and availability, featuring a wide variety of seafood and vegetables, a few meat courses, and desserts. We also have a la carte and vegan options available as well, and walk in guests are welcome to join us either at our bar, or if tables are available for the evening. With advance notice, we are happy to adjust the menu to accommodate most dietary restrictions. A5 Wagyu can be added for an additional $55 per person.

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: William Eick

From the OpenTable editors: Head to this serene spot for innovative Japanese fare from pop-up darling and Thrillist San Diego best chef award-winner William Eick. Dig into elegant, beautifully plated dishes that could include sakana with banana curry or ebi tempura in an intimate, dimly lit dining room. Toast with a glass of sake or one of the restaurant’s inventive cocktails like a kelp-infused gin sour.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Creative Japanese, American, Contemporary Asian
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon, Thu–Sun 16:00–22:00
  • Phone number
    (760) 681-6152
  • Website
    http://eatatmatsu.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    Please contact info@eatmatsu.com for any buyout or private event inquiries.
  • Location
    626 S Tremont St, Oceanside, CA 92054
  • Area
    Oceanside
  • Cross Street
    Corner of Wisconsin St and Tremont St
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Additional
    Chef's Table, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access

Experiences

  • Yakitoriguy comes for Tsuki Night

    US$25.00 per person

    Prepaid

    26 Nov 2024 only
    Preorder your Yakitori set. $25 4 skewer set (3 chicken items and veggie) Wings, Thigh Negima, Hearts, and Seasonal Veggie.

  • Chef Mike Arquines Collaboration Dinner

    US$195.00 per person

    Prepaid

    3 Dec 2024 only
    6 Course collaboration dinner with Chef Mike Arquines Originally from the Bay Area, he graduated from the Art Institute in San Diego with a bachelors degree in Culinary Arts/Management. Chef has worked in and around San Diego before traveling to further hone his skills, working in some of the finest kitchens around the country, including Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago and Le Bernardin in New York City, before founding The LAB: Dining Sessions in 2011. In 2013, Chef Mike co-founded Mostra Coffee, an award-winning specialty coffee roaster. The company won Roast Magazine’s “Micro Roaster of the Year” in 2020 and was named one of the Top 100 small businesses in America by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2024.

  • 10 Course Tasting Menu

    US$185.00 per person

    Prepaid

    Multiple dates available
    Join the Matsu team for a 10-course tasting menu. Dietary restrictions and certain allergies cannot be accommodated without advance notice. Whole table participation is required. *We cannot accommodate gluten allergies at this time. **We ask that you do not make multiple reservations with the intent to be seated together, as we cannot accommodate parties larger than 4. CANCELLATION POLICY: Our intention is to provide our guests an intimate dining experience born of rigorous culinary techniques and attentive service. Therefore, no-shows and last minutes cancellations have a notable impact on our ability to serve our guests to our standards. Therefore, all purchases are final and nonrefundable.

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 47 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • North San Diego

    Best Service

  • North San Diego

    Innovative

  • North San Diego

    Healthy

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Matsu offers a "unique and mouth watering" 10-course tasting menu, perfect for special occasions. Guests rave about the "amazing food and service," with standout vegan options and creative Japanese fusion dishes. While some note the cost, the "phenomenal" wine and sake pairings enhance the experience.

47 Reviews

  1. Mark

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Totally worth the hype, came in for my Wife's birthday and was blown away. No words I could post would really do this place justice, just know it's as good as it seems, if not better than expected.

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  2. Jocelyn

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Every single aspect of this place was thoughtfully and meticulously designed with great quality--all the way down the table setting. Matsu's carefully-curated interior design starkly contrasts its unassuming exterior (and location). The modern take on Japanese aesthetics can also be seen in their creative, textured tableware--which were each uniquely chosen to enhance the experience of each dish. For example, the Amberjack (sashimi) sat in a mini porous tidepool rock, as if we were presented with the freshest catch right by the ocean. To reflect the kitchen's subtle use of pine flavoring--like in the Senbazuru cocktail--there was just the perfect amount of quiet emphasis of pine designs/imprints throughout the place: on the countertops, on the menu cover, in the bathroom candle. All the staff were professional, courteous, and quick to fill our cups. Coltrane welcomed us into our seats with a gracious smile so warm that we didn't mind when he told us the wagyu supplier that night was stuck in traffic. The food was impeccable. They first surprised us with warm towels and an amuse-bouche, which was a cute take on sushi: sashimi on taiyaki! Our drinks were strong without being spirit-forward, and I had the cutest little micro-crane with it too! Ebi (shrimp) tempura had a great soft crunch. Kakuni (pork belly) paired so well with the freshest wasabi and cilantro. The skin crisp off the Sakana (fish with oil-boiled skin) was densely tasty. Don't be fooled by Tsukune's appearance; yes, it is a glorified fancy cheeseburger, but it is the best glorified fancy cheeseburger. Take it from me: we were so blown away by this phenomenal experience that we are fully ready to sit in another hour-long northbound traffic the next time we come back.

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  3. Dai

    San Diego

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 13 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Chef William is truly a culinary visionary. I’ve been several times and I am always surprised by his continued trying to wow his guests with new creations. I also rave over his master bartender - he too crafts exceptional cocktails. I encourage all to go and go often. Even sitting at the bar is an exceptional experience but the ultimate is the chef table!

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  4. Sharon

    San Diego

    28 reviews

    5.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on 13 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A special dinner with Chris Lobo’s Native Wines paired with Chef Eick’s yummy creations. Me enthusiastic consumption of the offerings prevented me from taking pictures of all the dishes and the paired wines . Don’t hesitate to visit- Great Staff and wine!

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  5. Rupa

    San Diego

    13 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on 9 November 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 1
    The experience was beyond disappointing! First, there are no markings outside the restaurant, so it took us a while to find it. Instead creating intrigue or mystery, this just caused annoyance. Second, the decor was neither elegant nor comfortable -- wooden tables and chairs around a square room with the chef's bar on the side. No cushioning on the chairs made the 3-hour experience very uncomfortable. Third, all the fans were running even though it was 45 degrees outside; we asked for the one above our head to be turned off but were told all fans ran on one switch and the rest of the guests/staff wanted them on. So, our party of way shivered throughout the dinner. Fourth, a few of the courses were excellent but the rest were not good at all -- there wasn't enough fish in the courses, there were random courses with duck, corn, sunflower seeds, etc. The two dessert courses were inedible. Fifth, the waiters kept interrupting us at every course to give a pretentious description of what we were about to eat, and because we were not enjoying a communal Omkase at a sushi bar -- as we expected -- it was always a surprise to have them sneak up behind us in mid-conversation. Finally, the drinks were so-so but pricey and green tea was not even lukewarm. Will never go there again and do not recommend it; it was a WASTE of time and money (though the company of our friends made it a nice evening).

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  6. Alisa

    Los Angeles

    14 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on 27 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What an amazing experience! I highly recommend this restaurant as it was one of the best omikase experiences I have ever had. The food was beyond amazing along with the serivce and wine/sake pairing. Don't wait, book your reservation ASAP

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  7. Jennifer

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 20 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We enjoyed our dining experience at Matsu. Everything, from the food, the service, and the ambiance, was perfect! The food's presentation and flavors were exquisite. We can't wait to return to Matsu.

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  8. Scott

    San Diego

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 19 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Amazing food and great service. Every dish was excellent. Little expensive but for 10 course meal it makes sense.

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  9. Greatbut

    San Diego

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 19 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a wonderful experience with our servers and bartender. The meals were so tasty we are telling everyone we had unique and different flavors. It was defiantly a very special meal and dining experience !

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  10. Rosey

    Orange County

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 19 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A fantastic first experience at Matsu. I was given this place as a recommendation so decided to take my Mum here whilst she was visiting from 🇬🇧. From the moment we walked through the door we were given full attention from our server and many other team members - the food was explained in detail and met all expectations with delicate and well thought out flavours served with a smile and friendly conversation. I will be back for the Omakase in the not too distant future! The Ebi Tempura, Aubergine and Sakana banana curry dishes were the stars of the show for me!🤩

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FAQs

Matsu is rated 4.7 stars by 47 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 6 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Matsu

626 S Tremont St, Oceanside, CA 92054

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Corner of Wisconsin St and Tremont St
  • Area
    Oceanside
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon, Thu–Sun 16:00–22:00
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Creative Japanese, American, Contemporary Asian
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Chef's Table, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access
  • Website
    http://eatatmatsu.com/
  • Phone number
    (760) 681-6152
  • Private party facilities
    Please contact info@eatmatsu.com for any buyout or private event inquiries.
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