Sushi Zanmai

I finally made it to Sushi Zanmai and it was well worth it. The chefs were energetic and celebrated every guest. Not to mention, the sushi was some of the best I have had. My favorite roll was the Orange Crush and I also enjoyed the Green Lanttern, pictured below.
It was a pleasure to meet you. Best wishes on your move and adventures ahead.

We waited for over an hour for some pretty average sushi rolls that were overpriced for what they were. My dad really like his Unagi bento box, so maybe the best bet is to stick with sashimi. But none of the four rolls we got were anything I’d want again– we got the Boulder roll, shrimp tempura, trout and Rocky roll. If you wanna spend $ 9-​$ 12 a roll, there are some way better options out there. One big «meh» rating for me.

I went to Sushi Zanmai for my birthday dinner with a group of friends. We sat in one of the tearooms. The food was absolutely delicious; the service was great; and the atmosphere is always fun. We ordered so much food, but some of my favorite rolls are the Z-​9, the spicy tuna, the caterpillar, the orange crush, the green hornet. I also love the salmon sashimi, the green mussels, the ebi shumai, and sadly they were out of the Hamachi collar. All in all, a fantastic sushi restaurant to go to for dinner, lunch, celebrations, etc.

Bad –pre sliced — not fresh fish –small portions of fish on top of rice that falls apart. The only positive was the service. Don’t waste your money here.

Sushi Zanmai has good sushi and rolls but shrimp on the expensive combo brought and just average unagi bring it down a notch for me.
The atmosphere is bright and a mix of traditional Japanese decorations with American touches, especially the pop music playing as background music. We went in around 8 on Monday with no reservation and were seated immediately.
The basic combo has 7 pieces of sushi and a roll. They put shrimp on the combo, which I don’t like. When I eat sushi, I want fish, not shrimp. The fish sushi was good. The rolls were pretty unremarkable. At $ 33, it was expensive compared to other good sushi combos I’ve had, that also include soup and salad. We ordered miso soup separately. It was very good.
We also ordered an orange crush roll and spicy tuna and spicy yellowtail rolls. All were very good but not very spicy. The orange crush came with a spicy mayo, which was very good. We dipped all our rolls in the mayo.
As my usual ‘test’ of a sushi place, I ordered unagi (eel). The best unagi has a firmness to the eel and an almost crisp surface texture from the brown sauce being seared. The unagi at Zanmai was average. The flavor was good but didn’t have the texture I wanted.
We ended with a couple of desserts — tempura cheesecake and tempura banana. They were interesting and flavorful but not special enough that I’d order them again.
The service was pretty slow. Our waitress said there was an emergency in the kitchen that slowed things down. She was very nice about it and was overall a very good waitress.
Our final bill was $ 155, which seemed expensive, given my previous comment about the combo. We generally liked our meal but will probably give some other places a try before returning.

I have never gone to zanmai and spent less than $ 300 as a group. Yet they are always rude and unkind to their customers. The food is okay, but they still can’t split a bill and will not help you figure it out in any way. Expect terrible service.

Nice selection of sushi and rolls at a good price. Everything was fresh. Also the wasabi was nice and hot!

This is my favorite sushi place in Boulder and one of my favorite resturants in general. I always sit at the bar where the chefs are very entertaining and always willing to have a good conversation. They have the best sushi for the price as well as a great happy hour! Two of my favorites are the green mussle app and the Colorado roll.

Worst restaurant experience I’ve had in years. My spouse and I were in a group of eight and we wanted a separate order sheet. The waitress Emily argued that it was too much work for us to have a separate sheet so we reluctantly agreed to join in on the group’s list. A few minutes later, she tossed a new sheet on our table and left without a word…
We got to our reserved table at 8:05 and gave Emily our two order sheets by 8:15pm and our order was placed… So we thought. Our other six friends received their sushi boat around 8:35.
Meanwhile, my spouse and I sat around while not only our friends finished their food, but the three tables around us had new guests seated, food brought to them, and checks paid.
9:25 and still no sushi… We ordered two rainbow rolls and two salmon rolls, yet our friends boat came out in twenty minutes? At this point in time, we had already asked the waitress about our food twice.
Is she punishing us for asking for a separate sheet? I understand if it’s busy or if you’re having a rough night, we are being patient– I used to work in the service industry, so I’m very understanding when I go out to eat.
Well, we finally got our food at 9:50… I wish I could say that it was worth the wait but that was not the case. Quite possibly the most unappetizing sushi I’ve had; the fish tasted old and it fell apart as you picked it up with chopsticks– Grocery store sushi tastes better than Zanmai’s.
A brief word with the manager did us no good. She didn’t even apologize or make any attempt to amend the bad experience we had, she just told us that it’s so busy. We explained our experience so far and she waved her hand at us, brushing off everything we told her.
So we paid our bill and of course gratuity is tagged on automatically. It made sense that despite terrible service, our waitress gets a large tip from us anyway.
Knowing how competitive the restaurant industry is in Boulder, I’m surprised that Zanmai is still in business. I do wish I could award 0 stars.

Authentic. That sums it up. If you want the real deal, you come here.
My daughter started coming here when she was two years old; her aunt was a waitress and later sushi chef here and she used to bring Pearl in weekly. For many years, the owners knew her every time she walked in the door. We don’t live in Boulder anymore and she still visits every summer. Sushi Zanmai is always one of her favorite places to visit and her favorite past time. Very few of you remember who she is now because she’s all grown up, but I thought you might like to know, you hooked a fan when you invited Pearl to be a part of your lives when she was two. Thanks Zanmai!

ZANMAI! I hadn’t been here since I was in college. I mostly had remembered the atmosphere — the fun chefs, the ridiculous birthday celebration, the private sushi rooms… all clouded by too much sake. I invited a girlfriend out for a sushi dinner date and figured it was time to revisit the Zanmai. It did not disappoint. I got there before happy hour was over so most of the nigiri was discounted — and it was all delicious! Tuna, scallops, salmon and eel. Great cuts of fresh fish. We also tried a couple hand rolls (spicy hamachi), spicy tuna, shrimp tempura and a spider roll. It was all great!
There were two items that make this not a 4-​star event: first, the place was absolutely FREEZING. It was cold and I generally can tolerate cold, certainly better than I could if was a bit too warm. Nope. I was really cold the whole time. Also, our server was not very friendly and really not very attentive. She wasn’t rude and didn’t ignore us — I’m certainly not saying that. It just wasn’t GREAT service. These items are factors in an experience at a restaurant… but I tend to weigh the food a bit heavier, since that’s what I’m there for.
All in all — I will absolutely return to Sushi Zanmai.

Haven’t been to Sushi Zanmai in well over a year since I don’t live in Boulder anymore. I used to come here a lot back in the day when I did because it’s easily the best place to get sushi in Boulder. That statement still rings true! Last night we had a delightful meal at Zanmai.
My mother, boyfriend, and I showed up around 8:30 PM and were told we would have to wait about 15 minutes for a table. Lo and behold, we were seated within 5 mins at a table in the main area. To start, my boyfriend and I split a big bottle of Orion beer (first time trying this beer from Okinawa– it was recommended by our waiter) and a bottle of hot sake. Both were great. Mom had Pinot Grigio.
For appetizers, we ordered the shrimp shumai. Both my mother and boyfriend have never had shumai, so I was hoping it would come out in the wooden-​steam box thing, but it only came out on a plate :(Only complaint of the whole night. They were very good though! Only four came in a serving… Could have eaten more :)
I also had miso soup, which was good as usual and soothing to the soul.
For sushi, we each chose 2 rolls (total of 6), to get a nice variety to share between the three of us. I chose my usual caterpillar and rainbow rolls. My mother chose one of the specials, the Lucky 7, and a roll with some spice to it– the firecracker. My boyfriend got a spider roll and the shredder (eclectic– crab, eel, cream cheese, and fried in tempura). I think my favorite was the Lucky 7, but I enjoyed each and every roll. We picked out a nice combination of things and got to try most of the fish and seafood offered.
I left with an extremely full belly and a bit of an inebriated mindset.
Very successful dinner and I will be back to Zanmai next time I want sushi in Boulder.
Atmosphere and service-​wise, the place is great too for the most part. We had a table that was kind of cornered off to itself, so we had room for conversation.

We have been patrons of Sushi Zanmai for at least 15 years. Have definitely seen a decline overall in the restaurant.
We went Tuesday for lunch. Arrived at 1:30, they close for lunch at 2:00. I thought we would be fine since we had a half hour leeway.
The server hurriedly took our order and the chaos began. One of the bussers literally kept running by our table yelling «last call» and picking up the soy sauce containers. I suppose doing his side work to leave. I had to ask one of the servers to tell him to please stop running by me as I was trying to eat my lunch.
We ordered the Tatsutagi, wasabi dumplings, and the shrimp dumplings to start. They were tasty as usual. Mid-​way through enjoying these we were informed that we needed to place any additional orders NOW. We placed our dessert order.
Our sushi arrived and it was hard to enjoy it because we couldn’t get refills (water) on anything because our server was elsewhere. To make matters worse, she dropped the check mid way through our lunch and asked for us to pay at that moment.
The nail on the coffin was our dessert, 9 mochi melted on the plate. It must have been sitting in the kitchen. Sushi Zanmai always had the best mochi. What a waste.
If you cannot or are not willing to give great unrushed service before lunch ends please let your patrons know. I will never return to Sushi Zanmai. Sayonara!

What a good alternative to the busy, overpriced places around town. Zanmai has all of the usual sushi bar suspects, and does not overcomplicate their menu.
The service is outstanding and friendly. Carry out orders are convenient and easily handled at the reception. The restaurant is quaint and feels tight, but the seat in is actually abundant and there is plenty of room.
The ambiance is great– casual and light noise, and with lots of authentic decorations. There are also some semi private seating areas and a shoes off area. Definitely not stuffy or pretentious.
The sushi was perfect. No complaints at all on the food, but these days I don’t think there is anything separating sushi unless it is super fresh. No disappointments and we will be back.

The best sushi place in Boulder hands down. Prices are fantastic for the area. Happy hour is amazing and let me tell you about the fatty yellowtail nigiri! Oh my god. Fall apart in your mouth, tender, rich goodness. Only place in Boulder that serves this and it’s a must.
The sushi chefs are all great guys. I always sit at the bar and talk to them and they’re always more than happy to help you with fish selection, especially if you’re eager to try something new!
If you’re the late night crowd, make sure to check out karaōke night! Great time and great drinks. Very friendly environment. Wait staff and the clientele are always having a great time. I recommend this place to everyone who comes to visit.

I came to Sushi Zanmai with a friend, eight months or so ago. I remember walking out, having really enjoyed my meal.
I returned a week ago and was a little disappointed. Service was attentive but the server seemed a little confused with my questions, in turn confusing me further, leaving us to just… kinda… stare at each other.
The sashimi that I ordered was thin and paltry. For what I’m paying for my salmon sashimi, I would have expected a larger cut. The rolls were… okay. We ordered the Death (supposedly very spicy) but I found it to be very salty. The other rolls were also similarly mediocre.
Did the sushi chef change? Was I mistaken eight months ago? I walked out conflicted and confused, which seemed to be the theme of the evening.

Good service, but the fish was not good.
Also, the night I visited, there were way too many college students (at least 30 of them) and they were SUPER LOUD.
They ordered a lot of beer and Sake and they toasted every 15 minutes banging on the table and yelling weird Japanese.
The staff didn’t say anything because they drop tons of money but they should do something for the other normal customers.
I didn’t enjoy their Sushi or the dining experience.
It was very disappointing.

Fresh fish, hands down the best sushi restaurant in Boulder! I have lived here eight years and have an addiction. Sushi Zanmai all the way!

I came to Zanmai for a friend’s birthday in January. I am pleasantly surprised by this find in Boulder. I find this place to be very authentic and quite nice. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to seat in this area, but they have traditional Japanese floor seating located within the restaurant. I think this particular aspect of the restaurant is very refreshing and cool.
For this dinner, I had the Nabeyaki Udon. This noodle dish is priced at $ 18.50. To be honest, it is a little pricey. But, it was absolutely delicious in my opinion. With the udon dish, there is also an included shrimp tempura on the side. The size of the tempura was quite large. The portion size of the noodle bowl was also fairly good. I was very full by the end and I actually could have had left overs for the next day if I wanted to split my meal in half. The quality of food you get at Zanmai’s is very good. I was not disappointed and I do recommend this location.
On a side note, they will give you a birthday ice cream if you come here for your birthday and tell the waiter/​waitress. In addition, I left my keys here when I went for dinner. I noticed my missing keys after they had closed, but I had no hassle picking up my keys the next day. I’m really thankful for this.

I have eaten sushi here at Zanmai, in Boulder, for as long as this place has been open, 20+ years. I have always liked it, though sometimes it is outstanding and sometimes just OK, but I have never left disappointed.
It was so popular in the earliest years it was almost impossible to get in. But now there is competition in the sushi category so if you plan it well, you will have a minimal wait. And if you go when it is below zero out and snow packed streets, you may even arrive to find a couple of empty tables just waiting for you as was the case last week. The staff was right on task, both the sushi chefs and the waitstaff. Occasionally the waitstaff has been arrogant in the past, but not recently.
I am much better at selecting my food as I have gotten more familiar with the different styles of food, especially the fish choices and roll combinations. I have learned that I would rather have simpler things, no Americanized rolls (think cream cheese or mayo options) and I like the little bowls of seaweed and fish salads a lot. This time it was a smoked squid. My favorite nigiri this time was the mackerel special. And the yellow tail was excellent. Though eel is very popular with the group I usually go with, I find the dark sauce with it over-​powering. I always enjoy flying fish roe and this time was no exception.
Zanmai has increased the dessert options to include some quality mochi ice cream bites so you can have a small treat, rather than the old standard fried, green tea ice cream scoop of previous visits.
Definitely give this old standby a try. I still like it best of all in Boulder.