Ms. Masaki

My Husband and I went on the Verde Canyon Railroad Excursion earlier that day and we were hungry i search of a new place to try. We stumbled along a sign that says Japanese restaurant which we ended up finally finding Ms. Masaki. Wow beautiful décor, great friendly welcome when we walked in. We ordered 2 sushi rolls. Prepared fresh from the sushi chef. What shocked and surprised us was that Diane and her staff were not Asian, but all they had been trained by Mr. Masaki himself before he sold this restaurant to them over 2 years ago. Diane brings the same great Japanese flavors as any amazing Japanese chef could. Our server Kelly, yet very relaxed was amazing and made both of us feel at home. I highly recommend that everyone try this place if you live or pass through Cottonwood!

Had dinner last night with a client, it was excellent. My client was very impressed. We will be back again and again. This is the 3^rd time I’ve taken someone there for their 1^st time and they all said they are really looking forward to going back.

Had lunch here today and was blown away! It was awesome! The Mountain Crunch Roll is a must! We ended up ordering a 2^nd order! The service was spot on as well. I am so happy to find great Sushi in Cottonwood! Can’t wait to go back!

Sadly I won’t be returning due to continuos inconsistencies. I have been a pretty faithful customer ever since Jesse took on this restaurant and I used to be very impressed by the upgrade in her menu, quality, delivery and ambiance so I dismissed many discomforts/​mishaps due to having compassion for starting anew in this area, but my patients ran out after nearly 2 years of trying. If Jesse is making the rolls/​sashimi/​nigiri they are delicious, flavorful, well prepared and abundant. If it is the guy with the the huge gauges is behind the counter it is the exact opposite. Some of the previous employees did really well but not this guy. The hours have changed a number of times. I lost count on how many times I showed up to a locked door. I have recommended this restaurant to several people who all had terrible experiences due to flavor and service so I obviously cannot recommend it to anyone anymore. I really hope the owners find their groove, find and employ those who are capable of facilitating their vision and make a reliable, more streamlined hours-​of-​business and stick to it rain or shine. There is nothing but potential here.

Great atmosphere, great food, great service. Diane was a delight and we really enjoyed our experience. Miso soup is made daily and delicious. The Mountain Crunch was amazing.

A fanominal sushi bar with a very good wait staff kind service peaceful atmosphere and a very fresh tasting sushi roll. If you do choose to go here may I suggest that you have the pork fried potstickers very good teriyaki sauce comes with it.

Tried the happy hour and it was awesome. The mountain crunch so good we ordered a second. Don’t understand the bad reviews. We loved it and price was great.

This place is the best sushi in town. It has a great vibe too, BUT… It smells terrible! I don’t know if it’s a ventilation thing or what but it smells like your sitting in a fryer in there! And you will smell like that looooong after you walk out of there! I’ve actually not gone there because of this. And it’s a shame because it is really the only decent sushi in town. And I know I’m not the only one who won’t go there because of this. :-/​please fix this so we can return to our favorite sushi spot!

Wow… some harsh reviews! Haha but to each their own :). I just moved in there from LA and have been here 2X and I am in LOVE! Supremely Eel is AWESOME! Eel is my roll of choice and I have not tasted better! My second love is a good Shrimp tempura roll… which mango slash satisfied 100%. What I love is the rolls are not covered in some spicy/​non spicy mayo sauce which seems to be the trend EVERYWHERE! Waitress is super friendly which is nice! I will be back!

This is the worst sushi I’ve ever had!!! Trust me I’ve had better from a grocery store cooler! Not only did we pay $ 65.00 for rice and cucumber (very little actual fish) I truly turned to peanut butter on a spoon before finishing this so called sushi! I have NEVER left sushi on a plate in my life. The leftovers are now in the dogs dish! Very disappointing indeed

First time here since they changed owners awhile ago. Happy hour is great with half price on certain rolls. I think this is a great value! Tea pots are great at $ 3 each when they are easily split between two people. Like the look and atmosphere. Will come again during happy hour!

Best spicy tuna sushi I’ve had the entire time I’m in Arizona. Owners are great and very welcoming. It’s located in a strip mall. They’re working on getting their liquor license but until then you can bring in your own bottle of wine if you’d like.

sushi is great but service is slow, one waitress, very expensive I’m not sure if id return because of those reasons

So Masaki himself sold and he is gone. It’s definitely not as good as it used to be, but still the best sushi and rolls in cottonwood. I will say the new owner has vastly improved the appearance and ambiance of the restaurant itself.

Just waited 45 mins for a plate of 8 thin slices of sashimi for $ 18 while a 6 plate take-​out order was pushed ahead of ours, dreadful. One star for nice thin slicing and fish.

Masaki is now Ms. Masaki and I must say that I am incredibly disappointed. I ate here during their happy hour, when select rolls are half price. This is a good thing since a Spicy Tuna Roll is $ 10 all other times. The high prices stopped me from ordering anything not on the happy hour, so I survived on rolls. The old Masaki was expensive as well, but the food tasted fresh and there was a variety of options to choose from. Currently the only salmon Ms. Masaki offers is smoked, (if I wanted smoked salmon, I’d go for a bagel) and the rice was gummy. While I don’t recall seeing sashimi on the menu, I wouldn’t have ordered it anyway because the fish didn’t taste fresh. On a positive note, our server was lovely and the tea we had (three dollars for a pot) was delicious. But as tea is not the only thing I would want for lunch, I would never eat here again.

I ate here the other night with my Beloved. We started out with Miso soup that was actually rather bland and the pieces of tofu in it did not melt in my mouth like others do, taking on the taste of the miso. The tofu tasted like bland, harder tofu. My Beloved ordered the Rooibos Tea which had a nice flavor to it. I ordered I believe a peach flavored white tea (not the one with ginger in it. I’d look it up, there is no menu online though) and it had no taste to it. It tasted like hot water. I’m sure if I said something, they would have given me another kind or added more tea to it.
So now let me tell you what I liked and why I gave it 4 stars. All the sushi we ordered was amazing! It tasted very fresh and they have a lot of options for vegetarians/​vegans. Our waitress was very sweet and we even had a chime in from the chef during a convo. The atmosphere is cute and quaint. It is also hidden a bit in a shopping mall. We almost though the gps failed us, but it is there!
I would definitely go back… even today. I’m kind of craving it now that I’m writing about it. :)

Great food. Great service. New owner is doing a wonderful job. Love the spicy tuna roll:)

Masaki is a genius! We have eaten a lot of sushi, mostly on the coast of California, and this is the best we have had… honest! He uses only the best ingredients right down to the water. His sense of flavor and texture balance in his rolls is amazing.
The tempura unagi is a decadent way to start the meal with a hot sake. Then head straight for the rolls. These are masterpieces. You know how sometimes you order a few different rolls and they all taste alike? Not here. Each one we have tried has been wonderful and completely different from the next. There is no gratuitous use of fake crab filler like so many sushi bars. This is the real deal.
When we first started going we would order sashimi, which is very good, but his true calling is the rolls. If you are expecting the fake grass stuff to dress up your plate, you won’t find it, or anything fake, here. This is not a cheap, high-​volume place. You really get what you pay for.
Tip: Sit at the sushi bar and Masaki is likely to serve you a sample of something yummy!
I can’t believe we are so fortunate to have this quality of sushi right here in the Verde Valley. Continue the outstanding work!

Hidden in a strip mall behind an empty building that was once a Pizza Hut is a really great sushi restaurant!
Eaten here for lunch and dinner several times & always happy.
It is VERY small and non-​descript, but it IS about the food, right?
Great green salad with delicious dressing. In fact, all salads we tried: octopus, ahi & green were all fresh & perfectly dressed.
My husband loves the spicy tuna roll and various sashimi.
Great vegetable roll and must try the enoki mushroom tempura.
Wife is waitress and more than likely will come to table with sleeping baby strapped to her back!