Matsuhisa

Pricey, fair sushi and service. Different from the venue in Aspen, unlikely to return. Great view though.

Don’t believe the Unilocaler negativity, this was by far the best meal I had while in Vail and will be a must visit from now on. Prices were reasonable, and the service, food, and drinks were exceptional. The staple sashimi dishes like yellowtail with jalepeno and ponzu sauce were on target, but our standouts were:
Colorado lamb chops — good giant sized lollipops with an amazing Thai nam tok fusion sauce. These had wrapped handles so they were made to be picked up and eaten caveman style.
Seafood Udon — the best I’ve ever had — perfectly cooked al dente noodles with a heavenly mushroom broth and loaded with fresh seafood — I mean giant scallops and prawns!
Shisito peppers — fresh and not overly roasted. These were full of flavor and not overly spicy. Came with nice dipping sauce and sea salt.
Hendrick’s Gardener cocktail — Hendrick’s gin, Serrano pepper, muddled cilantro, ginger, and lime. Beautifully colored drink with amazingly complex flavors, tickling the throat with Thai flavors.
Nobu Shaved Ice — I was wondering how on earth they could take a simple Taiwanese café dessert and make it gourmet. The secret is in the sauce — ours was green tea condensed milk. We devoured it like it was crack!

Great atmosphere, staff, and presentation. However the food was not as amazing as the price tag. If I went again I wouldn’t have the tofu and sweet potato tempura again. The chicken skewers were good, but nothing overly special for cost. I would just come here for cocktails and an appetizer next time.

I was skeptical about eating sushi in a mountain town, but so happy I made a reservation at Matsuhisa! First of all, as someone who knows her fresh fish, I can confidently say that the fish served was the highest quality sashimi grade fish. We opted for the $ 45 tasting menu and added in a little extra sushi. For my entrée course, I opted for the lamb chop. It was probably the best lamb I have ever experienced. From start to finish, the meal was superb. Add in a couple glass of wine and this was a reasonably affordable high end dinner. The mountain views are gorgeous and the service was spot on.

My husband and I had the good fortune to dine at Matsuhisa last night. For starters, the space is gorgeous. High ceilings, modern interior and huge windows that provide breathtaking mountain views.
They had a seasonal menu and a regular menu. We opted to try the seasonal menu and actually chose the Omakase (5 course chefs choose tasting menu). We also chose to order the yellowtail hamachi with jalapeño.
For starters, this was my first Omakase experience. My husband is a huge fan of a famous iron chef and has partaken in the chefs choice menu twice and blown away by it. Because Nobu Matsuhisa is also a renowned chef, there was no question about what to order from the menu. For me, I was a little uncomfortable because I am a self acknowledged control freak and I never want someone else to choose what I’m eating! However, I listened to my husbands sage advice of always choosing Omakase at a great sushi restaurant.
And guess what? He was right (don’t tell him
I said that)! From the first plate that arrived, I was blown away. The staff is extremely knowledgable about the menu and gave us a great run through of each and every item and how to eat it. It heightened the experience so much more. The staff also works together like a well oiled machine making the dining experience here that much better.
I can honestly say that there wasn’t a single thing about the non-​dessert courses I did not like. I was left in wonder how they could procure such fresh fish deep in the mountains? The fish was so fresh that it literally melted in our mouths.
After four exceptional courses, came the dessert. And it couldn’t have been a more perfect end to our meal. It was shaved ice accompanied with sweet cream and mango purée. The ice was so soft that I felt as if I was eating powdered snow. My husband who isn’t even a fan of mango enjoyed his dessert :).
We truly had a wonderful evening dining at Matsuhisa. Our only complaint is that they’re not open for lunch during the off season because we are dying to go back again!!!
So, if you’re in Vail or close by, Matsuhisa is a MUST!

We ordered the 5 course tasting menu. The food was good, but nothing amazing. The portions were very small. The waiter didn’t know anything about sake and was unable to offer any kind of pairing suggestions. After the entire dinner, we had to order more food, because we were still hungry. The lamb chops are good but they overdid it on the dry rub. All that curry and cumin seasoning didn’t seem to fit in with the other delicate flavors of sushi. I don’t think I should leave a place hungry after spending 100 bucks.
Also, I’m not racist, but there wasn’t a single Asian guy making any sushi. I’m aware any person regardless of race can make delicious sushi. Shout outs to Dick Alta. However, it makes me feel better seeing Japanese dudes doing it, especially in a fancy shmancy place such as this. A Mexican fella, with instructions from a white kid, made all our sushi.

This one’s easy. Mediocre food and very high prices. All hype. Even the waiters were pretentious. Disappointing.

The cucumber martini is fabulous.
Worth the $$$$$ as the food is delicious.

Outstanding meal at a steep price. Worth it.
The order:
Firecracker shrimp — 5 (crispy and well dressed)
Phyllo wrapped scallops — 4 (inventive not memorable)
Tuna tots — 5 (fun to construct and bigger than expected)
Veggie tempura — 4.5
Assortment of rolls and sashimi — 5
Tuna tacos — 5
Black cod lettuce cup — 5

They started there off season special … One of the best deals in vail… Love this restaurant… Could eat here every day… Amazing view of vail mountain and the bar is by far the best in town… Great staff, great food, great time

Our 1^st visit last year was so amazing that this year we wanted to bring our friends to enjoy Matsuhisa. We were lucky enough to get a reservation on Easter and I couldn’t be more happy. The atmosphere was amazing, the cod was amazing, the service was on point. My complaint though is that the shaved ice is completely different than our first experience. Last year we had peanut butter and jelly shaved ice in a giant fishbowl presentation. This whole presentation and flavor was why we came back and brought our friends. Now it is a dish of shaved ice with no peanut butter and jelly selection. I can’t tell you how let down I was. I know restaurants change up their flavors but the presentation as a whole was completely downgraded. :(

Great ambiance
Wicked and fresh food
Stylish people
Some kids around
Good service
Music was solid
Overall swanky enough to be posh but family enough to be cool for Everyone

This place is amazing. I tried a variety of things: tuna rolls, miso soup, salmon/​chicken/​beef skewers. All was incredible and probably one of the only restaurants at vail id say was worth the ridiculous cost.
Sushi wise, the tuna was great quality, and I’ve eaten some of the best sushi in japan.
Also had a cool atmosphere and good service, but that’s less important than the food to me

Can’t begin to explain the sushi goodness here. Amazing service and food amidst vibrant scene. Great spot for biz meet that hope to have opportunity to return.

Came because we wanted good sushi while in Vail. Instead we got an almost non-​existent sake list, an omakase that featured a total of six pieces of sushi and sashimi while the rest was salad, miso soup, pork chops and fish. Service was underwhelming. My dissatisfaction is mostly a mismatch in expectations: I can’t say anything was bad, but nothing was above average either. For the price and for being a Nobu outpost, I was disappointed. It struck me as a very basic lunch time Japanese restaurant.

The best in Vail, not for on the budget diners. But for me the only high end restaurant in Vail village. Sushi is great and its the best place for a relatively healthy diner opinions, like decent salad and no bread in site. Cocktails are killer too.

Yes, this place is very pricey… oh, by the way, did you realize you’re eating sushi in Vail? By that I mean, expect prepare to have your socks blown off because the fish tastes as if there is a secret ocean behind the restaurant where the fish is caught hourly!
The clientele here is going to be upscale so dress up just a little bit or you might feel out of place.
I can’t say enough good things about the quality and taste of the food here.
The must try:
–Shirome
–Toro
–Salmon
–Dragon Roll
It all just melts in your mouth! Absolutely gorgeous and brought me back to my days of Hawaii living. Very well done, Matsuhisa… VERY well done!

Bottom Line: Great dinning experience in a trendy/​cool atmosphere that is in a large impersonal hotel lobby-​esque space; menu is a little more limited, but the food was wonderful. Service was a little grumpy at first, but helpful and responsive throughout.
My wife and I have enjoyed many of the restaurants around the country and world in the Nobu empire, and decided to try this Vail edition. We showed up late (9:30) on a Tuesday night, and had to negotiate with the host/​manager about being able to eat before last call… I thought this was unusually early, but they agreed to seat us. A few of the Nobu staples on the menu were already finished for the evening (understandable since it is not a late night place in the off season), but the food was nothing short of perfect by Nobu standards:
–Lobster ceviche — large and wonderful portions (highly recommend)
–Hamachi and jalepeno– fresh and wonderful
–Miso Black Cod– melted in your mouth like butter
–Nigiri and sashimi– were very good
I personally don’t recommend any of the Nobus for life changing sushi (like Sasebune or Sushi Yasuda), but the incredible Peruvian and Japanese fusion dishes are the star of the dinning experience.
Do: hit the Vail Matsuhisa early in the off season;
Don’t: DO NOT park in the same building (Solaris?) as the restaurant…$ 17/Hour.Crazier than Manhattan prices… there is cheeper or free parking within a 5 minute walk.

We jumped at a chance to eat at one of Chef Nobu’s restaurants and he did not disappoint. Taking advantage of an off season deal, we ordered a 5-​course Omakase. (Meaning from the heart, in Japan). We had two pieces of sashimi, a chef’s choice sushi roll with 3 pieces of nigiri, a lamb entrée, clam miso soup, and a green tea cake for dessert. The off season special was $ 42 and the regular Omakase is $ 100 for 7 courses. I would gladly pay for the regular price again. Every course was better than the last and the service was amazing!

This is a Nobu Matsuhisa experience worth trying. With beautiful high ceilings and dim lighting, the scene is set for a special meal. The menu focuses on Japanese/​South American fusion, a combination that explores distinct and unusual flavors.
We started with the edamame and shishito peppers, which were the perfect appetizers to our delicious meal. Out of the skewers, I’d recommend the salmon ones paired with teriyaki sauce. Simple but so good. The lamp chop was also incredible — melting in your mouth with a Peruvian sauce. A must try if you like lamb.
We also ordered the King crab tempura and rock shrimp tempura. Both had unique, addicting flavors and left you satisfied. My only complaint would have to be about the sushi. We got the lobster roll and shrimp tempura roll but they were underwhelming. I expected more from a Japanese restaurant and I’ve had more exciting versions of the same rolls.
Looking forward to coming back again!