restaurant review #7: matsunori handroll bar
our first 5/5 simmer with sally review. read more to learn all the fuck about it.
an introduction
ok, i know what you’re thinking. yes, there was supposed to be a review last week and it didn’t happen. and yes, it was supposed to be on a spot i went to in korea. and here we are, a week later with a review on a boston restaurant instead.
the truth is, putting these reviews together are a lot of work and there’s weeks where i’m more motivated to write than others. rather than push myself to write and publish a piece last week that i wouldn’t have been happy with, i decided to give myself some time to take a beat to come back stronger. and i’m glad i did! i’m also listening to feedback and incorporating more boston-area food spots into my reviews so that y’all can have some more accessible spots to nosh at in the near future (vs hopping on a flight to korea to gallivant and eat). thank you all for rockin’ and ridin’ with me in the meantime - it truly means so much.
all that said, you can still expect a general schedule of a mix of both boston-area and international food reviews over the next few weeks!
this week, we’ll be focusing on matsunori handroll bar, one of the best (and only) places for handrolls in boston.
before we start, a quick reminder on how my food reviews are structured:
a quick, 5-sentence review that summarizes my entire experience, along with a numerical rating out of 5
a more detailed, in-depth review that spills ~all~ the tea
cool? cool.
the tl;dr 5 sentence review
matsunori handroll bar is a japanese handroll restaurant located in the fenmore (fenway/kenmore) area of boston, massachusetts. if there’s any spot that deserves my first 5-star review, it’s matsunori. i’ve been a ride or die since their soft opening in february 2023, and it’s been an absolute pleasure seeing their menu expand and grow. matsunori has the exclusive honor of not only being a “sally has cried here because the food is so good” restaurant, but might be one of the very few restaurants that holds the honor of “sally cries every single time she is here” award. quality, taste, aesthetic, service, value - check, check, check, check, and CHECK.
rating: 5/5
the hot and juicy deets
the reservation.
matsunori is ~walk-in only~. and they’re only open for dinner service (5pm - 10 or 10:30pm, depending on the day). personally, i’ve never had a problem landing a table when i show up right around the first hour or so of service (between 5pm - 6pm). the restaurant does fill up pretty quickly after that first hour or so, though, so make sure you get the timing right so you can nosh immediately.
the location, getting there, and accessibility.
matsunori is in a pretty nice spot public transpo wise for boston. in terms of the t, the st. mary’s stop on the c line is the closest - though you should also be able to hop off on the d line at fenway and quickly walk over. if you’re feeling down for a longer walk, you could even get off at kenmore (b,c,d lines) and walk about 10ish minutes to the restaurant. bus wise, the 47 and the ct2 both stop right around the corner from matsunori. you can definitely take a car, but you’d be playing parking roulette as there’s pretty limited street parking.
i would say this spot is also more accessible than some of the other spots reviewed on simmer with sally due to the availability of public transportation options, sidewalks that aren’t crumbling, and decent roads around the immediate area.
the vibes.
the aesthetic and vibes here give clean, minimalistic elegance. the furniture and decor choices here are super tasteful - simple but comfortable (and all in neutrals), and allows diners to focus more on the droolworthy food.
the drinks.
ok, if there’s one thing i would love to see at matsunori in the future, it’s a more robust drink menu. it seems that matsunori may not have their liquor license as there’s no alc available on the menu, which isn’t surprising given how damn hard the city of boston makes it to acquire one (though tits in allston just closed… wonder where that license will be going to). still, i think it would be 1000000% worth it to explore some really fun and innovative mocktails that pair well with some of the handrolls. matsunori… if you need help with this…. let me know!!
i will say despite them not having a super robust menu, what they do offer is fine, but even better, WELL PRICED. sodas (coke, diet coke, ginger ale) here are $2 a glass, and their teas (hojicha) are $2.50 a cup. you just simply don’t see those prices here in boston, or honestly, any city area here in the us.
the food, price point, and value.
the handrolls.
let’s get to what y’all have come here for - the food. over the past year, i’ve had the privilege of eating through most of the matsunori menu (both soft opening and regular service). i picked a few here to highlight in this review, but please know that there’s absolutely no fucking way for you to go wrong on their menu. all of their ingredients are fresh, and handrolls are made to order, so you get to pick your own adventure when you dine here. as a note, while there’s some options here for folks who don’t like / have allergies to seafood or meat, the options are a bit limited and may impact your dining experience.
here are some of my personal suggestions though (moving from the top for left to right):
spicy scallop handroll (scallop, spicy mayo, masago, tobiko): oh my gooooooooooood. i don’t think i’ve ever had scallops raw before, and honestly, if its not done like this moving forward, i don’t know if i want it. meat was perfectly tender with just a touch of heat from the spicy mayo, with fun texture support from the masago and tobiko. what a fun little treat.
botan ebi ikura (raw sweet shrimp, house marinated ikura, lime zest): absolute sploosh of a handroll. the shrimp is super juicy and tender and a hint sweet, which is wonderfully complimented by the salty marinade of the ikura that pop in your mouth as you chew. the lime zest comes in last for just a little citrus kiss and really rounds out the whole roll spectacularly.
blue crab (blue crab, onion, garlic butter, cucumber, scallion): the blue crab handroll has to be the best handroll here value-wise, because holy SHIT do they serve this roll absolutely packin’ with crab meat. the crab meat itself is absolutely smackin’, as you get the hints of onion and the garlicky butter. the cucumber is nice but honestly is a little bit of an afterthought given how much actual crab meat is in there.
uni (sea urchin, wasabi, scallion, truffle pâté): yeah, if they have this available to you, it’s an absolute must-get if you’re 1. an uni whore 2. up for a little food adventure or 3. a little bit of both. y’all, they fucking IMPORT this uni from hokkaido and the quality and taste definitely puts it levels above any uni i’ve had out and about here in boston (outside of the fancy shmancy sushi spots in town like o ya). you know bad uni when you taste it becase it quite literally will make you projectile vomit. but the uni used here is incredibly fresh, mild, and almost buttery in both taste and texture. the wasabi and truffle pâté double team to provide a touch of heat and extra umami goodness, really complimenting the textures and flavors present in the uni. omnomnomnomnomnom
miso butter cod (72 hour marinated black cod, homemade miso butter cream): this roll is in a three-way tie with the uni and wagyu rolls as my favorite here at matsunori. HOW they get this cod to be so soft while imbued with flavor after a 72 hour marination in one piece literally befuddles my mind. they also torch the fish which just… ugh. nut. i’m nutting hard just thinking about it. the miso butter cream provides a delectably savory undertone to the roll.
a5 miyazaki wagyu (a5 japanese kurage wagyu, with options to add foie gras and apple compote or hokkaido uni): this is the roll that makes me cry myself silly every. single. fucking. time. it. touches. my. mouth parts. the last time i had this roll i decided to get the uni on top, and it did NOT disappoint. the wagyu is honestly perfect. they torch it to a perfect med rare / med doneness, which only elevates the tenderness and marbling on the meat. the beef literally dissolves in your mouth people!!! it’s incredible. the uni honestly is the perfect creamy compliment to the meat as well.
the matcha tiramisu.
matsunori has a relatively limited dessert menu at the time of writing. they only have two options: the matcha tiramisu or the matcha mochi ice cream. the tiramisu intrigued my group, so we decided to take the plunge.
1000000000000/10. the cake was nice and moist, the marscapone was light and fresh, and the matcha added a welcomed twist to one of my favorite desserts of all time. my one comment would be that the dusting of matcha powder on top might be just a touch too thick (i coughed at one point and a little puff of green escaped my lips), but it’s not something i’d take points off as a matcha ho.
the price point and value.
i would say that this is a fun date night spot for sure, or a really fun dinner out with friends. the tab can rack up depending on what you’re ordering, so just beware - but for the quality of the food you’re getting and the decent size of the handrolls, i would say that its well worth it. like, $17.50 for a5 wagyu???? and $19 (at time of purchase) for hokkaido uni??? i’d say that’s a pretty good steal, and they don’t really skimp out on portions per handroll.
the service.
the service here has always been on point whenever i visit. the servers have been super kind, and very informative and always willing to hook you up with suggestions! they also work to churn out that high quality shit FAST so that you’re enjoying the food as quickly as possible. i’ve gone with a lively group the last couple of matsunori outings, and we’ve had a fantastic time hanging out and chatting with our servers during dinner. thank you to everyone who has served me and my friends here at matsunori - we appreciate you greatly <3
a conclusion
let me know what you think of my first ever 5-star review, and if you want to go with me again (very soon) to try it out yourself! seriously….. once i get my next paycheck…. i will definitely be making another trip ;)
if you liked what you read, please consider sharing the word on my substack with those who you know would enjoy it.
see you all very soon!
love, sally
my fave place in the WORLD !!! must munch on the blue crab — it’s approved by me (a recovering picky eater)
Gotta try their matcha tiramisu 🧐 thanks for the well detailed review