89665 Wed Jan 10 04:42:37 -0800 2001 4 5 Texas 0 492951 It's certainly expensive, but the pieces are large and very fresh. Last visit the firm and creamy monkfish liver really knocked me out. The mackerel ranges from good to exceptional and is topped with a dab of plum paste which I originally thought odd but now realize counterpoints its richness. The tuna (big-eye) is always great. Sit at the bar because the floor staff is usually too busy to get your handroll out to you before the seeweed gets chewy. And I've seen the chefs spray platters with the water bottle to reinstate the pieces glistening appearence when they've sat on the counter too long. Also, they tend to pre-slice some fish. At the bar you can keep tabs on this, eyeing when they carve up a fresh slab and ordering up accordingly. Or get sashimi, because they always slice it fresh to get a true sashimi-cut. They even have a real grill behind the bar to cook eel and other items, rather than a toaster oven or (ugh) microwave. Belive me, even the pre-sliced fish is still very good. Musashino blows the other sushi bars in Austin away. Wed Jan 10 04:42:37 -0800 2001 0 Phil 1 492952 How does it compare to Sushi Sake? (which is where I currently go) How is it at lunchtime? David Cook Wed Jan 10 19:44:33 -0800 2001 492951 0 David Cook 2 492955 I ate Sushi Sake once and it was good - definitely the second best I've tried in Austin. The service was much better than at Musashino and the atmosphere was much more relaxed. They had a tempura appetizer made up of little bits of seafood wrapped in shiso which was delicious. But I thought the sushi was a little sticky whereas Mushanino's is smooth and luscious (tuna, say) or crisp (sea breem). The mackerel at Musashino is also plumper and juicier. Granted, this is based on only one visit to Sushi Sake. Every other sushi bar I've tried - Ichiban, Kyoto, Shogun and several Korean restaurants - have been decidedly worse. I've never been to Musashino at lunch. The most reliable food writer in town, Mick Vann of the Chronicle, recommends Osaka. It might be worth a try. Sun Jan 14 05:25:22 -0800 2001 492952 0 Phil 3 493185 I just returned from an awful experience at lunch there. I had eaten there several times before and really enjoyed it. Our food today was served cold and with an attitude when politely asked to please see the manager. The manager was down right rude and embarrassed my client. NEVER will return there and would not recommend it for a business lunch. Thu Jun 21 15:25:25 -0700 2001 492955 0 Kat 1 493305 I agree the sushi at musashino is very good however I just returned from a frightful experience there. I am a student at SWT. A group of my friends (all foreign students 4 from Japan 1 from Hong Kong) had asked me to recommend the best sushi place in Austin without missing a beat I told them, Musashino. So me and five of my friends went to musashino. It took 30 min for everyone’s food to come out. That is every one except for me. My food took quite a bit longer to come out. I was in having a good time with my friends so quite a bit of time passed before I even started keeping track of how long I had been waiting. Meanwhile my friends are waiting for me to get my food before they start eating. I insisted that they should start without me after we had waited for my food for at the very least ten minutes. By this time everything that was supposed to be hot was cool and the sushi was warm (The meals that came in the covered boxes faired best) By the time my food came out all but the very slowest eater had long since finished. When the waitress came with the check I politely (I am a waiter my self) took her aside and asked to please have my sashimi taken off the check. She agreed that it sounded like a fair request and said that she would have to check with the chef. She returned apologetically and said that he wouldn't take it off. I asked her if I could speak with him. When I asked him to take the sashimi off my bill he said that I had only eight minutes and he had "counted". He called me a lair, and threatened to call the cops. It is not in my demeanor to get loud or ugly with people. So I told him if he felt that he needed to call the cops then he should do it. After all this he agreed to "take off half” I thought that perhaps there had been a misunderstanding and I explained that all that I wanted was my sashimi taken off the bill not that I wanted the bill cut in half (although it would have been a nice gesture). He told me that he meant he would take half off of my sashimi. At this point I almost laughed. I was tiered of arguing with this guy and he was getting more and more upset to the point that I was becoming concerned for my safety. Finally I couldn’t stand (more like risk) speaking with this guy any more so I asked for my bill and even thanked him (I didn't want him following me into the parking lot). I told him that four of other people with me were from Japan and I was so embarrassed by the whole situation that I was going to pay the $131.32 myself. His response to this was to say "F*%K YOU" I was shocked, He must have misunderstood my surprise for incomprehension so he said it two more times with increasing volume. I paid the bill left five bucks on the table on top of the $17.13 of automatic gratuity. Needless to say my evening was ruined. Sun Aug 12 02:29:31 -0700 2001 492951 0 Steve