Maki Yaki

Well what can I say...... I've been going to Maki Yaki since they opened roughly 10 years or so. The original owners were FANTASTIC, but , alas, they moved back to Korea. The new owners continued with good food and service until the last year or so. There is the FROSTIEST head waitress there. I can only imagine it's the same one as the previous reviewer. I've always had to twist my husbands arm to go in the first place but I think he has had his last visit. ...FOREVER!! We showed up last weds night at 7pm to the restaurant without reservations. We were 5 people, there were loads of tables to accomodate us. However they made a big deal about NOT have reservations and shoved us near the toilet with out any grace or pleasantries. NOT a good start. Then the food came and it really had gone down hill. California rolls tasted gooey. YUCK. Such a shame. There's another Sushi resaurant opening up across the street and unless Maki Yaki buck up their ideas I think they'll lose a lot of customers. Us for a start!!
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Daniella - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, May 20, 2008

We have been to Maki Yaki on a number of occasions in the past and although the service is passable the food has been excellent so we felt confident to recommend it to and take a couple of friends there last Friday night. It was embarrassing to say the least. The staff, especially one waitress, were incredibly rude. It seemed that she was making up new ways to offend every time she came to our table. It included not waiting until our sentence of conversation had been completed but rushing up to the table and saying ' Hello', 'Hello' when she wanted us to order. Starting to ask us a question then turning to serve the table behind us - mid-sentence!! Almost throwing the dishes onto the table, tutting etc. Leaning over the spare chair in annoyance… too many to describe. Her facial expressions betrayed her impatience and annoyance with us which I can only presume was because we booked the table for 8.30. If they do not want bookings at this time and think it is too late they should indicate this and we would have happily come earlier! It got to a ridiculous stage when while we were eating desert a waiter slammed down the bill on the table saying 'finished' then ran off saying something to the waitress on the way past causing them both to laugh loudly in our direction. It made the atmosphere very unpleasant and embarrassing as we had been raving about Maki Yaki to our friends for ages - they obviously thought we were mad to have done so!! In conclusion good food but whatever you do go early to avoid the rudest service you can imagine.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, February 27, 2008

My wife and I have been going to Maki Yaki in Wimbledon for 5 years and we've never been disappointed. The food is fantastic value for money, the staff are incredibly friendly and although the ambience isn't world class the overall experience leaves us going back for more.
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richard coe - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Thursday, December 20, 2007

Dropped in, without a reservation, to Maki Yaki's Wimbledon branch on Saturday evening. They were busy, notably customers included several Japanese groups, but managed to find us a table for two.

We ordered a selection of maki which was fresh, delicate and nicely presented. Particularly recommend the Power Roll - with a unagi - and some of the more unusual cooked / fried maki. Service was prompt and polite.

Maki Yaki is good authentic sushi. It's far far better than the horrors of Yo Sushi, with a more extensive (albeit mostly maki) menu than Itsu, and a lot cheaper and more relaxed than formal / central sushi restaurants.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 8
Thursday, November 29, 2007

We live right across from Maki Yaki in Kingston upon Thames and have been their regulars since 2005! The sushi is fantastic and service is better than what one would receive in a central London sushi bar. One thing to bear in mind when ordering is to stick to the Sushis and not hot dishes - which are slightly plain and in muy opinion, over priced for what it is. A dinner for two usually ends up between £45-50 but if you order any hot dishes, you will end up paying up to £90 like we did the first time round!
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sushi fan
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Sunday, March 25, 2007

My partner and I have been to this restaurant several times since moving into the area, and we only have good things to say about it. We tend to go for sushi rather than hot dishes, and the selection is enormous. There is a dazzling array of both traditional sushi and Californian sushi. We found the fish to be very high quality, presentation of the food was beautiful, and you can even watch the sushi being freshly prepared.

Service is brisk and polite. On one occasion we arrived as they were closing. They were happy to seat us but we were hurried along. Thankfully, the quality of the food was unaffected!

Finally, prices feel very reasonable, perhaps reflecting the basic decor of the restaurant more than the standard of the food being served.
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Ben - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Monday, December 18, 2006

Maki Yaki is a very pleasant restaurant and the food is simple, beautiful (as per presentation), and fresh. There is nothing fancy about the taste of hot (cooked) Japanese food, but the tempura, Agedashi Tofu, Beef Bulgogi (OK thats Korean) were well prepared and good. The cold dishes (raw food) at Maki Yaki is yummy and outstanding. The choice of sushi was enormous and we opted for the visually beautiful Sunflower rolls which was salmon, tuna and avocado presented in the shape of a flower. And the Maki Yaki special which was a most unusual deep fried sushi of eel and snapper. Maki Yaki, in my opinion, is up there with the best Japanese restaurants in terms of food. But the one complaint remains - why is Wasabi in the UK so mild and lacking in flavour compared to the real thing?
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Rittie - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, April 24, 2006

Maki Yaki is great. We make a point of enjoying their hospitality and great food every other week. Misu soup some of the best in London. The sushi portions are of excellent size and quality. Absolutly love it.
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Sunday, November 13, 2005

My husband and I discovered this gem about 3 years ago, and it has consistently remained on our list of favourite restaurants. The food and presentation is exquisite, and probably the best thing about it is that it's still, to an extent, hidden. It serves by far the best sushi I've ever had (even better than most I had while actually visiting Japan). Try it - you'll be hooked!
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LP, Surrey
Friday, November 11, 2005

Maki Yaki...a friend brought me there. Well it was a great dinner!

The food was excellent, I agree with those who described it as "Californian style Sushi"...ingredients were fresh and tasty, I appreciated yellow fin tuna and the octopus, and the superlative tempura eggplants.

The atmosphere is cosy and friendly, what the Danes would call "hygge", and the quality is great for the price.

Go and Enjoy! F.
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Filippo
Wednesday, September 07, 2005