Yamato Japanese Restaurant 857 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85719

"Authentic. House made tamago and all the ingredients to make a legitimate futomaki… which is rare these days. Nigiri was tasty and the Japanese curry was delicious but I should have ordered it with a bit more heat. My least favorite were the spicy tuna and spicy scallop hand rolls - full disclosure: I alone at the nigiri and curry pictured, so it was likely that my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Definitely worth a stop."

"Yamato is our favorite sushi restaurant in the Tucson area. The quality of the fish is always top notch and the sushi chef is meticulous in his preparation. Dining here is always an enjoyable experience. The seating area is small, so reservations are recommended. The dining area is bright with a relaxed feel but you'll be focused on the flavors too much to be overly critical of your surroundings. The Chirashi is always made with a nice selection of fish. I highly recommend the cured salmon that the chef makes in-house. We also ordered the Hamachi Kama during one visit, which was also excellent."

"Chef owner Noburo-san is Japanese and the food is Japanese; don't come here expecting fusion and a big noisy space. The food is authentic and the atmosphere is cozy, family friendly, this is not where you find loud drunk people (and thank goodness). Authenticity, quality, and value is what you get here. Atmosphere is cozy and relaxing. Its a 20-30 seat restaurant. 1 server at lunch usually 2 sometimes when its dinner time. Be patient when its busy--the food will be amazing, since there's only one sushi chef and cook at all times it might be a while, but they are moving as fast as possible, believe me. The experience is authentic. Sushi bar seating and omakase (chefs choice meal-guaranteed to impress you) is reservation only. You can get cold sake served traditionally in a wooden box and the lunch specials for 13.95 are an unbeatable value. The sushi is delicious and fresh and there are no corners cut in preparation. The value is amazing with this place and you can get sushi to go when it isn't too busy: for example you can get a TON of sushi to go with the Chirashi to go special for $18. If you don't make a reservation you may not be seated when you arrive there for dinner, since it's a small dining room. The emphasis is on delivering quality food and service, not pushing out quantities of low quality food for maximum profit. This is the way we want family owned restaurants and businesses to operate: authenticity, quality, and delivering good value so everyone even humble people can access the joy of eating Japanese food, not just someone feeling wealthy that day."

"I lived in Japan for 2 years and this is the most authentic Japanese restaurant I’ve visited since I left. There is one chef who hand crafts every meal with care. I ordered 3 courses miso gyoza and sushi. All came in a timely manner. The waitress was accommodating and quick. What I liked most was the interactions between the customers and the staff. Regular customers came in and they were greeted like they were family. This restaurant is a gem so glad I found it on my quick trip from Vegas!"

"Best and most authentic Japanese food anywhere around these parts. The nice man who makes all the sushi is a master, and has been doing this for as long as I can remember. His wife (I believe) makes all the cooked food in the back kitchen with so much care and love. This is the ultimate family-owned restaurant experience. Try the vegetable udon soup, it is just like magic healing soup!"