Gregory B.
Yelp
Went to Maru with my wife before heading over to Sid's Gold Request Room to meet friends. After eating there, not sure I agree with the five star reviews, but definitely a solid 4. Wife disagrees and says five, but I will let her add her own, if she wants. :D
Maru is a cute little place. We were not too far from the front door and the only detractor is the sign behind the hostess counter is REALLY bright (see picture added).
NOTE: If it were warmer, it would have been nice to sit out on their porch, so will have to revisit when the evenings are cool enough, but not cold. Currently, they are not seating at the sushi bar, which is a shame, since I am a fan of sushi bar seating. And the garage doors make it so the entire restaurant could be open air. I like that personally, but your mileage may vary.
I did the quick and easy method and ordered the small sushi combo, which is 5 pieces and a spicy tuna roll. Wife had a rainbow roll and the crispy roll. My feeling on the sushi was mixed. The tuna was so-so, although the rest were good. I really enjoyed the spicy tuna roll. It came with miso soup, which was fairly standard. And I ordered a salad. The dressing is good, but I think the lettuce was still pretty wet when thrown in the bowl, as the dressing was watered down in the last two bites (a small pet peeve of mine?). With a shellfish allergy, I could not try my wife's (Surami is not dangerous (the krab, instead of real crab), but better safe than sorry). She gave it two thumbs up.
There is a lot in back of Maru, but it is small. As with most of East Nashville, you may end up parking on the street. Right now, not a huge deal, but once we feel safer to go out it could be a bit of a walk.
Service was great, especially after a previous experience in a restaurant in Bellevue. Drink selection limited (beer, wine, & various sakes), but there are some interesting choices, esp. some flavored sakes.
Overall, I enjoyed the experience and would try again (maybe a slightly off night for tuna?). I would recommend if you are in the area.