Tsunami

Review from 9/20/23 While not a very traditional sushi place, it still has great food and a nice ambience. Outdoor seating was great at the time and our waitress Ms. Becca was wonderful. Miso soup was pleasant and filling. The edamame was, well, edamame, but nonetheless a good opener. Avocado salad was a little dry and uninspiring, but the flavor was decent, especially in tandem with the pine nuts. The star of the appetizers, however, was definitely the yomato's tofu, which is always my friends and families' go-to. It's a little sweet, very crispy on the outside, with the savory taste of bonito flakes and soy wrapping the dish together; it's very filling and shareable as well, and definitely my biggest suggestion. We tried the Kamikaze, Metropolitan, and Miami rolls. Of them, the Kamikaze was just fine; however, we enjoyed the Miami rolls and the Metropolitan was our favorite.

I went to this “Japanese restaurant” for a quick meal after work. I had to go back to work in a couple of hours, so I just wanted a peaceful, relaxing meal as I was VERY tired and hungry. I just wanted noodles and a broth of some kind. So, I ordered their “tsukemen”. I looked at the menu and saw a surcharge for meat, which I thought was odd because tsukemen isn’t served with beef, chicken, or shrimp. It’s basically a plate of room temperature noodles that you dip into a hot rich broth or dipping sauce (in a separate bowl). But I just thought the proteins listed were the ingredients used as the base of their broth, so I order the chicken one and wait. When I got the dish I asked where the second bowl for the broth was and the bartender said “what broth?” To which I replied “the broth for the tsukemen….the dish requires a second bowl to dip the noodles in…also, why is everything together in one dish?” He just said “this is how we do tsukemen.” I was actually very mad because why would you put the name of a dish on your menu, and then do nothing that makes the dish unique and serve it? It’s not tsukemen if you don’t dip the noodles. I got served a single bowl of oily noodles with a few pieces of charred chicken and steamed broccoli, and an egg on top. It was cold, I wanted a hot soup. So then I ordered the udon which is supposed to have a broth. Not yaki udon, I ordered their udon. Ugh, they gave me the same flipping thing. Sticky room temp noodles with the egg, same pieces of chicken, same pieces of broccoli and no broth? I asked for a broth to make it a soup and they said they could get me a bowl of broth. Omg….it was literally just warmed up chicken stock. I was so upset. Everything had one taste together: butter. There was no other flavor except the taste of oil and butter in the udon. Even the egg tasted like butter. I was so hungry, and tired and I went to this loud place where they were blasting hip hop/pop/rock music, where the staff wore short skirts and were partying at the bar (which is fine if you’re into that kind of vibe). I should have known something was off when I didn’t see a sushi chef at a counter preparing food, but instead a girl on her phone when I walked in, ignoring me, and then when I asked for a table she said “for one person?!?” (So I just said I’d sit at the bar). This place is NOT a traditional Japanese restaurant. It appeals to a certain type of crowd who doesn’t want to sit quietly and enjoy their meal. I just paid and left, then went to an actual Japanese restaurant about 6min away walking distance, and ate there. It’s funny though because as I was eating at the new restaurant a girl who worked at Tsunami came and ordered from the restaurant I ended up going to. I knew this because 1) it was quiet enough that you could actually have a decent conversation with your dining guest, and 2) she knew the waiter there and said she was working at Tsunami now. Funny how you now work in a “Japanese restaurant”, but come to a traditional one and order food from there. Anyway, I won’t be returning back there ever again. If you want good Japanese food and don’t want to be bombarded by loud music and served by indifferent waitstaff who don’t know why things are the way they are, don’t go there. Go somewhere else

We really enjoyed the food experience and will definitely be back to try more things. Very different feel than most sushi or Asian restaurants. Decor and music is very hip and more like a club. The bar was very lively and large. An older crowd might not be a fan but shouldn’t let that deter them from the amazing food. Unique cocktails. We got the Thai-ed up. You could taste the Thai tea but the vodka was very apparent. Crimson tea was ginger beer forward. The menu has a variety of Asian items, many with a unique twist. We tried a variety of things. Nightly special - coconut lime scallop ceviche with homemade wonton chips. The scallops were small so you could fit many in a chip at a time. The coconut flavor was mild and there was a slight kick of heat to balance it. The chips were very airy and crisp. Highly recommend it! Kamakazi roll - fish was fresh with a firm texture and mild flavor. The roll was wrapped tightly and the wasabi was potent Coconut curry seafood soup - we originally ordered the mussels, but the server recommended the soup instead since we like curry. Amazing recommendation. They make the coconut curry in house. It was like an Asian version of cioppino. The broth was slightly spicy and there was lot of seafood. The fish was in large pieces and very tender. Recommending getting a baguette for dipping or side of rice to pour it over. Shiitake mushrooms steamed bun: came as a set of 3. They are mini taco like; not a dumpling. The steamed bun was soft and fluffy. The mushrooms had a unique flavor and the veggies added a great crunch or offset the bun. Make sure to save room for dessert! We had the banana lumpia. Filipino style fried banana with homemade peanut butter ice cream. If you like peanut butter and bananas you should try this.

The patio is dog friendly so it’s always nice to come here and sit outside for drinks and sushi, happy hour is from 4-6 pm on weekdays and they have a special on drafts and wine but not food unfortunately. However the prices are reasonable and the quality of the fish is very good and fresh. The fried rice is also delicious and a big portion. Throughout the summer they are doing live music on Wednesday and Saturday so the whole street is closed for outdoor seating and it’s lovely.

The food was okay, but the overall dining experience was disappointing. We waited 45 minutes for our sushi to arrive, and the service left much to be desired. The waiter seemed uninterested in interacting with us and provided poor service. Despite this, a 15% tip was added automatically without our consent. Additionally, the noise level in the restaurant was so high that it made it difficult to enjoy our meal.

Despite it being a very very busy evening, and not having reservations - the team was kind enough to find a table for my cousin and I. We were on a tight time crunch, so us not having to wait, as well as the super fast service was perfect. The food and drinks were good. The sashimi was fresh, and the presentation was tiptop. I would recommend coming here for dinner before an event at Rams Head - it’s super duper close to the venue and has great options.

So let me start with what was good: 1. The service was GREAT. Our server was amazing and showed the perfect amount attentiveness. 2. I LOVED the ambience and vibe of the place. They leveraged every available area to plug in seating, some of which was uniquely placed. We had great seats at the window overlooking the street so that we could people watch while we ate. These 2 are the driver behind the 3 stars. Now for the not so good: 1. The food was mostly disappointing. The sushi was good, as were the pork belly. But the tuna lollipops were too salty and the pieces weren’t uniformly cut so some of the pieces were way too big in size. The slaw was the only thing that saved the duck legs, which were over cooked and didn’t have much flavor. And the ramen was bland with noodles that were a bit to undercooked. The broth also had no real depth to it. I’d been wanting to go to this place for awhile so I really was disappointed.

I’ve been coming to this bar for nearly 15 years. As a tradition when I come home for the holidays my husband and I meet up with all my friends that are also back home for the holidays. On Friday the bouncer was incredibly rude in some need to feel like a big shot. My friend had a Canadian ID because that’s where she lives now. He acted as if she was trying to pull one over on him. I said oh no we’re from here we went to high school here. He interrogated us about what hs, what town to which we answered and he was like never heard of it. We’re in our mid 30s it was silly. We went to the met and Stan and Joe’s instead where we had no issue. We won’t be coming back. Hope your security guard gets a girlfriend or whatever his problem is gets resolved.

Love the ambiance of this restaurant even on a Tuesday night. A perfect date night spot, even though I went with some friends. The star of the show was the braised pork belly appetizer; it was sweet, savory, tender, with so much flavor in a single bite. I wish there was a meal with this same meat and rice! The chili garlic edamame was amazing too! The sushi was good too, some rolls were better than others, but I wish there was a larger menu. There's only a handful of chef rolls. Drinks were strong so you're getting your moneys worth! Overall, had a good time and will be coming back!

3.8 stars. I love this restaurant. The environment is rad and the staff is always so kind. The ding in my score is for their sushi. My family and I LOVE their tuna lollipops- the smokiness in the seasoning is to die for. However my boyfriend hates when sushi is smokey so he doesn't like them at all. We got 6 rolls of sushi as well and while he loved them, I couldn't get past how dense the rice was. It was like my delicious fish was wrapped in wet concrete and it really bothered me. The shrimp/shiitake roll was surprisingly lovely, as well as the Maui roll with the pineapple. All in all we had a lovely date night!

Sushi was horrible. It was rubbery & definitely not fresh. This was a go to place for us when we lived here & when we came back to visit. So sad!

It appears that I can't visit DTA without stopping at Tsunami. It is also my favorite spot to showoff to those who haven't been down to DTA or Tsunami in general (I obviously will take any excuse to go). The food is amazing. Drinks are great. Every staff member is gorgeous and easy to talk to...Why wouldn't I want to come back here EVERY visit to DTA? This review is simply to shoutout staff members for being awesome but to also add some yummy pictures.

Warning-if you're a true sushi aficionado do not come here expecting high quality rolls. Instead their rolls are of the grocery store caliber so please keep that in mind. I tried Tsunami for the first time last night and read the reviews and thought their sushi would be better than average, but needless to say I was disappointed. I had the kamikaze and Maui roll and didn't think the fish was so fresh. Tsunami is a hip Asian fusion bar more than a restaurant. Inside it is so dark that you will need your phone's flashlight to be able to read the menu. On the positive side they have a great cocktail menu that is reasonably priced. Also the music is so loud that it is difficult to have a conversation. The service was average too. Nothing exceptional, not rude but not very pleasant. Overall come here to listen to music and drink.

The food here was very mid to me. First I ordered the edamame and it was very salty. As I got to the bottom it was more edible. The sushi was very just blah. It wasn't good but it wasn't terrible. It was smaller in size. The ramen was probably the best dish we tried and it was also just ok to me. It wasn't bad but nothing I'd want to go back to eat.

Been to Tsunami 2 times now and both have been great experiences. Service is always fast with the servers being kind and responsive. The restaurant is a bit dark and cozy if you're looking for that kinda atmosphere. The tuna lollipops had a loud smokey taste that was distracting for me but people who like that kind of flavor would like these. The rest of the sushi was solid.

The Asian cuisine here is outstanding. Love coming here later at night once I get off work and being able to relax inside eating great food. Keep up the great work yall, we will def be back! Jake n kev

Despite it being a very very busy evening, and not having reservations - the team was kind enough to find a table for my cousin and I. We were on a tight time crunch, so us not having to wait, as well as the super fast service was perfect. The food and drinks were good. The sashimi was fresh, and the presentation was tiptop. I would recommend coming here for dinner before an event at Rams Head - it's super duper close to the venue and has great options.

Super chill vibes, food was bussin. I got the kamikaze roll and the braised pork belly. Pork belly was next level fr. Service was decent , nothing bad but nothing great. I'll be back.

Outstanding attentive service! The sashimi was average but the rolls and apps were great. Enjoyed the appetizers and our server was as sweet and attentive as you could possibly ask on a busy Saturday night. Sat outside for "dinner under the stars". It was wonderful.

worst doorman in history. wouldn't let me in to pay my bill. free drink on him I guess.

Tsunami is always a go to for us. We are locals, we go out a lot. It is a bit dark, if you like that, we do. The environment is fun, fast-paced with a very large bar that we have enjoyed many times for a quick roll, some tofu and a drink. Tables when we've brought larger groups. The drinks are always good, although they are small glasses. And there's just certain things on the menu we can count on that we just love. Fried tofu with fish flakes is a go to for sure! So good! We have taken out of town friends many times. Everyone especially enjoys the ice cream and banana dessert! So different so good!

Service was awesome. The bartenders are on point and always fun to talk with. First sunday each month im there for the 1/2 off sushi

COVID: no one is wearing a mask. Not even the servers but there is outside seating. Outside of that, the wait staff and the person seating customers are pretty great. The food was good, different but had good flavors. They were very welcoming to people with gluten allergies but I reacted the next day. I ordered the buddah salad/bowl and the green tea. The buddah bowl had spinach, apples, and avocado. I got the dressing on the side but the waiter said it did not have gluten in it. I'm unsure if it was cross contamination.

We had dinner here last night with my sister and her husband. Service was really great and we really enjoyed our cocktails. The food was just okay. I did enjoy the pork belly bites, the fish and chips and the duck. We got two sushi rolls and they were okay but nothing great. We also got the octopus but there was just too much sauce for me. The tuna steamed bun was fine but nothing special. Not sure we'll be back to eat but I would come back to have a drink at the bar. It's also just a bit too dark in there for me , but I do have terrible eye sight so it was just hard for me to see the menu. Others might not mind.

Our waitress was super sweet! She answered all the questions I had since I had never been to Tsunami before. The Tuna lollipops were delicious! My friend and I also did the chicken spring rolls those were good. 5 sushi rolls all of which were delicious. The miso soup was amazing as well and the bowl was huge! I know I got a Dragon and some roll that was crunchy and had asparagus in it. I also had my "usual" California roll. My friend and I sat at the table and chatted for a long while and the waitress was so patient with us:) this place was super hip! I will definitely be back!

Excellent food and service. The sushi and pork belly fried rice were incredible. This restaurant has upped its game over the last few years!

Romantic candlelit date night atmosphere. Not a huge restaurant so the wait can get long on weekend nights. Sushi was good- a little on the expensive side compared to other restaurants in the area.

Horrible excuse for a "sushi" restaurant. The salmon sashimi looked depressing and wilted. The tuna blocks were more like salt blocks. If the service was better, an additional star would've been warranted. But the server never once came over to refill our waters or ask how the meal was. Just don't.

The greasiest most overpriced ramen I have ever had. The broth was primarily grease fat. Definitely will not give them another try

Always good pretty much no matter what you get. Mr Yomato tofu, all the ramens are good esp the pork, old bay edamame, and of course the sushi, spring roll and $4 Kirin draft

It felt like I was at one of those restaurants where the servers are rude to you on purpose.... What an incredibly disappointing dinner at Tsunami. A special evening out with my family turned into a horrible experience. Our waitress was extremely rude, inattentive, and rolled her eyes at us for asking for more water... Is mediocre food worth rude, disrespectful service? I would say definitely not.. Go to Joss for better food and a million times better service.

Came with a friend some time back. We parked on a side street and walked a block here. Bartendar was super nice. Place was clean

The venue has changed for the worse since my last visit circa 2017. During the dinner hour, Tsunami blasts music at a loudness approaching club level. This, combined with the factory-style seating where the patron at the adjacent table is closer than your chosen dining companion, makes conversation at the table difficult and uncomfortable. Service is still fairly decent; the sushi comes out quick, and it seems fresh.

This was all around not great. We left a lot of food on the table and left. The server was screwing around with random passersby, the sushi was not fresh-tasting, and the cocktails were legitimately bad.

The sushi was dry, the fried rice tasted like white rice with veggies and bland dry chicken, the only good thing was the garlic chili edamame, the cider tasted like flower water, the sake was hot but not....

This is the only place I will get raw sushi from. The mushroom buns are FIRE. And the drinks get me very tipsy very quickly

Tried Tsunami last night on the recommendation of a friend. Marcus and Christian took great care of me at the bar. Both of them provide outstanding service. [The menu isn't a good match for my palette, but that isn't the restaurant's fault.] Very friendly patrons who all seem to know the staff...a true "locals" place...which I like. I look forward to visiting again!

The service was fast and friendly. They had a lot of options for fancy drinks and IPAS. Not as many basic beers. We tried the edamame. It was great! Sprinkled w old bay. I chose the Siracha Mac n cheese. But added chicken. Not bad at all. There was music and it was dimly lit. We sat in the window seat which was nice because we could watch the people outside too. A bouncer showed up around 10p. It is probably more of a bar scene than a restaurant. But still very nice.

Worker saw my shirt was Ken Carson merch, immediately put Ken Carson on in the restaurant, food was also pretty good.

The ahi tuna lollipops were great and a good portion...asked for soy and wasabi to augment the chili oil. Fried rice was absolute perfection! Cocktails were just ok...lion's tail was better than the regalo verde (which was an overload of sour and jalapeño in this version of a margarita).

I've been here a few times now and it is consistently good. We got the spring rolls and miso soup to start which were both great, definitely recommend. The two sauces the spring rolls come with are a great addition to the dish. For the sushi we got 3 Hosomaki Rolls (8pc each). The annapolitan (real crab meat & old bay) was my favorite. The spicy tuna roll was okay but I didn't like how the spicy portion was just seasoning on the rice. The shrimp shiitake was good but the mushroom flavor overpowered the shrimp a little too much for me.

Such a unique and delicious sushi spot. The ambience is awesome in its own dim and nautical way. On top of this the sushi was awesome. I would highly recommend the sushi with actually crab, not just a krab stick. Delicious.

I have a lot of mixed feelings leaving this review. Why? Because this place has good food, decent bar service, and a fun ambiance. However, I cannot in good faith rate Tsunami higher bc the last few times I went, I found roaches in the bathroom and near where the bar meets the bathroom hallway. This wasn't a one time occurrence and it became very regular seeing them. I haven't been back since. It's also, more often than not, very loud here. Not the best place to catch up w friend(s) unless you're going for lunch perhaps.

Mediocre food is helped by the great service and swanky location. Yelped, please don't read this as a scathing denial of Tsunami. Read it as an assessment of a reliable neighborhood establishment that quite honestly is just a placeholder for, what I hope, is a wake up call for the chef to flex the same skill that the front of the house has in spades. When was the last time you went for sushi/maki and took out a pair of reader glasses to see your food? I'm thinking the restaurant must be profitable because each roll is all net and no fish. What I mean is the roll slices are each about the size of a large almond nestled tightly in a bed of rice. The size itself is not a major issue but the amount of rice to fish is just plain insulting to the multiple Benjamin that the bill amounted to for our party of four. The edamame beans are steamed well and not overly soft but they are overly dressed when you pay the extra $1 for them to backstroke in chili oil and minced garlic. The potstickers are routine, although again, steamed to perfect softness. We only ordered Maki (sushi rolls) and no sushi or sashimi. The Spicy Tuna lacks the "spicy" but, as expected here in MD, the tuna was perfectly fresh and smooth. As I mentioned above, too much rice and microscopic slices leave you feeling like an old lady repeatedly yelling, "where's the beef?!?" The Annapolitan was a mistake to order. The crab is not as fresh as the other fare and, Im sorry, but enough with the Old Bay...especially in a Sushi spot. The Cruchy was fresh but we all wanted more after eating. The Tsunami Roll and Hot House are the stars but only because of the creamy spicy sauce that tops these. Bottom Line: Sushi/Maki is the perfect medium to showcase daring and flavors. Tsunami is clearly making no compromise on freshness and technique but is seriously lacking in creativity and daring. The Mustard Miso Glazed Sea Bass has the flavor balance to be a great dish. However, it was overcooked such that the Sea Bass was no longer the flaky and buttery bite that one craves, but rather, a dense medium, closer to firm tofu, that just carried the sauce. Props, however, for presenting the plate over a bed of perfectly blister shishito peppers. We ordered all three desserts that Tsunami has to offer to split amongst the table. Even with our hearty bar bill accumulated, these offerings were just meh. The Fried Banana (think egg roll with a whole banana as the center) over Vanilla Ice Cream is shallow in flavor. The Creme Brûlée is awkwardly out of place for the restaurant theme and sadly pedestrian. The Nutty Brownie was tasty but again, mediocre. The Service was attentive and engaging without breaking conversation. The wait staff appear to have a good command of both the menu and bar. Extra star for that alone. If you live in walking distance, Tsunami could be a reliable spot for a consistent but not overwhelming sushi cravings. If you need to drive, save the planet and your coins and possibly drive elsewhere.

Service has been terrible multiple times now (our mistake for giving them another chance). Went on Sunday afternoon and it was not busy yet we waited 10 minutes after being seated for a server to initially greet us and take our order. Server did not bring us one of the dishes we ordered or care to check in really at all. Waters were not refilled. Server only came over at the end of the meal and we had to tell them that we never received one of the dishes on the check. Ambience is terrible. You cannot hear the person seated across from you since they play the music at an ear-deafening level. Food is fine but not worth dealing with the awful service/atmosphere at all. If you are looking to have a nice night out GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Went to this restaurant for the first time and found it quite unique. The food was pretty good. Our group of 5 was seated right away. We ordered sushi, steak, spring & vegetable rolls, and chicken with fried rice. Everyone liked their food, but the green tea one in our group ordered was a bit nasty. The speed of service was good, & the environment was pretty good. The only thing that caused this review to be low was the waitresses attitude at the end of our meal. We asked to have the check split into 3, 2 couples & 1 individual. She was snippy saying that we needed to let her know that ahead of time. She never asked or clarified until the very end of the meal. Her tip was affected, and the feeling we had leaving the restaurant was disappointing because the food was actually pretty good.

Got seated by the hostess and told the server would be right with us. 15 minutes passed without a server coming to our table at all (we were patient, as they were busy). I had to inform the hostess that we had no server and after about another 5 minutes she sent one over. We were ready immediately and placed our order. Our server was friendly but forgot to put in 2 of our dishes that we had ordered at the beginning of the meal. Overall: food is fine, service this time was not good.

Sushi on the east coast. A local friend recommended this place. We were not disappointed. trendy place. A little loud to carry a conversation. The Food was good and reasonably priced

Bad rice on the sushi is nearly a fatal flaw. And the server mixed up salmon and salmon roe (iikura). Not good. But everything else was very pleasant. Not ce place to go out for food and conversation. However, I won't go back because they don't take the sushi ride seriously.

Sushi is sooo fresh! Enjoyed every roll and service was on point. Definitely try the chili and garlic edamame! Bomb!

Marcus and Christian are dope and I love the environment. Fun, LGBTQ friendly space! Miso soup is bomb

I was there for drag bingo today (which I highly recommend), and the drinks were fantastic, but I was weary of the food from the kitchen: I ordered the shrimp and scallop potstickers and found a significant sized piece of plastic in the second on I ate. The pork belly, though, was delicious.

I haven't been here in a long time as I have moved away from the area. I had always thought of it as more of a bar with "bites." Last night while in town, I had the chance to try it anew. While it still a bar with bites it now new to me, has an extensive list of "Mains" that were exceptional! Of particular note the Wok Seared Sea Scallops were amazing. Perfectly cooked huge fresh scallops with a Thai spiced corn relish. If you haven't been in a while, time to come back!

So, so glad that Tsunami survived Covid - it has been one of my favorite spots since moving to Annapolis from the Bay Area and it has a hip, SF feel to it that reminds me of home. True Mixologists man the Bar, and they are all Pro's and the menu is wonderful as well. Kudos to Scott, the owner, (who always makes me feel welcome), and I look forward to going back soon.

We ordered take out and it was ok, not that great. I had a volcano roll, it was boring nothing great. Kind of on the skinny side lacking substance. Almost like grocery store bought sushi. The ramen I didn't care for the flavor and the noodles were almost stiff with no bounce. The worst was they put cilantro in it, awful. I don't think I'll be returning but give it a try. You may like it.

Really great bartenders with good recommendations for sake and food. We loved the metropolitan roll. Food came out pretty quick too. We will definitely be returning!