09/05/07

Better arrive an hour prior to closing-- or you may be turned away

by mb54

I have been a repeat customer for the past 2.5 years, frequenting at least once every 2 months. Usually the service, food, and atmosphere have been excellent. I was very disappointed to arrive on the Sunday the evening before Labor Day at 8:20pm and was told I would not be seated because they planned on closing at 9:00pm that evening. I noted that the open sign was still present and the front door was wedged open. The staff member just shook her head and said they were closed (even though there were 5 tables seated and plenty of tables empty). It's disappointing to know that 40 minutes prior to the restaurant's closing is too little time to seat and serve a party of 2. I just know that I will not be returning to Moshi Moshi.

• Pros: good sushi
• Cons: poor service, staff itching to leave right at closing time

02/05/07

I love this place!

by leblain

This is some of the better sushi I've had in Philly. The place is really cute (downstairs; upstairs, not so much). The service is fast and very friendly, and the food is well worth the price.

Moshi is perfect for a date or a quick dinner with friends. I would highly recommend it.

• Pros: Everything!
• Cons: Don't sit upstairs- no atmosphere.

02/04/07

bangin' sushi

by manders318

never had a bad sushi experience here... we really like the spicy scallop handroll. enjoy the private booth areas on the first floor. ambiance lacks as the inside is a little too dim for my tastes and i don't like brightly lighted places. we always find something new on the menu to try out. apps are so-so. stick with the sushi menu. sushi chef always personally thanks us when we leave the restaurant, which is nice.

• Pros: good sushi, personal service, private booth areas
• Cons: ambience (dim lighting)

11/21/06

Best Sushi??? I think not

by phillytrojan

Continuing on my crusade for good sushi in Philadelphia, I decided to pay Moshi Moshi a visit after reading the highly complimentary reviews. I figured if anybody could claim that the sushi here was better than the sushi in California (a lofty ideal in my mind), it must at least be decent. After my visit, I could only draw one conclusion: perhaps Moshi Moshi is better than the sushi found in Death Valley, California, but it doesn't even come close to some of the other sushi establishments in Center City.

The place looks charming enough and my party had no trouble getting seated at one of the few real tables. I am not a fan of sitting on the ground while trying to eat and Moshi Moshi has not bothered to hollow out the area beneath the table to accomodate taller people. We ordered a couple of combination platters and some rolls. The fish on the sushi was unremarkable at best; some of the fish even had lemon slices on them! Unless I am mistaken, the only reason to put lemon on raw fish is to mask some unpleasant odor or taste. When I order salmon or tuna nigiri, I don't expect to see a lemon slice on top of it! The rice was absolutely awful; it was dry, tasteless, and had me gulping down water just so I could swallow what I had in my mouth. The rolls suffered from the same rice and was generally flavorless.

The only good part of the entire meal was the size and tastiness of the tempura ice cream. Those portions were much larger than anywhere else in the city. Perhaps I caught them on an off-day, but there are much better sushi restaurants in Center City.

• Pros: Good tempura ice cream
• Cons: Dry, tastless rice and rolls, random lemon wedges on sushi

10/19/06

Best Sushi, Beats California

by kmh33philadelphia

My friend invited me here and it was amazing. The food was great, the service was great. My friend has since moved to California the sushi capital of the US and she still says it doesnt beat moshi moshi. I loved this place and am craving it constantly.

• Pros: Food, Service, Atmosphere
• Cons: Street Parking

10/10/06

Wonderful

by blunabee

The rolls were excellent. The staff was friendly and the ambience was nice.

Highly recommend this place for sushi

• Pros: Food, Service, Ambience

09/21/06

New favorite place

by mstrahle

I have been to moshi moshi a couple times now, and I have been very impressed. The restaurant is quaint and quiet, food is excellent (best white tuna I've ever had) and beautifully presented. All in all a great place, reasonably priced compared to other sushi restaurants of comparable quality in the city. Although I don't want it to become crowded, I have to highly recommend it.

• Pros: fresh, delicious food, nice atmosphere

Traditional setting and simple, well-made fare offer a quiet escape from trendy Rittenhouse Square.

by Contributor

The Scene
Decor is quiet and minimalist, with lots of bamboo and subtle paper lanterns. Sit at a table, the sushi bar or on raised tatami mats.

The Food
Standards like miso soup and gyoza (dumplings) are flavorful but not overpowering. For a more adventurous appetizer, try Tiger Eyes, cooked squid wrapped around asparagus and salmon, with a pleasant combination of textures and flavors. Entree options include plenty of sushi, plus teriyaki, tempura and sukiyaki made with your choice of beef, chicken, lobster or shrimp. Lobster tempura features four mid-size lobster tails and generous portions of vegetables in a light, crisp batter. For dessert, don't miss tempura ice cream on a plate of flaming sake.

The Crowd
Rittenhouse sushi-lovers looking for a quieter atmosphere than the more crowded and expensive Genji nearby.

02/02/06

Fantastic Japanese Cuisine

by proudestmonkey

I enjoyed an excellent meal at Moshi Moshi, the atmosphere is average, offering seating at the Sushi Bar, Regular Tables, or on Tamari Mats.

I enjoyed an appetizer of Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura that was light crisp and not greasy.

Sushi and sashimi, both cooked and raw rolls that were fresh, flavorful, and well made.

The hot dishes were also excellent, teriyakis served sizzling with tender cuts of meat, robust teriyaki sauce and delicious vegetables. Served with fresh steamed rice.

The only slight disappointment of the meal was the miso soup which was a little salty and lacking a powerful miso flavor, but that was easy to overcome with the delicious meal that followed.

The service was very quick, the servers were attentive and polite (this was a wednesday evening). But I really enjoyed the total experience.

Dinner for 2 with Sake: $55

• Pros: Fresh Sushi, Great Service, Excellent Teriyaki
• Cons: Small, A little pricey

06/12/05

A Great place for a New Experience

by donnalyons1979

The resturant, though small, was great! My date and myself were seated promptly and sat at the Tatami mats. I TOTALLY RECCOMEND the tatami mats for dates! It was not crowded, for a saturday, and the service was prompt and understanding that this was my first time at a Japanese resturant.

The food was excellent and I HIGHLY reccomend the Dragon Roll. The sashimi was made beatifully! The Chicken Teriakyi and California rolls was great for someone not accustomed to Japanese food. The resturant had a wide variety of food that was appropriate for those experienced with Japanese and those who weren't.

Unlike other reviews, the fish was not pre-cut, the service was friendly, and atmosphere was cozy. I had a great time going to Moshi Moshi and will DEFINITLEY go to this resturant again!

• Pros: Inexpensive, Intimate, Casual Dress
• Cons: Limited seating