I love sushi. There’s something about the lightly flavoured, tender fish, cool, dense rice, salty soy sauce and sharp hit of wasabi that I really enjoy.
That’s why I’ve frequented Matane Sushi in Norwich a bunch over the past few years. When I’m working in the city and can’t face yet another sandwich or salad, sushi is my fallback.
And Matane’s is great. It tastes so much fresher than the pre-packed options you find in Boots or M&S. Perhaps I’m biased because I’ve been visiting for years, but the fish always seems as though it has only just been sliced.
Ordering at Matane Sushi
If you’re taking your food away, you can choose a box from the fridge and take it to the till. Everything is clearly labelled on the shelves, but the team are happy to answer questions if you’re not sure what something contains.
There’s usually a good selection ready to go, although the fridge can look a little depleted if I arrive after 1pm. That has never caused a problem, though, because the team will make something fresh if your preferred option is not available.
If you’re dining in, you can order from the menu at the counter before finding a seat.
What I order
My personal favourite is the Combo Salmon option. It includes four salmon crunch rolls topped with crispy fried onions, spicy salmon rolls dusted with togarashi seasoning and a salmon nigiri.
The rice has a light seasoning and the salmon is soft, fresh and delicate rather than overpoweringly fishy. The crunch rolls live up to their name too. The onions retain their texture rather than turning soft inside the box.
It costs £7.10, so it is not much more expensive than supermarket sushi, but the quality feels significantly higher.
The portions are generous too. Sushi can look like a small lunch when you first open the box, but the combination of rice and fish makes it surprisingly filling. It gives me all the carbohydrates and protein I need to power through an afternoon at my desk without feeling weighed down.
I’m also a sucker for fresh tuna, so I regularly consider the Duo Sashimi, which comes with four pieces of salmon and four pieces of tuna. The tuna tastes clean and fresh, with a flavour so light that it is almost fragrant. The sashimi also gives you a better sense of the quality of the fish, because there’s no spice or sauce to hide behind.
Each box comes with soy sauce, ginger and wasabi sachets too, so you can season to taste.
Other food options
You don’t have to enjoy raw fish to eat at Matane Sushi in Norwich.
The menu includes vegetarian and tofu rolls, as well as sushi made with cooked fish. You can also order larger platters for meetings, celebrations or special occasions.
The fridge often contains wakame seaweed salad as a side, along with mochi for dessert, which I absolutely love and have more or less banned myself from buying.
What’s it like inside Matane Sushi?
Matane Sushi is clean, bright and informal, with plenty of natural light coming through the windows.
You can also see the team slicing fish and prepare sushi behind the counter, which adds some interest, but I usually choose to take my food elsewhere rather than eat in.
That’s because, to me, it feels more like a takeaway with seating than a restaurant. The furnishings are basic, there is little decoration and parts of the interior feel slightly tired.
There is plenty of seating, though, so you should not struggle to find a table if you do want to stay.
It works well for a quick office lunch, eating alone, meeting a friend or picking something up before heading home. I see it more as an adult lunchtime spot than somewhere designed around families or a romantic meal (Soyokaze would a better option for this).
Practical information
Matane Sushi is open from midday until 8.30pm.
You can eat in, order a takeaway or find it on Deliveroo. Booking is unlikely to be necessary and the restaurant accepts both cash and card.
It is on Castle Meadow in Norwich, close to the Castle Quarter shopping centre. Parking is available at Castle Quarter, with bike racks and several bus stops nearby.
Matane Sushi may not offer the most polished dining room in Norwich, but that’s not why I keep going back. The sushi is fresh, filling and reasonably priced, with enough choice to make it a dependable lunch option when sandwich isn’t enough.
