1 of 11
Sushi Masa, offering an all-you-can-eat experience, is now open in Henrico at 8087 W. Broad St.
2 of 11
Sushi Masa took over the former Hibachi Sushi space in the Westland Shopping Center.
3 of 11
Tiffany Yeung, general manager of Sushi Masa
4 of 11
Inside Sushi Masa
5 of 11
Several tables at Sushi Masa are positioned beneath decorated gazebos.
6 of 11
The sushi bar seats about a dozen guests.
7 of 11
An enormous space, Sushi Masa features multiple dining areas, including this one intended for larger parties.
8 of 11
The private karaoke room at Sushi Masa
9 of 11
10 of 11
11 of 11
A mural and water feature at the entrance to Sushi Masa
A former Henrico hibachi restaurant has been remodeled into a brightly lit, lavishly decorated all-you-can-eat sushi wonderland. Located at 8087 W. Broad St. in the Westland Shopping Center, Sushi Masa opened in December.
The Richmond location is operated by area resident Ping Liu. Although it has the same name as a Texas-based chain of Japanese fusion eateries founded in 2010 by Peter Li, and Liu and Li are longtime friends, the restaurants are not related.
When Hibachi Sushi shuttered last year, Liu saw an opportunity to capitalize on the ample space. He brought in Tiffany Yeung, a seasoned restaurateur and Sushi Masa's general manager, to get the new location off the ground. “I’ve owned a restaurant since I was 18; I’m 45 now,” she says.
Raised in a restaurant family, her parents operated a location of Top’s China in Durham, North Carolina, for over 30 years. At 18, Yeung moved to Richmond with her husband, and they opened a Top’s China location of their own that they operated for over a decade. After a stint in McAllen, Texas, running a Kobe franchise, they returned to Richmond and introduced Ninja Hibachi in the West End.
Having recently sold the restaurant, Yeung jokes that she is only “half-retired” after being sought out by Sushi Masa as a general manager. “This is my first time working outside for other people and being a manager. I’m running it as my own restaurant, too, because the owner has been nice and we have great teamwork,” she says.
The menu features an assortment of sashimi, classic hand rolls and dozens of specialty offerings. Appetizers include tuna tataki, edamame, yakitori, sesame balls, teriyaki and rice dishes. Yeung says they receive fresh fish multiple times a week and that customers have been drawn to the Nemo roll, which features white tuna, snow crab and avocado topped with salmon, thinly sliced lemon and tobiko fish roe, along with the TNT roll, made with shrimp tempura, snow crab, avocado and lettuce wrapped in sesame soy paper and topped with sweet chile sauce.
Sashimi platters arrive in ice-filled conch- and peacock-shaped displays, with selections ranging from octopus, surf clam and mackerel to yellowtail, red snapper, scallop and salmon. During lunch, the price tag for a limitless selection of sushi — the only way diners can order sushi — is $20.98 and includes one drink (alcohol included); dinner is $30.98. The price for kids ages 4-10 is $15.98.
Although fresh-made rolls are the intended star at Sushi Masa, it’s impossible not to be distracted by the heavily decorated, Las Vegas-esque ambiance, from an elaborate mural and water feature to lush artificial plants and neon lights. Upon entry, diners walk across a tiny bridge over a koi pond into the main dining area, offering a direct view of a 12-seat sushi bar staffed by an average of six chefs at a time. Parasols dangle from the cloud-painted ceiling, while lanterns illuminate various seated sections throughout the colossal, wildly Instagrammable space. Several tables sit beneath gazebos woven with faux blossoms and outlined by colorful track lighting that bounces off the marble floors.
“They wanted something different and to make people feel special and comfortable,” Yeung says of the aesthetic.
Sushi Masa is also home to a designated karaoke room — a retro chamber complete with aqua-colored four-tops, plush couches and a large flat-screen TV — that can be reserved for private parties.
About a month in, Yeung says diners are responding positively, while the team is still working out the kinks. “Little bit slow, we’re all new,” she says. “The chefs are still working out and figuring out our menu.” Speaking to the craft of sushi-making, Yeung adds, “You have to hire someone with experience. … We mostly hired from New York, we specially offered them to come over and work here; some are local.”
Sushi Masa is open 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
This article originally incorrectly stated that Sushi Masa Richmond was part of the Texas-based chain of the same name. It has been updated to note that the restaurants are not, in fact, related.
