Atari Ya - Kingston upon Thames

Review written on 7 October 2021: I have been a loyal customer of AtariYa in Kingston for many years since it first opened, but my recent visit with a friend left me extremely disappointed. In fact, we were so appalled that we decided to leave. Both my friend and I wore masks during our visit. With my deep connection to Japanese culture through my family and years of experience living, working, and traveling in Japan, I have a refined palate for authentic Japanese cuisine. Unfortunately, on this visit, I was disappointed to find a limited selection of sushi Bento boxes that lacked the quality and freshness I had come to expect from AtariYa. In addition, I noticed that some items in the shop were not actually made in Japan, which was misleading. When I inquired about this to a non-Japanese staff member behind the counter, I received no clear explanation. Furthermore, I was concerned about the hygiene practices of the staff as I observed them not properly wearing their masks, especially while handling raw fish during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. This, coupled with a smaller selection of fish at the sashimi counter and the lack of adherence to proper hygiene practices by both staff and customers, left me deeply disappointed. I have raised similar concerns in the past with AtariYa and received an apology, but it seems that the issue persists. As a patron with high expectations for Japanese cuisine, I find it crucial for establishments claiming to serve authentic Japanese food to uphold the standards of quality and hygiene. Unfortunately, my recent experience at AtariYa fell short of these expectations, and I will not be returning, nor will I recommend it to others.

I have been a loyal customer of this restaurant for many years and have always found it to be excellent. However, upon returning from living abroad, I was disappointed to see that the quality had changed. My party ordered a large amount of sushi and sashimi, but when we received the bill, there was no detailed breakdown of the costs. Upon opening the food at home, we were surprised by the small portions and poor quality. Having lived in Asia for a few years, I know that the way Japanese rice is cooked and seasoned can really make a difference in the taste. The way the sashimi was sliced was also subpar and not up to the standards of a professional sushi chef. Unfortunately, I can no longer recommend this restaurant unless they improve their quality.

This restaurant used to be great, but today they were open (although Apple Maps indicated they were temporarily closed) with a sign requesting customers to wear masks and only allowing two customers in at a time, which seemed reasonable. However, when we entered, I noticed that the sushi and sashimi chefs were not wearing masks. They simply stated they had been tested for the virus nearly a month ago. Additionally, the new employees seemed to lack knowledge (relying on reading the back of products for answers), which was disappointing considering how often we used to visit. It's not the same as it used to be.

This is a Awesome place to go for a meal foods, service Excellent i recommend this place to you all.

So me and my dad went here and we got 3 tokojyo And some sushi on the side. So I tried the toro(fatty tuna) it melts in your mouth and it is great and the uni was outstanding this coming weekend I am going there to bring home some fish .