Maru Plus Japanese Restaurant

i’ve always enjoyed the food here since it was yoshimatsu! the noodle dishes have such a uniquely savory flavor and packed with veggies. nigiri wasn’t bad! curry is amazing, and plating is beautiful. service has always been a bit of a struggle at this place but there is definitely effort and kindness from the employees! just understaffed potentially? i also could’ve been there on an off day but despite that the food is amazing and it is worth it!

Visited 6 months ago

Really cute restaurant when we first walked in. Everyone seemed very friendly and the menu looked to have many good options, and a fair price.

We placed our orders for some sushi, and took a seat. Looking around, we saw several tables that had left over dishes from previous customers that were not cleaned up.

We waited about 45 minutes for the sushi to arrive. We were a bit disappointed at the quality of the sushi, especially after such a long wait. Several pieces of the avocado were very brown (oxidized) and the salmon was falling apart and mushy (signs that the fish was not fresh and should not have been served in my opinion).

There were tables all around us that still remained dirty from the previous people who left before we even arrived. A few got cleaned up after about 50 minutes.

Overall, the price was okay, but it seems the quality is really suffering, and the place is a bit understaffed. There were quite a few people eating at the same time as us, so this might have accounted for the long wait for the food.

I really wanted to like this place because of the proximity to my house, but unfortunately it fell a bit short.

To sum it up: long wait, food was not fresh, tables around us were dirty for almost the entire time we were there. The place has potential for sure, so maybe improvements will be made.

Visited 5 months ago

Used to be good, but now they give you almost no broth. This place is 20 minutes away, but my partner and I love it, so we decided to treat ourselves to take out. After opening up the containers when we got home, we saw the broth containers were only filled up to 1” each. I called the restaurant and sent a photo, and the person on the line was very understanding. Just as I was about to leave and pick up more broth, her boss called me and said that I actually got the correct amount of broth and that I’d have to pay to get more. I decided to just water it down so there’d be enough.

Visited 5 months ago

The large bowl of beef udon noodles in vegetable broth was awesome! The gyudon beef added that extra umami taste to the soup. My son and I enjoyed the pork gyozas, which had the expected balance of steamed and pan-fried crunch.
Little bit of a wait, but the food came out hot and fresh.
Nice modern (anime infused) cozy atmosphere.
Parking in the front is limited, but there is plenty of parking in the rear (west of the building).

Visited 3 months ago

Great place for vegan food around here if you're hankering for sushi, they marinate the tofu in the futomaki roll which makes it incredibly yummy. The potato croquettes were incredibly delicious and paired well with a very rich curry. 🍛

Visited 9 months ago

Clean and quiet atmosphere with prompt service. Very nice ramen topping station and good selection of sauces.

The pork katsu curry was very strong in terms of spices, and the bao buns are big enough to share. The shrimp tempura was lightly fried. The seaweed salad, however, was very refreshing and delicious.

Visited a year ago

Previously known as Yoshimatsu's Japanese Eatery. I entered the restaurant craving Ramen and Rice and was pleasantly surprised at the slightly more upbeat and brighter atmosphere is, which differs from the previous place in a good way. I get appealing to a more generic crowd for more traction, but I do miss the homey and family oriented version of the restaurant.

I will mention that I wasn't a huge fan of having to pay and tip upfront as I would have preferred the original table service and paying my server the proper way. Definitely a lot less employee interaction as well, but It is what it is though.

Mostly everything is self serve, from the utensils, to the drinks.
My order did come out wrong at first and It wasn't much of a surprise based on most other reviews I see on the page. I get it, things get busy and mixed up.

The food was overall a 7/10 compared to the last restaurant, however it's still worth eating if they get your order correct. I will point out that the spice for the curry ramen was slightly overpowering the rest of my dish, but I got used to it after a little while.

In the end, it was worth giving it a shot, and I would come back again, but I would probably not be a regular like I used to be at Yoshimatsu's.

Thank you.

Visited 10 months ago

Pork Katsu Curry Ramen, Unagi (Eel) Onigiri and Fried Corn Onigiri. Everything was good, but the Pork Katsu Curry Ramen was the best Ramen I've ever had in my life. I did sub in a veggie broth base instead of chicken. Overall, this place was great! Just a little pricey for what you get, in my opinion. But I would return.

Visited 9 months ago

Visited a month ago

Visited a month ago

Excellent

Visited a month ago

Udon Pot was to die for one of the best I have ever had. Staff is friendly and helpful

Visited a month ago

Visited 2 months ago

It was my first time here and I thought it was delicious. Definitely coming here again

Visited 2 months ago

Visited 2 months ago

The food was delicious. I got the curry and California as well as some of the Japanese treats. Everything was authentic and tasty. Portion sizes matched the prices and were generous. The karaage chicken was fire.

Visited 2 months ago

Serving up the only completely inedible veggie gyoza in Tucson. Nice work team!

Visited 2 months ago

Visited 3 months ago

Great atmosphere, great good, and great employees. The sushi/onigiri chef is very sweet and considerate! Their onigiri and appetizers are generously priced and great for small tummies, very filling. Will definitely come back again!

Visited 3 months ago

The large bowl of beef udon noodles in vegetable broth was awesome! The gyudon beef added that extra umami taste to the soup. My son and I enjoyed the pork gyozas, which had the expected balance of steamed and pan-fried crunch.
Little bit of a wait, but the food came out hot and fresh.
Nice modern (anime infused) cozy atmosphere.
Parking in the front is limited, but there is plenty of parking in the rear (west of the building).

Visited 3 months ago

I'm not one to leave bad reviews typically, but i wanted to echo what other people have said about this spot which is that the food is pretty good but the service is whack.

We sat down at a table not knowing we were supposed to go up the front to order and only found out when I asked someone from the staff after getting ignored for a bit. Once we ordered the food it took a lot longer than I'm used to at a ramen spot and when we did get our meal, we got the wrong appetizer. It got corrected, to be fair.

We also didn't get one of the bowls we had ordered and didn't notice for a while that it never got rang up. So I went and asked for it again and waited another long long time for that bowl to be prepared. Eventually the wait started to be a problem so I went and asked for the last bowl to be to go and the guy behind the counter gave me the bowl, I guess it was just waiting for someone to bring it. When I asked for him to make it to go instead, he said it would be too hard to do that, which is wild. So I asked for to go containers so I could just make it to go myself. He obliged but only gave me one container when I asked for several so I had to ask again for 2 more but he only gave me 1 so I just said whatever and left one of the dishes behind.

There also wasn't any clean ramen spoons and no one ever cleaned our table. It felt like a struggle to get everything I needed. All that's to say, again, the food is pretty good but the service leaves much to be desired. I probably won't go back.

Visited 3 months ago

A family favorite! And that’s not an easy thing considering not one of us likes the same type of food and we have a vegetarian in the mix!

Visited 3 months ago

Really wanted to love this place, since the decor is so fun and it’s a very relaxed vibe. Unfortunately, nearly every item we ordered was very underwhelming.

The miso was so so thick, not like a regular miso soup, but like concentrate that hadn’t been diluted properly, and it was so salty and opaque and gloopy that we only ate a spoonful each. It didn’t settle and need stirred the way that miso made with real miso paste does, but was thick and cloudy no matter how long it sat. I think my disappointment about the miso set us up for disappointment with the textures and flavors of the rest of the food.

We ordered the tuna mayo onigiri and the huge onigiri (I forgot what it’s called). The tuna onigiri had very little filling and both the filling and the rice was super dry. It just tasted like bland canned tuna and rice. The monster onigiri was better in that it had a lot of filling, although I wasn’t blown away by it. Definitely the better of the two onigiri tho.

The char siu bowl was definitely the best item we ate all night, if a little rice heavy. The flavor and texture of the meat was great!

On the other hand, the sushi was really disappointing. They didn’t have small dishes for soy sauce, so we ended up using the little plastic takeaway containers to pour the soy sauce in. Another table had taken the soy sauce bottle, so we used the gluten free soy sauce first. I have literally never tasted soy sauce that tasted the way that one did, I don’t know what was up with it. We eventually asked the other table if we could steal the regular soy sauce bottle, and that one was definitely more normal tasting, but still didn’t taste like regular soy sauce? It was truly an unexplainable flavor. The special nigiri sushi set was okay for the most part, except for the scallop which was rubbery and really tasted bad.

Overall, I wish we had gotten other dishes that might have been better. I’ve seen good reviews for the ramen and wish we’d ordered that instead of the sushi set.

Visited 3 months ago

Visited 3 months ago

Average, but prices also reflect that so I guess you get what you pay for

Visited 4 months ago

I still dream of this place and I haven’t lived in Tucson for 20 years. It was the ginger tofu bento box that I loved. Hope they still have it.

Visited 4 months ago

Visited 4 months ago

Nice and fast service and the food is nice and clean!

Visited 4 months ago

Really enjoyed this unique place.

Visited 4 months ago

Incredibly long wait at noon Sat like not worth it, little help and floor has sticky grease all over it.
Seems more about hipster everyone glued to pH really bad loud music save your money and time don't come

Visited 4 months ago

Visited 4 months ago

Really cute restaurant when we first walked in. Everyone seemed very friendly and the menu looked to have many good options, and a fair price.

We placed our orders for some sushi, and took a seat. Looking around, we saw several tables that had left over dishes from previous customers that were not cleaned up.

We waited about 45 minutes for the sushi to arrive. We were a bit disappointed at the quality of the sushi, especially after such a long wait. Several pieces of the avocado were very brown (oxidized) and the salmon was falling apart and mushy (signs that the fish was not fresh and should not have been served in my opinion).

There were tables all around us that still remained dirty from the previous people who left before we even arrived. A few got cleaned up after about 50 minutes.

Overall, the price was okay, but it seems the quality is really suffering, and the place is a bit understaffed. There were quite a few people eating at the same time as us, so this might have accounted for the long wait for the food.

I really wanted to like this place because of the proximity to my house, but unfortunately it fell a bit short.

To sum it up: long wait, food was not fresh, tables around us were dirty for almost the entire time we were there. The place has potential for sure, so maybe improvements will be made.

Visited 5 months ago

Visited 5 months ago

Visited 5 months ago

Fabulous food, great value, good service.

Visited 5 months ago

Every time I try something new here it’s a pleasurable, delicious experience!

Visited 5 months ago

Visited 5 months ago

The food was decent, 7/10. The atmosphere is amazing. The staff are very friendly. Would definitely come back again.

Visited 5 months ago

Visited 5 months ago

Visited 5 months ago

Visited 5 months ago

Visited 5 months ago

$20 for a bowl of Ramen with two shrimp and two scallops and one completely ruined half of a egg absolutely ridiculous. We will not be back. So within 45 minutes, they respond to my review by calling me a liar. It was literally a bowl of Ramen with two scallops and two shrimp and a half a ruined egg. Call me a liar again and see what happens.

Visited 5 months ago

Great sushi and onigiri.

Visited 5 months ago

Good food. Lots of vegan options. Long waits for food to come out.

Visited 5 months ago

Used to be good, but now they give you almost no broth. This place is 20 minutes away, but my partner and I love it, so we decided to treat ourselves to take out. After opening up the containers when we got home, we saw the broth containers were only filled up to 1” each. I called the restaurant and sent a photo, and the person on the line was very understanding. Just as I was about to leave and pick up more broth, her boss called me and said that I actually got the correct amount of broth and that I’d have to pay to get more. I decided to just water it down so there’d be enough.

Visited 5 months ago

Perfect 100 💯 fire 🔥 gas ⛽

Visited 6 months ago

Visited 6 months ago

Visited 6 months ago

Visited 6 months ago

i’ve always enjoyed the food here since it was yoshimatsu! the noodle dishes have such a uniquely savory flavor and packed with veggies. nigiri wasn’t bad! curry is amazing, and plating is beautiful. service has always been a bit of a struggle at this place but there is definitely effort and kindness from the employees! just understaffed potentially? i also could’ve been there on an off day but despite that the food is amazing and it is worth it!

Visited 6 months ago

Visited 6 months ago

Visited 6 months ago

We've been here a few times now, and it's consistently so good. We love everything we've tried and it's quickly becoming a go-to for us.

Visited 6 months ago

Great Kaarage! Plus the Godzilla/Gojira movie posters really add the charm!

Visited 6 months ago

So, the name Maru+ was always intriguing to me because it looked authentic Japanese. The menu online looked amazing . As soon as you walked in, a sign said to order your food with the cashier. So we go up never being acknowledged. Waited around and saw the cute Japanese items you saw if you were in Japan. My girlfriend thought it was cute. Good menu options. Finally, the sushi maker comes around and grabs a tray with some hot Ramen bowls and then says "hey I'll be right with you." Cool, so now we know we are not being ignored. Then we browse the menu options, and my girlfriend orders the Veggie udon bowl, and I order the Shoyu Ramen bowl. He tells us where we can get our water and help yourselves to the fixings sort of like a taco bar. A serve yourself type of deal. I thought they were cool. Then we sat down and was sort of confused because I didn't know if we would be forgotten or not, which thankfully we weren't. But as we sat and waited, I noticed a few other people waiting for their food as well, so so much for a quick meal. All in all we waited and I couldn't help that the other people were still waiting for their meal so I started to get concerned. Because that means our food would take even longer. Our food finally arrives after about 12 minutes or so. I was not timing them. Soon as the food arrives last waitress goes okay "Veggie udon and she has a blank stare and goes"i don't know what this is and I go "Shoyu Ramen bowl" as I take the bowl from her instantly cause I'm famished. I look in the bowl and go" gosh I hope this is Shoyu Ramen" because it didn't look like what I had ordered in the past at other Japanese Ramen noodle spots in Phoenix and Tucson area. I started to question if I got the right stuff because the soup was bland and not to my liking. I asked my girlfriend how she liked her bowl, and she was like it's the soup. The base is not salty enough. My noodles and veggies have no taste. I agreed and said I feel the same, the char siu had burnt ends and not like your typical pork belly. I devoured my food and fought through the tasteless meal because I was hungry, and I had already spent $53 + $8 dollar tip. My girlfriend didn't even finish her meal, we left disappointed. I don't think I'll ever return.

Visited 6 months ago

Visited 6 months ago

Visited 7 months ago

The food was awful. My boyfriend said the Sushi was warm. Some kind of strange "miso sauce," couldn't figure out if it was soup or soy sauce. Fire that cook, he didn't know how to use the register either. The produce in the toppings cooler looked day's old and had not been replaced. As far as the Atmosphere, the music was classic rock and loved the Godzilla.
Sad lunch and disappointed.

Visited 7 months ago

Self service Japanese restaurant, have onigiri, ramen, sushi, bento, japanese beer, ramune, and many more. You will be greeted by giant Godzilla picture on the wall. Food is delicious, good spot to get japanese food in Tucson.

Visited 7 months ago

Food was really good, one of the best tonkatsu ramens I have had! We got a couple of extra things to try like the potato croquette and two different onigiri along with our entrees. Everything we had was delicious! I would absolutely go back and encourage anyone else to eat here. I will be dreaming about that ramen, but for now, I at least have some left over from today to hold me over.

Visited 7 months ago

The food here is sooo good! We tried it for the first time today and were pleasantly surprised! The tonkatsu ramen was AMAZING and I really enjoyed the jalapeño roll. The potato croquettes and spicy shrimp onigiri were also really good! The reviews made me think this place was going to just be okay but honestly it was really good and we will definitely be coming back!

Visited 7 months ago

Visited 7 months ago

My favorite ramen in town. Best pork tonkatsu. Also wonderful poke bowl!

Visited 7 months ago

Visited 7 months ago

Cute interior with good vibes inside. They seemed understaffed, and warned me it would be a long wait. I guess it was fine?

The food though...so disappointing. The Shrimp Yaki Udon was abysmal. I love Udon dishes and I barely finished this one, shockingly small as it was. A few veggies and 4 little pieces of shrimp and a whole lot of low-quality sauce.

Ah well.

Visited 7 months ago

Visited 7 months ago

Been here a few times now, good assortment of very tasty dishes

Visited 8 months ago

Cafeteria style, with no table service. Decent food. Slightly cheaper than your average dine-in Japanese restaurant. Japanese drinks, No ipa

Visited 8 months ago

2nd time here. Tonkatsu was not as flavorful as I've had before. Umami was missing. Likely had to do with the sauce being less present than I've had so the taste was mostly of cutlet with no blending of flavors happening. Also miso was weak. Better luck next time.

Visited 8 months ago

It was understaffed, but friendly workers and nice food.

Visited 8 months ago

Great food. Not much of an atmosphere.

Visited 8 months ago

Visited 8 months ago

Visited 8 months ago

Service on point, atmosphere clean but the food was not the greatest. Yakisoba egg noodle stir-fri. Burnt to a crisp so were the veggies. We ordered chicken with it and somehow fish ended up in there. Benbrook box with fried chicken. Super rubbery we couldn't even bite through it. Edemame was soggy and overcooked. Miso soup was good, dragon roll was good and tempura veggies good. Not sure if we came on a bad night but not super happy with our order.

Visited 8 months ago

Best pork cutlet. Big portion. Reasonable price. But the food itself is just okay.

Visited 8 months ago

Spent a lot of money and could not get utensils from a Mexican mgr. Totally rude. Said Hiro really doesn’t come in there much. His arrogance and poor service were beyond belief. The food was cold when I picked it up. Will not be returning. Long gone is the original Yoshimatsu. We miss you Hiro, get rid of that lousy chef. Don’t let him run your business into the ground! Your restaurant is not a fast-food Mexican drive-thru. What happened to great service?

Visited 8 months ago

I really miss Yoshimatsu. In my opinion the rebranding was a huge downgrade. The sushi menu is way smaller and less diverse. Not sure of the quality of the noodles and other entrées because I always went for the sushi, but my formerly favorite sushi restaurant in Tucson is now gone :(

Visited 9 months ago

Wasn’t impressed with the food or customer service.

Visited 9 months ago

Food was great. Friendly service. I had to go back for a missing piece of my order but the staff was accommodating. Different than the west side location where I am a regular but I am a fan of the menu at Maru and appreciated being able to stop in town.

Visited 9 months ago

Great place for vegan food around here if you're hankering for sushi, they marinate the tofu in the futomaki roll which makes it incredibly yummy. The potato croquettes were incredibly delicious and paired well with a very rich curry. 🍛

Visited 9 months ago

Not Sure what happened after YOSHIMATSU changed ownershership to Maru Plus the food gotten more expensive the portion gotten smaller, the quality of the food isn't as good as before. It was exceptionally disappointing. Ordered the beef Curry Rice which I have eaten for years The portion gotten was smaller and they just mixed everything together instead keeping it apart, so the rice was soggy, there less meat and it was cut super thin., the pickle vegetable were absolutely disappointing all wilted and not crisp like they use to be. Use to pay $15 for the portion and it was a big portion, now it close to $18 and the portion is small. And they didn't even include a miso soup with my meal.

Visited 9 months ago

Visited 9 months ago

Pork Katsu Curry Ramen, Unagi (Eel) Onigiri and Fried Corn Onigiri. Everything was good, but the Pork Katsu Curry Ramen was the best Ramen I've ever had in my life. I did sub in a veggie broth base instead of chicken. Overall, this place was great! Just a little pricey for what you get, in my opinion. But I would return.

Visited 9 months ago

Really cool place!

Visited 10 months ago

I've visited for lunch 3 times in the last 2 months and tried a different vegan dish every time! The food is so flavorful and well made. I highly recommend the fried rice, it's amazing. The art and decor in the restaurant is really neat as well! Great service every time.

Visited 10 months ago

My husband and I came back again to give it another chance after they rebranded. They have improved so much! I can tell they listen to the feedback from their customers. I ordered the lunch bento with pork katsu, the food was warm and delicious. The service is great and the food is as I remember (when it was still Yoshimatsu). I'm very happy we came here for lunch! 5/5✨️

Visited 10 months ago

Came to Tucson for a day and had seen reviews about this place so we decided to give it a shot. Very cute little restaurant with a ton of options! Fast and friendly service and the ramen was delicious! They also have a very inclusive side bar for any additives/sauces you may want. The only downside is how far I live, but very glad I got to try it!

Visited 10 months ago

First time here. Rice is good

Visited 10 months ago

Visited 10 months ago

This place is amazing !!!! Second location with Sushi bar is awesome.

Visited 10 months ago

Visited 10 months ago

I'd worry about the cleanliness

Visited 10 months ago

Soooo yummy! Will be eating here frequently in the future!

Visited 10 months ago

The food and service is amazing, as well as the selection. Holy COW the selection is HUGE. I got the Mega Buta Ramen and a Salmon Onigiri, but in retrospect, I should have gotten just the bowl of ramen, because it was massive, to say the least.
Absolutely delicious, and I dang near left waddling.
420/69, would go forever.

Visited 10 months ago

Previously known as Yoshimatsu's Japanese Eatery. I entered the restaurant craving Ramen and Rice and was pleasantly surprised at the slightly more upbeat and brighter atmosphere is, which differs from the previous place in a good way. I get appealing to a more generic crowd for more traction, but I do miss the homey and family oriented version of the restaurant.

I will mention that I wasn't a huge fan of having to pay and tip upfront as I would have preferred the original table service and paying my server the proper way. Definitely a lot less employee interaction as well, but It is what it is though.

Mostly everything is self serve, from the utensils, to the drinks.
My order did come out wrong at first and It wasn't much of a surprise based on most other reviews I see on the page. I get it, things get busy and mixed up.

The food was overall a 7/10 compared to the last restaurant, however it's still worth eating if they get your order correct. I will point out that the spice for the curry ramen was slightly overpowering the rest of my dish, but I got used to it after a little while.

In the end, it was worth giving it a shot, and I would come back again, but I would probably not be a regular like I used to be at Yoshimatsu's.

Thank you.

Visited 10 months ago

So cute, love it! Well priced, good quality, cute atmosphere. Very much a fan

Visited 10 months ago

My wife and I went here over the weekend. We had four different dishes and all of them were very delicious. They had good portions.

Visited a year ago

love this place just missing the classic philly roll, the sushi options are very narrowed down :(

Visited a year ago

Got a curry Ramen was not disappointed at all. Their service is amazing the staff are very knowledgeable of what they serve, I will be going back for sure

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

I recommend the takoyaki

Visited a year ago

Clean and quiet atmosphere with prompt service. Very nice ramen topping station and good selection of sauces.

The pork katsu curry was very strong in terms of spices, and the bao buns are big enough to share. The shrimp tempura was lightly fried. The seaweed salad, however, was very refreshing and delicious.

Visited a year ago

I went here with some friends and honestly I was disappointed. I shared a tonkatsu ramen, and while the broth was good and flavorful, the noodles were incredibly mushy and sticky. I got an order or gyoza as well, which was okay, but I've had better.
Maybe it was an off day, but the noodles were pretty much inedible, so I can't really recommend this place.

Visited a year ago

The new design is so beautiful and has some lit interior designs! I had the pork katsu curry; let me tell you it was fire🔥🔥🔥! The service style is counter-service, and I waited in line and got a nice refreshing matcha soft cream to cool myself down from that delicious curry. I also saw that there were some toppings that you could put on any ramen if you order it, so I will be trying out this place's ramen next time. I enjoyed eating there since the restaurant had such good music.

Visited a year ago

Tasty food and friendly, quick service! We had Tantan Ramen, Katsu Curry, and Salmon Onigiri. There's a free condiment bar with fresh add-ins. Everything was delicious!

Visited a year ago

don't eat here...that's all

Visited a year ago

Great food and staff!

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

If I had 15 minutes to live, I would spend it eating their curry udon!

Visited a year ago

Great experience here! Came for a late lunch and got helpful recommendations from the staff on ordering. Food came out quickly and was very tasty and great portion size for the price.

Visited a year ago

Great food. Large portions. Good presentation. Fast service. Kind workers.
10/10. I will certainly be returning.

Visited a year ago

Waited over 50 minutes for our food and the place was empty. Worker kept going to the back and then come up front well he was eating. I had to go serve myself the food as my little nice and nephew were so hungry and I noticed the food just sitting on the counter. Food had no flavor and soup was cold. I will never be going back.

Visited a year ago

Nice calm good food pricey but worth it. 10/10

Visited a year ago

I have gone to this restaurant, formerly Yoshimatsu, for about as long as I have been in Tucson as a college student.

The former was my absolute favorite restaurant for Japanese food, backed by my half Japanese mom’s comment on their authenticity.

As Maru Plus, the style changed, and the food has remained the same if not even better- with an addition of self-service for additional options, and seemingly much faster service. You can buy Japanese snacks at the front along with the typical drinks and desserts.

The star here is the ramen- but they have a good selection of foods overall. This will likely be my go-to for Japanese food in Tucson!

Visited a year ago

Once upon a time I had a lunch break. My heart desired ramen, and i thought i’d try a new place. I arrived at the restaurant and they were slow except a small group of college students in front of me. I placed my order and sat eagerly for my food. After awhile more people came in and placed their orders. Then it happened. They were served first, sure I was salty but no big deal. Then 40 minutes passed. still no food, but everyone else in the restaurant seemed to have no trouble getting their meals. I was pretty hurt, i had no more time as an hour approached near. Time wasted, lunch break over, tummy empty. big sad. Dont waste your time too

Visited a year ago

Oh my! I thought I already reviewed this place. But it looks like it's now distinct from yoshimatsu which proceeded it. So I'm back to give another five star review!

Maru Plus is an amazing Japanese, fast casual establishment. There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, and many different dishes to choose from. I like the Japanese special curry which just hits the spot every time.

I have yet to try the sushi, but almost every other dish is amazing.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

I really miss the original concept of this place when it was Yoshimatsu. It has deteriorated into this ordinary restaurant with mediocre food and a dull atmosphere. The fried chicken Bento was chewy and soggy, the eggroll oily, the bed of greens wilted, soggy fish ball, and it was overpriced. The tiny bottles of wine were $10. 🙄 it was tragic to lose Yoshimatsu to this.

Visited a year ago

Mrs Yoshimi the food was very good and I love the new atmosphere but I’m begging you please bring back the Yakisoba. It was the best thing I’ve ever eaten.

Visited a year ago

A little piece of Japan in Tucson.
Loved the decor and fresh dish! Visit it!

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

The food was really good we will be back. They were running really short on staff when we came so it was really hectic. Hopefully they get some good help

Visited a year ago

I like noodles and Maru's were okay but nothing special. Would be good place for lunch, dinner not so much.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Maru Plus was a bit chaotic on my visit, but the food is really good once you get the correct order. The parking lot was small and was packed, and so was the restaurant. There was one guy working the cash register, running food to tables, fulfilling to go orders, and bussing tables. I think they needed more staff out front. We ordered our food after waiting about 10 minutes, and when we sat down, it didn't take long for our food to arrive. Mine was exactly what was ordered, but my friend ordered vegan ginger miso mushroom ramen. They brought a ramen with a fish cake in it. Thankfully, she caught that and had them take it back. Meanwhile, she also ordered the corn onigri. She was brought a vegan mushroom ramen, but it was the standard ramen, not miso ginger. We were finishing our meal and still no corn onigri. She had to flag down the only worker not in the kitchen again, and he brought her a to go box. I just had a feeling and popped it open and had her check it. Definitely not a vegan onigri. She had to have him take that back, and this time, he came back quickly with the right item and apologized again, saying he made this one himself. We had to wait for water as the dispenser was out, and do napkins exist here? We may never know. I went with 4 stars because the food is very good, and I am hopeful this was just an off night. You may want to do a to go order and just check everything before leaving.

Visited a year ago

Great service and delicious food!

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

This is my favorite ramen shop ever! It used to be Yoshimatsu's Japanese Eatery. They changed their name to Maru Plus and their style of service to express then shortened the menu. It's still has the same great sushi, nagiri, ramen and more! The portions are still large enough for two. And while you now go to an order window and pick up your own drinks & condiments/toppings they still give great service bringing your meal to the table! They also have plenty sweets to choose from for dessert. I love the visibility & how the display is so much more accessible now. They've updated the atmosphere a little, but it is still the same great place I love! SOOO DELICIOUS!

Visited a year ago

I have been here twice now that the establishment has changed to Maru Plus. Both times I have had to order my food to go. The first time I was waiting about 40 minutes. This most recent time I waited for 1 hour and 30 minutes. I got there before a huge rush came so I thought my order would be taken care of fairly quickly. Literally everyone got served from that line and I was still waiting. I only had two orders of ramen and an avocado roll. There was a group of four people with more food ordered and they got served and even left before I got my food. Servers did not come up to me to let me know what was going on. I didn't want to take up a table due to the amount of people so I just stood awkwardly between a table and the condiment area. I didn't want to stand near the drink or sushi station as the smell is not bearable for me. I was compensated for my waiting with a free drink which honestly just makes me not want to come back. Don't get me wrong, their vegan ramen is super tasty but for the price, the long wait times, and lack of communication I was left disappointed. I'm truly just in disbelief that over 15 people got served, ate and left before I even got my food when I was there first.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

The sushi was average, the ambiance feels more like a college cafeteria. I think that it is aimed to a younger clientele. The restaurant just changed name, so I was curious to try it.

Visited a year ago

Scallops were sour and taste like ammonia. Didnt tell us we had to get our own water or our own menus. You pay up front, they bring up a tip menu, meanwhile they do nothing to serve you but bring out food. You do the rest yourself. Over priced hype, dont bother.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Strange grumpy workers, they dump the food on your table without a word. They didn't look happy to be there. Food was pretty good though.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

The Curry Udon was sooo good! The udon was perfect, excellent slurp quality! I've been craving Udon during the winter time, and these really hit the spot for me.
Will absolutely come back.

Visited a year ago

Great food super basic restaurant. Order at the counter and they bring it out to you.
However I have enjoyed every dish I tried.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Good food and lots of choices

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

It is very strange. There is no table service, yet all the tables are “reserved”, so there is no available table to sit and eat after you order. I miss yoshimatsu

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Came in viciously hungover from New Year’s Eve and the Tantan Ramen absolutely changed my grim outlook on life. 10/10 recommend. Especially when you’re dealing with the consequences from lasts nights suck fest of 30 beers.

Visited a year ago

Curry was way too thin, but the flavor and spice was great. Potato croquettes were great.

The onigiri rice was sorely lacking flavor. It needed salt or vinegar to better match Japanese onigiri flavor.

It was exciting to see so many vegetarian options! I plan to come back and try the ramen and udon.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

I love this drink so much

Visited a year ago

Best ramen in town.

Visited a year ago

Didn’t get here, try it and let me know

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

I went to Maru this afternoon and it was delightful and very delicious my food was with in mins!! The restaurant is very clean and had the best customer service!! If you’re looking to eat alone or with friends or family. This place is a no-brainer. With the unlimited toppings choices and appetizers. You can customize your noddle bowl your way!! Please enjoy!!

Visited a year ago

Went the other day and got a large curry katsu ramen. Broth was bland, tasteless. Katsu was slightly overcooked and dry. Noodle texture was odd. Definitely not worth the ~$20 I paid. I didn't even come at a busy time either, there were like 4 other guests in the restaurant, so I have no idea why the quality was so lacking; I'm not sure if the chef changed when they shifted from Yoshimatsu to Maru Plus, but it's kind of disappointing.

Visited a year ago

My first visit following re-do. Now instead of being waited on it's stand In line at the counter, order and pay. Then wait. Same prices, maybe a bit higher than before. So a net loss of value in my opinion

Still the great sashimi and sushi as before however. And there are many other choices I would try if I wasn't addicted. 😉

Visited a year ago

Yoshimatsu was our most favorite japanese place ever. From the beautiful enviroment to the unique menu and dishes u couldnt find anywhere else in Tucson. But it pains me to say we’re very disappointed in the new place. Service really lacks, menu has changed to resemble a generic noodle place and honestly nothing taste authentic like before. We came for dishes like takisoba, okonomoyaki and the ramen which were just pieces of heaven! But most of the menu is gone and even the ramen doesnt taste the same. We gave it a couple of shots after the change but i dnt think we’ll ne going back.

Visited a year ago

Insanely good and great service!
Their tonkotsu Ramen, pork Katsu curry and pork katsu ramen are everything I expected and more.
Recommended for sure

Visited a year ago

Best Ramen in Tucson!
Newly updated space is fun; modern Tokyo Café vibe.
Extensive menu- something for everyone- noodles (2 kinds), rice, sushi, poki and more!
Had Tontkatsu Curry Ramen- thick perfectly cooked pork cutlet with perfect outer coating that didn't get soggy in broth. Noodles were steaming hot, no really, hot temp throughout, in the hot broth (usually precooked noodles just stirred into a hot broth and broth gets cold- this was a super plus). Curry broth had a great balance and depth of flavor that brought everything together.
Wonderful condiment bar- well organized so I could add my favorite toppings of corn, crispy onions, pickled ginger, cilantro onions and tempura crisps as I enjoyed my Ramen (other places they just toss them in if you order them separately- and charge you for them-none cares for soggy crispy onions) Oh, seaweed too!
My friend had the Tan Tan Ramen (ground pork) and loved the super spicy broth.
Enjoyed an unsweetened green tea- cold out of the case.

Place your order at the counter. Table menus and/or great life size menu on the wall- convenient from which to review and ask staff questions about items. Clever.

Great hospitality; welcoming. Young cook/staff who took our order gave us the meaning of Maru. He seemed pleased to be part of former Yoshimatsu, and now Maru and pleased we came back to try the new concept (apparently there is one on Silverbell/Campbell).

As a chef and former restaurant owner I'd like to ask those who offered up a critical review, did you bother to speak to the owner directly or let your server know that your weren't happy with your experience and give them specifics, rather than take the time to write paragraphs about it to negatively influence others who might be willing to try? The only way a business owner can improve on things, especially within the first months of opening, is to speak to customers.
With all the big chain food brands (especially down on the next block in the Plaza), it's so important that we have choices of great owner operated 'local brands'.
Congratulations for taking a chance on our community. Lucky us. Domo arigato. JL

Visited a year ago

Honest Review:
I was a frequent customer of this location when it was known as Yoshimatsu and had been going there for 5 years. I LOVED coming here with my wife and we always enjoyed coming here to eat.

Recently I went to this new restaurant and felt very disappointed with the changes. The restaurant went from feeling like a little piece of Japan in Tucson to a modern American noodle house.

The food is good, but we miss the old menu. The service has really suffered since they switched to the serve yourself method. Servers look really busy and don't take the time to tend to you like they used to.

We will likely come back and give it another try, but I really wish they had left this place untouched for the hidden gem of a restaurant it was.

Visited a year ago

Saw the restaurant on an Instagram ad, thought it looked really cool and went to check it out. Bought multiple things on the menu to give the place a fair shake, but was met with disappointment.

First the atmosphere is awesome, it's a very chic new age design. The hand painted wall was very impressive and the other bits and pieces worked well together.

Second the cleanliness of the restaurant was severely lack luster. Multiple tables were left dirty the entire time we were dining in. The silverware is left by the defunct soda fountain and it's a free for all. Multiple forks and soup spoons were visibly dirty with food, grease, and other oddities left on them. So if you don't mind using dirty silverware that's been touched by unknown people prior, then this is the place for you.

Finally the food, the focal point of a restaurant. Everything brought out to the table was cold. I honestly couldn't tell if that was actually supposed to be the norm or not, because it was never mentioned while ordering or on the menu. We tried the pork katsu and cucumber salad as appetizers, karaage curry, and the tantan spicy pork ramen as entrees. The pork katsu was the highlight, it was very salty but the katsu sauce was nice and sweet giving it a good balance. The cucumber salad was the second best part of the meal, which is sad considering the appetizers were the highlights. The karaage was the palest karaage I've ever witnessed. The karaage had a "barely there" soy sauce flavor, so it mostly just tasted like chicken. I would easily vote the karaage as the worst I've had in my entire life. The curry and rice was also absolutely bizarre. The curry sauce was finger frigid and the rice was luke warm. When mixed together it barely had any heat at all. Yet again I couldn't tell if this was the intention, as some places will do a cold curry, but I was never led to believe that to be the case. The curry tasted the exact same as a golden curry packet from the store, so you can save yourself the trip for the curry. Finally the ramen, the biggest enigma of the entire trip. The cook had somehow managed to make it both cold and hot, and honestly it was bizarre. The entire top layer of the ramen was frigid and the bottom layer was warm. I believe the pork and additional toppings were put in cold, the noodles put in hot, and the sauce was luke warm. Making it a complete mess. The broth tasted good, but the noodles were store bought, and the pork didn't add much flavor.

Overall the entire trip was a massive let down. Between the cold food and the poor cleanliness I highly doubt I could recommend this to anyone except for the atmosphere.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Food is great as always and has a new fun atmosphere with the same charm as before

Visited a year ago

whoever had the aux 11/4/23 5:00 - 5:35 pm.... hmu

Visited a year ago

This place has always been tasty! Love it

Visited a year ago

Love the new look. The food is great, good portion size.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

I was super excited to show my out-of-town friends this place so we ordered takeout. We arrived to find out that the place is closed for renovations. :( Please update the Google listing and close your takeout/delivery services.

Visited a year ago

Nice place. Good vegan options.

Visited a year ago

Very slow service. Others seated 10 minutes after us were served first and they were done when we finally got our food.

Visited a year ago

I had a dragon roll which was delicious

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

The service has always been pretty slow every time I've eaten here. The food is why I continue going. The last time I was here might be the last time until the owners find reliable staff. It just makes the experience uncomfortable when you can hear the conversations of employees and their friends stopping by that receive their attention over other patrons. Pretty bummed because the food is good.

Visited a year ago

I visited this place about year ago and had a good experience. However, this time around it was a bit of disappointing. I had a Tantan Men spicy Ramen. The broth was decent and had a good “umame” taste, a good portion of meat and vegetables. The noddles was a major fail! I can tell it’s one of freeze dried prepackaged store bought noodles kinda like you would buy for .99 cents. If they put a bit of effort on making fresh or even fresh packaged noddles this would make the Ramen 100x better. I would have settled for egg noddles rather than what they have in it.

Visited a year ago

The pics are the very best this place could look. At least get staff that want to greet and be friendly. Choose Kiwami and enjoy good food

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

They have very bad customer service & need to learn how to handle situations appropriately!!! Do NOT recommend this place

Visited a year ago

As a dasher going to the establishment was the worst experience ever!! I was there to pick up an dash order for our customer. I was rudely approached. I explained that I was here to pick up a dash order that is right here ready to be picked up. The woman proceeded to yell at me that I can't just come in and pick up anything. I apologized and I told her I was so confused at why she was coming at me the way she was. I then just asked if I can just get the order and leave. She said yes but then didn't hand it to me so I just took it and walked out. Then a man came running out after me telling me that I can't just take orders out of here. I told him that I apologized and I was just here to pick up a dash order. I just got into my car and left to go deliver the order to our customer! I really didn't know what to think! I was just completely baffled of what just happened!!!

Visited a year ago

I've loved this place in the past. It took me 30 minutes to receive my miso soup and 50 minutes to receive my cucumber roll, two piece mackerel nigiri, and two piece squid nigiri.

Fish cuts were too thick - so much so that there was a bone in the mackerel which is currently stuck in my throat and is the reason I'm writing this review. This should never happen. Disappointed to be doing this. It was nice of the manager to comp the meal after noticing that I'd been forgotten by the servers. A good reminder that preparing sushi requires specialized training, but not one I wanted to have.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

Love this place!

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

I was told it was really good it was okay I guess maybe there might have not been as much help in the kitchen that day from what the waitress said so that might have been a big factor if I try again I will reevaluate my rating

Visited a year ago

The food is so fresh and so delicious! Not a bad thing in the menu. Mason is an awesome sushi maker.

Visited a year ago

Visited a year ago

We went here for a small birthday gathering and will definitely return. The food was delicious and the staff we interacted with were kind and professional.

Visited a year ago

Excellent Service, tasty food, clean restaurant, and a variety of items on the menu. Will visit again. Penty of large vehicle parking in the back.

Visited 2 years ago

I love that they keep the seafood separate from the rest of the food so those of use who are allergic to shellfish can also enjoy Japanese bento boxes😭

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

I want to give this place a better review, but i cant. Our tempura, while delicious, came out with a hair on it. The teriyaki that my uncle ordered did not taste like teriyaki at all. Our curry was, while good, on par with what we would buy at the store. Expected so much more from this place than what we got. I'm sad to say we won't be returning.

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Came here with some friends for lunch and sushi, carefully chosen as my friend has some food allergies. Friendly welcome by a young gentleman who ended up seating and serving us. Nice sushi menu and entrée/bento menu. We all ordered various rolls and I ordered some vegetable ramen. The food was very fresh, tasted good and value was solid. My husband did order various spicy rolls and commented they were not very spicy, but he did enjoy.

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Always great food and service. Even though it’s small and squally busy, we seem to get in and out pretty quickly. The staff is super knowledgeable in the foods and even educated us on “true” wasabi. They even had “real” pickled wasabi we could taste. Super neat experience

Visited 2 years ago

Had the tonkotsu ramen. Was delicious.

Visited 2 years ago

Arrived at the same time as our server, and she never caught up - had to ask for happy hour menu and refills on water; learned well after order was placed that there were no soba noodles, only udon; gyoza appetizer was tasty and would have been so much better if served hot. Disappointed in the katsudon - still in search of the delicious egg/onion sauce that should complement the breaded pork in this dish.

Visited 2 years ago

Very rude servant or owner.
After dinner I went from to front desk to ask for tooth pick. While I was asking if they had tooth pick a woman with very bad attitude and very rude almost screaming at me repeatedly " You can not be here you can not be here" I was totally taken back because of her behavior. For me it didn't seem to be a place that I could not approach. There was nothing special with that place. It looked like a bar or something.
I could not find any reason for her to behave that way. I am not sure that the fact that I didn't have American accent had anything to do with her behavior.
I will never go to that place anymore.

I could not find any place to express myself to the owners comments so I will add few lines over here.
After 70 years of life experience and visiting thousands of restaurants in almost half of the world I can say with certainty that I can distinguish between a rude or respectful approach of a person. And she was rude.
In that restaurant there is nothing that would show any restriction to any specific aera. Even if I had entered a restricted aera a respectful approach to remind me of that would be sufficient.
A professional owner or manager would teach their employees how to respectfully deal with any situation.

Visited 2 years ago

My favorite Japanese place in Tucson. Fun and funky atmosphere. Love their curry!

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

My favorite Tucson Sushi restaurant. Fresh fish, generous portions, perfect sticky rice. No one else is as good.

Visited 2 years ago

This is an excellent restaurant. Servers are very knowledgeable. Options are very good. Food is extremely prepared and delicious. No rush. We really like the place, a go to place! It is small and always busy, guess others feel the same. It will become a favorite.

Visited 2 years ago

It was good.

Visited 2 years ago

Visited 2 years ago

Sushi is probably the best in town. Ramen is alright.

Visited 2 years ago

Great Service! Delicious Food!

Visited 2 years ago

It was mid.

Visited 2 years ago