Located at 3920 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy, Sushi Masa is a beloved Japanese restaurant, specializing in sushi. Many Lafayette locals and tourists enjoy its fresh, off-the-bar sushi and laid-back atmosphere. The restaurant also serves a selection of classic hibachi, fried rice, udon or soba noodles and tempura.
Some of their sushi specials include the LSU roll, I-10 roll, Shaggy Dog roll, Green Monster roll, Pink Lady roll, Double J roll and Rainbow Naruto Maki.
The story of Sushi Masa begins in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2010. Famous for its all-you-can-eat (AYCE) special, the restaurant quickly gained popularity. They eventually opened locations throughout the South, including Lafayette, Pensacola, Beaumont, Metairie and many more.
The atmosphere was chill and laid-back, perfect for date nights, birthdays or family dinners.
The inside was decorated in greenery and ambient lighting, making me feel comfortable walking in. The sushi bar was visible, allowing customers to watch the chefs create astonishing sushi rolls.
My colleague and I had the pleasure of visiting Sushi Masa on Monday, Feb. 10. As we walked in, we were greeted by the hostesses and a beautiful cherry blossom tree. We were seated at our tables immediately. We grabbed our menus and began to browse.
We both decided to purchase the AYCE option on the menu. For our appetizers, I got a house salad with ranch, while my colleague got mango salmon, cucumber roll and tuna tataki.
Our appetizers came out within 10 minutes.
My house salad was exceptional, and my colleague described her tuna tataki as very juicy. The cucumber didn’t overpower the crab inside the roll and her mango salmon was just as good. The mango complemented the salmon very well.
For our next course, we chose some things from the entrée sections. I opted for the California Roll and chicken teriyaki with chicken fried rice.
My colleague decided on the salmon and masago sashimi, tuna, yellowtail, octopus and a Pink Lady Roll.
All of the sushi and sashimi came out fresh. Both of our rolls followed soon after. The California roll was perfectly made and definitely one of the best I’ve had, while my colleague’s Pink Lady Roll was equally as excellent.
Both of the rolls were visually appealing, with vibrant vegetables.
For our dessert, I decided on the classic cheesecake, while my colleague selected the fried Oreos.
The cheesecake was creamy and rich, as you would imagine, while my colleague’s bold choice of fried Oreos proved to be a good idea. They were both a fun treat to end our AYCE extravaganza.
Each of our AYCE meals only costs $32.95. Honestly, that is a good price for the amount of food you can choose to eat.
When my colleague calculated how much her food would have been if she had bought it separately from the special, it ended up being over $100.
After our meal, I interviewed one of the servers/shift leads, Heather Dupree. She described her overall experience as follows, “It’s a good time. It’s just a chaotic good time, but we make our money when we come in…like the coworkers is why I’ve probably stayed as long as I have. You’re with these people every day and you bond with them and end up seeing them after work.”
I also had the pleasure of interviewing the general manager, Andrew, “I have been here right at three months. My experience has been good. The staff is really great and they are all super nice. They were all really nice and patient, showing me how to get around and do things that we do here at Sushi Masa.”
When asked if he recommends the restaurant as a workplace for college students, he said, “You know, it’s fast-paced, high-volume and could be difficult…it’s not impossible. Somebody who has at least a little bit of experience and who needs to make some extra cash on the weekend, I’d say this is a good place to do that.”
Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Sushi Masa. The food was fantastic and the staff was happy to speak with us.
My colleague and I relished trying their delicious food and sharing their restaurant.
If you would like to dine at Sushi Masa, it is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
