Arigato Japanese Restaurant
| Address: | 11 N Pleasant St, Amherst, MA 01002, USA |
| Phone: | +1 413-253-1070 |
| Site: | arigatoamherst.wixsite.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9:30PM 11:30AM–9:30PM 12–9PM |
Location
Photos 91
Reviews 10
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Ellen Green
I go to Arigato (means "thank you" in Japanese, not sure why they called it that...) relatively often, and its NEVER been busy--so Im making a plug. You should go. Though I would beg to differ with a previous reviewer: it is NOT the best sushi in the 5 college area, in my opinion. That distinction goes to Moshimoshi (which is what you say in Japanese when you pick up the phone...). But Arigato is about half as expensive. I go to Moshimoshi when other people are paying, but when Im taking myself, Arigato every time. Atmosphere/service: As mentioned, Ive never managed to catch them busy. When I go in for lunch, Im usually sharing it with one, maybe two other parties. I just went for dinner on a Saturday, and it was only about half-full (~20 people). This is no doubt one of the reasons that the service is excellent--prompt and attentive. However, it doesnt have an atmosphere, really. I dont usually mind it--its not a bad place to study, if thats what you need to do--but it can be a little awkward if youre on a date and youre the only people in there (because theres nothing to distract you/the staff). The decor is the one serious weak point--its a little funky, but not artsy-funky. The little wine bottles in the "windows" (mirrors) are strange, and its very weird that you walk THROUGH a samurai to go to the bathroom. Music is good, though, if eclectic. Food: the food is consistently good, and a lot of the sushi rolls are creative and fun. Im a fan of the crunch roll (possibly a California roll with shrimp and crunchy panko and eel sauce). The Godzilla and spicy Mexican are also great. They specialize in deep-fried and crunchy rolls, and many have sauce. The sauces are good, but I think I might try passing on them next time--they can be a little strong, and sometimes overwhelm the flavors of the fish and vegetables. But its definitely a nice change from the usual offerings, and I have yet to try one I havent liked. They also do a solid sashimi--the fish is fresh (despite what Id guess is low turnover due to the slow business), the rice is well cooked, and presentation is unpretentious. As for non-sushi: the bulgogi is worth taking home. The house soup--mushroom broth, mushrooms, and green onions--could possibly be improved by sauteing the mushrooms, but is a great starter. The lunch bento boxes are a great deal--a solid two meals for about $16, depending what you put in them. (Get the tempura vegetables in your box. Zucchini has never been so good.) The udon is a delicious pick-me-up if youre feeling a little under the weather--lots of soup, lots of vegetables, and nice satisfying noodles. They also serve smoked green tea, much more interesting than the straight green Ive had elsewhere. All in all: definitely worth going to once, and probably more often than that. A solid 4 out of 5. UPDATE: I have now witnessed Arigato crowded (lunch on MLK day). The food did not suffer (the rice was a tad overcooked), but the service did--I get the sense that the lack of regular custom turned the waitstaff soft. It was nothing to really complain about, since I got in and out in about my usual time, but they were much less attentive than usual. Rating holds.
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Alexis Reed
This place, hands down, has the best and most fresh sushi in the 5 college area, especially for the price. If youre someone who really only eats sushi for the deep fried parts and sauces there are plenty of options, but it is really good for those who just really like raw fish. They have a good variety of Japanese and Korean foods. I always get the Sundubu, spicy korean tofu soup, and the Spicy Sashimi Bowl (someone reviewed with 3 stars saying that they updated their menu and removed this; thats actually extremely false. I ordered that last week). The atmosphere is laid back. The waitstaff is friendly but not overbearing. A lot of the time, the restaurant seemed understaffed. Ive read a review recounting an experience I remember where they complained they had to get up and go to the cash register to pay because the waitress was busy. The real story is that the restaurant was slammed and she was THE ONLY waitress. I would commend her if the only problem you had was either getting up to pay or something with the food. I took off a star because one of the male waiters almost made a point of ignoring us. A table sat down after we did but got their food before we even ordered. This is just the chance you take with all-student staff. Overall, I think a lot of people that scored low have never actually worked in food service and dont get how things work. Im not trying to say this is a 5 star dining establishment, but a lot of these reviews are lacking context.
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Trey Klein
The food was just okay, but the service was horrible: Four of us were seated at 6:00, but our orders werent taken until 6:30, Around 7, our soup/salad was brought out. At 7:30, a server seeing our distress, asked if we were ready for our check. Honestly, we just about were--but our meals had not yet arrived. At 7:50 three of us got our meals, which we just about finished by the time the 4th meal was delivered at 8:15. Arrrgh! Sadly, I still left a tip--but I wish I hadnt. They SHOILD have comped part of our meal, but they didnt. We will never be eating there again.
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Mikael Evangale
The food is exceptional, however the service is kinda lacking. Since I was apart of a party of six, they automatically charged us 18% gratuity for our individual checks after waiting forever to get them and forever to flag someone down to service our table. And if you have been here, you know that the prices are already extremely expensive even for a sushi place. If you like deep fried rice, definitely go here. Its excellent. Otherwise, find someplace else.
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T Saboda
Your Website states "CLOSED Every 1st + 3rd Wednesday!" Drove 45 minutes . Paid for parking . Sign on front door said "Closed First , Third and Forth Wed of each month" . Update your website please . On a positive note...lunch menu at Gohyang Korean kicked ass . Bulgogi , Kalbi and Yakisoba were fantastic . All reasonably priced .
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Mengwu Yun
They changed the menu and one of my favorite dish is gone, namely, the spicy shasimi rice....So I think I would not go there again. The tempura sushi is fresh but a little bit oily. The price is high compare with other restaurants. I want the spicy shasimi rice come back
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Elise Khanijao
Restaurant was very warm and clean. The staff were extremely nice and werent overbearing. The food was excellent: I had the Smoked Salmon California Roll and the Oishi Salmon Roll. Slightly spicy, and the smoked salmon was slightly too salty but delicious anyway !
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Robert Tinker
Best Sushi anywhere. It is fresh and the right size. I have ordered almost every sushi variety--when one of the rarer kinds is not 100% fresh, the sushi chef recommends something else. And he always adds a free sample. My wife and I eat here almost weekly.
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Aditya Shastry
The Box options (Box A in the pic) offer a good intro to the available choices. The tempura shrimp and the California roll go great with the spicy mayo sauce, if spice is preferred, or the tempura sauce, if sweet is preferred.
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Becca Cottman
I took a chance with this place and I was very impressed. We tried their sushi and an item from their appetizers list. Service was fast and friendly. Well be back there to try their bulgolgi!
