Sushi Matsuri review: Lyons sushi spot won't replace your favorites

LYONS, Colo. -

To open a sushi restaurant in the unlikely hamlet of Lyons requires bold confidence in one's ability to compete with the dozen or so established joints in nearby Boulder, to attract the motorcycle-R.V.-tourist drivers en route to Rocky Mountain National Park, and to cultivate a local following. Judging by the near-empty dining room for dinner about a week ago, Sushi Matsuri's on the upward trajectory of that ambitious climb.

The starter dishes, Gyoza (pork dumplings, $4.50) and miso soup ($2) exceed expectations. They are both rich and tasty. They are also among the easier plates to prepare. The sushi is fine. It was fresh and flavorful, presented in somewhat ornate design. Prices range from $1.95 for nigiri ($3.05 for "premium" nigiri, including shrimp and salmon caviar), $8.75 for a 5-piece order of sashimi ($14.95 for the "premium"), and rolls that range from $4.50 to $14.50. Its prices are slightly less expensive than the legendary, standard-setting restaurant Sushi Tora, and on par with more popular Boulder sushi bars like Japango and Sushi Zanmai.

Yet Sushi Matsuri's fish fails to inspire and please the way truly excellent sushi does. Perhaps sushi has become so ubiquitous, available at nearly every grocery chain, that its image as an oriental art that marries flavor, design, and presentation for a full sensory experience is anachronistic. Is it too much to expect every bite of the fresh and raw fish to delight the taste buds and transport you to a sublime place? I don't think so. To choose sushi is to commit to an expensive meal, the value of which lies in experiencing an exotic blend of flavors that would be difficult, if not impossible, to recreate. Sushi Matsuri's selection does not achieve that higher level.

Seeking diversity, I also ordered the Ginger Beef Steak ($16.50) expecting a tender filet infused with the chef's "mouth-watering original ginger sauce" and instead received a flavorless strip of meat whose only redeeming quality was its tenderness. This and the grilled salmon are the most expensive entrees on the menu, and the beef was simply not worth the price. The accompanying green beans with peanuts were dull, and the cooked carrots and asparagus did little to elevate the plate.

Perhaps the best part of the meal came at the end with the Mochi ($4.50), a serving of three small scoops of ice cream surrounded by rice cakes. Delivering a texture entirely new, and a light, sweet flavor (green tea and mango), this dessert was a wonderful portion with a refreshing taste.

Service is attentive and diligent at Sushi Matsuri, and the staff personally warmly welcomes every customer that walks through the doors. The interior feels sparse, and the Naugahyde booths and swivel stools at the bar recall an ice cream shop or diner.Though the restaurant never filled, traffic trickled in throughout the night one recent evening.

Whether Sushi Matsuri thrives will depend on how it entices customers and keeps them. Sushi is a competitive realm and Sushi Matsuri's managed to keep its prices reasonable (though a recent bill for one sushi dinner, an entrée, a beer, and a coke plus tax and tip totaled more than $80). But to flourish, the restaurant would be well served to improve its non-sushi entrees and to devote whatever is necessary to take the sushi from good to great. A task, I assume, is best left to a master of that culinary art.

Comments? Questions? Restaurant updates? Email Rachel Walker at boulderdining@gmail.com.