There are plenty of options for late night Japanese in Richmond, but we almost always end up at Matsuyama because they have a cheap late night menu, and while the quality is not stellar, it's the best I've found at this price point. I've always though Matsu was Kishu prices at twice the quality. They're actually a better deal than Kishu since you have to order at least $5 of food for Happy Hour at Kishu, which always means at least 2 items with their pricing scheme.
Today, I decided to sample their line of nigiri. It's something I've wanted to do for a while, but always got distracted by other menu items. At $0.89 each, they are dirt cheap on the late night menu. The ones I ordered today are, starting from left to right on the top row are: spicy scallop, spicy salmon, spicy tako, spicy tuna, tamago, saba, tai, and amaebi. These were all very well made, and not overly small despite the small price tag. The rice was firm, and had just enough tangy sushi rice seasoning, but not overpowering.The saba in particular was very sweet. It was the first time I had saba and I will be ordering more of it the next time I'm here. The amaebi was also very sweet, as it always is when I get it here. The spicy nigiri were all dressed in a mildly spicy sauce, with a spinkling of sesame seeds and occasional chili seed. The spicy scallop was also rolled in tobiko as is the norm with chopped scallop rolls. In retrospect, I probably should have ordered the regular version of the scallop nigiri for variety. Nothing special to note about the tamago - it was pretty standard. The The only one I didn't particular care for was the tai. It tasted flat and the soy/wasabi didn't help it out much.
Cheema started with the crab + tobiko salad. This is basically just finely minced imitation crab on a small bed of cucumbers, smothered with mayo and topped with tobiko and more mayo. It is served in a large bowl and a very large portion for a mere $2.95. This is the dish to get if you like california rolls and don't want to fill up on rice. It will satiate any hunger pangs - guaranteed.She then had the chopped scallop roll, which was pretty standard fare. Chunks of scallop rolled in mayo and tobiko. It is pretty well made here, and a popular item when we visit.
Several people ordered the oyster motoyaki, and we see this a lot as they are very tasty here. The mayo is mixed with tobiko and chopped spinich, both of which add a very pleasing taste and crunch. Matsuyama motoyakis are awesome and never sit in a pool of oil. These points combined pretty much makes it mandatory to eat all the mayo, which is not something people normally do with motoyakis. It's a credit to the chef when every mototyaki ramekin I've seen consumed here is pretty much cleaned completely of mayo. It's not so great for our waistlines though...It is also worth noting that the motoyaki ramekins are raised and hollow at the bottom, so the portion is not as large is the picture would suggest.
Material Boy decided to start with the ika karage. Even though it's only $3.95. I've always found the portion for this to be a bit disappointing. This is the late night portion pictured, and though I've never ordered the regular menu version, I hope it is a more generous portion than this. Matsuyama does make this pretty well though, as the ika we've had were always tender and crispy, but never too oily. 
He finished off with a plate of assorted nigiri (hokigai, tamago, chopped scallop, crab salad) and unagi roll. I don't like hokigai, so I can't comment on these. The crab salad roll is pretty much the same as the crab + tobiko salad, or basically california roll filling. It is worth nothing that the late night unagi roll here is the same price ($2.95) as the other rolls. This makes matsuyama one of the more affordable places to get unagi, which is often quite expensive. It is also a popular item when we visit Matsuyama.
Others in my party ended up with sushi plates as well. Backhand ordered 4 salmon nigiri, spicy tuna nigiri, spicy tuna roll, avocado roll, and a spicy tuna cone. He remarked that the salmon nigiri looked unusually large today, and it indeed looked larger and fresher than the ones we usually get. Let's hope this becomes the norm from now on. 
Blunt had a plate of chopped scallop roll, unagi roll, and dyanmite roll. He had no complains about his food. I've always wanted to try their alaska and dynamite rolls. I'll have to remember the next time I'm here.It was unusual for everyone to have ordered sushi today. Normally, the donburis are a very popular item for our group. At $4.75, they are a great deal and many people just order a don end up completely full.
Another nice touch I've noticed is that if you order the chicken or beef teriyaki rolls, they give you extra dipping sauce on the side. It's attention to detail like this that sets Matsuyama apart in my opinion. Material Boy has remarked that he noticed that the scallop used in the rolls don't taste so fresh to him, and that the chicken in the rolls and donburis often have a bit of freezer burn. I haven't noticed these, but I don't eat as much high quality Japanese cuisine as he does, so I'll defer to his expertise. I find the taste and texture of both here to be satisfactory.
All in all, Matsuyama is a great place to unwind after a late night of sports. It's affordable, delicious, and clean. The place does get very busy, which is a good thing in terms of keeping a high turnover of fresh meat, but not so great when it comes to parking, waiting for tables, and getting staff to take orders or refill your tea. At times, it can seem to be slightly understaffed. Still, I highly recommend it for good, cheap late night eats.
Feb 11, 2011 Update: Pics of Alaska Roll and Agedeshi Tofu
Pros:
-cheap late night menu
-quality remains high despite low pricing
Cons:
-can be difficult to find parking at peak/late hours. Carpool if possible.
-despite being a large restaurant, can fill up completely even during late night
-staff can be overwhelmed and forgetful at times
Notes:
-open late with late night menu
-has daily specials
-small parking lot, hard to find street parking on foodie street (Alexandra Rd)
Menu:
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| Late Night Menu (Better one can be found on Urbanspoon link below) |
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| Menu 1 |
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| Menu 2 |
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| Menu 3 |
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