Maruman Review Summary

Two elderly couple, post retirement, wanting to keep busy? That’s the thought that came to my mind. I would say they were in their early 70s. The last, the waitress is so adorable. We were lucky and was seated at the center of the bar right away. Total for two men was 10700 yen. This was two combo plus 4 toro and mackerel sushi and a glass of draft beer.

Sushi was excellent of the highest quality. While I have had similar quality of sushi before, I feel double goodness to know that I am supporting someone who is in retirement age. I wish to be active as them when I am that old.

Highly recommend this place if you come to Kyoto.

Humble family run sushi place by an elderly couple.

Arrived at 7pm and waited an hour to get in.
Was not disappointed, sushi was freshly prepared by a neat sushi chef. He was really focused on preparing the fish while the wife handled her hr customers order, cleaning and washing dishes

I bet the chef was handsome when he was young

Sushi was great, only downside is limited cuts (which is normal for small joints I guess). My favourite is their toro.

We booked about three weeks in advance and were seated right away upon arrival. The lady owner was very welcoming, and we felt fortunate that communication in English was easy. The sushi was amazing and the prices were quite reasonable. Highly recommend!

Some of the worst sushi I've ever had and definitely a tourist trap now.

The nigiri are pretty big/the fish is thick, but it is some of the most chewy unappealing sushi I've ever had. I ordered 6 different types of fish and every single one took about 5 minutes to chew. I was gagging through every one hoping the next one would be better. Even the toro/fatty tuna was incredibly chewy, and I've never experienced that with toro before.

While waiting in line a local couple was making fun of us waiting. That's when I realized the only people coming to this restaurant are foreigners/tourists.

The couple seemed to be sweet and the vibe is nice, but they do try really hard to convince you not to wait in line if you don't have a reservation. I got there at 5:45 on a Monday night and didn't get seated until about 7:20.

While most reviews about this place were very good, there were a few negative ones mostly complaining about the taste and wait times. After a long day of walking and exploring in Kyoto, we decided to give it a shot and experience it ourselves without making a reservation in advance. There was indeed already a moderate line by the time we got there a little past 6 PM on a chilly October evening. The location was quite lively with many people passing by, so we did not feel bored too much but of course the hunger and anticipation grew stronger as time went by. After the first group of people started leaving with full stomachs and smiling faces, the line finally started moving and our hopes and spirits going up.

After about an hour and a half the wait was over and we were welcomed in. The lady sat us by the counter and handed us the menus. Having already perused it outside and knowing what we want, I tried to place the order right away driven by my impatient appetite. The lady smiled and said, not so quick. We were a bit surprised at first but then realized the order as to how things work inside here and you have to learn to wait for your turn to come. With no other option, we slowly turned our attention outwards. The gentleman (I am inclined to call him grandfather as some other reviewers do, but also feel they are still quite young at heart) is immersed in his work cutting and preparing the various kinds of sushi, almost indifferent to the outside world and guests. I can see how he might come across as grumpy or even impolite to some people. The lady on the other hand, orbits around him and the small shop doing almost everything else. I sometimes get nervous in Japan due to language barriers but she can communicate with ease in English and puts you at comfort with her kind and soft-spoken manners. I do not know about her story, but must have taken quite some effort on her part that most people don't. Looking around the shop, there are small plates and glasses of different colors and sizes stacked on the shelves, a small kettle is gently boiling on the stove, you can see chunks of different fish behind the glass in front of you. The exteriors of cupboards and walls are the opposite of fancy and pretentious; somewhat worn out and show their age but look clean, you think. People inside almost whispering not to disrupt the tranquility, however I have seen enough to know how this may not always be the case. Outside is cool and breezy, inside is warm and cozy. It is close to an almost Zen-like feeling you can come across in a place like this and is the most I can describe in a few words.

We are not sushi experts, so cannot comment too much on the quality but for us it was really good. If we were to draw a comparison, what we had in Tsukiji tasted probably somewhat better, but did not get the same emotions in there. Part of it might also be attributed to the overall unique and pervasive vibe in Kyoto. If your criteria for eating out is solely based on taste, service or price per performance, I am sure there are better (and perhaps more expensive) alternatives you can look into. If you treat it as a more culinary and cultural experience, this may well be one of the options to consider. Having read about the ikigai concept earlier, the owners of this place seem to have found it and I hope they can keep on doing this for as long as they can in good health.