Zooma Sushi

12/21/08

Great neighborhood restaurant if you're in the 'Bu, but I wouldn't drive farther than 5 min to it.

by homecooking

As a local I'll stop into this good enough sushi restaurant when I'm hungry for sushi and don't want to make a 15-min drive to Nobu. I've been eating here for 20 years, and the sushi has gone downhill. (BTW, Nobu isn't what it used to be either.) The rolls were once tightly wound and well made, but now they are big and loosely made and fall apart upon first bite. The chefs are no longer insulted when you order an American sushi roll like spider or dragon. Still tasty, if you ask the chef what's the freshest, you'll get great sashimi. Otherwise, don't order the fish if it's not the freshest. The tempura (ordered by my spouse) is no longer crisp and light as it once was long ago. Over the years they've been very accommodating for large groups, families with kids, couples, solos, you name it. The staff are friendly as always but apparently they still are surprised to see non-white patrons after all these years. For a Malibu restaurant, it has no view except of the parking lot. The TV is always on and turned to a sports channel during dinnertime. Great neighborhood restaurant if you're in the 'Bu, but I wouldn't drive farther than 5 min to it.

• Pros: Service is fast, friendly. Parking is free, available
• Cons: Sushi rolls are loose and fall apart. TV is always on.

07/10/08

Passable sushi in a funky location

by kiercemartin

Not the best, but not trying to be. I've been to Zooma several times over the past few years, and while it is a cool location--in a cranny on the backside of Point Dume--the sushi is definitely not top-tier. That's also not really what the place is going for, it doesn't seem like. Any sushi place that is connected to a Mexican place next door is not trying to be Nobu. But it's good at what it does, which is decent, no frills sushi that is nowhere near Nobu priced. So if you want to be kind to your wallet and don't need Fresh Prime Toro, or are just looking for something with a kind of funky, hole-in-the-wall feel, then this a pretty solid place.

07/27/07

for people who have never had good sushi is right in the money

by middylopez

A group of friends wanted to try this place in Malibu. So we read the reviews on citysearch, and after eating there, let me just tell you the only review that was correct was the peron who states "Sushi for people who don't no anything about sushi" was the only correct review out of the seven reviews. I've had sushi from east to west coast and this was not good sushi. The salmon was brown, the rolls were warm and small and it smelled like fish when you walked in the door and it was expensive for bad quality sushi.....the only thing that made the sushi bearable was the margarita we had at the mexican place next door and the three bottles of crazy milk sake!! And to top it off this was a hard place to find but parking wasn't bad.

• Pros: good parking the mexican place next door
• Cons: the food

10/25/06

Always the sushi bar!

by rebeccasaenz

Zooma sushi is fantastic! The atmosphere is fun and lots of locals. Toshi and the staff are energetic and will entertain you all night! The sashimi is to die for and the portions are generous. It's fast simple and you never know who you will sit next to that night!

• Pros: Sashimi, Toshi, the staff
• Cons: Toshi has Sunday and Monday off we want him 7 days a week!

07/28/06

Sushi for people who don't no anything about sushi

by ironmanmag

This place isn't good at all! The fish isn't fresh and the avocado is spoiled!!! It really is only considered good because most the people that eat there don't know anything about sushi, so obviously these people can't tell good from bad when it comes to anything.

• Pros: they give a nice portion of ice cream for $3
• Cons: everything else