Stopped in for a quick lunch on Sunday. The tuna and eel nigiri was fantastic! Other parties in our group had the Las Vegas and crunchy calamari rolls. Those too were excellent. Service was average and the table was a little dirty. Other than that, the food was very good and I plan on coming back to try some of the other items on the menu. Speaking of menu, it has a very large variety of sushi rolls and entrees. If the other items are of the same taste and quality of what we had this visit, we are in for a return visit for sure.
(3)
Mark G.
There aren't many pho options in Iowa City for some odd reason. But this is one of the places you can get it at. However, it is $15 a bowl.......Never seen that price and pho before, WTP(What the Phock). So we tried it is and first mistake is they don't give lime wedges or peppers. They broth is just okay, a little fatty for my liking. The meat is fatty and chewy as well, not the best of cuts. Overall Pho is a 3. Did try some crab Rangoon, which were pretty good but nothing out of the ordinary. Very pricey place, seen the sushi menu was pretty high priced as well. Not sure if I feel the value is worth it here.
(3)
Yanyan W.
Formosa has very good sushi and the service is always very quick. Plating is also always pretty. All signature/specialty rolls are very tasty.
(4)
Cheryl H.
Taking advantage of great weather, two of us lunched outside on the ped mall. We shared everything including the pork dumplings which were tasty with ginger soy sauce. Ordered California roll, salmon roll, salmon tempura roll and avocado roll...all were fresh and beautifully presented. The waitress was thorough and kind. $28.
(5)
Julie R.
Would love to give this establishment "5 stars" but the dishes were SOOOO dirty?!? Formosa had the most savory rolls I have ever had. They are rich on sauce and barely needed any additional fixin's. Each roll is a work of art. We also had the seaweed salad which was very tasty. I had to send back the water glass because I could perfectly see the lip gloss from the chick before me-GROSS. And we had to send back a couple of the plates because there were particles of food dried to the surface. Common people, I know dishwashers aren't perfect but take a look at what you're expecting others to use... at least send back and RE-WASH?!? Love the location. Right in the heart of downtown Iowa City. There's some outdoor seating to enjoy those nice days and even from inside there is opportunity to do some fine people watching. It has access from outside but is also accessible from the lobby of Hotel Vitra? Everything we had was delish- it was actually painful to finish the last roll because we were SOOO stuffed!
(4)
Katherine G.
Love Tuesdays and Thursdays when you can get a lot of basic rolls and martinis for $3!
(3)
Kristin L.
It is pretty good. They had my uni which was great and reasonably priced. Not my top 5, and a bit on the pricey end especially for the soups.
(5)
Brandon L.
Pros: 1. Huge sushi menu! They have a whole page of basic sushi, a page for specialty, and a page for special sushi. 2. Nice modern atmosphere inside, the patio out front looks nice too but haven't sat they before. 3. The sushi was high quality and the spicy tuna roll I had actually did have a kick to it. 4. The egg rolls were also very solid. Cons: 1. My biggest complaint are the wood single use chopsticks. I wish they had higher quality chopsticks that they wash between uses. Great sushi menu with lots of variety at various prices. Check them out!
(5)
Jeff O.
Okay so I kind of cheated because we only went to their curbside table for taste of Iowa City. There was quite a line but it was worth the wait for this tasty sushi. I got two Vegas roll pieces and they were delicious. Nothing too spectacular but good. And the third one was the shrimp tempura roll. Kind of standard shrimp tempura, but tasty. Maybe we'll go back and eat inside next time!
(4)
Ben R.
Worst service I have ever had in my life. I was told over the phone it would be a 15 minute wait but instead it took them an hour and a half. On top of that they gave me the wrong food. Never will I go there again.
(1)
Zachary K.
Pretty solid place aimed at the young crowd. Lots of daily specials and fusion rolls. Not bad for being in Iowa. Get the salmon lover and the Formosa roll.
(3)
Lexi P.
A huge group of friends and I used to make Formosa a weekly dinner until our last experience. We had a mess up on our check and was over charged, since they never keep experienced wait staff she had to ask who I assume was the manager for help. They were only a few feet away when he (an already off putting man) complained and gossiped about our "stupid" table as if the mess up was our fault. He then pointed at our table as he gossiped to the host for a good 5 minutes. How unprofessional! We will not be attending weekly anymore and I hope he knows returning customers are the reason he has a job in the first place.
(1)
Joshua F.
If you are trying sushi for the first time or already have a love for it then Formosa is the place for you. They serve other oriental food options other than sushi, but the sushi is the reason to go. I have never ordered a bad sushi roll from this place. The wait staff is very attentive and very knowledgeable on their food. Which helps in those indecisive moments. They also have a gluten free menu. My only criticism is their drinks seem watered down usually if I have a dirty martini on an empty stomach I am feeling a heavy buzz, but not from this place. Still their food is great and is a culinary experience I highly recommend.
(4)
Rachel G.
I love Formosa. If you are looking for a nice environment and a good variety of menu items this is the place for you. It is not exactly inexpensive but I'd lile to think that it is worth it for a nice experience. I usually order the fried california roll with crab salad on top it is great. Miso soup is spot on. I am looking forward to exploring the menu.
(5)
stella k.
They sat me down at a table but they took forever to finally come over to even give me water. The server looked bored and when I asked her if the Philadelphia roll was made with smoked salmon she didn't know. I asked if there were any rolls made with smoked salmon because that is what I was craving for. She said she had no idea. I politely asked if she can go find out. She left and came back to tell me they don't have any rolls made with smoked salmon but they can put eel sauce on the salmon for me. WTF!?? I got up and left. Don't pass yourself as a sushi restaurant if you don't stock on smoked salmon, and don't list Philadelphia roll on your menu if it's not made with smoked salmon because then its just a salmon roll.
(1)
M O.
Meh, barely okay sushi at premium prices. The menu is overcrowded and unfocussed. The staff is cute, but not very well trained. There is potential, but it is diluted by an effort to please everyone. Sushi in the Midwest is already sketchy, Formosa doesn't fix this.
(2)
Austin B.
Service is okay, food is okay, location is okay (if you come here on a Friday night during semester, be prepared to dine with undergrads). Never had a real bad experience here, but the only thing that keeps me coming back is my wife, who has to eat here about once a year. If I really wanted sushi (and I don't), I'd walk another block to Sushi Kicchin. If I wanted Asian-y food, I'd go to a Chinese takeout place and spend half as much.
(3)
Kelly K.
Overpriced mediocre food and drinks served by unfriendly, inattentive staff. Got some glasses of wine at the bar a few nights ago. $9 per glass for what they claim are 5 oz pours but are really 3 or 4. Bartenders visibly annoyed at having to wait on various customers ordering drinks.
(1)
Kat H.
Came to the bar, listened to some piano covers. you can request songs- hes a pretty good pianist/singer. Drinks are strong and prices arent too bad. Couldnt find a con, but not too exciting of a place- its more for the oldies.
(4)
Justin W.
So this is my first review ever! And I gotta say I'm glad I'm doing it on Formosa. I've eatin a lot of sushi in my day, and after moving back here I was worried I wouldn't be able to find a legit sushi place in Iowa City. But this place was pretty good. The price was good and the rolls were even better. The waiter we had was a pretty cool guy too. I would definitely say go here on a Thursday if you are worried about price. They had some pretty good deals. After 3 rolls, 2 drinks, and crab ragoons the bill was like $30. Not bad compared to places I've been on the West Coast.
(5)
Betsy R.
This place used to be pretty good. Not the best, but still pretty good. The atmosphere is very open and not very intimate. I wouldn't recommend it for a date as the tables are very wide and the seats and table are fixed to the ground with a wall between you and the diner sitting across from you under the table. This prevents you from even leaning in to have an intimate or private conversation. I used to look past that, although I found it a little distracting and annoying because the location of the restaurant was convenient and the sushi was decent. The last time I went here, however, I was very disappointed. I usually order 2 or 3 rolls. All of my rolls and my friends rolls were very small. The fish inside my rolls were a very thin sliver. Everyone at our table was unhappy. They also don't offer wasabi and soy sauce with your meal. You have to ask for it. And with barely any fish, you need something for the flavor. This really wouldn't be a problem if the service was better. The place is always very loud and busy so the server is hard to locate and rushing to accommodate everyone. They usually rush off before you can ask for anything and then you must wait a long time to get your soy sauce and wasabi. When you have already been waiting for your disappointing rolls to arrive and then you have to wait another 10 minutes for the sauce, it can be very frustrating. Drinks also take forever to get to the table. I don't blame the servers as they appear to be overworked. But I will not return. The fact that the location is good is not enough pull for me. If the sushi had a decent amount of fish I'd deal with the bad service and cold atmosphere, but no such luck. I do not recommend this place. Try Oyama or Takanami. Better food, better service, better price.
(1)
Heidi M.
Yuuumm. This place has a delicious sushi roll menu at very reasonable prices. The ambiance is perfect for making this restaurant a great place to meet for a drink, but not so much that it distracts from the dining experience. Along with fabulous food, the bar serves kick-ass sake martinis (Tuesdays and Thursdays--$4!), along with offering a nice selection of beer and wine. This place offers a drink special every night of the week except Sunday, and a sushi happy hour on Fridays and Saturdays. Currently they offer a 10% discount for carry-out, but I definitely recommend dining in! A great addition to downtown Iowa City!
(5)
Kim G.
Great signature rolls and atmosphere. Las Vegas roll and Formosa rol outstanding.
(5)
melanie a.
Formosa's interior and decorations were very modern and looked very nice. The service was excellent and they were attentive to our needs. They were having specials on their martini's and they were good but the drinks were served in small glasses. We had the shrimp tempura and several rolls. The favorite which was the Las Vegas Roll did not really wow us and seemed a tad too sweet but the plating was very nice. The rest of the rolls and the tempura were good. We liked the Tiger Shrimp roll and the Philadelphia. Prices can get expensive but the food servings were generous. Overall a good experience.
(3)
Stephanie E.
The sushi is AMAZING. It's hard to believe the best sushi I've had is in Iowa City, forget San Diego! Julio and Angel are the best Sushi Chefs. They make the sushi to your likely, for me that means spicy with lots of flavor. You don't even have order off the menu just tell them what you are in the mood for and they will make you the best rolls you've ever had. This is definitely one of my favorites places. On the way to a wedding in West Des Moines IA I had to stop by and get dinner here!
(5)
Joseph H.
I'm actually giving this place 3.5 stars since I was impressed that Iowa City could provide decent sushi in the American Heartland. However, there are several things that a sushi place must do well. 1. Spicy tuna roll must impress. Formosa's tuna roll was fine, but they skimped on the tuna (probably because it's a college town filled with college students). 2. If you make a reservation and there are open tables/seating, then you be seated immediately. I really don't care all that much and didn't even say anything to my dinner party about this annoyance, but I'll point it out here. 3. Don't name something after a spicy pepper and surprise your guests with a non-spicy dish. We ordered a "jalapeño" roll and if we got the right roll, then it was not spicy AT ALL. It also appeared to contain cream cheese which was not included in the roll on the menu. Bottom line, did we have a good time here? Yes. Would I return if I make it back to IC? My guess is that there are other good spots in the city that I would love to check out instead.
(3)
Sidney T.
The food was okay. The sushi was passable but not the best in the area. I really did like the Orange Chicken but for the portion the prices were a bit too high. The alcohol was at least nice and strong and not watered down. The wait staff was a bit daft and slow. Not really helpful with the menu. Add on that you have to pay for parking this isn't a place I'll probably return too.
(3)
Natalie D.
Formosa serves great sushi, but the ambiance and service are always a touch off. Their Dragon roll is dynamite -- to be sure, a familiar combination of eel, shrimp, cucumber and avocado, but one that Formosa pulls off with particular panache. The Tropical Rainforest Roll is another delectable stand-out. It combines smoked salmon, mango, cream cheese, yellow and green onion, and (surprisingly, and surprisingly effectively) sunflower seeds. My boyfriend loves their Tuna Tataki signature roll, too. I find it way too spicy and peppery, but hey -- original! The Formosa kitchen does lean too heavily on mayos and cream cheeses with their signature rolls. One wonders why they can't find any other innovative ideas. The service is friendly, even genial, but still disorganized. Formosa seems more obviously staffed by college kids that other places downtown. They can be needlessly slow, a simple case of not paying attention. Between apps, signature rolls, and drinks (great flavored martinis!), it gets pricey fast, but at least they've instituted a bunch of recession specials. Our favorite: two signature rolls for the price of three on Sunday nights.
(4)
Rob S.
Stick to sushi, avoid the meats. Sushi is good, other items are so-so. Great place to come for a saki bomb or a couple drinks. Waitresses can be bitchy as they are college students (can get a waitress on a bad night like we did and she didn't care about our dinner at all and clearly was more involved with talking to the hostess than tending to our needs) Go to Oyama for Sushi!
(3)
Sarah O.
This place is AWESOME! Great sushi! Very fresh, colorful, and of course, delicious!! They have awesome $3 basic rolls and martinis every Tuesday and Wednesday and $9 specialty rolls! The tiger shrimp is great, spider, tower, spicy salmon, and obviously the formosa roll if you like cream cheese. Honestly...all the rolls are outstanding. I could eat here every day.
(5)
Angela W.
Every few months I work up the courage to go back to this place. Every time, I am thoroughly disappointed. The service barely deserves a 1/2 star. Overall staff "mood" is pissy and annoyed. We went later in the evening but 95 minutes before posted closing time, there was a bartender and 2 servers. There were only five very small parties in the entire restaurant and yet we couldn't get our waiter to take our order, bring us drinks or check on our food once it was served. He was too busy screwing around with his buddies in the back, which we could see through the half open kitchen doors. My martini glass sat empty and I didn't dare touch my cracked water glass. My Vegas and Plaza Tower rolls were good though they were half the size of what they use to be and super pricey, $12/roll, yikes! When it came time to pay, the server couldn't figure out our checks and ran my tab through 3 times on my card.
(2)
Megan M.
This is where we go to celebrate birthday's, anniversaries, and the end of finals. My boyfriend and I LOVE to eat here! Sushi is always good. The service is great and the noise level isn't bad at all.
(5)
Holly D.
This a place to which I would feel comfortable taking my 10-year-old picky, vegetarian self. I am not, by any means, a sushi snob (I don't eat fish--ha!) but even I could tell that this sushi is very Americanized. That's not to say it wasn't good. It was tasty, but I've had much better. There will likely be something for everyone to eat here. A lot of the rolls are either fried (tempura) or have cream cheese, so it's not all raw fish. (Again, as a non-fish eater I really don't have the authority to review a sushi place but I ain't mad.) Plus, the menu had a good amount of noodle-based and other dishes as well. We ordered two loaded miso soups (in addition to the standard seaweed and tofu it had rice, sriracha, and scallions). This was tasty (not too spicy, but had a good amount of heat), but our server brought it out the same time as our main dishes so we had to switch back and forth between the two, which was kind of annoying. I had the avocado tempura roll (with eel sauce!) I thought it was a little weird that they called out the eel sauce. I had never seen it on any sushi menu before, and when my roll came out I was like, oh, this is literally what every sushi restaurant puts on your roll without telling you. Boyfriend had the yakisoba noodles with tofu, and he thought they were yum. All told, we spent about $50 after tip. A bit pricey for the food (soup was $4 each and roll was $6, plus we ordered two draft Kirin beers at $6 a pop--the only beer on tap, by the way!?) for what it was. There is better sushi in Iowa (hint, hint: Akebono in Des Moines!)
(3)
Ryan D.
My wife and I stopped here a few weeks ago while in town from Davenport. We were very pleased! I can't remember exactly what rolls we had were called but everything was fantastic. We will definitely visit again!
(5)
Jin M.
The oxtail soup is awesome, the sushi is okay. The service is great, the server are uniformly 20 year old girls, I wonder if there is discrimination going on...... Anyway it's good experience.
(4)
Colby A.
Great sushi in a good location if you wanna hit up the bars after you eat. Lots of delicious rolls to choose from too. Good for lunch Dinner or pre-game. Go Hawks!!
(4)
Jose O.
Best sushi in town. My wife and I just moved to Iowa City and have been trying different sushi/Asian restaurants, no matter where we go we find ourselves comparing the place to Formosa. The sushi is fresh and they have a wide variety, most of which are quite reasonably priced. Their mixed drinks are also excellent and fairly cheap ($6-$8). On Thursday nights they usually have a discounted menu in for supper w/many of their popular drinks and sushi rolls which is a big plus! Service has always been great too.
(5)
Bonita G.
Don't waste your time here. Go to Takanami or get takeout from Kapok in Coralville. Tasteless overpriced sushi Tasteless chewy calamari Overpriced alcoholic drinks that seem to contain no alcohol Skip!
(2)
Peter J.
Las Vegas roll is great for people that are new to sushi. Always my first recommendation for sushi!
(4)
Selina W.
If you're looking for great deals and great prices but meh quality go on a Tuesday or Thursday! Formosa is bumpin on those days and estimated time for a table is around 30 minutes. Tuesdays and Thursdays are $3+ martinis and $3+ sushi rolls (very 'american' stylized rolls). Those days are the best days to go with a bunch of friends before going downtown. Be prepared to see a bunch of college girls in short skirts and sky-high heels and they pound down martinis. And make sure you book a reservation for those days! (easily done on opentable or call) If you're looking for quality go on the weekends or Monday and Wednesday. It's not as busy and the sushi always tastes fresher and better. Decor and Ambiance: decor is chic and modern. Chairs are more visually appealing than comfortable. Very downtown for a restaurant in Iowa. The music is rather loud and always some sort of techno mix. It's definitely a fun place to go and services a younger crowd. Service: It depends on who you get. You can tell right away who has experience and who doesn't. For those that lack experience they make up with personality. But definitely ask for the server Ryan Thill. He's great and super helpful. Otherwise you just have to make sure you know what you're ordering and what to expect. Food: TRY IT ALL! (Tuesdays and Thursdays are the best nights to try something new) Crab Rangoons are heavenly- stuffed with cream cheese (light on crab) they're filling and always served hot. House Salad: Great price and get the ginger dressing. I'm obsessed and can't get enough Loaded Miso: Miso Soup+Rice+Siracha. Can it get better than that? On to the SUSHI. TUNA AVOCADO BOAT. done. awesome thick cut tuna with fresh avocado. delish. In my opinion this should be ordered as an app. Reminder to skip past all the basic rolls and go straight for Signatures and Specialty Rolls. That's where all the good stuff's at. Red Diamond: A little spice never hurt anybody and Siracha is good for the soul. DM Roll: I would say is the most advanced sushi roll that they offer. So good so fresh. A little pricier but definitely worth it. Plus it helps support a good cause. Salmon Delight: Fresh scallops and salmon? Definitely worth the price. With a sweet sauce on top its the perfect balance Honorable Mentions: Seared Steak Roll (Marinated steak, freshly torched) Tuna Tataki (Seasoned Tuna slightly seared) and Sunshine Roll (creatively rolled in a cucumber shell- no rice)
(3)
Matt U.
Formosa served up some solid sushi, but at the end of the night, it was expensive for what we got. Presentations were really nice and made for interesting conversation pieces, but overall not worth the $12-15 per roll that we paid. We've had sushi of comparable quality in town that was much better priced. Service was very good - our server made some great recommendations on rolls and drinks for us. Atmosphere was nice, but the lack of music , at least the night we went, made it so we were privy to all conversations on either side of us. Overall a good place to go once in a while, but hard to make it "The Place" to go for Sushi.
(4)
Anna E.
Prices are high most days of the week. However, on Tuesdays and Thursdays they have awesome deals! Rolls as low as $3. They have a great selection and everything always tastes wonderful. I highly recommend going on Tuesday or Thursday, I almost always make it there once a week!
(5)
Brandon Y.
This restaurant lacks creativity. My girlfriend and I recently visited, I opted for a variety of sashimi and we shared several rolls. There was definitely a lack of style and even traditional accompaniments for our lackluster fish were unapparent. She was looking for an entree but EVERYTHING came with simply broccoli....kind of lame. We decided to forgo what they call "Chirac Don" which we had never heard of, but assume is really Shabu Shabu and stick with Japanese food. This is a great place to get fried food, cream cheese, fried cream cheese rolls, or basic tuna, salmon, "white fish"....hey buddy look up Escolar and see what more than a couple of ounces of that white fish does to your body......Keep on keeping on with your hipster sushi joint in an otherwise very nice hotel.
(1)
Ted K.
Simply sensational!! Do yourself a favor and head straight to the sushi bar. If you're having trouble ordering skip the menu and tell the chef what you're in te mood for. True culinary talent is creating just the right thing for just the right person at just the right time. Time, company and fresh ingredients were on my side tonight. The spicy sesame tuna was a simple, divine PILE of excellent tuna on red cabbage with a smoky, spicy sauce. The handrolls were like a perfect dessert (if you consider more sushi a dessert). A lot of things go into create a great dining experience. But ultimately I want to walk away happy. Tonight Formosa made me very happy.
(5)
Carol C.
been here once with a group of friends awhile back. we had the shabu-shabu. somewhat disappointing. it was pricey for one, but for the price, there wasn't much food. i wasn't expecting to get a smorgasbord, however the amount that was provided was for a lack of a better word: wimpy. the taste wasn't too shabby though. not jumping on my feet to come here again.
(3)
Anna H.
A bit pricy but if you go on the right night there is a deal for lower prices sushi and half price wine. For what you pay it's a good, the food is decent and the service was good. Compared to the other sushi places its about the same.
(3)
Shelby P.
I have never had such a weird experience at a restaurant as I did tonight at Formosa. Right from the moment I walked in, it felt weird. I almost felt like I was in trouble by the way the guy at the front (possibly the owner?) brusquely asked me if I had made a reservation. There were no tables, so we sat at the sushi bar and were promptly greeted by our waiter. He seemed rushed throughout the night because the restaurant was very busy, but overall, he was quite attentive. He was especially good about checking into the ingredients of the meal I ordered. I have a gluten intolerance and needed a minor alteration to my meal because of this. My partner's sushi came out probably 10 minutes before my dish, and I was told by the waiter and one of the sushi chefs that the kitchen was backed up because it was so busy. I was totally fine with this; it was completely understandable. He later brought out my dish but apologized profusely because an error had been made in the kitchen and the dish wasn't gluten free. So, he offered the $20 dish to my partner to eat for free to make up for the mistake and assured me that the correct dish would be out soon. When he later brought it out, he said, "I don't really know what to say anymore," which seemed like an odd thing to say. Don't get me wrong, the food was delicious, but things got way weirder after I finished my meal. After the check was paid, my waiter came back and told me that he had just been fired because of what happened with my meal. He said, "I was only trying to make you happy." I have no idea what went on behind the scenes, but I will say that I thought that he did everything he possibly could have done in the situation. I told him that I would be happy to speak to the manager on his behalf. Little did I know she was standing right behind me listening to all this. I didn't even get a word out, and she very rudely said to me, "I am not going to talk to you about this." Then, she turned to him and told him to collect his things and leave in a way that sounded as if she were poorly reciting the lines of a script. At this point, I was wondering when Ashton Kutcher was going to jump out and say I had been punk'd, but it didn't happen. As my waiter left to collect his things, you might think that the manager would apologize to me for the whole uncomfortable scene or explain that he had it coming, or SOMETHING. But nope, she said not another word to me, just turned on her heels and promptly left. Wow, I got so many strange looks from all the sushi chefs and hostesses as I walked out. Let me summarize why I am giving this experience 1 star. It's not because the food arrived late or the fact that they made a mistake with my meal. The restaurant was obviously busy, and as someone who has worked in a restaurant, I know what it's like on a Friday night and how difficult it can be to get food out promptly, and as someone with Celiac Disease, I am quite used to restaurants screwing up my gluten free orders. No big deal. I'm upset because of the way the manager treated me, a customer who had just paid for a $60 meal. If I, the customer, want to ask the manager a few questions about my order, it is her JOB to listen to my concerns and answer my questions. I now feel terrible because my meal led to someone losing his job, though from what I witnessed, maybe it's not such a great place to work... I am curious to know just what happened, so if my waiter happens to see this, feel free to message me.
(1)
Patricia T.
Great food as far as freshness and taste. Service was good, crowded due to graduation. Was expecting a bit more for a $15 sushi roll, but over all, an A rating.
(4)
Maria E.
Both got the cotton candy martini, oh my gosh love it! Also ordered spring rolls. They were okay, nothing special, kind of bland. Thank god for sweet and sour sauce, as well as soy sauce. Not a very clean place- the glasses were dirty. The server kept bringing us refills from a water jug without any ice.... so we had lukewarm water our entire meal. greeeaaaat. The one thing I was SUPER disappointed by was our waitress towards the end. My friend and me both got the feeling that she was very annoyed by us, and that she just wanted us to leave. Even though there were still at least two other tables in there. Not very nice I thought, very rude. I asked our server, trying to decide on my next martini, to pick the one she liked best out of 3. Her response *Looks around for a few seconds..* "Um, well, those are all really sweet. I don't drink things that are too sweet, so I couldn't tell you ." I was like....uh? seriously? I'm a server...and always try to recommend things to my guests based on how often other guests order it. She could have at least lied to me, not making me feel like she was too good to drink "girly drinks." After that, my girlfriend I was with told me she felt like that was extremely rude, so I knew it wasn't just me being touchy. She also informed me that this server, a lady, was some sort of manager at the restaurant. That is totally unacceptable. She should have been trying to sell me on getting ALL 3 OF THESE AT ONCE in that case! Food was pretty good, service was rude. I really don't feel like spending another $50 there just to get treated like I'm an annoyance and too air headed to order a real drink that isn't tart enough for my server. EXCUUUSE ME! This sushi has improved over the last few times I've gone there and I've had some better servers, but I would only ever go on their sushi deal nights (tues and thurs) because it's not worth it besides then.
(3)
Aaron F.
I have been there on three separate occasions, each time was fairly similar experience to the one before it. The price is a bit high, but it is in a great location in the ped mall. Overall food is pretty good, nothing to rave about. I would typically give a place like this four stars but they really need to work on their drink menu. Both my wife and I have had a hard time finding a good martini or cocktail that tastes like anything they describe on paper. A lot of their drinks are super sweet, so sweet that I have asked them to try again on a couple occasions. In the end, decent place, but if your going to go on a Tuesday or Thursday.
(3)
Sean W.
Down in the PedMall across from the public library. Ground level. Great ambiance and modern contemporary decor. Staff was friendly and helpful. Great selection of saki and saki martinis. We had the Vegas, Diamond and Philadelphia Roll and were all great and reasonably priced. I liked the Vegas the best of the three and it's presentation as well.
(4)
Earl B.
Formulaic fusion with lobby techno, an uninspired palette and mediocre ingredients.
(2)
Chilly R.
As a white man, let me just say that white people ruin a lot of things. That's just what we do. We see something some other group of people do, we decide it's kind of cool, and then we make the mistake (over, and over, and over and over again) of thinking WE should do it OUR way. Or else we show other people "hey, this is how WE like it" and they try to trick their food out to match our crappy palates. And by "our" I mean "your." And by "your" I mean stank faced midwesterners. Because I'm in a class by myself (hint hint, ladies!) and I'm quite single to mingle (HINT HINT LADIES!), but I digress. I've lived in Seattle and San Francisco (hella good food and bomb ass mary jane, please do holla at the west coast) so I've tasted authentic, fresh, delicious sushi. What I've had in Iowa so far has been white people sushi. You know, sushi not made by classically trained sushi chefs. Sushi too heavy on sauce and light on fresh natural flavor. And let's not even discuss the Merry Juwanna. It is not good here. I'm on my Popeye steez: I needs me spinach! Get my drift? Now, don't get me wrong, I see the appeal. Putting cream cheese and sugar in every roll is probably a good way to get Captain Herky and his Eharmony date who grew up in a town of 412 people to try "exotic" cuisine for the first time. But seriously dude, this is just glorified junkfood. Like some Taco Bell mixed with Graze rolled up in rice. I had a roll at Formosa that tasted like a ruffles sour cream and cheddar chip. Sushi is not supposed to taste that way! Ruffles are supposed to taste like Ruffles, sushi gots to taste like sushi. To add insult to calories, the menu here is too pricey for second rate sushi. The martinis are on some Willy Wonka trip, flavors and colors that only a 10 year old should want. There's always horrible techno-pop fusion music blasting. Like, hold up amigo, am I supposed to be raving or dining? I half expected them to give me glowsticks to eat my food with instead of chopsticks. And every girl in this joint looked like she was 18-20 and thought she was auditioning for the Iowa City version of Sex In The City. Less flesh=more fresh. Leave something to the imagination, young hotties! So yeah, anyway: junkfood rolls, kiddie martinis (a skittles martini honcho? really breh? JUST NO), little girls playing dress up, eurotrash music, and big ass televisions. White people, we've done it again. This is ouuuuuuuur country.
(2)
Michael C.
Wow this place was a bust. That'll teach me to satisfy my asian food cravings while I'm out of state. Lesson learned. Imagine something like an upscale PF Chang + sushi bar, and you'll have an idea of what the restaurant is. Now I knew going into it that it would be unrealistic to expect great asian food. On one hand, yes, we're in a college town, so there's a little more diversity, but on the other, who goes to Iowa to have asian food? Keeping this in mind, I decided to try what I thought would be a safe dish: stir fried meat with rice. Or something. I'm sure it had a fancy name, but that's really what it amounted to. How is it possible to screw that up? Well, as I would soon find out. it is very possible. The meat and sauce were too salty (but forgivable), but the real kicker was that the rice was not cooked well. How do you screw up rice? Part of it was mushy, and part of it was crunchy. It was rather unbelievable. And so was the price. By the way, "Formosa" actually refers to Taiwan, so I was rather surprised to see the majority of the menu comprised of Japanese dishes.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Garage, Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Bill H.
Stopped in for a quick lunch on Sunday. The tuna and eel nigiri was fantastic! Other parties in our group had the Las Vegas and crunchy calamari rolls. Those too were excellent. Service was average and the table was a little dirty. Other than that, the food was very good and I plan on coming back to try some of the other items on the menu. Speaking of menu, it has a very large variety of sushi rolls and entrees. If the other items are of the same taste and quality of what we had this visit, we are in for a return visit for sure.
(3)Mark G.
There aren't many pho options in Iowa City for some odd reason. But this is one of the places you can get it at. However, it is $15 a bowl.......Never seen that price and pho before, WTP(What the Phock). So we tried it is and first mistake is they don't give lime wedges or peppers. They broth is just okay, a little fatty for my liking. The meat is fatty and chewy as well, not the best of cuts. Overall Pho is a 3. Did try some crab Rangoon, which were pretty good but nothing out of the ordinary. Very pricey place, seen the sushi menu was pretty high priced as well. Not sure if I feel the value is worth it here.
(3)Yanyan W.
Formosa has very good sushi and the service is always very quick. Plating is also always pretty. All signature/specialty rolls are very tasty.
(4)Cheryl H.
Taking advantage of great weather, two of us lunched outside on the ped mall. We shared everything including the pork dumplings which were tasty with ginger soy sauce. Ordered California roll, salmon roll, salmon tempura roll and avocado roll...all were fresh and beautifully presented. The waitress was thorough and kind. $28.
(5)Julie R.
Would love to give this establishment "5 stars" but the dishes were SOOOO dirty?!? Formosa had the most savory rolls I have ever had. They are rich on sauce and barely needed any additional fixin's. Each roll is a work of art. We also had the seaweed salad which was very tasty. I had to send back the water glass because I could perfectly see the lip gloss from the chick before me-GROSS. And we had to send back a couple of the plates because there were particles of food dried to the surface. Common people, I know dishwashers aren't perfect but take a look at what you're expecting others to use... at least send back and RE-WASH?!? Love the location. Right in the heart of downtown Iowa City. There's some outdoor seating to enjoy those nice days and even from inside there is opportunity to do some fine people watching. It has access from outside but is also accessible from the lobby of Hotel Vitra? Everything we had was delish- it was actually painful to finish the last roll because we were SOOO stuffed!
(4)Katherine G.
Love Tuesdays and Thursdays when you can get a lot of basic rolls and martinis for $3!
(3)Kristin L.
It is pretty good. They had my uni which was great and reasonably priced. Not my top 5, and a bit on the pricey end especially for the soups.
(5)Brandon L.
Pros: 1. Huge sushi menu! They have a whole page of basic sushi, a page for specialty, and a page for special sushi. 2. Nice modern atmosphere inside, the patio out front looks nice too but haven't sat they before. 3. The sushi was high quality and the spicy tuna roll I had actually did have a kick to it. 4. The egg rolls were also very solid. Cons: 1. My biggest complaint are the wood single use chopsticks. I wish they had higher quality chopsticks that they wash between uses. Great sushi menu with lots of variety at various prices. Check them out!
(5)Jeff O.
Okay so I kind of cheated because we only went to their curbside table for taste of Iowa City. There was quite a line but it was worth the wait for this tasty sushi. I got two Vegas roll pieces and they were delicious. Nothing too spectacular but good. And the third one was the shrimp tempura roll. Kind of standard shrimp tempura, but tasty. Maybe we'll go back and eat inside next time!
(4)Ben R.
Worst service I have ever had in my life. I was told over the phone it would be a 15 minute wait but instead it took them an hour and a half. On top of that they gave me the wrong food. Never will I go there again.
(1)Zachary K.
Pretty solid place aimed at the young crowd. Lots of daily specials and fusion rolls. Not bad for being in Iowa. Get the salmon lover and the Formosa roll.
(3)Lexi P.
A huge group of friends and I used to make Formosa a weekly dinner until our last experience. We had a mess up on our check and was over charged, since they never keep experienced wait staff she had to ask who I assume was the manager for help. They were only a few feet away when he (an already off putting man) complained and gossiped about our "stupid" table as if the mess up was our fault. He then pointed at our table as he gossiped to the host for a good 5 minutes. How unprofessional! We will not be attending weekly anymore and I hope he knows returning customers are the reason he has a job in the first place.
(1)Joshua F.
If you are trying sushi for the first time or already have a love for it then Formosa is the place for you. They serve other oriental food options other than sushi, but the sushi is the reason to go. I have never ordered a bad sushi roll from this place. The wait staff is very attentive and very knowledgeable on their food. Which helps in those indecisive moments. They also have a gluten free menu. My only criticism is their drinks seem watered down usually if I have a dirty martini on an empty stomach I am feeling a heavy buzz, but not from this place. Still their food is great and is a culinary experience I highly recommend.
(4)Rachel G.
I love Formosa. If you are looking for a nice environment and a good variety of menu items this is the place for you. It is not exactly inexpensive but I'd lile to think that it is worth it for a nice experience. I usually order the fried california roll with crab salad on top it is great. Miso soup is spot on. I am looking forward to exploring the menu.
(5)stella k.
They sat me down at a table but they took forever to finally come over to even give me water. The server looked bored and when I asked her if the Philadelphia roll was made with smoked salmon she didn't know. I asked if there were any rolls made with smoked salmon because that is what I was craving for. She said she had no idea. I politely asked if she can go find out. She left and came back to tell me they don't have any rolls made with smoked salmon but they can put eel sauce on the salmon for me. WTF!?? I got up and left. Don't pass yourself as a sushi restaurant if you don't stock on smoked salmon, and don't list Philadelphia roll on your menu if it's not made with smoked salmon because then its just a salmon roll.
(1)M O.
Meh, barely okay sushi at premium prices. The menu is overcrowded and unfocussed. The staff is cute, but not very well trained. There is potential, but it is diluted by an effort to please everyone. Sushi in the Midwest is already sketchy, Formosa doesn't fix this.
(2)Austin B.
Service is okay, food is okay, location is okay (if you come here on a Friday night during semester, be prepared to dine with undergrads). Never had a real bad experience here, but the only thing that keeps me coming back is my wife, who has to eat here about once a year. If I really wanted sushi (and I don't), I'd walk another block to Sushi Kicchin. If I wanted Asian-y food, I'd go to a Chinese takeout place and spend half as much.
(3)Kelly K.
Overpriced mediocre food and drinks served by unfriendly, inattentive staff. Got some glasses of wine at the bar a few nights ago. $9 per glass for what they claim are 5 oz pours but are really 3 or 4. Bartenders visibly annoyed at having to wait on various customers ordering drinks.
(1)Kat H.
Came to the bar, listened to some piano covers. you can request songs- hes a pretty good pianist/singer. Drinks are strong and prices arent too bad. Couldnt find a con, but not too exciting of a place- its more for the oldies.
(4)Justin W.
So this is my first review ever! And I gotta say I'm glad I'm doing it on Formosa. I've eatin a lot of sushi in my day, and after moving back here I was worried I wouldn't be able to find a legit sushi place in Iowa City. But this place was pretty good. The price was good and the rolls were even better. The waiter we had was a pretty cool guy too. I would definitely say go here on a Thursday if you are worried about price. They had some pretty good deals. After 3 rolls, 2 drinks, and crab ragoons the bill was like $30. Not bad compared to places I've been on the West Coast.
(5)Betsy R.
This place used to be pretty good. Not the best, but still pretty good. The atmosphere is very open and not very intimate. I wouldn't recommend it for a date as the tables are very wide and the seats and table are fixed to the ground with a wall between you and the diner sitting across from you under the table. This prevents you from even leaning in to have an intimate or private conversation. I used to look past that, although I found it a little distracting and annoying because the location of the restaurant was convenient and the sushi was decent. The last time I went here, however, I was very disappointed. I usually order 2 or 3 rolls. All of my rolls and my friends rolls were very small. The fish inside my rolls were a very thin sliver. Everyone at our table was unhappy. They also don't offer wasabi and soy sauce with your meal. You have to ask for it. And with barely any fish, you need something for the flavor. This really wouldn't be a problem if the service was better. The place is always very loud and busy so the server is hard to locate and rushing to accommodate everyone. They usually rush off before you can ask for anything and then you must wait a long time to get your soy sauce and wasabi. When you have already been waiting for your disappointing rolls to arrive and then you have to wait another 10 minutes for the sauce, it can be very frustrating. Drinks also take forever to get to the table. I don't blame the servers as they appear to be overworked. But I will not return. The fact that the location is good is not enough pull for me. If the sushi had a decent amount of fish I'd deal with the bad service and cold atmosphere, but no such luck. I do not recommend this place. Try Oyama or Takanami. Better food, better service, better price.
(1)Heidi M.
Yuuumm. This place has a delicious sushi roll menu at very reasonable prices. The ambiance is perfect for making this restaurant a great place to meet for a drink, but not so much that it distracts from the dining experience. Along with fabulous food, the bar serves kick-ass sake martinis (Tuesdays and Thursdays--$4!), along with offering a nice selection of beer and wine. This place offers a drink special every night of the week except Sunday, and a sushi happy hour on Fridays and Saturdays. Currently they offer a 10% discount for carry-out, but I definitely recommend dining in! A great addition to downtown Iowa City!
(5)Kim G.
Great signature rolls and atmosphere. Las Vegas roll and Formosa rol outstanding.
(5)melanie a.
Formosa's interior and decorations were very modern and looked very nice. The service was excellent and they were attentive to our needs. They were having specials on their martini's and they were good but the drinks were served in small glasses. We had the shrimp tempura and several rolls. The favorite which was the Las Vegas Roll did not really wow us and seemed a tad too sweet but the plating was very nice. The rest of the rolls and the tempura were good. We liked the Tiger Shrimp roll and the Philadelphia. Prices can get expensive but the food servings were generous. Overall a good experience.
(3)Stephanie E.
The sushi is AMAZING. It's hard to believe the best sushi I've had is in Iowa City, forget San Diego! Julio and Angel are the best Sushi Chefs. They make the sushi to your likely, for me that means spicy with lots of flavor. You don't even have order off the menu just tell them what you are in the mood for and they will make you the best rolls you've ever had. This is definitely one of my favorites places. On the way to a wedding in West Des Moines IA I had to stop by and get dinner here!
(5)Joseph H.
I'm actually giving this place 3.5 stars since I was impressed that Iowa City could provide decent sushi in the American Heartland. However, there are several things that a sushi place must do well. 1. Spicy tuna roll must impress. Formosa's tuna roll was fine, but they skimped on the tuna (probably because it's a college town filled with college students). 2. If you make a reservation and there are open tables/seating, then you be seated immediately. I really don't care all that much and didn't even say anything to my dinner party about this annoyance, but I'll point it out here. 3. Don't name something after a spicy pepper and surprise your guests with a non-spicy dish. We ordered a "jalapeño" roll and if we got the right roll, then it was not spicy AT ALL. It also appeared to contain cream cheese which was not included in the roll on the menu. Bottom line, did we have a good time here? Yes. Would I return if I make it back to IC? My guess is that there are other good spots in the city that I would love to check out instead.
(3)Sidney T.
The food was okay. The sushi was passable but not the best in the area. I really did like the Orange Chicken but for the portion the prices were a bit too high. The alcohol was at least nice and strong and not watered down. The wait staff was a bit daft and slow. Not really helpful with the menu. Add on that you have to pay for parking this isn't a place I'll probably return too.
(3)Natalie D.
Formosa serves great sushi, but the ambiance and service are always a touch off. Their Dragon roll is dynamite -- to be sure, a familiar combination of eel, shrimp, cucumber and avocado, but one that Formosa pulls off with particular panache. The Tropical Rainforest Roll is another delectable stand-out. It combines smoked salmon, mango, cream cheese, yellow and green onion, and (surprisingly, and surprisingly effectively) sunflower seeds. My boyfriend loves their Tuna Tataki signature roll, too. I find it way too spicy and peppery, but hey -- original! The Formosa kitchen does lean too heavily on mayos and cream cheeses with their signature rolls. One wonders why they can't find any other innovative ideas. The service is friendly, even genial, but still disorganized. Formosa seems more obviously staffed by college kids that other places downtown. They can be needlessly slow, a simple case of not paying attention. Between apps, signature rolls, and drinks (great flavored martinis!), it gets pricey fast, but at least they've instituted a bunch of recession specials. Our favorite: two signature rolls for the price of three on Sunday nights.
(4)Rob S.
Stick to sushi, avoid the meats. Sushi is good, other items are so-so. Great place to come for a saki bomb or a couple drinks. Waitresses can be bitchy as they are college students (can get a waitress on a bad night like we did and she didn't care about our dinner at all and clearly was more involved with talking to the hostess than tending to our needs) Go to Oyama for Sushi!
(3)Sarah O.
This place is AWESOME! Great sushi! Very fresh, colorful, and of course, delicious!! They have awesome $3 basic rolls and martinis every Tuesday and Wednesday and $9 specialty rolls! The tiger shrimp is great, spider, tower, spicy salmon, and obviously the formosa roll if you like cream cheese. Honestly...all the rolls are outstanding. I could eat here every day.
(5)Angela W.
Every few months I work up the courage to go back to this place. Every time, I am thoroughly disappointed. The service barely deserves a 1/2 star. Overall staff "mood" is pissy and annoyed. We went later in the evening but 95 minutes before posted closing time, there was a bartender and 2 servers. There were only five very small parties in the entire restaurant and yet we couldn't get our waiter to take our order, bring us drinks or check on our food once it was served. He was too busy screwing around with his buddies in the back, which we could see through the half open kitchen doors. My martini glass sat empty and I didn't dare touch my cracked water glass. My Vegas and Plaza Tower rolls were good though they were half the size of what they use to be and super pricey, $12/roll, yikes! When it came time to pay, the server couldn't figure out our checks and ran my tab through 3 times on my card.
(2)Megan M.
This is where we go to celebrate birthday's, anniversaries, and the end of finals. My boyfriend and I LOVE to eat here! Sushi is always good. The service is great and the noise level isn't bad at all.
(5)Holly D.
This a place to which I would feel comfortable taking my 10-year-old picky, vegetarian self. I am not, by any means, a sushi snob (I don't eat fish--ha!) but even I could tell that this sushi is very Americanized. That's not to say it wasn't good. It was tasty, but I've had much better. There will likely be something for everyone to eat here. A lot of the rolls are either fried (tempura) or have cream cheese, so it's not all raw fish. (Again, as a non-fish eater I really don't have the authority to review a sushi place but I ain't mad.) Plus, the menu had a good amount of noodle-based and other dishes as well. We ordered two loaded miso soups (in addition to the standard seaweed and tofu it had rice, sriracha, and scallions). This was tasty (not too spicy, but had a good amount of heat), but our server brought it out the same time as our main dishes so we had to switch back and forth between the two, which was kind of annoying. I had the avocado tempura roll (with eel sauce!) I thought it was a little weird that they called out the eel sauce. I had never seen it on any sushi menu before, and when my roll came out I was like, oh, this is literally what every sushi restaurant puts on your roll without telling you. Boyfriend had the yakisoba noodles with tofu, and he thought they were yum. All told, we spent about $50 after tip. A bit pricey for the food (soup was $4 each and roll was $6, plus we ordered two draft Kirin beers at $6 a pop--the only beer on tap, by the way!?) for what it was. There is better sushi in Iowa (hint, hint: Akebono in Des Moines!)
(3)Ryan D.
My wife and I stopped here a few weeks ago while in town from Davenport. We were very pleased! I can't remember exactly what rolls we had were called but everything was fantastic. We will definitely visit again!
(5)Jin M.
The oxtail soup is awesome, the sushi is okay. The service is great, the server are uniformly 20 year old girls, I wonder if there is discrimination going on...... Anyway it's good experience.
(4)Colby A.
Great sushi in a good location if you wanna hit up the bars after you eat. Lots of delicious rolls to choose from too. Good for lunch Dinner or pre-game. Go Hawks!!
(4)Jose O.
Best sushi in town. My wife and I just moved to Iowa City and have been trying different sushi/Asian restaurants, no matter where we go we find ourselves comparing the place to Formosa. The sushi is fresh and they have a wide variety, most of which are quite reasonably priced. Their mixed drinks are also excellent and fairly cheap ($6-$8). On Thursday nights they usually have a discounted menu in for supper w/many of their popular drinks and sushi rolls which is a big plus! Service has always been great too.
(5)Bonita G.
Don't waste your time here. Go to Takanami or get takeout from Kapok in Coralville. Tasteless overpriced sushi Tasteless chewy calamari Overpriced alcoholic drinks that seem to contain no alcohol Skip!
(2)Peter J.
Las Vegas roll is great for people that are new to sushi. Always my first recommendation for sushi!
(4)Selina W.
If you're looking for great deals and great prices but meh quality go on a Tuesday or Thursday! Formosa is bumpin on those days and estimated time for a table is around 30 minutes. Tuesdays and Thursdays are $3+ martinis and $3+ sushi rolls (very 'american' stylized rolls). Those days are the best days to go with a bunch of friends before going downtown. Be prepared to see a bunch of college girls in short skirts and sky-high heels and they pound down martinis. And make sure you book a reservation for those days! (easily done on opentable or call) If you're looking for quality go on the weekends or Monday and Wednesday. It's not as busy and the sushi always tastes fresher and better. Decor and Ambiance: decor is chic and modern. Chairs are more visually appealing than comfortable. Very downtown for a restaurant in Iowa. The music is rather loud and always some sort of techno mix. It's definitely a fun place to go and services a younger crowd. Service: It depends on who you get. You can tell right away who has experience and who doesn't. For those that lack experience they make up with personality. But definitely ask for the server Ryan Thill. He's great and super helpful. Otherwise you just have to make sure you know what you're ordering and what to expect. Food: TRY IT ALL! (Tuesdays and Thursdays are the best nights to try something new) Crab Rangoons are heavenly- stuffed with cream cheese (light on crab) they're filling and always served hot. House Salad: Great price and get the ginger dressing. I'm obsessed and can't get enough Loaded Miso: Miso Soup+Rice+Siracha. Can it get better than that? On to the SUSHI. TUNA AVOCADO BOAT. done. awesome thick cut tuna with fresh avocado. delish. In my opinion this should be ordered as an app. Reminder to skip past all the basic rolls and go straight for Signatures and Specialty Rolls. That's where all the good stuff's at. Red Diamond: A little spice never hurt anybody and Siracha is good for the soul. DM Roll: I would say is the most advanced sushi roll that they offer. So good so fresh. A little pricier but definitely worth it. Plus it helps support a good cause. Salmon Delight: Fresh scallops and salmon? Definitely worth the price. With a sweet sauce on top its the perfect balance Honorable Mentions: Seared Steak Roll (Marinated steak, freshly torched) Tuna Tataki (Seasoned Tuna slightly seared) and Sunshine Roll (creatively rolled in a cucumber shell- no rice)
(3)Matt U.
Formosa served up some solid sushi, but at the end of the night, it was expensive for what we got. Presentations were really nice and made for interesting conversation pieces, but overall not worth the $12-15 per roll that we paid. We've had sushi of comparable quality in town that was much better priced. Service was very good - our server made some great recommendations on rolls and drinks for us. Atmosphere was nice, but the lack of music , at least the night we went, made it so we were privy to all conversations on either side of us. Overall a good place to go once in a while, but hard to make it "The Place" to go for Sushi.
(4)Anna E.
Prices are high most days of the week. However, on Tuesdays and Thursdays they have awesome deals! Rolls as low as $3. They have a great selection and everything always tastes wonderful. I highly recommend going on Tuesday or Thursday, I almost always make it there once a week!
(5)Brandon Y.
This restaurant lacks creativity. My girlfriend and I recently visited, I opted for a variety of sashimi and we shared several rolls. There was definitely a lack of style and even traditional accompaniments for our lackluster fish were unapparent. She was looking for an entree but EVERYTHING came with simply broccoli....kind of lame. We decided to forgo what they call "Chirac Don" which we had never heard of, but assume is really Shabu Shabu and stick with Japanese food. This is a great place to get fried food, cream cheese, fried cream cheese rolls, or basic tuna, salmon, "white fish"....hey buddy look up Escolar and see what more than a couple of ounces of that white fish does to your body......Keep on keeping on with your hipster sushi joint in an otherwise very nice hotel.
(1)Ted K.
Simply sensational!! Do yourself a favor and head straight to the sushi bar. If you're having trouble ordering skip the menu and tell the chef what you're in te mood for. True culinary talent is creating just the right thing for just the right person at just the right time. Time, company and fresh ingredients were on my side tonight. The spicy sesame tuna was a simple, divine PILE of excellent tuna on red cabbage with a smoky, spicy sauce. The handrolls were like a perfect dessert (if you consider more sushi a dessert). A lot of things go into create a great dining experience. But ultimately I want to walk away happy. Tonight Formosa made me very happy.
(5)Carol C.
been here once with a group of friends awhile back. we had the shabu-shabu. somewhat disappointing. it was pricey for one, but for the price, there wasn't much food. i wasn't expecting to get a smorgasbord, however the amount that was provided was for a lack of a better word: wimpy. the taste wasn't too shabby though. not jumping on my feet to come here again.
(3)Anna H.
A bit pricy but if you go on the right night there is a deal for lower prices sushi and half price wine. For what you pay it's a good, the food is decent and the service was good. Compared to the other sushi places its about the same.
(3)Shelby P.
I have never had such a weird experience at a restaurant as I did tonight at Formosa. Right from the moment I walked in, it felt weird. I almost felt like I was in trouble by the way the guy at the front (possibly the owner?) brusquely asked me if I had made a reservation. There were no tables, so we sat at the sushi bar and were promptly greeted by our waiter. He seemed rushed throughout the night because the restaurant was very busy, but overall, he was quite attentive. He was especially good about checking into the ingredients of the meal I ordered. I have a gluten intolerance and needed a minor alteration to my meal because of this. My partner's sushi came out probably 10 minutes before my dish, and I was told by the waiter and one of the sushi chefs that the kitchen was backed up because it was so busy. I was totally fine with this; it was completely understandable. He later brought out my dish but apologized profusely because an error had been made in the kitchen and the dish wasn't gluten free. So, he offered the $20 dish to my partner to eat for free to make up for the mistake and assured me that the correct dish would be out soon. When he later brought it out, he said, "I don't really know what to say anymore," which seemed like an odd thing to say. Don't get me wrong, the food was delicious, but things got way weirder after I finished my meal. After the check was paid, my waiter came back and told me that he had just been fired because of what happened with my meal. He said, "I was only trying to make you happy." I have no idea what went on behind the scenes, but I will say that I thought that he did everything he possibly could have done in the situation. I told him that I would be happy to speak to the manager on his behalf. Little did I know she was standing right behind me listening to all this. I didn't even get a word out, and she very rudely said to me, "I am not going to talk to you about this." Then, she turned to him and told him to collect his things and leave in a way that sounded as if she were poorly reciting the lines of a script. At this point, I was wondering when Ashton Kutcher was going to jump out and say I had been punk'd, but it didn't happen. As my waiter left to collect his things, you might think that the manager would apologize to me for the whole uncomfortable scene or explain that he had it coming, or SOMETHING. But nope, she said not another word to me, just turned on her heels and promptly left. Wow, I got so many strange looks from all the sushi chefs and hostesses as I walked out. Let me summarize why I am giving this experience 1 star. It's not because the food arrived late or the fact that they made a mistake with my meal. The restaurant was obviously busy, and as someone who has worked in a restaurant, I know what it's like on a Friday night and how difficult it can be to get food out promptly, and as someone with Celiac Disease, I am quite used to restaurants screwing up my gluten free orders. No big deal. I'm upset because of the way the manager treated me, a customer who had just paid for a $60 meal. If I, the customer, want to ask the manager a few questions about my order, it is her JOB to listen to my concerns and answer my questions. I now feel terrible because my meal led to someone losing his job, though from what I witnessed, maybe it's not such a great place to work... I am curious to know just what happened, so if my waiter happens to see this, feel free to message me.
(1)Patricia T.
Great food as far as freshness and taste. Service was good, crowded due to graduation. Was expecting a bit more for a $15 sushi roll, but over all, an A rating.
(4)Maria E.
Both got the cotton candy martini, oh my gosh love it! Also ordered spring rolls. They were okay, nothing special, kind of bland. Thank god for sweet and sour sauce, as well as soy sauce. Not a very clean place- the glasses were dirty. The server kept bringing us refills from a water jug without any ice.... so we had lukewarm water our entire meal. greeeaaaat. The one thing I was SUPER disappointed by was our waitress towards the end. My friend and me both got the feeling that she was very annoyed by us, and that she just wanted us to leave. Even though there were still at least two other tables in there. Not very nice I thought, very rude. I asked our server, trying to decide on my next martini, to pick the one she liked best out of 3. Her response *Looks around for a few seconds..* "Um, well, those are all really sweet. I don't drink things that are too sweet, so I couldn't tell you ." I was like....uh? seriously? I'm a server...and always try to recommend things to my guests based on how often other guests order it. She could have at least lied to me, not making me feel like she was too good to drink "girly drinks." After that, my girlfriend I was with told me she felt like that was extremely rude, so I knew it wasn't just me being touchy. She also informed me that this server, a lady, was some sort of manager at the restaurant. That is totally unacceptable. She should have been trying to sell me on getting ALL 3 OF THESE AT ONCE in that case! Food was pretty good, service was rude. I really don't feel like spending another $50 there just to get treated like I'm an annoyance and too air headed to order a real drink that isn't tart enough for my server. EXCUUUSE ME! This sushi has improved over the last few times I've gone there and I've had some better servers, but I would only ever go on their sushi deal nights (tues and thurs) because it's not worth it besides then.
(3)Aaron F.
I have been there on three separate occasions, each time was fairly similar experience to the one before it. The price is a bit high, but it is in a great location in the ped mall. Overall food is pretty good, nothing to rave about. I would typically give a place like this four stars but they really need to work on their drink menu. Both my wife and I have had a hard time finding a good martini or cocktail that tastes like anything they describe on paper. A lot of their drinks are super sweet, so sweet that I have asked them to try again on a couple occasions. In the end, decent place, but if your going to go on a Tuesday or Thursday.
(3)Sean W.
Down in the PedMall across from the public library. Ground level. Great ambiance and modern contemporary decor. Staff was friendly and helpful. Great selection of saki and saki martinis. We had the Vegas, Diamond and Philadelphia Roll and were all great and reasonably priced. I liked the Vegas the best of the three and it's presentation as well.
(4)Earl B.
Formulaic fusion with lobby techno, an uninspired palette and mediocre ingredients.
(2)Chilly R.
As a white man, let me just say that white people ruin a lot of things. That's just what we do. We see something some other group of people do, we decide it's kind of cool, and then we make the mistake (over, and over, and over and over again) of thinking WE should do it OUR way. Or else we show other people "hey, this is how WE like it" and they try to trick their food out to match our crappy palates. And by "our" I mean "your." And by "your" I mean stank faced midwesterners. Because I'm in a class by myself (hint hint, ladies!) and I'm quite single to mingle (HINT HINT LADIES!), but I digress. I've lived in Seattle and San Francisco (hella good food and bomb ass mary jane, please do holla at the west coast) so I've tasted authentic, fresh, delicious sushi. What I've had in Iowa so far has been white people sushi. You know, sushi not made by classically trained sushi chefs. Sushi too heavy on sauce and light on fresh natural flavor. And let's not even discuss the Merry Juwanna. It is not good here. I'm on my Popeye steez: I needs me spinach! Get my drift? Now, don't get me wrong, I see the appeal. Putting cream cheese and sugar in every roll is probably a good way to get Captain Herky and his Eharmony date who grew up in a town of 412 people to try "exotic" cuisine for the first time. But seriously dude, this is just glorified junkfood. Like some Taco Bell mixed with Graze rolled up in rice. I had a roll at Formosa that tasted like a ruffles sour cream and cheddar chip. Sushi is not supposed to taste that way! Ruffles are supposed to taste like Ruffles, sushi gots to taste like sushi. To add insult to calories, the menu here is too pricey for second rate sushi. The martinis are on some Willy Wonka trip, flavors and colors that only a 10 year old should want. There's always horrible techno-pop fusion music blasting. Like, hold up amigo, am I supposed to be raving or dining? I half expected them to give me glowsticks to eat my food with instead of chopsticks. And every girl in this joint looked like she was 18-20 and thought she was auditioning for the Iowa City version of Sex In The City. Less flesh=more fresh. Leave something to the imagination, young hotties! So yeah, anyway: junkfood rolls, kiddie martinis (a skittles martini honcho? really breh? JUST NO), little girls playing dress up, eurotrash music, and big ass televisions. White people, we've done it again. This is ouuuuuuuur country.
(2)Michael C.
Wow this place was a bust. That'll teach me to satisfy my asian food cravings while I'm out of state. Lesson learned. Imagine something like an upscale PF Chang + sushi bar, and you'll have an idea of what the restaurant is. Now I knew going into it that it would be unrealistic to expect great asian food. On one hand, yes, we're in a college town, so there's a little more diversity, but on the other, who goes to Iowa to have asian food? Keeping this in mind, I decided to try what I thought would be a safe dish: stir fried meat with rice. Or something. I'm sure it had a fancy name, but that's really what it amounted to. How is it possible to screw that up? Well, as I would soon find out. it is very possible. The meat and sauce were too salty (but forgivable), but the real kicker was that the rice was not cooked well. How do you screw up rice? Part of it was mushy, and part of it was crunchy. It was rather unbelievable. And so was the price. By the way, "Formosa" actually refers to Taiwan, so I was rather surprised to see the majority of the menu comprised of Japanese dishes.
(2)