I acquired a taste for Japanese food during my frequent business trips to South East Asia and Japan. In India, it is impossible to find good Japanese food without paying eye-popping prices. When I moved to the US in 2009, I'd expected to be much better off. Columbia, SC where I worked was not exactly the big city I'd hoped to live in and dining options were very limited. So Charlotte is where I ventured for some variety.
Musashi is the only authentic Japanese place in Charlotte. I used to stop by here every time I drive through Charlotte or would come to the Charlotte airport to pick up my girlfriend. I moved to Charlotte in 2010 and thought that I'd be a regular visitor after that. The 10-11 mile drive from uptown where I stay meant that I actually visited them even less frequently than when I lived in Columbia.
I'd say that the Sushi has gotten better here from what I remember from my 1st visit in 2009. But the real treats here are the Ramen (love the Tonkatsu Ramen) and the Japanese menu (my faves are the Fish Liver and the Beef & Tofu). Ingredients are top-notch. For example, just try the fried squid - perfectly cooked and the best quality that I've had anywhere including Singapore.
My girlfriend had been very relucatant to try Japanese food because she was always worried about using chopsticks. One visit to Ippudo NYC convinced her that she needed to eat more Japanese food. We went to Musashi twice this weekend when she flew down to visit me :-) Sat lunch and Sun dinner! So now she is a convert too!
It is not cheap. But I'd say that it is great value for money - you do get more than what you pay for! Excellent service, nice traditional kind of ambience that is way more than the outside strip mall exterior might suggest. And most of all, fantastic food that I will miss when I move from Charlotte in April :-(