North County Chef Previews Modern Japanese Restaurant

Last year, chef William Eick (Real Bar & Bistro, George’s at the Cove), joined Oceanside mainstay Mission Avenue Bar and Grill after the shutter of 608, his neighboring restaurant that garnered acclaim for its prix fixe menu of artfully-presented small plates often based on foraged ingredients or seasonal produce procured from nearby Cyclops Farms.

In early 2019, via pop-ups at local businesses, Eick unveiled Matsu, his new restaurant concept based on modern Japanese fine dining, and last month, started serving a special Japanese tasting menu at Mission Avenue Bar and Grill. Offered Sunday through Thursday to just one table per night, reservations must be made in advance through the Matsu website or Instagram.

The chef tells Eater that he and Mission Avenue’s owners are looking for a standalone spot to land Matsu in North County. With a simple and elegant decor focused on warm wood — Matsu means “pine” in Japanese — the intimate restaurant would serve select a la carte options as well as a chef’s tasting menu. Eick and his partners are also planning a counter-service version of Matsu down the road; his take on tamago sando, the popular Japanese-style egg salad sandwiches, are regularly offered at Oceanside’s Panels Comic Book Coffee Bar.

Courtesy photos