Poor neglected blog. I'll humor you. Despite the fact that I'm probably the only one who ever checks in on you. So much for becoming the next great food reviewers.
I just got back from my annual trip up to Washington state to visit friends and family. This always results in new foods to love, therefore new sites to review, no?
Powder Keg Bar and Grill
12743 Old Hwy 99 SE
Tenino, WA 98589
Totally old school tavern here, y'all. My aunt and uncle (who don't drink) bring me here for Chicken and Jo's, which is apparently tavern speak for Fried Chicken and Potato Wedges. Freaking delicious. My uncle and I split a whole chicken, so we each have a breast, wing, drumstick, and thigh. I think this is my favorite fried chicken ever (Sorry Mom). The potatoes are always pipping hot, so if you don't have asbestos mouth like me, better give 'em a chance to cool off before biting in. They serve these guys with good old onion dip (you know, Lipton Onion Soup Mix and Sour Cream). Not a combination that I would have thought of, but one I appreciate for sure! I've never had anything else here, but my aunt really enjoyed her patty melt. They also have good old iceberg salads if you're in to that. I am if they come in tiny bowls (more so if they come with garbanzo and kidney beans - not the case here). Definitely one of my favorite destinations with Auntie and Uncie.
Anthony's at Point Defiance
5912 N Waterfront Dr
Tacoma, WA 98407
My first time coming there ever. My old friend and ex-coworker brought me here for lunch. Right on the waterfront, near the ferry so you can watch that if you like. We each had a cup of the white clam chowder - probably some of the best I've had. Very creamy and I remember thinking, "DAMN! That's some cream!" Very smooth and good consistency. Bread does not come with lunch (not sure if it comes with dinner), but it's not that pricey. Clam chowder HAS to have sourdough. I ordered the Salmon and Chips lunch. Salmon and Chips needs to happen more often. Some of the best fish and chips I've had. The fries are perfect too - thin and crispy. Had the burnt cream for dessert and it was delish. Friend had the fruit cobbler, which was piping hot and had a slab of ice cream (totally not a scoop), which was tasty as well. Will totally go back. Also, being at Point Defiance has it's benefits - you can take the 5 mile drive after your meal if you'd like your food to settle before heading off to somewhere else. Points for scenery.
Sidenote: Anthony's in SeaTac is NOT like Anthony's at Point Defiance. I got a cup of clam chowder while waiting for my flight and it was not much better than a can of Progresso. Probably not actually made there - probably reheated stuff made elsewhere. Edible, but not what I had in Tacoma.
Red Mill Burgers
312 N 67th St
Seattle, WA 98103
I think this is my new Seattle burger place. Does not take the place of Big Tom's in Olympia, but notice that I said *Seattle burger place*. Really tasty and they had a variety of veggie options for my veggie friend. Nice to know that I could take a veggie here and they wouldn't get stuck with fries and a Gardenburger. I think my favorite thing was that they made root beer milkshakes. I thought Armando was the only one who made those! Their fries were thin, crispy, and well seasoned. Onion rings were peppery and good. I'm in love with their pile of bacon on the grill. Had the Blue Cheese and Bacon Burger. FREAKING AWESOME!
Wingdome
7818 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
Totally reminds me of Wing Stop, but much more frat friendly, which is apparently what my other Seattle friend thinks of when she thinks of Wingdome. I guess I'll just have to go for lunch and avoid the frat boys if they get too rowdy. That is, unless they are CUTE frat boys. :) I had some sort of Wingdome combo that consisted of 10 wings anyway you want them and a salad. Friend had the ribs and wings combo with 10 wings, riblets, fries, beans (that tasted more like chili) and something else that I'm forgetting. Shared an order of fried mozzarella (don't remember what they call it). Everything was good and we were please with our meals. Riblets leave something to be desired. Not as BBQ-ish as we were expecting. I had level 2 spiciness. Next time I'll go for 3. Friend had garlic wings, that promised "Garlic, garlic, and more garlic". I was expecting to see Watsonville on her plate, and it was totally the opposite. The flavor was nice, but it was more of a garlicy teriyaki sauce and they seriously could have added more garlic. Still tasty though. The server was a little scattered, but very nice. We ended up with an extra salad somehow and I still ate it. Tasty salad I might add.
Jade Garden
424 7th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104
Oh, Jade Garden. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways... Some of the best dim sum I've had. Probably the best place to get it in Seattle. Fairly inexpensive. Only things to watch out for are parking and time of day you're going. We were there at 10:00 AM on a Saturday and we were seated pretty quickly, which is apparently pretty lucky for a Saturday. Parking is street only, which means meters, so watch your timing if the place is hoppin'. Don't be afraid to sit in what seems like the back - that's the first round of the carts coming through and the servers are actually pretty attentive. If you ask for something, they'll bring it quickly. All the food I've had here has been very tasty and fresh. Don't forget to drink plenty of Oolong tea to help the greasy food along though - you might end up like my friend who had an upset tummy if you don't. Don't pass up the custard buns - TO DIE FOR.
Marinepolis Sushi Land USA
8910 161st Ave. NE
Redmond, WA 98052
Loves me some conveyor belt sushi. Sushi snobs who cannot bow down to the cheap glory that is conveyor belt sushi had better stay away. This is no where near all the qualities that I hold so dear to Sushiya back home. It is what it is - cheap, quick, and easy sushi for a few bucks. You could do a snack here for $5 or a meal for $10. $20 was a painful challenge that I was once put up to. Pain being my overly full belly. All the rolls usually come in 3 bites so you're not committed to anything for long. Never had the miso or udon - have to try that sometime. Their asparagus roll are one of my favorites, as well as the crab salad, shrimp katsu (yes, I said shrimp katsu!), and salmon handroll. Totally affordable and totally one of my favorites. Don't go here to have conversation with your pals though - sitting at the conveyor belt doesn't lend itself well to that. I like this location much better that the first one my friends took me to as well. Don't see what you want coming around on the belt? Ask the sushi chef to fix it for you.
That's about it for now. There'll be more to review on my next trip up north.
Showing posts with label sushi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sushi. Show all posts
Monday, November 24, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Sushi Boat
Sushi Boat
3220 Dyer Street
Union City, CA 94587
To be fair, Nancy and I went here back in December and I just found my notes. We haven’t been back since, so that should say something. I believe we both agreed that we would go again, but not really go out of our way to go there, especially since it’s Union City and for that kind of effort, we might as well go to Sushiya in Oakland.
It’s a decent sushi place that is, like most other sushi places, open for lunch a set amount of hours and then open for dinner a set amount of hours. If you’re going at an odd time of day, you probably won’t end up with sushi. I believe they’re open for dinner at 5 or something to that effect. You can either sit at the bar and pick your sushi off the floating boats (much like the conveyer belt sushi places in the Seattle area that I enjoy so much) or you can sit down at a table and order exactly what you want. If you’re a visual eater, I suggest sitting at the bar since there aren’t any pictures in their menu. I like pictures.
We ordered the gyoza to start off with. It was good, but smaller than we’re used to, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They were extra crispy and served at a good temperature, which is very important to us.
I ordered a wakame salad, which was also good. It had a citrusy taste to it, probably because of a lemon garnish. There wasn’t anything special to it either, but that’s good when it comes to seaweed salads. It really served its purpose.
The miso soup was good because it wasn’t too salty. Finally a place with not so salty miso! You would think that miso would be a pretty basic item, therefore totally predictable, right? I’ve had it at other places and not been able to finish it because of the salt factor. I’ve also had it at other places where they add more unusual things to it, like noodles or potatoes. It’s all fine, but sometimes I just want to good not salty miso soup. By the way, at Sushi Boat, it’s just tofu and seaweed in the soup.
The tea was weak. Drinkable, but weak. Oh, and hot. Very hot.
Nancy had the nigiri combo. The fish was cut thin and the rice pads were small. There wasn’t really anything special or stand out about them. Everything was apparently edible because I don’t remember any comments about sub-par nigiri. I think it was just really average and nigiri needs to be spectacular.
We ordered several rolls, some to share, but mostly indulging my gluttony. Now the problem is that I don’t remember what was in the rolls at this point, but I can sum up my notes. The Simba roll was good and had nice textures. The spicy crab for this roll was served on the side, which was good so you could take as much as you want. The Osaka roll wasn’t anything special, just tuna and spicy sauce. Actually it was forgettable (I have that in my notes!). The Philly roll wasn’t anything special either, although it was only 3 pieces. The 49ers roll was…bright. Very bright. That’s because of the lemon. I actually remember this one. It’s a California roll with lemon and ebi. It was good and fresh, but there was too much tobiko. Waaaayyy too much.
Come to think of it, everything that came with tobiko had too much of it. Someone was a little heavy handed with it. You might want to ask for less of it if you’re not that crazy about it (like me).
Next time we go, we’re going to try the sushi bar, which I suspect would be the better route to go.
3220 Dyer Street
Union City, CA 94587
To be fair, Nancy and I went here back in December and I just found my notes. We haven’t been back since, so that should say something. I believe we both agreed that we would go again, but not really go out of our way to go there, especially since it’s Union City and for that kind of effort, we might as well go to Sushiya in Oakland.
It’s a decent sushi place that is, like most other sushi places, open for lunch a set amount of hours and then open for dinner a set amount of hours. If you’re going at an odd time of day, you probably won’t end up with sushi. I believe they’re open for dinner at 5 or something to that effect. You can either sit at the bar and pick your sushi off the floating boats (much like the conveyer belt sushi places in the Seattle area that I enjoy so much) or you can sit down at a table and order exactly what you want. If you’re a visual eater, I suggest sitting at the bar since there aren’t any pictures in their menu. I like pictures.
We ordered the gyoza to start off with. It was good, but smaller than we’re used to, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They were extra crispy and served at a good temperature, which is very important to us.
I ordered a wakame salad, which was also good. It had a citrusy taste to it, probably because of a lemon garnish. There wasn’t anything special to it either, but that’s good when it comes to seaweed salads. It really served its purpose.
The miso soup was good because it wasn’t too salty. Finally a place with not so salty miso! You would think that miso would be a pretty basic item, therefore totally predictable, right? I’ve had it at other places and not been able to finish it because of the salt factor. I’ve also had it at other places where they add more unusual things to it, like noodles or potatoes. It’s all fine, but sometimes I just want to good not salty miso soup. By the way, at Sushi Boat, it’s just tofu and seaweed in the soup.
The tea was weak. Drinkable, but weak. Oh, and hot. Very hot.
Nancy had the nigiri combo. The fish was cut thin and the rice pads were small. There wasn’t really anything special or stand out about them. Everything was apparently edible because I don’t remember any comments about sub-par nigiri. I think it was just really average and nigiri needs to be spectacular.
We ordered several rolls, some to share, but mostly indulging my gluttony. Now the problem is that I don’t remember what was in the rolls at this point, but I can sum up my notes. The Simba roll was good and had nice textures. The spicy crab for this roll was served on the side, which was good so you could take as much as you want. The Osaka roll wasn’t anything special, just tuna and spicy sauce. Actually it was forgettable (I have that in my notes!). The Philly roll wasn’t anything special either, although it was only 3 pieces. The 49ers roll was…bright. Very bright. That’s because of the lemon. I actually remember this one. It’s a California roll with lemon and ebi. It was good and fresh, but there was too much tobiko. Waaaayyy too much.
Come to think of it, everything that came with tobiko had too much of it. Someone was a little heavy handed with it. You might want to ask for less of it if you’re not that crazy about it (like me).
Next time we go, we’re going to try the sushi bar, which I suspect would be the better route to go.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Tsuru Sushi (San Leandro)
1427 E. 14th Street
San Leandro
http://tsurusushi.com/index.html
Quick: Much better for local sushi in comparison to Sushi Musashi. I might only go back to Musashi for korokke after going here. Tsuru also seemed to be more busy than Musashi, which I'm taking as a good sign.
Good: Everything really. Food was good and people are nice. Price is right.
Bad: I had to search for a gripe. I don't like the annoying bell on the right door and it took a while for them to refill our tea. Not deal breakers at all. Oh, they don't elaborate too much on what's in the rolls, but all you have to do is ask.
Extended: Okay, so in search of an answer for dinner during this heat spell, Nancy and I went on an unintentional quest for sushi. Our favorite (Sushiya) was closed (SOB!), as was our standby (Ichiro). We ended up back in San Leandro (stupid big loop) and Nancy suggested Tsuru. This was her first sushi place, but somehow I never made it here before.
As part of our new mission to finding good chicken wings locally, we had to have theirs. The presentation was very nice - I like how they get fancy with the lemon garnish. The wings were rather hot and very tasty - hint of lemon served with a "special sauce." I think the sauce was just soy sauce with a little lemon in it, but I couldn't really tell. There are only 4 wings, though, since this is an appetizer. Good for when you don't want to overdo it, but bad for when you really want some chicken wings. I could eat a bucket of these, but that would get a little pricey.
The salad and miso soup were also good. They use my favorite kind of dressing (that mayo ginger stuff) and it's thick so that counteracts any watery bits. The miso soup was simple and not too salty. It was served at the perfect temperature for immediate consumption.
Now for the main course. We both got combination dinners, which make it easy to play it safe and get a variety of things as well. I got tekka maki, California rolls, and shiu mai. Nancy also ordered tekka maki, but she got nigiri (3 pieces) and gyoza. Then we shared negihama rolls (hamachi with green onion).
The rolls were good and firm, which makes them easy to eat. I really don't like it when you pick up a roll and it starts to fall apart - something about sushi craftsmanship or something. The California rolls were dry, but a good dry. Some places mix the crab with mayo, which isn't bad but sometimes it's too much. The tekka was fresh. There was a touch too much hamachi in the negihama rolls, but totally forgivable. The balance of flavors was still good, which is very important with the delicate hamachi and strong onion flavor. Nancy said her nigiri was good - it was sliced thin and she could definitely taste the wasabi underneath. The shiu mai was fried, which is different since they're usually steamed, but they were still good. I think there was some water chestnut in the mix because there was a little crunch, which was nice. The gyoza were good, but there wasn't anything extra special or distinctive about them. They are very similar to Sushiya's.
The combination dinner is a good portion of food as long as you don't order too many fried items. A good balance is 2 sushi-like items with 1 fried item. I think you get rice if you don't order sushi items, which might make it feel like too much food. Tsuru also serves donburi and udon, as well as your safe standards (tempura and teriyaki). Really, it's hard to go out on on a limb at this sushi place, since the sushi menu is a little limited, but it's nice that the menu is a little more focused. It makes it easier to make a decision.
Overall, I really enjoyed my Tsuru experience. I think this place will be my new local standby, rather than my usual settling for Musashi. I would still take Sushiya over Tsuru, but Tsuru comes in a close second.
San Leandro
http://tsurusushi.com/index.html
Quick: Much better for local sushi in comparison to Sushi Musashi. I might only go back to Musashi for korokke after going here. Tsuru also seemed to be more busy than Musashi, which I'm taking as a good sign.
Good: Everything really. Food was good and people are nice. Price is right.
Bad: I had to search for a gripe. I don't like the annoying bell on the right door and it took a while for them to refill our tea. Not deal breakers at all. Oh, they don't elaborate too much on what's in the rolls, but all you have to do is ask.
Extended: Okay, so in search of an answer for dinner during this heat spell, Nancy and I went on an unintentional quest for sushi. Our favorite (Sushiya) was closed (SOB!), as was our standby (Ichiro). We ended up back in San Leandro (stupid big loop) and Nancy suggested Tsuru. This was her first sushi place, but somehow I never made it here before.
As part of our new mission to finding good chicken wings locally, we had to have theirs. The presentation was very nice - I like how they get fancy with the lemon garnish. The wings were rather hot and very tasty - hint of lemon served with a "special sauce." I think the sauce was just soy sauce with a little lemon in it, but I couldn't really tell. There are only 4 wings, though, since this is an appetizer. Good for when you don't want to overdo it, but bad for when you really want some chicken wings. I could eat a bucket of these, but that would get a little pricey.
The salad and miso soup were also good. They use my favorite kind of dressing (that mayo ginger stuff) and it's thick so that counteracts any watery bits. The miso soup was simple and not too salty. It was served at the perfect temperature for immediate consumption.
Now for the main course. We both got combination dinners, which make it easy to play it safe and get a variety of things as well. I got tekka maki, California rolls, and shiu mai. Nancy also ordered tekka maki, but she got nigiri (3 pieces) and gyoza. Then we shared negihama rolls (hamachi with green onion).
The rolls were good and firm, which makes them easy to eat. I really don't like it when you pick up a roll and it starts to fall apart - something about sushi craftsmanship or something. The California rolls were dry, but a good dry. Some places mix the crab with mayo, which isn't bad but sometimes it's too much. The tekka was fresh. There was a touch too much hamachi in the negihama rolls, but totally forgivable. The balance of flavors was still good, which is very important with the delicate hamachi and strong onion flavor. Nancy said her nigiri was good - it was sliced thin and she could definitely taste the wasabi underneath. The shiu mai was fried, which is different since they're usually steamed, but they were still good. I think there was some water chestnut in the mix because there was a little crunch, which was nice. The gyoza were good, but there wasn't anything extra special or distinctive about them. They are very similar to Sushiya's.
The combination dinner is a good portion of food as long as you don't order too many fried items. A good balance is 2 sushi-like items with 1 fried item. I think you get rice if you don't order sushi items, which might make it feel like too much food. Tsuru also serves donburi and udon, as well as your safe standards (tempura and teriyaki). Really, it's hard to go out on on a limb at this sushi place, since the sushi menu is a little limited, but it's nice that the menu is a little more focused. It makes it easier to make a decision.
Overall, I really enjoyed my Tsuru experience. I think this place will be my new local standby, rather than my usual settling for Musashi. I would still take Sushiya over Tsuru, but Tsuru comes in a close second.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Sushi Musashi (San Leandro)
1275 Washington Ave
(between E. 14th St & Callan Ave)
San Leandro
The quick and dirty: This sushi restaurant is good for a fix or take out. There are better places where the fish is fresher, but the desperate and hungry will approve. Good for sushi rookies.
The good: Cooked entres are good. Prices are affordable. Location is convenient. Good California rolls and fantastic korokke. Everything is available for take-out. Good salad dressing, but watery salad.
The bad: Service is iffy. Fish isn’t as fresh as other places. Spicy tuna is too spicy. Stingy with curry sauce. Oh, and I've had ants on my table before.
The expanded version: Both Nancy and I have eaten here a couple of times. My first experience with this place was early in my sushi eating experience, and I was introduced by my surrogate Japanese grandfather (aka my co-worker). I used to like Musashi more than I do now, but I’ve also developed my sushi palette. I would say that this place is good for sushi beginners since their basic rolls are okay, but their nigiri needs help.
I have also eaten lunch here a few times with a former colleague and we found their bento boxes affordable and delicious. Because of this, I’m going to say that their cooked entres are better than their sushi. I like their gyoza and their chicken katsu curry is nice. This is place also has the best korokke we’ve found. So far.
On this last visit, Nancy mentioned that the fish at Sushiya (Oakland) is better and fresher. She generally gets a nigiri combo plate of some sort, so if you’re more interested in nigiri style, skip this place. I’m more into maki and find it acceptable. Their spicy tuna is much spicer than I’ve had anywhere else. Almost painfully spicy. The California rolls here are good – not too wet or too dry. So far, I’ve like most maki rolls I’ve had, but they haven’t blown my socks off. Their salad is a little watery, but the dressing is good. It’s that creamy ginger type dressing that I get so excited about. I haven’t had the miso soup for a long time, but it’s pretty damn salty if I remember correctly.
My biggest gripe is the service. It’s not bad, but it’s not great. It’s not consistent either. It’s either too much attention or not enough. And this time, our waitress jumped the gun on taking stuff away. She didn’t ask if we were done with things first, which is a major no-no in my book. How do you know that I’m done with my half eaten salad, lady?
I’m sure Nancy and I will eat here again because it’s so convenient and we get cravings for their korokke. Sushi Musashi isn’t fantastic, but it isn’t bad either. There is definitely room for improvement at this establishment, but sushi rookies won’t know better and sushi cravers should overlook it if other options are available.
Kind of related, but not super directly: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi
(between E. 14th St & Callan Ave)
San Leandro
The quick and dirty: This sushi restaurant is good for a fix or take out. There are better places where the fish is fresher, but the desperate and hungry will approve. Good for sushi rookies.
The good: Cooked entres are good. Prices are affordable. Location is convenient. Good California rolls and fantastic korokke. Everything is available for take-out. Good salad dressing, but watery salad.
The bad: Service is iffy. Fish isn’t as fresh as other places. Spicy tuna is too spicy. Stingy with curry sauce. Oh, and I've had ants on my table before.
The expanded version: Both Nancy and I have eaten here a couple of times. My first experience with this place was early in my sushi eating experience, and I was introduced by my surrogate Japanese grandfather (aka my co-worker). I used to like Musashi more than I do now, but I’ve also developed my sushi palette. I would say that this place is good for sushi beginners since their basic rolls are okay, but their nigiri needs help.
I have also eaten lunch here a few times with a former colleague and we found their bento boxes affordable and delicious. Because of this, I’m going to say that their cooked entres are better than their sushi. I like their gyoza and their chicken katsu curry is nice. This is place also has the best korokke we’ve found. So far.
On this last visit, Nancy mentioned that the fish at Sushiya (Oakland) is better and fresher. She generally gets a nigiri combo plate of some sort, so if you’re more interested in nigiri style, skip this place. I’m more into maki and find it acceptable. Their spicy tuna is much spicer than I’ve had anywhere else. Almost painfully spicy. The California rolls here are good – not too wet or too dry. So far, I’ve like most maki rolls I’ve had, but they haven’t blown my socks off. Their salad is a little watery, but the dressing is good. It’s that creamy ginger type dressing that I get so excited about. I haven’t had the miso soup for a long time, but it’s pretty damn salty if I remember correctly.
My biggest gripe is the service. It’s not bad, but it’s not great. It’s not consistent either. It’s either too much attention or not enough. And this time, our waitress jumped the gun on taking stuff away. She didn’t ask if we were done with things first, which is a major no-no in my book. How do you know that I’m done with my half eaten salad, lady?
I’m sure Nancy and I will eat here again because it’s so convenient and we get cravings for their korokke. Sushi Musashi isn’t fantastic, but it isn’t bad either. There is definitely room for improvement at this establishment, but sushi rookies won’t know better and sushi cravers should overlook it if other options are available.
Kind of related, but not super directly: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi
Monday, May 28, 2007
Tomodachi Sushi Bistro (Hayward)
http://www.tomodachisushibistro.com/
24123 Hesperian Blvd
Hayward
Get to the Point: Didn't like it, but maybe I'm just missing something? Like one of their sake-ternative cocktails?
It's about time I give another review. Sushi is something I'm almost always happy to have (not so good if I happen to be feeling nauseous for any reason), but as my experiences with Japanese restaurants rise in number, it's easier to become critical of, well, everything.
I've been to Tomodachi a few times, always expecting to have something happen that will change my opinion of them. Yesterday evening was either my third or fourth time there, and I'm still not convinced that it's as good of a restaurant as all the patrons make it out to be. The place is always packed with customers - I don't usually make a note of who they are or what they look like - but these happy Asian folk seem to believe it's a great place. I feel I must be the only sour-looking Asian person there, unconvinced by the nice tatami mats and alternative sake cocktails.
Nigiri sushi is my standby, but Tomodachi only offers nigiri a la carte or in a combination with at least 6 pieces of other non-nigiri items. Too much food with the additional soup and seaweed salad. Also, a big strike for me: no ika (squid) nigiri, though there's plenty to be had if I want it mixed into an appetizer or served as a giant grilled squid steak. Which I certainly don't if all I want is one or two pieces of raw squid over some rice. Come on now.
The particular experience that comes with all sushi places is lacking here as well, for reasons that can't be well explained. Perhaps it is the sun-dried tomatoes in the rolls, the strangely creamy wasabi, or the lack of intimate eating quarters. I tend to feel the environment is conflicted about its intention to be exclusive or welcoming. We want you to be open to our sake drinks and not be scared off, Hayward folk, they seem to be saying at times. And then they retort with a little Never mind looking at the menu; we didn't bother explaining what any of those Japanese words mean.
I must admit this has come off as quite a bitter review. One of the diners in our party didn't get to enjoy the meal after being served some undercooked chicken teriyaki, and the returned item remained on our bill at the end of the night. I haven't written off Tomodachi just yet, but the experience has definitely sent me in the direction of the smaller Japanese restaurants in downtown Hayward.
24123 Hesperian Blvd
Hayward
Get to the Point: Didn't like it, but maybe I'm just missing something? Like one of their sake-ternative cocktails?
It's about time I give another review. Sushi is something I'm almost always happy to have (not so good if I happen to be feeling nauseous for any reason), but as my experiences with Japanese restaurants rise in number, it's easier to become critical of, well, everything.
I've been to Tomodachi a few times, always expecting to have something happen that will change my opinion of them. Yesterday evening was either my third or fourth time there, and I'm still not convinced that it's as good of a restaurant as all the patrons make it out to be. The place is always packed with customers - I don't usually make a note of who they are or what they look like - but these happy Asian folk seem to believe it's a great place. I feel I must be the only sour-looking Asian person there, unconvinced by the nice tatami mats and alternative sake cocktails.
Nigiri sushi is my standby, but Tomodachi only offers nigiri a la carte or in a combination with at least 6 pieces of other non-nigiri items. Too much food with the additional soup and seaweed salad. Also, a big strike for me: no ika (squid) nigiri, though there's plenty to be had if I want it mixed into an appetizer or served as a giant grilled squid steak. Which I certainly don't if all I want is one or two pieces of raw squid over some rice. Come on now.
The particular experience that comes with all sushi places is lacking here as well, for reasons that can't be well explained. Perhaps it is the sun-dried tomatoes in the rolls, the strangely creamy wasabi, or the lack of intimate eating quarters. I tend to feel the environment is conflicted about its intention to be exclusive or welcoming. We want you to be open to our sake drinks and not be scared off, Hayward folk, they seem to be saying at times. And then they retort with a little Never mind looking at the menu; we didn't bother explaining what any of those Japanese words mean.
I must admit this has come off as quite a bitter review. One of the diners in our party didn't get to enjoy the meal after being served some undercooked chicken teriyaki, and the returned item remained on our bill at the end of the night. I haven't written off Tomodachi just yet, but the experience has definitely sent me in the direction of the smaller Japanese restaurants in downtown Hayward.
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