There aren't a lot of sushi places in the Bay Area that open late, so I'm really glad that I found out about this place! This is a small and cozy restaurant - ideal for a date or small groups.
I came here on a Friday night and it wasn't too busy. However, it took a while before my husband and I were seated at our table. If you're hangry, this might not be the ideal spot to go to. There were only two people working the entire restaurant. I think it's the husband making the sushi and the wife taking the orders and bringing them to the tables.
There's no parking lot, only street parking, so plan accordingly.
The wait didn't bother me too much considering they did have quite a bit of to go orders to fulfill, the phone was ringing and it was just the two of them. So, please be patient if you're going to eat here. I'm sure they are trying their best!
They have Japanese food/sushi on their menu, but they also have Korean dishes as well.
I ordered a hot California roll, regular California roll with imitation crab (you can ask for real crab- it'll just cost extra). I also ordered Lemon Killer roll and the San Mateo roll. My husband ordered the Penthouse roll and Dragon roll.
The Hot California Roll has:
Deep fried California roll w/unagi sauce, spicy mayo
- I really enjoyed the hot California roll.The tempura batter is really nice. The rice is still soft, but the tempura batter has a nice crunch to it. I really enjoyed that this roll came out warm and not lukewarm or cold. The spicy mayo sauce they put on top really compliments the tempura batter well. It also goes well with the unagi sauce. I love sweet, spicy and savory combinations and this roll definitely had that. It was slightly sweet from the unagi sauce.
The California Roll has: imitation crab meat & avocado
- The avocado they use is really fresh and creamy. I like how they shredded and minced the imitation crab in the roll. I have been to places that just use a chunk of imitation crab in their California roll. The only areas for improvement that I could think of is that I wish the pieces of the roll weren't cut so thick and I wish they added sesame seeds to the roll. It really helps elevate it.
The Lemon Killer Roll has: salmon, & sliced lemon over shrimp tempura, avocado, & cucumber roll w/unagi sauce, lemon mayo
- I'm a big fan of rolls that have raw salmon and then a slice of lemon on top. I really enjoyed the shrimp tempura in this roll. The avocado and cucumber were very fresh. I love being able to taste cucumber in a sushi roll. It goes well with the sushi rice and the rice vinegar used in the sushi rice. I wish that the lemon slices were thicker. There wasn't a whole lot of lemon taste. They also don't slice the lemon here with the skin still intact, which isn't a good or bad thing; it's a personal preference. I have never been to a sushi restaurant that use lemon mayo, until now. I thought that was pretty unique and it was quite tasty.
- Here's where the Lemon Killer Roll lost some points. I feel like the lemon slices could be thicker. When I received the roll, I could barely see the lemon slices on top of the salmon. It was like looking at an invisible pimple patch on your face. (Weird comparison, I know lol). The salmon itself wasn't that great quality. I have been to many sushi restaurants and when ordering a sushi roll that had salmon on top, it was fattier, and fresher. Another area for improvement is the menu itself. When I was deciding on what to order, the photo on the menu for the Lemon Killer Roll shows it has tobiko on top, but the description of the roll doesn't mention any tobiko. I was pretty bummed that it actually came out with no tobiko. I understand that the menu says food presentation may vary or subject to change, but the photo should still be an accurate representation of what I'm actually ordering and what I'm actually going to get. Otherwise, without the tobiko, the roll should've been a little cheaper.
The San Mateo Roll has:
Unagi & avocado over soft shell crab, cucumber roll w/unagi sauce
-this roll reminds me of Rock n' Roll, but it has soft shell crab. I really enjoyed this roll. All the ingredients really go well together. The unagi wasn't fishy at all.
The Penthouse Roll has:
Cooked shrimp & tempura bits over shrimp tempura, cucumber roll w/unagi sauce
The Dragon Roll has:
Unagi & avocado over shrimp tempura, cucumber roll w/unagi sauce
What I also appreciate and enjoyed about all of these rolls is that the rice wasn't too hard, and the rolls did not fall apart. They were nicely made in terms of the rolling process. It was only the California roll that the pieces could have been cut smaller. They were very thick. Oh, and they have really good sushi ginger here and free tea! It's like a roasted rice tea. Very comforting for this cold weather!
Overall, I had a very pleasant experience and would love to come back again. My husband really enjoyed it too! read more