One of Yelp's highest-rated restaurants in Atlanta has now gone OTP. Popular Budi's Sushi in downtown Atlanta opened a second location in Dunwoody in October 2020. If you want good, casual, and reasonably-priced sushi north of the city, this place is definitely worth a visit.
Budi's Sushi Two Go opened in the old Diced Deli space at Dunwoody Plaza. Same plaza as Village Burger. Parking can get tight during peak times, but you shouldn't have a problem finding a space.
"Two Go" is a play on this being the second location of Budi's Sushi and to-go food (takeout), which has become prevalent since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold stateside in March 2020. Don't let the name fool you - this is very much a traditional dine-in restaurant with a nice, open, airy, modern, clean and newly-renovated space. You can sit at the sushi bar, in the dining room, at one of the group high-tops, or outside on the umbrella-covered patio (they have cornhole). Also part of the to-go aspect of this location is a small market selling packaged Asian food and drink like noodles, snacks, candy, condiments, and drinks.
The menu at this location is different than the original downtown location. The main difference is this location doesn't have all the cooked dishes (for example, the special Indonesian menu) that the downtown location has. However, I think the sushi menu here is the same and they have the viral Ocean Pyramid (sushi pyramid) too.
My wife and I tried a good variety of the dishes at this location, prepared by Budi's chefs. I recognized the staff from Budi's other ventures, namely Joe (I think he's one of the lead sushi chefs). We thought everything was delicious. It's my understanding that Budi will still spend most of his time working at the downtown location.
Here's what we've had:
* Sushi A ($20.95) - seven pieces of chef's choice sushi with California roll and miso soup
* Kaisendon ($22.95) - 14 pieces of sashimi with salmon roe on a bed of sushi rice with miso soup
* PPAP house roll ($13.95) - spicy scallops topped with fresh salmon and wasabi mayo
* Tori Oyako ($13.00) - steamed rice, chicken chashu, cilantro, avocado, cucumber, carrots, black beans, soft fried egg
* Tofu Steak Lunch Combo ($10.00) - steamed rice, grilled firm tofu, cilantro, avocado, cucumber, carrots, sweet corn, black beans
* Sushi Lunch Combo ($10.75) - veggie spring roll, California roll; tuna, salmon, and yellowtail nigiri
All the fish we had was fresh and tasty, from the tuna to the mackerel. My "Sushi A" came with the following nigiri: shime saba (cured mackerel), madai (red seabream), albacore, escolar, tuna, salmon, and yellowtail. While several of the fish types are standard for most sushi joints, what sets Budi's apart are the freshness and flavors. Each type of fish was flavorful. And each type of fish was distinct, not only in terms of texture, but in taste too -- that's not always the case at sushi restaurants. Budi's sushi is flavorful without being "fishy." Also, the fish at Budi's, both at this location and the downtown location, have never been mushy. Each type of fish maintains its own unique consistency.
The Kaisendon we received contained the same types of fish chosen for the Sushi A plus tako (octopus) and ikura (salmon roe). Again, good stuff. Generous portion size. I was particularly fond of the shime saba (excellent flavor and texture), madai (smooth, soft, mild), yellowtail (great quality), and ikura (bursts of salt and umami). Some pieces of nigiri and sashimi had subtle toppings which were a nice touch. However, every piece of fish was good enough to stand on its own.
My wife thought the Sushi Lunch Combo was really good. At $10.75, it's a good value. She doesn't eat much, though, so your mileage may vary.
We both loved the PPAP house roll. I highly recommend it. It's a roll I was introduced to at the downtown location. Scallops wrapped in salmon should be 'nuff said. Eight pieces are served per order. Biting into each piece is simply quite pleasurable, even magical.
Both the Tori Oyako and the Tofu Steak were substantial, filling, cooked entrees. I really liked the fresh avocado in both dishes. Two things made the Tori Oyako special: (1) The soft fried egg. It was distinctive, delicate, and appetizing. Cooked to perfection. (2) The chicken chashu was marinated, cooked via sous-vide at 142 degrees, then seared. The slices of meat were lean and tender. We had the lunch version of the Tofu Steak, but it's available at dinner too. It was fresh, healthy, and well-balanced. I enjoyed the colorful variety of veggies (I'm a veggie lover). These bowls were like Asian Chipotle bowls. The sauces make a big difference. Our favorite sauces were the Yuzu Chimichurri, Ginger Soy Butter, and Ultra Spicy Sauce.
Lunch specials are available Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm.
Service was outstanding. The staff was polite and attentive. They stayed on top of disinfecting and keeping the dining room clean after each and every customer left. read more