4.5 STARS
its sushi…read moreis very popular, so the wait can be long during peak times - up to 90 minutes. there are three options for ayce, with different dishes included in each option. my boyfriend and i like course B because we think it's the best value, and it includes all of the nigiri, which is mostly what we like to order. we don't think course C includes enough additional items to be worth the increase in price. service is friendly, and we're always checked on often!
they offered a wide selection of appetizers and hot dishes. the seafood dynamite included baby scallops and mushrooms in a mayo and sweet eel sauce mixture. i thought it was a little too heavy and wish it included other seafood besides scallops. the tako wasabi was one of the best versions of this dish i've tried, and i'm usually not a huge fan of this dish! the wasabi wasn't too strong, and the sesame seeds added such a nice flavor and texture. the sesame flavor complemented the wasabi and made it easier to eat. the monkey brain was a fried crab mix and mushrooms with spicy mayo and eel sauce. the portion was pretty big, so it was filling and heavy. the baked green mussels were very yummy! the white sauce gave it a creaminess and sweetness, and it came out super hot.
the yellowtail collar was very juicy! it came with a slightly sweet soy-based sauce, and it was overall a light app. the spicy garlic edamame had a great garlicky flavor with a small kick. i liked that it came out hot, and it was a good portion! the sauce pooled at the bottom, and it was very oily, although the edamame at the bottom also had more flavor. i enjoyed the coconut flakes in the batter for the coconut shrimp tempura, which provided most of the flavor. the sauce was the same as the one served with the soft shell crab and had very little taste. the corn cheese was very standard! it was slightly sweet and cheesy, which i liked. the cheese was a little too liquidy but otherwise solid. the quality of the soft shell crab varied between different visits. i wasn't a fan of the chewy shell when it came out lukewarm, but when it came out fresh and hot, the texture was much better - crunchy and easy to eat. overall, it was seasoned well, and the lemon added freshness. the sauce was very light and thin, so i couldn't place the flavor.
there were lots of options for sushi rolls, and they allowed half-size rolls, except for baked or 6-pc rolls. the lemon x salmon roll was one of my favorite rolls! the lemon was thinly sliced, and the salmon was soft. it was very fresh and light. the washington roll was similar to the lemon x salmon roll in terms of brightness from the ponzu. the salmon was so soft, and there was salmon on top and inside the roll, which i loved. it was also one of my favorite rolls, maybe more so than the lemon x salmon. the sauce on the henry roll was a little too much, but the lemon helped cut through it a bit. it had the typical combo of spicy mayo and eel sauce. the shrimp tempura was so crunchy! the sexy bomb roll was a regular shrimp tempura roll topped with salmon, spicy mayo, and eel sauce, but with the addition of cream cheese. the shrimp was crunchy, but the cream cheese was too overwhelming for me. the flavor was otherwise standard. the something wrong roll included shrimp tempura and spicy seafood mixes, including spicy soft shell crab, spicy tuna, and spicy crab mix, topped with more seafood. i liked the idea of the roll, but together, the spicy and tangy flavors were overwhelming. since it had so many components, it was also very filling!
the nigiri was as good as ayce nigiri gets! we tried the tuna, garlic tuna, cajun tuna, super white tuna, salmon, xxx salmon, cajun salmon, smoked salmon, garlic salmon, salmon belly, paprika seared salmon, yuzu yellowtail, squid, spicy octopus, freshwater eel, and mayo scallop. the fish was soft and didn't taste too fishy. the fish to rice ratio was great! there was a tiny amount of rice for each nigiri, so we didn't get full on just rice. i wasn't a fan of the xxx nigiri, which came with a dollop of spicy sauce and thickly-sliced jalapeno on top. i liked the seared flavor of the cajun tuna and cajun salmon, and all of the regular fish were good too.
for ~$40 per person, the menu is very extensive, and we feel like it's really worth it! they offer a wide variety of appetizers and lots of great options for nigiri and rolls. we also appreciate the portion size of the dishes, which allows us to try more menu items. although a lot of the menu is tasty, the nigiri makes the price worth it alone, and we will definitely come back to its sushi whenever we're in the area!