First, the space: Cramped and uninspired. Minimalist, which is pretty standard for a sushi restaurant, I guess. Quite dark, yet not romantic. Not quite sure how they pull that off.
The food: What is good is VERY good. We enjoyed miso and seaweed salad to start, both standard, but done right. We followed with some softshell crabs, which had a wonderful sauce, but tasted burnt. We also assumed they would be an appetizer (because they are on the appetizer menu), but they were delivered AFTER our rolls. No big deal, except it is part of a pattern, which I will address in a moment. We had 3 rolls (Dragon, Spider, and High-Roller), which were quite tasty--they were what they are supposed to be. But the service...my goodness, the service...
The service: What can I say? Wow. Even by the low service standards of Bend, this place is mind-blowing. My first time dining here was a first date with my (now) girlfriend. We are both huge sushi fans. We are both also service industry by trade. (Note to service staff: ALWAYS assume your guest is another waiter!). On that first visit, all of our sushi rolls were served except one. Forgotten by the server, or never made by the kitchen, we never got our last roll, and at bill time made sure we were not charged for it. We got a terse apology from our server, with a shrug and barely concealed scowl, and no real explanation.
A couple of months later (last night) we decide to try again. Again, we order four rolls (as well as a couple of appetizers, see above). Again, we get 3 of the 4, with the waitress (Kiki) explaining that our last roll (the "Harley Davidson", my girlfriend's favorite) and our softshell crab appetizer, will be right out. The crab arrives, no 4th roll. No checkback from the waitress, no explanation. We eat our crab. We eat our rolls. We stack our dishes. We wait. I should point out, the place was not busy. It was about 6 pm, with about 4 tables occupied.
Kiki finally arrives to clear our plates, NOW explaining,"Oh! Your HD roll is just about done, they're just slicing it now." We explain we no longer want it, and she explains they usually serve that roll LAST, like a dessert. Given that it contains eel, avocado, and goat cheese, this might be the worst excuse I have EVER heard. It is also, as I said, my girlfriend's favorite roll, and she has never received it as a "dessert".
In my heart of waiter hearts, I KNOW the server forgot to ring in our last roll, and it has happened on two consecutive visits. As a server myself, I can smell a waiter lie from a mile away. I have been at this game longer than she has walked this Earth, and there is nothing more offensive to me than being lied to by service staff. OWN YOUR MISTAKES!
In closing, decent enough food, if you don't mind not getting what you ordered and being lied to by the staff. I am not quite sure what their hiring standards are, but I am guessing experience is not among them. read more