It's a nicely design space, though there's something about it that doesn't feel overly comfortable. I think that's more a function of the staff - the waiter seemed clueless and inattentive, the young woman at the counter who seemed to be managing the place was stiff and unwelcoming (though later, when some regulars came in, she became very friendly with them, so maybe she's just not good with new people), and the couple of sushi and kitchen cooks who wandered in and out of view seemed to have a permanent scowl affixed to their faces, and just glared into the room as if we were all intruders on their day.
Gyoza - quite good actually, but a portion of only four for 70 pesos??? The sashimi mixto, supposed to be two each of the five different kinds of sashimi on offer, came with just three kinds - three each of shrimp and octopus and four of salmon. "Oh, we don't have any white fish today, none in the market." Come on, we've been through this before - it's complete and utter BS. They're just too lazy to pick up different kinds of fish, plus they know that locals pretty much only eat the salmon (two different couples came in and sat at nearby tables, and ordered up a variety of sushi preparations, but were clear about "salmon only"). I guess they just cater to the market they're in. Pretty messily plated too. It just looked like they don't care.
The maki fared a little better. I do like that all of their sushi rolls are available in half or full portions, with the half size (4 piece) rolls coming in at about 60% of the full size price. A salmon skin roll - a little dry and loosely rolled, not that good; a creative fried shrimp Peruvian roll with huancaina sauce had a nice kick to it and was the best thing out of the evening; the shrimp and lemon roll was a little odd - they really overdid the amount of lemon zest, and they grated it right down through the bitter white pith, so the whole thing had a weird bitter edge to it.
Overall - uncomfortable vibe, maybe they're better once you get to be recognized, but there's just an air of them not really wanting customers in the place. Big selection on the menu, but expensive - the food above, plus a small flask of sake, no cubierto charge, thank you, and tip came in at 990 pesos ($64)! That's ridiculous for a spot in that neighborhood of just good, but not great quality. You can eat far better for the same or less at nearby spots like Ichisou, Yuki, or Nihonbashi, all within a couple of blocks. I'll pass on a return visit. read more