This Japanese restaurant's got one good thing going for it: the chicken gyoza, which was actually not dry as chicken gyozas tend to be. For the rest, I wouldn't bother.
I was exceptionally hungry, so took advantage of their three-item menu and ordered gyoza, sushi, and chicken skewers. I don't usually order chicken skewers at a sushi place, but since I was ravenous I took a chance. I shouldn't have.
We were led to a table in the back of the joint, illuminated by fluorescent light and dimmed by the black lacquered touches everywhere. The upstairs might have been more agreeable, but we were in a bit of a hurry so sat where we were seated, away from people at the busy sushi bar and natural light.
There was a standard starter salad of cabbage in vinegar, then the gyoza with a pitiful amount of dark vinegar dipping sauce. The waitress asked us if we wanted the rice accompaniment, to which we said no. Though I was hungry, my friend advised me against it, as the last time she had it it had been "mushy". I actually saw a vat of it coming up from the kitchen, and it did indeed look mushy. The chicken skewers would surely be enough! Turns out they weren't.
But first, the California roll. Nothing exceptional here. I forgot its taste as soon as I left the restaurant, which might tell you something.
Finally the chicken. There was so much fat on the bamboo stick that I couldn't tell what was meat and what was gristle. Taking a bite, it only vaguely tasted like chicken--I would have guessed a combination of pork and days-old fish had I not known. I put the skewer down and downed my water glass.
I won't be coming here again. read more