Immediate reaction after eating: Fresh. Delicious. Pleasantly Surprised. Superb taste and excellent value.
Truly Tasty! Wow! This place is amazing. The best kept secret in Cary is finally out.
Full Review:
I know what you are thinking, "Sushi in Cary, IL..." but let me make my case as they exceeded every expectation.
Let me start by saying that I am well versed in Sushi, Udon, and Ramen. I have been to Japan many times as well as a regular of the best Japanese places in and around Chicagoland area, New York, and Oahu.
When we arrived, we had very low expectations givens the typically burb surroundings but as we entered we saw a bustling restaurant on a Sunday night and were excited to be seated.
We were seated right away and served water and began looking through the menu. The first thing you notice is that the menu is very large and has Japanese, Thai and Chinese. This is typically a red flag but we were set on Japanese and had limited expectations.
We proceeded to order Chef's Sashimi, Udon, Ramen, Sushi pieces and Rolls.
As we waited for the food, one of the sushi chefs ran around the restaurant providing complimentary Edamame to the tables. I believe this was done due to a potential wait but I can say that we did not experience any delays in wait time for food and simply enjoyed the free Edamame.
The first sign of something good was that Edamame was not you typical sea salt coating. They did it a very nice butter instead.
The Sashimi came out first and believe me when I say that for 11.95 the 9 pieces were enormous! Like each one was 2x to 3x the thickness of most sushi spots. And believe me when I say the freshness was as good/if not better than Tensuke Japanese Market. Seriously. See the pictures.
We then got the Udon with Shrimp Tempura. I was again expecting a few pieces and standard udon. But we were again pleasantly surprised to be served a mountain of freshly fried tempura (3 giant shrimp, sweet potato, mushroom, onion ring, zucchini, and broccoli). Again they were perfectly coated and fried. Some of the best tempura I have had period. Globally. And the Udon, was not your traditional lifeless soup, it had cilantro and notes that are best described as comforting Japanese-Thai feeling. I had a spoon but may have been seen drinking directly from the bowl given all the goodness of the broth. Noodles were great and not mushy.
We then got 2 of our 3 rolls - Happy Roll and Spicy Tuna Roll plus our Tofu Skin pieces. My daughter loved the tofu skin rice. The Happy Roll was wrapped in soy paper and had such a great taste. And brace yourself, the spicy tuna was actually spicy (not burning but you actually get a small kick). Gasp!!! I know most time when you get spicy tuna they try to tame it down at places to appease folks but not at Tasty Sushi, they know how to do the spicy tuna roll. A mark of a great sushi spot.
We then got our Chashu Ramen. And look, I am a ramen snob - see my past reviews. Pros and Cons. Egg was hard boiled (not soft boiled). Noodles were solid and thankfully not mushy and to be honest, next time I go, I will ask for the noodles to be more under done (firm - style I prefer) but believe me when I say the broth was clean and miso tasting and passed 'my good to the last drop' test. The Chashu was thick and charred on par with Misoya Ramen.
Last but not least the Fire Dragon Roll. Best for Dine In because it is literally served on fire. The roll is jalapeño, spicy tuna, tempura, avocado, cream cheese, and topped with filet mignon. Yep all the ingredients that make life worth living. It did not disappoint and definitely on par with Niko Sushi.
With the check we got a complimentary orange. All in all everything was outstanding. I even drink a lot of water and they kept the H2O flowing.
I can not vouch for the entire menu but I can comfortably say the Japanese food was simply good and better than other near by and some Chicago options. I was skeptical. Dine in if you can and as in life, surround yourself with family and friends that make you happy, have low expectations and an open mind and I hope you get to enjoy it as much as I did. read more