I wanted to try this all-you-can-eat sushi spot, which recently opened in the former location of NicoBella's. The prices seemed reasonable for all you can eat, with weekend lunch listed at $27.50.
We were seated quickly in this clean, if somewhat austere, venue. Our pleasant waiter arrived promptly, asked if we had dined there before, and offered to explain the rules. We agreed, and he recited a surprisingly long soliloquy that went something like this (and I'm not exaggerating here):
1. Food is made to order. Select items in rounds so you don't overwhelm the kitchen.
2. All-You-Can-Eat Lunch (AYCE) includes sushi rolls, sushi, appetizers, noodles, fried rice, and some cooked dishes.
3. Lunch does not include sashimi, certain cooked dishes (such as steak), or dessert.
4. Specialty rolls cost extra (Red Sox Maki, Spicy Scallop Roll, etc.).
5. Order only what you can finish. Uneaten food may be charged at the regular à-la-carte price.
6. Do not share AYCE food with someone ordering à la carte.
7. Leftovers from AYCE cannot be taken home.
8. You can place additional orders after finishing, or substantially finishing, the current round.
9. Drinks, tax, and gratuity are extra.
10. It only takes about 5 minutes to receive most dishes from the time you order.
Wow, I think the rules were more extensive than those for most board games I play!
AYCE menu prices are:
* Lunch (Mon-Fri): $25.50
* Weekend Lunch (Sat-Sun): $27.50
* Dinner (Sun-Thu): $33.99 (sashimi included)
* Weekend/Holiday Dinner: $35.99 (sashimi included)
Because I much prefer sashimi to sushi and did not want to consume a ton of rice, I was mentally coerced into choosing the dinner menu. That said, $33.99 for a good Japanese lunch or dinner is still a very reasonable price. But would the food be good?
I ordered (in rounds of course):
5 Salmon Sake Sashimi (10 slices)
1 Salmon Roe Sushi
1 Flying Fish Roe Sushi
1 Sweet Egg Sushi
1 Steak (appetizer size)
1 Futo Maki
The sashimi was good and fresh, with a nice texture. The slices were smaller than you would expect at a traditional sushi restaurant, but since you could order as many as you wanted, I had more than enough. The roe sushi was good, though I've had better. I was underwhelmed by the sweet egg sushi. The steak was tough and definitely overdone. I ate one piece and told the waiter I wasn't going to eat the rest. The Futo Maki was good, with 5 large pieces. I was disappointed there was no scallops included in the dinner.
My co-diner ordered à la carte:
* Chicken Fried Rice ($10.50)
* Steamed Gyoza ($7.00)
The fried rice was light and tasty. The gyoza was good, though we would have preferred it pan-fried, and they offer only steamed or deep-fried.
At a traditional sushi restaurant, my AYCE order would likely have cost around $45-$50 (excluding the steak). If I had been dining at dinnertime, I probably would have eaten more. So, how should I rate this meal?
The service was very good, the sashimi was good, the fried rice was very good, and the prices were reasonable. I'd rate this "lunch" 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for the good service, and because Yelp doesn't allow half stars! read more