As expected, as it always is...busy, busy, busy, even on a Thursday.
There is a bartender and floor manager that's a spot-on John Mayer look-a-like.
Their name list/waiting area is a confusing mess of not knowing where to stand, either next to the busy bartenders, in the way of the tv, in the path of waitstaff or awkwardly lingering by booths in the front. Thank goodness they did clear a table or two in the front area to make room for those patrons that have to bide their time with a glass of wine or beer, or if they are brave and have a sake from their expansive sake list.
For as small a restaurant as it seems, they have a good selection of wine, beer and sake to choose from, price range is definitely reasonable to a little out of touch.
When my friend and I finally caught Little Rock's John Mayer, we were told to expect 30 minutes of waiting, at least. We were pleasantly surprised to have a nice table, that although it was in the larger dining room, just in front of the bar, between booths and other closely-seated-patrons at the table over, it seemed quaint and like we had a space of our own. I'm sure the lighting had something to do with it. The later it was the darker the light got...however, we never noticed until we stood up to leave that they continued to dim the lights progressively all night. We got there at just past 640 and didn't leave until almost 9...so we made a night of it. My friend had an ice cold sapporo and I started with a pinot noir while we waited.
We definitely wanted sushi...in fact, we debated mt fuji vs. sushi cafe and ultimately chose cafe due to proximity and it's one of our local favorites. I opted for my stand-by favorite, Spice Girls. It's a slightly-"spicy" specialty roll of spicy tuna, salmon, crabstick, avocado and hot sauce. My friend was feeling adventurous and tried a roll he hadn't tasted before and I'm wishing he had picked something else after sampling his selection. He opted for Oh My Gosh! and that's exactly what I thought as I tried it, but not in a good way. It was spicy tuna, crabstick, "lightly" friend with tempura batter. I'm not sure if it was the tempura batter (which they add a glob of fried tempura at the end of his place) or the fact that it was fried but, I was disappointed. Ironically, when we were reviewing the menu I fatefully said "I think everything they have here is delicious. Never had a bad meal here." hmmmmm
I would say you go to sushi cafe, #1 for delicious sushi, #2 a lively, trendy yet consistent atmosphere of young and old, alive with chatter and laughter and buzzing with waitstaff. The music is always entertaining. I'm certain they have satellite radio piped in. The first time I went to Sushi Cafe was a blind date, I would say the best date. The music was 80's pop...lots of Michael Jackson and I dug it. Thursday was house beats...we kept feeling like we needed to get up and shake it.
The service is both attentive and aloof. Ink was our waiter and he's been my waiter before. He's always friendly and gives great advice on which sushi to select. However, as there were two very large parties in the glass-enclosed area and not an empty table in the place, he was quite busy and it took quite a while to flag him down if we wanted something.
Sushi Cafe considers itself "East+West=Modern Fusion." I would completely agree. They have a wide selection from appetizers to desserts. You can start out with some miso soup or some tasty chicken wings. Not only do they have a hefty selection of sushi, but entrees such as lobster ravioli, kobe hot dog and shrimp in any variety. Wanting something a little more domestic? How about a bacon and egg sandwhich or signature burger with sweet potato fries. Their "Surf & Turf" was by far the most expensive item on the menu. Fork over $60 and you get a 12 oz ribeye and a lobster tail.
Taking a look around the room we noticed the wide age-range. The restaurant is trendy but a staple of the neighborhood. It's a fun place to eat, to people-watch, to drink a delicious martini and even catch a ball game on the many tvs that line the bar.
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