I really struggled over whether to give this place 3 or 4 stars. We went here for happy hour and dinner yesterday and ate at the bar. They're officially open at 5pm, we got there at 4:30 and said we could go to the bar and hang out/drink until the kitchen opens.
5 Stars for the happy hour prices. Half off beer, wine, and martinis. My partner ordered a Kirin Draft ($3). I decided to go down the list of Martinis. I apologize for not making it through the ENTIRE list, but I did pretty good for the two hours we were there:
Hibiya-tini - reminded me of that cucumber water you get at the spa (with alcohol). It's made with Shochu, which I guess is Japan's lower octane version of Vodka. Very light and refreshing.
Ropponngi Fizz - Slightly sweeter than tha Hiyatini. More of an orange flavor. Equally as light and refreshing.
Geisha-tini - Japan's version of the Cosmo. VERY berry. There were literally berries in the martini glass. A little sweet for me.
Sake-tini - Very good. More of a grapefruit taste. It had this interesting, almost smoky flavor.
All of them were very light... you could barely taste the alcohol. By the Saki-tini it was pretty clear the alcohol was in there -- it's just hidden well.
Okay.. so during this we order food. The sushi was pretty underwhelming. We were talking about it as we left and decided it was about on par with Ra, and maybe not quite as good -- and I'm not a huge Ra fan.
Our Order:
Edamame - nothing terribly special. My favorite was at D'Vine in Mesa.. did not compare.
Tuna Takaki - Maybe a tad overcooked. Basically ahi tuna and soy sauce.
Taneko CA Roll - Was pretty good. Again, on par with Ra.
Spicy Tuna Roll - " "
BBQ Eel - Off their main menu. It was just O.K. The specialty rolls at Ra were better.
Bottom line. Service and drink prices are 5 stars. Sushi.. maybe 3 1/2 stars. Reading some of the reviews we might go back here and try their dinner entrees next time. It's definitely a GREAT spot to start the night with some drinks.