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| - One night during my visit to Arizona, I was extremely hungry and craving sushi. Dining at traditional sushi restaurants was not an option ($$$$). I searched all over town for AYCE sushi and Sushi Q was the only restaurant that Yelp returned within Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, and Scottsdale. I jumped into my car and quickly roared out to Sushi Q at around 7:00pm. Sushi Q is located in a strip mall next to a seedy liquor store. When I arrived during happy hour, there were only 3 people in the restaurant! There's no need to beat the dinner rush here.
I sat at the bar and designated myself as an AYCE customer. After perusing the order menu, I was upset to discover an 8 order limit on the nigiri. 8 orders = 16 pieces. When I eat AYCE sushi in California, I typically average ~50 pieces, with a personal record of 64. Nobody cares how much you order in California, as long as you don't throw up on premises. Apparently not the case in stingy Arizona.
The nigiri menu is sparse with limitations to the basic fish. Uni was not an option on the menu. Neither were any premium fish (not even off the AYCE menu). I ordered the standard choices: albacore, mackerel, red snapper, tuna, salmon, shrimp, scallop, and yellowtail. The rice was served at room temperature as it should be. The fish quality of the tuna, salmon, and red snapper was acceptable, but the presentation for the other sushi was poor. Excessive ponzu sauce and green onions were applied on top of the yellowtail, mackerel, and albacore, to the point where I could not taste the distinct flavor of each fish. See photos for the sloppy preparation and the overuse of onions. The quality was disappointing even for a Korean sushi chef.
For economic purposes, Sushi Q expects AYCE customers to fill up on appetizers and rolls rather than the fish. I feared leaving with a half full stomach, so I ordered rolls and appetizers after the nigiri. Rolls do not have order limits, but premium rolls were strategically removed from the AYCE menu. I asked for the negi salmon roll, yellowtail roll, and rainboll roll. The rolls were handled by a Hispanic sushi chef. The rainbow roll was standard, although the rice was a bit stiff. Yellowtail roll was a salty disaster, with excessive garlic/chili sauce drenched over the fish that spread to the rice. Fortunately, the negi salmon roll was acceptable with minimal sauces used and generous amount of salmon in each piece.
Be aware that appetizers are full orders. I ordered agedashi tofu expecting just a few pieces of hot tofu. Instead, I received a basket full of fried tofu enough to feed a family of 3. The agedashi tofu was a joke. It was supposed to be served in a broth with Katsuobushi, Japanese onions, some rice wine, and soy sauce, but all that was given was a bowl of soy sauce separated from the tofu.
In the end, I left with a full stomach but was dissatisfied with the quality of food consumed. I came to eat sushi but was instead instructed to order mediocre rolls engulfed in puddles of assorted sauces. The 16 piece limit is a severe limitation that renders the AYCE option as not cost-effective ($23.95 for dinner).
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