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| - I visited for the first time a few days ago. This place is wonderful. You wouldn't expect to find such yummy food in a small, nondescript strip mall! I came in for lunch and though they had a sushi lunch special (3 nigiri, CA roll, and spicy tuna roll for around $8) I wasn't in the mood for rolls. I ordered several reasonably priced nigiri including one of the specials: salmon belly. It was pretty busy but my food was prepared quickly and expertly by the friendly chef, and I assume owner, Tony. I'll definitely be back again soon!
A few notes:
* the fish was all very fresh and of good quality
* the fish and rice was all warmer than one usually gets at sushi bars - just under room temperature. This is a plus in my opinion. Most places give you fridge-cold fish which, while it makes it obvious it was kept cold to preserve freshness and quickly prepared, it makes it a bit bland. My sushi was prepared in front of me and given to me immediately - not left sitting out and as I stated previously, the fish was very obviously fresh. This serving temperature made the sushi very flavorful.
* the chef puts a smear of wasabi under the fish on most raw fish nigiri. This is important to note because it seems like very few chefs in Phoenix do this. It's the chef's preference but I feel like many local places go for mass appeal and omit this. Just be aware, most nigiri served here doesn't need added wasabi, just a touch of soy sauce if you like!
* the chef made the battleship sushi an appropriate size. This may seem very minor, but a lot of sushi chefs make their battleships too large to eat in one bite. The very nature of the things, being filled with roe or, in my case, spicy scallops, make them impossible to bite in half without making a huge mess, so it's important to be able to fit the whole thing in your mouth at once.
* they're currently advertising gyu-don, a donburi dish of thin-sliced beef and onions served over rice. This is classic Japanese fast food but I haven't seen it served elsewhere in Phoenix. It wasn't on the menu but advertised on small signs at the table so this may be a temporary special (fall 2014)
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