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| - We stopped by Kabuki on the way home from the Suns game a couple of weeks ago. We weren't starving and wanted to try this place out, so we figured we'd give it a shot for a quick sushi fix.
The decor is somewhat typical trendy sushi bar - ultra modern and artsy - but pleasant nonetheless. The music wasn't overly loud, and plasma televisions over the sushi bar were tuned to ESPN. The place was relatively packed for an east valley restaurant at almost 11pm. The crowd appeared to be mostly drinkers vs. eaters, as the noise level could attest; it felt more like a bar than a restaurant.
We sat at the sushi bar, and were disappointed to see that the sushi chefs were busily packing away and cleaning their stations for the evening. Our server advised that last call would be in about 10-15 minutes. We were unimpressed that we were not offered miso or edamame after we were seated.
The wait staff service was poor at both extremes -- painfully slow one moment, with the server hovering over us the next. Our server brought menus and then stood and waited while we perused. I told him we were just going to get sushi, so he insisted on taking our drink orders. I ordered a Kirin and a glass of water (I didn't know how else to get rid of the guy!) and my companion (boyfriend sounds ridiculous at my advanced age) ordered sake and hot tea. My beer was delivered quickly and cold, and then the server vanished. The sake and tea didn't arrive until midway through our meal, after a second request. Once I drained my water glass, it was never refilled, despite a request. At the end of the meal we waited (and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited) for our check, and were finally able to snag our server to request the check as he flew past us. This guy had only three modes: anxious puppy (standing beside us with an expectant look on his face); falcon (flying past us at breakneck speed on his way to a mission); and invisible.
The sake list is nice, and quite extensive. The menu is nearly intimidatingly (I don't think that's really a word) large, with both raw and cooked options. The raw portion of the menu was adequate, though neither creative nor exciting.
We ordered toro sashimi, and for the money the portion was on the small side. The normally buttery, smooth tuna belly was tough and chewy, a very unwelcome surprise. We also ordered some nigiri and a couple of rolls. The sushi was prepared quickly, and the chef was attentive enough to not toss everything at us at once, even though the evening clean-up process was well underway. He presented the first couple of dishes, then waited a bit to bring forth more so that we weren't overwhelmed. Each of the plates was presented beautifully. The dishes themselves were very pretty -- they reminded me of sculpted ice. The portions were smallish, but the fish was fresh. The level of originality was about average, as was the taste. The sushi prices were neither exorbitant nor cheap.
This overall dining experience can best be described as average, leaning heavily towards sub-par considering the wait staff service and unforgivable toro. It dawned on me as we departed and were walking past the other patrons that we did not fit the target demographic for the restaurant. Kabuki is a place geared towards a younger, Gen X type that is less interested in high quality dining and more interested in seeing and being seen. This less-demanding patron is very satisfied with a chain-imposed menu. He/she is happy eating California rolls made from "crab" with a K and drinking copious quantities of Grey Goose lychee martinis. I'm not criticizing this demographic - it's just not my style.
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