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| - Ninja has become, as of May 2012, the frequent haunt of my fiancé and I, and I probably should have posted this review looooong before now. However, I've also now experienced Ninja on pretty much every kind of night, so hopefully I'll be able to write a better overall review. Or at least a longer one. haha!
To begin, my fiancé and I are drawn back again and again not only by the delicious offerings on their AYCE sushi menu (which they have recently updated to include a few more options), but also by the incredibly welcoming and always-helpful chefs and wait-staff. We now know everyone who works there by name, and I'm excited to go back to Ninja on our sushi nights not only because it's freaking yummy but because I'm excited to see everyone again!
I'm actually very confused by all the negative reviews for Ninja on this site. I'm not going to deny that it gets incredibly busy on Friday (and some Saturday) nights lately, most likely due to the sale of an incredible number of Groupons, and that service slows down as a consequence. That IS a fact. However, the people that work here are hardly at fault for the fact that the majority of their customer traffic is concentrated on one or two nights per week. :P The last few Fridays, every single table in the place has been filled up at dinner time, with more and more people lining up at the door, and there are so many sushi menus stretched across the LOOOONG sushi bar that, once spread out, they need to be layered if they're gonna fit. Yes, it gets crazy, but the servers and the chefs really are working as fast as they can. Conversely, on week nights, the place is DEAD.
As an additional note, my fiancé and I bring our own chopsticks when we come, and this is the first place where our waitress has ever washed them for us!
oh, and another warning to keep in mind: sometimes the music does get a bit loud. However, if you express displeasure to a server, they're always prompt and ready to turn down the volume. My impression has always been that they honestly care about their customers, and they truly want them to be happy and comfortable.
I've eaten a LOT of sushi in my time, and my fella and I have prowled loads of establishments in the Phoenix area, in Tucson, and in Washington state, and Ninja honestly reigns supreme. We've loved a couple enough to become regulars, but we honestly don't care to go anywhere but Ninja anymore. Tried polyamory and failed. Oh Ninja, you make an honest woman out of me.
On the topic of the food, nigiri is my personal weakness, and the nigiri here at Ninja is exceptional. The amount of rice that they use is quite conservative, with a proportionally generous slice of melt-in-your-mouth sashimi on top. Further, the pieces are quite dainty compared to what I've been served elsewhere, which makes eating them a much more pleasant experience. And their albacore... They serve their albacore like I've never had it before, topped with minced garlic, scallions, and a light drizzle of ponzu sauce. It's absolutely spectacular, and you MUST order it if you go.
As for maki, if you like spicy or fried, my fiancé swears by the calamari tempura roll. According to him, the spicy sauce is an amazing complement to the overall flavour, and MUCH better than the stuff we've been served at other restaurants. As for myself, my personal favourites are the rainbow roll and the alaskan roll (the latter is one that has been recently added to the AYCE menu, and is basically a california roll topped with salmon, masago, scallions, and ponzu). I personally order it sans masago.
Speaking of ordering things special, the chefs and wait staff have always been incredibly accommodating when it comes to removing certain ingredients from the rolls. To cite an extreme example, I really enjoy salmon and avocado rolls, but there is unfortunately no such roll offered at Ninja. However, those ARE the ingredients in a Philly roll if you remove the cream cheese, so that's just what I do. It's a little ridiculous because a Philly roll gets its name from the cream cheese, but it doesn't matter: the staff at Ninja are happy to bend the laws of the universe for my sake, and I get my Philly roll without the Philly whenever I go. ;)
We've brought scads of friends with us to dinner here, and everyone becomes an instant convert and starts bringing THEIR family and THEIR friends. Sure, I might be a bit biased in their favour, but I'm biased for a reason: they've earned my loyalty, over and over again. And besides that, AYCE sushi for $20 is a flipping AMAZING deal -- especially when you consider the quality that Ninja delivers. You don't have to sacrifice quality for quantity in this case.
Can you see why I'm surprised that so many people have had unhappy experiences at Ninja? I really don't get it.
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