I have been lucky enough to eat at Japonais three times so far in my lifetime (each time with at the Mirage location) and it is my favorite EXPENSIVE sushi restaurant (and by expensive, I mean you may lose an arm or a leg or both), but the food is soooo good that it is a nice once-per-year splurge. But again, very expensive and not big portions.
Last year we ate in the casual open area and were gaily served by a beautiful young lady in a sexy kimono uniform (it was cute!). This time, us two ladies opted for the more formal dining area: quieter, darker and more private, with formally-attired servers (and steaming hot hand towels for patrons - nice!). We had a delightful older Asian lady who went out of her way to pamper and check up on us.
Since Japonais is such a pricey treat once a year, I want to splurge and order everything - so I did: The Rock appetizer (a smoldering hot rock, where you sear little slices of marinated raw beef yourself - a fun if scanty treat); lobster spring rolls with mango relish (rich, buttery, shatteringly flaky); and Chilean sea bass skewers (smoky, buttery soft and delicious). After the appetizers, we opted for splitting several rolls (and opted out of drinks for the sake of attempted frugality!), and like last time, the sushi was so good, so fresh and satisfying.
We couldn't resist splitting desserts, and we tried this frothy, foamy pineapple cheesecake ramekin (not my favorite, but my friend loved it); and then some creamy, rich, dark chocolate-and-ginger torte, almost devoid of sweetness and sprinkled with cocoa powder and served with sesame seed brittle (I loved it!).
Service was excellent both times. Again, Japonais is SO expensive to me, but so good.