Wow, what happened to this place? I guess I really haven't been here for a long time, until a few weeks ago. We were in the area and craving Hawaiian food. Figured Aloha Specialties at The Cal would be too crowded on a Saturday afternoon, so we decided to come here. How things have changed!
We walked in and were not greeted by the staff like before. Instead, there was a sign that said "Counter service only. Please place your order with the cashier." We asked the cashier, "What happened to all the waiters?" She said that they "changed the concept" of this Island Sushi a little over a year ago, hence the addition of the word Express. They have counter service only, but full service at the sushi bar. No waiters, no bartenders, which was kind of sad. We ordered our favorite - fried noodles, got a number, sat down at a table and our food was brought out to us 10 minutes later. Utensils, napkins, condiments and water were all self-serve. Although the food was still delicious, I believe the portions were a bit smaller.
Again, pretty sad. I miss the old atmosphere and how it used to remind me of home. If I was ever in the area, I suppose I would stop by for take out. But I wouldn't make a great effort to come here.