1870 Prairie City Road Folsom, CA
A fairly obscure location, without the gift certificate I received for this restaurant, I probably wouldn't have come, not because of anything negative about the sushi but because I hadn't heard of it or seen it, that said, it was a very pleasant experience, the staff was friendly and though I went on a Saturday, it was by no means crowded (probably because of the location)
here's how it scored-
1. Rice - 4
(good, not lacking anything, but also not so good that I would reach for a plain clump that fell off a roll)
2. Sauce - 4
(Excellent variety with good pairings)
3. Frying - 4
(both the shrimp and fried roll were a beautiful golden brown)
4. Combinations - 3
(everything we had was good, but there seemed to be a bit of a monotony in the roll variety)
5. Price - 3
(standard costs, about 10-14 per roll, however they say from 4:30 to 8 pm you can have all you can eat rolls for about $13 a person, I'm not sure which rolls are on that list [I was there for lunch] but this could be an incredible deal)
6. Aesthetics - 3
(traditional sushi looks, a family friendly atmosphere)
Total points - 21 for 84% or a solid B
overall a good go to restaurant if you live nearby be sure to check out the all you can eat menu, (and if you do please comment below)
June 10, 2010
June 8, 2010
Tokyo Fro's
2224 Fair Oaks Blvd.
As a rule I try to avoid places with alot of hype, but I felt that the second most discussed/publicised sushi restaurant in Sacramento is Tokyo Fro's, so my reviews of local places would be remiss without this location...
When I first walked in, my initial reaction was, "Where's the rest of this place?" (I actually said that) from the advertisements and commercials, I'd assumed that they had seating for a few hundred and a large stage somewhere for the concerts they promote, but I got there and although the seating area might have been 150 feet long it felt that it couldn't have been more than 20 feet wide, the "courtyard" was even smaller, much smaller, the "stage" area was not visible at all to the interior seating and hardly to the exterior seating... anyway here's the rundown-
1. Rice - 5
(excellent)
2. Sauces -4
(might have been a 3 but Fro's sells a unique desert sushi with a great raspberry sauce, high marks)
3. Combinations -3
(very good, but while most restaurants have rolls based on crab avocado and cream cheese as their bread and butter, [often to the point of ridiculousness] the person I was with asked me to help them find one of said rolls and we found only 2 on the menu [one we had ordered, the princess roll] and although they added cream cheese to a different one which had the other 2 requested items at no charge, it was a bit shocking)
4. Frying- 4
(the afore mentioned Princess roll was the most interestingly fried roll I've ever had, not the filling but the lightness of the frying was quite unique, perfect golden brown but extremely shallowly on the roll and not battered, I wish more places would fry like this)
5. Price - 3
(generally the same as everyone else more than 4/5 of rolls were between $9 and $13, however I have been told that happy hour has nearly 50% off, possibly a great deal)
6. Ascetics - 3
(very trendy but edgy to the point that it made me uncomfortable, skimpy outfits on the waitresses and strange art showing so much cleavage that it isn't even cleavage anymore and names for food items designed to push the envelope of appropriateness)
Total - 22 points or a total of 88% for a grade of B+
all in all the atmosphere made me uncomfortable to the point that I would probably not return, but I understand there are others that would find the gimmicks wonderful and say that I am old and boring, perhaps if I were in the area at happy hour I would do take out, oh and the rice crispy roll was really cool.
As a rule I try to avoid places with alot of hype, but I felt that the second most discussed/publicised sushi restaurant in Sacramento is Tokyo Fro's, so my reviews of local places would be remiss without this location...
When I first walked in, my initial reaction was, "Where's the rest of this place?" (I actually said that) from the advertisements and commercials, I'd assumed that they had seating for a few hundred and a large stage somewhere for the concerts they promote, but I got there and although the seating area might have been 150 feet long it felt that it couldn't have been more than 20 feet wide, the "courtyard" was even smaller, much smaller, the "stage" area was not visible at all to the interior seating and hardly to the exterior seating... anyway here's the rundown-
1. Rice - 5
(excellent)
2. Sauces -4
(might have been a 3 but Fro's sells a unique desert sushi with a great raspberry sauce, high marks)
3. Combinations -3
(very good, but while most restaurants have rolls based on crab avocado and cream cheese as their bread and butter, [often to the point of ridiculousness] the person I was with asked me to help them find one of said rolls and we found only 2 on the menu [one we had ordered, the princess roll] and although they added cream cheese to a different one which had the other 2 requested items at no charge, it was a bit shocking)
4. Frying- 4
(the afore mentioned Princess roll was the most interestingly fried roll I've ever had, not the filling but the lightness of the frying was quite unique, perfect golden brown but extremely shallowly on the roll and not battered, I wish more places would fry like this)
5. Price - 3
(generally the same as everyone else more than 4/5 of rolls were between $9 and $13, however I have been told that happy hour has nearly 50% off, possibly a great deal)
6. Ascetics - 3
(very trendy but edgy to the point that it made me uncomfortable, skimpy outfits on the waitresses and strange art showing so much cleavage that it isn't even cleavage anymore and names for food items designed to push the envelope of appropriateness)
Total - 22 points or a total of 88% for a grade of B+
all in all the atmosphere made me uncomfortable to the point that I would probably not return, but I understand there are others that would find the gimmicks wonderful and say that I am old and boring, perhaps if I were in the area at happy hour I would do take out, oh and the rice crispy roll was really cool.
June 7, 2010
Mikuni (all sacramento locations)
Fair Oaks, Midtown, Roseville & Arden (and the Sushi Bus)
With the exception of the Elk Grove location I have been to all of Mikuni locations (including the sushi bus) most many many times. If someone in Sacramento likes sushi, they love Mikuni, it has great ambiance, food, employees, promotions... My most recent visit was no exception, in fact in the over 10 years I have been going to Mikuni, nearly every change, has been a vast improvement on near perfection, that said, here's the breakdown-
1. Rice - 5
(perfect rice, sweet, slightly vinegary, sticky but never gummy)
2. Sauces - 4
(excellent, with many custom sauces made specifically to complement different items, and all amazing)
3. Combinations - 4
(almost too many to be able to chose from in the main menu, not to mention the special extended menu, almost all complex or simply brilliant)
4. Frying - 3
(sadly not a perfect score, it used to be, unfortunately the switch from tempura battered shrimp to panko shrimp, though ingenious as far as mass production quality goes, is too crunchy, and a but distracting from the way the rest of the roll feels in your mouth)
5. Cost - 3
(not bad, as far as it's contemporaries go but rarely has coupons or other big deals)
6. Aesthetic - 4
(trendy, cool, and frequently updated, the best date atmosphere)
Total score 23 points for 92% or an A- (But extra credit for Taro being so cool brings it to an A)
With the exception of the Elk Grove location I have been to all of Mikuni locations (including the sushi bus) most many many times. If someone in Sacramento likes sushi, they love Mikuni, it has great ambiance, food, employees, promotions... My most recent visit was no exception, in fact in the over 10 years I have been going to Mikuni, nearly every change, has been a vast improvement on near perfection, that said, here's the breakdown-
1. Rice - 5
(perfect rice, sweet, slightly vinegary, sticky but never gummy)
2. Sauces - 4
(excellent, with many custom sauces made specifically to complement different items, and all amazing)
3. Combinations - 4
(almost too many to be able to chose from in the main menu, not to mention the special extended menu, almost all complex or simply brilliant)
4. Frying - 3
(sadly not a perfect score, it used to be, unfortunately the switch from tempura battered shrimp to panko shrimp, though ingenious as far as mass production quality goes, is too crunchy, and a but distracting from the way the rest of the roll feels in your mouth)
5. Cost - 3
(not bad, as far as it's contemporaries go but rarely has coupons or other big deals)
6. Aesthetic - 4
(trendy, cool, and frequently updated, the best date atmosphere)
Total score 23 points for 92% or an A- (But extra credit for Taro being so cool brings it to an A)
June 6, 2010
Wasabi Hibachi Grill
2745 Elk Grove Blvd. Elk Grove, CA 95758
I admit the reason I visited this location was because I had a buy one get one coupon, and happened to be at the far end of Elk Grove Blvd. but I must say when I arrived I was very impressed with the looks of the place, it was beautiful when I went in I was concerned that the cost would be staggering because 1. the restaurant is only open about 6 hours a day, and 2. the restaurant made liberal use of custom engraved tiles, probably 30 visible in the entryway alone.
I arrived at apox. 5pm (intending to get take out) there was no one at either the the register or waiting area, so I grabbed a menu I noticed with pictures of sushi on it (I did not expect it was the "extended sushi menu") it had no more than 15 roll choices, the main menu only had about 10. I understand that it is mainly a hibachi grill, but with a name like wasabi, you'd expect some sushi options, upon making my decision for 2 simple rolls, (one had fried salmon) I placed my order and proceeded to wait 30 minutes for them while I could see as I waited 2 groups of 8 people arrived without reservations (actually 3 groups of 4 and 2 of 2, sat in groups of 8) and were seated and eating with their own personal chefs before I left, despite the fact that there was only one couple at the "bar" and 2 sushi chef's behind said bar...
Anyway here's the point breakdown...
1. Rice - 2
(It had no hint of sweetness or vinegar, but was sticky)
2. Sauce - 2
(I've read other reports of great sauce at this restaurant, but I assume they must have been for the hibachi side, one of my rolls had no sauce and the other had an extremely spicy, but otherwise unpleasant sauce, and the look of mayonnaise but so little that it couldn't be tasted)
3. Combinations - 1
(most of the few offered rolls were 1 - 2 things in the roll and hot sauce or perhaps an additional 1-2 things on top, my 2 rolls were the golden salmon roll, [off menu item] which had fried salmon inside and raw salmon and avocado outside, no sauce, and the dynamite roll, which had raw scallops and cucumber inside and just spicy sauce on top, oh and it looked like mayo but wasn't enough to taste)
4. Frying - 3
(the salmon in the golden salmon roll was fried perfectly, but few fried items on menu)
5. Cost - 4
(It turns out 5 days out of the week the whole day is happy hour, and the most expensive rolls are only $7 the cheapest $3, my total tab, before tip, $8 for 2 rolls, with my coupon)
6. Ascetics -4
(as cool and trendy looking as you could hope for)
total of 16 points or 64% a grade of D
at least as far as the sushi goes, but the people eating hibachi seemed quite pleased, that may be worth going back for, but despite the price, leave the sushi alone
I admit the reason I visited this location was because I had a buy one get one coupon, and happened to be at the far end of Elk Grove Blvd. but I must say when I arrived I was very impressed with the looks of the place, it was beautiful when I went in I was concerned that the cost would be staggering because 1. the restaurant is only open about 6 hours a day, and 2. the restaurant made liberal use of custom engraved tiles, probably 30 visible in the entryway alone.
I arrived at apox. 5pm (intending to get take out) there was no one at either the the register or waiting area, so I grabbed a menu I noticed with pictures of sushi on it (I did not expect it was the "extended sushi menu") it had no more than 15 roll choices, the main menu only had about 10. I understand that it is mainly a hibachi grill, but with a name like wasabi, you'd expect some sushi options, upon making my decision for 2 simple rolls, (one had fried salmon) I placed my order and proceeded to wait 30 minutes for them while I could see as I waited 2 groups of 8 people arrived without reservations (actually 3 groups of 4 and 2 of 2, sat in groups of 8) and were seated and eating with their own personal chefs before I left, despite the fact that there was only one couple at the "bar" and 2 sushi chef's behind said bar...
Anyway here's the point breakdown...
1. Rice - 2
(It had no hint of sweetness or vinegar, but was sticky)
2. Sauce - 2
(I've read other reports of great sauce at this restaurant, but I assume they must have been for the hibachi side, one of my rolls had no sauce and the other had an extremely spicy, but otherwise unpleasant sauce, and the look of mayonnaise but so little that it couldn't be tasted)
3. Combinations - 1
(most of the few offered rolls were 1 - 2 things in the roll and hot sauce or perhaps an additional 1-2 things on top, my 2 rolls were the golden salmon roll, [off menu item] which had fried salmon inside and raw salmon and avocado outside, no sauce, and the dynamite roll, which had raw scallops and cucumber inside and just spicy sauce on top, oh and it looked like mayo but wasn't enough to taste)
4. Frying - 3
(the salmon in the golden salmon roll was fried perfectly, but few fried items on menu)
5. Cost - 4
(It turns out 5 days out of the week the whole day is happy hour, and the most expensive rolls are only $7 the cheapest $3, my total tab, before tip, $8 for 2 rolls, with my coupon)
6. Ascetics -4
(as cool and trendy looking as you could hope for)
total of 16 points or 64% a grade of D
at least as far as the sushi goes, but the people eating hibachi seemed quite pleased, that may be worth going back for, but despite the price, leave the sushi alone
June 5, 2010
Umeko Buffet (Japanese Seafood and Sushi)
8353 Folsom Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95826
http://www.umekobuffet.com/
I have to admit, when I got their flier in the mail, I was more intrigued with horror than hope, I wondered how this inexpensive sushi place that took over an abandoned sizzler so many years ago was still in business, but in the way one is curious about a train wreak, and remembering that that one time I ate there (nearly a decade ago) it "wasn't bad" I decided to risk my 7.99 (plus drink) and try them for lunch today, accepting that since they advertise Chinese food if the sushi were inedible, at least I could have what would be probably no worse than a mediocre meal. I was amazed and impressed to see that while the outside looks basically the same as 10 years ago, the interior was probably the most charming buffet I've been to outside of Nevada, and the food did not disappoint. Not only were the sushi offerings very impressive but many of the Chinese foods were of a premium quality, here's the breakdown of the points;
1. Rice - 4 points
(the right mild vinegar tang, could have been a little sweeter)
2. Sauce - 4 points
(particularly because they had a delicious wasabi mayonnaise, not too strong but greatly enhanced the rolls that also had the sweet sauce)
3. Combinations - 3 points
(while I was there I saw no less than 8 distinct rolls and 3 nigiri; salmon, yellow and white tuna, though I did not enjoy the spicy tuna, [I usually don't] I could see that the spicy tuna rolls were quite popular)
4. Frying - 4 points
(two of the roll options were fried and rather good, not too done, soggy or tasting of old oil)
5. Cost - 4 points
(with the price of all you can eat for [including the drink] under $10, this price is untouchable, considering 1 roll at most restaurants would be at least $10)
6. Ascetics - 3 points
(although incredibly charming, nothing will take away from the fact that it is still a buffet, still it's worth a trip just to see the juxtaposition of the exterior to the interior)
so in total 22 points or 88% this restaurant earns a solid B+ and my continued patronage
Sacramento, CA 95826
http://www.umekobuffet.com/
I have to admit, when I got their flier in the mail, I was more intrigued with horror than hope, I wondered how this inexpensive sushi place that took over an abandoned sizzler so many years ago was still in business, but in the way one is curious about a train wreak, and remembering that that one time I ate there (nearly a decade ago) it "wasn't bad" I decided to risk my 7.99 (plus drink) and try them for lunch today, accepting that since they advertise Chinese food if the sushi were inedible, at least I could have what would be probably no worse than a mediocre meal. I was amazed and impressed to see that while the outside looks basically the same as 10 years ago, the interior was probably the most charming buffet I've been to outside of Nevada, and the food did not disappoint. Not only were the sushi offerings very impressive but many of the Chinese foods were of a premium quality, here's the breakdown of the points;
1. Rice - 4 points
(the right mild vinegar tang, could have been a little sweeter)
2. Sauce - 4 points
(particularly because they had a delicious wasabi mayonnaise, not too strong but greatly enhanced the rolls that also had the sweet sauce)
3. Combinations - 3 points
(while I was there I saw no less than 8 distinct rolls and 3 nigiri; salmon, yellow and white tuna, though I did not enjoy the spicy tuna, [I usually don't] I could see that the spicy tuna rolls were quite popular)
4. Frying - 4 points
(two of the roll options were fried and rather good, not too done, soggy or tasting of old oil)
5. Cost - 4 points
(with the price of all you can eat for [including the drink] under $10, this price is untouchable, considering 1 roll at most restaurants would be at least $10)
6. Ascetics - 3 points
(although incredibly charming, nothing will take away from the fact that it is still a buffet, still it's worth a trip just to see the juxtaposition of the exterior to the interior)
so in total 22 points or 88% this restaurant earns a solid B+ and my continued patronage
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