Food Adventure to Sushi Avenue, San Leandro
- ElegantTrout
- Jul 19, 2016
- 4 min read
Been a little while since I talked food with you.
Tell Me About This Place?
Like my post with Ghirardeli, this picture is a bit older. Before I even thought about reviving my blog. I never thought about taking any more pictures, but I've gone to the restaurant a handful of times now. Hopefully, I can accurately convey the tastes and visuals of this establishment effectively. Let's chow.
It's really odd. When I was working around this area, I never really noticed this place. The building itself is just so inconspicuous. It's not flashy at all. In fact, I'd go to say it's well concealed -- other than the huge "Under New Management" banner above their building that has been there for at least a year. If it's still there, I'd be impressed.
Location-wise, it's great. Not much more you could ask for other than maybe a boba place if you're into that. You're located a few blocks from many things: The 880 Freeway, San Leandro BART, a small plaza with quite a few clothing stores, and a hospital if anything goes bad.
Thankfully, the inside is much, much better than the outside. In terms of visuals, it's usually clean whenever I go -- and the menus are nice. It's even got a slew of conveniences that are in the favor of the customer. Tatami mats in good spots for those wanting to eat in the traditional style, and various spots in different locations of the stores that are well spaced out. No sense of cramming whatsoever.
Which is great for people like me. People who don't like to bump into another person or chair whenever they move back a couple finger-spaces.
What About the Food?
The appetizers have been particularly good to me so far. Some are a bit too pricey for what they are, like the edamame (not sure why restaurants charge an in-n-out combo price for a small bowl of edamame), but at least they taste good. I've had good experiences with the asparagus beef, hamachi kama, and the gyoza. There's actual flavor in the dishes. Nothing mediocre about them. Cucumber salads are a hit or miss depending on how you like your salad, and it may be a bit too tough for some peoples palates.
But of course, you'd want to hear about the bigger meals. The sushi too.
You'd be glad to hear that I don't have much bad to say about this place. The donburis are really good. Haven't had an issue with the Yakiniku Donburi (beef), and the Una-Ju is really fantastic. I can tell the person who designed these dishes had a keen sense of what works well together. Since eel is usually mushy and oily, they paired it with some crisp vegetables. Unlike many other Japanese restaurants where they neglect complementary components, this place seems to pay close attention to that kind of thing.
Udon is tasty, sashimi is well prepared and served. Sushi is generally served with great care for presentation and taste. Haven't been disappointed with any of their nigiri sushi, and it's probably top 5 in my books in all the Japanese restaurants I've had nigiri sushi at. Big bonus is that the unagi nigiri isn't ridiculously priced, and I'm a big eel fan (and strict critic). The hand rolls are okay, nothing special there. Specialty rolls are above average when it comes to taste and looks.
You mess it all up in your mouth, but I like to stress that looks matter a lot when appetites involved.
Rainbow Roll is solid for those who like to keep it simple, Lambada Roll and Dynamite Roll are good for spicy lovers, and I personally like the Rose Garden Roll. In a lot of these specialty rolls, a fine appreciation for different flavor elements.
Are There Any Major Downsides?
One of the downsides of the place would be the service. There's not a lot of interaction or attentiveness with the servers unless you're chatting it up with the older woman there. But, I think she's a manager or owner. Whoever she is, she's fantastic. She pays so much attention to the customers and always has this discerning aura about her. The cooks are great though. They're very meticulous and fun to talk to or watch.
Anything Else?
I think it's a great Japanese restaurant. Very well rounded menu with carefully selected ingredients. Not often is there a mess up, and the venue is generally spacious and clean. Could it be better? Sure. The outside is a bit rough, prices are acceptable but can be a bit rough, and it feels like the servers aren't well trained.
Worth a shot? Worth a shot.
Stuff I Like:
- Nigiri Sushi and Specialty Rolls are great for the price, compared to other places.
- Donburi's are extremely filling, tempting and palatable.
- Location. It's not too far from an 880 exit, the San Leandro BART station, clothing stores, and a Kaiser hospital. Not too shabby.
- Place is usually clean. Good leg room.
Middling Stuff:
- Hand Rolls are rather unexceptional. Given the quality of their special rolls and the nigiri, it's overshadowed.
Stuff I Don't Like:
- Prices of certain things are pretty darn high. I think a Hand Roll is cheaper than a small thing of edamame, last time I checked.
- Servers might as well be playing Pokemon GO.
Recommended For:
Sushi lovers or those with a voracious appetite. Anyone who enjoys Japanese cuisine would be glad to know that dinner is served up strong and flavorful with lots on the plate, without overpowering the main aspects of the dish.
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