Tampa Restaurant Guide

Sorry for the wall of text, but it really needs to be said :P

Let me preface my review by saying the following: I am a sushi SNOB. I used to work at an amazing sushi bar and hibachi restaurant in Ohio, and I have tried just about any Sushi restaurant I've ever come across and read good things about. 90% of the places I go that get "raving" reviews, I never go back to, and am disappointed in as my standards are so high. That being said...

I first caught wind of this place through a discount website I use for eating out. The info available on it was scarce, to say the least, but I did find a few positive reviews on one site, and the impressive menu on feedabull.com (their delivery service). So I told the wife to be ready for dinner that night and after work we headed over there with low expectations, as shes as much of a sushi-freak as I am.

When we first walked in, we were pleased to see the place was clean, dimly lit, and cozy, with friendly staff greeting us and motioning to sit where we like after I gave my usual "two for the sushi bar." We grabbed our seats, and I ordered a beer, as they have 2 for 1 drafts/bottles all the time. He brought out my first of two BIG (no 10 oz two fers here) Shock Tops and took our order. I had looked over the menu already online, and all looked familiar save for a few extra rolls and items that weren't on the site yet.

The sushi was suprisingly cheap. They have a dinner meal where you can choose any two rolls (out of 30), and a miso soup and ginger salad for 10 bucks. Or for a dollar more, choose from 40 rolls, including some fancier ones. That seemed like a no brainer, so my wife ordered a spicy white tuna and spicy salmon with soy paper instead of seaweed (not a big seaweed fan) - $9.99, which they were happy to accomodate. I ordered a Rainbow roll, and a Snowbird roll (cream cheese, crab, and cucumber with white tuna on top) - $10.99. We also ordered the Tuna and Salmon sushi dinner to share, which is 5 pieces of each plus a cali roll $14.99(subbed for a spicy tuna, again no problem).

Our miso soup was standard fare, very good, and the ginger salads were better than usual for a sushi place. Our rolls were first to arrive, and they didn't let us down. Everything was prepared well, the sushi rice was PERFECT I must say, and they tasted great. So far so good, but the real test of mettle would be the sushi, as that's usually when you notice the biggest difference in quality.

Our plate of tuna and salmon came out, and we were BLOWN AWAY. Neither of us since probably my old restaurant have had fish this fresh, prepared that well. Every bite was buttery and smooth in texture, and melted in your mouth.

Save for maybe Sam Oh Jung in Bradenton, no where we've eaten in this area comes near this place. Not only are they among the freshest and best sushi I've ever had, but the prices are probably the cheapest I've ever seen for this caliber sushi as well.

If you love sushi, please, please, PLEASE do yourself a favor and try this place out. Maybe your experience will differ from mine, but if they keep that quality up and stay at those prices, I'm sure this will be the first of many rave reviews, and the end of me searching for a new sushi spot.