"Right away, I was struck by how poorly the atmosphere had changed under the new ownership. The lovely Japanese decor items were gone, along with the chef and staff I used to know. I entered a mostly empty restaurant and, shockingly, had to wait several minutes before anyone acknowledged me, seated me at a table, and handed me a menu.
The menu itself was also a significant disappointment: it was drastically different and much smaller. There were far fewer sushi options and kitchen dishes available. My favorite items, like the beef bowl and katsu curry, were gone. The sushi rolls had been overly 'Westernized', featuring odd sauces, crab mixes, and jalapeños on almost everything. The food now resembles Mexican cuisine more than Japanese, which is quite strange for a supposed sushi restaurant.
I settled on the only dish that sounded somewhat appealing: the sushi special, which was vaguely similar to what they offered before, and it was just mediocre. They also no longer serve the small salads that used to accompany the meal. To make matters worse, there was only one group in the restaurant—a loud, obnoxious family who were incredibly disrespectful. It was so frustrating that I almost left without eating. The kids were tossing chopsticks and food around, while the parents ignored the chaos and shouted on their phones at the table, drinking cans of soda they had brought from home. It was incredibly disruptive, ruining any chance I had for a peaceful meal.
The staff did nothing to address the situation. I'm not sure what happened with the original owners, but the new management has unfortunately turned this restaurant into a disappointing experience. I have no intention of returning. Instead, I plan to visit Poke Paradise or Kura down on Camelback for authentic sushi. I highly recommend that you spend your money there instead."
