Sushi Roku? Sushi NawItsCool
What I thought of Sushi Roku(official review below)
Last night I hit up
Sushi Roku in Pasadena. I heard this place was pretty good from more than one friend so I finally decided to go there and see what all the fuss was about.
So, Linda and I enter, sit down, and out pops our waitress, who I knew from waaaaaaaaaay back then- "elementary school days" back then. In addition to that pleasant surprise, the restaurant had a nice setup. I couldn't wait to order!
First impression after I viewed the menu: "
Wow, this place has a good selection of sushi and a decent drink list."
Second impression: "
Dayang this place is Exp$nsiv$!!!"
Now, I don't consider myself to be cheap or frugal, but if I'm going to force my wallet to excrete lots of bills, I'm going to need to do a little Quality Assurance check beforehand. I decided to be cautious and ordered a sushi combo (7 pieces and a roll) for $20 before I would even consider ordering individual pieces. Linda ordered the broiled bass for $18.
Our waitress warned us that the serving size was small, but when Linda's bass came out, I honestly thought "
Okay, where's the rest of it? Did a huge piece of it fall off the plate while our waitress was carrying it?"
For those of you that are familiar with this particular dish, yes, the bass came with a chili lobster bisque sauce that was nice but for $18, a glass of water with a slice of lemon would fill you up more. Strike one against Sushi Roku.
When my sushi combination platter came out, the cuts of fish draping over the rice were so thin I thought my mouth would get papercuts eating them. But I still maintained positive thoughts. Good things usually don't come in large portions anyway.
In reality, this thought ended up actually being a wish. After I tried my first piece of sushi, my tastebuds stopped what they were doing and started screaming at me. The accumulated anticipation was like foreplay that ended before the real party started.
To put a more polished spin on this- If my tongue was another appendage, eating the sushi at Sushi Roku meant indefinitely a kill-a-boner. Dayang, that PLUS A kill-a-funds factor EQUALS Never come back again.
After I realized Sushi Roku was over-priced and over-hyped, I started focusing on other aspects of the restaurant. The line of sushi chefs yelling when people walked into the restuarant sounded like they were saying "Together" rather than "Welcome." The "
arigaTO the employees yelled when customers left sounded so off base it felt like they were happy they served yet another sucker.
The only real good thing about Sushi Roku is the chill ambiance. If you want a dimly lit restaurant with a lively atmosphere tucked away in a cozy shopping square, drop by. If you want quality sushi however, please don't mess with your tastebuds and stomach by going here. It really is cruel and unusual punishment.
--- EDIT ---
I found these comments about Sushi Roku while looking for other sushi restuarants. And here I thought I was the only one.
Customer A
The Same Chain?
Sushi Roku SANTA MONICA (10) was absolutely excellent in every way. Sushi Roku PASADENA (1) was one of the worst restaurants I have ever been to. Besides the decor and service, the food there was bland, ill prepared and definitely not fresh. I AM JAPANESE (BORN IN JAPAN) and I don't know why so many people who rate Japanese restaurants find it important that the restaurant needs to be either from JAPAN or owned by JAPANESE people to be good. Sushi Roku is NOT owned by Japanese people but I found their food (IN SANTA MONICA) to be delicious. Maybe because Santa Monica is closer to Japan than Pasadena is ...
Customer B
It amazes me that this establishment continues to receive undeserving high praise from food critics. I can only conclude that the chi-chi décor is a distraction for the overpriced swill they try to fob off as sushi. Fortunately, the preceding reviews prove that the glitzy veneer doesn’t so easily fool sushi lovers. The stale fish had an unpleasant aftertaste and the rice was gummy. The portions were stingy, even by sushi bar standards, and many menu selections were unavailable. We sat at a table in a high traffic area and we still had to flag down our brusque waiter no less than 4 times. For this rare privilege, we were gouged $200, and I still left the restaurant hungry. Sushi "Roku" has a euphemism in my book, and it’s unprintable here.
Customer C
Looking to see and be seen? Pull up a chair. Looking for attitude and average sushi at astronomical costs? Well, break open your chop sticks, mix your wasabi with low sodium soy and commence operation typical Los Angeles trendy scene. Doumo arigatou gozaimasu.... I think not.
For more delightful comments on Sushi Roku, visit
this link
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I haven't been updating this blog recently because I've been so busy at work. I have three clients who want me to find applicants IMMEDIATELY. And they all gave me until Monday to do so. I've been frantically trying to find good candidates, but good candidates are hard to come by. Just gotta keep searching though.
Other than work, I've been hitting the gym on a regular basis. My gym membership got upgraded to "all access seven days a week" status. And on top of that, thanks to the sales rep that hooked that up, I'll only have to pay 24 bucks a year for gym fees after 3 years! AWWW YEAH!
Besides working and working out, I'm trying to study for LSAT's. If the amount of effort I spend into explaining how much I study is represented in this passage . . . hahaha
I also got to watch
I, Robot,
The Village and
Collateral, all of which were pretty good. I haven't seen a disappointing movie since
Troy. So far so good. That's a quick update in my life.
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Fun with Carebears
I always make fun of Linda's Carebears just because one of them seems so freaky with his gaze. No joke. The Grumpy Carebear should be banned. Man, if I was a kid, I'd put that sucka up in the closet and masterlock the doors twice. Linda chooses to have it sit on her bed staring at her at all times.
Freaky Grumpy Carebear
My kind of Carebear - SleepNasty Carebear
Tommy's and Aaron's Bday
I've known both these cats since junior high school. Tommy, if you're reading this, you've been my boy for a long time. More good times to come my man. Aaron, you Soju drinking Taekwondo Master. Ok USA! Happy b-day you guys.
Me & Bday Boy #1, Tommy
Bday Boy #2, Aaron, & Daniel
Mr. Joe & Me
Eunice, Jonathan, Aaron
Winston & Eunice
BJ's Potato Skins
San Diego Saturday Sunday
I got to go to San Diego to hang out with Z and to put a for rent sign in the condo. Good people as always; Good food; Good times. Can't get better than that.
Di Chan Thai Restaurant
Bellefleur Sunday Brunch Buffet Victims
Me & Linda Were Victims Too
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Okay, I think I've killed enough web space with this entry. Time to study. On a Saturday night at that. What fun. I leave you with Megan Ewing, a delectable model. Bon appetite Dilated Pupils!
