Episode #159: Tokiwa Sushi

Vancouver (Northwest), $$ (Moderately Priced)
www.facebook.com/Tokiwa-Sushi-203069733044855

When I located Tokiwa Sushi on Oak St., it was still rather early, and I wasn't hungry yet. Being adventurous, I decided to check out the huge mansions in the vicinity and dream about the things I will never be able to afford. Unfortunately, my petite excursion ended up in disaster when I got lost at a small circular park and could no longer tell which way I was heading. Right at that moment, it also began to pour. Oh great... The smartest thing I could think of was to continue walking in some direction until I hit a major street. Of course, I ended up on the wrongest street possible, which shows that I'm probably the worst companion to have on a camping or hiking trip.

Tokiwa Sushi is a small, cozy restaurant that serves mainly sushi rolls and nigiri, along with a few salads. There are virtually no cooked items on the menu. Nothing on the menu was particularly expensive, as most of the special rolls were simple and cost only $4.50. However, the air was filled with the fragrant aroma of Aburi sushi, which left me with no choice but to go for one of their $7.50 Aburi special rolls.

Sockeye Salmon Sashimi - A-

I don't know how this is possible, but they actually managed to run out of Tuna Sashimi. I was stuck with the Sockeye Salmon Sashimi, but at least it was fresh and featured a soft texture as well as a mildly sweet flavour. 

Tuna Special Roll - A-

The Tuna Special Roll was one of their $4.50 special rolls and consisted of tuna, lettuce, teriyaki sauce, and mayonnaise. The lettuce provided some crunch to the roll, and the teriyaki sauce added sweetness to the tuna. I also liked the addition of finely ground bread crumbs, which gave the roll a unique flavour. I wish the mayonnaise was spread out a bit better (it was basically a thick glob in the middle), but overall, the flavours and ingredients went well together.

Unagi Nigiri - A-

Toro Nigiri - A

Chopped Scallop Nigiri - A

Wow, it looks like I've been blessed with excellent nigiri two adventures in a row! The sushi rice here was packed just a tad too tightly for my liking, but it was again well-seasoned and well-prepared. The unagi had a delicious smoky flavour and was warm when it came to my table. The toro was very rich and fatty and melted perfectly in my mouth. I also liked the Chopped Scallop Nigiri, where the mayonnaise provided a harmonized sweet flavour and the seaweed was not too tough. Some tobiko on top gave the nigiri a nice bubbly texture.

Aburi Wild Sockeye Salmon Roll - B+

The Aburi Wild Sockeye Salmon Roll was one of their specials and came with seared salmon, avocado, and miso mayo sauce. Some pieces were slightly overdone, but the pieces that they got right were heavenly and highly aromatic. The miso mayo sauce worked wonders here. I also found the roll rice-heavy and would have preferred more avocado instead, but this issue was sort of alleviated by dipping the roll in soy sauce.

The service was quite warm and friendly, and overall, this turned out to be an enjoyable visit other than the fact that I was pretty drenched from earlier. Well, drenched sushi adventures have long since become a regular occurrence due to my sore lack of driving skills. If only they invented a way to drive safely while experiencing a food coma, very blurry vision, and being carsick all at the same time... then maybe I could someday learn to drive.

Episode #158: Kaide Sushi Bar

Vancouver (Downtown), $$$$ (Luxury)

www.vancouverkaidesushi.com

In addition to some of the most expensive sushi restaurants in Vancouver, Yaletown also offers a few comparatively affordable options for sushi, such as FRESH Japanese Restaurant. I went into Kaide Sushi Bar thinking that it would be one of the more affordable options, but it didn't take me long to realize that this was not the case. The restaurant was also not as small as I had expected, and outside the restaurant was a gorgeous, stunning view of a construction scene.

Kaide Sushi Bar has some of the highest online ratings for any sushi restaurant in Vancouver. It is a sushi bar (as its name suggests), so there was a very limited number of non-sushi, non-sashimi items. The staff are Japanese and the menu exhibits a clear focus on traditional Japanese food, though there were a few innovative fusion-type items as well. The waitress was very friendly, patient and welcoming. Somehow, I noticed that her voice was lower than mine, which made me feel a little self-conscious for some reason...

First to arrive on my table was the Kaide Assorted Sushi, which was beautifully presented and featured nine pieces of fancy nigiri. What else could I ask for?

 Sockeye Salmon Roll (half order) - B+

Tekka Roll (half order) - B+

Kaide Sushi Bar only servers sockeye salmon, and the Sockeye Salmon Roll had an appealing soft texture. The Tekka Roll (tuna) came with a good amount of soft, melty tuna. Freshness was apparent in both types of hosomaki, though there wasn't anything mind-blowing in terms of structure or richness of flavour here.

Hokkigai Nigiri - A-

Uni Nigiri - A

Chopped Scallop Nigiri - A

Unagi Nigiri - A+

Tamago - A-

Lucky for me, the nigiri was a hit. The sushi rice was especially well-prepared and well-seasoned and tasted good by itself. The Hokkigai Nigiri was rather small, but it had a pleasant sweet flavour and an appealing chewiness. The Uni Nigiri was fresh and really melty with a mild, sea-like, savoury flavour. The Chopped Scallop Nigiri featured creamy, sweet scallop, and the conservative amount of sushi rice allowed the nigiri to be easily consumed in one bite (the way it should be). The highlight of the combo was the Unagi Nigiri, which had an irresistible, well-rounded grilled flavour. Yes, this was the best Unagi Nigiri that I have ever eaten. As a bonus, I was also given two pieces of tamago, which were sufficiently sweet with a soft, puffy texture.

Toro Nigiri - A+

Sockeye Salmon Nigiri - A-

Katsuo Nigiri - A-

Butterfish Nigiri - A

Hamachi Nigiri - A

Could it really be? Multiple A+'s in one meal? With the heavenly Toro Nigiri, the answer was a definite yes. The toro looked good and tasted good. It had a marvelous melty texture and was so fatty and juicy that it literally took me to fish heaven. Okay, that sounded a little wrong. Next, the Sockeye Salmon Nigiri came with a generous cut and was soft, but not especially rich. The Katsuo Nigiri (skipjack tuna) had a very distinct flavour that mildly resembled saba. Apart from the green onion on top, I could also taste a slight green onion essence within the fish itself. The Butterfish Nigiri was melty, soft, and buttery with a texture akin to high-quality albacore tuna. Finally, the Hamachi Nigiri was rich and fatty and even came with its own dipping sauce! The sauce was soy-based but had a bit of a vinegary accent to it, which went quite well with the sushi rice. 

Tofino Roll - A-

Special Inari - A

Obviously, I couldn't leave without trying a special roll, so I went for the Tofino Roll, which was named after a small city that I have never been to. The Tofino Roll featured spicy tuna, takuan (pickled daikon), and seared tuna. The tuna on top had a wonderful seared flavour, and the clever use of unseared tuna inside the roll allowed them to sear the tuna on top a bit more for a richer flavour while preserving the juicier texture of tuna sashimi within the roll. The avocado did not disappoint, and the very mild and gentle spiciness emanating from the spicy tuna did not overwhelm any of the ingredients.

The Special Inari came with just one piece and consisted of smoked salmon, ebi, and avocado in a sweet tofu pocket. The smoked salmon was wrapped around the rice to create a richer well-balanced flavour. The inari came with ample moisture and sweetness, and some green onions were added for some extra zing.

It has been quite a while since I have had this many good things to say about a sushi restaurant. Kaide Sushi Bar clearly excels in service, freshness, and execution. Yes, it was quite expensive, and after tax and tips, I ended up paying a total of $50. I have never ever spent $50 on lunch before, but the quality of the food made this a very worthwhile sushi adventure. 

Episode #157: Bay Sushi Cafe

Vancouver (Downtown), $$ (Moderately Priced)
www.baysushicafe.com

Bay Sushi Cafe is one of downtown Vancouver's most popular express sushi establishments, and I went in thinking that cheap prices would be the biggest attraction. This was not the case. There were both rolls and bento boxes over $10, but despite that, there were hardly any free tables left for me to sit at. Since the prices weren't exactly cheap, I got my hopes up for some quality food.

It took me some time to realize that you actually order and pay at the front. This usually means Raymond-taking-so-long-that-the-cashier-and-the-other-people-standing-in-line-get-frustrated time. However, being a polite gentleman, I went over to the menu that was taped to a wall near the front entrance, where I could take as many hours as I wanted to formulate my order.

Paying at the front also meant that I got to see how much of a fatty I was compared to other people. While everyone else was ordering about $10 to $15 of food, my order easily busted the $25 mark. I overheard some of the staff members discussing how to actually put my food onto a tray. They ended up giving me two trays instead.

Miso Soup - B

I received a Miso Soup as part of my Chicken Teriyaki & Sashimi Bento. The Miso Soup came with seaweed, green onion, tofu, and a rather generous helping of salt. There was also quite a bit of miso paste, and for once, I think this Miso Soup actually contains a bit too much miso paste.

Gyoza - B-

Moving on to the bento box itself, the Gyoza had a mild tangy flavour, and the wrapping was so crispy that it bordered on being hard. There wasn't quite enough pork filling to give the Gyoza a well-rounded flavour.

Chicken Teriyaki - C

The Chicken Teriyaki looked very appealing, but it turned out to be the low point of my meal. The chicken tasted bland, and the skin on top was soggy. Did they accidentally drop it into a bucket of water before serving it to me? The rice ended up being decent, though the bean sprouts were unevenly dressed with teriyaki sauce.

Salmon Sashimi - A-

Tuna Sashimi - B-

The sashimi fared slightly better. The Salmon Sashimi was delectable, fresh, and cut to just the right thickness. I also liked how there were four generous pieces of it. The Tuna Sashimi was soft, but it was also slightly watery and mushy. Did they accidentally drop this into a bucket of water too?

Salad - B-

The Salad came with lots of different ingredients, including edamame, shelled sunflower seeds, daikon, and mixed greens. There was not quite enough dressing for the salad, so it tasted a bit dry. However, I did appreciate the variety in this salad, which made it less mundane.

Croquette - A-

Besides the bento, I also had a large croquette, which came with lots of soft potato-based filling. The interior reminded me of a well-executed mashed potato salad, while the exterior had an appealing amount of crispiness. I'm not sure about the squiggly presentation of the dipping sauce, but the Worcestershire sauce and mayonnaise combination did liven up and harmonize well with the croquette.

Dragon Roll - B-

My final item, the Dragon Roll, consisted of two tempura prawns, unagi, avocado, and masago. The flavours went well together (as is typically the case with a Dragon Roll), and I was pleased with the soft, sweet unagi on top and the fresh avocado. Unfortunately, the prawn tempura was severely over-fried, and my teeth did not exactly appreciate the workout from the hard batter.

The staff at the front were friendly and energetic, and there were a considerable number of chefs working on the food. A trend I noticed here was that the food tended to look better than it tasted. All of the food was beautifully and neatly presented, yet texture and taste issues seemed to be rather abundant. I'm pretty sure this place did not get its popularity based on food appearance alone. Was there something that I missed?

Episode #156: Sushi Hiyori

Vancouver (Downtown), $$ (Moderately Priced)
www.hiyorisushi.ca

Writing blog posts was originally not supposed to be hard, but when my computer randomly presents me with the blue screen of death multiple times a day and crashes whenever I click the Start button, things get a little different. It sure is annoying when my computer gets more and more messed up each time it undergoes the evil Windows Updates. I was so exhausted after dealing with my computer's idiotic idiosyncrasies that I slept heavily through pretty much my entire one-hour bus ride to Sushi Hiyori.

Sushi Hiyori is a Chinese-operated sushi restaurant on the south side of downtown Vancouver. I first visited the restaurant a few years ago when the cheap prices were what lured me in. The prices have gone up, and the restaurant looks a little more worn out than it did back then. There was also an ominous microwave situated right next to where I was sitting. However, the Japanese-themed decor and the wooden chairs and tables still made for a cozy atmosphere.

Salmon Sashimi - B+

Tuna Sashimi - A-

Saba Nigiri - B-

Toro Nigiri - C+

Sockeye Salmon Nigiri - B

The Salmon Sashimi was sliced into thick pieces, and although it did not have the richest flavour, it did have a nice smooth texture. The Tuna Sashimi was fresh and soft, but it was served a bit too cold. The sushi rice on the nigiri wasn't exactly the best since it was a bit dry and weak in flavour. The saba was a bit salty, while the toro was not fatty and tasted just like regular tuna, On the plus side, the sockeye salmon had a delectable smooth texture.

Energy Roll - B-

There was a large variety of special rolls on the menu, including a Memory Roll, which I considered getting in hopes of improving my terrible memory. However, it was a vegetarian roll, and since I didn't feel like being a vegetarian for a few minutes, I went for the Energy Roll instead because I desperately needed more energy. This roll was essentially a dynamite roll with fried unagi on top. The flavours of the ingredients worked well together, but the tempura was not crispy and tasted soft and bread-like. The roll tasted like it was microwaved. It also failed to provide me with much energy, as I fell asleep like a log on the bus again right after leaving the restaurant.

Tempura Udon - B-

For my filler, I ordered the Tempura Udon, and thankfully, the tempura was not soaking in the udon broth. The lettuce and broccoli in the udon gave it an unauthentic flair, and the broth was rather weak with insufficient depth of flavour. The tempura was again soft and floury, just like the tempura in the Energy Roll. However, there was a generous amount of tempura, and the underlying ingredients, especially the two prawns, were fresh.

The service was quite friendly, and at one point, the waitress even went around to help a few tables take group photos. The quality of the food had declined somewhat since my previous visit, but the raw fish has remained fresh. Overall, the prices are fair given the quality and the location, though I wouldn't say that this restaurant is a must-visit.

Episode #155: Sushi Katsu

North Vancouver, $$ (Moderately Priced)
www.sushikatsu.ca

On another one of Vancouver's rare non-rainy days, I ventured over to Lonsdale Ave. in North Vancouver to look for a new restaurant to try. That's right—I've become too lazy to do any online research on sushi restaurants before actually visiting them. I found myself a nice large restaurant to dine at on 19th St., but taking a photo of the restaurant's exterior was quite challenging due to the low angle of the sun. I tried so many different shots and angles that a few pedestrians and drivers were looking at me weirdly. Allow me to show you my best attempt:

As indicated by the exterior, the restaurant has a very spacious dining area. In fact, they had so much room that they left a significant area of the restaurant undecorated and unused. I also noticed that the dining area was quite echoey, which made the screaming baby behind me sound like a frightening horror movie. However, I don't really mind a broken eardrum and a couple of heart attacks as long as the sushi is good. Besides that, the seating was comfortable and appeared to be clean.

Miso Soup - B+

I did my usual thing and went for the priciest roll and the biggest bento box (the Sashimi Bento). The Miso Soup that came with the bento had a strong seaweed flavour and a light consistency. It contained seaweed and tofu and was not too salty.

With six slices of sashimi, half a California roll, tempura, nigiri, chicken teriyaki, and a salad, this was indeed one large bento box.

Tuna Sashimi - A-

Salmon Sashimi - A

California Roll (half order) - B

Both of types of sashimi were very fresh and generally cut to the right thickness, though the knife skills could be a bit more precise. The salmon was excellent and had a creamy buttery flavour, while the tuna had an appealing soft texture. The California Roll was rather large but thinly sliced. It was rice-heavy, but at least the rice was not mushy. Overall, it tasted quite standard fare.

Tempura - B+

The tempura came with five pieces: two prawns and one piece each of zucchini, carrot, and sweet potato. The batter was quite thick, which somewhat inhibited the flavour of the underlying ingredients, but it was crispy and not hard. The prawns were soft and juicy, and the vegetable tempura came with sufficient moisture.

Tuna Nigiri - B+

Salmon Nigiri - B+

The nigiri exhibited a decent fish-to-rice ratio, but the rice could have been more flavourful. Like the Tuna and Salmon Sashimi above, the tuna and salmon here were also fresh, and the salmon came in quite a generous cut.

Chicken Teriyaki - B-

The chicken was tender and dressed with a good amount of teriyaki sauce, but the skin was quite soggy and mushy. However, the bean sprouts underneath were savoury and above average.

Salad - B+

The lettuce-based salad was amply dressed with a tangy Japanese salad vinaigrette. It was quite watery at the bottom, though the "water" did have a nice citrusy flavour.

Caterpillar Roll - C+

I am aware that I tend to order a lot of Dragon Rolls, but how can I resist the savoury, smoky flavour of deliciously grilled unagi? Wanting to switch things up but not forgo the unagi, I went for the Caterpillar Roll ($9.50), which consisted of tempura unagi, avocado, cucumber, and unagi sauce. Unfortunately, it was rather disappointing. It was rice-heavy, and yes, the rice was lacking in flavour once again. It was also hard to taste the unagi under all that rice. The saving grace was that the avocado on top was quite melty and flavourful.

Seared Tuna Sushi - A

A very large bento and the most expensive roll on the menu didn't exactly suffice, so I also tried the Seared Tuna Sushi. Lucky for me, this was a hit. The tuna was very juicy and soft and exhibited a light but discernible smoky flavour. The grated daikon with ponzu and the green onion on top added a pleasant, unique zing to the seared sushi.

The service was satisfactory, but it was a bit sparse. They accidentally brought out my bill by mistake way before I finished eating. Food-wise, their biggest strength is the freshness of their raw fish, while the sushi rice appears to be a weakness. However, the prices were reasonable and the portions were quite generous, so I would say that this adventure was worth the obliteration of my poor ears.

Episode #154: Asakusa Sushi

Burnaby South, $ (Budget)

I was all set to go on another sushi adventure to Steveston, but unfortunately, my school day ran a little longer than expected. By the time I arrived at Metrotown, the skies were already darkening, and I was so famished that I didn't have the energy to sleep on any more buses (if that makes any sense). Perhaps having only a bowl of instant noodles for breakfast and a frappuccino for lunch wasn't a good idea after all. I had to cut my trip short and just dine at a random sushi restaurant near Metrotown. The first one I came across was Asakusa Sushi, and seeing that it was quite busy, I decided to step in and give it a try.

Asakusa Sushi is one of the few Vietnamese-operated Japanese restaurants in Greater Vancouver. The menu was filled with cheap lunch combos and dinner combos. Looking at the tables beside me, I also saw that the sashimi cuts were quite generous. Unfortunately, they didn't have an Appetizer Sashimi, so I went for the nigiri instead.

Miso Soup - B

I first had the Dinner #2 combo (Tempura, Beef Teriyaki, and a BC Roll), which came with a Miso Soup. The Miso Soup contained green onion, seaweed, and tofu. I liked how it was not too salty, but the miso paste tasted a little off. It reminded me of a broth rather than regular miso paste.

Tempura - B-

Beef Teriyaki - C+

When the first dish came, I was rather puzzled. Why was the tempura taking a dip in a pool of teriyaki sauce? Why was it even placed on the same plate as the teriyaki?! I tried to rescue the tempura from the sauce once I had taken a photo of it, but by that time, the zucchini tempura and the eggplant tempura had already fused together with a mush of soggy batter in the middle. Uh oh...

There were two pieces of prawn tempura and one piece each of zucchini, eggplant, and yam. The underlying ingredients were fresh, juicy, and savoury. The prawns were the best of the bunch, but they were coated with way too much batter. The vegetables, on the other hand, had soggy batter due to the teriyaki sauce. I couldn't really decide which I preferred. Moving on, the beef in the Beef Teriyaki was rather tough, although it was sliced thinly. There was an unsensible amount of bean sprouts underneath, which were drenched in teriyaki sauce. Overall, this was not a very carefully prepared dish.

The rest of my order arrived on a large plate. On the plate were some of the largest pieces of sushi I have ever seen. 

Inari Nigiri - B

Toro Nigiri - B-

Sockeye Salmon Nigiri - C-

Ikura Nigiri - C

I first went for the nigiri, and the Inari Nigiri was well-seasoned with sesame seeds inside to enhance flavour. The inari was on the thinner side, but it had a nice sweet flavour. Up next, the toro was fatty and enjoyable. However, the sushi rice was a big no-no. It was too tightly packed, bland, and rather dry. The sockeye salmon was mediocre and lacked a smooth texture, and to top it off, the fish-to-rice ratio was very wrong. The ikura wasn't much of a relief. The seaweed was very tough, and I actually had to use my teeth to bite open the salmon roe. Well, at least my teeth got its daily physical activity, though I wonder whether teeth need to be exercised.

Dragonfly Roll - C+

BC Roll - C+

The Dragonfly Roll was a large roll consisting of a dynamite roll with unagi and avocado on top. The roll was garnished with sesame seeds, masago, and some unagi sauce. The unagi was sliced thin and rather flimsy, but it did have a sweet flavour. However, the imitation crab meat inside was substandard and tasted a bit powdery. Finally, I got to the BC Roll, and each piece was literally as big as a hockey puck! I wasn't sure how I could tell whether the flavours worked together unless maybe I tried to do the chubby bunny challenge with it. The cooked salmon inside was soft and flaky. There was a bit of sauce on top, but the center part of the roll was quite weak in flavour. Oh, and how could we forget the bland, mushy rice on the outside?

I did not find the service particularly friendly, although it was passable and not rude either. Asakusa Sushi is a place for those who need to get full on a tight budget and aren't picky about quality. The quality of the food tends to be below average, but the portion sizes are some of the best in town. I did manage to finish all the food, but when I walked out, I felt like I would be full for days. That being said, my teeth did get a lot of exercise, so I think I should be fine...

Episode #153: Hime Sushi

Vancouver (Northwest), $$$ (Higher Priced)

Despite the very strange experiences I have had at UBC, I still love visiting the campus. This time, I wanted to visit the Asian Centre because I'm Asian. It was very cold outside, so I had to step inside the Irving Centre to warm myself up. I ended up warming up my hangry senses instead, as the whole study area was filled with the rich aroma of soups and herbs. I could not understand how everyone managed to study so diligently. As I continued my trek towards the residential buildings near the Asian Centre, the fragrance of grilled chicken filled the air. Even the garbage dump smelled like delicious barbecued food! That left me with no choice but to go on a sushi adventure immediately.

Just a 5-minute bus ride from UBC is Hime Sushi, a small but popular Korean-operated Japanese restaurant. Somehow, they managed to hide themselves very well from me. My bus stopped right in front of the restaurant, but I managed to miss it completely and walked two whole blocks astray before realizing that I was heading in the wrong direction. When I finally found the restaurant, the servers were extremely busy with what seemed like a mountain of takeout orders, and as a result, the service was a little slow at the beginning of my visit.

Miso Soup - B+

Despite the slow start to the service, they brought out my Miso Soup (a part of the Bento C) very quickly. In fact, they brought out my food so quickly that I had to borrow the table next to me. I must have gotten a few weird stares for ordering so much food. Back to the Miso Soup, it was steaming hot and garnished with green onion and tofu. 

Okonomiyaki - B+

The Okonomiyaki was neatly constructed and not large (it was just $5.95). The exterior was slightly crispy and the breading was soft. The interior tasted a lot like gyoza filling, which was dressed with a reasonable amount of Worcestershire sauce on top. 

Ocean Red Roll - B+

For my special roll, I chose the Ocean Red Roll, which consisted of marinated spicy tuna, green onions, and wild sockeye salmon. Each piece of the roll had a small piece of sockeye salmon on top, and the salmon was fresh albeit not very smooth texture-wise. They added quite a bit of spicy chili sauce to the spicy tuna, and I actually had a bit of trouble eating it. That being said, I'm not the most spice-tolerant person.

Yes... after the okonomiyaki and the special roll, I still managed to finish the whole Bento C.

Prawn Tempura - A-

The Prawn Tempura came with three prawns. The batter on the prawns was a little on the thicker side, but I liked how it was crispy and not hard. The prawns were juicy with a nice savoury flavour.

Tuna Sashimi - A-

Salmon Sashimi - A-

Tai Sashimi - A-

Freshness was apparent in all six pieces of sashimi, though the cuts were anything but generous. The Tuna Sashimi was soft and also a bit fatty. The Salmon Sashimi had a delectable buttery flavour, while the Tai Sashimi exhibited a delicate sweet flavour without being too chewy.

Unagi Don - B

The Unagi Don came with three soft pieces of unagi that were dressed with lots of teriyaki sauce. As you can see from the photo, there was a puddle of teriyaki sauce on one side. The sauce did too much of the work, and the unagi was somewhat overshadowed as a result.

Korokke (Potato Croquette) - A+

The highlight of the bento box was the Korokke, and its texture was just amazing. The breadcrumbs on the outside were crispy and not heavy or hard at all. The potato-based filling inside was very soft, with almost a melty texture, and was accentuated with a light sprinkling of herbs. A fine layer of Thousand Island dressing was the finishing touch of this irresistible croquette.

The service was friendly once the waitresses finished dealing with the massive number of takeout orders. At one point, my miso soup got caught in one of the indentations on the wooden table, which made me pour soup all over my table, my napkin, and my phone. One of the waitresses quickly came over and rescued me with a stash of napkins, and most importantly, my sushi notebook was unharmed. Hime Sushi is not the place for big portions, but the food is consistent and carefully executed.