I'm a little biased because this is the restaurant my husband and I go to most regularly, so I'm sure we get special treatment. But, then again, we go so frequently because the sushi is good and pretty inexpensive. Jae's sushi comes in wonderful slabs, thick and extra long so that you can squeeze a mini order of sashimi out of your nigiri. How else could we stuff ourselves to the gills with fresh fish, cold nigori sake, and Kirin beer and spend an _average_ of $25 per person? When we do large takeout orders, it usually comes to less than $40 total (because we don't get the soup and drinks) and we still end up with more than we can eat. This isn't some supposed 25 for $25 situation either, where you actually end up spending at least $35 a person once you figure in drinks.
A steamy, salty dish of edamame gets delivered to you shortly after you're seated. You can order from the pan-Asian offerings, the best of which are the big bowls of Vietnamese rice noodle bowls with egg rolls and charbroiled pork, green bean chicken, and Thai garlic shrimp. I also like the crispy bird's nest noodles for the perfect egg noodles and variety of meat and vegetables, but ask for extra garlic if you're afraid it'll be too bland. Or, you can order from the sushi menu. The fresh list isn't always up-to-date and Jae always has fish that aren't on the menu, so ask if you're hankering for something in particular.
You'll have the best dining experience if you sit at the sushi bar, but you can't sit there unless you order some sushi. Sitting at the bar is good for pacing and for attention from the chef. It takes a little longer to get sushi to the tables, especially when it's summer and the capacity doubles because the patio's open. I think it's easier for the chefs to slip you a plate of sushi while they're working on other orders when you're sitting right in front of them with an empty plate. If you sit at a table, expect a leisurely dining experience.
It's a pretty casual restaurant, but its atmosphere suggests a classier experience. All the walls have wonderful murals on them of scenes taken from Japanese prints and Asian motifs. There's a dry riverbed along one side of the ramp leading to the diningroom. Lighting is subdued. Classical music plays on the speaker system. In the summer, you'll feel like you're in another world on their large, brightly painted patio in the back.
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