For years this was one of our favorite sushi bar/restaurants on the Central Coast. We have been enjoying sushi on both US coasts and in Japan for over 40 years. We spend time in SLO often and looked forward to this stop. In the spring of 2007 we returned and were very sad to see that the recent change in ownership meant a big decline in quality. We sat at the sushi bar and watched as mutitudes of non-Japanese style rolls were mass produced for the tables. We got sparse service and some of the fish that we were served was not nearly as fresh as it should have been. We won't be surprised if the next time that we drive by there it will have turned into a sports bar! Only naive consumers would mistake this for a good example of Japanese cuisine and style.
A few tips for sushi lovers: Japanese sushi is an entire aesthetic experience, and it is not about quickly stuffing ones face! Sushi is to be savored, ordering one order at a time, then deciding what you might enjoy next after tasting the previous order ('mass ordering' defeats the purpose of the Sushi experience for you and for others sitting at the bar). Sit at a table if you must order everything at once! Get to know your sushi chef, and soon he will know what you like and will be happy to make suggestions to you about what is the freshest and best on a given evening, and he can introduce you to new taste adventures. Just because I may want tuna does not mean it is the best fish to order on a given night. We always check with the chef first. The chef lets you know when he is ready to take your next order by looking at you or asking you. It is often considered rude to shout out an order when the chef is working on something else. Think of this as elbowing your way in ahead of other customers who have been waiting patiently. We know we are in really good and familiar hands when the sushi orders just appear in front us, and our only worry is which we want as a repeat order.
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