Chomp Sushi & Teppan Grill

http://www.foodpoisonblog.com/2006/09/ Diners Eat Raw Crabs on Dare, Get Sick Posted on September 11, 2006 by Food Poisoning Lawyer The Associated Press Friday, September 8, 2006; 10:14 PM SANTA ANA, Calif. -- All eight diners who came down with a rare lung infection after eating raw shellfish consumed live sawagani crabs on a dare, health officials said Friday. Health investigators said the crabs, which are usually served fried, were eaten at various restaurants including Riptide Rockin' Sushi & Teppan Grill in Mission Viejo and Chomp Rockin' Sushi & Teppan Grill in Fullerton. Both restaurants are owned by Dan Lauriano who has said some diners apparently started a tradition where they would reach into a jar of live crabs and devour them raw as their friends cheered them on. "It was kind of like 'Fear Factor,'" said Adrian Guerrero, manager at the Mission Viejo restaurant, referring to the television show. "I never saw anyone just come in and say they wanted them raw," Guerrero said. "But after having a few beers or cocktails or sake" they would rise to the challenge. The results were not pretty, and after some of his patrons became sick the owner stopped ordering the crabs from the distributor. Six to 10 weeks after they downed the crabs, participants ended up with a parasite carried by the crab that migrates from the intestines to the lungs and causes lung fluke infection. Symptoms, which can take as long as 10 weeks to surface, include coughing, diarrhea, breathing problems, abdominal pain, fever and hives. If left untreated "it can turn into a very serious lung infection or, in fact, impact the brain," said Deanne Thompson, spokeswoman for the Orange County Health Care Agency. Thompson said the crab distributor has voluntarily attached warning on his shipments. No other cases have been reported in the state. "Most restaurants serve them flash fried but occasionally I guess people get it into their heads to eat them raw or live and that's a bad idea," Thompson said. more

It took me two years to return to Chomp after my girlfriend and I got food poisoning from their sushi. The most recent time was just as bad. Took three hours and a table change to finally get our meals. The majority of the servers are inadequete, minus Anthony, who finally seemed to get things right. If you want trendy, overpriced, half-assed food with an attitude, by all means, eat at Chomp. With the selection of similar (and superior) Tepan and Sushi restaurants in OC, I understand why anyone frequents this hole. more

Chomp is the place to go for great food and fun sushi chefs! I'm not one for having food being thrown in my mouth, so I generally eat at the sushi bar. I never have to wait long at all for my food and the atmosphere is fun. When I first heard about Chomp, I thought "eh... ANOTHER sushi place- boring" I was wrong, and now I'm a regular! Check it out! Prices are decent, and the presentation is good too! more

So I am not one for really loud restaurants....Im getting old and I have loud kids. I like quiet when I go out. But Chomps has a fun atmosphere and I dont mind so much when I am here. So, loud they are. People love their sushi...I don't eat sushi...but I love the Teppan grill. Their food is extremely good, priced average for the food type and the service is okay. more

I can't lie: I was not here for very long. I stopped by to grab some take-out sushi on the way to the train. In this small amount of time, I established three things: that the servers were rude to me, that their bar was impressive, and that the unagi was just wonderful. The sushi prices were impressively low, especially considering how great the food was, but the portions are quite small. Also, advertised was an all-you-can-eat sushi champagne brunch on Sundays, which included a chocolate fountain; I would not at all mind giving that a try. Bottom line: if you're not looking for a huge meal, Chomp has wonderful, cheap sushi. more

Chomp Sushi wasn't what I had expected at all, but it turned out to be a nice surprise. Saturday night came with a loud, boisterous, fun atmosphere--very different from the quiet, elegant sushi restaurants I was used to! We came for the sushi and were seated next to one of the teppanyaki grills, which was great fun to watch while we ate. The chef threw rice balls at everyone's mouth to get them to catch them and did various other tricks as well. Next time we'll be seated at the grill!! more

This place has everything. They have a teppan grill for shows, they have a sushi bar, for people that are alone or just want to eat only sushi, they have karaoke nights, and plain tables. They also have a very large back room for big parties. It is a nice little place. The sushi chefs are very nice and very generous, especially if you buy them some sake, they are VERY generous. The only downfall about this place is the parking. The parking is very limited, as well as the seating. The place is big, but does get very crowded. If you have never tried a sake bomb, please order one, and tell them to show you the way to drink it. If they tell you put the chopsticks on top of the cup, then you are learning it, if not, then you won't learn it correctly. more

Good food, good people, good drinks, good times. Buy the sushi chefs a shot of sake and enjoy. Went there with a group of friends on a weekday night and there was still a pretty good wait. The decor inside is fun as well as the general atmosphere. Try one of their specialty drinks. more

You can't beat all you can eat sushi. On Thursday nights Chomp turns into a club sort of. The all you can eat sushi for $20 a person brings in all the college age kids. There is a full bar and also hababchi grills you can eat at too but those don't have the all you can eat sushi. Sit at the sushi bar for all the fun. Its loud and crazy in here. Perfect place for singles and dates. Good sushi too for onlt $20 a person. more

Chomp Sushi is a great place to have some fun for all occasions. There are 2-3 teppan grills that you could have friends enjoy. There is a sushi bar in the middle of the restaurant. There is a bar as well, closer to the entrance. The best part is karaoke night. People eat, drink, and sing their hearts out. It's great. If you drink, you must try Chomp's sake bombs. It's a little bit of sake and beer. If you drink sake, make sure they know if you would like it warm or cold. If you have never seen a sake bomb, or had one, but not the "fun" way, tell the waitress/waiter and have them explain it. It's a lot of fun. Their food is always very fresh and tasty. It's a great place for parties and just to hang out. more