Sushi In Joy is very nearly invisible in the NorthTown strip mall on the north edge of Bellevue and may not be the place you'd consider going to impress a date... but if what you want is a reasonably-priced meal you can enjoy on your own (with or without a book) or with your family instead, you really can't do better. The food is good and eminently enjoyable providing you're in the mood to dine in a quiet little spot more appropriately described as 'comfortable', 'cozy', and 'convenient'. If you're looking for 'fancy', you're better off heading somewhere else.
This is a neighborhood restaurant that tends to be frequented by people in the area and so the extremely-friendly-without-being-intrusive waitstaff seem to make the most of the opportunity to get to know people. My son has even gone so far as to ask for 'the usual' on occasion and had them know exactly what he means! And when he goes with his grandparents instead of us, they ask where we are - wow, a place you can go in this day and age where you can feel like people actually know you!
Just to be clear in case it matters - if 'Family Friendly' means to you crayons and a menu that can be colored, you'll probably want to bring your own entertainment for the kids. Even so, you'll most likely be pleasantly surprised that your children are treated as special customers too and how comfortable and easy it is to have them there knowing that a small person playing with a toy car at the table isn't a serious disruption to staff or other diners. For their part, the kids will like getting to pick out a DumDum lollipop after dinner from someone who seems genuinely pleased to have them there.
Adults will enjoy nicely prepared traditional Japanese fare including tempura, teriyaki, and yakisoba as well as sushi and sashimi. Kids have a choice of items from a child's menu but if yours tend to prefer chicken nuggets, our family recommends checking out the chicken katsu. It's only offered as an adult entree now instead of the more kid-convenient appetizer portion but who knows, maybe your kids will also learn to enjoy miso soup and eat rice with chopsticks as a result.
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