This sushi is wrong, it's not like at (fill in blank)

I had these two customers come into Sakura one night. It was really busy and we were super slammed and at that point I was an angry half Asian lady. Customer service tends to go out the door and you start working like a machine. I always feel bad (sometimes) afterwards, but when you’re worked that hard you don’t care anymore.
So they were clearly sisters. One of the sisters was being the nice and diplomatic one. The other sister was being a tart (I’m using kid friendly terms right now). She kept on saying that her rolls were done incorrectly. There was supposed to be mayo in the California roll.
There is no mayo in California roll.
Sushi rolls like the spicy tuna/salmon, etc may be different. Woodbridge Sakura tends to use the spicy mayo blend that the headchef has made. The old chef at Fredericksburg Sakura would use chirachi sauce in his spicy rolls.
Each restaurant is different. The sushi chef is an artist. He may do things differently at his store.
I talked to the head sushi chef later. He did confirm the fact that the other chef at the store she normally frequented did put mayo in his California roll.
So before you go postal on the sushi staff or chef please understand that just because a chain may have the same name it doesn’t mean things are done the same.

Nizi Sushi Place, New Jersey

So this isn’t a review of a Northern Virginia sushi place. I found myself in East Rutherford, NJ last Thursday. My favorite band Rammstein was touring in 9 cities in North America. So we got tickets and journeyed up to New Jersey. My friend and I were craving sushi and so using Google we charted our adventure to dinner and the venue.


We choose a place called Nizi Restaurant. It’s a cute little place that’s owned by Koreans. They had sushi and Korean food. I believe they also had other Japanese entrees like udon, tempura, etc. I chose a chirashi dish and my friend got a few veggie rolls.

They gave us some rice soup, which the Korean kid in me immediately cringed. I hate rice soup. My friend couldn’t eat it because she’s a vegetarian and it had seafood in it. They also offered us mussels, which I turned down. I’m really picky about mussels, I’ve found only one way I can eat them.



So we get our sushi. Star was pretty happy with her veggie rolls. My chirashi was good. I think what makes a good chirashi is the sushi rice. Their sushi rice was okay, nothing spectacular about it. The fish was average quality. Nothing really awe inspiring.

Would I come again? Sure. The staff was good and services was great.



Rating: B-
(Doing a simpler rating system.)

Sakura Japanese Steakhouse: Fredericksburg, VA

Now Sakura is owned by two men. It's not a franchise or a corporate restaurant chain. So if you think that just because you go to one Sakura that it's all the same.

I went to Fredericksburg, VA on a whim. I use to work at this location for about 2yrs. So I went and visited all the old chefs that I knew and the manager. Manager wasn't there, but her husband was. And I haven't seen her husband in quiet some time. He told me their new chef was awesome. So I tried a few rolls since I was hungry.

This Sakura has a larger selection of specialty rolls. A lot of them were pricey so I didn't really go. The only special roll I ordered was the Boston Roll. It was super delicious. The Philadelphia roll was very good. The salmon was money! It was so nice and fresh and melt in your mouth greatness. :)

I have to say this sushi chef was incredibly artsy. The pic probably doesn't show it but when I got the plate I was impressed. Sushi is an art and this chef did an awesome job.

Ratings:
Freshness: 5/5
Variety: 5/5
Decoration/Ambiance: 4/5
This Sakura is small, but I think the manager of this one spent more money on the decorations.
Service: 5/5
Pricing: Sushi is fair for the value and quality.

Sakura Japanese Steakhouse: Woodbridge, VA

So this may be a bit biased. I've worked at the Woodbridge location on and off since I was 16yrs old. Plus my mother has worked there since I was 10yrs old.

Woodbridge Sakura has to be one of the best sushi places I've been too. I always get told by sushi customers that they absolutely love it here. We have a few customers who live in Maryland or DC who travel to Woodbridge for the sushi.

Sushi is always fresh here. I know for the fact that sushi is ordered every Thursday night for the weekend delivery. The head chef always orders during the week days as need as well.

Like most places they have the normal sushi rolls as well as a few fun variety rolls. The ones pictured are the Tiger Roll which is spicy scallop inside, with ebi on top. Rising Sun is spicy shrimp inside with seared tuna on top.

Las Vegas Roll is the best seller for sure. I love the Las Vegas roll, but it's a pretty complicated roll with a lot going on. But the flavors really come together and it's a guilty pleasure for most.

They also have a variety of appetizers and specials. If you have a non-sushi person with you, you can order from the main menu and the food is made in the kitchen. Featured to the right is the Sunomono.

Other Key Features:
Rice Quality: V-san the head chef makes the best sushi rice I've ever tasted. I enjoy eating the rice as much as the sushi.

Tamago: This is one of the only places you'll ever go to that makes their own tamago. Most folks avoid the egg omelet only ordering it for kids. But I order tamago from Woodbridge because it's so darn tasty. At other places it's usually ordered from their sushi distributor and it has preservatives or is frozen. The taste is usually flat, not sweet like fresh tamago.

Ginger: Ginger here is white. It doesn't have the preservatives like the pink stuff does.

Ratings:
Freshness: 5/5
Variety: 5/5
Decoration/Ambiance: 3/5
(You go for Sakura for the food not the decorations. ^_^ )
Service: 5/5
Pricing: Sushi is fair for the value and quality.

Welcome to NOVA Sushi Review

My name is Anna. This blog is inspired by my love for good sushi. My friend called me a sushi snob one day and my other friend said I should create a blog. I intend to showcase good sushi places in the Northern Virginia-Washington, DC area. But if I'm on travel or happen to eat outside the area I'll showcase my adventures.

I worked at Sakura Japanese Steakhouse for many years during my high school and college years. I've been spoiled by great sushi chefs and have a great appreciation for the hard work that goes into sushi industry. Some people just think get some fish, mix some rice vinegar in some rice, and wrap it in seaweed and call it a day. And I'm not talking about homemade sushi.

But we'll get to those places as they come up.

Next Topic: Sakura Japanese Steakhouse, Woodbridge, VA